Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Strategic Management - Assignment Example According to that organization forms its strategies to get benefit of opportunities or to handle industrial or environmental problem. Strategies of business focus on diversified ways to achieve success. Environmental analysis establishes a linkage between business and its operating environment. Various socio economic and sustainable issues are highlighted in this analysis. In this case study three important framework are used to explain importance of environmental analysis in growth and success of organization. External environmental analysis gives a detail idea about industry. There are some major forces which controls and influence the entire business environment of a country. In this case study environmental analysis of United Kingdom is done. Explaining and analysing various factors of environment organization develop its future actions and events. This analysis also gives information about other players present in the market. The companies form a clear idea about existing compet ition and its competitive position in the market. This framework analysis highlights unpredictable and important environmental factors of UK market. PESTEL analysis explains six macro level environmental factors. These factors play a vital role in affecting business decisions of a company. Political: UK has many political rules and regulations which affects the establishment of business strategies. UK government has imposed several laws and regulations regarding retail management and its waste disposal. Wide range political factors affect Tesco’s operation and business process. Different types of taxes are levied by UK government on the business activities of Retail Company. For example Tesco have given many taxes for conducting its business operations (Meckel 79). Tesco forms strategies to reduce its tax burden in its operating market. The government of this country also encourages the retail company to develop and expand its business

Persuasive Paper Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Paper Essay Toilet paper is a material item that most people use. This paper has a big impact on our society. Not many people pay attention to how they put their paper on they just sort of throw it all together in a matter of seconds. One day I noticed that my paper was harder to get than normal, then I noticed that the beginning of the paper was hanging from the back of the roll instead of laying on it or hanging over the front. This startled me, I did not realize until then that you can put your toilet paper either the front or the back. I said to myself This can not be, my paper is all wrong it should not be this way! (I made gestures). So I have come to decide that having your toilet paper is better in the front of the roll compared to the back. When most people go to sit down on their toilet they expect their paper to be there. Well what if your paper was there and a good full amount was present but when you go to reach for it, it seems a little bit farther away, well this is because your paper may have been placed wrong. Lets think about this in a conservative way. If you have a small child then you will know what I mean, Little kids like to play with toilet paper, some even like to eat it! Well if you have your paper in the front it will make it harder for the child to pull more of the roll from its original state, as opposed to if you had your paper in the back, the kid could pull it so hard, tons of it will roll because of the downward motion, and this may cause the tug to be to powerful and may rip the toilet paper, Then you would not be able to roll the paper back to its original rolling position. Having the paper in the front is also very convenient for easier toilet paper rolling. If the paper was in the back, you have to reach under or around the roll to get your paper, and then pull it in a downward motion, If you pull it straight towards you, it is liable to break! I have asked around to find if anyone likes there paper in the back position, I found out some people do! I asked those people why on earth they could like the paper in the back. They said: Because if you pull it from the back, you can have a faster speed of rolling paper I replied, But a lot of  the time the paper breaks and then you have bits and pieces he said, Bits and pieces are not always bad. You can just add them to your handful of toilet paper that youre going to use. I just shook my head nicely and thought to myself of an old saying an old man said to me once: Its quality not quantity. In conclusion, I have decided after hearing both sides that having you paper in front is indeed better than in the back. So the next time you are putting your roll of toilet paper on, you just remember that if you have a kid, think about your toilet paper placement. Think about your arm and hand energy when you go to grab a few sheets. Think about the quality of your handful and not the quantity!

Use of Figurative Language in Daddy by Sylvia Plath Essay -- Literary

The figurative language in the poem â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath can be used to discover a deeper significant of the poem. By using figurative language throughout the poem such as symbolism, imagery, and wordplay, Plath reveals hidden messages about her relationship with her father. Plath uses symbols of Nazis, vampires, size, and communication to help reveal a message about her dad. In Plath’s poem she frequently uses figurative language about Nazis and the Holocaust. Plath depicts herself as a victim by saying she is like a Jew, and her father is like a Nazi. Plath uses a train engine as a metaphor for her father speaking the German Language, and also to depict herself as a victimized Jew being taken away to a concentration camp. Plath states â€Å"And the language obscene / An engine, and engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew† (Plath 30-32). This shows the subtle metaphor of the train engine being her father speaking the German language and how she feels she is a prisoner. Plath uses other subtle metaphor that connect her father discreetly to the Nazis when she uses German words such as â€Å"Luftwaffe† (42) which is the German air force, and â€Å"Panzer-man† (45) who were the men who manned the German tanks. Another example of Plath using figurative language to depict her father as a Nazi can be found when she uses an allusio n to Hitler’s mustache and the blue eyes of Aryans. â€Å"And your neat moustache / And your Aryan eyes, bright blue† (Plath 43-44). The use of this allusion gives the father the image of Hitler himself and helps build the metaphor of her father as a Nazi. Towards the end of the poem Plath begins to be more blunt in depicting her dad as a Nazi. She uses the metaphor of her father not being like God, but rather lik... ...voices just can’t worm through† (Plath 68-70) A metaphor compares the telephone to a plant, and the plant has been cut off at the root and therefor the communication has been cut off. The roots are almost a metaphorical telephone line growing on her father’s grave, but now they are cut off and no longer available for communication. We can see the struggle Plath is having in wanting so desperately to tell her father something but never having the chance to say it. By analyzing Plath’s use of figurative language we can see a much deeper significance to her poem. We see how she depicted her father as a suffocating monster through figurative language. We also get deeper insight into the type of relationship, or rather lack of relationship between the two. Works Cited Plath, Sylvia. The Collected Poems. Ed. Ted Hughes. NewYork: Harper Perennial, 1972.

Facilitating Learning and Assessment in Registered Nurse Practice Essay

In this portfolio I intend to expose the requirement of PP0127 of the process of facilitating learning and develop the skills of assessment as a registered nurse in the clinical practice. Mentoring is a development skill that offers a chance to deliver skill and knowledge by educating new students without any expectations and fears as mention by Huang & Lynch, (1995). I have been in the nursing industry for the past 4 years as a registered nurse. I am working in dialysis unit department as well knows private hospital that has been established for 27 years in Southeast Asia. I has been completed my diploma in nursing in year 2010 as recognized by Malaysia Minister of Government and commenced profession in year 2011. Being one of the senior nurses within my department, I am in charge of orientation of the dialysis department as well as the Environment Safety Health guidelines for the newly employed registered nurse in dialysis unit department. My nurse manager was assigned me to supervise a new registered nurse Miss Rina (pseudonym) in my department. She was graduated from nursing college in year 2013. Rina aged is 21 years old and originated from Malaysia (Appendix 1). Rina is under the mentorship of myself on the track for learning, new skill and establish better practical knowledge of the department. Rina was required to enhance her skills and knowledge in preparation of extracorporeal circuit for hemodialysis (Fresenius machine). A learning contract was also signed by Rina for consent of monitoring assessment (Appendix 2). Identifying Learning Needs, Planning and Managing Students Experiences Honey and Mumford (1992) in their adaptation of Kolb suggested four learning styles which recognized as activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist in accordance with four-stage learning cycle of having an experience, reflecting on it, drawing applying the lessons learned. Therefore, Rina’s performance was observed prior to the provision of the program period. Rina learns was identified as a reflector learning styles. It is mean reflectors learn through observation, and by thinking about what they have observed, and constructing meaning through the process of the reflection. Specifically, it is expected that at the end of this provision period Rina would be able to: Understand and explain about the procedure Extracorporeal circuit is prepared under aseptic technique Visible air and sterilant are completely removed from the extracorporeal circuit. To provide safe delivery of patients care by ensuring Scope This procedure shall be carried out by clinical staff who have successfully completed the ‘Introduction to Renal Dialysis’ course certified competent Learning outcomes Outline the principles of prepared Extracorporeal circuit Outline the roles and responsibilities of the learner in prepared Extracorporeal circuit Demonstrate competency in prepared Extracorporeal circuit According to Furzard (1995), facilitator is reflected by coaching a learner in positive way to develop the process of teaching in their clinical placement. Mentors are being encouraged to use different way of technique to the learners, so that learners will more crucial and show interest to learn the procedure. It will also make learners to be systematically in the learning process Lister (1990). Fundamentally, as a mentor, I need to apply some theories and principles, to be able to plan and deliver a good lesson for Rina. Therefore, the knowledge will able to meet Rina’s needs and help her to achieve her goals. One of the most powerful theories is Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs (1962) about motivation (Appendix 3). It is make me understand that my Rina will give up if learning is not take place in the appropriated manner without motivation. Motivation in the work place is important for Rina to achieve her goals. Besides that, physical environment is also important area in facilitating of learning in clinical practice. The process of teaching environment will be arranged in the clinical practice to decrease barriers between mentor and learners (Quinn, 1995). Through these, explanations, discussions and questioning, discussions will be beneficial for Rina to extending her skill and knowledge to perform well in the clinical practice. In these situations both of feel more comfortable and freedom to ask questions and talk openly to clarify the doubts. According to Rogers (1969), the demonstration skills are important within the clinical practice, so that learners will be profession in their skills. I also provided the method of how to prepared the Extracorporeal circuit, and  demonstrate the procedure to Rina. Bloom’s Taxonomy was created in 1956 under the leadership of educational psychologist Dr. Benjamin Bloom in order to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analyzing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning). The committee identified three domains of educational activities or learning (cognitive, affective and psychomotor) (Bloom, 1956). This learning helps Rina to develop her knowledge, attitude and skills. According these principles, a learning plan was done in the four weeks’ time (01/01/2014 to 31/01/2014). This is guarantee that appropriate time is provided to Rina to learn and complete the procedure gradually in the due time (Appendix 4). Facilitating Learning and Assessment An orientation program was conducted with Rina to make her feel comfortable and explain the plan about what are the expectations, responsibilities and attitude throughout the assessment. It is helps Rina to reduce her stress and anxiety. As a mentor, I will be providing her more confident and responsible to guide learners to avoid doing errors (Jeffery E.Auerbach). Rina has her basic knowledge on dialysis. Her requirements that she needs to achieved in her provision period was: To provide safe delivery of patients care by ensuring Definition of priming extracorporeal Why extracorporeal prepared under aseptic technique Why visible air and sterilant are completely removed from the extracorporeal circuit Complications if present of sterilant in extracorporeal According to Tomlinson, C. A. (1999), learners are will be act more effectively by visualize, perceiving and feel the sensations while performing procedure. Learners will be learning new things every day and gaining experience in daily activities. Visual learner is a learning style that easy to understand the contents from the aids and organizers. Rina was benefits from visual aid as a visual learner. Therefore, learning subjects like ideas, concepts, data, mind mapping and other information are related with images and techniques were presented via slide show to facilitate Rina’s learning. The teaching methods described by Collins and colleagues in the ‘cognitive apprenticeship model’ (Collins et al. 1989) are highly  specific and designed to foster situated learning and thus can be assumed to enhance learning in clinical practice. Collins et al. (1989) proposed six teaching methods promoting situated learning by helping students to acquire both cognitive and meta-cognitive skills and focus their observation of expert performance in practice so as to facilitate the development of their own problem-solving skills. Additionally, these methods foster the autonomy of students’ learning processes by encouraging students to formulate personal learning goals. In this study we will explore the use of the six teaching methods (modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration) of the cognitive apprenticeship model as well as the role of the learning climate. As mention by Albert Bandura, learning is a process of observing people’s attitude and trained to develop learners as a role model in future. Apart from that, learners will be captured by listening and observing of the performance in their clinical practice as a learning point to achieve their goals. Rina’s attitude was identified by visualized and perform the job skills before carried out a task. This learning method was given a positive perception for her because visual learners are expert at observing and perceiving details. During the assessment periods, Rina was required to observe my demonstrations of the procedure, how to prepare the correct technique of preparation of extracorporeal circuit (Appendix 5). The process of learning as a mentor will be develop by understanding and gaining information of the procedure before task has been performed to the learners. Therefore, learners will be more confident and awareness to handle the procedure appropriately. Mentors are inspiring to be attentive to identify learners learning skills before guidance’s are being carried out, therefore difference types of learners has different type of learning skills that are be performed during working environment. Besides that, by observing learners performances through demonstration will be identify their understanding of the procedure. To be an effective mentor, mentors are encouraged to be prepared as a role model to a learner as suggested by Eric Parsloe, (1999). Rina was required to implement the procedure accurately after the demonstrations were given by me. These demonstration practices will be emphasize to develop her skills. It is also encourage and motivate her with adequate knowledge, thought process and supportive environment. Scaffolding has been defined by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976) as an â€Å"adult  controlling those elements of the task that are essentially beyond the learner’s capacity, thus permitting him to concentrate upon and complete only those elements that are within his range of competence. This method are supporting as well as providing comfort for Rina throughout the practice training. Learners are encouraged to think critical thinking and to clarify their doubt clearly in their professional as they will be prioritized on their learning practice and speak clearly to understand their needs. These critical thinking process will be enhance challenging for learners to interconnect their learning and procedure as they hands on with real equipment as mention by Chitty, (2001). As a mentor I arranged some questioning section for Rina to stimulating and clear her doubts better understanding. According to Bulman & Schutz (2008), mentor and learners are reflected by experiences one other to evaluated their performance in daily and upcoming practices for improvement. Through reflection, I was identified Rina’s strengths and weaknesses. It will be beneficially for me to make effectively and competently to guide Rina to improve and develop her skills as a professional registered nurse during the training periods. Kolb’s experiential learning theory offers the career counselor a meta-model with which to structure career exploration exercises and ensure a thorough investigation of self and the world of work in a manner that provides the client with an optimal amount of learning and personal development. During the third week of Rina’s training program, Rina was required to assist the senior registered nurse in preparing extracorporeal circuit. By this way encouraging Rina to implement her skills and providing safe deliver care. Rina’s performance was observed by me and another senior registered nurse to determine if she is able to handle and solve problem independently. While assessment, both formative and summative assessment were completely to assess the outcomes of learning skill of Rina. Instantly, competency checklist is important for learners to evaluate their level of understanding of the procedure so that learner will be more conscious on what they have being thought to perform according to the procedure as suggested by Yorke, (2003). Formative assessment is a feedback process of given an opportunity to demonstrate Rina’s learning. It is because to determine me to evaluate her response of the knowledge and skills that she received, and make adjustments i n learning plans for Rina in identifies areas need improvement  (Appendix 6). Through the assessment, Rina will be observed to see whether she successfully complete and was able to perform the required responsibilities by performing correct procedures (Appendix 7). Summative assessment is to finalize the feedback and evidence based of learning for learners to complete their assignments which has been thought in their learning process by Hanna & Dettmer, (2004). Summative assessment is evaluation of Rina at the end of the training program to identify the outcome of the program. By this summative assessment, I know the level of Rina understands about performing the procedure. These assessments include an exam (Appendix 8). That examines to grade Rina’s skill on preparing extracorporeal circuit, as well as her ability in the knowledge. Rina will repeat the assessment that she failed to make sure the important skills and knowledge are required at the end of the training program. Providing Ongoing Support and Guidance The Vygotsky, (1978) suggested that, zones of proximal development (ZPD) are identified that, real development progress by each and individually in their career. Mentor will be encouraging to involved learners to resolve problem solving by independently when learner occurs difficult time so that learner will be have a chance to experiences in their lesson. Besides that it also enhances to be a team work among colleagues and proficient on career. Furthermore, by using these techniques of learning Rina will be developing skills and approach through effective ways. Hereafter, it is comfort for Rina to be more confident to proceed the procedure of preparing extracorporeal circuit without any nervous or anxiety throughout the training and after the provision period also. During the provision period, I and Rina meet twice a week for discuss about the problems that she encounter and need further help to improve herself in performing the procedure. On this meeting time, the things of discussion were recorded as mention above (Appendix 4). Additionally, a senior registered nurse Dolly (pseudonym), with 10 years’ experience in dialysis unit department was assigned as Rina’s co-mentor, for the reason that Rina can look for her assistance when I am not around. In Kimble’s original definition he states that behavioral potentiality in learning occurs as a result of reinforced practice (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009). Learning is a difficult definition to state because  learning is only observable through behavioral changes. Because learning cannot be observed if there is no change in behavior, the definition must contain and emphasize the need for behavioral change and in the textbook’s definition it stresses the importance of experience but leaves the theorist to specify the kind of experience he deems necessary to his research (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2009). Behavior is a key component when discussing the learning process. Without changes in behavior it is nearly impossible to document or record that learning has taken place. Olson and Hergenhahn claim that, the change, based on the definition given, must also be relatively permanent and must result from experience (2009). Thus, I believe that Rina will be able to learn from Dolly by observing how she performs the procedure by her way. Rina also had some discussion with Dolly to clarify her doubts. Through these Rina can improves her skills and perform well with confident. Furthermore, Dolly and I support and guide Rina in the practice area by assessing, evaluating and give positive feedback whenever she do the mistakes in her procedure to encourage her to achieved the knowledge, skills and to make improvements to promote her progress. This is one the framework to support learning and assessment in practice for Rina. Summary of Personal and Professional Development in Mentorship In the conclusion, I have confidence in that I and Rina have benefited throughout the assessment period. Rina was successfully accomplished her target to developing skills and knowledge in the assessment. According to David A Stoddard (2009), â€Å"mentoring involves helping others to discover and pursue their passions, recognize and deal with their pain and sort out their priorities. More than a sound business practice, mentoring is really a stewardship issue. It’s an opportunity to give of ourselves – our experiences, our expertise, and our gifts- and take advantage of opportunities to help someone be all that they can be.† I understand that mentoring is a challenging process for both of us, me as a mentor and for Rina as a learner to teaching and assessing her throughout the provision period. These mentoring processes identify my strength and weakness to progress my personal and professional development in career. Throughout the assessment period I have extended my knowledge and understand how to become a good mentor and has confident to guide learners in different methods for  my future students. I have also known various assessment and teaching strategies through the aspects of NMC standards. Further that, being a mentor is a good opportunity for me to identify my skills and knowledge in my department. It is helps me to developing my skills and knowledge as mentor role. In future, I as a mentor will be more confident in teaching my learner.

Film Analysis and Comparison of Documentaries

Comparison of Bowling for Columbine and Let’s Talk About Sex We all know the infamous author Michael Moore for his dark sense of humor that has shed its light on America in different ways. He is great at the craft of documentaries, and in my opinion it is one of the best that I have ever seen. â€Å"Bowling for Columbine,† won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. In many ways this film had me uneasy, yet I feel it is one of the most compelling documentaries that I have seen. Throughout this documentary Moore enlightens us on the subject of guns in America, but in my opinion I really feel that he is depicting our countries culture of violence.He goes on the give a detailed flashbacks of his beliefs for the reasons why so many Americans in todays society are often killed with guns. Moore has a very distinct style of filming, through his compelling sense of humor and strong personality. In specific when Moore walked into the Michigan bank. They were also a licensed fire arm dealer, where he got a free gun for putting money into a Certificate of Deposit. The local ad in the newspaper for the deal read: â€Å"More Bang, for Your Buck. † As alarming as this was, he later went to buy a bullet after getting a haircut.This style was very appealing to me in the way that he showcased his main points. The style was straightforward and compelling that I believe people from many different backgrounds can all be able to understand and relate to. The next paper I will be comparing is the very controversial film â€Å"Let’s Talk About Sex. † This film was packed with clips from TV shows, thrilling facts, and interviews with American and Dutch teens. This film emphasizes on how sex is portrayed and displayed in America in comparison to other countries.This film serves as a great wake up call for people who believe that telling teens to â€Å"abstain† from sex is an effective way of keeping them safe and healthy. This film was accurate and timely, the film exposes the reasons behind our high teen pregnancy and STD rates. In Let’s Talk About Sex the attitudes of Americans is compared to Europeans on the subject of sex. The most controversial point in this film was probably the segment that involved gay teens. I personally feel that if members of the gay community were to watch this they would be disappointed they were represented in this aspect.In comparison, both of these films traveled the country and presented many facts towards their topics of Guns and Sex. I feel that both of these films address two very important subject areas that need to be addressed in today’s society. Throughout the Let’s Talk about Sex film we met pregnant teens, young HIV positive people and kids who lied to parents about being sexually active. Through Moore’s film like many of his others appealed more to emotion than, to reason. His stylistic ways of the film were more provocative than informative.Even thoug h Moore’s views may not be very appealing to many, I feel that this film is one worth watching. The pinnacle point in the Bowling for Columbine that I found extremely moving was when Moore takes two of the survivors of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre to K-Mart headquarters in Troy, Michigan. The survivors requested they stop selling handgun bullets. After delay, K-Mart eventually came out and announced that they were phasing out of gun ammunition. This was actually a bright side of the film, yet it was still terrible to see the victims of the 1999 Columbine.From the movie Let’s Talk About Sex, the pinnacle was probably through the comparison of the cultures of American Teens versus the Dutch Teens. The Dutch teens see carrying condoms as a sign of responsibility and proudly showed them off the to the camera while, American teens freaked out over the idea, using words like â€Å"pervert† or â€Å"douchebag†. All I believe both films were very compe lling and their different styles fit each perfectly. Our society needed a persuasive film like Bowling for Columbine and we also needed the alarming facts of Let’s talk about Sex, to get their points across.

Examine the use of stereotyping in the media and evaluate if they impact on people The WritePass Journal

Examine the use of stereotyping in the media and evaluate if they impact on people Introduction Examine the use of stereotyping in the media and evaluate if they impact on people IntroductionBibliography:Related Introduction The judgments we make about people, events or places are based on our own direct impressions. But for most of the knowledge, we rely on media. The media actually re-present the world to us. However, the media only shows us some aspects of the world, ignoring the rest. So basically, the media chooses what is to be shown and what is to be discarded (Andrew Pilkington and Alan Yeo (2009)). . In this essay, I will explain what stereotypes are and primarily give an example of a famous men’s magazine called ‘nuts’ and explain how these stereotypes are created by print and the digital media and what are their impacts on people. Stereotypes can be defined as an exaggerated belief about an individual or a group based on their appearance, behavior or beliefs. Though our world seems to be improving in many other ways, it seems almost impossible to emancipate it from stereotypes. Today, the media is so powerful that it can make or break an image of a person and also can change the views of the audience. ‘Gender refers to the cultural nature of the differences between the natural biological sexes of male and female’ (Long, P Wall, T (2009)). Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for sorting human beings. The media mostly portrays men as strong, masculine, tough, hard and independent while women are shown as fragile, soft, clean and mostly sexy. Whatever the role, television, film and popular magazines are full of images of women and girls who are typically white, desperately thin, and tailored to be the perfect woman. The representation of women on the print and the visual media mostly tend to be stereotypical, in terms of societal expectations (mediaknowall.com). These days, most of the fashion magazines are full of white girls with large breasts and small waist. Beauty ideas are commonly represented in such magazines. The appearance of the women in these ad’s focus on every little feature of a woman which includes the darkness/lightness of the skin, the eye colour, the appearance of the hair, how her nose is shaped, if she has luscious lips and various other physical traits, so basically it tells us a woman should look perfect (edubook.com). One will see a white female with pouting red lips and the very petite body that resembles a thirteen-year-old girl. The extremely artificial women and the heavily photo-shopped pictures in these ad’s create a norm and make those women who look differently, feel insecure of who they are and make them feel as if they are less of a woman, for example they tend to over represent the Caucasian, blonde with bright eyes, white complexion and a petite body. This is an unattainable beauty for most w omen, which has caused many to develop issues such as eating disorders, depression and the very much talked about these days, anorexia. Ferguson (1983) conducted a study of young women’s magazines and found that they promote a traditional idea of femininity. They promoted the idea that girls should aspire to be beautiful in order to get a husband (Andrew Pilkington and Alan Yeo (2009)). It is true that some women might want it but in most the cases they learn it from their mothers or the media. For instance, girls should wear pink and boys should wear blue, this is another stereotype, which is in our heads since we were children. Most of the people think that these magazines promote self- improvement, but in reality, it has caused self-destruction of women. When a popular news-show host Greta Van Susteren moved from CNN to Fox, she not only had a makeover but she went under the knife and changed her face to appear younger and more beautiful. When her new show, ‘On the Record’ got on air, her hair was changed and she sat behind a table so that the viewers could see her short skirt and legs (media-awareness.ca). A good example of this representation is a magazine claiming to be UK’s no1 lad magazine, The ‘Nuts’ magazine. It presents women in a stereotypical manner. This may be because the magazine editors believe that sex sells. In addition men’s lifestyle magazines have also accepted the fact that sexually objectified women sell more magazines, which I believe is somewhat true these days. In order to attract male target audience, Nuts promotes pornography as it is very pornographic in its content, as such it has increased the use of female stereotypes as sex objects† that is. Every Nuts magazine cover has a pretty woman with beautiful assets, possibly with her arms stretched out, posing on the front page. With NUTS written in Red, which denotes or classifies passion or heat (Branston Stafford 2010) and also denotes love, lust and sex. The women are also shown posing in a sexually manner. This to portray them as sexual objects and inferior to men and make th em stand out on front covers, they are dehumanized as only parts of their bodily features are mostly shown to the audience, and enforcing the idea of that women are to be looked at and have no physical or emotional feelings. The way women are depicted in Nuts magazine are stereotyped as sex objects, fulfilling the buyers dream, women depicted with good looks and no brains as all the women in the magazine has one thing in common, they are all very beautiful. In the television industry, men are shown as dominant while women are shown as passive. The television industry can easily tell a woman that there is something wrong with her. Her hair isn’t straight/curly enough, her skin isn’t white enough or even maybe her teeth aren’t white enough (quchronicle.com). Millions of women across the world are working as doctors, lawyers, teachers and journalists. It’s not their job to be perfect; no matter what the media might try to make them believe. A popular American sitcom ‘bewitched’, even though the main character Samantha was a woman but she was shown as a dependant, typical suburban housewife. Various advertisements, not just those in womens magazines, have created numerous unfair stereotypes towards women. Take for instance women in beer advertisements. Although beer advertisements are not typically in womens magazines, they depict how women should be represented in society. In these ads, women are often seen as just an attractive background prop, which clearly show us that is only to attract men to the product. Mostly, the magazines represent only one type of woman who is only seen to be a decorative individual. In these magazines, women are hardly represented as successful, working, independent individuals, which is the reality these days. They’re shown as unsuccessful good for nothing individuals who depend on their husbands for everything. The pressure that the mass media has put on women and femininity has caused numerous individuals to go through drastic measures to change how they look, since they have made only one type of woman seem normal. These representations have become a window to gender relations in our society, which has reinforced the depiction of women that society has had for years. Womens magazines in no way should make only the tall, thin, and young feel beautiful and should begin representing women in a more realistic view. To conclude, the mass media is at complete fault of the representation that many individuals have of women. They have been seen as over-sexed individuals who are made to do housework and raise children. There are very few magazine ads that represent women in the workplace or as independent individuals. These stereotypes are even though somewhere changing but it’s almost impossible to completely demolish all the stereotypes related to women. Bibliography: Media Awareness Network. (2010).  Media Coverage of Women and Womens Issues.  Available: media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_coverage.cfm. Last accessed 28nd   April 2011. Andrew Pilkington and Alan Yeo (2009).  Sociology in focus for AQA A2 Level. 2nd ed. Britain: Causeway Press.p99-112. Branston, G Stafford, R (2010).  The Media Students Book. 5th ed. London: Natalie Fenton, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. 22. Harper, S. (2008).  Stereotypes in the Media.  Available: edubook.com/stereotypes-in-the-modern-media/9200/. Last accessed 2nd May 2011. Long, P Wall, T (2009).  Media Studies- Texts, production and context. Italy: Pearson Education Limited 2009. p82-85. Wilson, K. (2010 2011).  Gender and Media representation.  Available: mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=gender. Last accessed 1st May 2011. Wright, M. (2005).  Stereotypes of women are widespread in media and society.  Available: quchronicle.com/2005/02/stereotypes-of-women-are-widespread-in-media-and-society/. Last accessed 4th May 2011.

Bbc Internal Analysis Essay Example

Bbc Internal Analysis Essay Example Bbc Internal Analysis Essay Bbc Internal Analysis Essay Internal analysis SWOT analysis the strengths weakness, opportunities and weakness of a firm. The strength and weakness form the internal analysis whereas the opportunities and weakness form the external analysis. Strengths Strong financial Position BBC’s financial statements for the year 2009-2010 show an availability of ? 478 million and profits of ? 145 millions (BBC 2010). In relative terms BBC has been able to reduce its total costs by 40% from the levels of the year 2000 (BBC 2010). Within first two years of its efficiency plan a savings of ? 533 m has been achieved and is on target to achieve the target savings of almost ? 2billion (BBC 2010). Its total dividends for the year 2009/2010 were ? 74m an increase of ? 5m from the last year a significant achievement considering the global credit crunch in the modern day times (BBC 2010). http://downloads. bbc. co. uk/annualreport/pdf/bbc_ar_online_2009_10. pdf Strong Brand Name and reputation among customers BBC is the largest broadcaster in the world. ( edianewsline. com/news/151/ARTICLE/4930/2009-08-13. html). The strong presence of the brand in the minds of the people can be judged from the figures during major events when the public trusts the news given by BBC over its competitors ( medianewsline. com/news/151/ARTICLE/4930/2009-08-13. html) The financial statements show the BBC has net liabilities. In fact, the BBC has net assets of ? 1. 1billion, excluding the pension scheme deficit of ? 1. 6billion. The defici t represents a long- term liability(bbc 2010). Transmission services and many of other services are outsourced so that to bring some value for money. The net liabilities of ? 532million as at 31 March 2010 . BBC has been exempt from paying any corporation tax or any excess licence fee income as well as the grants which they get from any government departments. On the other hand BBC is answerable to pay corporation tax on capital gains plus it’s every external income. Capital asset expenditure is not entitled on capital allowance that may rise in small differences which lead towards overdue tax assets and liability. The BBC (UK Public Service Broadcasting, BBC World Service and BBC Monitoring) is not liable to corporation tax on any surplus licence fee income or grants received from Government departments. However, it is fully liable for corporation tax on capital gains and on all its other external income. Expenditure on capital assets is not eligible for capital allowances giving rise to temporary differences that would lead to deferred tax assets or liabilities.

Richard Nixon Was a Conservationist President

Richard Nixon Was a Conservationist President If you were asked to name one of the most environmentally conscious green presidents in United States history, who would come to mind? Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Thomas Jefferson are prime candidates on many peoples lists. But how about Richard Nixon? Chances are, he wasnt your first pick. Despite the fact that Nixon continues to rank as one of the countrys least favorite leaders, the Watergate scandal wasnt his only claim to fame, and it certainly didnt represent the most profound impact of his presidency. Richard Milhous Nixon, who served as the 37th President of the United States from 1969 to 1974, was responsible for the establishment of some of the nations most important environmental legislature. President Nixon tried to gain some political capitalhard to come by during the Vietnam War and a recessionby announcing an Environmental Quality Council and a Citizens Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality, reported the Huffington Post. But people didnt buy it. They said it was just for show. So, Nixon signed legislation called the National Environmental Protection Act, which gave birth to the EPA as we know it nowright before what most people consider the first Earth Day, which was April 22, 1970. This action, in itself, has had had far-reaching effects on environmental policy and endangered species conservation, but Nixon didnt stop there. Between 1970 and 1974, he took several more significant strides toward protecting our countrys natural resources. Lets take a look at five more monumental acts passed by President Nixon that have helped maintain the environmental quality of our nations resources and also influenced numerous other countries around the globe to follow suit. Clean Air Act of 1972 Nixon utilized an executive order to create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an independent government organization, in late 1970. Shortly after its establishment, the EPA passed its first piece of legislation, the Clean Air Act, in 1972. The Clean Air Act was, and remains today, the most significant air pollution control bill in American history. It required the EPA to create and enforce regulations to protect people from airborne pollution known to be hazardous to our health such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, and lead. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 This act was also the first of its kind, designed to protect marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, elephant seals, walruses, manatees, sea otters, and even polar bears from human-induced threats such as excessive hunting. It simultaneously established a system to allow native hunters to harvest whales and other marine mammals sustainably. The act created guidelines regulating the public display of captured marine mammals in aquarium facilities and regulated the import and export of marine mammals. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 Also known as the Ocean Dumping Act, this legislature regulates the deposit of any substance into the ocean that has the potential to harm human health or the marine environment. Endangered Species Act of 1973 The Endangered Species Act has been instrumental in protecting rare and declining species from extinction as a result of human activity. Congress granted numerous government agencies broad powers to protect species (particularly by preserving critical habitat). The act also entailed the establishment of the official endangered species list and has been referred to as the Magna Carta of the environmental movement. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 The Safe Drinking Water Act was a critical turning point in the nations struggle to protect the imperiled quality of fresh water in lakes, reservoirs, streams, rivers, wetlands and other inland bodies of water as well as springs and wells that are used as rural water sources. Not only has it proved vital in maintaining a safe water supply for public health, but it has also helped keep natural waterways intact and clean enough to continue to support aquatic biodiversity, from invertebrates and mollusks to fish, birds, and mammals.

Finanical Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finanical Management - Essay Example (Investing, 2005) For instance, the US government is the seller of the bonds. When you buy bonds, you become an investor, and they are practically lending money to the US government. The bond bears a promise of the seller to repay the principal amount of the loan at a specified time. When the US Treasury issues a bond, the government guarantees to pay back your principal known as the face value plus interest on maturity. When the investor buys a bond and waits until it matures, he will know exactly how much he is going to receive at the maturity period of the bond. It also called a fixed-income investment as a steady payout is given annually, or semi-annually. For example, you purchase a bond at $1,000 with a fixed rate of 6%, with 4 years of maturity, your income ($60/1000) is $60 which is payable to you every year for 4 years, then you receive the face value of the bond. The coupon rate in bond is fixed and is carried until the maturity of the bond, but the quoted price of the bonds varies because of the interest rates fluctuation. Fluctuations in interest rates values bonds higher or lower than its original value. So when an investor buys a bond and the interest falls, the value of the bond rises, and when the interest rises, the price of the bond falls. Price changes in bonds occur in choices of bonds. Longer term bond prices are more changeable than short term bond prices and more risky. Longer term bonds are more exposed to interest rate risks because the long stream of interest payments to investors does not match the current market interest rates. (AAII) Coupon interest rates vary and changes because it is caused by the fluctuation of rates of interests. Interests in bonds may be fixed, floating or payable at maturity. Interest rates vary because some sellers and buyers of bond want to have an adjustable interest rate which is related to the prevailing market rates. This is called a

Biohacking in the mass market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Biohacking in the mass market - Essay Example This hacking ethic has resurfaced again in garages, kitchens and closets all throughout the world. In this modern world, the practice of soldering circuit boards and programming in FORTRAN has been replaced with splicing DNA and cloning bacteria. These practices in particular are referred to, what is called in today’s world, as bio-hacking. Bio-hackers involved with this practice, manipulate the building blocks of life thereby advancing knowledge and creating new life forms with novel purposes. As has been witnessed in the past few decades, computer hacker movement sparked a revolution in the field of computer science and information technology. The revolution increased the pace at which technology had progressed thereby permanently changing the societal landscape. Similarly, it is expected that the bio-hacker movement or rather the practice of bio-hacking will have a parallel effect on the technologies solely based on biology. These changes will not only bring about a massive development in the field of science but will also fundamentally alter human experience itself. The pioneers of this regime shift would be today’s bio-hackers. ... This is primarily because with proper information more and more people will gain expertise about this product and eventually will be able to make an informed decision regarding their usage and utility (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987). The underlying idea of this business is to distribute and install the body modifications using an agreement with a chain of tattoo studios. The product that will be offered to customers is magnetic implant which is another form of body piercing. According to Brownlie and Saren (1991, p. 35), â€Å"the marketing concept defines basic benchmarks against which marketing practice, i.e. what organizations can be judged.† In order to make a successful business venture, all those benchmarks need to be met. The result of these actions can be easily measured by the market share and profitability that the business will achieve, once it has fully implemented all the marketing strategies. One of the primary drawbacks related to this business approach is that it i s a completely unexplored area and henceforth it is going to be comparatively difficult for the owner to assess the risk associated with every operation. In addition to that, the pricing of the product will be a cause of concern as there is no relative market to compare the prices in order to set it accordingly. There is a potential failure associated with the pricing of the product. If the product is priced too high, then it will trigger a negative signal within the target market and as a result, the consumers might choose to refrain from availing products from this entity. Furthermore, another cause of failure that can be attributed to this business approach is the potential side

What are the risks when building a new stadium in London Essay

What are the risks when building a new stadium in London - Essay Example Another risk is an economic one. Paying abilities of people depend on a macro-economic situation. If economy goes down the paying capacity of people will go down correspondingly, and in first turn it will impact the industries, which are not related to urgent needs. Among such industries, which may suffer the most, is an entertaining industry, and the football stadium may receive less visitors, or visitors with cheaper tickets, both at football games and at all other events at the stadium like music concerts and so on. During the matches big football stadiums are attended by a tremendous number of people, what may cause environment risks (Baltes & Hayward 1976). Environment issues related to pollution may bring to economical or legal sanctions against the stadium. Technological risks also exist while building a stadium. Yet at the stage of projecting the stadium, the construction project should be thought out and aligned with all the regulations in order to minimize the technological risks (Renn & Benighaus 2013). In particular, such very important stadium construction technologies as the drainage system and retractable roof should be followed

Provider Roles in Spiritual Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Provider Roles in Spiritual Care - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the spiritual dimension of the client is strongly evident during illness, stress, difficulties, and end-life-care when people strongly needed the direction and comfort derived from their spiritual preferences. Faith and religion are essential components of a client’s spiritual dimension and health provider has the responsibility to have self-awareness of one’s spiritual preferences before integrating a non-biased spiritual care.This paper discusses that in order to address a holistic care, the healthcare team must involve the participation of multi-faith chaplain professionals to assist healthcare team members in providing specific cultural, religious, and faith needs of clients and families. Spiritual care is the most difficult task of a provider, specially the nurses. Most of the nurses lack adequate training for spiritual care giving and may influence the provision of adequate spiritual care. Healthcare providers such as nurses need to have formal education training or graduate programs in pastoral counseling or ministry in order to provide an excellent and competent spiritual care and to refer clients to other spiritual care providers as needed.  Organizational team members such as the Baptist Healing Trust aim to further the work of non-profit agencies in providing health services to vulnerable populations in Middle Tennessee.  Members of the Baptist Healing Trust heal with love and compassionate care in accordance with the Christian tradition.

Psychology in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Psychology in Education - Essay Example Curriculum should be designed in such a way that students could be developed morally, behaviorally, and socially without making compromises on the academic content. This is the only way confident and morally responsible students could be prepared in my instructional setting. As a teacher who is assigned to teach 9th to 12th graders in custody, I could adjust the curriculum content in such a way that it could then address and acknowledge the changing nature and desires of my students without favoring them completely. Wherever educational strategies fail, it happens mainly when the desires and ideas of the students are overlooked completely. To know my students’ interests, I would have their input in the curriculum development. First, I shall decide what topics to teach, then I shall discuss those topics with my students in the very first class, and encourage them to suggest alterations, modifications, and valuable insights so that the topics would occur and flow in a way that t hey find interest in. There would be certain topics that they would like to be taught first and others later. I would organize my chapters accordingly. I would also let them express how they would like their performance to be assessed. I would put a variety of assessment methods in front of them e.g. announced vs unannounced quizzes, oral vs written exams, individual assignments vs group assignments and would also tell them the pros and cons of each.

Provider Roles in Spiritual Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Provider Roles in Spiritual Care - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the spiritual dimension of the client is strongly evident during illness, stress, difficulties, and end-life-care when people strongly needed the direction and comfort derived from their spiritual preferences. Faith and religion are essential components of a client’s spiritual dimension and health provider has the responsibility to have self-awareness of one’s spiritual preferences before integrating a non-biased spiritual care.This paper discusses that in order to address a holistic care, the healthcare team must involve the participation of multi-faith chaplain professionals to assist healthcare team members in providing specific cultural, religious, and faith needs of clients and families. Spiritual care is the most difficult task of a provider, specially the nurses. Most of the nurses lack adequate training for spiritual care giving and may influence the provision of adequate spiritual care. Healthcare providers such as nurses need to have formal education training or graduate programs in pastoral counseling or ministry in order to provide an excellent and competent spiritual care and to refer clients to other spiritual care providers as needed.  Organizational team members such as the Baptist Healing Trust aim to further the work of non-profit agencies in providing health services to vulnerable populations in Middle Tennessee.  Members of the Baptist Healing Trust heal with love and compassionate care in accordance with the Christian tradition.

Cassatt, Mary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cassatt, Mary - Assignment Example tend the influence of their tutors to their styles in canvas, Cassatt’s style was notably different from the one used by Degas (National Art Gallery). According to the National Art Gallery, Degas also introduced Cassatt in the asymmetrical styles employed by Japanese artists and the use of bright colors. The use of bright colors according to Web Museum demonstrated a mood of gentleness that served to brighten by her constant use of the â€Å"golden lighting.† These aspects worked in harmony with the family and children which was the dominant theme in most of her works. Cassatt was always a quick learner who learnt the basics about a particular style in art and instead of reproducing the same pieces, she would always ensure that she employed her innovativeness to come up with impressive masterpieces. The best example is her portrayal of the techniques she learnt from Japanese art for instance asymmetry and wood block print. She was able to mould these techniques in such a way that they fit so perfectly within her own impressionsim themes. The paper looks at one of the works of Cassatt, â€Å"The Little Girl in Blue Armchair† (Figure 1) in order to relate it with its historical context, to establish the impact it had during the historical context, and the importance of the piece in contemporary art. The Context in which the Work was made. The painting of the Little Girl in Blue Armchair was done in 1878 and it painted in an oil canvas. The painting depicted the image of a little girl relaxingly sprawled in a chair. As outlined by National Art Gallery, the work demonstrated the keen observation of Cassatt in the way she managed to emphasize and display on an aspect that would otherwise be considered subtle and inconsequential. Cassatt manages to display the innocence of the little girl as she sits in the chair in a childlike manner. In a unique fashion of impressionism art Mary managed to use color, everyday life and light to demonstrate the beauty in an otherwise

Hamburger Hill Essay Example for Free

Hamburger Hill Essay The entire mountain is a rugged, uninviting wilderness blanketed in double- and triple-canopy jungle, dense thickets of bamboo, and waist-high elephant grass. Local Montagnard tribesmen called Ap Bia â€Å"the mountain of the crouching beast. † LTC Weldon Honeycutt, commander of the 3d Battalion, 187th Infantry (the â€Å"Rakkasans†), called it â€Å"Hill 937. † The Soldiers who fought there dubbed it â€Å"Hamburger Hill. † The ? ght on Hamburger Hill occurred during Operation Apache Snow, the second part of a three-phased campaign intended to destroy North Vietnam Army (NVA) bases in the treacherous A Shau Valley. The American and South Vietnamese units participating in Apache Snow knew, based on existing intelligence and previous experiences in the A Shau, that they were in for a tough ? ght. Beyond that, however, they had little evidence as to the enemy’s actual strength and dispositions. Masters of camou? age, the NVA completely concealed their bases from aerial surveillance. When the NVA moved, they did so at night along trails covered by triple-canopy jungle, again confounding observation from above. They effected their command and control mainly by runner and wire, leaving no electronic signature for the Americans to monitor or trace. Technology, therefore, provided scant assistance to the American battalion commander trying to â€Å"see the enemy† during Apache Snow. He had to generate his own tacticalintelligence. Patrols, captured equipment, installations, documents, and occasionally prisoners provided combat commanders with the raw data from which to draw their assessment of the enemy order of battle and dispositions. Gathering this information took time, though. Moreover, intelligence about the enemy’s strength and dispositions did not necessarily illuminate his commander’s intent. It took days to ascertain this, and the learning experience proved decidedly unpleasant for the Americans. On 11 May, Honeycutt dispersed his Rakkasans and scoured the vicinity to the north and northwest of Ap Bia Mountain. When Bravo Company made heavy contact with some NVA late in the day, Honeycutt adjusted his estimate of the enemy’s strength from â€Å"a few trail watchers† to a reinforced platoon or even a company. The Rakkasans could still deal with a force that size, but they would have to concentrate to do so. For the next three days, Honeycutt fought the mountain and the NVA to bring his scattered companies together for a coordinated battalion attack. Despite the fact that, since the initial assault, no company was more than about 1,500 meters from the crest of the mountain, it took two days to consolidate the battalion for a three-company assault. Time and again, the American infantrymen found themselves hampered as much by the topography as by the enemy. The rugged terrain slowed dismounted movement to a crawl. Between 12 and 14 May, for example, Delta Company was virtually immobilized when it went down a steep ravine and was caught there by the enemy. In one grueling ? ve-hour period, the company labored to advance a total of only 500 meters. The steep, mud-covered slopes, more than the enemy, kept this company from ful? lling Honeycutt’s intent. In the end, the troops had to abandon their attack and withdraw the way they had come. These three days were a period of intensely unpleasant â€Å"discovery learning† for Honeycutt and his men. Map reconnaissance and helicopter over-? ights did not indicate that his initial scheme of maneuver was impractical. It took Delta Company’s three-day ordeal to do so. Though Honeycutt had a long and distinguished record as a combat commander in both Vietnam and Korea, he underestimated Ap Bia Mountain and the NVA facing him. Although his estimate of the enemy strength was incorrect, his miscalculation was not immediately apparent to him or to any of the American leadership. It took three days of assaults by Bravo and Charlie Companies, each bloodily repulsed, before the situation became clearer. The enemy was stronger than anticipated, much stronger than company strength, and he grew more powerful every night as he received reinforcements from Laos. The NVA commander’s demonstrated tenacity and willingness to replace heavy losses indicated he intended to put up a stiff ? ght for Hill 937 (Scalard).

The Effects of Agonists

The Effects of Agonists Introduction The investigation involved experiments to determine the pharmacological properties of a range of reference drugs, and one unknown drug. This information can be used to help our understanding of how drugs act upon different receptor sites, and how they interact with other drugs. The effects of agonists were investigated, along with how they are affected by antagonists. From investigating the reproducibility, mimicry and effects of antagonism on the reference drugs and the unknown drug, A3, it was concluded that the unknown drug was Carbachol. Cholinergic Drugs Carbachol was one of three cholinergic drugs under investigation. The other two being acetylcholine and methacholine. Acetylcholine is the endogenous neurotransmitter at cholinergic synapses and neuroeffector junctions in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Its actions are mediated through nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors [1]. These muscarinic receptors are blocked by atropine, an anticholinergic drug. Atropine prevents the effects of acetylcholine by blocking its binding to muscarinic cholinergic receptors [1]. This could be seen in the results from the investigation as atropine caused an increase in the ED50 value of acetylcholine. There are certain pharmacological properties that are required from a parasympathomimetic drug that make it suitable for therapeutic treatment. It should have a high affinity for cholinergic receptors, enabling a response to be brought about by the tissue. The drug should also be resistant to cholinesterase; therefore it will not be easily broken down inside the body. This prolongs the activity of the drug, meaning fewer doses of the drug have to be administered to or by the patient. This will therefore result in increased patient compliance as it is more convenient for them to have to take fewer doses. Clinical, therapeutic uses of acetylcholine are restricted due to its lack of selectivity for cholinergic receptors, and its rapid degradation by cholinesterases. This degradation, or break down of acetylcholine was observed in the results of the investigation, where it could be seen that acetylcholine had been digested by acetylcholinesterase present in horse blood, which acetylcholine had been incubated with. Acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to choline and an acetate group. This breakdown of acetylcholine prevented a response in the guinea pig ileum. Although the therapeutic uses of acetylcholine are restricted, there are clinical applications in blocking acetylcholine through the use of antagonists, and mimicking acetylcholine, by using agonists that act upon the same receptors. Such agonists include methacholine, a synthetic choline ester, which is also a muscarinic receptor agonist. It differs from acetylcholine as it has an extra methyl group on the beta carbon of acetylcholine. This results in it being more selective at muscarinic receptors and less selective at nicotinic receptors. It is also less susceptible to acetylcholinesterase than acetylcholine so it has a greater duration of action in the body. Muscarinic agonists stimulate bronchial smooth muscle in the lungs causing bronchoconstriction. Methacholine can therefore be administered for the diagnosis of bronchial hyperreactivity and asthmatic conditions, in what is known as a bronchial challenge test. This involves the breathing in of nebulised methacholine which will cause the patients airways to narrow. Those who are suffering from bronchial hyperreactivity or an asthmatic condition will react to lower doses of methacholine, allowing the diagnosis of the condition. Carbachol is also a choline ester derivative of Acetylcholine. It differs in that it substitutes a carbamoyl group for the terminal methyl group of acetylcholine. This substitution makes carbachol resistant to digestion by cholinesterases, as seen in the results from phase 3. After incubation with horse blood as a source of esterase, carbachol still produced a similar response in the guinea pig ileum, showing that it had not been broken down by the esterase. Carbachol Structure Acetylcholine Structure Clinical applications of carbachol include the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition affecting the eyes and it is caused by the build up of aqueous humour in the anterior chamber of the eye, due to the obstruction of outflow. Parasympathomimetics such as carbachol reduce pressure in the eye by contraction of the circular muscle of the iris, causing meiosis of the pupil and increasing outflow of the aqueous humour. Carbachol can be administered as eye drops to treat this condition. Carbachol can also be used to treat non obstructive urinary retention, as in postoperative urinary retention. Carbachol contracts the detrusor muscle of the bladder, decreases the bladder capacity, and increases uretal peristalsis. Indirect agonists Neostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, and was used in phase 3 of the investigation. It is a cholinesterase inhibitor and by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, neostigmine indirectly stimulates nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. It functions by blocking the active site of acetylcholinesterase, therefore preventing the digestion of acetylcholine. The results of the investigation showed the action of neostigmine. When acetylcholine after incubation with blood esterase was added to the organ bath, there was very little or no response because the acetylcholinesterase present in the blood had broken down the acetylcholine. However when the acetylcholine was incubated with blood and neostigmine, a maximal response was produced, showing that neostigmine had prevented the breakdown of acetylcholine. Neostigmine can be used to treat patients with myasthenia gravis; this is a condition where the patient suffers from the fatigue of voluntary muscle groups particularly muscles on the face. The edrophonium test can be used to identify myasthenia gravis. An intravenous dose of neostigmine will prevent the digestion of acetylcholine by acetyl cholinesterase and acetylcholine levels will temporarily rise. In myasthenia gravis there are too few acetylcholine receptors. So with the acetyl cholinesterase blocked, acetylcholine can bind to the few receptors and trigger a muscular contraction. If the condition affects the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s eyes, the weakness or fatigue of the muscles in the face will temporarily be relieved and the patient will be able to open their eyes normally. Autacoids Autacoids have diverse physiological and pharmacological activities. They are grouped together in large part because they participate, at least in some settings, in physiological or pathophysiological responses to injury [1]. Autacoids are local hormones that act near the site of synthesis; they have a short acting duration. Histamine is an example of an autacoid, its actions on bronchial smooth muscle and blood vessels account for some of the symptoms of an allergic response. Histamine is generated in mast cells and white blood cells called basophils. Histamine is released from these cells in an immunological response, and can cause inflammation. Histamine has few clinical uses but can be used in diagnostic testing. There are more clinical applications for antihistamines, which are used to treat allergies. Chlorphenamine is an example of an antihistamine, and was one of the drugs used in the investigation. Results from the experiment show competitive antagonism when chlorphenamine is added to the organ bath with histamine, as the ED50 concentration increases. Antagonists The two antagonists used in the investigation were atropine and chlorphenamine. Atropine is a muscarinic receptor antagonist, as shown by its effects on acetylcholine and carbachol, which were observed during the investigation. Atropine can be used therapeutically to inhibit the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. One example is its ophthalmic use. It can be used as a mydriatic to dilate the pupils; this is sometimes done to allow examination of the retina. It is also used to reduce secretion in the upper and lower respiratory tract. This is done for the symptomatic relief of acute rhinitis [1]. Chlorphenamine, also used in the investigation can be used as an antihistamine for allergies, as mentioned before. Conclusion It has now been concluded that the unknown drug under investigation was Carbachol. A choline ester derivative of acetylcholine. Its pharmacological properties such as being resistant to acetylcholinesterases and other esterases, and being selective for muscarinic receptors, allow it to have clinical applications as a parasympathomimetic, unlike acetylcholine which has limited clinical applications.

History Of Racquetball :: essays research papers

HISTORY OF RACQUETBALL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1940’s a man named Joseph G. Sobek got tired of how hard handball was on his hands. He was dissatisfied with the indoor sports. He worked at a rubber factory in Bridgeport, CT when he decided to start a new sport. He lived in Greenwich, CT and was professional tennis player and a pro squash and handball player.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that in 1949, Sobek and a partner began playing with a paddle and combined the rules of handball and squash to play what they called â€Å"paddle racquets.† He then decided to change from a paddle to a racquet itself using a tennis racquet as a model. He made 25 to sell to his friends to start the sport. There was one problem though; there were faults in the ball. Sobek then found a Spalding ball made for children that work well. He bought a lot of them and sold him to his friends in 1950 to keep his sport from dwindling out. Sobek eventually started his own company to make his own ball to his exact specifications for the game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952 Sobek started the Paddle Racquet Association. He then put together a set of rules and printed them out and started putting together a promotional package for his Paddle Racquet to different YMCA’s to promote the sport. He also set up clinics so that new players could learn how to play the sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1968, Sobek started talking to the head of the US Handball Association, Robert Kendler. In 1968 the National Paddle Racquet Association held the very first racquetball tournament called the Gut-Strung Paddle Rackets National Championship. It was held in Milwaukee. The next year Kendler started the International Racquetball Association, and racquetball got its official name.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To help get the name of the sport out and bring more players in Sobek kept doing his clinics to teach the new players. Kendler used the Handball magazine, ACE, to advertise the sport and tell people about the game in articles and advertisements. Then the International Racquetball had their first tournament in St. Louis in 1969. Then after the tournaments the sport saw a lot of new players in the 1970’s. The games equipment sale went through the roof and more and more companies began making the equipment. By 1974, there were over 3 million racquetball players in the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1973, Kendler separated himself from the IRA, do to disputes in the board, he went on to start the National Racquetball Club and the US Racquetball Association, which both of them went bankrupt in the early 1980’s though.

Cashless Society Essay

CONCEPT OF CASHLESS SOCIETY Today this world is heading towards industrialization,  privatization and globalization and the only thing which  plays an important role is strong capital. Globally the most dominant currency is GREEN BAG ($dollar) & everyone is headstrong to grab this. Now a days money is everything name, fame, power, desire, health and wealth. Let us halt here for a second and use our divine senses. Is that money really important for us to become a good soul With little stress on grey cells we find that thousands of year ago our ancestors did not use cash at all because their basic requirement was only food and shelter. Because of the cash, man becomes greedy, selfish,defiant,stubborn and notorious and he demolished his actual purpose of life. As man is a social animal so he has lots of responsibility towards society to make it free from evils like crime, cast ism, racism,  discrimination,women exploitation etc. So think about  a society in which no one has a cash(liquid asset) and  the survival is based on talent ,efficiency ,analytical ability and knowledge. YES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦instead of cash ,man  exchange services to fulfill their requirement. The cashless society has multiple advantage such as reduced crime(no physical money in banks), increased competition purely based on skills ,labour and talent ,  convenience in payment between friends and most   importantly increase social interaction. For this we can have access to money via credit cards and mobile transactions and by using disruptive technology. A disruptive technology is the phenomenon occurring when two or more separate technologies converges unexpectedly to a new type of technology. If no physical money existed ,the social interaction would probably be different too.

Analyzing Psychological Disorders Essay

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is chronic and severe. It can be a disabling illness that affects men and women with the same ratio or frequency. This term is from a Greek word that means having a â€Å"split mind†. Though this usage in medical terms is not accurate. The Western perception of this illness is their belief that the term is equal to a disorder of split personality. They have been found to be very distinct mental disorders. People afflicted with schizophrenia do not manifest split personalities. Schizophrenia is an illness hat affects the mind and is characterized by the disability of perceptions and manifestations of reality. Schizophrenia has five classifications. The first is the paranoid type where hallucinations and delusions are present but there is absence of disorganized behavior, thought disorder and active flattening. The disorganized type of schizophrenia occurs when active flattening and thought disorder are both present. Catatonic schizophrenia occurs when there is evidence of psychomotor disturbances. There is the presence of psychotic symptoms in the undifferentiated type but there is also absence of criteria for the other types of schizophrenia. The residual type is wherein all the symptoms of the mental disorder is present at low level of intensity. Signs and symptoms for people with schizophrenia suffer from delusions and false faith in their personal convictions despite the presentation of evidence disproving the matter. This symptom is not explained by a person’s cultural background and orientation. Those afflicted also suffer from hallucinatory perceptions that can manifest when there is a lack of external diversion. The most common type of hallucination is the hearing of voices and other sounds. There is also the manifestation of disorganized attitude, behavior and thoughts. Speech is also incoherent and disorganized. The person suffering from this type of mental disorder display catatonic behavior wherein the person’s body may become rigid and unresponsive. The causes of schizophrenia are unknown. There are a lot of factors that are said to be involved with the formation of this illness. There is an interaction between genetics, biology, psychology and the environment that leads to the mental disorder. Medical science does not have a full understanding of all the causes and other concerns related to the mental disorder. Recent research and medical studies is slowly but surely shows improvement and progress that would help define the causes of schizophrenia and their explanation. An increase in the dopaminergic activity that is inside the mesolimbic pathway of the brain is a constant and significant finding (Bentall 2005). Data gathered from a PET study shows suggestions that the lesser frequency the frontal lobes are activated during a task that involves a working memory there is a greater increase in the abnormality of dopamine activity in the striatum that is though to be related to deficits in neurocognition in schizophrenia. While the credibility of the diagnosis has introduced many difficulties in the measurement of the relative effect of genes and the factor of environment, more and more evidence have suggested that environmental and genetic factors can combine and create a reaction that would lead to the mental disorder of schizophrenia. Suggestions have also been made regarding the diagnosis of schizophrenia had an important genetic composition but that is influenced by the stressors or factors relating to the environment. The concept of a vulnerability that can be inherited from by some people can be destroyed by psychological, biological and environmental stressors. This is known as the stress-diathesis model. The idea that psychological, biological and social factors is more significant is called the biopsychosocial model in analyzing the causes of schizophrenia (Goldner, Hsu 2002). The approximate degree and frequency of hereditary causes in schizophrenia has a tendency to vary because of the difficulty in the separation of the effects of the environment and genetics. Twin studies have both suggested that there is a high rate of cases involving schizophrenia caused by genetic factors. It is possible that schizophrenia is a mental condition that is complicated in hereditary nature with many genes likely interacting to increase the risk of schizophrenia or the separate parts that can also occur that will lead to its diagnosis. Studies in genetics have implied that genes that increase the risk for the development of schizophrenia are not specific and may also increase the risk of development of other psychotic disorders. A breakthrough in recent research also suggested that very rare copies or omissions of small DNA sequences within the genes that are known as copy number variants were also related to the increased rate of risk for the development of schizophrenia (Noll 2006). It has also been thought that factors that cause schizophrenia can combine in the early development of the human brain during pregnancy. This would later increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. One finding that raised a great amount of curiosity is that people who were diagnosed with the mental illness is said to have been more possibly born in spring or winter in those living in the northern hemisphere of the planet. There is current evidence that exposure to infections during the prenatal stage can increase the risk of the development of schizophrenia in the age of maturity. This finding provides additional proof that linked the utero-developmental pathology with the risk of developing the mental disorder. Social conditions also help the increased risk of schizophrenia. People who are living in a highly urbanized environment have been found out to be exposed to great risk of being afflicted with the mental disorder. Poverty, poor living conditions and social status has also been found to contribute to the risk factor. Migration of people that is related to social problems like racial discrimination, unemployment and people coming from broken families also become factors of developing schizophrenia. There has been an implication made regarding the risk factor of childhood abuse and trauma that can cause schizophrenia later on in life. Lack of support and family dysfunctions also increase the risk but not directly connected to parenting. Substance use have also been found to increase the risk of schizophrenia but the relationship of this link is found to be complex. There has been some difficulty in distinguishing a clear relationship of substance use and the mental disorder. There is also solid evidence that the usage of certain illegal substances can start the onset or relapse of the mental illness in some people. These people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia use these substances to overcome negative emotions that comes with the intake of anti-psychotic medication and the mental condition itself. Negative feelings of paranoia and anhedonia were considered to be primary characteristics. The ingestion of amphetamines can trigger the brain to release dopamine that would increase dopamine activity. It is this excessive increase in activity that it is known to be partially responsible for the manifestation of psychotic symptoms of the mental disorder. This is partially supported by the idea that amphetamines can worsen the symptoms present in schizophrenia. This type of mental disorder can be triggered by heavy usage of stimulants and hallucinogens. One study has suggested the that the use of cannabis contributes to the occurrence of psychosis though some researchers suspect that the use of this substance was only a small part of the many factors of schizophrenia (Green 2002). There is also a number of psychological reasons that have been implicated in the development and sustainability of schizophrenia. A number of cognitive biases have been named in those that have been diagnosed and those that are at risk especially when there is the application of stress or in a state of confusion overly increased attention to potential threats, arriving at conclusions and impaired reasoning. There is also the manifestation of difficulty in differentiating from inner speech mechanism to one coming from an external entity and difficulty in retaining concentration. Case Studies: Anxiety Tom is an engineer, he is happily married, and he is the father of three bright, healthy children. By all appearances, his life is stable and satisfying. Tom, however, suffers from continual worry that he has a difficult time turning off. His anxiety may center on anything from his perceived health problems (he has recently been to his doctor for a physical, but no health issues were discovered) to money and job responsibilities. At times his anxiety peaks to the point that it interferes with his ability to function on the job. Physical symptoms include muscle tension, headaches, and hot flashes that often accompany Tom’s anxiety. Tom often feels nauseated, and he becomes easily fatigued. When he feels anxious, Tom has difficulty concentrating, he becomes irritable, and he has difficulty falling asleep at night. All of these symptoms have been present for the last 6 months. Tom has tried to talk himself out of his anxiety, but this has not worked for him. Toms wife is supportive, but she does not know what to do for her husband (Hauser, 2005). Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety. When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala. Possible mechanism is malfunction in the parabrachial nucleus, a structure in the brain, that among other functions, coordinates signals from the amygdala with input concerning balance. The amygdala is involved in the emotion of fear. Biochemical factors come into play. Low levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces overactivity in the central nervous system, contributes to anxiety. A number of anxiolytics achieve their effect by modulating the GABA receptors.

A good film just like a good book Essay

After I click the pause, the screen froze and there is a sentence remain on the screen, ‘Oh, this land was made for you and me. ‘ There is a feeling from my heart which I can not explain with words, this felling contains angry, disappointed, sadness, but the most is the powerlessness to face the reality of the food industry. This kind of feeling happens once before, after I watched ‘ The Cove’, feel anxious to do something and want to help, however, where to start and how? The first thought is to stop buying food from those company, thysoon, motannio, but what else can we buy, there are some, but not enough. But after a second thought, what will happen if we stop buying those food, the company will die together with millions of people will loose their job. But we know clearly that stop buying food from this kind of big and powerful company is impossible, there must be other way out. sometimes people are small, too weak to struggling for such a big problem, so the only way out is to rely on the organization which born for the people but people sometimes do not like and trust, the government. Organic food The film is just on of the most useful way to speak to the people and make them aware of the what actually our word is. But just like the film, we can not touch, smell and taste, only sound and scene may won’t leave the feeling too long. people who are actually doing something which like the mum in the film is because they are victims, people who are not doing things is because they have no chance to see the damage or in another way, they haven’t experience the nightmare. A good film just like a good book, they make people think and reflect their thoughts in the normal lives , it is successful even we just hesitate when we choose food in publix. People always think that they are small, however, water drops can wear away a sone, we can not just let the thought go over our head, we should catch it and pull it out, then actually do things which can really help, help ourself and also help others.

Philosophy and literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy and literature - Essay Example tween the Creon, and Antigone because Polynice led the forces to invade the Thebes, it has been therefore argued by Creon that he should not be given a decent burial. Despite all that is, Antigone has dissimilar opinion and wants to give her brother a proper burial. The major conflict of Oedipus, the King began at time when Tiresias informs Oedipus that he is accountable of the plague, where he refuses to believe those allegations. The basic conflict that involves Oedipus at Colonus is among Oedipus and Creon. Creon learns from the oracle that for civil strife in Thebe (Oedipus two sons) to end will need Oedipus to return The conflict involving Ismene and Antigone is fearsome, as both girls are agemates with very different personalities. Antigone is critical, moody, brave as well as impulsive, whereas Ismene is lovely, fearful and good-looking. The two are viewed as elegant â€Å"good girl† also â€Å"bad girl† typecast, with Antigone finally tied Ismene to a tree, so as she could steal her sister’s makeup alongside with other things that will make herself further attractive to Haemon. Though, regardless of this vicious rivalry among the two sisters, at the time when Creon is jeopardizing Ismene with death also imprisonment if she continues her quest in burying her brother, Ismene is prompt in jumping to her protection, citing that if Creon locks Antigone up, Ismene will just conquest and die next to her for their disloyalty (Sorvino-Inwood & Christiane pg 139). What can be referred concerning the coincidence of their previous relationship and Ismene’s unexpected readiness for dying for Antigone? Is their antagonism may be less violent than projected since of their bond of sisterhood? Oedipus, King of Thebes, noticed that his marital wife is his own mother, having two sons and two daughters with her. He cursed his son in order to divide the inheritance with the sword. Eteoclesand Polynices, who’s sons had to shed blood, agreed to rule Thebes in alternating

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

CVS Company Challenges - Assignment Example The employees often complain that the management actively snoops on their social media accounts and dismisses people with questionable content. The company also takes serious actions against employees who make negative comments about the company on media sites. In addition, the company also imposes decisions on employees without their consent and penalizes those who are reluctant to adopt. Just recently, a cashier for CVS Pharmacy in Oakland California testified in court about the company’s practices. In that, penalizing employees who do not complete wellness examination is against California hour laws and wage. Roberta Watterson claimed that the $600 yearly health insurance addition charge for CVS employees who fail to complete biometric screening and health risk assessment is illegal in reference to provisions of the states Labor Code. Besides, employees complain that the CVS cut employee hours and assign more work for a single employee. For instance, one employee is tasked with the job of about three people in a poor working environment. Still, the company management gets upset when their Triple S score decreases. This clearly shows that the company values their interest most at the expense of employees’ wellbeing. Good business practices require that a company gives adequate and right information about the products. Instead, CVS is accused of constantly engaging in the wrong and misleading advertisement about their products in Los Angeles. The company also practices monopolistic and predatory business tactics to put small competitors out of business in America. To further add problems, the move to replace humans with self-check-out stations resulted in increased unemployment cases. The move also shows that the company is only concerned about making profits. Fair pricing of products is an issue of concern for most companies.

MMP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MMP - Essay Example 40% of the whole study sample will be composed of students who do not drink alcohol. Data will be collected through the survey techniques including face-to-face interviews, observation, and questionnaires. The study will focus on the drinking lifestyles or trends and its effects in the institutions of higher learning including. Through regression analysis, the data collected is analyzed to ascertain the effect of over indulgence in alcoholic beverages on students’ life, health, social life, and academic performance. The results from the drinking group are analyzed and compared with the control results of non-drinking students. The study should confirm that there is a great deal of dangers and effects of students consuming alcohol in campus. It affects their health since some of them are extremely addicted and cannot do without it. This makes them chronically ill with the conditions such as liver cirrhosis. Alcohol also leads to poor performance of students since some of them attend lectures when drunk; hence, they can barely understand anything at all. It is a cause of poor study life since one rarely has the time to sit down and read. Alcohol consumption lowers concentration to an extremely critical level. Alcohol has a great deal of dangers and effects in the institutions of higher learning. It not only affects the consumer but also the people around him or her. It makes daily learning difficult to those who are addicted to drinking. It can also affect the general learning process of an institution. This is a research project that was held to find out the relationship between the consumption of alcohol and the illnesses reported by the university students. It was found that those who drink heavily experience a wide range of chronic health problems; those who drink acutely suffer from less serious health conditions, such as mild

History Of Copper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History Of Copper - Essay Example The alloys were harder, making alloys to be extra useful and by 2500 BC, bronze was used by a large group of people, this brought up what historians called bronze era (Leskinen 2009). By 1500 A.D, copper in art started in western countries and it was inform of bronze sculptures. Some places in the East a place called Nara Buddha, a monumental sculpture in bronze dates back to 751 A.D.The next discovery was about copper plating that started in the mid-1600s.tis technique was use used in ship building, to protect the ship from storms. In the modern world there has been improvement in the modern world due to technologies that have emerged. The improvement started to change and to grow to meet the need of the society. This includes flash smelting which began in 1949 and in 1990 copper oxide was first used as a superconductor. The Bronze Age abruptly ended at around 12000 BC, this was due the interference of the international trade routes and the breakdown of the ancient world. Areas where tin was supplied dried up. Is led to the introduction of iron not because it was better than copper but because of its availability (Leskinen 2009). Antecedently, Rome started to be served with copper by copper mines in Spain and Asia and as the empire became big a lot of copper increased in the system. And Spain could produce about 15000 tons of refined copper per anum.It is known that brass an alloy of copper was first dived at this time (Leskinen 2009). This gives a report on history of

Outlook and policy statement Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outlook and policy statement - Term Paper Example However, with the recent hike in consumer spending with a 2 ? percent increase annually witnessed during the third quarter of 2010 has provided hope that economic recovery will eventually occur. The increasing investments in equipment and software industry have given a boost to the recovery. On the housing front the hikes in home prices and construction costs have not been able to contribute to this growth and at the same time not drastically affected the recovery process. While the labor market has been unable to accommodate the huge losses of jobs during 2008-09, the number of job openings and the hiring rate is on a constant rise in the past recent months. However, considerable time will be required in order for the unemployment rate to return to normalcy and this time period could have a lasting impact both on the financial status of those unemployed and also on their skills and future employment and earning prospects. The testimony also notes the downward trend witnessed in the inflation rate compared to the previous years. This trend has been mainly attributed to the struggling job market and the associated decrease in utilization of resources. However, the inflation expectations in the long-run are expected to remain stable.

Report Education System in Japan Essay Example for Free

Report Education System in Japan Essay Japan has already begun to experience a population decline, with the result that many universities are already having difficulty maintaining their student populations, although entry into top ranks of the universities remains hugely competitive. The emerging and foreseeable trend is that many universities will have to try to attract large numbers of foreigners or diversify or face closure. It is also now said that a university education in Japan is within easier reach of students today, but that the quality of that higher education is now in question despite the many educational reforms that have been set in motion. Each academic year begins in April and comprises of two semesters. Basic general degrees are four-year degrees, a feature adapted from the American system. Undergraduate students receive instruction via the lecture and seminar group method. The general degree may be followed by two-year Masters degrees (generally a combination of lectures and guided research) and then a three year Doctorate (largely based on research) where these are offered. Graduate education in Japan is underdeveloped compared to European countries and the United States with only slightly more than 7 percent of Japanese undergraduates going on to graduate school as compared to 13 percent of American undergraduates. Postgraduate educational offerings are weak and the number of universities offering postgraduate programmes or a wide variety of programmes, is small, compared to that in other industrialized western countries. Japan has about three million students enrolled in 1,200 universities and junior colleges and consequently the second largest higher educational system in the developed world. Japan also has one of the largest systems of private higher education in the world. The 710 odd universities in Japan can be separated into 3 categories: highly competitive, mildly competitive and non-competitive (the schools that are first-tier being the infamously difficult to enter ones). Public universities are generally more prestigious than their private ones with only 25 percent of all university-bound students being admitted to public universities. More than 65 percent of high school graduates continue their studies; of these, over 70 percent are enrolled in private colleges and universities. Only about 10 percent of private institutions receive their financial resources from public funding, with most public funds on higher education being spent on the national and local public universities. Despite the impressive statistics, Japanese universities are considered to be the weakest link in the countrys educational system. While many western writers have, time and time again, attributed the economic success of Japan to the well-educated and highly literate population of Japan, recent writings and studies tend to be far more critical, lamenting the deplorable state and quality of higher education in Japan today. Despite the famed exam rigors and competitiveness, declining standards in education and the high school students lack of interest in studying have lately been under spotlight. Some attribute this disinterestedness to the fact that academic effort no longer assured automatic rewards with the disintegration in the formerly stable and guaranteed lifetime employment system. Japanese students are also widely known to traditionally consider their university days to be a social playground, a reward for the hard work and having made it there, and, as many critics have recently pointed, professors demand relatively little from their students. Despite the institutional change and sweeping national reforms underway in response to these criticisms, the key problems remain unresolved: the pyramidal-structure of the university system and entrance exam wars; the centrally-controlled curriculum and lack of individuality and creativity of students as well as the lack of competitiveness in educational suppliers.