Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Literary comparison of ballantyne’s coral island

This is to compare R.M. Ballantyne’s Coral Island with William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Both novels situate their characters isolated in an island removed from society and with no adult supervision, thus leaving them to fend for themselves. Without the rules and order of society and civilization, the boys return to their state of nature – however, Ballantyne and Golding have differing views on what that is. Ballantyne’s boys retain their values and behave accordingly to the rules of society, whereas Golding’s boys struggle with their savage primal instinct and the tendency to be primitive and evil. In the end though, Ballantyne and Golding both explore the problem of evil and how their characters struggle with it. THESIS: Lord of the Flies and Coral Island depict how Man will act according to his instincts when he is isolated from society and in doing so show how their characters mature as they face the problem of evil. FIRST POINT: In both books, the boys are stranded in an isolated island and are left to fend for themselves without adult supervision. Coral Island: Ralph, aged 15, Jack, aged 18, and Peterkin, aged 14, find themselves shipwrecked in a deserted island in the Pacific. They build shelters, make fire, gather fruits, build boats and explore the island and nearby islands as well. Lord of the Flies: After a plane crash, Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Roger, Simon, twins Sam and Eric, and a group of boys of varying ages with the youngest ones as young as six or seven, are stranded in the island. The oldest in the group are Ralph and Jack, both twelve years old. They elect Ralph as leader, and set rules on building shelters and fire, and hunting for food. –  Ã‚   both sets of boys are stranded in an island left to fend for themselves –  Ã‚   in Coral Island, the three boys are friends, and have reached their adolescence as compared to the boys in Lord of the Flies, who can still be considered as children. The boys in Lord of the Flies are not necessarily friends but they went to the same school – they were thrown together in a situation and are forced to live together. SECOND POINT:   Both novels explore the problem of evil through the adventures of the boys. Coral Island: Readers follow the adventures of the boys, of their encounter with a shark, of their exploration of the island and Diamond Cave, their meeting with natives, Ralph’s journey with the pirates and his gallant rescue of the natives, Ralph’s reunion with his friends, and finally, their escape from death from the natives who have been converted to Christianity. Lord of the Flies: Readers follow the events in the island as brought about by the character’s actions and attitudes. The fire that swept half the forest was because of the boy’s irresponsibility, as was the fire’s burning out and thus missing to send a signal to a passing ship. Further, their character flaws stimulate the events in the island – Jack’s aggressive and belligerent behavior translated into a confident control of power and command over the weaker ones, and the fear and confusion in many of the boys made them susceptible into engaging into savage and primitive actions, letting go of reason and immersing in their primal instincts. Further, readers see that even the protagonists struggle with their principles, as Ralph and Piggy join in the ritual dance and even help kill Simon. –  Ã‚   Both sets of characters face the problem of evil. The boys in Coral Island face problem of evil from external forces – pirates, natives, the wild, and they face and fight against it when they come across it. Whereas in Lord of the Flies, the boys’ greatest enemy is themselves – the inherent evil that resides in them, the potential to be primitive and savage and to let go of reason, the fear and violence in them, that is the greatest battle that they face. The problem of evil is intrinsic – the boys struggle with the values that society taught them versus their instincts now that they found themselves in the wild with no supervision whatsoever. –  Ã‚   Thus, the isolation in the novels forces the characters to mature. In Coral Island, the boys were presented to behave accordingly, keeping their values intact and even able to Christianize natives. Thus, it shows that even without the controls imposed by society, Man in the state of nature will use his reason over his desires, and maintain order. On the other hand, in Lord of the Flies, the boys were presented indulging in their basic needs of placating their desires over fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure their being saved. The boys struggle with behaving as adults versus behaving like children, between using their reason and satisfying their thirst for hunting, between their morality and their rituals and tendency to be evil. In both novels, the characters had to act beyond their years and had to cope with their extraordinary situation. THIRD POINT: Both books end with returning to civilization, the three boys in Coral Island sail back to England while the boys in Lord of the Flies were found by a Naval officer who saw the fire set by Jack’s tribe. The end of both novels signals the coming of age of the characters, as they come into realization of what has happened to them. Coral Island: After all their adventures, the three boys go back home wiser and more mature because of the experiences that they have had. Lord of the Flies: The Naval officer thought that the boys were all fun and games at the island, but was surprised to find out that two boys have been killed. In a sense, these boys are no longer children – they have seen and participated in such violent acts, and have encountered their dark, evil sides. Upon seeing the Naval officer and asked what happened, the boys break down and cry, realizing what had become of them. Jack’s tribe have become blood-thirsty and completely savage, Piggy and Simon murdered, and Ralph reduced to a figurative pig, a prey running for his life from his former companions. Because of their experiences in the island, the boys matured and have grown wiser, knowing full well now what man is capable of. –  Ã‚   both sets of boys come out of their respective islands different and with a better understanding of themselves, although in Coral Island the boys were not tarnished with evil, while in Lord of the Flies the boys come to a realization of how brutal and inhuman they have behaved. –  Ã‚   Coral Island comes to an end with the boys’ going back to England, with all their little adventures resolved. Lord of the Flies ends with the boys’ crying and realization, and the fight between Ralph and Jack seemed to be over with the arrival of the officer and being rescued. CONCLUSION: Lord of the Flies and Coral Island depict two ways Man will act according to his instincts when he is isolated from society – Ballantyne shows that Man will uphold the values civilization taught him while Golding puts forward that Man will descend to savagery. By isolating the characters from society, Ballantyne and Golding effectively removed the boys from the controlling norms and standards that society imposes to shape the actions and behavior of men. Ballantyne pursues his story focusing on the events that happen to the characters and how they cope with these challenges, in the process showing that man is good and that he has the capacity to fight off evil from external factors. On the other hand, Golding’s story is driven by his characters’ emotions and motivations. The events happen in Lord of the Flies as a result of how the characters behave. The greatest challenge they had to face was in them: they needed to struggle with man’s tendency to descend to savagery and evil. At the end of each book, the boys are saved from the problem of surviving by themselves and are presented with the chance to return to society and civilization. Thus, from both books we garner that isolated from the controlling function of society and civilization, Man will fight for his survival, and behave accordingly. However, Man’s state of nature is debatable, the question of whether Man is innately good or evil is perennial, and at most the two books provide perspectives on how Man might behave stripped of society and civilization. For Ballantyne, this means that Man will use his innate goodness and reason, while Golding puts forward that Man will descend to savagery without the pillars of civilization. It seems that Golding’s portrayal of man’s state of nature is more realistic though, given that he presented younger boys much less exposed to society and dealt more with internal conflict and the crisis of survival, as compared to the adventures of Ballantyne’s characters. In the end, both reflected the attitudes and behavior of men during their time, and showed through their respective narrative how their characters grew and matured; how their way of thinking changed as they coped with the challenges of surviving by themselves.   

Reflective Learning

Induction Module 1. In your answer, identify the main lines of argument and differences in points of view between the commentators and the author. Justify your own point of view regarding the importance of reflection to individual and organisational performance. DiChiara (2002) states that there are a multitude of companies that seek to create an environment where learning and creativity can flourish, but in practice fall short due to a lack of understanding of what is truly required to facilitate reflective learning. DiChiara concerns his comments around the means in which the organisation can engage groups to nurture and develop communities where reflective practice takes place. In contrast, Raelin (2002) concentrates on the reflective skills (Raelin's five principal skills) that can be used by individuals in a group setting to encourage reflective practice. The main focus of DiChiara is around the importance of a ‘safe space' to provide the environment conducive to reflection and the development of communities of practice. Indeed, this is identified as the essential building block necessary, which indicates that the responsibility of learning is mainly placed on the organisation and not on the skill of the individual as Raelin suggests. McArthur (2002) uses his commentary to highlight the point that reflective practice does not necessarily require additional time, as reflection can be done during the event, coined as reflection-in-action by Schon (1983). Based on this train of thought, McArthur introduces two related points at which he disagrees or questions the conclusions of Raelin. Firstly, Raelin sets out guidelines regarding observing judgements where he states reactive thoughts should be examined to allow a ‘more even-handed way of being', inferring that the reactive observation will ultimately be wrong. McArthur offers an alternative solution where the judgement may actually be correct and it is the method in which the judgement is communicated that is important. Secondly, McArthur questions if the core skills, particularly of testing and probing, are indeed only applicable in group or individual situations as Raelin suggests. McArthur points out that there are three parts to our thoughts; the reactive and reflective which are internal voices and the collective which is an external voice. Skilled reflective practitioners must be able being able to distinctly separate these thoughts to arrive at the most appropriate response. McArthur argues that it is only through applying all of the core skills that this response can be found, regardless of the type of interaction involved. The obvious difference between Schein (2002) and Raelin is the focus on group or individual reflection. Schein focuses on private reflection and discusses how this can be realistically achieved. The central tenet of his commentary is that we can find time to reflect on events within our day and perhaps more importantly, this time would not be identifiable as ‘slack' or wasted time within a disapproving or unsympathetic organisational culture. It could be interpreted that the purpose of this commentary is to trigger individual reflection and that this may in turn provide some of the skill and openness required for group reflection to occur. If so, this is linked to the conclusion McArthur makes regarding the lack of skill, not time, being the primary reason for not reflecting. I believe there are a few distinct benefits of reflective practice for both the individual and the organisation. Raelin states that reflection offers the opportunity to examine actions of the past, thoughts of the present and decisions of the future and allows all three to be linked. The individual and organisation can use this to allow decisions to be made with a deeper understanding and more confidence that the situation is fairly assessed with the best interest at heart. Reflection turns experiences in to knowledge and allows skills to be developed to apply this knowledge in other situations with an entirely different context. In my opinion, the importance of reflection to individual performance is based around knowing oneself. By reflecting, the individual is able to develop a more candid assessment of themselves; how they think, what drives them and how they present their thoughts to others. By doing this, insights are gained in to internal assumptions and motivations and this allows better understanding of the true issues hindering performance. This is a powerful tool for targeting real areas for performance improvement, and by continuing to reflect as the individual takes strides to change will also provides a means of measuring improvement. Based on personal experience, Argyris (1991) accurately describes the importance of reflection to the organisation. That is, without some level of reflective practice there is a real danger of externalising issues and a blame culture being adopted even within organisations with motivated and committed individuals. The inability to reflect, for whatever reason, results in the true root cause of issues to be missed, which means the same mistakes will be made again and again. All too often we will overlook issues and accept the superficial. In my opinion, ultimately the true value of reflection to organisational performance resides in the ability to ask and find answers to the difficult questions that we otherwise miss or ignore. References Argyris, C. , 1991, â€Å"Teaching Smart People How to Learn†, Harvard Business Review, May-June, Pages 99-109. Cameron, S. (2001), â€Å"The MBA Handbook: Study skills for Postgraduate Management Study†, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow. DiChiara, P. , Commentary on Raelin, J. , 2002, â€Å"†I don't have time to think! † Versus the art of reflective practice†, Reflections, Fall, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Pages 66-79. Kolb, D. A. , Rubin I. M. and McIntyre, J. M. , 1974, â€Å"Organizational Psychology: An Experiential Approach†, En glewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall. McArthur, P. W. , Commentary on Raelin, J. , 2002, â€Å"†I don't have time to think! † Versus the art of reflective practice†, Reflections, Fall, Vol. , Issue 1, Pages 66-79. Orton, S. , (2003), The Higher Education Academy, Social Policy and Social Work. Raelin, J. , 2002, â€Å"†I don't have time to think! † Versus the art of reflective practice†, Reflections, Fall, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Pages 66-79. Schein, E. H. , Commentary on Raelin, J. , 2002, â€Å"†I don't have time to think! † Versus the art of reflective practice†, Reflections, Fall, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Pages 66-79. Schon, D. A. , 1983, â€Å"The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action†, New York, Basic Books.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Attitudes in Jesse Pope and Dulce Et Decorum Est

Compare the poets attitude to war in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? ’ by Jesse Pope In this essay I will be comparing the poets attitudes to war in ‘Dulce et decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? by Jesse Pope. ‘Dulce et decorum est’ is about the unglamorous reality of trench life, while ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is a propaganda poem published in the Daily Mail encouraging young men to join the army. Both have different views and attitudes to war and there poems are quite different. Wilfred Owen’s poem is positive, whilst Jesse Pope’s is positive.Although both poems are about war they have vastly different attitude to war. Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ encourages young men to join, promotes the positives and makes those who don’t join feel like outsiders. For example the ‘who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid? ’, which is implying that those who don’t join the war are afraid of the war. This is very effective because they use emasculation to make a man feel like less of a man. Furthermore their family would feel embarrassed and pressured by others who have joined the army.Young men ,during that war, also thought that joining the army would be like an adventure and that they would have a blast. Many people also underestimated the war and assumed that it would all be over by Christmas. On the other hand ‘Dulce et decorum est’ focuses on the negatives aspects like death, war and the harshness of it. In the very first line Owen writes ‘Bent double, like beggars under sacks’ as soon as the reader starts the poem they already know that Owen is strongly denying the concept: ‘Dulce et Decorum est’- that it is sweet and honourable to die for your country.By using that it sets the theme for the rest of the poem, which is about the untold story of trench life. While ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is a poem about the reality of war, Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is promoting the war and portrays it as a game. She uses word and phrases usually used in sports such as: ‘grip’; ‘tackle’; ‘Signal to Go! ’ and ‘toe the line’. Using these words she makes the comparison between war and game more effective. On the other hand Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decdorum est’ is the hard reality of going to fight for your country.Therefore he focuses on describing the soldiers’ vunerable and poor situation as already seen ‘Bent double, like beggar under sacks’. Instantly this sets the subject matter for the poem, by comparing soldiers, who are thought to be of as strong and healthy, to beggars. This comparison is effective because beggars are thought of as weak, dirty and vunerable, which is what he is trying to get the reader to imagine. Although the Pope’s poem is about war she had never experience the war first hand, compared to Owen who was a soldier and had actually joined the army.Jesse Pope was a writer and journalist and her work was often described as being very patriotic as can be seen in ‘Who’s for the game? ’. Her attitude was that war was a game, and that young men should take part in the war. Pope was also part of the propaganda pro-war poets, who encouraged and pressured young men to join. Unlike today woman, during that time, were not allowed to join the army. The fact that a woman wrote this poem was also very significant, because men felt that they couldn’t refuse a woman and that their pride and honour was very important.Whereas Wilfred Owen was a soldier and had joined the army, been injured, but still came back. Sadly Owen, who was against the war, died in action one week before the end of the war. The tone in the poem reflects the poets different attitudes. Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ tone sounds betrayed, angry and upset. One line that reflects the betrayal is ‘The old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’. This line is also the title and the betrayal he feels towards the propaganda is clear, because his discusses the negatives of war throughout his poem and does not mention anything positive about the war.On the other hand Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is more excited and upbeat and she uses words like ‘Come along, lads’ to suggest it’s a game and that all are welcome to play. I think both poems had alot of poetic techniques both use rhyme. Pope uses words that rhyme like ‘tight’ and ‘fight’, and Owen used word like ‘sludge’ and ‘trudge’ . I think both poets used rhyme (a sound device) so that the poem could be appreciated when read aloud. Especially words like ‘sl udge’ and ‘trudge’ really exaggerate the soldiers movement and how hard it was for them to walk.Pope also uses a extended metaphor comparing war to a game throughout the poem. This comparison is very effective because she tempts the reader by saying have fun and join us or watch and be part of the audience, which is made apparent when she writes ‘who wants a turn to himself in the show, and who wants a seat in the stand. She also uses repetition with the word ‘who’ll’ on the beginning of several lines and also uses collective personal pronouns like ‘you’ll, your and you’ as if she is speaking directly to the reader. On the other hand Owen uses the same technique (repetition) but for a different purpose.This can be seen when he writes ‘I saw him drowning†¦ He plunges at me guttering, choking, drowning’. He repeats these words to emphasize the shock and harshness that someone is dying and he canâ€℠¢t do anything about it, and the soldiers death is still haunting him after all this time. Likewise he repeats the words face ‘white eyes writhing in his face, his hanging face’ to really emphasize what he is seeing. Owen also uses personification, metaphors and similes in his poem. For instance ‘haunting flares’, ‘drunk with fatigue’ and ‘like hags’ to paint a picture of what the soldiers and their surroundings look like.This is effective because the reader can empathise with the soldiers just from the description. Pope also uses personification by comparing the country to a woman she writes, ‘Your country is up to her neck in a fight’. This use of personification is effective because men feel they need to protect woman and so they feel responsible for their country. Both poets use poetic techniques such as: personification; repetition and rhyme to express their different views and attitudes towards war. So whilst the y may have used the same techniques they used it for different purpose.I think that their attitudes towards war are very different. Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is what he thought and had personally experienced, while Jesse Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ was propaganda poem encouraging young men that the war was a game. Even though I don’t agree with Pope’s approach, I think it’s very effective and shows how her attitude towards war is very patriotic. I think Pope’s poem is very effective and I can understand why so many men felt they needed to join the army. They have different views and attitudes to war and express their personal views through their poems.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Smoking - Essay Example Smoking is badly affecting the society and steps need to be taken to solve this problem. Smoking is a global issue that needs to be dealt with. Increasing the number of taxes on cigarettes as well as the implementation of bans can prove to be useful for the purpose of discouraging the smokers from smoking and this fact has been proven as many smokers have quit smoking following these regulations. On the other hand proper education regarding the harmful effects of smoking among certain age groups can also prove to reduce the number of non smokers from smoking. The daily news reporter quoted in the year 2008 that the ban on smoking had led to 400000 people quitting smoking in England. A survey in Sweden also indicated the fact that the easy availability of cigarette should be restricted as this might also prove to be helpful for the reduction in the number of smokers as well as subsequent reduction in the passive smokers (Landes

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Overthrow By Stephen Kinzer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overthrow By Stephen Kinzer - Essay Example US Regime Change: Changing Tactics, Causes and Results Stay the Same The first thing one must do to understand the series of regime changes represented in Overthrow is to note the ways and reasons the methods of regime change differed throughout history. The first set of regime changes during the Imperial Era, were marked by a unique combination of willingness to use military force and a frankness about the fact that the United States had in fact orchestrated the changes in power. One can see an example of both principles in the regime change orchestrated in Panama in the early 20th century. At the outset of the 20th century, Panama was a colony of Columbia, and the Columbian government was unwilling to allow Americans to build a canal across part of their country, and rejected a treaty that would have given America the right to build one. In response to this America undertook military action in support of a rebellion it started, including sending warships to blockade ports in Panama. This rebellion, with American military support, was eventually succ essful, leading to a pro-American government in Panama. When questioned about this forceful ousting of the Columbian regime, then president Roosevelt simply said that it was Columbia’s own fault for ignoring â€Å"the plainest warnings† that America would take power if Columbia did not capitulate. This shows the way that in this Era, America was more than happy to use military force, and was so bold to even freely admit it would depose regimes who opposed American interests. Following the close of the Second World War and the outbreak of the Cold War, America had to start becoming more discreet about the ways it took power. During this period, the Soviet Union â€Å"limited [American] freedom of action,†4 because America could not risk undertaking activities which could bring on a Soviet reaction, which could possibly escalate to a war between the Soviet Union and America – a â€Å"cataclysmic† nuclear war neither side would truly win.5 These meant American operations were driven underground – covert operations such as financing opposition rebels or political parties (as Nixon did when trying to oust Allende)6 or secret assassinations (such as the â€Å"several times the CIA has tried to kill† Fidel Castro).7 Following World War II America could no longer openly attack foreign leaders, and could no longer admit to their actions publicly. With the winding down of military tensions and the eventual downfall of the Soviet Union, the major restriction on American military might was removed. The United States responded by engaging in an ever more forceful foreign policy, Probably the first instance of this new willingness to engage in full blown military conflict was the American Invasion of Grenada, conducted in 1983.8 One of the major distinguishing features of Warfare during the era of Invasion was that, though militarily America could once again act with impunity, the ideology of both the world and American

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Critique globalization (the super story) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critique globalization (the super story) - Essay Example Due to the emergence of digital applications and the internet in globalization, I also expected that he would touch on the topic of the application of the internet in moving globalization towards the right direction and route. It was therefore not surprising to find that he touched on the areas of supermarkets and the creation of the global financial centers. In explaining the manner in which nations are interconnected especially after the cold war, Friedman captured the role of the United States as the superpower that has remained. He however failed to provide a description of the post-cold war era especially the knowledge on how it affected the economic powers of the people and how it influenced growth. In Friedman, the process through markets integrates and develops uniform transportation and communication systems for doing business across the world is globalization, a process that has never been seen in history. Through this process, corporations spread across the world have been enabled to move the products from one point to the other with haste, efficiency and precision than was witnessed before. Through this definition, the author has clearly captured the business systems that exist today especially capturing the post and pre-cold war eras that witnessed world integration and formation of economic powerhouses. Though looking simple, the definition has captured the fact that markets across the world have been interconnected and brought together through web connectivity, a process that can allow companies as separate and far apart as North America to do business with Asia (Friedman 474). Before the eyes of Friedman, globalization is a force multiplier that gives nations, global markets and individuals at different levels of incorporation are empowered to communicate and us the available resources. According to Friedman, globalization is tool that leads to the distribution

Friday, July 26, 2019

Factors Affecting Healthcare Systems Management Term Paper

Factors Affecting Healthcare Systems Management - Term Paper Example The present study has identified that the 1929 depression had significant social economic impacts to the society in a healthcare system, which led to the introduction of plans that has persisted to today. The government and private sectors introduced health insurance programs after the 1929 depression with the aim of helping the citizens to obtain affordable healthcare services due to the hard economic times that rendered the citizens the inability to pay for health services. This program serves as a security for health service for the people although the government has taken advantage of high income among the Americans to increase the Medicare tax. Consequently, this has led to the perception of exploitation among patients and the public who pay for the program as most of the tax is not used on the healthcare system, which leaves most of the people wondering on what the government is undertaking to ensure that the crisis once in the U.S in 1929 does not occur again. However, positiv e perception of the health system is increasing among the population of U.S. from the negative view that Americans have had towards the system since the 1929 depression. Cost and coverage is the main factor that most people consider when evaluating the effectiveness of the healthcare system. The people's dissatisfaction on the health care system today in the U.S. indicates that the impact on the 1929 depression to the health sector has devastated the balance between the cost and quality health care services, which has led to about 67% of the citizens dissatisfied by the healthcare system.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Examples of Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Examples of Power - Essay Example If not used properly, problems may arise within an organization. Paul Merchant defines power as the ‘possession of authority and influence over others... a tool that, depending on how it's used, can lead to either positive or negative outcomes in an organization.’ Power relates to the ability to influence or control another’s behavior and action (Zolkiewski). Office politics results to power in a workplace. There are many types of workplace politics and some people enjoy being a part of those in power, while a lot of hate it, given that politics in the workplace being not easy to deal with. Latif, Abideen and Nazar wrote, â€Å"in any organization, it is not very difficult to find a person or group(s) indulging to influence decisions to either keep or supplement their personal interests†¦ organizational politics can work either for or against an organization, but sometimes it is dysfunctional due to its potential power to disturb firm’s efficiency and effectiveness† (Latif et. al. 2011). Power is related to control over valued resources and transforms individual psychology such that the powerful think and act in ways that lead to the retention and acquisition of power (Magee and Galinsky, 2008). Organizational processes are influenced by institutionalization of power in organizations. Boonstra and Gravenhorst (1998) stated â€Å"that power in formal organizational structures and existing organizational arrangements have been changing dramatically†¦ global competition and deregulation have led many companies to search for new forms of organization. Responsibilities, power, and accountability are being channeled to executives in charge and new forms of employment relations being developed†. Power groups can influence managers and executives (David P. Mills, Ronald M. Cervero, Christine A. Langone and Arthur L. Wilson, 1995) to exclude certain people in an organization from participating in decision making. Paul M erchant identifies five types of power, namely, legitimate power, expert power, referent power, coercive power and reward power. Rosa Krausz (1986) added another type of power to the five, and that is, interpersonal competence. Legitimate power, also known as positional power, is acquired from the position a person holds in an organization's hierarchy. People in organizations who have higher positions who give orders are normally followed by subordinates. In a work place, we normally follow the order given to us by people occupying higher positions than us. Expert power acquired from possessing knowledge or expertise. These people are where other coworkers go to as they are seen as experts in certain fields and can help them in situations in the workplace. While working on a research, we have many people working in a group. Though we work together, each of us have our own expertise. The person we see as having the greatest knowledge about a topic is normally acknowledged as the lead er of the group because we know that he can direct the activity better. Referent power is derived from the interpersonal relationships a person cultivates with other people within the organization. This power arises from charisma (Lourdes Munduate and Kilian M. Bennebroek Gravenhorst, 2003), one who influences others through admiration, respect and trust (Marilyn M. Kennedy). Merchant said that this power is derived

Article's summary in (international economic field) Essay

Article's summary in (international economic field) - Essay Example 2). However, using buildings as an example, it was evident that the economies of scale seem to become inapplicable up to a certain extent where the construction of higher buildings apparently becomes more costly and inefficient. In cases of large organizations, the article revealed that organizations that have continued to expand through mergers and acquisitions could only be evaluated in terms of viably realizing economies of scale through the concept of the cost function. As noted, the relationship requires the need â€Å"to estimate how output levels influence the costs of production in a competitive industry† (Land of the corporate giants par. 6). However, due to differences in inputs and outputs as determined by the kind of industry some organizations are categorized in, the cost function is a challenging way to gauge the applicability of economies of scale. Overall, large organizations have been reported to justify continued merger and acquisitions by the ability to limit and restrict competitors and to dictate market prices. The article â€Å"IMF warns of threat to global economies posed by austerity drives† written by Elliot and published online in The Guardian presented issues that have been recommended by 11 international leaders headed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a recommendation of boosting much needed global economic growth. As revealed, the current practices exemplified by different developed countries focus on protectionism and trade barriers which do not encourage international economic expansion. As indicated, after reviewing the economic indices and thrusts exhibited by various governments, it was evident that more focus was centered on â€Å"decelerating global growth and rising uncertainty; high unemployment, especially youth unemployment, with all its negative economic and social consequences; potential resort to inward-looking protectionist policies† (Elliot par.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Substance of a transaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Substance of a transaction - Essay Example According to any international standard,financial statements should present fairly the financial position and cash flows of an entity.The substance of a transaction means the reality of an actual event that has taken place which needs to be accounted for. If information is to represent faithfully the transactions and other events that it purports to represent, it is necessary that they are accounted for and presented in accordance with their substance and economic reality and not merely their legal form.It is, therefore, of absolute importance that the actual substance of the transaction is accounted for in order to meet international regulatory requirements for financial reporting as well as achieve fair presentation standards and a higher level of transparency in the books of accounts to avoid any audit objections.The generally accepted accounting principles, more commonly known as GAAP, have evolved as an important term in accounting and signifies all the rules, from whatever sour ce, which govern accounting. These principles may derive from sources like local company legislation, national and international accounting standards, statutory requirements and stock listing requirements yet they are based on the foundations of common principles, namely the going concern assumption, accrual basis of accounting, materiality and substance over form. The GAAP which lays down the concept of substance of transactions is called "substance over form". The underlying principle is that although substance of a transaction may be the same as its legal form, for a number of transactions, the legal form does not indicate the true substance of a transaction and must make economic sense in the financial statements reflecting the reality of an actual event that has taken place. Such may be the case in various sales purchase agreements, leasing, insurance etc. As an example, some transactions may have the form of an outright purchase of capital equipment, whereas in fact the substa nce of the transactions is a lease of (or perhaps an option to purchase) the equipment. Such transaction also attract audit attention and are important from taxation point of view. Thus we always consider the real substance of a transaction instead of its legal form. In this manner, the concept of substance over form plays a dominant role. Accordingly, it delivers the fact whether the financial statements reflect the financial reality of the entity rather than mere legal form of the transactions and events which bring them about. The underlying principle is relevant to management's contentions that the financial statement items are complete, valid and accurate, and in particular that the financial statement items are exact as to presentation and disclosure. The FASB considered that substance over form was redundant because without it have representational faithfulness cannot be achieved. From auditor's point of view, transactions where the substance of the transaction differs significantly from the form are considered vigilantly. In simpler words, auditors try to find a transaction or groups of transactions that do not make economic sense or emerge as they have been made to change the way in which an account balance appears in the financial statements, rather than reflect the reality of an actual event that has taken place. These transactions are commonly recorded around balance date and often appear overly complex. "A well-known example from the past was Enron group's use of over 3000 Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) structured in such a way as to enable the company to avoid including extensive debt in the consolidated financial statements of the group. This has led to suggested/actual revisions to various accounting standards throughout the world. These revisions require SPEs (such as trusts, partnerships and non incorporated entities) to be consolidated when the substance of the relationship between an entity and the SPE indicates

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Analysis of the microeconomic theory of supply and demand Research Paper

Analysis of the microeconomic theory of supply and demand - Research Paper Example An individual quantity demanded is the amount of goods a consumer is willing and able to buy at a particular price while a market quantity demanded is the total amount of goods that all buyers in the market would be willing and able to purchase at a particular price (Robert and Marc). One will realize that demand focuses on the buyer’s choice but not actually the amount that the buyer will purchase and the use of price is stressed in defining the quantity demanded. Market demand is the sum of all the individual demands for a particular good or service. Since market demand is derived from individual demands, it is affected by all the factors that affect each buyer in the market. For that reason, market demand can be said to depend on an individual’s income, taste, expectations as well as prices of related goods. A demand schedule usually shows what happens to the quantity of goods demanded with the variation in their prices with all the other variables affecting the dema nd held constant. Individual demand curves are summed up horizontally to come up with the market demand curve. The law of demand states that the price of a good will rise as the quantity falls, with all factors held constant (ceteris paribus). This becomes so evident when something becomes expensive in the market since people will buy less of it. This observation applies to virtually everything that people buy in the market including magazines, nuts, foodstuff education and the rest. The price and quantity then exhibit a negative relationship in all these goods and services-when quantity rises, the price falls and when quantity fall, price rises. The law of demand was then derived by economists from this negative relationship between price and quantity which was a regular phenomenon in the market. This law only applies when all other factors influencing the buyer’s choice remain unchanged and only price of the good changes. Demand schedule is a table with a list of different quantities of a product demanded at different prices, all the other factors affecting demand decision held constant. For instance, demand schedule will show us that when the price of a bottle of maple syrup is $3.00, the quantity demanded will be 2000 bottles per month and as the price increases to $4.00 per bottle, the quantity demanded will be 1500 bottles per month and the rest are shown in the table below. One will clearly notice that the demand schedule obeys the law of demand: as the price per bottle increases, the quantity demanded will reduce. Demand schedule for Maple Syrup in a given market Price per bottlee) Quantity demanded (per month) $1.00 3,000 2.00 2,500 3.00 2,000 4.00 1,500 5.00 1,000 When these values are plotted in x and a y ax, a curve is formed which is referred to as the demand curve as shown below: Price ($) 5 4 3 1500 2000 Quantity demanded Demand curve therefore, is a curve that shows the relationship between the prices of a good and quantity demanded at s uch prices with all other factors affecting demand held constant. Each point in the demand curve shows the quantity that buyers will buy at a specific price. The demand curve is also observed to follow the law of demand and according to the law of demand, graphically, the demand curve slopes downward. There exist a variety of events in the market that affect the choice of a buyer. Some of these events will cause a movement along the demand curve

Monday, July 22, 2019

Brand Loyalty - Thesis Proposal Essay Example for Free

Brand Loyalty Thesis Proposal Essay The current financial crisis has spread around the world and no consumer has stayed untouched. In economic downturns, consumers are trying to better manage their expenses due to uncertainty for the future. In such cases, their brand loyalty might be shaken. Especially for UK consumers, whose purchasing power is lower than the other nations, the situation in the beginning of 2010 seems to be much more difficult. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of the current recession on UK consumers’ brand loyalty. A quantitative method will be employed and the empirical data will be collected through questionnaire survey with a sample of fifty UK consumers from the area of Thessaloniki. The questionnaire survey will be distributed to different people regardless of age and demographic characteristics, backgrounds and attitudes. The results of the study will aim to show that not all consumers’ brand loyalty has been shaken the same by the recession but some types of consumers were more affected compared to others. Furthermore, the research will aim to indicate that brand loyalty varies over products so some product and service categories lost a big part of their market share. The findings might be interesting and useful to several companies that would like to be aware both of the profiles of the customers that are more likely to switch to cheaper brands and the products that will easily lose a part of their market share during a recession so that can formulate the appropriate marketing strategy. In the highlighted part right the name of the area where it will be easier for to distribute fifty surveys and get them back. What Influences brand loyalty towards cigarette brands in the UK market? Brand loyalty has been a one of the biggest issues in the world of marketing over the last years. The two topics of brand loyalty and cigarette smoking have rarely been linked. A possible reason for this is that researchers might feel that it is in some way unethical to provide managerial suggestions for tobacco producers. The aim of this study is to clarify that matter and get knowledge about which product-related, psychographic, health-related and demographic factors influence the brand loyalty among smokers and to what extent. By examining brand loyalty towards cigarette brands, those factors which in fact decrease brand loyalty can be identified. In the literature review, the necessary background will be referenced to answer the research questions. The research will be conducted on a quantitative basis. The main research method used will be questionnaire survey. It is the researcher’s belief that this study will provide new and interesting perspective on the topic of brand loyalty, as well as the researcher hopes that the results will be beneficial for social marketers in their fight against cigarette smoking. What effect does sponsorship have on brand loyalty: A case study of Vodafone customers An increasingly larger marketing budget is allocated to sponsoring in companies. This has triggered the attention of the academics to research what the exact effects of sponsorship on a sponsoring brand are. This study fills a gap in the sponsorship literature by focusing on both current customers and looking at sponsorship from both negative and positive perspective. It researches what the effects of sponsorship are on brand loyalty for current customers concerning a sponsored party. Prior literature on both sponsorship and brand loyalty is explored to establish a sound theoretical reference. The review will demonstrate that negative and positive incidences as the context has a negative and positive effect respectively on attitude change toward the sponsored party, which in turn influences change in brand loyalty. The established theoretical reference is tested by means on a questionnaire survey. The sample will consist of Vodafone customers, which are tested on the change in attitudes toward the sponsored team (McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 team for Vodafone) and on the change in attitudes and behavior toward the sponsoring brand.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Human Rights and Education

Human Rights and Education 1. INTRODUCTION: The right to education is a fundamental human right. Every individual, irrespective of race, nationality, gender, ethnic , religion or political preference, age or disability, is entitled to a free elementary education. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.  [1]. Education is a preparation for life it need everyone. Thus, education with human rights is closely related to the right to education. International and regional human rights mentioned in various documents such as resolutions, declaration and conventions emphasize that the knowledge of human rights and should be a priority in education policies. The right to education is one of the most fundamental right but also human rights. Education shall be directed to the full debelopment of the human personality and to the strengtheninng of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promoting understanding, tollerance and friendship among all nations, religious or racial groups, and shall further the activities of the united nations for the mainmaintenance of peace. [ Art 26(2), UDHR: Art 13(1), ICESCR; Art 7, CERD; Art 29(1), CRC; Art 25, ACHPR; Art 13(2), ESCR; protocole to ACHR]  [2]   The right to education is recognized as a human right and is understood to establish an entitlement to free, compulsory primary education for all children, and its obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all children, as well as equitable access to higer education, and a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education. In addition to these access to education provisions the right to education encompasses also the obligation to eliminate discrimination at every levels of the educational system, to set minimum standards and to improve quality of education. 2. FULFILLMENT THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION The right to education has a special value as its enables people to increase their chances and knowledge to having their others right fullfilled. Every persons shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities desired to meet their basic learning needs. 2.1 AVAILABILITY Education should be free to all, minimum the primary education and fundamental level. Every government should build enough schools to guarantee that everybody should be educated. They should be provide all the books and materials for free. The primary education should be compulsory and higher education should be available. 2.2 ACCESSIBILITY Every educational institute should be accessible for everybody. Nobody can be discriminated on basis of race, sex, color, religion, immigration status, economic status, language and also ethnic. The school should be safe to attend and should be reasonable distance from the community. Education should be affordable to all, with textbooks, supplies and uniforms provided to students at no extra costs. Higher education shall be made equally accessible for all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, in particular by the progressive introduction of free education. 2.3 ACCEPTABILITY The learning method of schools should be acceptable to the parent for their children and they should fulfill national norms that are set by the government also should be provide the quality educations. 2.4 ADAPTABILITY Adaptability means education has to be flexible and easy. It promotes equitable outcomes for all learners and it can respond to the diverse needs of students. The educations shoul be adaptable and the educational process should be easy to all, and this educational program should be adjustable to all the people. Implementation International law does not protect the right to pre-primary education and international documents generally omit references to education at this level.[19] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everybody has the right to education, hence the right accures to all individuals, although children are understood as the main beneficiaries.[20] The rights to education are separated into three levels: Primary (Elemental or Fundamental) Education. This shall be compulsory and free for any child regardless of their nationality, gender, place of birth, or any other discrimination. Upon ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights States must provide free primary education within two years. Secondary (or Elementary, Technical and Professional in the UDHR) Education must be generally available and accessible. Higher Education (at the University Level) should be provided according to capacity. That is, anyone who meets the necessary education standards should be able to go to university. Both secondary and higher education shall be made accessible by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education.[21] The only country that has declared reservations about introducing free secondary or higher education is Japan.[22] 3. HUMAN RIGHTS AND EDUCATION Every child, youth, man and women has the human right to educations, training and information and also fundamental rights dependent upon realization of human rights prospective to human rights educations. The States Parties recognize the right of everyone to education. Education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among racial, ethnic or religious groups. Primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all Secondary education including technical and vocational secondary education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all. Higher education shall be made equally accessible to all.  [3]   Every government have to force to childrens parent to send their child to school, at least primary education. Education should be free for all and every government are bound to provide this. The state are encourage to our society for human rights educations. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION Today education is the most important human rights, we need to develop this right and also we have to thik about the education trainer or teacher for quality educations. We have to proper implimentation on human right convention, for serve the right to education. Today educations is the one of the most important function of the state. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: (a) The development of the childs personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential; (b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; (c) The development of respect for the childs parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own; (d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin; (e) The development of respect for the natural environment.  [4]   5. CONCLUSION Education is the deepest foundation of the modern human right, and education for all and as a human rights education. Today the main vision is education for all an equal right for all to an education directed at personal desire and self development for our society and country also we need to make sure life long education for all, and for the every different society. Every state are bound to provide minimum primary education. This primary education had a relatively clear interpretation in most state from the time has been the universal declaration of human rights was proclaimed. The international declarations, resoulations and conventions are emphasize that the knowledge of human rights should be a priority in educationa policies.

Training in Extreme Conditions

Training in Extreme Conditions Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving ones capability, capacity, productivity and performance. (Wales) Body’s physiological response during exercise: Physiological response to exercise depends on intensity, duration and frequency of exercise and also depends on environment surroundings. During exercise requirement of oxygen and substrates in skeletal muscle are increased simultaneously leads to increase removal of metabolites and carbon dioxide. Chemical, mechanical and thermal stimuli affect alterations in metabolic, cardiovascular and ventilator function in order to meet these increased demands (Stokes). Adenosine triphosphate is a high-energy phosphate molecule that initiate muscle contraction, immediate source of energy supplies to muscle are initially provided by energy sources like ATP and Phosphocreatine before other aspects of metabolism are activated. Pulmonary ventilation increases as increase in respiratory rate to cope up increase in oxygen demand (Stokes) Some enzymes (ATPase) are able to use the energy stored between ADP and Pi bond. Water is involved is called hydrolysis. Each molecule of ATP releases 7.3 k cal.(30.7 kj) Energy can also provided by acetylate kinase reaction where ATP is produced from the conversion of two molecules of adenosine diphosphate(ADP to adenosine monophosphate(Amp) and ATP. (Stokes)Phosphocreatine stored in the muscle is a high-energy source for skeletal muscle it contributes energy in first 10 seconds of high intensity activities such as sprinting and are rapidly depleted but they provide important energy source in first few seconds of exercise before other aspects of metabolism are activated. (Stokes) resynthesis of ATP from energy-dense substrates glycolysis is a pathway by which glycogen and glucose are converted to two pyruvate molecules in the presence of oxygen, pyruvate enters the Krebs cycle via acetyl coA. Each turn of the Krebs cycle produces hydrogen carriers that enter the electron transport chain (ETC) and ultimately donate H+ to oxygen to form water, allowing ETC to proceed, however, when oxygen is not present, ETC cannot proceed which prevents flux through the Krebs cycle and result in a build up of pyruvate(Stokes. If it was allowed to continue the glycolysis may stop and no further ATP would be synthesized. Fortunately, pyruvate can accept the hydrogen carrier, forming lactic acid yields only 3 moll ATP per molecule of glycogen, but this can occur in absence of oxygen. In contrast, complete breakdown of glycogen via glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and the ETC yields 39 ATP per molecule of glycogen. (Stokes) Fatty acids are more energy dense than glycogen and there are very large stores of fat in adipose tissue, all energy stored as fat is stored as glycogen, body mass would increase by 50 Kg. Fatty acids are catabolized and enter into the Krebs cycle and ETC. A fully oxidized fat yields 129 molecules of ATP. The rate of resynthesize of fat is too slow to be of great importance during high intensity training. During exercise ventilation might increase from values around 5-6 liters min to >100 liter min. in an average young male, resting oxygen consumption is about 250 ml min and in endurance athlete during internes exercise might reach 5000 ml min (Stokes).Changes which occur in arterial pH, PO2 and PCO2 values during exercise are usually small, the increased reliance on glycolysis results in increased accumulation of lactic acid, which initially leads to an increase in PaCO2. Ventilation increases abruptly in the initial stages of exercise and is then followed by a more gradual increase. (Stokes) Oxygen requirements of working skeletal muscles ar e dramatically elevated above resting requirements. Resting blood flow to muscle is usually 2–4 ml†¢100 g muscle−1 min−1, but might increase to nearly 100 ml†¢100 g muscle−1 min−1 during maximal exercise. The circulatory changes which occur are increase blood flow to muscle leads to increase in cardiac output which leads to increase oxygen consumption. (Stokes) In the body maximum efficiency for conversion of energy nutrients into muscular work is 20-25%, the remaining is released in non-usable form of heat which raises body temperature this heat is due to increase metabolism in the body during exercise and blood supply to skin is increased which in tern stimulates sweat glands which starts sweating which causes heat loss. (Stokes) Training in Heat (Rg) This report discuss the temperatures that are considered hot, how the physiology of a human body adjusts an increase in temperature, what the stages of illness that are caused by heat, along with precautions that should be taken while exercising in heat. Generally the human body tries to maintain a certain body temperature range. This helps it function within its optimal levels. The normal human body temperature is 37 °C. Increases in body temperature of 2 °C to 3 °C generally do not result in causing ill effects. However, increases in body temperature above 40 °C to 41 °C can be associated with a variety of heat-related problems (Astrand.P, 1986). During exercise, constant heat is produced as a bi-product of metabolism and muscular contraction. This heat increases the core temperature of the body, which alarms its thermoregulatory mechanism, returning the body back to a homeostatic state. There are two important functions contributing to this mechanism are increase in blood flow to the skin, facilitating cooling and increasing sweating. This sweat helps evaporate the heat and lowers the core temperature. The result of the aforementioned mechanism leads to cardiovascular strain due to the increase in blood flow to skin, blood flowing to the muscles and the decrease of blood plasma volume, due to sweat loss. This leads to a cardiovascular drift. Cardiovascular drift is due to the competition of the blood flow toward the skin and muscles. This leads to a decrease in stroke volume, meaning in order to maintain cardiac output we would have to increase heart rate. Increasing heart rate helps provide proper blood supply to skin and working muscles. The process of the body’s core temperature increasing occurs when the blood perforates the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then signals the rest of the body to reduce its exercise intensity (Phil wallace, 2013) . Exercising in hot climates without proper acclimatization can lead to a severe consequence called â€Å"Heat illness.† This illness is categorized into different stages based on the pathological events occurring at that time. (wordPress, 2012) Figure taken from (Ali Al-Nawaiseh, 2013) The different stages of heat illness are: Heat Cramps: It is thought to be due to the ingesting water with no salt during restitution from thermal dehydration. Clinical Feature Defined by a painful muscle cramp. Heat exhaustion: It is caused by sweat loss that results from exposure to high environmental heat or hard work. Clinical Feature Defined by clinical symptoms that involve a high body core temperature and signs of cerebral ischemia such as weakness, fatigue, discomfort, anxiety, dizziness, and headache. Heat syncope: It reflects cardiovascular failure caused by reduced venous return to the heart due to excessive seat loss. Clinical features Includes dizziness, fainting, and pale face. Heat stroke: It is the most severe heat-related disturbance and can be fatal. Clinical Feature – Core temperatures greater than 40 °C accompanied by hot and dry skin, indicative of impaired thermoregulation. It is also associated with delirium, convulsions or coma, indicating, impaired central nervous system function. Figure taken from (Yamazaki, 2012) Heat Acclimatization: Heat acclimatization is a process which body adapts to temperature change. It happens for the first 10-15 days of initial change, but major change occurs for the first 3 to 4 days. Heat acclimation improves endurance exercise performance in the heat, and thermal comfort at a given exercise rate. The primary adaptations that occur during heat acclimation are: Increased plasma volume by 10% – 12%, earlier onset of sweating, higher sweat rate, reduced salt loss in sweat, reduced blood flow to skin and increased synthesis of heat shock proteins There are many precautions that need to be taken while exercising in hot environments few of them are â€Å"obtain players or exercisers history of previous heat illnesses. Allow a period of seven to the ten days for acclimatization. Instruct players to wear appropriate clothing during the acclimatization period. Take regular measurements of the WBGT index. Encourage players to adequately replace fluids. Record body weight of players before and after, during practice and matches. Identify susceptible players. Constantly be vigilant and monitor players for signs of heat illness. Players must have unlimited access to water†. (International Hockey Federation (FIH), 2010) Training in Cold Conditions (Tyler) Exercising in cold temperatures is a complex idea. There are many factors and variables that need to be taken into account before contemplating or beginning to exercise in a cold environment or during a cold season. There are four major topics that we will be discussing: A) Metabolic changes B) Cardiovascular changes C) Thermal aspects and D) Adaptations. Choosing the correct diet for exercising in the cold can be tricky. After researching the subject there has shown to be no one significantly superior style of diet, whether it is carbohydrate, fat or protein dominant. However, one study did show that more work was achieved after a 3-day high carbohydrate diet (600g/day) as opposed to a 3-day normal diet (300g/day) [Thorp et al. 1990]. This would indicate an important relationship between exercise performance in a cold environment and carbohydrate intake. A study conducted by â€Å"Doubt and Hsieh in 1991 and Jacobs et al in 1984, 1985† shows us that venous lactate concentrations are higher with exercise in cold temperatures, which is due to the inverse relationship between muscle temperature and glycolysis. Lactate values have shown to be higher in colder temperature (-2 °C), these values also seemed to increase at a slower rate than they did at warmer temperature (+24 °C); indicating that there may be a temperature-relate d delay in lactate release. Samples were taken at the end of each incremental increase in workload throughout the study, leading to these results (Therminarias et al. 1989). Ventilation experiences an increase when the body is exposed to a colder environment. However, the differences between ventilation in a cold environment and that of warmer environment diminish as we increase our exercise workload (Therminarias et al. 1989). As we know, during respiration our lungs work to bring in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. However, if there is an increase in ventilation, this could result in the reduction of end-tidal carbon dioxide. Maintaining higher levels of CO2 within the body could eventually lead toward impaired mental function in persons working in a cold environment (Cooper et al. 1976). When we introduce our body into a cold environment, our body reacts. This is usually in the form of the cutaneous thermal receptors sending distress signals to our central nervous system via afferent signalling. The body uses two mechanisms to account for higher VO2 during exercise in a cold environment. 1) A flux in our total body heat occurs (Nadel 1984; Park et al. 1984; Rennie 1988; Sagawa et al. 1988) 2) Our net mechanical efficiency is decreased (Pendergast 1988). If a flux in total body heat occurs, the body responds via negative feedback. First the body’s thermal receptors detect an unwanted change in body temperature at the skin. These receptors send a message via afferent messaging to the central nervous system which determines the best way to return the body back to its homeostatic state. A signal then is sent from the brain, to the hypothalamus which responds by sending its own message to our muscles forcing them to repeatedly contract at an express pace, this is commonly referred to as â€Å"shivering.† The more the body shivers, the more heat that is produced which in turn raises the body’s core temperature. After a homeostatic balance is regained, we begin to stop shivering as the â€Å"heat-promoting† portion of the hypothalamus begins to shut down. When considering the efficiency of our body to perform specific actions, we need to take into account how the cold temperature will affect us. Cold muscles tend to have a reduced contractile force, regardless of whether or not the kinetic energy requirement has been altered. This means that the body may have to try and recruit additional motor units to meet the required work output (Blomstrand et al. 1986). Exposure to a cold climate causes significant peripheral vasoconstriction, resulting in elevation of blood pressure. Cold temperature has the ability to affect cardiac output through an increase in intrathoracic blood volume, which is secondary to peripheral vasoconstriction (Pendergast 1988). The increase in intrathoracic volume is indicated through larger increases in stroke volume (McArdle et al 1976) or total body insulation (Rennie 1988). Increasing the intrathoracic blood volume has shown to increase both left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions at rest and during exercise (Sheldahl et al. 1984). Exposure to cold temperatures during exercise can sometimes lead to injury, such as a non-freezing cold injury or frostbite. This can be seen early throughout the distal extremities. The distal extremities depend on blood flow to maintain a suitable local temperature because their intrinsic capacity to generate heat in limited (Doubt Francis 1989). Our peripheral systems utilize a negative feedback technique to regain a suitable local temperature by alternating vasoconstriction and vasodilation (Rusch et al. 1981). References Wales, J. (, 2013). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training Stokes , K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/4/6/185.full Ali Al-Nawaiseh, M. B. (2013). Physiological Responses of Distance Runners during Normal and Warm Conditions . Journal of Exercise Physiology online, 12. Astrand.P, K. (1986). Textbook of Work Physiology. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. International Hockey Federation (FIH). (2010). Competition in Hot and Humid Enivironments . Guidence competition in Hot and Humid Enivironments, 10. Phil wallace, M. M. (2013, Novemeber 4). Environmental Ergonomics. St catherines, Ontario, Canada. wordPress. (2012, February 15). Exercise Physiologist. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from wordpress.com: http://exercisephysiologist.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/the-human-homoeothermy/ Yamazaki, F. (2012). Importance of heat acclimation in the prevention of heat illness during sports activity and work. Importance of heat acclimation in the prevention of heat illness during sports activity and work, 8. C.J, Baker-Fulco et al (2001). Nutrition for Health and Performance. J.W, Thorp et al (1990). Work Enhancement and Thermal Changes during Intermittent Work in Cool Water after Carbohydrate Loading. A, Therminarias et al (1989). Influence of Cold Exposure on Blood Lactate response during Incremental Exercise. D.R, Pendergast (1988). The Effect of Body Cooling on Oxygen Transport during Exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. D.W, Rennie (1988). Tissue Heat Transfer in Water: Lessons from Korean Divers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. T.J, Doubt (1991 ). Physiology of Exercise in the Cold. E, Blomstrand et al (1986). Temperature-induced changes in Metabolic and Hormonal Responses to Intensive Dynamic Exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica . E.R, Nadel (1984). Energy Exchanges in Water. Undersea Biomedical Research. K.E, Cooper et al (1976). Respiratory and other Responses in subjects immersed in cold water. Journal of Applied Physiology . L.M, Sheldahl et al (1984). Effect of Central Hypervolemia on Cardiac Performance during Exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. N.J, Rusch et al (1981). The Effect of Profound Cooling on Adrenergic Neurotransmission in Cutaneous Veins. Journal of Physiology (London). S, Sagawa et al. (1988). Water Temperature and Intensity of Exercise in Maintenence of Thermal Equilibrium . Journal of Applied Physiology . T.J, Doubt et al (1989). Hazards of Cold Water. W.D, McArdle et al (1976). Metabolic and Cardiovascular Adjustment to Work in Air and Water at 18, 25 and 33C. Journal of Applied Physiology. Y.S, Park et al (1984). Decrease in Body Insulation with Exercise in Cool Water. Undersea Biomedical Research. Howley, E. Powers, S. 2012. Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Hue, O. (2011). The Challenge of Performing Aerobic Exercise in Tropical Environments: Applied Knowledge and Perspectives. International Journal Of Sports Physiology Performance, 6(4), 443-454.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Is The Second Sex Beauvoirs Application of Sartrean Existentialism? Es

Is The Second Sex Beauvoir's Application of Sartrean Existentialism? ABSTRACT: Simone de Beauvoir's 1949 feminist masterpiece, The Second Sex, has traditionally been read as an application of Sartrean existentialism to the problem of women. Critics have claimed a Sartrean origin for Beauvoir's central theses: that under patriarchy woman is the Other, and that 'one is not born a woman, but becomes one.' An analysis of Beauvoir's recently discovered 1927 diary, written while she was a philosophy student at the Sorbonne, two years before her first meeting with Sartre, challenges this interpretation. In this diary, Beauvoir affirms her commitment to doing philosophy, defines the philosophical problem of 'the opposition of self and other,' and explores the links between love and domination. In 1927, she thus lays the foundations of both Sartre's phenomenology of interpersonal relationships and of her own thesis, in The Second Sex, that woman is the Other. Her descriptions of the experience of freedom and choice point to the influence of Bergson, specifical ly his concepts of 'becoming' and à ©lan vital. Tracing Beauvoir's shift from her apolitical position of 1927 to the feminist engagement of The Second Sex points to the influence of the African-American writer, Richard Wright, whose description of the lived experience of oppression of blacks in America, and whose challenge to Marxist reductionism, provide Beauvoir with a model, an analogy, for analyzing woman's oppression. Simone de Beauvoir's 1949 feminist masterpiece, The Second Sex, has traditionally been read as Beauvoir's application of the existential philosophy of her companion, Jean-Paul Sartre, to the situation of women. Diane Raymond, in Existentialism and the Philoso... ...]. In The World of Richard Wright. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 253-55. Fullbrook, Kate and Edward Fullbrook. 1994. Simone de Beauvoir; The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend. New York: Basic Books. Kruks, Sonia. 1995. "Identity Politics and Dialectical Reason: Beyond an Epistemology of Provenance." Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy 10 (2): 1-22. Myrdal, Gunnar, et.al. 1944. An American Dilemma; The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy. New York: Harper. Raymond, Diane. 1991. Existentialism and the Philosophical Tradition. Englewood Cliffs, Sartre, Jean-Paul. [1943] 1953. Being and Nothingness. Tr. H. Barnes. NY: Simon & Schuster. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Simons, Margaret A. 1983. "The Silencing of Simone de Beauvoir: Guess What's Missing from The Second Sex." Women's Studies International Forum 6 (5): 559-564.

Friday, July 19, 2019

At the time of McCarthyism, Arthur Miller had a close friend who had :: English Literature

At the time of McCarthyism, Arthur Miller had a close friend who had been accused and was willing to name THE CRUCIBLE In 1692, puritan Massachusetts was a difficult place to live. The Puritans were people who had left England to live a pure and holy life in America. They obeyed the laws of the bible and were a very superstitious group of people. They believed that any behaviour that opposed the bible, even the tiniest thing, was of the devil and his witches. In 1950’s America there was a Senator called Joseph McCarthy who led the Un-American Activities committee. This meant that he was in charge of ridding the continent of anything that was deemed Un-American. It had not been long since the Second World War and all Americans were very paranoid about the rise of communism in some of the eastern European countries. Joseph McCarthy was not at all interested in putting people in jail but ‘naming names’- he wanted to know the names of those who were involved in communism. This process was soon to be known as McCarthyism. At the time of McCarthyism, Arthur Miller had a close friend who had been accused and was willing to ‘name names’- Miller was angry and began to write the crucible. The crucible is known as what is called an Allegory. This means that it is written to subliminally show something about one thing when it is being described as another. The crucible describes the Salem which trials in 1692 but is meant to show the complete similarities between it and 1950’s McCarthyism. Two of the main characters in The Crucible are John and Elizabeth Proctor. We learn at the beginning of the play that John and Elizabeth have a very difficult marriage. There is growth in the mistrust between them as we grow to learn that John has had an affair with the reverend’s niece: Abigail. After numerous events John and Elizabeth are sent to prison on the charges of witchcraft. Near the end of the play they meet for one last time to discuss their course of action. Faced with a difficult decision, John must choose between life and truth. This decision is difficult because he wishes to live and see his children grow up but he dare not lie about committing a crime he is not guilty of. He will do only what his wife wishes. But what is her wish? When her and John first meet in the prison she says to him â€Å"The children are well. Rebecca Samuels keeps them† she says this with the intent that John will feel a loss on the behalf of his children.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart    The only women respected in Umuofia are those like Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, who is removed from the pale of normalcy. Clothed in the mystic mantle of the divinity she serves, Chielo transforms from the ordinary; she can reprimand Okonkwo and even scream curses at him: "Beware of exchanging words with Agbala [the name of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves]. Does a man speak when a God speaks? Beware!" (95). Yet if Okonkwo is powerless before a goddess's priestess, he can, at least, control his own women. So, when Nwoye's mother asks if Ikemefuna will be staying long with them, Okonkwo bellows to her: "Do what you are told woman. When did you become one of the ndichie [clan elders]?" (18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps Umuofia's shabby and degrading treatment of women and wives stems from unconscious fear of, rather than reverence for, the ubiquitous and capricious Earth goddess Ani or Ala, who wreaks such havoc on the townspeople s lives. She is the goddess of fertility. She also gives or withholds children; she spurns twin children who must be thrown away; she prohibits anyone inflicted with shameful diseases from burial in her soil. To the men of Umuofia, she must seem the embodiment of the two-faced Greek furies and Scylla and Charybdis joined together -- vengeful, unavoidable, and incomprehensible. Umuofia s men can compare to the ancient Greeks who were noted for similar female images such as Pandora, Circe, Medea, and Clytemnestra. In helpless, mortal dread of a fearsome divine female principle, they come down heavily indeed on ordinary women whose lives they can control as they like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A cursory look at the place o... ...e African Novel: Essays in Analysis. London: Saros International, 1992. pages Nwapa, Flora.   Efuru.   London: Heinemann, 1966. ---.   Idu.   London: Heinemann, 1970. Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo.   "Women and Nigerian Literature." Perspectives on Nigerian Literature. Vol. 1.   Lagos, Nigeria: Guardian Books, 1988.   pages Okonkwo, Juliet.   "The Talented Woman in African Literature." African Quarterly 15.1-2: pages. Rich, Adrienne.   Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution.   New York: Norton, 1976. Thiong o, Ngugi   wa.   Petals of Blood.   London: Heinemann, 1977. ---.   Devil on the Cross.   London: Heinemann, 1982.   Walker, Alice.   "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens." In Search of Our Mothers   Gardens: Womanist Prose. New York: Harcourt  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brace, 1983.   231-243. Weinstock, Donald, and Cathy Ramadan.  

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering in Plants Essay

Less tillage needed, especially with crops containing herbicide tolerance transgenes, therefore conserves fertility through minimizing soil damage through compression. |GE agriculture claims low tillage weed control: this can be achieved by ending the practice of monoculture and instead introducing proper crop rotations designed specifically to combat the weeds of the particular locality. Monoculture creates a weed paradise. | All countries face problems caused by alien species accidentally or deliberately introduced into a new environment (e.g. prickly pear in Australia). The main factor permitting this is international travel, but nobody has suggested that this should be banned. The problem of alien species is manageable, as would be the problem of genetic pollution caused by spread of seeds or pollen. As regards pollen contamination from GM varieties and the call for compensation for growers of non-GM or organic varieties whose crops are contaminated, if one is to be fair one migh t reasonably expect growers of non-GM and organic varieties to compensate growers of GM crops if they are contaminated with non-GM or organic pollen. |Genetic pollution from transgenes spreads into other organisms through pollen, seeds and microbial processes. It is fundamentally different from other forms of pollution because once the genes are out, they can’t be recalled. The best example of pollen contamination is provided by the canola seed, which was multiplied in Canada. It was officially confirmed in May 2000 that this seed was contaminated with unapproved GM canola seed and accidentally shipped to UK and other countries. By then it had been planted in Europe and large acreages of the young crop had to be destroyed. According to Advanta, the contamination occurred because of cross-pollination in Canada, where the seed was produced. The nearest source of GM contamination was 4 kilometers away.| Organic farming has long accepted accidental contamination from herbicide sp rays from neighboring farms. If there is concern about GMOs, DNA tests can be carried out.|Risks destroying organic farming, which rules out the use of GM organisms. Who will compensate organic farmers for the extra surveillance and analysis, which will be needed to ensure that the organic food chains remain free of GMOs?| The Starlink debacle is indeed a lesson that the GM food producers will learn from. Identity Preservation Systems are being put in place, verified by DNA analysis, to ensure that GM and non-GM supplies are kept separate.|The massive contamination in 2000 of the USA corn (maize) crop and human food chain by Starlink, a variety that is not approved for human consumption, shows that genetic pollution from transgenic crops to non-transgenic crops and food is inevitable. Starlink maize produces the Cry9C protein, which may be a human allergen. Two other major contaminations of ordinary seed (maize and canola seed) with GM seed have already occurred leading to emergency recalls of the product.| Reduces labor costs. |Sustainable organic agriculture creates much needed jobs in depressed rural economies.| Environmentally relatively benign herbicides are used and less of them. Opposing GM crops forces farmers to use herbicide resistant varieties which have not been made by GM such as those resistant to sulphonylurea herbicides which more readily give rise to herbicide resista nt weeds.|Promotes â€Å"agribusiness†, therefore more herbicide use. Herbicides are responsible for much illness in farm workers and contaminate drinking water.| Enhances biodiversity by allowing weeds to continue growing for longer thus providing nutrition for animals. After weed kill a mulch forms which hosts a thriving population of insects, arthropods etc.|The total herbicides used with herbicide tolerant crops kill all weeds thus reducing biodiversity in the field.| No insecticidal sprays needed on crops that have insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-toxin genes engineered into them. Plants with Bt or other insecticidal genes are likely to give rise to lower levels of mycotoxins in the final food product. Less insect damage means less opportunity for fungi to infect the plant and bring toxic substances.|As with weed control, control of insect damage is achievable with properly designed crop rotation and other forms of good husbandry such as intercropping. Healthy pl ants not imbalanced by chemical fertilizers build up their own defenses against insect attack. | GM plants are carefully tested for environmental and ecological impact, including their effects on earthworms and beneficial insects. Bt crops target only insects, which attack the crop. Future insect resistance genes will be engineered to express in leaves and stem rather than in pollen and seed. There is already evidence that the Bt gene is expressed less in Bt corn pollen than in leaves/stems therefore the risk to butterflies (e.g. Monarch) through pollen drift onto their food plants (e.g. milkweed for Monarch) is diminished. |In relation to population variance, sample sizes in lab and field tests (e.g. of earthworms) are sometimes too low to detect even large effects. Insecticidal crops containing the gene for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-toxin kill beneficial organisms such as bees, ladybirds, lacewings & butterflies (e.g. through pollen). The Bt plant remains falling to the ground are harmful to earthworms and other members of soil fauna. Bt toxins are secreted into soil from Bt plant roots and are toxic to lepidoptera in the soil (Stotzky, et al. Nature 402, 480 (1999)). The specific targeting and elimination of one insect pest has led to other pestiferous insect species moving into the ecological niche created by the disappearance of the first species. Getting rid of one problem simply created another. If Bt toxin transgenes spread to wild relatives of crop plants the wild plants may also develop resistance to insect herbivores. This could lead to the affected wild plants becoming invasive weeds.| The problem of resistance to Bt toxin and other toxins engineered into crops can be countered by planting suitably sized ‘refuges’ of a non-GM variety of the crop at suitable intervals within the crop. The interbreeding of the wild population with the Bt-exposed potentially resistant population will dilute out the genetic trait and thus prevent it building up.|Putting the Bt toxin gene in the crop exposes the pest to the toxin for longer, thus allowing natural genetic resistance to the toxin to develop in the pest. So-called refuge systems do not work, partly because breeding cycles in the differing pest populations are not synchronized. Refuges of up to 40% of the acreage are having to be recommended and this is not practical or popular for farmers. The build up of Bt toxin resistance threatens to render ineffective an insecticide long used by organic agriculture. Increased use of biopesticides in transgenic crops deprives the ecosystem of one of its natural pest controls thereby putting at risk its ability to restore equilibrium after being upset by abnormal conditions. | Helps solve the problem of world hunger by creating varieties which will make more efficient utilization of scarce land and give higher yields because of better pest resistance, nutrient utilization etc.|World hunger will not be solved by technological means. It is a problem of inequitable distribution of wealth and corrupt governments. Reduces yields (e.g. cotton, soybeans and sugar beet in some areas).| If herbicide resistance spreads to weed populations it can be combated with another herbicide with a different active ingredient. The ecological and agricultural threat of a GM plant is no more than a non-GM invasive (exotic) species such as kudzu or purple l oosestrife. Although improved crop yields can be engineered by genetically modifying plants, there is ecological concern over whether these plants are likely to persist in the wild in the event of dispersal from their cultivated habitat. The results of a long-term study of the performance of transgenic crops in natural habitats on four different crops (canola seed, potato, maize and sugar beet) which were grown in 12 different habitats and monitored over a period of 10 years show that in no case were the genetically modified plants found to be more invasive or more persistent than their conventional counterparts. (M. J. CRAWLEY, S. L. BROWN, R. S. HAILS, D. D. KOHN & M. REES. Biotechnology: Transgenic crops in natural habitats Nature 409, 682 – 683 (2001)  © Macmillan Publishers Ltd)|Enhances spread of herbicide resistance to wild weed populations because the necessary genes are in the pollen, which can then pollinate wild relatives of the crop plant. This could create â₠¬Ëœsuperweeds’ especially if ‘gene stacking’ of several different transgenes occurs. Spread of transgenes is also caused by birds, animals & machinery carrying the seed to other locations (e.g. canola seed on Ailsa Craig isle, 10 miles from Scottish mainland) Increased weediness of GM crops is already beginning to show. In 1999, in Alberta, Canada canola seed volunteers (unwanted crop plants coming up the following year) resistant to three different herbicides have been discovered. A series of chemical and DNA tests confirm the weeds in farmer Tony Huether’s field near Sexsmith are resistant to Roundup ®, Liberty ® and Pursuit ® herbicide chemicals. Invasive species of plants can remain relatively unproblematic in a region for many years and then suddenly take a hold so much so that they become an economically significant nuisance. For this reason, the ecological impact of GM crops will be difficult to predict in the long term, i.e. over several decades. | Most cultivars are unlikely to survive amongst wild plant populations and those with herbicide resistance that escape will have no advantage from the herbicide resistance trait unless that particular herbicide is used. Such volunteers can be controlled with other herbicides.|Transgenic herbicide resistant cultivars could escape into the wild and become problematic ‘volunteers’ in agriculture. These volunteers will require increased use of more toxic herbicides.| Is a sustainable agriculture, because it reduces chemical inputs as well as fuel inputs for farm machinery.|Unsustainable — based on greed not need. Helps chemical agriculture to proliferate. The only sustainable agriculture for the future is organic (including biodynamic & permaculture).| Quicker and more precise than traditional breeding.|Breeding takes place outside the proper c ontext, i.e. in the laboratory, therefore the crops are so weakened that they need to have the environment of the laboratory (soil sterilization, artificial fertilizers and pesticides) brought to them in the field. Transgenic lines are unstable and can lead to crop failures (e.g. GM cotton in USA).| A greater range of distinct disease-resistant varieties can be created so that the farmer has a wide choice and can plant a mixture of several varieties of the same crop in the same field to insure against disease attack. Disease resistance traits can be rapidly introduced to cultivars, e.g. rice, thus keeping ahead of the changing pattern of disease in a particular locality.|Because of the huge investment in GM crops, the necessarily increased emphasis on single high-yielding varieties reduces genetic diversity within the crop itself. This can lay the crop open to massive losses when disease strikes.| Novel drought and salt-tolerant cultivars can be created (important for Third World Co untries).|Sustainable organic plant breeding can develop novel varieties properly suited to a locality perfectly satisfactorily.| Any royalties or technology fees are more than compensated for by advantages including higher yields and easier, therefore less expensive, husbandry.|No seed saving by the farmer is permitted. The farmer has to pay royalties to the biotech company. This undermines a traditional agricultural practice and particularly threatens peasant farming in developing countries. GM crops add to the tendency of modern chemical agriculture to undermine the autonomy of farmers and turn them into tractor drivers or machine minders for large transnational corporations.| New varieties are tested for toxicity more than any crop plants have ever been in the past, therefore they are likely to be safer. Jimmy Clark, a professor of ruminant nutrition in Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, reviewed the results from 23 research experiments, which wer e conducted over the past four years at universities throughout the United States, Germany and France. In each study, separate groups of chickens, dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep were fed either genetically modified corn or soybeans or traditional corn or soybean as a portion of their diet. Each experiment independently confirmed that there is no significant difference in the animals’ ability to digest the genetically modified crops and no significant difference in the weight gain, milk production, milk composition, and overall health of the animals when compared to animals fed the traditional crops. Clark concluded, â€Å"Based on safety analyses required for each crop, human consumption of milk, meat and eggs produced from animals fed genetically modified crops should be as safe as products derived from animals fed conventional crops.† Clark added that approximately 70% of the genetically modified soybeans produced in the world and 80% of the genetically modified corn produced in the United States are used as animal feed. â€Å"Since these genetically modified crops were grown beginning in 1996, they have been fed to livestock and no detrimental effects have been reported,† Clark said. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Release, Apr il 2001).|Increases herbicide residues in the food because the herbicide is applied later in the growing season and closer to harvest | The issue of spread of antibiotic resistance from GM crops containing antibiotic resistance marker genes is unproven. If it is a problem at all it is likely to be small compared with the induction of antibiotic resistance through profligate use of antibiotics in animal nutrition, veterinary and medical practice.|Spreads antibiotic resistance to microorganisms in the environment, and then to pathogenic bacteria.| More profit for the farmer, seed producer and biotech company shareholder.|No demonstrable benefit to the consumer. | Crops producing ‘nutraceuticals’ can be engineered, i.e. food additives that have a nutritional benefit bordering on a pharmaceutical benefit, e.g. modified edible oils. The vitamin content of plants can be enhanced by GM. Plants which previously did not contain a particular vitamin can now be made to produce lar ge amounts of it (e.g. Vitamin A ‘golden’ rice). The aim of the GM Vitamin A rice project is not to achieve ideal levels of vitamin A intake through this source but to augment the extremely low intakes which lead to blindness and death of hundreds of thousands of people a year (Prof. Dr. Ingo Potrykus, statement, February 2001). |In 1999, Deutsche Bank issued a report advising investors to avoid investing in GM crop technology (agribiotech). A balanced diet of fresh fruit & vegetables plus cereals and protein is all that is necessary. ‘Nutraceuticals’ are a sticking plaster (band aid) attempt to remedy fundamentally unhealthy diets. Existing food sources provide adequate daily intakes of vitamins provided they are eaten in sufficient amounts and the vitamins are not destroyed in the processing or cooking. Vitamin-enhanced GM plants are an unnecessary technical solution to a problem, which does not exist. Even with Vitamin A GM rice a normal daily intake of 300 gram of rice would, at best, provide 8% percent of the vitamin A needed daily.| The ‘killer genes’ of the technology protection system (‘terminator technology’) allows the seed producer’s intellectual property (patent) to be protected by a biological rather than litigious method.|No seed saving by the farmer is permitted. The farmer has to pay royalties to the biotech company. This undermines a traditional agricultural practice and particularly threatens peasant farming in developing countries.| The increased cho ice of modern high-yielding cultivars to farmers allows diversification to keep ahead of economic, climatic and plant disease trends.|The possibility of further globalization of crop varieties that GE offers through the introduction of traits necessary for introduction into new regions of the globe erodes cultural diversity – i.e. traditionally, different crops and varieties are grown by different cultures. Genetic engineering works towards global uniformity, i.e. globalization of Western/Northern culture. There used to be far greater choice of crop varieties for farmers, sometimes hundreds of varieties of a particular crop in a given region, but this diversity is falling at an alarming rate because of the industrialization of farming under pressure from the agrochemical industry. This will be accelerated by biotech agribusiness.| GE allows the creation of plants that produce vaccines, pharmaceuticals or enhanced pharmaceutical raw materials. |GE is already used to produce ph armaceuticals in microorganisms in the much safer containment conditions of biotechnology factories. It should not be taken out into the environment thus putting the environment at risk. In any case, much of the pharmaceutical production, which would be created, is designed to treat diseases caused by industrialization and urbanization, which could be better treated not by a genetic fix but by changing lifestyles and environment.| Novel food crops are tested for genetic stability (breeding true), ‘substantial equivalence’, nutritive properties, toxicity and allergenicity. It is well known that conventional breeding can introduce increased levels of natural plant toxins into a new variety or can modify its digestibility or nutritiousness. Furthermore, certain organic crops have been shown to have higher levels of toxic substances, e.g potatoes.|GE introduces unpredictable toxic or allergenic effects into food plants (e.g. Brazil nut gene in transgenic soybeans). ‘Substantial equivalence’ is a political-commercial concept rather than a scientific one. GM plants are not genetically stable. For instance, the number of copies of an inserted gene changes through later generations of the GM plant. | This technology is completely new to the insurance industry. It is natural that insurers will be cautious about it. However, when they realize that the risks are no worse than with introduced ali en species that are dealt with by conventional methods of weed control, the problem of insurance will disappear. No amount of research under containment conditions will reveal how a GM plant will behave when grown en masse in the open field.|As the degree of escape of genes from GM crops is unpredictable, they can’t be recalled once they have escaped and they could multiply in the wild, some insurance underwriters have stated that such risks are uninsurable. There should be a moratorium on experiments in the open until the safety of the GM plant is fully tested under containment conditions. | Plant pathogens need not be used in making GM plants. The genes can be blasted into plant cells using a ‘gene gun’, which fire microparticles of metal coated with the DNA of interest.|Plant pathogens such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens (literally ‘cancer causing’) are used to shuttle genes into plants and viral gene sequences such as cauliflower mosaic virus promo ter are used to make the genes express themselves once in the plant. The pathogens could recombine with their natural equivalents in the plant thus risking unpredictable outbreaks of plant disease.| Bioprospecting has gone on since very ancient times. There is no reason why an organism, which just happens to be at a particular location of the globe, should be in the sole ownership of the people living there. Agreements can be entered into in order to protect the traditional usages of indigenous peoples.|Steals genetic commons from peasant farmers and indigenous peoples (biopiracy by the rich North, e.g. neem tree & basmati rice).| Biopolymers can be produced in GM plants allowing the manufacture of biodegradeable plastics (e.g. PHBV, Biopol), which are also sustainable because they are not made from fossil fuels. |No comment|