Interaction in the social world: Family Essay

This author is an arts teacher who is equally preoccupied in her home as she is the mother of a two-year-old daughter who constantly keeps her on her heels. Apart from her happy and close-knit family, which is the backbone of her life, her social world that is related to her work also holds a special place in her mind and heart. Just as she draws immense satisfaction in being a central figure of her family, she gets pleasure in teaching to students who give her an opportunity to learn new things everyday. She looks forward to get immersed in this social world everyday. Due to this interest in her job, which is highly evident in her performance, she enjoys great respect and love from both her students and colleagues. This author’ s interaction in this social world is very satisfying to her and with experience of how to deal with people with different age groups and in different settings she feels very confident of dealing with people even outside this social world. She finds that children give her very valuable lessons in their own ways. Just by observing their interaction patterns she learns a lot about human relationships and interactions. She gets a glimpse of how people feel when some one fights with them, someone is nice with them, if some one betrays them or ignores them by just observing how children behave with each other. She feels that though she is observing children she is getting a great insight about how to deal with adults as both share same emotions, the only difference is that adults try to hide their real feelings especially those of sadness, disgust or contempt while children make it easily evident. She thinks that all of us have a child within us but age and maturity has bestowed on us the capacity to put on a social face even when we are hurt by somebody’s comments or feel neglected by the extra attention that someone else in the group is getting. So she feels that she teaches arts to children while children teach her the art of living. She also feels privileged that she is able to fill children with confidence especially those who are not good at arts and as a result suffer from inferiority complex due to this. If children are boosted with confidence in their primitive years, only then can they gather the guts to become confident adults in future. So instead of reprimanding them as mentioned by Madon and others in Myers, â€Å"High expectations do seem to boost low achievers, for whom a teachers’s positive attitude may be a hope-giving breath of fresh air. † (2007, p. 111) Similarly when teachers surround her in the teacher’s lounge she gets an opportunity to learn a lot about social interactions. Since the teachers belong to different age groups and genders and possess different personality characteristics, just trying to maintain a healthy relationship with them gives her important lessons in social psychology. She tries to apply the insight she has gained through her theoretical knowledge in the practical setting of the social world of her work group, which is a bundle of varied personalities. She feels that with constant practice of dealing with this group she has become a socially intelligent person with whom everyone wants to spend time, as there is give and take of positive vibes in the process. At the end of any social interaction one wants to feel acceptable and respected as a human being and the author thinks that with practice and improvisations in one’s verbal as well as non-verbal communication she is getting better day by day. This is evident by the quality of camaraderie she shares with everyone and the way people greet her and like her presence around them. All this contributes to her self-confidence immensely. One incident that has hugely helped her in improving her self-efficacy is as follows: Six months back a new boy got admitted to her school. He was very restless and lacked good manners. The day when his parents came to admit him to the school they made it clear to the authorities that they were unable to handle him at home as he constantly indulged in some or the other form of misbehavior even after frequent spanking. When the authorities pointed towards the fact that too much of spanking was not good for children’s emotional growth, they said that the boy’s antics made them crazy and it was the only option left for them and soon they would understand it too. That boy was sent to this author’s class. The first few days were really terrible with him. He lacked any sense of respect for the teacher and constantly disturbed the coherence and smooth functioning of the class. But this author took this pupil as a challenge to prove how someone lacking basic social skills can be improved by empathy, love and patience. Instead of telling him again and again that he should behave nicely in class or he should learn good manners from his classmates, the author started treating him just like others even when he did something wrong. The fact that whatever he did, did not affect the author much gradually brought changes in his personality. He started improving. The next step that the author took was that she made him the class prefect, so instead of getting reprimanded because of his unruly behavior he started promoting good behavior in class. Hence instead of consciously making him aware of his shortcomings, the author unconsciously instilled a sense of discipline in the child. According to Pennington, et. l â€Å"Research has shown that if a person is aware that attempts are being made to condition certain aspects of behavior, conscious awareness of this can prevent conditioning taking place. (2003, p. 149. ) The author applied this very concept and the positive result was evident in a short span of time. The way the author handled this situation was highly commended by the staff of the school and she gained an important place not only in the school but also in the heart of that troublesome student and his parents. This incident helped in increasing the author’s self-efficacy to a great extent.

Nestle-Marketing Oriented Company

Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestle and is today the world's biggest food and beverage company. Henri Nestle developed the first infant food in 1867 to save the life of a friend's baby who could not be breastfed. (this is a combination of cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar). Since then, the company has looked to build on a tradition of providing nutritious products. The Nestle Group invests around 1. 5 billions swiss franc in R&D every year. It’s more than any other food company. Every day Nestle sells over a billion products. These individual consumer transactions give the Company total nnual sales of more than 90 billion swiss francs Nestle markets its products in 130 countries across the world. Nestle manufactures around 10,000 different products and employs some 250,000 people; A marketing orientated approach means a business reacts to what customers want. The decisions taken are based around information about customers’ needs and wants, rather than wha t the business thinks is right for the customer. Most successful businesses take a market-orientated approach Since then, the company has looked to build on a tradition of providing nutritious products.It builds its business around: -discovering what customers want -identifying pressures for change e. g. government campaigns, health education initiatives -responding to changes in the market place. Nestle concentrates on their consumers and tries to understand their physical and emotional desires. They have a wide range of products and consumed by all age groups. Nestle try to understand the economic, geographic and social factors which affects the diets of the consumers and try to concentrate on the nutritional and health value of the products.Example Nestle have used their research and technological expertise to their ice cream products to reduce their calories but too keep the same taste. They have also introduced sugar free products and lower sugar products like Kit Kat Light. Ne stle also try to understand the motivations, decision making and purchasing habits of the customers by spending time with the people. Example: Nestle employees spent three days living with people in suburbs of Lima in PERU to understand their everyday aspects of their life, and based on their understanding they sold relevant products in the local markets.A market led company like Nestle is continually monitoring customer attitudes and requirements through market research. This research takes two main forms: Qualitative research. This involves setting up small focus groups of consumers who express their ideas and opinions about their needs and views on different products. Quantitative research. Whereas qualitative research involves only relatively few people, quantitative research involves much bigger numbers. For example, professional market researchers may interview thousands of people through postal or telephone interviewing.Nestle regularly uses both forms of research to gain a c lear idea of consumer opinions and trends. Market research helps the company to keep in touch with an ever changing environment in which social attitudes and buying patterns are continually shifting. The Company's strategy is guided by several fundamental principles. Nestle's existing products grow through innovation and renovation while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines. Long-term potential is never sacrificed for short-term performance.The Company's priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives. Nestle is committed to the following Business objectives in all countries, taking into account local legislation, cultural and religious practices: Nestle continues to maintain its commitment to follow and respect all applicable local laws in each of its markets. Analysis of Market Analyzing the market means getting the information about the current market trends. There are different ways, which are adopted by Nestle to get the information of the market.By Sales Department Sales department is a primary source of getting the information about the market. They actually visit the market and find out that who are the competitors, and what strategies they are adopting. Customer Service Department For Every product there is customer service department.. Nestle knows that regular contact with their consumers is very important. This is why Nestle have a worldwide Nestle Consumer Services network Nestle cares for its consumers because its success depends on meeting their needs and expectations.Through listening and understanding, it can make products that they will want to use all through their lives. Research and Development Department The nestle Research and Development head office is in Switzerland. The customer complaints are forward to the R where research is conducted. Suppliers and distributors To know about the market Nestle has established the close re lationship with their suppliers who provide the raw materials. Conclusion Nestle is one of the world's leading food companies. Its commitment to high quality market research ensures that it remains fully aware of changes in consumer behaviour and consumer tastes.Its excellent product research and development network ensures that it is well placed to meet the challenge of changes in consumer expectations. The company's Wellness strategy is carefully geared to delivering to customers what they want in relation to the foods they eat. Thus it's clear that Nestle is a Market Oriented company because they try to understand the customer or market needs and produce products accordingly to achieve the organizations goals. And they believe that people are the main strength of the company.

Voices from the Foot of the Cross

This servant girl comes up to me â€Å"You also were with Jesus of Galilee,† she says That must be when I first began to lose it I didn't stop to think then I Just fired back, I said l don't know what you're talking about,† All the same I moved back a bit, but they were onto me muttering away – I could see they didn't believe me it was like they were calling me a liar because this other girl she shouts out so that everyone can hear â€Å"This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. † I said â€Å"l don't know the man! † I might have sworn a bit as well to make them believe me why did they not believe me? – I don't look like a liar After a bit they all started and I knew I'd said too much because they said â€Å"Surely you are one of them, your accent gives you away. † I almost completely lost it then, but I was too furious to notice I must have said every word under the sun to convince them â€Å"l don't know the man! † Then, immediat ely after I'd said it, a rooster crowed. Then I knew I'd lost it. Jesus, what happens next? O always seemed to know what would happen next I thought when they flogged you, that would be the end how many men, strong men at that, can survive a Roman flogging? I thought that would be the end you, whipped to death. Vive seen your back, from a distance Vive seen what those Jagged bones in the whip did to your back eating away at you tearing the muscle from your bonesThese Romans are animals lust Survived for what, because now it's worse what could be worse than a Roman flogging – only a Roman cross These Romans are animals Do you know about me? Do you know you were right all along ? About me deserting you, about me denying you I am Simon – Vive lost Peter Vive lost it Vive lost the person I was with you and now I'm losing you. 3. Jesus is mocked by the soldiers Met 27. 7-31 Monologue: a soldier I'm one of those soldiers I had the afternoon off so I came along I'll keep my n ame to myself I wish I hadn't come not now that I can see him I mean, by the time we got our hands on him this morning here wasn't much left of him there never is much left after a flogging and he was a trouble maker †¦ So they said the same as all those neuters from Galilee all the hotheads come from there, causing trouble, disturbing the people, like these people need much to get them going especially this week It's one of their festivals Passover they call it And we're all on edge in the garrison because things get a bit crazy at Passover it's all something about them being set free from slavery I don't know – sometime way back in the past something about Egypt – but it's important to them they all ago bit crazyAnd so all the lads are on edge we're on the look out for them the neuters – any rabble raisers hit the leaders hard – that shuts the rest up all the lads had got a bit crazy They started it, the others, not me I wasn't going to Join in but once everyone was at him I couldn't be left out that's asking for trouble and anyway troublemakers get what's coming to them he knew what he was doing last week when he rode that donkey into town he knew what was coming to him text book example bloke rides in on a donkey people wave palm branches they go nuts and say the king has arrived and there's trouble for everyone then e don't need another of their ‘kings' it's Just he didn't look like trouble and even less so when they had dressed him up as a king someone got this scarlet robe I mean there's no harm in having a laugh and he was asking for it anyway they put this scarlet robe on him and this crown of thorns – now that was nasty – those thorns are sharp the bloke who put it on his head reckons he came off worse all his hands were spiked and bleeding he's a vicious one – he rammed it down on the prisoner's head no, that was nasty I didn't start the nasty stuff but the nastier it got the more he looked at us not angry just sad I wish he'd been angry I wish he'd cursed us but he Just looked at us, sad and frightened I wish I hadn't done it I wish I could start today again but it was either that or set him free I had to do something – so I took the stick I snatched the stick the one they gave him as a staff to go with the crown he wouldn't stop looking at me I had no choice it was too late by then the others had filled me with – like with this poison it was hit him or free him I couldn't have done anything else it was like a madness blow after blow all about his head and there wasn't much of him in the first placeJesus, I can't look at you now even though they've now done worse to you but I can't stop looking at you because you're looking at them now like you looked at me no revenge no hatred just sadness sadness not sadness for yourself, but for them and sadness for me as if I'm the one who deserves pity like I'm the one in real trouble 4. Jesus crucified Met 27. 32- 37 Monologue: John adapted from Stages on the Way WAR IANA Community peg 1 50 I am John. But I am ashamed to say I have been keeping my distance today. Things will get a bit too hot for me if I am seen by the Romans. Jesus kept on telling us, the other disciples ND myself about him suffering and dying. I did listen but I Just never thought it would happen and then when it started, it all happened so quickly. I cannot remember what I was doing or feeling, it is all a blur.I wanted to do one last thing for him but when I was needed I was not there. I would have carried his cross all the way to Goliath if that would have spared him any pain but I was hiding, at the back of the crowd. Instead they got a total stranger to do it: Simon from Serene. He said he would not have been in Jerusalem today if it had not been for business. The Romans Just ribbed him, a complete stranger, out the crowd and made him carry Jesus' cross. He reckoned they asked him because his color makes him stand out and what can a black man say in a crowd of white people? So he carried the cross all the way here. Hadn't got a clue why or what was going on.He watched with me for a while and he couldn't understand. He kept on asking me: What was it all about? Why were they doing this to Jesus? What had he done to merit such degrading cruelty? What sort of crime deserves the cross? I did not have any answers for him. We watched together in silence as they nailed Jesus to the cross. We flinched each time the hammer fell, driving the nails deeper and deeper into Jesus' hands with each strike. I willed the hammer to miss but it hit home every time, twisting and tearing his hands, hands that had brought so much care to others. Simon from Serene kept on asking me â€Å"What could he have done to deserve this? † Once again I had no answer for him.After they had nailed him to the cross, hands and feet, they lifted it up high. Some people actually cheered. Can you believe it? They cheered! The cros s thumped into place and I saw the agony on his face. Simon and I watched speechless. We were strangers to each other, I had known Jesus for ages and Simon had only Just met him but we were both dumb struck with the horror of it all. Now I stand here watching you slowly die Jesus, I remember you told us you would suffer and die. I didn't take it in then and I don't understand it now. I want to do something to help you; anything and watch helpless. The last person to help you was a complete stranger. Jesus, I so want to help you, but I can't. 5.Jesus is mocked again Met 27. 38-44 Monologue: The anonymous woman who anointed Jesus I'm here and trying to think what to do for him. Something always occurs to me. I'm never normally at a loss for what to do. Don't bother with my name – you'll only forget it everyone else does. Vive always got something to say for myself – I have to It's the only way anyone would ever notice me. All those blokes who used to hang round, lording it over us, because they were his elite, his disciples – they were always noticed, we all know their names I Just don't notice them now – they've all run off into hiding. Well there's the advantage of being unremarkable no one notices me here now.Me, in a crowd of fools but I am not part of it. They pour out their cruel words, their cheap insults, they let all their scorn run over him – but I'll have no part in that. I have no words and I can do nothing. Standing here looking at Jesus I am speechless just like the last time I saw him only a few days ago. I was in the house of Simon the Leper and he was there too and now I think of it he looked sad then he looked like a man with a lot on his mind, like he was carrying a great weight†¦ I don't know what came over me- I really don't I Just knew what I had to do It felt like the most obvious thing, but I couldn't have explained why. I had this Jar of perfume, not any old perfume,

Confidence Intervals Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confidence Intervals - Statistics Project Example In addition, this paper will also compare male and female BMI values with the national averages and with the International Classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI. The average mean body index for men is about 27.62 (SD = 10.88). The margin of error (half width) for a 99% confidence is about 4.66 (See Appendix B for calculation). The 99% lower and upper confidence limits of BMI for men are Therefore, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for men is between 22.96 and 32.28. Thus, there is 99% chance that the mean body mass index for men falls in the interval (22.96, 32.28). The average mean body index for women is about (26.70 SD = 6.93). The margin of error for a 99% confidence is about 2.97 (See Appendix B for calculation). The 99% lower and upper confidence limits of BMI for women are Therefore, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for women is between 23.73 and 29.67. Thus, there is 99% chance that the mean body mass index for women falls in the interval (23.73, 29.67). It is known that men have a mean weight that is greater than the mean weight for women, and the mean height of men is greater than the mean height of women. The results suggest that men (M = 27.62, SD = 10.88) also have a mean body mass index that is greater than the mean body mass index of women (M = 26.70, SD = 6.93). However, the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for women (23.73, 29.67) is narrower as compared to the 99% confidence interval for the mean body mass index for men (22.96, 32.28). Thus, the mean body mass index for women is less variable as compared to the mean body mass index for men. The U.S.  National Institutes of Health  and the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  uses World Health Organization  guidelines for classification of adult underweight, overweight and obesity according to BMI.

Aspect of the law and engineering Research Paper

Aspect of the law and engineering - Research Paper Example In civil engineering, there are frequent cases where injuries are borne by the employees (being the workers) due to industrial accidents and other such hazards related to the construction of various projects2. Prior to worker’s compensation, an employer was held to several narrowly defined duties of care for the protection of his employees (Mitchelle, 1976). The employers seldom received their due after having borne the injuries mainly because of the unfortunate prevalence of the doctrine of contributory negligence, the fellow-servant rule and voluntary assumption of the risk in the common law countries. In order to tackle this discriminatory issue of industrial liability in case of injured employees, the concept of Workmen’s Compensation was introduced. It is now popular in many countries namely the United States of America, Brazil, Germany, India, UK etc. In the United States of America, the Workmen’s Compensation laws are created differently by various states however the fundamentals of all the acts remain the same. There are a number of characteristic properties that are common in all the laws of Workmen’s Compensation – (a) automatic entitlement of the employer to compensation in case of personal injury borne due to an industrial accident (b) Employee’s contributory negligence or employer’s freedom from the fault does not lessen the former’s rights (c) Only employees are covered and not independent contractors (d) Cash benefits, Medical expenses etc. are provided and benefits for dependents are counted in case of death of the employee (however maximum and minimum are imposed) (e) the employee or his dependents forfeit the right to personally sue the employer for the loss (f) Right to sue third persons in case of negligence on their part prevails (subject to conditions) (g) administration is in the hands of administrative commissions (h) the employer is required to secure his liability through private insurance etc. so that the liability of compensation passes to the consumer in the price of the product (Larson, 1952). Initially a few problems were recognized in the U.S. regarding the Worker’s Compensation as apparently it disregarded the Fourteenth Amendment’s prohibition against taking of property without due process of law and deprived both parties of the freedom of contract. This problem was resolved by the New York Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1916 after the famous case of New York Central Railroad Company v White3. The specific laws which deal with construction safety hazards in the U.S. are administered by governing regulatory body called Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)4. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace to their employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 has defined certain responsibilities for the employers and also has defin ed penalties in case of violation of the duties5. In order to start a construction or even before entering a contract, an engineer has to keep in mind all the legal aspects of workmen’s compensation. Even though the Engineer may cover up his costs by ultimately shifting it to the customer in form of price of the product, he has to initially formalize the insurance for his employees. In case the engineer

The Emergence of Industry Clusters. Theory & Evidence Essay

The Emergence of Industry Clusters. Theory & Evidence - Essay Example According to the researchers, an industry cluster may be defined as a geographical adjacent group of interrelated industrial firms and connected institutions which is linked by unity and harmony. In an organisational form, clusters offer more flexibility to the industrial firms in the ever- changing industrial environment. In other words, the extent along with the nature of link between the customers, the suppliers and the competitors determine the various advantages of industrial cluster with respect to industrial structure. The emergence of industry clusters has made an exceptional mark as well as caused a significant variation in regional financial performance of the United States and Germany. Through the occurrence of pioneering clusters of the companies and industries such as semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley, automobile industry of Detroit and German Laser industry, the researchers observed that the above mentioned industrial units attained strong financial performance d ue to the presence of modernised clusters. Thus, it can be stated that during the emergence of industry clusters lie a significant as well as mention worthy effect upon attaining strong and well organised financial performance which is performed by the industrial units such as semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley, automobile industry of Detroit and German Laser industry. The industry clusters act as a source of local modernisation along with improvement towards geographic attention of various business organisations, industrial firms and related trade institutions that include standard agencies and trading organisations among others. ... rgement, the formation and the progression of industry clusters such as semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley, automobile industry of Detroit and German Laser industry are elaborately discussed. Supportive theories and evidences along with various prescribed policy recommendations regarding the emergence and impact of industry clusters will also be taken into concern in the discussion of this paper. Key Facts of the Industry Clusters There are various factors that are associated with industry clusters that encompass a favourable business situation which is an elementary requirement for activating industrial agglomeration (Klepper, 2009). The factors that include steady macroeconomic atmosphere, government institutional structure, enhanced legal system, and modernised technologies are regarded as a few of the encouraging factors for industrial clustering. The factors that include deficiency of low labour cost, trained labours and professionals, scarcity of advanced physical structu re such as roads, legalised actions and legislations and lack of improved logistics, production methods and innovative business operations eventually act as an obstacle towards industrial clustering (Klepper, 2009). Along with the encouraging factors, there also lie certain major elements that act as a crucial obstacle towards industrial clustering. It has been identified that the two most inspiring and remarkable industry clusters of the United States are especially the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley and the automobile industry in Detroit (Klepper, 2009). In the early days of semiconductor industry i.e. 1950, Silicon Valley enjoyed maximum financial leverage due to the contribution of its semiconductor industry. However, in the next 30 years, nearly 100 semiconductor companies

The Role of Corporate Governance Mechanism of Independent Directors Essay

The Role of Corporate Governance Mechanism of Independent Directors - Essay Example The mechanism suggests that the Board of Directors should comprise of an equal numbers of executive and non-executive (independent) directors. Executive directors are responsible for the management of the company’s operations whereas the non-executive directors, which are appointed by the shareholders, are responsible for the supervision of the executive directors’ performance as a whole. Under the framework, the independent directors are responsible for setting up board committees, which govern the performance of the board. These committees include audit committee, remuneration committee and nomination committee. The audit committee supervises the reporting of the financial statements between the management and the shareholders of the company, remuneration committee is responsible for devising remuneration packages for the executive directors of the board after considering their performance and the nomination committee is responsible for nominating directors that can b ecome the part of the board after elected by the board of directors. This whole framework is then observed in the real life examples of various organizations in UK, so as to see how effectively the mechanism has been applied and how well it is performing in achieving the main purpose of the framework. The Role of Corporate Governance Mechanism of Independent Directors According to the Cadbury report (1992), Corporate Governance has been defined as ‘the system by which companies are directed and controlled (P 15, paragraph 2.5).’ The system states that the board of directors is assigned the responsibility of governing the companies on the behalf of the shareholders, whereas the shareholders are in charge of appointing a board of directors along with auditors, so that they can be satisfied that a suitable system of governance is in place. In this paper the mechanism of independent directors, defined by the Corporate Governance, will be discussed to see how this mechanism works for the effective execution of governance. The concept of independent directors was originally acquired from the Anglo-American model of Corporate Governance, where there was a unified structure of board of directors. The main reason behind the concept was to apply checks and controls where there was a separation between ownership and control of the organization (Ali and Gregoriou, 2006). Recent progress in economic theory suggests that the appointed board of directors play a vital part in the effective governance of a corporation. With the authority to hire, fire and compensate the senior management of the company, the board of directors ensures that the problems relating to the conflicts of interest among the shareholders and the management are resolved and controlled. This contributes to economizing the transaction costs (also called the agency costs) that arises as a result of the separation of ownership and control, thus facilitating the existence of an organization as an open corporation (Baysinger and Butler, 1985). The basic agency problems that arise as a consequence of the separation of control and ownership include; managers acting in order to serve their personal interests, non-transparency of financial performance between the managers and the shareholders in ord er to portray a better picture of the company’s performance by keeping the shareholders in the dark and the management’s motivation to focus on short term performance and manipulation of the financial performance in order to secure incentives (Rezaee, 2007). In order to overcome these issues corporate governance defined a framework of board of directors to introduce independent direc

My Visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall & Monument in Washington, DC Essay

My Visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall & Monument in Washington, DC - Essay Example Many lives were wasted; many hearts broke because of this war, even if it meant â€Å"protecting the liberty† of a country. Because of this significance, the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. was erected in 1982. This memorial is dedicated to all the people who lost their lives fighting for liberty in the Vietnam War. The names of the US armed forces that were also Missing in Action (unaccounted for) were also engraved in the wall. These walls are testament to the greatness of these people who would fight for their country’s cause however vain. The walls are majestic. They were designed by Maya Lin, an architect from Yale. There are two walls and it is long, at least 200 feet. She used special stone walls from India called gabbro. These stones were imported specifically because of their excellent reflective property. One can actually look at the walls and stare at his own reflection. This is one of the major features of the wall, which is actual ly clever because the idea behind it is that when a visitor looks at the wall and sees his reflection, he could also look at the names of the veterans which symbolically means that the past and present are together in the wall. There are 58, 267 names engraved in the wall.

Heart Sutra Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heart Sutra - Term Paper Example Thus, all things are empty. It states that nothing is born and nothing dies; nothing is pure or stained, and nothing either increases or decreases. Hence, none of the five aspects actually exists in emptiness. This is essentially the same as the current teaching of science that nothing is created or destroyed; rather, it merely changes form, which is a result of the theory of conservation of energy. Consequently, there is also neither of the five senses nor imagining, nor are any of these processes experienced. The point of stating this reality is to highlight their delusory nature, and pointing to the way of the Bodhisattva, which is to have no fear and rely only on the perfection of wisdom, as it will lead to nirvana (spiritual enlightenment). The perfection of wisdom is identified in the sutra as the greatest, clearest and highest mantra, which is also capable of removing all suffering. Besides mentioning the five skandhas with respect to their emptiness, the Heart Sutra also ment ions the twelve ayatanas (abodes), the eighteen dhatus (elements of consciousness), the twelve nidanas (origins) and the four noble truths.

Exam 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exam 5 - Essay Example Filing a complaint is the first step in every case including the sexual assault one. In order for the case to proceed to trial, the victim must be deemed credible when reporting of the sexual assault. The credibility will go ahead and assist when it comes to seeking testimony. Evidence even a little strengthens the credibility of the victim. If the victim is deemed credible, then the case will go to trial and given priority, if not, it will be rejected at this stage (Chancellor, 2012). When victims report of sexual assault to a police station, they record official statements. During trial, the victim is asked to narrate the events following the sexual assault and this is also recorded. The narration of the story and recording may be carried out several times and then all these official documents are compared for consistency. If the prosecutor finds any inconsistencies or discrepancies in these statements, then this is a good reason to reject the sexual assault case by first discrediting the allegations and then filing for the case to be thrown aside. The victim must therefore ensure that they stick to the details of the first statement recorded at the police station. If the victim passes this stage successfully and the statements in all the official documents match, then the case moves on to prosecution through by calling witnesses and presenting evidence of the sexual assault. In every different kind of sexual assault, there are certain behaviors that accompany them and which are known by the prosecutor. During examination or cross examination of the victim in court, some of these behaviors (depending on the type of sexual assault) are expected to be provided Failure to do this or divert from the â€Å"typified behavior of the assault† leads to discrediting of the statement and evidence and the whole case based in credibility issues. Based on the three methods based above, the one thing which is common in all the three and which is what really leads to the

Case Study of McDonalds Essay Example for Free

Case Study of McDonalds Essay In the early 1940s, two brothers opened a burger restaurant that was based on standardized preparation called the Speedee Service System. This burger restaurant is now globally known as McDonalds. In 1976, McDonalds introduced the breakfast menu as a way to diversify sales and product selection. Today this multinational corporation serves nearly 54 million customers every day in 120 countries around the world. McDonalds first international venture was in Richmond, British Columbia, during 1967. Two of McDonalds main products were introduced in 1968, the Big Mac and the Egg McMuffin Sandwich. When the first McDonalds opened in Hong Kong in 1975, they were the first restaurants to consistently offer clean bathrooms, which drove customers to demand the same standards of other restaurants and institutions. McDonalds continually builds its brand by receiving customer input. This is why McDonalds is known as one of the most recognizable brands in the world. This case study illustrates how McDonalds marketing process works and how they overcome problems in the process. This case analysis will include a SWOT analysis of McDonalds, which looks at the internal environment of strengths and weaknesses and the external environment of opportunities and threats. It then examines alternative solutions to correct weaknesses, threats, and opportunities and concludes with recommendations with exact steps and a brief conclusion. S.W.O.T. AnalysisThis analysis was developed from the McDonalds website and various other online sources. Other information was provided by the textbook, Organization Behavior by Robert Kreitner and Angelo Kinicki. SWOT stands for internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats. It will illustrate the opportunities and threats in McDonalds current environment, and compare it to their internal strengths and weaknesses. We will then discuss creative strategies to align their internal environment with their external environment and provide multiple alternatives and a recommendation. Internal AnalysisMcDonalds Corporation is a multimillion dollar global business because of the fact their strengths greatly outweigh their weaknesses. McDonalds is known globally because it is dedicated to the unparallel levels of quality service, cleanliness and values. McDonalds is also globally known because it is financially sound and recognized by the Fortune 500 and the Hoovers 500. We will provide the strengths and weakness of the McDonalds Corporation. We will also show the effect they have on their expansion throughout the globe and the direct impact it has on their financial records. This will be presented in descending order of importance throughout the strengths and weaknesses. McDonalds SWOT AnalysisStrengths1.The Companys developed global strategya.60% of McDonalds sales and all of its top 10 restaurants, (in terms of sales profits) are now overseas. b.McDonalds adapts to each countrys specific needs cultural differencesi. For example: In Japan, McDonalds had to substantially adapt its original U.S. style menu to include a McChao(a Chinese fried rice dish). When McDonalds introduced rice meals in Japan, sales jumped 30% in one year, and it continues to innovate in Japan with Teriyaki McBurger and Chicken Tatsuta. ii.The menu price has been adapted for each country. iii.The average Big Mac price for the U.S. is $3.00; China $1.26; Switzerland $5.64c.In 2005 McDonalds was ranked 8th out of the top 30 global brands. 2.Adaptation to cultural preferences and trendsa.Within the past 3 years, McDonalds has made several adaptations to their strategy by adding a more appealing breakfast menu, specialty coffees, and healthier menu options. b. McDonalds has also managed to adapt their individual franchises to the current trends and concerns in their individual geographical locations, simultaneously cutting costs. i.For example: In Europe, McDonalds discovered that children were content  with a simple word puzzle on a menu tray or a small stuffed animal and did not require more expensive Happy meal promotions that they used in the U.S. c.This year the worlds largest restaurant chain, with 31,000 locations, will spend $1.9 billion to open 800 restaurants and reinvest in existing locations. 3.The companys attention to global health concernsa.McDonalds menus offer a variety of food products that can fit into balanced, active lifestyles. Restaurants typically serve several types of hamburgers, grilled and fried chicken products, and fish and, in many cases, salads, fruits, and additional sandwich options. i.Many European countries have launched Salads Plus menus, including meal-size salad choices, a side salad, fresh fruit bag, and other options. ii.McDonalds Canada offers Toasted Deli Sandwiches. iii.McDonalds Hong Kong has a Fresh Choices Menu, with two salads and fruit yogurt. iv.McDonalds Australia offers a QuickStart breakfast menu, including a choice of cereals, juices, reduced fat or nonfat milk, and yogurt. v.McDonalds Taiwan serves a Toasted Rice Burger. vi.Apples are served whole or with other foods in more than 20 countries around the world. b.Many local business units are adding new salad, fruit, and vegetable offerings. c.Local business units are also expanding Happy Meal choices to include new sandwich, side, and beverage alternatives. These reflect a System-wide goal of ensuring that Happy Meals remain a choice moms feel good about and  children enjoy. 4.The Company has high environmental standards:a.Delivery Vehicles which can carry fresh, frozen and chilled food have resulted in fewer deliveries, enabling them to reduce diesel costs and fuel emissions. Also, fixed delivery schedules reduced the distance traveled in 1993 by 310,000 miles. b.Each McDonalds restaurant is carefully designed individually to fit into its local environment. This means listening to local concerns, fitting in with local scenery and landscaping drive-thru restaurants. Over 120 McDonalds restaurants are in conservation areas and over 30 are in Grade II listed buildings. c. McDonalds uses a minimum of 50% recycled content in corrugated cardboard boxes and ask that their suppliers do the same. All McDonalds food boxes and cartons are made from 72% recycled material, carry out bags are unbleached and made from 60-80% recycled material, while napkins and tray liners are 100% recycled paper. Additionally, all their picnic benches, drive=thru lane traffic bollards and most of the fencing panels are new restaurants are made from recycled polystyrene. d. McDonalds have made a commitment that, by 1995, they had reduced the volume of solid waste by 50%. They achieved this by using the three Rs: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. 5.High percentage of minority employmenta.McDonalds has the largest number of minority and female franchisees in the quick service industry. b.More than 40.7% of all McDonalds US Owner/Operators are women and minorities. Weaknesses1.Worker shortagea.In all employment areas, there is a high demand for qualified workers. b.A new development that is creating even more employee demand is the new  immigration laws for the country and state. 2.Employee turn-overa.It is difficult to keep the employees already employed with McDonalds. i. McDonalds has a turnover rate of about 35 to 40 percent. b.People consider working at McDonalds embarrassing and look for employment elsewhere. c.Minimum wage doesnt keep good workers around. i. $5.85 per hour beginning July 24, 2007ii.$6.55 per hour beginning July 24, 2008iii.$7.25 per hour beginning July 24, 20093.Customer trends change and so do their choicesa.Quality and taste of products is declining. b.People are generally tired of the same brands that they had been using over the years, so when they do not see the expected innovation they migrate to new brands. c.People see McDonalds every where and this over exposure might also be a reason for abstinence. Moreover maintaining the standards of such a huge chain becomes feasible and when there is lack of quality service in one store it effects the whole brand. External Analysis The constant improvements in technology and the competitive marketplace challenge McDonalds with many opportunities and threats. McDonalds has a great management team that constantly looks for new opportunities because McDonalds is the industry standard on technology. Other opportunities for McDonalds would be to expand to all developing and developed countries around the world. Among the current and future threats, there are thousands of fast-food chains in the world, most of the new fast-food franchises are concentrating on having a healthy image, so therefore McDonalds needs to continue to improve  their healthy choice menu. This will be presented in descending order of importance throughout the opportunities and threats. Opportunities1.New Technologiesa.Computers that are also tablesi.These computers that are also tables will be very handy because people do not like standing in lines and having to wait to order. Now all customers have to do is find a table and sit down and start ordering. This will pay off even more because customers will be able to special order their food easier which will in-turn reduce the mess up orders because customers will do it themselves. ii.These computer tables will also make it very easy for customers to pay for their food or even split the bill if they want to. All customers will have to do is lay their credit card or debit card down on the table and then pick what food you want to pay for and drag it over to where your card is laying and then click ok that is correct then use your finger to sign for the bill. 2.International Expansion and Franchisinga.There are only 17,000 McDonalds around the world and only located in 119 different countries. i.There are 194 countries in the world and McDonalds has lost of room to expand there restaurants to new countries. ii.McDonalds main concentration of expanding is in the ever growing in population of China. McDonalds wants to build as many drive thrus there as possible for the fast passed living. They have done research that there are 30,000 filling stations to put them in. b.Selling corporate owned McDonalds and turning them into franchises at home and abroad. i.Sold 18 businesses in Latin America and the Caribbeans. As a result these two countries will in turn franchise 1,600 restaurants. 3.New Food Items and New Programsa.Here in America we are accustomed to one of the programs that they are trying to add all over the world. This would  be known as the dollar menu. In Europe they are calling it the Eurosaver, China has the RMB 5, and Latin America features the McMenu. b.In Latin America they are experimenting with something called McAhorro. This is a program of special pricing of certain products during certain times of the day or on carious days of the week. c.In Egypt their McDonalds are trying something completely new to McDonalds and this is having a carryout. Other countries also doing this now are Turkey, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. d.New food items that became popular in Latin America are the McCafe coffee and dessert concepts. Which are Expanding to other McDonalds in other countries to see how they fair. e.New Healthy Foodsi.Toasted deli sandwiches have now been put on a couple of McDonalds menus in Canadaii.McDonalds are starting to cook their French Fries in healthier oils and finding ways to cook their hamburgers to have less grease in them. iii.Mediterranean inspired Pitamac, a square pita bread sandwich that is open at the top and filled with spiced beef, grilled vegetables or chicken. iv.Introducing veggie burgers to more of their restaurants. v.Introducing water-based instead of oil-based salad dressings for their new premium salads. vi.Introducing healthier option with their meal instead of fries such as: salads, baked potatoes, yogurt, fruit, ect. Threats1.The biggest threat for McDonalds domestically is the lack of growth opportunitiesa.The market in the United States is well saturated and there is not a whole lot of room for growth. 2.Healthier eating habits. a.People are more worried about their health in todays society than they have ever been. McDonalds has introduced salads and other low fat items but it is hard for people to make the switch because the other food that McDonalds offers tastes great. 3.Fast food restaurant franchises as upcoming competition. a.The biggest competition would be taco and burrito franchises. This would be a threat because individuals get tired of eating hamburgers and fries and they want something different. b.McDonalds has the upper hand on most fast food restaurants because they serve breakfast. Recently Taco Bueno has added a breakfast menu and that could also be a threat for McDonalds. 4.Terrorisma.With McDonalds being a big retail food store with a lot of customers in the store daily. b.This could be a major threat not only to the store itself but to its customers also. 5.Global Competitiona.Through out the globe McDonalds is facing more and more competition because of other fast food chains entering the global markets. i.Burger King is the number two burger chain. It is located in over 65 countries now. In the US alone it has more then 11,200 locations. ii.Subway is the second largest quick serving restaurant. It has an astonishing 27,700 location abroad spanning over 85 countries. Another huge threat that this makes is that it now has more locations in the US than McDonalds. b.With global expansion McDonalds not only has to deal with other abroad competitors but the own countries fast food chains. McDonalds also has to get accustomed to the local eating habbits and taste so they will be able to satisfy their wants and needs. This means McDonalds will have to come up with new menu items for each country to fit their customs. i.Items that they have came up with to fit the taste and customs of consumers in Japan was to introduce the Mega Teriyaki Burger and the Triangle-shaped Mango Custard Pie. AlternativesAlternative 1- Technology UpdateImproving and Buying New Technology McDonalds has been improving many things at their restaurants in the past couple of years such as: remodeling, new menu items, and a drive-thru order speaker that shows you what you have ordered. McDonalds needs to make sure that they deep up with todays society and the new technology. One of the newest technology that McDonalds needs to consider purchasing is called Microsoft surface. This new technology well not only cut down on employee cost but it will help them keep up with the new way of life that time is money. ProsA. With Microsoft Surface computer tables in place it will make business quicker. i. People can sit down and order their food at the tablesii. There will be no waiting in lines which in turns saves people time. iii. Customers can pay at the end of their meals incase they want more food after their first order instead of going and standing in line again. B. Offer more things to do while waiting on your food and after you are done eating. i. Microsoft Surface also offers things to entertain your kids such as playing music to painting with their fingers. ii. Business people will find it handy because they can get on the internet and find thing they need or to get directions to their next destination and then can transfer it to their phones of PDAs. iii. Will older people like the new technology because it will be something new to them and will have to learn how to use it properly. ConsA. Microsoft Surface will be brand new technologyi. The cost of Microsoft Surface will have a very expensive price tag along with it. ii. Since it is a new product this means it will still have a few bugs in it that have not been found or worked out. B. How reliable with this new technology bei. Seeing how this is going to be used not only to order off of it will as be used as a table to eat and drink off of. Will the Surface be durable enough to handle messy food and drinks that will be spilled on it?Alternative 2- Improve Healthy menu OptionsMore Attention for Americas Healthy Menu Options- McDonalds has been successful in adding healthy menu options around the globe. However, throughout our study we have found that the healthy menu options for Americans are quite limited, and even more limited for the children in the United States. The PlanA.We feel that adding some healthy menu combination meals would really improve McDonalds sales. Americans dont want just a salad or chicken wrap as a meal, so why not add a combination meal that includes a salad, wrap, grilled chicken breast, or toasted deli sandwich with their choice of a healthy side, such as a fruit salad, yogurt, vegetables, or baked potato. B.Dont forget about our children. Moms arent just concerned about what they are putting in their mouths, their childrens health is just as important. If a mom can go to McDonalds and get a healthy meal, but there isnt anything healthy to feed her children, most likely shes going to choose a competing fast food franchise. Happy meals need to have options such as, a beef pot pie, turkey sandwich, or grilled chicken fingers.  Choices of sides could include a healthy macaroni and cheese, vegetables, fruit marshmallows, or even cottage cheese and strawberries. McDonalds could also really score some big points with parents if they added healthy lifestyle tips for kids on the happy meal sacks, or provided toys that promote exercise. ProsA.Americans love variety and choices. Thats exactly what this plan is giving McDonalds customers. Variety and healthy choices will not only satisfy current customers, but it will attract more business. B.One of McDonalds biggest customer bases is America. Providing these options for this customer base will also increase their profit intake. C.This plan also shows the people in the U.S. that McDonalds cares about their customers concerns. This is just one more way to attract business. D.Since the release of the movie Super Size Me McDonalds has been known as the fast food restaurant that makes Americans fat. The best way to improve this bad image is to implement the healthy menu options in America. ConsA.Adding more options to a menu also means adding costs for the business. It is more expensive to keep vegetables and fruits fresh than it is to keep the food they currently serve fresh. B.Even though Americans are very concerned about their health, there is a large number of people who dont want to do anything about it. People arent looking to be healthy when they go out to eat at McDonalds, and because of that, the new healthy food options may not sell as well as other well established items on the McDonalds menu. Alternative 3 Increasing WagesIncrease starting wages and implement frequent raises McDonalds has always been considered one of the worst paying jobs with the lowest skill level. Even though the working conditions are favorable, qualified workers do not want to work at McDonalds because it is embarrassing, but mainly because McDonalds does not pay their  employees enough. We think starting salaries should be increased as an incentive to want to work for McDonalds and turn the job into a career. ProsA. More dependable employees as applicants. i. The country is experiencing a huge worker shortage, but not only a worker shortage, but qualified, dependable workers. This alternative should help remedy that situation. ii. With higher starting wages and frequent raises for the employees, there should be a less percentage turn-over rate. If the employees are happy, they wont be looking for other positions elsewhere. ConsA. This increase will cost the corporation more financially. ii. This could limit the amount available in dividends to stockholders hurting future investments. RecommendationsTechnology updateIn order to remain in competition with not only fast food restaurants, but other restaurants as well, McDonalds will have to keep up with the growing technological society. This means taking advantage of any fast food advances that pertain to their area of service. The new technology will have to keep the pace of todays fast moving society, in which time is money. A specific technology that we recommend McDonalds take advantage of is the Microsoft Surface computer tables. This technology will be costly, if implemented in metropolitan areas it will be beneficial to not only the corporation, but also to McDonalds customers. Microsoft Surface computer tables will increase the contribution margin of the corporation by saving time, money, and order errors. McDonalds should gradually begin the implementation of the Microsoft Office table in major cities throughout the globe. As McDonalds begins to reap the benefits, and work out the kinks of the tables, the corporation should  gradually apply this product throughout smaller restaurants. This process will be very slow moving and costly, but it is key in ensuring McDonalds continued domination in global fast food service. ConclusionsIn todays fast paces, highly technological society McDonalds has been able to stay on top of the fast food service industry, while providing quality service, and timely deliverance of food. It is not an easy task to stay on top of technologies and changing tastes of customers. McDonalds will need to continue to research the changing eating habits and styles to attract new customers and keep the business of current customers. McDonalds has proven its concerns for customers and employees by experimenting with new facilities and foods they are proving to society that they are concerned with not only their health but their prosperity. McDonalds has a very promising future ahead of them and if they continue to adapt to society and new technologies. Refrences www.mcDonalds.com

Drug test Essay Example for Free

Drug test Essay Carl Robins, began working for ABC, Incorporated, about six months ago as a campus recruiter. This is considered a tough job, which involves many responsible. Carl had only been with the company for six months, but expressed he was ready to begin recruiting people. In early April, Carl recruited his first fifteen people. Those people would be working for Monica Carroll who was the Operations Supervisor. Monica informed Carl that she would need them to be done with orientation and working by July, first. Carl planed for all fifteen people to begin orientation on June fifteenth, this would give Carl fifteen days to finish up everything that was not complete. This case study will discuss what Carl Robins was responsible for, it will examine the key problems, and analysis what caused these problems, and provide different possible solutions to the problems. The Facts The facts in this case study, some of which have already been discussed previously are as followed: Carl had only been working for ABC, Incorporated, for six months before making the decision that he was ready to take on all the responsibilities of a recruiter. Carl recruited his first fifteen new hire employees in early April, and informed all fifteen people that orientation was scheduled for June fifteenth. Carl received a phone call May, fifteenth from Monica Carrolls, reminding him of the long list of tasks that all the fifteen new hires must have completed. The long list contained the training schedule, orientation manuals, policy handbooks, physicals, and their mandatory drug tests. On May, twenty-sixth, Carl began to look over the new hires files, and realized all the missing paperwork that needed to be completed. None of their drug tests had been completed, and Carl could find three orientation manuals all missing pages. The last thing that pushed Carl over the edge was when he passed by the training room and noticed all the computers that were set up the training room. That is when Joe informed him Carl had the room reserved for the entire month Key Problems/ Cause of problems Carl Robbins has several different problems at this point, but they all began with one root problem and over time got worse. The root problem that could have made a huge difference it if never happened is called procrastination. According to Psychology Today. com, everyone procrastinates from time to time, but about twenty percent of people deliberately avoid tasks that can be difficult and look more for some kind of distraction. It also states that procrastination plays a large role in our struggles with self-control and our ability to predict how we are going to feel tomorrow, or even the following days (Psychologytoday. com). Because Carl chose to procrastinate, many other problems branched off from the main problem. Things like; not making sure that all the mandatory drug tests were completed, or an appointment setup for them. Not having all their new hire files complete, or the manuals ready for orientation, not even having a training room for orientation. The causes of all these problems were procrastination, poor time management skill, and lack of preparation. Due to Carl’s procrastination, poor time management skills, and lack of preparation it has not only cause more stress on him, but he is going to need guidance from his boss on the best way to fix the problem. Possible Solutions to the Problem First, a list should be made of all the problems then each problem can be addressed separately. The lists of problems are as followed: 1. Procrastination 2. Incomplete applications 3. Incomplete orientation Manuals 4. No training room for orientation 5. Mandatory drug tests Procrastination is a problem that many people struggle to overcome. According to Carol Halsey the Founder and President of Business Organizing Solutions, he stated the four main reason that people procrastinate is because of poor habits, feeling overwhelmed, trying to be perfect, and would rather be doing something else (powerhomebiz. com). Here are 10 tips that Carl and many other people could try that will him them stop procrastinating: 1. 1 Keep perfectionism in check, make a list but not one that is imposable to accomplish. 2. 2 Get quick things out of the way, try doing all the small things on the list first. 3. Take small steps, break things down into small projects so you don’t get overwhelmed. 4. Reward yourself, as you accomplish small goals always reward yourself, it can become motivation. 5. Do the easy things first, try to do the easy things first so you don’t get overwhelmed. 6. Alternatively, maybe do the hard things first, try getting the hard things out of the way first? 7. Be an optimist, all ways stay positive, see the good things about the situation 8. Do not let temptations fuel you, do not let things like TV, and your phone distract you. 9. Use your energy wisely, Try to tackle your list when you have to most energy 10. Find support from others, if you are having trouble with something ask for help (Stressabout. com) The next problem that needs to be addressed making sure that the new hires have completed all of their application. This problem is not a difficult one to fix. After going through all the files, set aside the ones that need to be finished. Give them a call and set up a time in the next week to have them finish fill all the proper paper work out. I order to fix the next problem Carl needs to find a manual that does not have any missing pages. One way to try to locate one is send out a mass email and mark it as urgent, asking your fellow employees for helping you locate it. Once you get your hands on one that is complete. Making the copies should be a breeze. Now that Carl knows the training is not available, he needs to find a room big enough to fit sixteen people. Again never be afraid to ask for help for others to help fix things. Sending out emails or asking around is a good tool that needs to be utilized. If all else fells Carl could always call his local library and see if they have a training room use. Mandatory drug tests are one of the first things that need to be taken care of. Most pre- employment drug testing sites operate on a first come first serve basis. When you send someone for a drug test there is a paper that is filled out by the employer that they will need to take will them. The person taking the test will need to make sure they have their identification that shows who they are. The best plan of action that Carl should take is first to call the fifteen people and tell them he needs them to meet at his office at eight A. M. the following morning. At that point, he can finish all the paper work needed and send them for their drug test. Then he needs to send out emails asking about a training room, and the orientation manuals. Wish a little help from his fellow co-workers he should not have a problem completing those tasks Conclusion It is important when given a task to set up a plan and stick to it. If you procrastinate like has done, and many others people. You will find yourself stressed out and rushing to get everything completed. Let this be a lesson that it is important to stay on task and not wait until the last minute to try to get things done. After reading this case study now can understand the problems Carl encountered, what he did wrong that caused those problems, and different ideas to fix the problems and not make the same mistakes in the future. References Procrastination How To Stop Procrastination, retrieved from, http://stress. about. com/od/Stress-Management-How-To/ht/How-To-Stop-Procrastination-10-Tips-To-Try. htm Psych Basics Procrastination retrieved from, http://www. psychologytoday. com/basics/procrastination.

Apoptosis And Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins Family: A

Apoptosis And Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins Family: A   Background Apoptosis is an orchestrated biological cellular process that occurs in physiological and pathological conditions(1). It is essential for regulating development, homeostasis, and immune-system function in organisms(2). In mammalian cells, apoptosis is mediated by a family of cysteine proteases named caspases which are initially expressed in cells as inactive procaspase precursors and are activated by two pathways, the extrinsic ( or death receptor) and intrinsic (or mitochondrial) apoptotic pathways(1). The extrinsic pathway is activated by the binding of ligands such as Fas ligand (FasL) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) to death receptors on the cell surface, FAS and the TNF receptor (TNFR), respectively, which leads to the formation of the death-induced signalling complex (DISC)(3)(4). DISC recruits caspase-8 and promotes the cascade of procaspase activation that follows(5). The intrinsic pathway is triggered by extracellular and intracellular stresses, such as high cytosolic [ca+2 ], hypoxia, severe oxidative stress, DNA damage(5), which results in the permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, the release of pro-apoptotic molecules such as cytochrome C and others into the cytoplasm(6), the formation of the apoptosome- a large protein complex that is made up of cytochrome C, apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) and caspase-9 and caspase activation(7). On the other hand, cell death is also modified by other mitochondrial proteins such as apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF), second mitochondria- derived activator of caspase (Smac), direct IAP Binding protein with low PI (DIABLO)   and Omi/high temperature requirement protein A (Htr A2)(7). Smac/ DIABLO or Omi/HtrA2 induces cell death independently of caspase activation by counteracting inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP)- mediated caspase inhibition(7)(8)( Fig. 1). The upstream caspase for the intrinsic pathway is caspase 9, while that of the extrinsic pathway is caspase 8. The intrinsic and extrinsic pathways cleave the precursor forms of effector caspases, such ascaspase-3, caspase-6 and caspase-7(9). Activated effector caspases cleave many vital cellular proteins such as protein kinases, cytoskeletal proteins, DNA repair proteins and inhibitory subunits of endonucleases family and break up the nuclear scaffold and cytoskeleton(9). They also activate DNAase, that further degrade nuclear DNA(10), which together contribute to the typical morphological changes in apoptosis. Dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in numerous pathological conditions, including cancer(1). Besides, targeting the apoptotic pathways for cancer treatment is supported by several findings emphasizing the role of aberrant apoptosis in tumorigenesis and also resistance to anticancer treatment. Evasion from apoptosis is critical for tumor growth and a hallmark of cancer(11). One of the mechanisms by which evasion of apoptosis occurs is   disrupted balance of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins(1). A delicate balance between pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms determines whether a cell death signal can activate the apoptotic program. It is not the absolute quantity but rather the ratio of these pro-and anti-apoptotic proteins that controls the regulation of cell death. In this balance, pro-apoptotic proteins activate apoptosis and anti-apoptotic proteins inhibit apoptosis(12)(13). Inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAPs)   are important members of the anti-ap optotic family of proteins that can inhibit   caspase activation and play a key role in regulating of apoptosis in many species(1). Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs): The inhibitor of apoptosis proteins are a group of structurally and functionally similar proteins that regulate programmed cell death, cytokinesis and signal transduction(14). The   IAP gene is 1.6 kb in size encoding a 31 kDa protein with a zinc finger-like motif. Many IAP family members have been identified in almost all species from viruses to mammals(15). They are characterized by the baculovirus IAP repeats (BIR) domain at the N- terminus, the name of which derives from the original discovery of these apoptosis suppressors in the genome of baculoviruses(16). The BIR domain contains approximately 70 amino acids. Although the number of BIR domains varies among IAP members, each BIR domain is made up of cysteine and histidine residues in a well-defined pattern (CX2CX16HX6C)(15). IAP acts as endogenous inhibitor of caspases by binding of their conserved BIR domains to the active sites of caspases in vitro and   vivo. IAPs inhibit caspases by promoting the degradation of active caspases, or by sequestering the caspases away from their substrates(17). When IAP family members are overexpressed, cancer cells no longer proceed to apoptosis and become increasingly resistant to standard chemo- and radiation therapies(18)(19). Many studies have established a circumstantial association between IAPs and cancer. Pathological overexpression of several IAP family members has been detected in several classes of human cancers(20)(21)(22). The eight IAPs identified in humans are cIAP1, cIAP2, NAIP, Survivin, XIAP, apollon, ILP-2 and livin(23). Interestingly, many data have shown that c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and XIAP are   broadly expressed in normal cells(24)(22). In normal tissues, IAPs could have some potential physiological roles, such as the regulation of the immune system(25), the response to cell damage(25), cell survival and differentiation(26). On the other hand, it has been proven in many studies that survivin, unlike other IAPs, is prominently expressed in vast majority of neoplasms but not in differentiated normal tissues(27). Survivin has been reported to be overexpressed in various cancers including breast and lung cancer, prostate, gastric, colon, bladder and esophageal carcinomas, osteosarcomas and lymphomas(28)(29). Overexpression of survivin was also found to be significantly associated with poor prognosis and decreased survivial rates in many cancers(30)(31). Survivin: Survivin (also Called IAP 4) is a protein with a crucial role in regulating both cell division and apoptosis. It is the smallest member of the IAP family(29). Survivin, a 16.5 kDa intracellular   protein of 142 amino acid, was discovered in 1997 by Ambrosini and colleagues(32). Structurally, survivin contains a single BIR domain. This domain is essential for its anti-apoptotic activity(33). However, instead of a ring finger domain (RING) near the C-terminus shared by others members of the IAPs, survivin contains a C-terminus alpha-helical coiled-coil (CC) domain which is thought to be important for its interaction with microtubules, hence its roles in cell cycle(34)(35) In normal tissues, survivin shows cell -cycle dependent expression during cell division. Its expression increases in G2/M phase and decreases rapidly in G1(29). The regulation of survivn expression and function is complex and can occur at various levels, including transcriptional regulation, post-translational modification, and protein stability regulation(27). it is regulated by a number of factors such as: NF-nB(36), insulin-like growth factor I/mTOR(37), Ras oncogene family(38), E2F, Sp1, TCF, and heat shock protein (Hsp) 90(39)(40).   Survivin is also regulated by p53 wild type. Additionally, post-transcriptional phosphorylation has been proven to play a   regulatory role in survivin activation(41). Biologic function of survivin Survivin as an inhibitor of apoptosis The mechanism by which survivin inhibits apoptosis is still controversial. Initially, survivin and other IAPs were postulated to inhibit apoptosis directly by interfering with the function of caspase-3, caspase- 7, and caspase-9(42).   In support of this model, it was shown that survivin can interact with Smac/DIABLO physically, thus placing survivin in a central position in the dynamic balance of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors(43). However, Structural analyses of survivin indicated later that any effect on caspase should be indirect, as it lacks the amino acid sequence that is essential in other IAPs for caspase binding. Also, the survivin gene is highly conserved in a wide range of organisms, and all of its orthologues are involved in mitotic regulation but not in cytoprotection(44).   Studies of cells from survivin-knockout mice have cast further doubt on the existence of a direct link between survivin and apoptosis(45). Later experiments indicated that Survivin inhibits active caspase-9 but not active caspase-3 and caspase-7. And, survivin mediated inhibition of caspase-9 requires interaction and cooperation with other molecules such as   HBXIP (hepatitis B X-interacting protein)(46) and   XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) which also known as inhibitor of apoptosis protein 3 (IAP3)(47) (Fig. 3). Survivin also provides cytoprotection to cells through the inhibition of the AIF pathway, which is known to induce caspase-independent DNA fragmentation(48). Survivin as a promotor of mitosis The cell- cycle dependent expression of survivin in normal tissues   supports strongly its role in cell division. During mitosis, survivin acts in a narrow time window at metaphase and anaphase. It is acting as an interphase between the centromere/central spindle and the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC)(49). CPC is a hetero-tetrameric complex which localizes to different sites at different times during mitosis, and   is composed of four components:   Aurora-B Kinase (enzymatic component), Borealin/Dasra, Survivin and inner centromere protein (INCENP)(50)(51). CPC is essential for proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis(52). Inactivation of mammalian survivin -or its orthologues in lower organisms results in cytokinesis abnormalities, particularly spindle defects(53)(54) (Fig. 3)(55). Survivin facilitating angiogenesis In addition to its roles in apoptosis and mitosis, survivin   promotes angiogenesis. it is strongly expressed in endothelial cells (EC) during   the proliferative phase of angiogenesis(56)(57) and the antisense-mediated suppression of survivin   during angiogenesis stimulates vascular regression in vitro(58). Besides, exposure of cultured vascular EC to angiogenic factors such as VEGF and bFGF result in increasing survivin expression (both mRNA and protein)(59)(60). Survivin expression In normal physiological conditions, survivin is usually expressed in   embryonic lung and fetal organs in the developmental Stages(61). The protein is also detected in mature tissues with high proliferation potential such as thymus, placenta, CD34+ stem cells and basal colonic epithelial cells(61)(62)(63). However survivin seems to be selectively expressed in transformed cells and in most human cancers. Many studies have shown that survivin, unlike other IAPs, is prominently expressed in the vast majority of neoplasms but not in the differentiated normal tissue(27). Based on detection of protein by immunohistochemistry and mRNA by polymerase chain reaction techniques, overexpression of survivin has been reported in various human malignancies including lung cancer(64), breast cancer(65)(66); stomach(67)(68), esophagus(69), liver(70)(71), ovary cancers(72), brain(73) and hematological cancers(74). Additionally, the immunological responses which detected against survivin supports its specific up-regulation in malignant cells(75)(76). Survivin protein has also been shown to induce cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) response in   breast cancer, melanoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia patients(76). Survivin expression can be deregulated in cancer by several mechanisms, including amplification of the survivin locus on chromosome 17q25 (77), demethylation of survivin exons(78), increased promoter activity(79), and increased upstream signaling in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or mitogen activated protein kinase pathways(80). Overall, increased survivin expression in several malignancies is associated with cancer survival or disease recurrence, and resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In a study of 275 patients with breast cancer demonstrated that survivin was a significant prognostic factor and predicted the outcome independent of patients age, tumor size and histologic grade(81). In the case of ovarian cancers, survivin expression was correlated with poor prognostic factors such as: high histologic  grade, mutant p53, and poor histologic type(81)(82). Also, previous studies demonstrated that survivin was expressed in benign brain and pituitary tumors. Although survivin   was also present in normal pituitary tissue,   the level of the gene expression was 6-fold higher in tumors than in normal pituitary tissue(83). In a study of 222   patients who underwent radical cystectomy, survivin was expressed in 64% of bladder tumors and 94% of malignant lymph nodes, but not in normal bladder specime ns and its expression correlated with disease recurrence and disease-specific mortality(84).   Also, increased survivin expression has been associated with an unfavorable survival or disease recurrence in colorectal cancer(85), particularly in stage II disease in esophageal cancer(86), hepatocellular carcinoma(87), lung cancer(88), glioma(89), leukemia(90), and other cancer types. A   study in oral cancer demonstrated that the extent of survivin expression was negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation(91). Additionally, survivin overexpression may be a predictive factor to determine response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with bladder cancer(92), breast cancer(93), multiple myeloma(94), lung cancer(95) and lymphoma(96)(97). On other hand, patients with lower survivin expression were more responsive to preoperative chemotherapy with 5-flourouracil and cisplatin in esophageal cancer(98). It is also reported that patients with lower survivin expression in pretreatment biopsies were more responsive to radiotherapies in rectal cancer(99). While Overexpression of survivin was associated with   resistance to a taxol-based   therapy for ovarian carcinomas(100). In addition to full-length transcript (survivin (wild type)), five splice variants, which result from splicing of survivin BIRC5 gene pre-messenger RNA (mRNA), have been described: survivin-ΔEx3, survivin-3B, survivin-2ß, survivin2ÃŽ ± and survivin 3ÃŽ ± with different structure and function(101)(102)(103). Previous studies showed that an imbalance in the alternative transcript ratios may affect the cell to be resistant or sensitive to apoptosis(104). This alternative splicing of Survivin has been shown to have correlation with disease activity in various patient studies. For example, studies showed that Survivin-ΔEx3 and survivin-3B were found to be highest in tumors with advanced histological grade and were associated with poor prognosis(105)(106). On other hand, the expression of survivin-2ß was significantly higher in small tumor size and was inversely associated with axillary node positive carcinomas(106). Besides different splicing forms, immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated that survivin also localized   in distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic subcellular pools. Cytosolic Survivin is believed to act as apoptotic suppressor while nuclear Survivin is postulated to regulate cell division(29). There are conflicting data of pathological significance of nuclear Survivin.   Some Splicing studies showed that nuclear staining of survivin is associated with favorable prognosis(107), while others showed Its expression in the nuclei of tumor cells appears to be associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes(108)(109). Also, the cellular localization of Survivin isoforms   differs. while survivin-2ß   and Survivin 2a are localized in both nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, survivin-ΔEx3 is localized in both mitochondria and nucleus(110). Additionally, Methylation and Phosphorylation are critical requirements for survivin function. Several observations show that survivin is unmethylated in cancer but may be selectively methylate  d in normal tissues with individual variations(111)(112). Methylation may play an important role in the p53 mediated suppression of survivin(113). Another critical requirement for survivin function is the phosphorylation on Thr34(114) Treatment approaches: Due to important role of Survivin in tumor cell division, apoptosis, chemo resistance and survival, survivin represents a unique target for biologic therapy in many human malignancies. Several novel experimental therapeutic strategies have been developed to block the expression or function of Survivin in tumour cells. These include immunotherapeutic approaches to induce immune response against Survivin, small molecule inhibitors/antagonists of   survivin function, and nucleic acid based approaches which interfere with Survivin gene expression(115)   such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), ribozymes and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)(116). Also, Vaccine approaches such as dendritic cell based (DC) vaccines, DNA vaccines(117), peptide vaccines for Survivin have also been evaluated in preclinical or clinical studies. Survivin ASOs were first used against malignant melanoma cell lines. Transfection with the ASOs triggered spontaneous apoptosis linked to decreased endogenous survivin expression(118) . Treatment with LY2181308, a specific inhibitor of Survivin mRNA which has already entered the phase 1 trial(119). YM-155 is a novel small-molecule survivin suppressant which inhibits survivin mRNA transcription and protein expression in p53-deficient cancer cells in vitro(120). YM155 has also shown to be effective in vivo models of prostate, pancreatic, and lung cancer(120)(121). Ribozyme mediated approaches have also been evaluated for inhibition of Survivin expression. Down-regulation of human Survivin gene expression and increased apoptosis was achieved by using two hammerhead ribozymes (RZ-1, RZ-2) targeting human Survivin mRNA (122) PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud Advanced Topics in Foundations of Databases PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud Stavros Anastasios Iakovou Introduction In our days it is widely know that modern web applications are directly linked with databases. In addition, the number of the users is highly increas- ing through the time and as result the related databases start overloading. Furthermore, despite the fact that data indepence would be ideal for im- plemeting lithe applications developers abandoned this idea in order to avoid expensive queries. Hence, Michael Armbrust et al.[1] implemented a new declarative language called PIQL, a scale independent language. A large number of frameworks have already appeared in order to assist developers to create modern web applications. However, this plethora of websites with millions of users led to database failures due to lack of request managing. As a result, there was a demand on implementation of a new system that will control all these requests and provide efficient results to users. A few methods have introduced and one of the most popular is NoSQL. Despite the fact that NoSQL provided a high level interface, data indepen- dence created scalability problems since a large number of queries took a lot of time. This led to to several issues like performance failing and user disatisfaction as well. In order to avoid this bad situation scientists hand coded key/value implementations. On the one hand, this provided the de- sirable scalability but, on the other hand is was not easy enough for the developers to write that kind of code to parallelize their queries so as to fi achieve high scalability. Another significant issue is time consuming functions rewrites. Now, once we talked about several problems occured by queries in the next section we will discuss about PIQL. More specifically, we will present this method and give a brief summary of the implementation. In the rest of the document we will discuss about the performance of the previous imple- mentation. What is PIQL? In this section we will discuss and analyze the PIQL (PerformanceInsightful Query Language) model. One important advantage of PIQL is that intro- duced the notion of scale independency. More specifically, the model pre- serves the logical data independence. The most significant about data this technique is that performace maintains not only on small datasets but also in large as well. For this reason this is called success-tolerant since the success is for every large dataset. But why PIQL is successful? The answer is on the limitation on key/value store operations. As we previously mentioned, one goal of PIQL is to avoid issues when the database gets larger. PIQL uses static analysis in order to fi the correct number of operation in every step of the execution. Before we move to the next step of the analysis of the methodology we should mention the four queries classes. The fi one is called constant since the processing time is constant. The second one is the bounded class. More specifically this class refers to bounded data when the site becomes more popular. For instance, in case of Facebook every user has a limit of 5000 friends. The third class is called sub-linear or linear and is referring to queries that become more successfull when the data increase linearly. The last one is Super-linear where intermediate calculations are necessary for the queries. Now, once we mentioned all the necessary theoritical parts of PIQL we will discuss on its structure. Every server is directly connected with a Distributed Key/Value Store. Hence, this methodology maintains the scalability and the response time is now predictable. A significant drawback of this technique is that a specific key/value store is required so as to maintain data locality. On the other hand, this method is non-blocking and according to Chen et al.[2] can reduce memory latency. Another important benefit of PIQL is that extends the cardinality con- straint of regular direction to diff ent directions as well. More specifi , these cardinalities provide several information on its relationships. For in- stance, a Facebook user should have no more than 5000 friends. This is a very significant information since selecting the wrong number for limita- tions can lead back to the previous problems. Thinking again the Facebook limitations for the maximum number of friends on Facebook, according to Brandtzg et al.[3] a significant issue that occurs is the lack of privacy. Hence, the limitations are not only important for the performance but also for the user protection as well. In addition, the same person can create a new profit for free and add his new friends there. As a result, 5000 friends is not actually a limitation for a user and is provided in terms of privacy and performance. According to Michael Armbrust et al.[1] their algorithm for scale inde- pendent optim ization contains two phases. The fi one is reffering to stop operator insertion. In order to maintain scalability, the algorithm starts by fi a linear join ordering on the query parser. Depsite the fact that stop operator is already contained due to LIMIT which in contained in the reg- ular query, scientists have introduced data-stop operators which are pushed in lower levels in order to preserve the initial rules without the demand of  restart the whole system. Next, after fiphase 1 the second step which is called remote op- erator matching. As we previously mentioned we should ensure scalabiliy. Hence, the intermediate results are bounded. But how all these logical op- erators are mapped on remote operators? For Index Scan, that means that maximum one attribute can be affected by predicates. As for Index Foreign Key join the number of tuples after the join is less than or than the tuples of the initial plan. References [1] Armbrust, Michael, et al. PIQL: Success-tolerant query processing in the cloud. Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment 5.3 (2011): 181-192. [2] Chen, Tien-Fu, and Jean-Loup Baer. Reducing memory latency via non- blocking and prefetching caches. Vol. 27. No. 9. ACM, 1992. [3] Brandtzg, Petter Bae, Marika Lders, and Jan Hvard Skjetne. Too many Facebook friends? Content sharing and sociability versus the need for pri- vacy in social network sites. Intl. Journal of HumanComputer Interaction 26.11-12 (2010): 1006-1030.

Individualism Essay -- essays papers

Individualism 1) An individualist is considered to be someone with personality and character, someone who is not easily intimidated by social pressure or customs, someone with a personal opinion and a singular view of the world. Because modern society finds it important that people think independently, decide autonomously and take personal initiatives, the concept of individualism has acquired a positive connotation. However, individualism is also linked with the tendency to withdraw from social life and turn in towards oneself. 2) Which drives people to withdraw into a small, enclosed world consisting of their family and a few select friends, leaving the rest of society to its own devices. 3) Courageous individualism refers to the dedication shown by people who have independently chosen for something or someone and work energetically for its sake in spite of opposition from family or society; indifferent individualism refers to people who have either lost all hope in their fellow human beings or are no longer interested in initiatives of a social nature, with the result that they are prepared to withdraw from society at all costs. 4) people who have received less education and who find themselves in a precarious economic situation are more quickly inclined to believe that it is 'everyone for himself' in our society: on this view, politicians pay no attention to the needs of the people, society develops in a chaotic and unpredictable manner, the welfare we once enjoyed belongs definitively to the past, life has little meaning, and there are no longer any people or associations to which one can make an appeal. 5)On the other hand, whoever considers work not only as one's own achievement but also as an opportunity provided by the community, and whoever sees it as one's duty as a citizen to ensure opportunities for fellow citizens by contributing to unemployment benefits, medical care, child care, public libraries, education, etc., will also continue to favor the solidarity model and argue for the fairness of high taxes. 6)No one is better placed to speak about the process of individualism than Robert Bellah. Even before the rise of the debate between liberals and communitarians, Bellah and his colleagues had pointed to the problem by asking whether a society whose members believe that they are responsible only to themselves can see any nee... ...whole above our own concerns. A people who will not sacrifice for the common good cannot expect to have any common good. 16) There are fewer and fewer things that get people out of their houses to deal with other people outside of their work context. There are fewer communities that give them support. 17) Have we become merely a collection of individuals rather then a community? 18) The tendency of people to withdraw into their own small circle of life, leaving at large to itself. 19) Americans don't realize because they value their individuality so much, that the ind. they treasure, their dignity, their autonomy, their sense of the ability to make moral choices to train their children in what's right, depends profoundly on the health and the effective functioning of the institutions that shape them. 20) Individualism in this sense becomes something closer to isolationism, the desire to be entirely self-sufficient as a country and ignore events elsewhere in the world. 21) The answer is to work on making our institutions better. 22) Religion is integral comprehensive vision of ourselves in relation to what we recognize as the basic conditions of our existence.

The marketing mix is a marketing tool. It is a checklist, which focuses

The marketing mix is a marketing tool. It is a checklist, which focuses attention on the main marketing activities in which a firm needs to carry out UNIT 9 – MARKETING MIX The marketing mix is a marketing tool. It is a checklist, which focuses attention on the main marketing activities in which a firm needs to carry out its marketing strategy. It consists of the four Ps (product, price, promotion and place). Â · Product (including range of pack sizes, flavours and colours) Â · Price (pricing strategy and pricing method) Â · Promotion (branding, advertising, packaging and sales promotion) Â · Place (distribution channels and seeking shop distribution) Managers look at these areas and decide what marketing actions need to taken. For effective marketing each area needs to be considered. The actions taken must work with each other. A successful mix will achieve marketing objectives and customer satisfaction. The most important element of the mix is the product. Good marketing means developing products that fit the market. It needs to be designed to meet requirements of the target market, which is probably achieved by extensive market research. The design must keep pace with market changes. Once the product has been chosen, the other elements of the mix become clear: The price must be suited to the target market and to the image of the product The promotion must be through the media that the target market watch or read The place should be the ...

cvbcvbcvbcvb Essay --

Truth has been discussed by philosophers over the course of history, going back to Aristotle, in this essay we will look a two theories of truth in order to determine which is the most plausible and general criticisms. It is important when discussing this matter to have a correct definition of truth, the meaning of it within the context of this question. This conception of truth is the question of one’s beliefs and things that one supports, it is the nature of this form of truth that philosophers have tried to understand and have debated. The two theories that will be discussed are the correspondence theory and the coherence theory; additionally briefly we will look at the idea of truth-bearers, as these vary between different philosophers. Finally, there will be a brief comparison of the two ideas in the conclusion. Arguably, the coherence theory appears to be a less flawed theory of truth. Kirkham gives a discussion of the debate of what is a truth bearer in his introduction to the theories of truth, and this is a debate unto itself, however broadly the main candidates for this are: propositions, sentences, beliefs, and statements (Kirkham, 1992, p. 59). Propositions, which is the information contained within a sentence, have been subject to debate as to whether they can represent truth and have been charged with being vague by Russell and it has also be questioned as whether they exist at all (Ibid. p. 57). Sentences too are criticised as they can be interpreted as both false and true at the same time, additionally both statements and beliefs as truth bearers mean that there are unstated statements and unbelieved beliefs, which is a paradox. The first theory of truth to consider is correspondence, this theory states that stat... ...which appears to be more convincing as this gives a whole definition of the question of what is true rather than Rescher’s ‘internal’ truths. In conclusion, both conceptions of the theory of truth appear to have contradictions within them, however correspondence theory appears to be more flawed. It must be taken into consideration that other theories of truth exist, and one could argue that neither of these appear to be a satisfactory account of truth in a general context. One important point that Walker raises is that coherence theory and correspondence theory do not necessarily have to conflict with each other, although if correspondence theorists see it as the nature of truth then there will be a conflict (Walker, 2001, p. 124). Nevertheless coherence theory gives a more satisfactory account of the nature of truth and to some extent as a test of truth as well.