Friabililty Test of Mefenamic Acid Tablets

One of the testing criteria of mechanical strength of tablets tablet friability testing. Tablets must be able to withstand mechanical stresses during their manufacturing, distribution and handling by the end-user. During the process of coating, transportation, packing and processing tablet, tablet will lose some weight. Because of that, the friability test is performed in the pharmaceutical industry to test the tendency of a tablet breaking into smaller pieces during transit.It includes repeatedly dropping a sample of tablets over a fixed time by using friability tester and then checking whether any tablets are broken, and calculate the percentage of loss weight of tablets. A good compressed tablet should not loss more than 1% of its weight. Based on this experiment, after the operation ended, the weight loss of tablets is 0. 0395g which is equivalent to 0. 68% loss from its weight. This means, those tablets are good quality and strong tablets which then can endure the stresses.There are maybe some error during handling the experiment that can lead to incorrect results. After operation ended, the tablets are not fully cleaned from dust which is affect the result. When finished, the samples have to be de-dusted first before weigh again. CONCLUSION The percentage loss of weight of samples is 0. 68%. The samples are good quality tablets because the percentage loss of weight are not more than 1%. 1. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Friability 2. http://www. anabiotec. com/testing/detail/hardness-friability-disintegration

Managing High Performance Work Teams

Relationship to ManagementIn order to facilitate optimal efficiency in an organization, there are a lot of factors to consider first like the financial stability, economic and market stability, and internal stability. As for the scope of this paper, all of the discussion will give emphasis on the role of internal stability on the success of an organization.  Internal stability may originate on how well the key persons of an organization work with respect to one another, like for instance, the organizational structure or the type of managerial strategy that is being implemented by the management.Actually, there are two approaches in managing an organization namely: first, letting the employees to use their creativity in handling various situations concerning the company without the supervision from the top officials; and the existence of a manager to supervise and delegate task to the employees. From the said two management approaches, it is the former which is more efficient and ef fective especially if the employees has enough skills and responsible enough to handle various tasks concerning the entire organization. In this regard, the idea of High Performance Work Teams arises.High Performance Work Team is basically comprises of two or more individuals working together in order to attain specific goals or objectives (Barkman, 1993). Oftentimes, this type of groups works independently without the need of supervision coming from any of the top officials for they have enough skills and talents to almost handle the tasks of a manager. Moreover, this kind of group has the ability to perform at the highest level even for an extended period of time.Most of the organization nowadays uses High Performance Work Team in order to manage an organizational conflict which concerns various department of an organization or just to maintain and develop good working relationship among members. Just like what has been discussed a while ago, High Performance Work Team can almost take the place of a manager since the group can even handle the facilitation of meetings and develop goals and plans. This is how flexible High Performance Work Team is.On the other hand, effective leadership also plays a vital role for the attainment of harmonious working environment and relationship among the members of the organization (Bolen, 2001). Leaders are the one responsible for delegating the task and solicit ideas from its members and collaborating those ideas into a more efficient and effective ideas. It is also the leaders who take the initiative to influence its members to perform their responsibilities and the one responsible for motivating all the members of the organization.Furthermore, one of the qualities that a leader must posses would be the ability to determine long term opportunities in order to provide the organization sustainable development (Clark, 2007). In other words, a leader must visualize the future of the organization and do not just focus on what i s currently at hand in the short run. Short run goals are being handled by a manager but when it comes to visualizing the long term welfare of the organization it is the job of a leader.In this regard, it is clear that a leader and a great manager, may it be an individual or a group of people like High Performance Work Team, plays a vital role on the stability and success of the organization at present and in the near future. This is the reason why they are very important key person in the management team of an organization for they are the one who drives the entire organization towards the attainment of their set goals and objectives.Pioneer Sector/sActually both private and government sector already implements High Performance Work Team; but it is the private sector that pioneered High Performance Work Place General Electric, Kraft Foods and Exelon. In the U.S. alone, High Performance Work Team gain acceptance in the corporate world during the 1980s when Boeing, Digital Equipment Corporation [presently known as HP] among others, adopted the said managerial strategy.With the said implementation of High Performance Work Team to the said identified organization, there exist major changes happened especially in organizational culture and merging of the goals of the organization with the social needs of the individuals. In just a few years after High Performance Work Team was presented to the corporate world, it already reached quantum leap in business result in the entire key success dimension together with the customer, employee, shareholder and operational value added dimensions.On the other hand, there is no exact date when effective leadership was really started entering into the idealism of the corporate world. But one thing is for sure, it is not only in the private sector where effective leadership is being implemented, even in the government sector it is also being widely used.Successful Company through HPWTOne of the possible organizations that successf ully mastered High Performance Work Team will be the Kraft Foods. At present, Kraft Foods leads the industry of branded foods and beverages locally and internationally. With its strategy of exploring the international market during the years wherein the domestic market was already becoming saturated, Kraft Foods was able to boost its profitability and market influence.Moreover, in order to successfully penetrate their target market, Kraft Foods entered merging, buy other food companies in the industry, and make partnership with other food companies from other countries. This market entrance strategy works well so far for the company based on their market position and influence.Because of the diversity caused by the identified market entry strategy of Kraft Foods can hinder the attainment of optimal efficiency and effectiveness of the entire personnel of the company, the Kraft Foods executives resulted to implementing High Performance Work Team which was comprised by representatives from different departments of a given branch of Kraft Foods to resolve diversity conflict and simplify the organizational structure in such a way wherein all of the employees of the company can work in harmony with one another.Diversity related issues and complexity of the organizational structure of Kraft Foods caused inefficiency in executing various operational procedures and strategies of the company as well as the depreciation of the performance of every employee due to their diversity (findarticles.com, 2005) and (Hopkins, 2005). The reason why the members of the High Performance Work Team of Kraft Foods came from the different departments of the company was to be able to have equal representation of voices of various groups of individual working in the company so that at the end of the day, whatever the solution will the High Performance Work Team arrive every welfare and interest was put into consideration.True enough, by the start of 2005, the efficiency and effectiveness o f Kraft Foods improved which can be seen on the profitability level of the company and the fact rate of its expansion in the market which made the company among the top multinational companies around the globe. With the simplification of the organizational structure and solving the diversity related problems of the company through the use of High Performance Work Team, business transaction has been executed faster and the harmonious working relationship among the members of the company provide enough motivation for every employee to perform their task to their full potential.On the other hand, the CEO of Kraft Foods, Irene Rosenfeld, was able to provide the company sustainable growth by the time the domestic market started to become saturated to their product line and visualizes the entry of the company to the international market. In this regard, the effective leadership comes into the picture of Kraft Foods’ success for the past years.Not only this, Rosenfeld was able to sp ot the diversity related issue problem and immediately find a solution to the said organizational conflict which is one of the tasks of a leader for an effective leadership of its members. With the existence of Rosenfeld to Kraft Foods, there is no doubt that the company successfully implemented not only High Performance Work Team but also the Effective Leadership.ReferencesBolen, M. (2001). Effective Leadership. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex1334Clark, D. (2007). Concepts of Leadership. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.htmlfindarticles.com (2005). Kraft Foods Announces Additional Simplification Initiatives. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1

Human Fertilisation and Development

Human Fertilisation and Development Each day cute little babies are born into this world and being dazzled by their beauty we forget all about the long complicating process that took place which made it possible to have a baby. Therefore in my essay I am going to discuss the human reproductive cell, fertilisation and the development of a human life. Humans reproduce sexually, with both parents contributing half of the genetic makeup of their offspring via sex cells or gametes.Gametes produced by the male parent through Spermatogenesis process are called spermatozoa (commonly called sperm cells) and gametes produced by females through Oogenesis process are called oocytes (commonly referred to as ova or eggs). As gametes are formed, the 46 chromosomes from each parent cell (23 pairs of chromosomes) are divided through meiosis so that each gamete is haploid, having only 23 unpaired chromosomes. Spermatozoa, produced by males, contain a 23rd chromosome that is either an X chromosome (fem ale) or the analogous Y chromosome (male), making each sperm cell either female or male.Spermatozoa have a head that contains a nucleus, a mid piece that contains mitochondria, and a tail with its end piece. Sperm cells produced in the testes move to the epididymis, a coiled tube at the base of the penis where they are stored and matured. During ejaculation, or the ejection of sperm from the penis during orgasm, sperm travel from the epididymis through a long tube called the vas deferens to the urethra. This single tube, which extends from the bladder to the tip of the penis, is also the means by which urine passes out of the body. Liquid secretions from various glands combine with sperm to form the semen, or seminal fluid.Ejaculated semen may contain as many as 400 million sperm. Oocytes are also haploid, and since they are formed only by females, the 23rd chromosome can only be an X chromosome. Each oocyte is protected by several layers of granulosa cells called the corona radiata . Beneath the corona radiata lays the zona pellucida which is involved in binding the sperm cell, and through which the sperm cell must also penetrate prior to fertilization. The nucleus in an oocyte is called the germinal vessicel, and the nucleolus is referred to as the germinal spot. Eggs are produced in the ovaries, oval-shaped organs in the groin that also generate sex hormones.At birth, a female's ovaries contain hundreds of thousands of undeveloped eggs, each surrounded by a group of cells to form a follicle, or sac; however, only about 360-480 follicles reach full maturity. During puberty the action of hormones causes several follicles to develop each month. Normally, just one follicle fully matures, rupturing and releasing an ovum through the ovary wall in a process called ovulation. The mature egg enters one of the paired fallopian tubes, where it may be fertilized by a sperm and move on to the uterus to develop into a fetus.The lining of the uterus, called the endometrium , prepares for pregnancy each month by thickening, but if fertilization does not take place, the endometrium is shed during menstruation. The development of a human begins with fertilization, a process by which the spermatozoan from the male and the oocyte from the female unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote. During sexual intercourse, a man releases approximately 300 million sperm into a woman's vagina, but only one of the sperm can fertilize the ovum.The successful sperm cell must enter the uterus, swim up the fallopian tube to meet the ovum, and then pass through a thick coating, known as the zona pellucida, that surrounds the egg. The head of the sperm cell contains enzymes that break through the zona pellucida and allow the sperm to penetrate the egg. Once the head of the sperm is inside the egg, the tail falls off, and the outside of the egg thickens to prevent another sperm from entering, and the fertilized egg (zygote) develops into an embryo. The embryo is now a hollow sphere of cells called a blastocyst.The blastocyst implants itself in the uterine wall. Gastrulation occurs in which cells migrate inward and form a rudimentary digestive cavity. The resulting gastrula has three layers of cells. After gastrulation the three embryonic tissue layers give rise to specific organ systems. Tissues and organs take shape in a developing embryo as a result of cell shape changes, cell migration and programmed cell death. In a process called induction, adjacent cells and cell layers influence each other’s differentiation via chemical signals.Pattern formation, the emergence of the parts of a structure in their correct relative positions, involves the response of genes to spatial variations of chemicals in the embryo. Meanwhile, the four extra embryonic membranes develop: the amnion, the chorion the yolk sac, and the allantois. The embryo floats in the fluid-filled amniotic cavity, while the chorion and embryonic mesoderm form the embryo’s part of the placenta. The placenta’s chorionic villi absorb food and oxygen from the mother’s blood.Human embryonic development is divided into three trimesters of about 3 months each. During the first trimester the embryo begins to develop all vital organs of the baby and by 9 weeks shows a fetus. The fetus looks like a miniature human, although its head is still oversized for the rest of the body. During the second trimester, the fetus continues growing and developing. Its arms, legs, fingers and toes have lengthened. It has the face of an infant with eyebrows and eyelashes. It develops fingernails and toenails and is covered with fine hair.And also it begins to move, kick and open and closes its eye and its teeth are forming. During the third trimester, the fetus gains the strength it will need to survive outside the protective environment of the uterus. The fetus circulatory system undergoes changes that will allow the switch to air breathing and it continues to g row adding layers of fat, bones begin to harden and its muscles thicken. It also loses much of its fine hairs, except on its head and the head changes its proportion. Finishing development is underway preparing for birth.Hormonal changes induce birth; estrogen makes the uterus more sensitive to oxytocins, which acts the prostagland into initiate labor. The cervix dilates, the baby is expelled by strong muscular contractions, and the placenta follows. To conclude, life begins when male and female gametes unite during fertilisation. The embryo develops into a fetus in the mother’s womb and after the three trimesters of growing and developing, the mother cuddles her new born baby boy or girl in her arms which puts a smile on her face.

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Essay

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - Essay Example Before we become passionate about the debate regarding racism in the election, let us first look into the real meaning of racism and then decide whether racism is truly making its indelible stamp on the 2008 presidential election. Racism comes with many definitions and some of these definitions are coined by people to suit their interest. To stay on more neutral grounds in this discussion, let us stick into the common legal and sociological definition of racism. According to the Untied Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the term racism "shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin" †¦ which results into the nullification or impairment of the rights or enjoyment of equal rights in the exercise of fundamental freedoms. In other words, racism works by diving people according to their perceived group and boundaries are set so as to prevent these groups of people from intermingling and working side by side on equal footing. Where groups of people are deprived of their basic rights simply because of the color of their skin, their ethnic origin and their race; such deprivation amounts to ra cism (See Allen, Theodore (1994). On the other hand, sociologist define racism as a highly organized system that is characterized by race based privileges that operations on level levels of society (See Cazenave N and Maddern Darlene A 1999). According to Joe Feagin, the former president of the American Sociological Society, the culture of the United States is rooted on the idea of racism because it social organizations are based on racial selection and segregation (see Feagin 2000). Although the United States government worked hard to eliminate racism within its territories, we cannot deny that incidents of racism in the country are still

Should vaccination for HPV be mandated for teenage girls Essay

Should vaccination for HPV be mandated for teenage girls - Essay Example Opponents of this mandate argue that mandating the HPV vaccine would increase sexual activity among teenagers and jeopardize abstinence education (Rettner, 2011). As such, there is need for educating the public about the dynamics of the HPV vaccine. The debate manifests a collision between two fundamental topics in American healthcare mandatory vaccination and teenage sexuality (Donahou, 2013). The question on the morality of a vaccine for a sexually transmitted infection and the question of parental rights in regards to mandatory vaccination dominate the debate (Donahou, 2013). However, by analyzing the prevalence and incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S and the ability of the HPV vaccine to address this health problem, I would agree that the vaccine is necessary. Moreover, medical organizations, the federal government, and medical professionals guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine will enable significant numbers of young women to play a major role in curbing cervical cancer that claims too many lives in America. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximate that about 20 million people in the United States are suffering from HPV while about 6.2 million people get the HPV infection every year through sexual transmission (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014). The two organizations estimate that about 4,000 women die from cervical cancer caused by a HPV infection every year (Rettner, 2011). Since there is no cure for HPV, it is very wise to seek prevention measures for this epidemic by encouraging teenage girls to take a HPV vaccine (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014). The target audience for this vaccine is clearly prone to the HPV infection since it affects at least half of sexually active people in their lifetime (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014). With the existence of more than 30

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 291

Assignment Example In other cases where the survey instruments used are flawed, errors occur. Due to the flaws discussed, the results are normally misguided (Haring, 2008). From the onset, a telephone directory results in a number of biases. In some cases using the directories may lead to picking up respondents (sample) that does not represent the population being surveyed. The directory does not give enough details about the individuals; does not offer enough resource to establish the right sample space and size. Different research studies normally delve in a given set of information that make up the sampling frame based some characteristics. Telephone directory usually does not have the requisite information that can be used to determine the best sampling frame since it does not have all information (Reynolds et al, 2010). With regard to marketing research, measurement is the process of allocating a given number to the characteristics being analyzed in the marketing research survey and is usually based on pre-specified rules. Measurement mean refers to the precise way of measuring a given concept in a market survey. This is usually because, in some cases, there are many ways of measuring a concept hence precision (Haring, 2008). Reynolds, N. L., Simintiras, A. C., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2010). Theoretical justification of sampling choices in international marketing research: Key issues and guidelines for researchers.  Journal of International Business Studies,  34(1),

The Key Aspects of Marketing and Sales Professionals Essay

The Key Aspects of Marketing and Sales Professionals - Essay Example Clients on the other hand look for quality products and services that meet their needs. This paper aims at discussing some of the key aspects of marketing and sales professionals. During the marketing process, salesperson sometimes pushes products. It is worth to note that consumers are not always aware of the importance of some services and products. In such cases, consumers offer resistance as the salesperson takes an effort to sell to them. This implies that a salesperson must push for the sales of a product using five major steps. The first step is to promote a product. As a result of the promotion, an opportunity to sell the product emerges. The second step is making a representation. This involves providing a customer with details of the product including the terms of payment and price. Thirdly, the salesperson makes a proposal to the customer in order for him to purchase the product. After addressing the objections that arise, the salesperson makes a sale. Before pushing a product, one should first identify the problem being faced by the consumers and then provide a commodity that fixes their problems. During pushing of products the type of a product ma kes a difference. For example, a salesperson who wants to sell a life assurance policy to a customer may need to push for the product by emulating the 5 stages. This is based on the fact that customer may offer a stronger resistance. However, in case of a product such bottled water a salesperson may not necessarily push using all the 5 stages. One of the major expectations of the sales professional is to increase the number of clients resulting in higher commission or salary. As one enters the field of sales, he or she may have less number of customers since the customers are not aware of his products or services regardless of their quality. Through effective promotion, more customers become aware of the products or services in the market.  Ã‚  

CONTEMPORARY CASES IN PUBLIC POLICY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CONTEMPORARY CASES IN PUBLIC POLICY - Essay Example The assumption is based on the argument that all industrially developed countries largely depend on immigrants to meet their workforce needs. However, many people argue that growing immigrant population has been stealing a notable percent of Americans’ jobs and this situation would adversely affect the overall economic development of the country in the long run unless the immigration policy is well revised. Considering all changes in the economic profile of the country and the challenges facing the conservative business models, innovative thoughts in this regards are of prime importance now. Policy change efforts in this regard should focus on illegal immigration also as one of the most potential issues today in the American political economy. The Problem & Evidences Immigration policy has been a bone of contention in the U.S political economy for decades. However, policy makers tend to converge at the point that in order to curb illegal immigration and to ensure border securi ty, top foreign talent has to be invited to the country. The recent developments in policy formulations indicate that visa application process have been made more technical to address undocumented immigrants. Some statistics will reveal the intensity of illegal immigration as a potential issue. ... According to the report of FAIR (2005), every year 730,000 American workers get replaced by illegal immigrants, and this causes a loss of $ 4.3 billion a year. All these indicate the need for some policy reforms. As a recent development, an enforcement-heavy approach and Secure Communities Programs have been initiated under the Obama administration. As part of the enforcement approach, the U.S has increased the number of Border Patrol Agents more than ever before. The Secure Communities Program entitles local authorities to collect and share fingerprints and other sensitive information with the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agency to check the candidates’ criminal records and status to seek possibility for expulsion. Admittedly, many of such reforms have evoked wider criticism from all sides. In addition, many are against the social services offered to the illegal immigrants on the basis of amnesty. The first and foremost problem according to them is that offering social services will attract more and more illegal immigrants into the nation thus weakening the already collapsed American employment sector. According to one study, the benefits enjoyed by illegal immigrants from the federal government far outweigh their contributions to the society; and the contribution from the illegal immigrants comes mainly in the form of payroll taxes, which is about $ 7 billion in a year (Camarota 2004). However, it is found that the benefits enjoyed by the illegal immigrants in the form of â€Å"Medicaid use, treatment for the uninsured, and participation in food assistance programs† amount to about 17.4 billion dollars (Ibid). However, opponents argue that these immigrants often do works for lower wages, and a considerable proportion is

Finance - Stocks, Yields and Portfolios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance - Stocks, Yields and Portfolios - Essay Example It majors in computer software development. Mattson Technology Inc. is in the field of designing, developing, and manufacturing equipment for the manufacture of semiconductors and other products. It is also a significant player in the NASDAQ daily operations, and has a big presence across America. Advanced Management Strategies Group majors in logistics, program management, business consulting, engineering support, product lifecycle management (PLM), PLM IT tools, and IT services management. That therefore implies that the stock analysis carried out comprises one software, one hardware, and one consultancy firm. Discretely compounded return rate measures the rate of changes in the value of asset over a period assuming countable compounding periods while continuously compounded rate of return measures the rate of change in the asset value associated with a holding period under the assumption of continuous compounding. (Analyst Notes par 1). They are calculated as follows: The arithmetic mean return is a computation of the average returns for a specified period of time. It involves summing up all the returns for the specific period, then dividing the total by the individual number of sub-periods. The geometric mean return calculates the average rate per period on an investment that is compounded over multiple periods (Finance Formulas par1). c) Positively correlated stocks point to a high likelihood of similar trend in movement over the determined length of time. The stocks may be having a common factor that makes them tend to behave this way, for example for companies producing closely related goods, or those producing complementary goods such as cars and petroleum companies. It is advisable that potential clients shun positively correlated stocks, because if they suffer a slump, it will result in a double loss to the investor. Among the stocks featured in this report, MSFT and MTSN have the highest positive correlation, at 0.41730442. They

Examine sociological explanations Essay Example for Free

Examine sociological explanations Essay There seems to be a direct link to what goes on in schools and what takes place at work. The functionalist approach to education and economy is that through socialisation education helps maintain society by introducing young people into values and beliefs such as achievement. They argue that education teaches what is needed within the world of work like numeracy and literacy skills or specific skills for particular jobs. The education system allocates people to the most appropriate jobs, which suits their abilities using examination results. Through the eyes of the functionalists this is seen to be fair because there is an equal opportunity for everyone, everyone has the chance to succeed in society on the basis of their ability. If they work hard and try hard at school then they will succeed and climb the social ladder obtaining a higher social status. They see education as turning pupils into model citizens that the most able pupils will succeed and obtain the most important jobs. Durkheim stated that education performs the function of making individuals feel they are members of a social group. This can be done through lessons such as history. He believes that school teaches pupils how to co-operate and work with others. The subjects that are taught in schools are related to skills that are required for work. The education system sifts and sorts the people according to their ability and that those who want to achieve can do so despite social class or background. Parsons thinks that the school is the first place where they are taught universal values and rules. School helps introduce a consensus; this is where everyone agrees on the same basic values. Schools challenge pupils abilities and their talents so that they can be issued into specific jobs. Davis and Moore explained that some people have greater talents than others and to ensure that society functions efficiently the most able individuals are allocated the most efficient jobs. The education system is responsible for this, targeting the people who are most able then training them for important jobs. However, some people would argue that this is far too optimistic. This idea of meritocracy is untrue does not exists. There are certain barriers that get in the way the main one being social class. An example of this is careers such as medicine and law where certain firms will not accept you if you have been to a university that was previously a polytechnic college. There is nothing wrong with these universities but certain people and groups see them as lower class and therefore less likely to employ them. This is a barrier that gets in the way. There is a lack of evidence that schools teach work specific skills, an example of this is how often does a job require you to know quotes from Shakespeare, some subjects have a limited usefulness to the world of work. The principal of having a general consensus in school is not always the case; different social groups have different sets of values. Marxists disagree with this approach stating that its main function is to maintain, legitimate and reproduce, generation after generation of inequalities transmitted through common values and beliefs. Failure and inequality is encouraged within working class people, this is taught in schools. What goes on in school is related to the world of work, the pupils are like the workers and the teachers are like the bosses. Marxists explanation of education is that it does entirely depend on intellectual ability only the pupils who conform will rise above the rest. Schools reproduce the appropriate work force with the correct attitudes for factory work. They argue that it turns working class kids into conformists workers. Marxists argue that a hidden curriculum lies within the education system that filters out working class children into working class jobs it is a passive process that gets them used to this idea of inequality and hierarchy. It makes them accept it and not challenge it this is the correspondence principal. Bowles and Gintis argue that what goes on in schools is directly related to the world of work. The organisation of school to that of work is very identical, separate school lessons mirroring separate work place tasks. The examination results and payment are the enjoyment of working and learning. Educational success and promotion at work is based on work. Again what was just said isnt always the case. Bowles and Gintis never actual got any research evidence to support their claims. Most jobs now demand people with flair, ambition and people with charisma not mindless idiots as Marxist stated. Not all schools respond in exactly the same way and not all pupils respond in exactly the same way as Bowles and Gintis suggested. Not all children are passive products of the education system it might motivate some children with the thought of ending up in a factory. Paul Willis conducted his survey in 1977 and provides internationalist approach to understand the meanings pupils. Willis identifies pro-school and anti-school subcultures. The anti school subcultures where nicked named the lads ands the pro-school subcultures were called the earoles. Willis was a neo-Marxist who stated that the lads developed strategies to cope with the boredom of school and basic routine that they would eventually end up in at work. The lads chose to and accepted themselves as failures and didnt see the point in trying so just gave up. It was not passive as Marxists first thought. Even this type of attitude created the right workforce, they were uncritical and just got on with it. Paul Willis focuses on actual working at the school. One criticism of Paul Willis work is that either the student rebelled against the system or they conformed they were never really in between and this didnt really make much sense. It was unrealistic not many people were 100% in a category they were in between and this didnt show up in Willis results. Vocational Education was introduced because when students left school and went to work they didnt really possess the appropriate skills for work or the correct attitude. Vocational education changed this and improved their working attitudes with ideas such as work experience. As part of Curriculum 2000 key skills were introduced, this was asked for by a lot of employers and it gave students a basis insight into how to use a computer. A number of other schemes were introduced for those post 16 student s who didnt want to stay on at school, the government would pay half their wages and the company that employed them would pay the other half. This was great for the company because they were getting labour for half the price and once they had got to 19 they would sack them and employ another 16 year old. The schemes led to low paid and low skilled part time employment. The main aim for the government to set this scheme up was so that when it came to Election Day it meant that the number of people who where unemployed was low. There was first an assumption that unemployment was caused by a lack of skills amongst young people. In actual fact it could be to do with lack of jobs. Cohen stated that this attitude and discipline training made the post 16 people ready to except low paid jobs. In conclusion there is no one simple explanation about the relationship between school and economy. All of the information featured is theories and beliefs based on different perspectives. Up to a certain point all of the theories are true and probable in certain situation. No one can speak for the whole of society what happens in one group might be completely different to another. I would however be incline to put my trust in to a lot of what Paul Willis says partly because of the way he carried out his study, it was very in-depth.

How to Improve Teens Self-Esteem

How to Improve Teens Self-Esteem Adolescence is a crucial stage in the life of your child. As a parent, you have the challenge of guiding them toward a happy, responsible adulthood. There is good reason to be worried, with all the changes and challenges confronting them. Though the majority of teens can successfully sail through adolescence, a significant number end up stalled or sidetracked along the way. Some barely make it through. A confident teen with a strong sense of self-worth or healthy self-esteem has a bigger chance of succeeding in life. They may, however, need some help to have a fulfilling adolescence and stable preparation for the next stage of life. If you want to help your child achieve their dreams, it is proactive to supplement your parental care with professional assistance. Why Is Your Teen Unhappy? The Developing Teen Seeing your child groping through the teen years can result in your feeling helpless. You may wonder why they have no friends hanging around your home on the weekends or why they seem uninterested in social events. Could they be suffering from poor self-esteem? Having healthy self-esteem isnt everything, but it can be a good start in negotiating adolescence. In this age of booming telecommunication miracles (the Internet, computers, satellites, etc.), it is easy for teens to develop a poor self-image by comparing themselves to what they perceive as ideal-clear skin, a body with the right measurements, beautiful and bouncy tresses, etc. Despite knowing that nobodys perfect and even famous beauties have flaws, they may still feel inadequate, unlovable, and unworthy. It has nothing to do with their appearance, weight, or popularity. With low self-worth, they will always find something unacceptable or inadequate about themselves. Teens are vulnerable to poor self-worth because they are in the middle of a transition. Their hormones are shifting and raging, their brain connections are wired differently, and they are incessantly challenged academically and socially. While all these problems are natural, it is not healthy to leave your teen unguided. Adolescence is also a stage when they can be reckless with their actions and decisions. It is important to be supportive, but more important to help them develop healthy self-esteem. Self-Esteem in the Eyes of Teens Self-esteem is the value that an individual gives themselves based on their perceived worth to others and the world in general. It isnt static, but changes throughout life. It is typically most unstable during adolescence and during major life transitions. According to Understanding Teenagers, adolescence is a time of life when a persons self-esteem is known to fluctuate significantly. It is estimated that up to a half of adolescents will struggle with low self-esteem, many of these occurrences during the early teen years. For a teen in search of identity, low self-esteem can harm budding relationships, trust in others, their ability to achieve their dreams, and their happiness. Unfortunately, improving your childs view of themselves and their abilities can be a real challenge, because the issue is complicated by their tendency to measure their worth in terms of their looks. There are several important predictors of an adolescents self-esteem: transitions, social stability, and the most influential-appearance. A number of studies have revealed that there is a strong correlation between teenagers who express dissatisfaction with their appearance and those who have low level of self-esteem. The correlation is even stronger among teenage girls as a response to the social pressures generated by the media about what is perfect or ideal. What Your Teens Body Language Says about Low Self-Esteem How do you know if your teen has good self-esteem? An adolescent with positive self-esteem is confident, positive, responsible, trusting, and independent but cooperative, with a good sense of self-direction and control. Other signs include consciousness of their strengths, the ability to say no, and the ability to accept their limitations and shortcomings, resolve their issues, and manage their feelings. Conversely, poor self-esteem can outwardly manifest in being perpetually negative and critical of themselves, perfectionism, and fear of being scoffed at. They will not make decisions, fearing risks or blame for any untoward repercussion. They feel unloved and inadequate, and they are always suspicious of people and their intentions. Some of the observable signs of poor self-worth that you would want to note are pervasive insecurity shown by walking or talking with their heads down to avoid eye contact, being self-critical, using negative statements about themselves, and perpetually apologizing. Wanting to elevate their perceived status, they may tease others, gossip, or engage in name-calling. They may also attract attention by talking loudly, bragging, or using excessive gestures. If this is your teen, get their symptoms assessed-the sooner, the better. Supplementing Parental Care with Counseling There is nothing better than raising your child in a loving and supportive environment. Be aware, however, that it cant guarantee that your teen will have a perfect life or that you can fix all their issues. There is a world outside your home and there are influences beyond your control. Nevertheless, you can make it easier for your child to enjoy their adolescence. With the right help from a counselor contracted with Carolina Counseling Services in Sanford, NC, to supplement your care, it is achievable. A teens self-esteem is like a roller-coaster ride-there will be ups and downs. This is normal. While many teenagers can handle the stage on their own, they may need help when the going gets tough. With the help of an experienced counselor independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services in Sanford, NC, your child can realize their full potential and grow into a responsible and independent adult who learns from their mistakes. When your child becomes too hard on themselves because they arent slimmer, fairer, smarter, or more in fashion, be there for them to affirm their worth. If their reaction is extreme to the point of obsession, try to understand them and find help so they can develop healthy self-acceptance and self-worth. This is how a CCS-contracted therapist can help.ÂÂ   Call now for an appointment!

The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for approximately 30 of all global deaths in 2008. A large proportion of CVDs is attributable to atherosclerosis, which is a major cause of myocardial infarction or stroke (1). The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis Over the past two decades, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis has gained strong footing through multiple lines of supportive evidence (reviewed in (2)). Nowadays, atherosclerosis is considered a complex chronic inflammatory disease of medium- and large-sized arteries. Atherosclerosis occurs predominately at sites of disturbed laminar flow, in particular, arterial branch points and bifurcations. Human and animal studies indicate that the key initiating step is subendothelial accumulation of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (apoB-LPs). ApoB-LPs are secreted by the liver as very low-density lipoproteins, which are converted in the circulation to atherogenic low-density lipoproteins (LDL). In addition, apoB-LPs are secreted by the intestines as chylomicrons, which are converted by lipolysis into atherogenic particles, called remnant lipoproteins (3). Subendothelial apoB-LPs are believed to initiate an early inflammatory response, which may be enhanced by oxidative modification of LPs, through activation of overlying endothelial cells in a manner that leads to the recruitment of monocytes. Activated endothelial cells express adhesion molecules (e.g. intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular adhesion molecule-1) and secrete cytokines and chemoattractants, or chemokines (e.g. monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and RANTES), that act on monocytes and promote directional migration towards and into the artery wall. Once resident in the arterial intima, monocytes acquire the morphological characteristics of macrophages and increase their expression of scavenger receptors, including scavenger receptor A and CD36. Excessive uptake and internalization of modified lipoproteins via their scavenger receptors leads to the accumulation of cholesteryl esters in cytoplasmic droplets. These lipid-laden macrophages, known as foam cells, characterize the early atherosclerotic lesion (figure 1). As the atherosclerotic lesions further develops, macrophage and foam cells predominate, and further serve to alter the plaque environment, changing extracellular matrix composition and decreasing smooth muscle cell content, predisposing to plaque rupture (2, 4). Atherosclerosis and high-density lipoprotein therapy Although the development of atherosclerosis is dependent on a complex interplay between many factors and processes, a clear association has been established between elevated levels of plasma cholesterol and increased atherosclerotic disease (6). To attenuate the risk of atherosclerotic complications, primary and secondary prevention strategies seek to correct aberrant blood cholesterol levels. Actively reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol through lipid-modifying therapies, such as statins, yield a proportional decrease in CVD risk (7). However, despite their potency, only 25-50% of cardiovascular events are prevented with highly potent statins, which highlights the importance of seeking for additional treatments for the optimal management of cardiovascular risk (8). Besides reducing LDL, improving HDL levels has gained a considerable amount of attention during the last decade. Epidemiological studies have shown that plasma levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are inversely associated with clinical events resulting from atherosclerosis (9). Human and animal intervention studies have shown that increasing HDL results in a reduced atherosclerotic plaque size, suggesting that HDL may be an effective therapy for the regression of atherosclerosis (10). The mechanisms for plaque regression have been primarily attributed to the ability of HDL to promote cholesterol efflux from peripheral tissues, including macrophages, to the liver for excretion in the bile and feces. This process, called reverse cholesterol transport, is widely believed to account for much of the inverse relationship between plasma HDL levels and CVD revealed by population studies (11). HDL components can remove cellular cholesterol by four distinct processes. The presumed major precursor for this pathway is lipid-poor apoA-I, which is initially synthesized and secreted by the liver. Once in plasma, it rapidly acquires phospholipids and cholesterol from cell membranes in a reaction mediated by the ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) that results in the formation of pre-ÃŽÂ ² HDL particles (figure 2). A second mechanism involves ATP-binding cassette G1 (ABCG1), with pre-ÃŽÂ ² and large spherical HDL acting as the main acceptor. A third involves scavenger receptor B1 (SR-B1), which has the same acceptors as ABCG1. Lastly, cholesterol can be removed from cell membranes to HDL particles through passive diffusion. The latter three mechanisms are dependent on the presence and activity of Lecithin:Cholesterol AcylTransferase (LCAT). LCAT can esterify any unesterified cholesterol entering the outer surface of HDL, after which it will move into the intensely hydrophobic ce ntral core, leaving the outer surface of the HDL particle able to accept more unesterified cholesterol (12). Next to promoting cholesterol efflux, studies have shown that HDL is able to protect against cardiovascular diseases through a variety of additional functions, including anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-apoptotic (reviewed in (12)). HDL has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects, which are mainly investigated in endothelial cells, and to a lesser extent in vascular smooth muscle cells (13, 14). Macrophages in the pathology of atherosclerosis It is generally accepted that macrophages play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. The accumulation of macrophages and their conversion into foam cells, through the uptake of excessive amounts of lipids and cholesterol from modified apoB-LP, are considered hallmarks of atherogenesis. By expressing various effector molecules, including inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and extracellular matrix degrading enzymes, macrophages have a great impact on the activation, migration and survival of other cells in the plaque and ultimately affect plaque stability. However, within atherosclerotic plaques, macrophages represent a heterogeneous cell population, which may consist of several subsets that have distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics, ranging from large quiescent lipid-laden foam cells to a small active inflammatory cell. Furthermore, macrophages demonstrate a high degree of plasticity, which depend on the environmental cues they are exposed to. In gene ral, macrophages are skewed by interferon-ÃŽÂ ³ or lipopolysaccharide towards a pro-inflammatory or M1 phenotype, which produce mediators that have a pro-atherogenic effect. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory or M2 macrophages are polarized by interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and IL-13, which are believed to be of an anti-atherogenic nature. A phenotypical distinction can be made between these subsets based on their differential expression of cell surface expression (15, 16). High-density lipoproteins in modulating macrophages To date, HDL is considered to be the good cholesterol, because of its protective effects in atherosclerosis, such as anti-inflammatory properties (14). However, the effects of HDL on macrophages, which are major players in atherosclerosis, have yet to be established. The majority of the research conducted on the effects of HDL on macrophages have mainly been performed on cholesterol- or lipid-loaded macrophages. Here, HDL exerts anti-inflammatory effects by decreasing NF-ÃŽÂ ºB activation and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine, including tumor necrosis factor ÃŽÂ ± (TNFÃŽÂ ±), while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, like IL-10. To date, however, it is not known how HDL affects non-cholesterol or -lipid-loaded macrophages. Cholesterol is an important structural lipid that modulates Perturbations in cellular cholesterol levels has been shown to affect NF-ÃŽÂ ºB is an essential regulator of inflammatory processes in mammalian cells, including macrophages. When the NF-ÃŽÂ ºB pathway is activated, NF-ÃŽÂ ºB translocates to the nucleus and activates transcription of its target genes, including genes involved in cytokine production and secretion (17). In addition to NF-ÃŽÂ ºB, A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinases (ADAMs) are also implicated in numerous cellular processes, including inflammation. ADAMs are a group of enzymes that cleave the extracellular domains of various cell surface molecules, of which ADAM 10 and 17 are the best studied family members. ADAM 10 and 17 are closely related proteases and share many substrates, including TNF-ÃŽÂ ± and its receptor. ADAM activity can be regulated at various levels, including localization within the plasma membrane, where lipid rafts are thought to play a role in. Lipid rafts are cholesterol- and sphingolipid-enriched microdomains within the cell membrane, which are able to include or exclude proteins to variable extents. This dynamic process regulates protein interactions and influences their functions. Lipid rafts can be decreased and disrupted by cholesterol depletion, e.g. by HDL (18). Tellier et al. showed in vitro that TNFÃŽÂ ± shedding was increased in fibroblasts and ECs after incubation with HDL. This was attributed to an increased activity of ADAM 17, which was due to lipid raft disruption by cholesterol depletion (19). Study aim and design The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of HDL on macrophage phenotype and whether NF-kB signaling, lipid raft disruption and increased activity of ADAM10 and 17 are involved in this. First, we will determine the effects of HDL on M1 and M2 macrophage polarization by exposing bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from C57BL/6 mice to HDL. Here, M1 and M2 polarization markers will be determined using quantitative PCR and ELISA. Second, we will examine whether NF-ÃŽÂ ºB signaling is involved in the pro-inflammatory effects induced by HDL in macrophages. Lastly, we will investigate whether HDL skews macrophages towards a pro-inflammatory state by increasing ADAM10 and 17 activity through lipid raft disruption. activity assay We hypothesize that HDL polarizes macrophages towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype due to activation of the NF-ÃŽÂ ºB signaling pathway and an increased ADAM10 and 17 activity, through lipid raft disruption Literature 1. Mendis S, Puska P, Norrving B, editors. Global Atlas on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2011. 2. Wong BW, Meredith A, Lin D, McManus BM. The biological role of inflammation in atherosclerosis. The Canadian journal of cardiology. 2012;28(6):631-41. Epub 2012/09/19. 3. Williams KJ, Tabas I. The response-to-retention hypothesis of early atherogenesis. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. 1995;15(5):551-61. Epub 1995/05/01. 4. Libby P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis. Nature. 2002;420(6917):868-74. Epub 2002/12/20. 5. Moore KJ, Tabas I. Macrophages in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Cell. 2011;145(3):341-55. Epub 2011/05/03. 6. Liao JK, Laufs U. Pleiotropic effects of statins. Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology. 2005;45:89-118. Epub 2005/04/12. 7. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20,536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2002;360(9326):7-22. Epub 2002/07/13. 8. Arsenault BJ, Kritikou EA, Tardif JC. Regression of atherosclerosis. Current cardiology reports. 2012;14(4):443-9. Epub 2012/06/19. 9. Rader DJ, Alexander ET, Weibel GL, Billheimer J, Rothblat GH. The role of reverse cholesterol transport in animals and humans and relationship to atherosclerosis. J Lipid Res. 2009;50 Suppl:S189-94. Epub 2008/12/10. 10. Linsel-Nitschke P, Tall AR. HDL as a target in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Nature reviews Drug discovery. 2005;4(3):193-205. Epub 2005/03/02. 11. Oram JF, Heinecke JW. ATP-binding cassette transporter A1: a cell cholesterol exporter that protects against cardiovascular disease. Physiological reviews. 2005;85(4):1343-72. Epub 2005/09/27. 12. Soran H, Hama S, Yadav R, Durrington PN. HDL functionality. Current opinion in lipidology. 2012;23(4):353-66. Epub 2012/06/27. 13. Bursill CA, Castro ML, Beattie DT, Nakhla S, van der Vorst E, Heather AK, et al. High-density lipoproteins suppress chemokines and chemokine receptors in vitro and in vivo. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. 2010;30(9):1773-8. Epub 2010/08/13. 14. Barter PJ, Nicholls S, Rye KA, Anantharamaiah GM, Navab M, Fogelman AM. Antiinflammatory properties of HDL. Circulation research. 2004;95(8):764-72. Epub 2004/10/16. 15. Stoger JL, Goossens P, de Winther MP. Macrophage heterogeneity: relevance and functional implications in atherosclerosis. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2010;8(2):233-48. Epub 2010/02/26. 16. Martinez FO, Sica A, Mantovani A, Locati M. Macrophage activation and polarization. Frontiers in bioscience : a journal and virtual library. 2008;13:453-61. Epub 2007/11/06. 17. Gilmore TD. Introduction to NF-kappaB: players, pathways, perspectives. Oncogene. 2006;25(51):6680-4. Epub 2006/10/31. 18. van der Vorst EP, Keijbeck AA, de Winther MP, Donners MM. A disintegrin and metalloproteases: Molecular scissors in angiogenesis, inflammation and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. 2012;224(2):302-8. Epub 2012/06/16. 19. Tellier E, Canault M, Poggi M, Bonardo B, Nicolay A, Alessi MC, et al. HDLs activate ADAM17-dependent shedding. Journal of cellular physiology. 2008;214(3):687-93. Epub 2007/09/06.

Company Mergers :: essays research papers

Company mergers and the effect on employees and consumers. Context:  · Employees  · Management  · Consumers Direction:  · On-line research (On-line Magazines, News Groups)  · Human Resources Why the topic is important:  · Mergers have affected our group, and it is a growing trend in the American businesses today. Relevant Terms: Merger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A merger is achieved when a company purchases the property of another firm, thus absorbing them into one corporate structure that retains its original identity. Consumer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consumers are everyday people who buy goods for personal use. Consumers have the right to question object and boycott companies who are not in their best interest. Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company culture is the DNA of an organization, not always visible, but it controls the form and function of such elements as decision making, communication style, reward and recognition methods, reporting hierarchies and leadership values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot has been written about the financial aspects of merging companies. Less attention has been focused on the human element. More and more firms risk similar fates as the nation continues to experience a boom in mergers and acquisitions. Last year there were 11,655 domestic mergers and or acquisition deals for a staggering $1.6 trillion, according to Securities Data Company, a research organization in Newark, NJ The number of deals has more than doubled since 1990, when 5,654 transactions were reported.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In most merger and acquisition cases, the parties involved follow a well-established mating ritual called due diligence, which allows them to explore the merits of the marriage. Behind the scenes, lawyers, accountants and high-priced financial analysts join with top executives to make sure the move is strategically and financially smart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although predicted synergy’s point to handsome profits down the road, when the earnings reports start rolling in, the outcomes are often disappointing. Seven out of ten mergers and acquisitions do not live up to their financial promise. Forty seven percent of the acquired executives leave in the first year; and seventy five percent leave in the first three years, according to Mark Herndon, regional service leader, mergers and acquisitions, at Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Dallas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The major cause of failure may have nothing to do with the financial or legal details that have been so carefully ironed out between accountants and lawyers. â€Å"People think that if you do the financial deal, the soft and squishy stuff will fall into place,† says Tom Davenport, a partner at Towers Perrin in San Francisco. â€Å"Not true. It’s the soft and squishy stuff that will make or break the deal.

Frank Sinatra Essay -- essays research papers

Frank Sinatra As we inch towards the year 2000, we look back to the pre-dominant individuals of the 20th century. Time magazine voted Frank Sinatra as the world’s most influential vocalist of the 20th century. Frank Sinatra not only excelled but transcended music and became a true personality of our time. Whether you’re talking about recorded music, live performances, movies or simply living large, Frank Sinatra has done that all. He has become an international figure, having the reputation as a celebrity, icon, bad boy and the greatest singer of American popular songs. He is known as being America’s first teen idol and also as a true American Legend. You may all know the name "Frank Sinatra" but you may all not know why Frank Sinatra is a cultural icon. After reading the book "Sinatra:Behind the Legend" by Randy Tarabelli, I learned a lot about this American legend. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on Dec.12th,1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. His parents were Italian immigrants and he grew up poor in the streets of Hoboken. Those tough early years made him all the more determined to work hard and make something of his life. He was a very ambitious person. Since he was a little boy he loved to sing. In his teen years he attended a Bing Crosby concert and that is when he decided that he too would become a singer. At the age of 19 the first break of his musical career came on when he sang with a band called the Hoboken Four. After ... Frank Sinatra Essay -- essays research papers Frank Sinatra As we inch towards the year 2000, we look back to the pre-dominant individuals of the 20th century. Time magazine voted Frank Sinatra as the world’s most influential vocalist of the 20th century. Frank Sinatra not only excelled but transcended music and became a true personality of our time. Whether you’re talking about recorded music, live performances, movies or simply living large, Frank Sinatra has done that all. He has become an international figure, having the reputation as a celebrity, icon, bad boy and the greatest singer of American popular songs. He is known as being America’s first teen idol and also as a true American Legend. You may all know the name "Frank Sinatra" but you may all not know why Frank Sinatra is a cultural icon. After reading the book "Sinatra:Behind the Legend" by Randy Tarabelli, I learned a lot about this American legend. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on Dec.12th,1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. His parents were Italian immigrants and he grew up poor in the streets of Hoboken. Those tough early years made him all the more determined to work hard and make something of his life. He was a very ambitious person. Since he was a little boy he loved to sing. In his teen years he attended a Bing Crosby concert and that is when he decided that he too would become a singer. At the age of 19 the first break of his musical career came on when he sang with a band called the Hoboken Four. After ...

Are the government officials good stewards of public funds? Essay

The parliament should play an active role in ensuring the availability and credibility of fiscal information. There should be clear procedure for budget execution, monitoring, and reporting. The accounting system should provide a reliable basis for tracking revenues, commitments, payments, arrears, liabilities, and assets, writes M S Siddiqui A budget is a government’s plan on the use of public resources to meet the citizens’ needs. Budget Transparency (BT) means that ordinary citizens can access information about how public resources are allocated and used. Budget Transparency is defined as the full disclosure of all relevant fiscal information in a timely and systematic manner. â€Å"BT is a precondition for public participation in budget processes. The combination of BT and public participation in budget processes has the potential to combat corruption, foster public accountability of government agencies and contribute to judicious use of public funds† (OECD, 2002). BT enables citizens to assess whether the government officials are good stewards of public funds. BT is a fundamental precondition for accountability and public participation in governance processes. Representatives of civil society and social organizations in our country have long been demanding ofthe government to initiate budget formulation from the district level to make the national budget a democratic and pro-poor one. The government has also promised to decentralize the authority to district level but has yet to initiate the process. The Washington-based Open Budget Initiative is a global watchdog of budgets of different countries of the world. The Open Budget Index (OBI), prepared with the help of local partners, provides ratings of the openness of budget materials of different countries. The Department of Development Studies of the University of Dhaka was the local partner for OBI for the Bangladesh budget for the fiscal year 2010-11. The Index assesses the availability of key budget documents, the quantity of information they provide, and the timeliness of their dissemination to citizens in order to provide reliable information on each country’s commitment to budget transparency and accountability. The average OBI score of the countries surveyed in 2010 is 42. According to published reports, only 20 of the 94 countries included in the 2010 Open Budget Survey had OBI scores above 60 and can be characterized as providing their citizens with enough budget data to enable them to develop a comprehensive analysis and understanding of their national budgets. About one-third of the countries (33) provide some information and scored between 41 and 60. In a plurality of countries (41), the amount of information provided was acutely inadequate. Of these, 19 countries provided minimal information and scored between 21 and 40), and 22 countries provided little to no budget information and scored 20 or less. The 22 countries are: Algeria, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Honduras, Iraq, Kyrgyz Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Vietnam. Only 17 of the countries surveyed provided comprehensive budget information on policies intended to alleviate poverty. 41 countries provided no information on extra-budgetary funds in their budget proposals even though extra-budgetary funds account for nearly 40 per cent of central government’s expenditures in transitional and developing countries. In 52 countries, the legislature had no power to prevent the executive from moving funds between administrative units. Legislatures in only 26 countries provided the public with formal opportunities to provide testimony during budget discussions. In 35 countries, all discussions about the budget between the legislature and theexecutive , including hearings, were entirely closed to the public, including the media, and no public record of such meetings was subsequently provided. Bangladesh scored 39, 42 and 48 in 2006, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Bangladesh’s performance indicates that the government provided only some information to the public in its budget documents. Bangladesh would greatly strengthen public accountability by producing and publishing pre-budget statements, citizens’ budgets, mid-year reviews and year-end reports, and empowering the audit institutions to publish summaries of audit reports. The government enacted a law titled ‘Public Money and Budget Management Act 2009’. As per clause 15(4) of the law, the finance minister shall place a quarterly report before parliament explaining the budget status effective from FY 2009-2010. Two quarterly reports have already been published. These reforms have apparently increased transparency of the budget and this will hopefully improve Bangladesh’s score in the next Open Budget Survey. In terms of adequacy and availability of eight key budget documents, Bangladesh now publishes only three documents -executive’s budget proposal, enacted budget and in-year reports. A non-transparent budget can neither be properly analyzed nor can its implementation be effectively monitored. Transparency allows citizens to provide inputs into the budget process and to assess whether a government executed the development plans in accordance with budgetary allocations. There is no practice of disclosure of information about implementation of the budget and the administration can transfer fund from one account to another account and legalize such actions through ‘approval’ of supplementary budget at the end of the year. The parliament and civil society must have the opportunity to influence the budget and assess whether the government executed what it planned. The control over government finances is complicated in part by the exclusion of the local governments from fiscal management system. The central government has full control over the administration in all tiers causing weak administrative capacity at the local levels. Moreover, the structure of intergovernmental fiscal relations in Bangladesh has served to discourage local governments from raising their own revenues. The situation has aggravated due to recent amendment of laws giving more authority to the law makers over supervision and policy matters of upazilas. The authority of local governments are shared by law makers, bureaucrats and local public representatives making the process almost ineffective. Under these circumstances, the opportunities for duplication of responsibilities and unclear assignment of authority and revenue income and expenditures make the development function difficult and complex. Decentralization of government has become a popular strategy based on the premise that lower levels of government can better respond to local demands and needs at lower cost. A proper decentralization may introduce new legislation regarding tax sharing and intergovernmental transfers to address complex authorities and inequalities in development programmes. The effectiveness of this strategy critically depends on the ability of citizens to hold local government officials accountable. The more decentralized the revenue and spending decisions, the more important it becomes to ensure that lower levels of government also follow good practices on fiscal transparency under direct supervision of local governments. The Constitution of Bangladesh defines the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government clearly. Articles 81-92 of the Constitution lay down the basic principles of fiscal management and Articles 127-132 the role of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (C&AG). The Additional Functions Act of 1974 (as amended in 1975 and 1983) allocates the accounting function to the C&AG. The accounting function has now been transferred to the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance. However, in practice, the relationship between the different branches ofthe government, particularly between the executive and legislature, is widely seen as confrontational. Non-financial public corporations provide non-commercial services, usually by being required to charge less than cost recovery prices (e.g., pricing electricity below cost to domestic consumers). These non-financial public corporations have also been required to provide social services. These non-commercial activities may be financed by cross-subsidization between different groups of consumers and/or by incurring losses that are financed from the budget or by borrowing. There are three categories of the prices of electricity, gas and water based on domestic, commercial and industrial consumer segments. In some instances, certain non-financial public corporations may charge excessive prices and transfer the supernormal profits to other corporations or to the budget. This practice confuses the fiscal responsibilities of government and the commercial role of non-financial public corporations, makes relationships between government and non-financial public corporations nontransparent, and creates difficulties in holding managers of non-financial public corporations accountable for their performance. The government remains heavily involved in commercial and financial sectors of the economy and provide support to the enterprise sector through a complex nexus of direct subsidies and quasi-fiscal activities of non-financial public enterprises and the nationalized commercial banks. Lack of clarity in reporting either direct or indirect support to enterprises makes it difficult to assess either the industry policy or the sustainability of fiscal policy. In addition to lack of transparency in reporting, the lack of clarity of managerial roles between commercial activity and provision of subsidized services or goods to the public is a major factor contributing to widely acknowledged failures of management, corruption, and poor industrial relations in these sectors. The fiscal powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government should be well defined. The powers and limits of each branch with respect to changes in the budget during the fiscal year should be clearly specified in the legal framework. The draft budget submitted by the executive to the legislature as well as the final budget approved by the legislature should be made public to enable the people to hold each branch accountable for its part in the budget process. The parliament should play an active role in ensuring the availability and credibility of fiscal information. This would include having an active committee of the legislature to oversee the conduct of fiscal policy and to facilitate civil society input into budget deliberations. The relationship between the government and public corporations should be based on clear arrangements. Fiscal transparency requires that the financial relationships between the government and public corporations be clearly stated. In particular, because public corporations are owned in whole or in part by the government, there should be clear expectations of how profit transfers or dividend payments to the government will be determined. The annual reports of the public corporations should provide details on total profit, retained earnings, any other uses of profit, and the amount transferred to the budget, and this information should also be included in the annual budget documentation. For purposes of fiscal transparency, all payments by public corporations, including taxes, royalties, dividends, or profits, should be reported in the annual report of the corporations as well as in budget documentation. Any payments in kind should be valued at their market value in the budget. Conversely, if the government makes transfers to the public corporation, they should be included in the annual budget. Again, both the budget and the annual reports of the corporations should identify transfers from the government to the corporation. For instance, financial or commercial institutions may be asked to undertake lending at subsidized rates, the subsidy component representing a loss to the institution. However, if the government directly subsidizes the activity, it should appear as subsidy in the government’s budget and the policy cost should be transparent. The fiscal powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government should be well defined. The responsibilities of different levels of government and the relationship between them should be clearly specified. The relationship between the government and public corporations should be based on clear arrangements. Government’s relationship with the private sector should be conducted in an open manner, following clear rules and procedures. There should be a clear and open legal, regulatory and administrative framework for fiscal management. The collection, commitment, and use of public funds should be governed by comprehensive budget, tax, and other public finance laws, regulations, and administrative procedures. Laws and regulations related to the collection of tax and non-tax revenues, and the criteria guiding administrative discretion in their application, should be accessible, clear, and understandable. There should be clear procedures for budget execution, monitoring, and reporting. The accounting system should provide a reliable basis for tracking revenues, commitments, payments, arrears, liabilities, and assets. A timely midyear report on budget developments should be presented to the legislature. More frequent updates, which should be at least quarterly, should be published. Supplementary revenue and expenditure proposals during the fiscal year should be presented to the legislature in a manner consistent with the original budget presentation. Audited final accounts and audit reports, including reconciliation with the approved budget, should be presented to the legislature and published within a year. The public should be provided with comprehensive information on past, current, and projected fiscal activities and on major fiscal risks. The government should publish a periodic report on long-term public finances. Fiscal information should be presented in a way that facilitates policy analysis and promotes accountability. A clear and simple summary guide to the budget should be widely distributed at the time of the annual budget. During budget formulation, the executive should issue two documents with at least a one-month gap between them: the pre-budget statement, which presents the assumptions used in developing the budget, such as the expected revenue, expenditure, and debt levels, and the broad allocations among sectors; and the executive’s budget proposal, which presents the government’s detailed declaration of the policies and priorities it intends to pursue in the upcoming financial year, including the specific allocations to be made to each ministry and agency. All Ministries should hold pre-budget consultative meetings with their stakeholders. These meetings should be presided over by the concerned Ministers. These meetings should be held before they start consultation on budget with the Ministry of Finance. All standing committees on different ministries should hold on a regular basis pre-budget consultation with stakeholders. Decentralization process should be strengthened for empowerment of local governments. The writer, a part-time teacher at The Leading University, is pursuing PhD in Open University, Malaysia. He can be reached at e-mail: shah@banglachemical.com

Summarise the Main Development of a Child from the Age range 0-2, 3-5, 5-8 Years

From birth a baby can only lie on its back, by the end of 3months they start to lift their heads and kick their feet. At 3-6 months they can hold objects and transfer them from one hand to another. They also start to attempt to put objects in their mouths. At 9-12 months babies usually become more mobile by rolling, shuffling, or crawling. They can generally sit unaided for a length of time.Between 1-2 yrs they will be walking and although they still find it difficult to maintain balance most can climb stairs with supervision. So by the end of 2yrs they will be very mobile – walking, running, and able to negotiate steps. They can throw and kick a ball but may not be confident at catching.At 3yrs, children will know how to run, walk in all sorts of directions. They can jump from low heights, negotiate stairs confidently and ride a tricycle.By 4yrs, physically they should now be able to catch, kick, throw, and bounce a ball. Between 5-8 yrs they have mastered how to use a variet y of equipment and their physical ability will have improved greatly. At this point they are able to ride a bike without stabilisers. At this age they are more willing to try new things and they begin to stretch themselves further.Analyse key social, economic, and environmental factors which may influence developmentThere are lots of factors which can influence developmentNutrition Poverty Environment, including overcrowding and pollution Culture Loss or bereavement Separation or divorce of parents Learning difficulties Social factors such as love and affectionA loving, caring environment will encourage a child to socialise and develop good relationships with others. Poor housing, overcrowding, air, water, and noise pollution all have a detrimental effect on a child’s growth and development.Poverty puts children at a social disadvantage as parents who are unemployed or on low incomes may find it more difficult to provide a nutritionally balanced diet. They also tend to live i n poorer housing, which may be overcrowded. They can sometimes lack the physical and personal resources needed to provide for their children in order to grow and develop. Progress will be slow and impaired if there is a lack of stimulation. Children often find it difficult to put things into perspective and may view the loss of a favourite toy on the same level as that of a death of a close relativeChildren suffering from the anxieties of loss or bereavement may try to hide their feelings for fear of upsetting those around them, whilst others show their feelings freely.Signs of aggression and/or withdrawal are often associated with the way a child deals with their emotions. When parents separate or divorce the most likely area to be affected is social and emotional, it can make them become anxious or frightened. Their whole world, as they know it, will have been turned upside down and they experience feelings of guilt, anger, and sorrow. They can become withdrawn, tearful, aggressiv e and argumentative.Children that do not receive a lot of love and affection at home will find it difficult to develop and form good relationships with others. They can be untrusting, miserable, and unhappy although, they appear physically healthy they will be emotionally unwell. A child who has suffered from abuse will  have their health and wellbeing severely affected and abuse can have long lasting health problems.Describe Children’s Overall Development NeedsChildren’s overall development needs are love and support from parents and carers. When a child feels loved they are contented and happy which help them to be pleasant around and enables them to mix with other children successfully, gaining friendships as they grow. They also need stability as otherwise they can have physical problems such as bed wetting or sleepless nights.Diet and nutrition are also very important, fresh fruit and vegetables should be a regular part of the shopping list. This can be introduc ed at a very early age when they are beginning to taste different foods, many vegetables can be reduced to tasty soups and fruit made into smoothies.

Integrative Paper on The Family Crucible’s Brice Family Essay

The origin of family therapy can be traced back to a period in the mid-1900’s when focus shifted from individual psychoanalysis towards the correlation of psychological problems and family structure and relationships. It began when the psychoanalytical setting became insufficient to address some cases where the involvement of other members of the family was a greatly influential factor. It has long been established that humans as social beings are greatly affected by these interpersonal relationships. For instance a significant amount of visits to psychotherapists are due to marriage and family problems. When mental illnesses are present with no biological of such, it is also the family that is first assessed. Freudian theories focus very much on familial relationships as well. All of these developments offered new suggestions for therapy (Long, 1996). One technique that arose, for example was the â€Å"conjoint family therapy†. Here, sessions are videotaped or observed behind one way screens. Another was holding meetings with other families, called â€Å"multiple family groups†. Eventually, these gave birth to family therapy, which is now only about forty years old. The family, as a person’s immediate environment, was therefore presented as the most basic social unit. Since each one has its own set of values, rules and principles, we can analyze the role and interactions within the family, and use this analysis in a broader context- the community. Underneath the light and conversational tone that Napier and Whitaker (1988) use in their book, The Family Crucible, are fundamental concepts and approaches that can be helpful in understanding family therapy. It narrates the story of how the Brice family’s conflicts were resolved by encouraging interaction among all five members and solving issues in the parents’ marriage. The Brice family is composed of David, the father who is a VIP lawyer, Carolyn, an angry mother, their teenage daughter Claudia, and their two other children, Laura and Don. The story was also able to present the way some problems may dynamically affect each member of the family- a misunderstanding or imbalance of family roles, for example, or excessive child focus that may lead to a couple’s unhappiness. Among other concepts presented too are blaming, family life cycle stages, polarization and reciprocity. For some time, the idea that Whitaker’s charismatic personality, and not really his theory, seemed accurate in the solving of the family problem. Without a formal education or training in therapy, Whitaker started developing his theories as he began a research on how to treat schizophrenia using â€Å"aggressive play therapy†, after which he invested in developing other methods that could be applied in cases other than schizophrenia. For example, he used a form of pyknolepsy, where he would dream about himself and his patient during a session. This would show what their relationship was like and would be used as part of the therapy (Whitaker, 1981). He also said that in using a technique, a therapist also develops himself, with the patient as a conciliator. However, some of the points in the book can definitely suggest otherwise. For example, spontaneity in the family was seen as a sign of trust and good communication lines, an element that family therapy aims to measure. Where there is a free exchange of ideas, it becomes easier for members to bring up and solve issues, which, if swept under the rug, can only pile up and become a cause of angst. In another book by Whitaker (1981), he emphasizes how normal families should not add up to each other’s stress. Another characteristic of a family in good shape is a certain freedom or flexibility in roles whenever certain changes occur. A member’s role should not be one that is strictly defined, but rather one that results from the conditions that the family is in, including their values, culture and needs, which can change at a given time. I personally saw their insistence that all members of the Brice family be present during the therapy as impressive. When Carolyn, the mother, started showing signs of impatience about their son Don’s tardiness, she wanted to begin the therapy without him already. However, the therapists saw the need to treat the family as a whole, especially since their â€Å"demand to have the whole family in† is the start of their â€Å"battle for structure† (p. 204).   Family therapy has developed is a clinical methodology that revolves around the hypothesis that psychological distress can be assessed through the observation of human relations. It also capitalizes on the assumption that every member of the system affects or influences each other and the system. And while other cases may require individual therapy based on the individuality of the patient, some cases need to involve the whole family when the nature of the issue is much connected with it. Even though Carolyn insists that â€Å". . . Don isn’t the problem. The problem has to do with Claudia (p. 6)† or Claudia identifies herself as â€Å"it†, the fact remains that as a family, Claudia affects her siblings and parents, just as much as she affects them. Furthermore, the purpose of family therapy, like all other forms of therapy, is to create a therapeutic experience, and that experience will not be felt as a family if one is absent. The therapists constantly created activities like playing for the children in order to create such an experience and to later on suggest and have improvement. Later on, even the grandparents become involved in the therapy. They were asked to come as consultants during sessions, especially since they have know the Brice family better and can help in observing or assessing them. I believe that the intervening approach used by Napier and Whitaker proved to be appropriate for the Brice family. The way confusion, awkwardness and silence were utilized to â€Å"unbalance† the family was also impressive. When the question â€Å"When did you divorce your husband and marry the children?† was straightforwardly asked to Carolyn, Whitaker also displayed a sense of professionalism in the sense that he put the method of using Carolyn’s â€Å"unbalance† over the want to be liked by the client. Perhaps this emphasizes that during therapy, the therapist’s self-development and maturity is essential as well. Observable too is the movement of the therapy from one stage to another, where the need for structure was identified and addressed during the first one, role playing and interaction were done during the second one to improve relationships especially that of the parents’, and finally, the therapists saw the family functioning independently as one unit. However, it is also important to note that while these techniques were effective for the Brice family, they may not have the same results on other families. For example, the technique of â€Å"unbalancing† the family, though seen as an unnecessary stressor, is a risky step to take. If the purpose of such straightforwardness is not seen by the client, or if the dislike towards therapist grows to deter the progress of the session, unwanted consequences could arise. A thorough initial assessment of the family, therefore, is necessary. Using the technique of co-therapy also seemed successful here, mainly due to the fact that Napier and Whitaker, after having been together in other cases, know how to work efficiently already. They even called this co-therapy a â€Å"professional marriage†. Nevertheless, the need for initial assessment is again emphasized as having to share your problems with two therapists can appear to be intimidating to some families, and can stir up some hesitation. BIBLIOGRAPHY:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Long, P. W. (1996). Family therapy. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http://accg.net/family_therapy.htm Napier, A. Y. & Whitaker, C. (1988). The family crucible: The intense experience of family therapy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Whitaker, C. A. (1981). Symbolic-experiential family therapy. In A. S. Gurman, & D. P. Knistern (eds.), Handbook of family therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Piano Concerto in a Major, K. 488

Mozart completed the Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488, in March 1786 and it is a graceful piece in three movements. It used a small orchestra with two flutes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, and two horns in A, along with the usual string orchestra. The first movement embodies the form called a â€Å"sonata form with double exposition. † This form is common in concerti and one feature of this form is that the first exposition does not end with a double bar and repeat sign indicating a literal repeat of the exposition.Instead the first exposition is for the orchestra without the soloist, and does not modulate to and conclude in the dominant, but stays in the tonic key throughout. When the soloist enters a second exposition begins which does modulate to the dominant key (or relative major if the work is in a minor key), and the second exposition does indeed cadence in the dominant. The only other variance from a standard (non-concerto) sonata form is the traditional cadenza, which occurs near the end of the recapitulation of the movement. The second theme is presented following a transitional section.In the first exposition it is in the key of A, but in the second exposition it is heard in the dominant key of E Major. This phrase ends with a half cadence, and the following phrase ends with a PAC, creating a double parallel period. The closing theme is more intense in character and features interplay between the winds and strings as well as frequent use of the borrowed subdominant chord. It includes a number of different melodic ideas and concludes with a strong beat PAC in A Major in measure 62. The second exposition begins in measure 67 with the first theme stated by the solo pianist.The major difference in this exposition is the modulation to the dominant key of E Major, which takes place in the Transition section in measures 82-98. This second exposition ends in a surprising way in measure 142 with the half cadence falling on the fourth beat of the m easure and the music abruptly ceasing, creating a dramatic pause that is followed by an entirely new theme, which begins the development section. This new theme is in E Major and provides virtually all of the melodic harmony heard throughout the development section.Following this embellished theme in E Major, the music begins to fragment this new theme and moves into key areas associated with the key of A minor as opposed to A Major. The keys touched on include E minor, C Major, F Major, and D minor. An especially nice passage is found in mm. 170-178. It features the clarinet and flute in a canon based on the ‘new’ theme, while the soloist maintains a running sixteenth note figure. Harmonically it begins in the key of D minor and traces the circle of fifths to a cadence on an E major chord in measure 178.Since E Major is the dominant chord of A Major this initiates a prolongation of the dominant of A Major in measures 178-189. A sort of â€Å"mini-cadenza† occurr ed in 189-198, which leads to the Recapitulation beginning in measure 198. The Recapitulation restates all of the themes heard in the exposition, now all in the key of A Major, with the soloist and orchestra interacting, unlike the first exposition. A particularly long Coda section begins in measure 261 with the reintroduction of the development section’s ‘New’ theme, presented now by the soloist alone, and in the key of A Major for the first time.Like the beginning of the development section, including the dramatic pause, it is followed by the placid restatement of the ‘New’ theme by the orchestra (290). This breaks off though and leads through a series of forte chords to the traditional tonic 6/4 chord paving the way for the cadenza. The cadenza is fundamentally a greatly expanded prolongation of the V chord. Following the cadenza the orchestra enters in a forte tutti statement with material drawn from the closing theme first presented in measure 4 9. A decisive PAC in A Major occurs in m. 309 followed by a prolongation of the tonic chord to the movement’s end.

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects Wk11 Essay

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects Wk11 - Essay Example Ethics must be considered by project managers in their planning for projects. A project that has a good budget, reasonable time allocation, and all the necessary resources to complete a project successfully can fail due to a lack of ethics among the team players. A case study of a firm that went form market leader to becoming at the time the biggest bankruptcy in United States history due to a lack of ethics in the Enron scandal. Project management is very important towards the success of a multinational corporation. Back in the late 1990’s Nike Corporation faced some serious problems due to the lack of ethical conduct of the project managers overseeing the foreign manufacturing operations of Nike. The firm lost millions of dollars in revenues due to the bad publicity from the revelation that Nike was running sweatshop manufacturing operations. During the past decade the business world has realized the importance of corporate social responsibility. Changes in customer tastes and expectations have made companies producing green products one the fastest growing industries in the United States and abroad. For instance in the car industry automobiles that used hybrid or electric technologies have soaring demands in the marketplace. In 2010 the total sales of hybrid vehicles in the United States were 28,592 which accounts for about 2.5% of total auto sales in the industry (Hybridcars, 2011). A project manager has to take into consideration the environmental impact of a project. During the past century the industrial world has caused great damage to the environment due to pollution its activities have caused. Global warming, deforestation, and food scarcity are some of the problems our society faces in the coming decades. A financial strategy that can be used to give back to the community is donating a fixed percentage of the revenues of a firm. A

European Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

European Law - Essay Example The European Union law is a set of treaties, law and court judgments. These operate alongside the legal systems of the member states of the European Union. It has a direct effect among within the member states of the European Union. When conflicts occur this law takes precedence over national laws. The primary source of the European law is the European Union treaties. These treaties are set on broad policy goals and establish institutions that can enact various types of legislations in order to achieve these goals. There are two types of legislative acts of the European Union, they are regulations and directives. Regulations become law when they come into force in member countries. They do not require any implementing measures and automatically overrides conflicting domestic provisions. The directives of the European Union require member states to achieve a certain result. Meanwhile it is left to the member countries how they are to be implemented. All the European Union legislations derive from the decisions that are taken at the European Union level. But the implementation largely occurs on the national level. Therefore the principle of uniformity is one of the central themes in the decisions made by the European court of justice. This court aims to ensure that the application and interpretation of the European Union laws does not differ between the member states (Application of EU law. 2010). The general principle of the law is found in almost every legal systems of Europe. Moreover the European court of justice has induced them into the legal orders to supplement all the written sources of the law and the treaties that are used as an aid for interpretation. The main principles of this law are protection of fundamental rights of citizens, principle of equality and discrimination, right of defense, principle of legal certainty, principle of