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

Memento - Essay Example Leonard is motivated by the mission of seeking revenge for the murder of his wife. When his wife died, they were attacked by two men. He succeeded in killing one of them and the other one disappeared and he came to recognize him as John G. He ends up killing teddy and Jimmy as he suspects that they were the attacker who disappeared after killing his wife. However, in the end it turns out that Leonard was delusional and had killed his own wife. He keeps telling himself the story of the attackers in order to forget about his mistake of killing his wife. This paper analyzes the movie Memento in terms of plot structure, character development themes and style. The movie Memento does not follow the normal Freytag plot. Instead the movie follows a unique plot where the events are displayed in two sequences, the white and black sequence that follows a chronological order and the colored one which is reverse. For instance, instead of the climax appearing after the introduction, it comes at th e end of the movie where Leonard realizes that he was actually the one who killed his own wife. Nolan develops rising action by showing the confusion in Leonard’s minds. ... Leonard’s says that he knows who he was before the attack an insurance broker. He however has a problem keeping short term memory. Teddy points out that Leonard has created the unsolvable puzzle of John G. in order to give his life meaning. He tells him that the real attacker had been killed a year ago after tricking him to Kill Jimmy who was a drug dealer. A hotel attendant charges him double for a motel and points out that he would not remember it. He also says that even after getting his revenge, Leonard would not remember it. After the narration that Teddy gives about the killing of the attacker one year ago, the audience question who Leonard really is. Teddy’s story is more reliable than that of Leonard. This is because the movie establishes that since the attack, Leonard could not keep short memory. This is seen in the movie when he pays twice for a room in a motel without realizing it. Moreover, he wears Jimmy clothes and drives his car after killing him. He then walks in a bar where Natalie who was familiar with Jimmy recognized his clothes. It is thus possible that Leonard may have killed the real attacker as Teddy says. Although Leonard has a reminder of the story of Sammy he does not seem to understand the relationship that the story has in his own condition. It can thus be true that Leonard’s wife died of an overdose of insulin shot under directions of Leonard who could not remember events happening around him. He keeps repeating to his listeners that he talks fast since he has problem with short term memory. The notes and pictures that he keeps are unreliable source of information. The notes are flimsy and are not enough to base a memory on. Leonard is unable to read

Argue that Austen's novel is a reflection of its revolutionary age Essay

Argue that Austen's novel is a reflection of its revolutionary age - Essay Example Sandwiched between her older sister Elizabeth who stands in for her mother in her widowed father’s esteem and affection and her younger sister Mary who has made and advantageous and fruitful marriage to a young man due to inherit his own landed estate, Anne’s curious social position allows her a possibility of social mobility that echoes the social shifts taking place across Europe. As a woman, Anne’s social position would be inherently precarious, dependent on her father first and then on the man she married. The undefined nature of an unmarried woman’s social standing gave young women a certain social mobility that was universally acknowledged. A young woman could marry her way into improved social standing – as Austen’s two Miss Bennets do with their marriages to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice – or, as Lady Russell warns Anne Elliot in Persuasion, a bad marriage could plunge a poor young woman â€Å"into a state o f most wearing, anxious, youth-killing dependance.† (1158) As a member of the early-nineteenth century aristocracy, Anne is a member of a landed gentry that makes dubious claims about the inherent nobility of birth. For every prudent, thoughtful aristocrat like Emma’s Mr. Knightley, there is an equal an opposite aristocrat in the style of Anne’s father. Sir Walter takes inordinate pride in his ownership of Kellynch Hall and his storied family tree, but he himself has frittered away his family fortune to the point that he must lease his ancestral home in order to maintain his lifestyle. Tellingly, Sir Walter’s lessee is no landed gentleman or wealthy second son of a gentleman but a professional man, an admiral in the British navy, who can afford the rent and upkeep of the estate. Perhaps most interestingly, as a rational person, Anne is willing to be persuaded, as the novel’s title suggests. Though she has a healthy appreciation for tradition, Anne a ppreciates – and responds to – plain good

Muslim Commercial Bank Limited

Muslim Commercial Bank Limited MCB Bank is the abbreviation of Muslim Commercial Bank Limited and it was established by the Adamje group on 9 July 1947, under the Indian company Act, Vll of 1913 as a company limited. This bank is established in view to provide the banking facility to the business community of the South Asia. This bank was nationalized in 1974 and at that time president of Pakistan was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This was the first bank to be privatized in 1991 and the bank was purchased by the Nishat Group. In the 2008, the Nishat Group holds the majority of the shares of this Bank. At that time MR. Atif Bajwa is the president of the Bank and that person is previously working with the Citi Bank. Nishat Group was founded in 1951. Nishat Group is the leading and most widely separated business Groups in Pakistan. The presence of Nishat Group in the important business sectors of the country like Banking, Textile, cement and insurance. Mian Muhmmad Mansha is the owner of the Nishat Group. The company has fixed and current assets of over 300billion and this company were included in one of the top five companies of the Pakistan. Mian Mansha played a very important role in the success of the bank. The Govt. of the Pakistan gave him Sitara-e-imtiaz and this is the most prestigious civil award of the country. If we take a look on the total asset of the bank that is 72,052,258 in March 2010 and if we take a look on the previous assets that was 69,740,013 we estimate that the bank is really working with a fast pace. And the profit after taxation of the company in March 2010 is 4,141,151 and at the end of the 2009 it was 4,134,971. Muslim commercial Bank agreement to buy the Royal Bank of Scotland but it fails to acquire proper license from State Bank of Pakistan. Profitability of MCB MCB is the Pakistans fourth largest bank in term of assets base 5.9 billion US dollar. The bank has the almost 1082 branches including 11 Islamic banking branches and over 300 ATM machines. During the last Fifteen year bank has concentrated on growth through improving service quality, investment in technology and people, utilizing its extensive branch network and managing the risk management. MCB has established business in SriLanka and Bahrain and newly established Rep. Office in Dubai. The bank has also formed a private company in Hong Kong in partnership with the Standard Charter bank, handling trade transactions in Asian-Pacific region. MCB also incorporated a leasing company in Azerbaijan in 2009. Fully owned Subsidiaries of MCB are; Muslim Commercial Financial Services (private) Limited MNET Services (private) Limited MCB Trade Services Limited MCB Asset Management Company Limited MCB Leasing Company Business Strategy of MCB The business strategy of MCB is to provide financial solutions in major segments for its customers. The bank has also established an Islamic Banking unit to offer Shariah complaint products and services, in six cities and the future plan is to establish more branches of Islamic banking and its branches is as much as the traditional banking branches have in the country. Nishat Textile Nishat Mills limited was founded in 1951. He has one of the largest Textile setup in the country. They have following production facility; 270,000 Spindles 740 looms Dying and printing capacity of 7 million meters Cement D.G Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC) is a unit of the Nishat Group and it is the largest Cement manufacturing company in the Pakistan with the capacity of 5500 tons clinker per day. They distribute their product in both nationwide and as well as internationally due to his consistent quality. This company is listed on all the stock exchanges of the Pakistan. Nishat Group also setup a new Cement manufacturing plant with a capacity of 6700 tons per day near kalar kahar, Distt. Chakwal. After the completion of this plant this will be the largest plant of the country. Financial Services MCB is the largest private bank in the country with a 1200 branches in Pakistan and they operate internationally. MCB was also the first bank of the country that is listed on the London stock exchange in October 2006. Values of MCB Bank Following are the vales of MCB Bank: Integrity Innovation Excellence Customer Centricity Respect Integrity We are the trustee of public fund and serve our community with integrity. We believe in being the best at always doing the right thing. We deliver on our responsibility and commitment to our customer as well as our colleagues. Innovation We encourage and reward people who challenge the status quo and think beyond the boundaries of the conventional. Our team work together for the smooth and efficient implementation of ideas and initiatives. Excellence We take personal responsibility for our role as leaders in pursuit of excellence. We are the performance driven, result oriented organization where merit is the only criterion for reward. Customer Centricity Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We thrive on the challenge of understanding their needs and aspiration, both realized and unrealized. We make every effort to exceed customer expectation through superior services and solution. Respect We respect our customer values, beliefs, culture and history. We value the equality of gender and diversity of experience and education that our employees bring with them. We create an environment where each individual is enabling to succeed. Online services Following are the online services that offer by the MCB Bank. Million of Branches ATMs Call Center Bill Payment Funds transfer MCB Limited Announcing his Million of Branches in the Country MCB Limited has announced Mobile Banking facilities for its customers in July 2009, first time in Pakistan. Speaking on the event, Mr. Atif Bajwa, Head CEO of MCB Bank said that MCB Mobile was a first step in ensuring the cost effective delivery of financial service. He added that when the State Bank of Pakistans advent the Branchless Banking procedure, development of many new financial products and services were already in progress at MCB. These products is not developed only for the MCB customers, but they also watch that most of the people have mobiles nowadays but they have no access to the banks through the mobiles so MCB Bank Limited introduce that system that help their customers to access their accounts easily He further added, users of MCB Mobile are just not restricted to watching account balances or requesting mini-statements, they easily manage mass of payments, like pay utility bills, recharge their both pre paid and post paid connections and make payments of post paid numbers through their mobile phones, they can even transfer the amount from one account to another in few minutes. Mehreen Ahmed, Group Head of Consumer Banking, also speaking on the event, that MCB Mobile was developed to offer customers different facilities to access their account throughout a week from their mobile phones MCB Bank initiate the Wide Mobilization Mobilization has been started in MCB Bank at 5 April 2009. The objective of the team is together bank and makes ensure that maximum number of members of MCB login and use MCB Mobile. Remote banking team trained the peoples of MCB and how to use the MCB mobile to ensure that this is very successful across the country wide branches. MCB Limited sponsors 2nd Mobile-Commerce Meeting in Karachi MCB is the sponsors of the 2nd Annual Mobile Commerce meeting held in Karachi at 11 March 2009. The discussion was attended by a number of different Banks, Telcos and Technology. Mr. Atif Bajwa, Head of MCB Bank Limited, delivered a key note that is the Banks and Telecommunication Companys work together and to bring revolution in that field. He gives offer to the telecommunication companies come to join the hands of MCB mobile banking to produce something new that no longer exist in Pakistan. MCB meets the Chairman PTA A team of the bank that lead by Mr. Qasif Shahid Head of the remote banking system met with Dr. Yaseen the chairman of Pakistan Telecom Authority in February 2009. The meeting was attended by many of high ranking officers of PTA and members from all 5 Telecommunication Companies. Key issues about the successful development of Mobile Banking in Pakistan were discussed in that meeting. All the 5 Telecommunication companies are agreeing to make a task force that made a road map for Mobile Banking. These task forces have been created and complete their tasks under the supervision of PTA. MCB link up with Fundamo Mobile Banking MCB Bank has linked up with Fundamo for its Mobile Banking solutions in January 2009. Fundamos: Fundamo is the Enterprise financial services platform. Fundamo is the worlds largest mobile financial service provider; they have the expertise to build technologies, and they have experience and vision as well. Vision: Fundamo is the global mobile financial solution provider. The company was established in 2000 and looking towards providing financial services through mobile phones in both developing and developed countries. Leadership: The company has created its leadership position due to the history of innovation and successful development. This knowledge ensures that its customers will always hit their target markets. With over 30 successful development projects in over 20 countries Fundamos technology and development strategy is proven. Expertise: Fundamos leadership team has strong background knowledge in the financial services industry and has the strict design principles required for secure banking system, and they also taking advantage of its unique character in mobile phone. This new style of financial system represents a powerful banking system due to its simplicity and uniqueness. Collaborating for success: An important element of Fundamos is to collaborate with the specialist organization to effectively and efficiently meet the need of the client in the rapidly moving mobile financial service market. Global coverage: Fundamos is now a global company with a 20 clients in different countries. Fundamos has a direct business as well partner business operations in many other countries. Fundamo Solutions: Enterprise Edition. Mobile wallet. Mobile Banking. Mobile Money Transfer. Fundamo is working in Pakistan through their official partners Access Group (Pvt) Limited. Bottom of Form Loading Loading What can u do with the MCB mobile service? Account Balance Mini Statement Transfer of funds Purchase mobile Top-Ups through MCB Mobile service Pay your Mobile Bills Pay utility Bills Make Visa Credit Card payments Donation Services Balance inquiry You can check your account balance any time. Mini-Statement You can access the transactions of last six months from your bank account at any time, making it easier for you to manage your account. Fund Transfers You can send money to anyone through MCB Bank account. The receiver of the money does not have to be a registered with the MCB Mobile user. You can receive money by giving the complete number that contain 16-digits or the ATM card number of the receiver. Purchase Airtime for Prepaid Connections Now you can easily purchase prepaid airtime from these mobile companies: Mobilink UFone Zong Warid Zem Telenor Pay Postpaid Mobile bills Now you can forget to pay your bill to the franchise because MCB gives you the opportunity to pay the bill through MCB Mobile at any time without any difficulty. Mobilink UFone Zong Warid Telenor Pay the amount of Bills MCB Mobile gives you facility to make payments of utility bills. Like Electric city Sui Gas Water Charges Tele phone bills Make payments of MCB Visa Credit Card You can now easily pay your Visa Credit Card payments through MCB Mobile. Now you can pay minimum payment or the full amount. Report a Lost ATM card If you lost your ATM card during the usage you can inform to the bank immediately and the bank will deactivated that card. And issue new card on the demand of the customer but this is only for the register customers. Donations You can make donations to any charity through the use of MCB Mobile service within a second. Donations to the Prime Ministers Fund are being accepted through this service. More charities will be added. Questions that mostly people asked Following question asked by the people. Who is eligible to register for the services? Do I need a special mobile connection? Is number portability supported for MCB Mobile? Do I need special mobile phone (handset)? Can I still register if I dont have Internet on my phone? How can I activate GPRS/Internet? What is bank charging for it? Are there any other charges? Is this service safe to use? How do I register? What happens after I register? What are the payment limits? If I forget my Mobile PIN? Where do I find the terms conditions? Where can I get more information about the MCB Mobile? ATMs Service MCB ATM smart card works anytime, anywhere in Pakistan abroad. MCB smart card is accepted over 4000 ATMS nationwide. MCB enables you to access fast cash, account balance inquire, transfer of funds etc through 450 ATMs in the country. MCB bank offers different type of ATM cards: ATM Regular Card ATM Gold Card ATM Regular Card ATM Regular or classic card allow you to withdraw 15000 per day and minimum three withdraw in a day. ATM Gold Card ATM Gold card allow you to withdraw up to 25000 per day and minimum of six withdraw in a day. The other condition is that the cardholder has to make two transactions to withdraw the 25000 amount. Call Center MCB provide the call center facility to their customer through which you can take help from representatives. Those are available at any time. They can help you as well as give guidelines. You can all so take help about their credit card problems. MCB offers following services: General Inquires Financial Services Non- Financial Services General Inquires Following are the general inquires; ATM locations Account opening procedures MCB Bank Charges All MCB Product related information MCB Merchant locations Financial Services Following are the different Financial Services; Inquiry of account balance Request for transfer of funds Details of Debit Card transitions Detail for last five transitions Request for all Credit Cards Blocking Service of ATM Card throughout the day Payment for all the Bills Purchase vouchers Non Financial Services Following are the Non Financial Services; Request for Credit Card address change Virtual Banking activation Complaint registrations 24 hours a day Mobile Banking activation Call 111-000-MCB (622) Bill Payments MCB give you the services through which you can pay your bills and recharge your mobile accounts. So we save our time through this and pay our bills easily. MCB smart card holder can also pay their bills easily. Bills Payment Features Following are the Features; Pay your Bills throughout the week Make full or half payment. Full payment is required only for PTCL Recharge your prepaid account Pay as a register or non register user. This will help you to avoid the time delay. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength Long Establishment Long establishment is one of the strength of MCB over private banks. Due to this it earn a name in the market, The biggest Infrastructure MCB has the biggest infrastructure among the entire private bank. So it is making business from one corner of the country to another corner of the country. Other factors are: Brand image because of Muslim word in the name in an Islamic country. In a growing economy of Pakistan. Has strong market presence. Mainly operating by Mansha Group. Offers a wide variety of services to its customer and has a customer bank of round about 4 million. The bank has efficient IT infrastructure and network of online services. MCB is working in Pakistan over 60 years of success. MCB fall under the big 5 domestic banks of Pakistan. Bank is continuously focusing on developing new and innovative products to attract the target market. Asset utilization is very good. GPRS enable banking. Weaknesses In the changing environment where MCB has some strength it has some weaknesses also, some of the weak factors are; None Professional staff MCB keeps non professional staff even on higher post who is promoted from the typist and clerical area after a long time. Nationalization Effect When MCB was nationalized by BHUTTOs Govt. it was the glooming period of MCB. During that period, MCB suffered a lot. Govt. Influence Non-professional and bureaucratic people were placed at the top mgt level who knows nothing about the banking and they damage the repute of the bank in the markets as well. Lack of dynamism When a newly person employed in the bank they want to leave the bank very soon. Because the promotion period of the bank is so late till you retire. So lake at dynamism comes to the personality. He is no further creative in his life. So increasing age of the staff is one of the weaknesses of the bank because banks needs young and creative person who have the ability to meet the changing response of the environment. Advances to non productive units During the nationalized period, a lot of amounts are forwarded to the non productive unit just on political bases. Most of the advances are not still paid and not even written off. Other factors are: Political instability Internal political issues Less job satisfaction of employees. Customers facing problems of NADRA verification while opening their accounts because its process is time consuming. To give everyone equal protocol is lacking among employees customers having account with small amount and not giving same services like dealing to others who have high account. Lack of organizational loyalty among employees. Promotion is generally on seniority bases. External Environment Opportunity Having an edge over the other commercial banks, MCB has greater profit, greater growth rate and market share than other commercial banks. Privatization After privatization bank deposits has accelerated tremendous speed because it gave the opportunity to get rid of critical influences and to put the bank on the professional root. Other factors are: To go global Low exposure to consumer banking providing opportunity to explore the segment. Emergence of Islamic banking in the country and MCB is increasing its Islamic banking operations. SBP police to allow Islamic banking business separately. Free staff training facilities offered. Greater profitability can be achieved through strong internal control. Elimination of risk of fraud through professional training. Opportunity to open a branch in rural area to increase its branch network and gain more profit. New schemes for deposit and finances should be introduced regularly. Threats Private Banks Like citi bank and ABN amro are entering in the market with a greater power and strength in terms of brand name. Govt. Policies MCB faces the great threat from the Govt. policies like as finance the non productive units housing etc. so the bank does not feel the freedom in operating on its own view point, which is a threat for the bank. Because the bank is purely commercial so it should have autonomy to make its own decisions. Other factors are: Increasing competition in banking sector of Pakistan. Strong competition. Rising deposit rates. Foreign banks in the market having more marketing budget. People losing trust in banks. Participation of foreign banks in local market that can hurt the market share. Restructuring of privatized banks. PEST ANALYSIS Political Political instability in Pakistan can lead to changes in laws and policies which can be in favor or against the banking sector. Economic Economy of Pakistan is facing issues about employment, inflation, illiteracy, which hinder business growth. Social Cultural issues can be there but still as there are multinational companies there, therefore, cultural issues are not prominent. Technology People are highly skilled and MCB can introduce new technology to increase competencies. Porters Model The basis of much of the thinking on competitive advantage has been the writing of Michael Porter. Porter in his book COMPETITVE STRATEGY: techniques for analyzing industries and competitors (1980) introduced his model of competitive rivalry. Competitor rivalries are: Competitive rivalry Threat of potential new entrant to the sector Threat of substitution product or services to the existing trade The Bargaining power of buyers The Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of potential entrants Competitive Rivalry Bargaining power of buyer Bargaining power of supplier Threat of substitution Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrant relates to the ease with which a company can enter a given trade sector. Barrier to entry into a particular market include the need for capital, knowledge and skills. The barrier to entry, for example, in banking industry if a bank is working in particular area where any other bank is exist or any other branch is exist in the same city. Then the competition is exit and threat is exist for the bank that already exists. With the entrants of competitor your business is really suffer to overcome their competitor you have to introduce new strategies and make plans. IT can be a barrier to enter to a given market place. Existing players in the sector may well have a substantial in IS / IT, including for instance the use of EDI to co ordinate their supply chain. This experience and investment can be difficult for the new entrant to match. The converse is that development in IT and e- commerce may leave existing players with a heavy investment in expensive, old technologies giving the new entrants the opportunities to enter the market with fresh ideas and a business plan facilitated by a new generation of IT provision. Internet e- commerce is a technology that can facilitate new entrants to existing markets without the need to match the IT and infrastructure investment of the existing players. Threat of Substitution Substitution is a threat to existing players where a new product becomes available that supplies the same function as the existing product or services. If we take the examples of banks if any commercial bank is not providing good services to their customers are not giving proper care to the customers then the customers go for the substitute where they find good services and where bank provide or give values to their customer as a priority. The IT industry has itself substitute many products previously used in business with the replacement of the typewriter by the word processor being but one example of the e- commerce technologies, internet e- commerce has the potential to make significant inroads in the traditional retail sector with online banking. Bargaining power of Buyers For a business to be profitable the cost of producing and distributing its product has to be less then price it can fetch in the market place. Where there are a number of competitors in the market or the surplus of supply the buyer is in a strong position to bargain for a low price and for other favorable conditions of trade. Over recent years the large retail chains have developed a strong bargaining position. The bargaining strength of the buyer is of least threat to the low cost producer that organization can agree to tight terms of trade that competitor firms could not profitably match. The other defence is to have a branded product that the store will feel obliged to stock because their customers expect it. Bargaining power of suppliers The organization whilst trying to get an adequate price from its buyers will be looking to get favorable terms from its own suppliers. The organizations ability to get a good deal is the mirror image of its positions with the buyers. If the supply is plentiful or there are several suppliers it should get a good price. If the product is scarce or the number of suppliers that are able to meet its needs is limited then the supplier is in a more favorable position. Competition between Existing Players The final force is the competition between existing players in the market. The competition is to get the buyers and to trade at a price that produces an acceptable profit. That competition is won on the basis of the generic competition advantage of price, differentiation or focus. The competitive position of each organization is determined in part as least by the deal it is able to make with its suppliers. The competitive position of each organization is not absolute; in most markets the factors that lead to a successful deal in one place at a given time will not necessarily be replicated in the next bargain that is to b struck. Impacts of E- Business Following are the impacts that E- business have o the bank: New sales channel Cost leadership Reduced entry cost New opportunities Information System Efficient quality controlling Easy fraud detection in transaction Easy data saving Easy data recovery Easy management of business transaction New sales channel E- Business is the new way of sale channel in the market. You can introduce any kind of your new product on your official website. The internet completely changes the selling process for both the buyers and sellers. Electronic commerce users found that they can reduce the cost of sale through the internet. Internet is a very well media to advertise their product because if you launch your own site this is very help full for you because it is easier to buy anything from the site rather to go there and then decide. You can easily access the site and it is helpful for customer point of view because it takes less time and your required thing is at your door. Last many years advertising through internet is increased very rapidly manufacturers put every information about the product on the site so you can read it easily and you get familiar with the new product features. Amazon.com is the retail store for selling books through internet. Amazon is the most successful internet business launc hes ever. In MCB as they launch their mobile banking service customer feel much satisfaction because before launching this service or before online banking customers have to go to the bank for balance inquire are for any other service. After this service customer can check and access their account at their home and can send their money anywhere in the country easily. MCB mobile banking is the new way of doing business and they can send SMS to their users for the latest services that they introduced in the market. C:UsersTahirDesktopmarketing.jpg C:UsersTahirDesktopresearch2.jpg Cost Leader Ship Cost leadership is a concept used in business strategy and it is developed by Michael Porter. It describes the competitive advantage in the firm. Cost leadership means reducing the cost of operation in the industry. The cost leadership is often determined by company efficiency, size, scale, scope, and cumulative experience. A cost leadership means to increase the level of production well defined scope and other economics and producing high quality products by using high technologies. In the last few years many companies used strategy mix to achieve market leadership. Companies that wish to follow the cost leadership strategy must maintain constant efforts to reduce the cost. Cost reduction strategies include: Establishing tight control of production Minimize the cost of sale Like the multinational bank MCB launched their online services like mobile banking. This is launched to reduce the luxuries and to introduce the branch less banking that mean it reduce the cost of branches for example if they remove the branches that mean saving of cost in term of removing employees and cost of electricity and many other expenses of branches. C:UsersTahirDesktophourglass-703070.jpg Reduced Entry Cost Reduced Cost of entry means introduce the new product to the market. Cost of entry includes the cost of all research, development, production, testing, marketing, advertising and distribution of the new product. Developing a website is reduced all these cost because internet provide you an easy access to every information so if you want to increase the production capacity you can find the new production techniques on the net. And you can adopt that according to your need. If we take advertising websites and online other sources like newspapers, magazines reduced the cost of advertising very much. In traditional way of doing advertising like print the papers and join the local media this will charge you high cost at limited area coverage. But the internet is away that give you an opportunity to advertise the product on a larger scale. If we talk

The Knoll - Original Writing :: Papers

The Knoll - Original Writing He was sitting there in the midst of the darkness, keeping an observant eye on his watch. He knew the minute the big hand hit five it would all begin. He was very composed and new what he had to do. In the distance he could see the silhouette of the house and the trees dancing alongside it. The crisp winter's wind was blowing right through his thick sleek trench coat. His long slender fingers curled around the rifle trigger one by one; ensuring he had the future target in position. He placed the rifle back down on the tripod and examined his surroundings. The rustic house was very old with Tudor beams running through it, making the entire building feel cold and deserted. It was surrounded by tall overgrown cedar trees. They shaded the building, leaving elegant shadows draped down the walls. The grey malicious sky complemented the building well, a perfect backdrop. Meanwhile on the knoll in front of the house was the assassin, hidden amongst the trees and the gloomy undergrowth. There was a quiet rustle as the tyres of the car rolled slowly over the stones, to the left of the assassin a vehicle appeared, moving gingerly down the drive. As it passed the trees the rusted bonnet began to become visible, a murky once white colour. It gradually came into full view and he could see that the roof of the car was made out of black bin liners tied together, flapping around in the wind making a whipping noise as they contracted. The sea-blue boot of the car had an indent to the left side of it. This made the car look very misshaped and abnormal. As the car came to a halt, a puff of smoke came out of the exhaust which blurred the view of the assassin as he could not see what was going on. He did not move because he would give away his position, so he sat there waiting for the smoke to disappear. He was becoming very anxious, what if the victim disappeared, and all

Corporation: Weekly Reflection Essay

3.1 Differentiate types of stocks issued by corporations. The team concluded that the different types of stocks issued by a corporation are common stock, preferred stock, and treasury stock. Everyone is aware that common stock gives stockholders the right to vote on actions dealing with corporate earnings through the acquisition of dividends, and keeping the same percentage of shares when new stocks are issued. Preferred stocks are additional class of stocks issued by corporations to appeal to more investors. Treasury stock is stock that a company has issued, and then reacquires. Though everyone is aware of what types of stocks are issued by corporations, there are still some areas where team members expressed still being confused. One of those areas of concern deals with authorized stock and why companies do not put a par value on a stock to determine its value. Another area of confusion deals with treasury stock and grasping the concept. In relation to each member’s organization and the issuance of stock, everyone expect for one team member works for a non-profit organization or a company that does not issue stock. The one member, however, works for an airline and expressed that the company, United Airlines, has common and treasury stocks (United Continental Holdings, Inc., 2010). 3.2 Calculate stocks, dividends, and stock splits. For objective 3.2, some team members seem to understand better than others, what is involved in the calculation of stocks, dividends, and stock splits. Stock is calculated by subtracting the dividends of a certain stock from the company’s net income, then dividing that number by the number of outstanding shares. To calculate dividends multiply the number of shares by the annual dividend to find out how much the dividend payment will be, find the yield on investment a dividend payment represents by multiplying the dividend by the amount paid per share of stock, Calculate the dividend-payment ratio, and then figure out the dividend cover (earnings per share divided by the dividend) (Adkins, 2009-2013). As expressed early, more than not, members had a problem grasping the premise to calculating stock. In relation to each member’s employer organization, three of five have not had dealings with stock or they are not aware of the exact actions their company takes when it comes to calculating stocks, dividends, or stock splits. One member did however mention investing in stock indexes not including the organization she works for. Another member shared how he was able to actually view an investment split which helped him better understand. 3.3 Record treasury stock transactions. This objective seems to be the most confusing for the team. It is understood by all members that treasury stock is stock that has been issued by an organization, and then reacquired. However, there is still confusion about understanding the concept behind it. One member did express that her organization buys treasury stock to help cover them in situations such as the fluctuation of the economy. They would also try to sell the stock for equal value so more people would want to invest. References Adkins, W. D. (2009-2013). How to Calculate a Dividend Payment. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_4811547_calculate-dividend-payment.html#ixzz2Hl8TtOw4 United Continental Holdings, Inc. (2010). Annual Report. Retrieved from http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-SECText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTgwODYzNjMmRFNFUT0wJlNFUT0wJlNRREVTQz1TRUNUSU9OX0VOVElSRSZzdWJzaWQ9NTc%3d Weygandt, J. J., Kimmel, P. D., & Kieso, D. E. (2010). Financial accounting (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook database

Death in Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay

There are different mourning ceremonies, traditions, and behaviors to express grief, but the concept of permanent loss remains unchanged in cross cultural setting. With this paper I will identify cross-cultural perspectives on death and dying, and will analyze multiple beliefs relating to death phenomenon. Furthermore I will identify different cultural mourning ceremonies and will analyze their impact on grieving process and coping mechanisms. Death is a universal phenomenon, but individual responses to death vary widely from culture to culture. In effort to explain the concept of death, many different cultures bring a significant symbolic meaning to the dying process in terms of rituals, ceremonies, and bereavement practices. Grieving and funeral rituals vary greatly across cultures and, in most cases, are associated with religious practices and beliefs. People tend to look at the death phenomena through the scope of their religious beliefs and often relate their personal experiences with death to cultural norms and traditions. Our culture affects the length of grieving process, mourning ceremonies, and even influence the way we cry during funerals. The mystery of death is often associated with fear and anxiety, thus it is easier for people to relate indefinite death concept to something that makes sense and brings comfort. Death in Latino culture According to Lobar, Youngblut and Brooten (2006), Latino death rituals are heavily influenced by religion, especially Catholicism, which underlines an importance of connection between the living and a deceased person, through prayer. Death is not something the majority of Hispanics fear, because many of them perceive death as a journey. The dying process is closely related to religious practices, such as prayers, hearing the confession of the dying, communion, and a blessing. Ongoing support is essential element of dying and grieving process, and in this particular culture it is unacceptable to let people die alone. The loyalty to a dying person and care that ill person receives during the last journey is very prominent in Latino culture. Death concept in Hispanic culture is closely related to family obligations, which is evident by the care that Hispanic family renders to a dying person during last moments. After death occurs, the family still prefers to stay with the body during burial preparation to pray and to watch over the body. Prior funeral a wake is held, which is a very social event where an extended family has a chance to get together, serve food and drinks, and enjoy each others’ company. Candles and flowers are essential decorating attributes of wakes and funerals. A funeral follows a wake, and during funeral family has a chance to say last goodbyes to their loved one. Emotional expression of grief is important attribute of Latino cultures which is often evident during funeral ceremonies where women cry loudly and use their body language openly. It is not unusual to put personal items into the casket with the person who has passed away for their journey in the afterlife, which also serves as an example of a finial gift from a family (Lobar, Youngblut & Brooten, 2006). Burial follow a funeral, because majority of Hispanics oppose cremation, which is also related to their religious beliefs and importance of placing a body in the ground. Most Hispanics believe that someday the dead will arise and return to life, which significantly influences their burial preferences. It is crucial for Hispanics to be buried next to other family members to keep them company and to arise together someday (Lobar, Youngblut & Brooten, 2006). Spiritual connection with the dead is also one of the important elements of Latino culture, which is demonstrated by frequent gravesite visits and praying to spirits. Death is always associated with separation, which leads to sorrow, and grief; however cultural perceptions and beliefs help to look at death from a different perspective and perceive death as a natural state that can be approached with love, respect, dignity, and tremendous family support. Latino culture supports their dying people during the last journey, and believes in afterlife, which gives them hope and helps to overcome unbearable grief of permanent loss. Death rituals in Africa African culture demonstrates a strong connection with deceased person, and believes that only a correct burial will bring a dead person peace. People n Africa strongly believe in spiritual life, thus their main goal during burial ceremonies is to address a spirit of a deceased person. An African funeral begins with removal of the body from home, which is done through a previously made hole in the wall of the home. Africans remove a dead body through the hole, instead of a door, to confuse a spirit and m ake sure that a spirit of a deceased person will not return back home, as a hole in the wall is immediately closed after removal of the body. In effort to confuse a spirit even more, they place thorns and sticks in a zigzag pattern along the way as body being taken to the place of burial. Blackely et al, 1994). In the religions of Africa, life does not end with death and people tend to believe in power of the dead, thus many families often pray to spirits and ask them not to come back and cause any trouble. Death is perceived as the beginning of connection with visible and invisible worlds. One of the funeral rituals include special preparation of a home, such as smearing windows with ashes and turning pictures and other reflective objects face down to ensure that deceased person is detached from a living, and to promote smooth transition into different world. The beds are usually removed from deceased’s bedroom and mourning women sit on a floor or a mattress. According to African culture, if correct funeral is not observed, a dead person may come back and bother the living. The funeral preparation takes approximately from seven to thirteen days, which gives the community members a chance to visit and give the last respect to a deceased (Mbiti, 1969). The funeral ceremony usually begins before the sunrise, because people believe that bad spirits usually sleep early in the morning. The pastoral care during funeral preparation is very important for comfort and encouragement. According to Blackely et al (1994), African funerals simultaneously mourn for the dead and celebrate life. An animal is usually killed during funerals to avoid bad luck, but it also has a practical purpose, such as providing food for family and neighbors. In many communities women and unmarried adults are not allowed to attend funerals, as well as close family members are not allowed to speak or take any vocal part in the funeral ceremony. The community involvement during African funerals is a great example of psychosocial and emotional support during mourning process, which draws people together and promotes healthy grief. Jewish rituals There are many different beliefs in Judaism, thus funeral rituals and ceremonies vary greatly. According to Jewish laws, practices, and beliefs, a soul returns to heaven immediately after death, thus the body has to be buried as soon as possible, usually within 24 to 48 hours (Lobar, Youngblut & Brooten, 2006). Mourners show their grief by wearing a black ribbon and by performing only minimal grooming and bathing. Mirrors or other reflective objects may be covered and family remains with a deceased and talks about a deceased. Prayers, citations of Psalms and learned passages from the Talmud are essential elements of the Jewish funerals (Ribner, 1998). According to Clements et al (2003), a body should be treated with respect due to belief that it is a temple of a soul. There is a special ritual of body preparation, where women prepare a female body and men are responsible for preparing a male body. All jewelry must be removed from the body, and the body is washed twice, and is treated almost if it was still alive. The prepared body is laid on the floor with candles around it, and the body is never left alone. There is no embalming and the body is clothed or wrapped and put into wooden coffin, so the body and the box can return entirely to earth. Traditional Jewish funerals are symbolic representations of spiritual connection with God. The funeral ceremonies are based on purity, simplicity and dignity. According to Jewish tradition, wealthy and poor are equal before God, thus the body must be buried in the same type of garment regardless of financial and social status. According to Jewish religion, death is only a part of a process, and after death a soul continues on. Jewish people believe in afterlife, which gives them hope and helps to deal with grief. The importance of family is recognized throughout Jewish mourning ceremonies, which value family privacy during first seven days of mourning process, where close family gets together and have a meal of condolence that include eggs and bread. According to the belief, eggs symbolize life, which is a great example of attitude towards death and strong belief in afterlife (Madsen, 1999). Cross cultural perspective Death is a universal phenomenon, but funerals ceremonies and rituals vary greatly across cultures and religions. Many cultural groups carry their own beliefs and perceptions, which help them with the grieving process and adaptations strategies. Death carries a feeling of a permanent loss, which is very difficult for people to accept. According to Kastenbaum (2007), bereavement is a universal experience, which carries many painful responses, including depression, distress, fear, and misery. Our inner state feelings are universal, however or external expressions are different. Our culture and religious beliefs are essential elements of adaptation strategies and coping techniques. Believing in afterlife in Christianity, Judaism, and many other religious groups gives people hope, helps to alleviate grief, and promotes healthy adaptation process. Strong extended family support during mourning process helps to share unbearable grief among family members and serves as an excellent source of encouragement. Strong community involvement is extremely beneficial during bereavement, which helps to take care of financial struggles and provides psychosocial support. Cross cultural rituals help people express their grief according to their beliefs. Almost every funeral ceremony is family oriented, which is designed to bring extended family together, to celebrate life, and to set the background for healthy grief. There are many similarities and differences in beliefs and practices on death and dying. But for many cultures and religious groups a funeral is a final act of love, respect, devotion, and family gathering.

Duty to Accommodate

Duty to Accommodate Introduction The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission created a code designed to protect employees from discrimination at the workplace. According to this legislation, employers have a duty to accommodate, where accommodation refers to reassignment of a worker or modification of his or her duties. The duty to accommodate as well as the return to work policy affects all categories of employees defined as protected; these include persons with disabilities, people with divergent religions, ancestry and family obligations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Duty to Accommodate specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Details of the legislative requirements The Saskatchewan Labour Standards Act, section 44 states that employers have a duty to accommodate workers in order to eliminate discrimination unless undue financial, safety, health and hardship costs will stem from the accommodation (Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, 2012). In order to show that a company has followed these regulations, it needs to document the process of considering the accommodation request as well as the actions taken. In this legislation, accommodation should not revolve around employee preferences; instead, it should be done in order to eliminate unreasonable barriers at work. When considering accommodation, an employer needs to keep in mind certain triggers that could necessitate it. If an employee experiences something that changes his or her ability to carry out his duties, then the duty applies. For instance, the person may be a new mother or may have changed religions and these alterations may affect the persons ability to work conventionally. Alternatively, a company may introduce new workplace policies that affect the persons ability to get work done at certain times. The Saskatchewan Code requires managers to accommodate if the return to work policy has led to discrimination against employees from any of the prohibited gr oups. In other scenarios, it could be that the individual has developed a medical condition that requires changes in the way the person works. Management should consider such possibilities prior to accommodation. Employers may also consider performance issues before accommodating. This means that they do not have to wait for requests from employees to do the same. For instance, they may get feedback from other workers that a colleague is having difficulties with work. If an employees performance levels drop or the person behaves erratically, then an employer has the obligation to accommodate him or her.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Managers ought to approach such individuals about the need for accommodation. If the person refuses to pursue the matter, then a business person must document all the steps he or she took into order to abide by the Saskatchewan Labour Act. Therefore, management has the responsibility for identifying barriers and looking for options to eliminate them. Additionally, management should respect the right to privacy or confidentiality. It is not necessary for management to know all about all the details of an employee’s medical problem. All that counts is information about how one’s health condition will affect work. Furthermore, information such as employees’ family situations should not be disclosed. In essence, an accommodation request may not necessarily be written down, but it can be communicated to management clearly. Additionally, managers must familiarise themselves with the needs of employees if accommodation is necessary. Thereafter, management should organise resources and plan for ways in which accommodation can be facilitated. During this process, management will need to buy adaptive equipment or make other adjustments. It is imperative to have a plan if the accommodation will be long term. In such a scenario, parties involved should communicate frequently. Further, management should stay updated on the health status of the employee involved. Employees must play their part in this arrangement. They are expected to formally request for accommodation when something happens to affect their work, or if they become a member of one of the protected groups. They are also expected to work hand in hand with their employers and realise that they may not always get what they demand. Cooperation may be in development of a work plan or in proposing possible solutions for accommodation. Additionally, workers’ unions are obligated to cooperate with employers in the process of accommodation. Employers are must make all the arrangements necessary in order to facilitate a return to work plan. If a worker is to be reasonably accommodated prior to his or her return to work, then an employer can offer him the same job with certain modifications, such as the schedule or duties involved. Alternatively, return to work can come about by offering an employee a different job. Finally, this policy can occur by giving the worker a different job in a modified form (Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Duty to Accommodate specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This legislation has its limits regardless of all the things a manager can do. Employees who have been continuously absent from work, and are unlikely to return are not covered in the Code. In this regard, an employer should apply a reasonableness test. The legislation does not apply when management must experience undue hardship in order to accommodate. If accommodation will result in considerable financial costs, then an employer may forfeit this duty. Additionally, if appreciable interruptions to business will occur, then the duty becomes non obligatory. Furthermore, an employer s hould not accommodate one worker at the expense of infringing on other employees rights. If the accommodation will undermine the safety of the concerned worker or others, then it should not be implemented. In the event that an employee claims discrimination due to the failure to accommodate, companies can be exempted if they use the bona fide occupational requirement argument. Certain professions require employees to possess particular health conditions before they can be fit enough to engage in it. For instance, drivers with a poor vision cannot perform well. Therefore, if an employer can prove that the employee lacked the bona fide occupational requirement, then the court will excuse him or her from discrimination. For this defence to apply, a manager must show that the standard (rule) was related to the concerned function, that it was done in good faith, and that lack of the standard would cause undue hardship (MacDonald, 2009). Impact of the legislation on accommodation and on r eturn to work Since the Code recognises ill or injured employees as one of the categories that are entitled to these modifications, employers have had to do as much as they can to accommodate workers. They have given employees leave of absence when illnesses or accidents occur, regardless of where the accidents took place. Additionally, when an employee recovers from an illness, an employer must leave room for a gradual return. This has changed the way things get done at the workplace because now companies must take time to allow a transition back to work. They must also dedicate resources for this process. If an employee has not fully recovered, his manager ought to change work shifts or rearrange job duties for the same to occur. Therefore, this legislation has affected the workplace by encouraging greater flexibility during company time. In certain scenarios, a person may have a permanent physical disability because of their illness. Therefore, a place of work needs to change wor k conditions so as to integrate injured workers. These requirements have altered what managers need to do in order to stay ahead.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pregnant workers or individuals with family obligations are also entitled to some alterations in work. Employers have brought together work bundles that are in line with the employees needs. Sometimes, it may be necessary to transfer the employee to a new position or alter conditions of work. For example, a pregnant worker should not do a lot of manual work or heavy lifting; an employer may have to give her a seat even when similar workers do their job while standing. Therefore, management needs to lighten their duties at this time. When delivery time approaches they should get maternal leave; fathers should also get paternal leave. If someone has children, he or she must be granted days off to meet those obligations. A child could be graduating, sick or changing schools. Persons with divergent religious backgrounds are also included in the legislation. Companies can give allowances for special festivities or rituals. For instance, a devout Muslim may need time off from work to do h is daily prayers. Alternatively, the person could have a religious holiday that he needs to celebrate. Employers ought to make these considerations before making deadlines or assigning work. Numerous possibilities exist for alternation of work policies, duties, and arrangements. Managers ought to make these decisions in order to ensure that all employees are fully accommodated. When people with a genuine need for accommodation are denied this opportunity, then a unionised worker has the right to file a grievance to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission through a collective agreement. Employees without unions may still file grievance through the Saskatchewan Labour Standards Act. This means that organisations can face huge financial losses if fines are imposed. Alternatively, their company image would be tarnished and this could ruin business. If companies want no business interruptions, then they should meet these obligations. Accommodation and return to work as related to an org anisation’s Integrated Disability Management Program The Saskatchewan Labour Standard Act on the duty accommodate places upon managers a responsibility to have an effective disability management program in which they offer supportive workplace policies. They should also encourage the worker, his or her union, and healthcare professionals to cooperate with management. A conducive disability management program should consist of an element of evaluation. Managers must be educated about their duties and responsibilities in the disability management program (Brooker et al., 2000). The first step in the creation of an integrated disability management program that complies with the return to work law is development of an accommodation and return to work policy. Employers need to cover all the issues that affect an injured or protected worker in a return to work policy. Some of the elements of the policy may include budgetary issues, salary replacement, transitional employment as wel l as accommodation. These policies will assist in getting commitment from top management as well as involvement from employees who need accommodation. A proper disability management program needs to have an offer of modified work. Here, a company should reduce work hours, alter a worker’s original job, transfer the worker, or minimise work load if an employee is injured. Permanent job modifications are sometimes imperative for an employee to return to work fully. This measure will reduce recurrent absenteeism from employees and will also minimise the need for high amounts of benefits. It should be noted that a company has the obligation to alter both physical and psychosocial factors in their disability management program. The latter refers to aspects such a workplace intensity or control at work while physical factors include seating positions or forceful movements. Supervisors and management who are responsible for implementation of the system ought to be educated on the pr ogram. Training should involve telling managers and supervisors about the disability or condition. This will empower them to handle the condition or disability more effectively and assist in gaining empathy from them. Lastly, the disability management program should have an evaluation phase. Here, the effectiveness of the program should be assessed on the basis of its outcomes. One parameter would be the number of workers who returned to work. Cases of workers whose conditions worsened or improved after returning to work should be noted. Even aspects such as severity of pain can also be measured. Conclusion Companies must make reasonable adjustments for employees from protected groups, injured, or ill workers. This ensures that employees are not discriminated against and that companies do not place health risks on workers. Employers have the duty to accommodate by making psychosocial and physical changes to work. This can be done by personal observation or by requests from employees . Workers and unions must also cooperate with employees in order to make it work. A supporting workplace environment ensures that employees stay employed or they can return to work and engage in productive work. References Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (2011). Rehabilitation and return to work. Web. Brooker, A., Sinclair, S., Clarke, J., Pennick, V. Hogg-Johnson, S. (2000). Effective disability management and return to work practices. Web. MacDonald, S. (2009). Employer’s duty to accommodate an employee’s disability: When does it end?. Vancouver: Continuing Legal Education. Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (2012). Saskatchewan Human Rights Law. Web.

Divorcing a Culture When the Legal Procedure Costs More Than Expected

Divorcing a Culture When the Legal Procedure Costs More Than Expected Becoming a part of a different culture is not as easy as changing one’s clothes – no matter how alluring the real of foreign traditions might seem, it is still a different world with different rules. In her essay â€Å"The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl†, Elizabeth Wong tells her story of trying desperately to fit in the American culture and shake off the irritating Chinese lifestyle. However, it still seems that rejecting a specific culture in such a fierce way is hardly mature.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Divorcing a Culture: When the â€Å"Legal Procedure† Costs More Than Expected specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More ALTHOUGH WONG’S EXPERIENCE IN CHANGING CULTURES IS WORTH RESPECTING AS A CONSCIOUS DECISION MADE BY A PERSON WHO KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS TO ACHIEVE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE REASONABLE TO FIND A COMPROMISE BETWEEN TWO CULTURES, SHOWING RESPECT TO THE REPRESENTA TIVES OF EACH COMMUNITY. There is the time in every single person’s life when (s)he needs to blend with the rest of the crowd. Thus, one can realize that (s)he is accepted among the rest of the members of society and, therefore, become its integral part. Otherwise, one can be easily ostracized and turn into an outcast for the rest of the community members to ignore at best and make fun of at worst. From the point of view of the one who is afraid not to be accepted in the community, the ideas of becoming an â€Å"all-American girl† expressed in Wang’s article are quite familiar to pretty much every single person. As Wang explains, â€Å"The language was a source of embarrassment† (Wang 23), pointing at the fact that she did not want to stand out among the rest of the members of the American community. An understandable stage of adapting to the new environment, the given emotion can be easily dealt with. Personally, I had a similar experience when I learned that I had to accept the culture of another country along with my native one. However, the need to be accepted among the members of a foreign society should not be spurred by the hatred of one’s own culture. What follows from Wang’s experience is that she started detesting her own culture when understanding how weak it looked compared to the power of the American traditions. As Wang put it, as she was ten years old, she had better things to learn than ideographs copied in lines (Wang 24). However, it seems that there is too much denial in Wang’s writing. In my personal experience, I had to accept two cultures at once when I learned that some of my relatives belonged to a different nationality; however, the given fact did not prevent me from learning about both cultures and taking the best from both.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the mat urity of Wong’s decision to â€Å"divorce† her culture and accept the American one, it is still a hardly reasonable step. Refusing to accept her own culture and blending with the rest of the American population might have resulted in Wong losing a part of her uniqueness. Since a personality depends greatly on the environment in which it develops, cutting off the links to the Chinese culture meant losing the opportunity to have new experiences. While there may be a lot to hate about a particular culture, most of its ideas have been time-tested, which means tthey are worth at least comparing with the ones of the American culture. Wong, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl.† PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS. Ed. Lee Brandon. New York: Houghton Miffin, 2005. 23–24.

How To Power A Successful Blog Through Storytelling With Jeff Bullas

How To Power A Successful Blog Through Storytelling With Jeff Bullas How do you deliver traffic to your blog? How do you move from chasing an audience to attracting and keeping one? Today, we’re talking to Jeff Bullas, an internationally renowned speaker on digital marketing, including social media, blogging, and brand building. His mission is to help people win at business and life in the digital world through the art of storytelling. Storytelling: If people forget what you told them, they won’t forget how you made them feel Marketers in different countries face the same problems; they all want more traffic and conversions How Jeff took a $10 investment to generate more than 25 million visitors Books and blogs that inspired Jeff Build credibility and create content Description of Jeff’s virtual team; how he avoids the office because it feels like work instead of fun Make your brand memorable Connection between storytelling, social media, and driving traffic to your blog Make your audience the hero of a journey; convince people that they are capable With traffic, you have to earn and own it to convert it to leads and sales Passion and purpose is not a destination, it’s a calling and journey Develop a daily routine that becomes a habit Where to start: Ask yourself, Why am I here? What’s my passionate purpose? Links: Jeff Bullas Website Jeff Bullas’ Blog Jeff Bullas on Twitter Jeff Bullas on YouTube The New Rules of Marketing and PR book Jeremy Epstein’s blog Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek book HubSpot Blog Deep Work book Building a StoryBrand book Contently The Storytelling Edge Todd Brown and Marketing Funnel Automation Gary Vaynerchuk AMP on iTunes leave a review and send screenshot to podcast@.com If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes from Jeff Bullas: â€Å"The reality is that it’s your story and that’s where it starts to become powerful† â€Å"This is still very driven by what Im passionate about, which is making a difference, creating content, learning to write better, learning to tell better stories† â€Å"If you love what youre doing, that will make it so much easily to actually sit down and create content, inspire, entertain, and educate, thats what’s really important.†

Pain management in nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pain management in nursing - Research Paper Example Luckily, quite a lot of studies and print and electronic literatures cover the subject of pain management. In many occasions, literatures define pain management as composed of medical practitioners, occupational therapists, clinical nurse specialists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, and nurse practitioners (Gordon et al., 2005). When need arises, other practitioners such as massage specialists and psychiatrists may be incorporated in pain management practices, especially in cases of non-physical pain. Pain healing process is sometimes rather quick, once the underlying disease or trauma has been healed. This kind of pain management requires mostly one physician to deal with completely, using drugs such as analgesics (Gordon et al., 2005). On the other hand, proper management of long-term pain will require a dedicated team of physicians from a wide range of specializations to manage effectively. Medicine is concerned with the treatment of sickness and injury to enhance speedy heeling, and also treats upsetting symptoms like pain to alleviate suffering during the recovery process. In cases where a painful injury fails to heal quickly, or when the pain persists even after the injury or sickness has healed, or when the cause of the pain cannot be ascertained, the task of medicine is to relieve the pain (Gordon et al., 2005). Clinical Trials of Pain Management and Studies of Pain Mechanisms are some of the avenues by which pain management has achieved considerable growth and development in recent times. For instance clinical trials by the World Health Organization (WHO), institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and pharmaceuticals such as GSK Pharmaceutical. For example, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke did a pilot trial of intravenous pamidronate for chronic low back pain while a GSK Pharmaceutical sponsored a randomized randomized, double-blind, placebo-contr olled, crossover pilot trial of lamotrigine for central pain due to multiple sclerosis: a model for the role of lamotrigine in the treatment of central pain. Investigator initiated grant. This paper investigates the available and accessible studies and print and electronic literatures on pain management in nursing with a view to finding the current pain management methods in use, their effectiveness, and chance for improvement if any. Further, the relevance of these literatures and any gaps and other weaknesses will be explored. Literature Review on Approaches to Pain Management in Nursing The reviewed literatures revealed that quite a number of approaches to pain management in nursing have been in use for a very log time. These techniques include; the use of physical therapy, antidepressants, analgesics, anticonvulsants, physical exercise, psychological measures like biofeedback, application of heat or ice, and in some cases, cognitive behavioral therapy (World Health Organization, 2013). Pain management in nursing can also be attained by the use of drugs or through interventional means. The interventional methods available are commonly used to cure chronic back pain. Examples of these intervention procedures are injection of facet joints, the use of spinal cord stimulators, and use of epidural steroid injections. As stated earlier, pain management may sometimes involve physicians from

Compensation strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compensation strategy - Essay Example Improvements in the strategy would be suggested at the end of the paper. McDonalds, in its values, regards its employees as an important part of the system. They state that they are committed to their people and ‘provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement’ (Mission and Values, 2013). A typical McDonald’s restaurant has 8 levels of hierarchy. These are shown in Figure 1. In each restaurant, McDonalds usually employs 60 individuals. These mainly consist of the crew members who occupy the lowest rung of the organizational hierarchy. The job of the crew members is clear cut without them having to take any decisions. They have to prepare the food the standard way, serve the customers and maintain an efficient work and service flow within the restaurant. Above the crew members are the training crew, floor managers, shift running floor managers, trainee managers and assistant mangers. Like the job of the crew members, the job of these employees is also quite standard. Each day, they have to follow the same steps without them having to take any decisions or choices in their roles. The managers are the controlling head of the restaurant. They are responsible for running the daily operations within the restaurant and have to handle and monitor the rest of the employees. These managers are responsible for sales of the restaurant and for providing training to the employees placed below them. McDonald’s in UAE, similar to McDonalds is every other country hires on the basis on equal opportunity. McDonalds has a strong commitment towards diversity and inclusion. It therefore disregards any difference of color, race, religion, age or gender when employing or paying its workers. The average salary of an employee within McDonald’s varies from region to region. In most countries, employees are paid on hourly basis. However, in UAE, hourly pay is not common and employees are paid

Corporate Income Taxes - Reorganizations and Consolidated Tax Returns Research Paper

Corporate Income Taxes - Reorganizations and Consolidated Tax Returns - Research Paper Example One disadvantage of this type of reorganization is the dealing with dissenting shareholders if the laws in place require a consent to the deal by majority shareholders of the acquiring and acquired corporations. Some of these dissenting shareholders are difficult to deal with. Moreover, the law requires that all liabilities of the target company be assumed by the acquiring one (Ginsburg, 2012). Type B reorganizations have the advantage of isolating the liabilities of the target in a subsidiary. As such, these commitments do not affect the principal acquiring corporation. Moreover, the assets and contracts that are deemed non-transferrable are not lost in the reorganization. Type B reorganizations are simple and easy to carry out. They involve no losses or gains by either the shareholders or the corporations involved. These reorganizations have the disadvantage that only the voting stock can be used as consideration by the acquiring company. Another disadvantage of the same is the fact that the minority shareholders of the target can bring problems to the acquiring company and its operations. Thus, for the acquiring company to be safe, it has to acquire 100% of the target company’s stock. The type C reorganizations have the characteristic of one company acquiring all the assets of the target. It exchanges these assets for its voting stock, as well as a limited collection of some of its other property. One of the advantages of this reorganization is the fact that the acquiring company can choose the liabilities of the target that it wants to assume. In so doing, the acquiring company is not overwhelmed with the unwanted liabilities of the acquired corporation and does not undergo much struggle in offsetting them. An acquiring company chooses the commitments that it knows it can easily meet and settle. Another advantage is the fact that the

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 35

Ethics - Essay Example One of the major ethical rules that managers must adopt is articulating their ethics code. This implies that leaders in an organization must define the key aspects that cover their ethical orientation. This implies that managers must come up with ethics code that indicates the behaviors that are acceptable or unacceptable in their organizations. In order for the ethics code to be effective in streamlining the conduct of the workers during their duties, it must come up with a well crafted code. Such a code should indicate what the employees and the managers should do as well as the situation in the work place if every one is operating at his or her best (Jayne, 2014). In the same way, ethics code must be treated as something vital for the success of a firm rather than indicating it as a strategy to satisfy individuals or firms that offer criticism. The code of ethics must be treated as one of the aspects in the organizational culture. During the hiring process, human resources managers must adopt ethical code. This implies that before the hiring process, prospective candidates must be provided by the code that acts as a guideline while undertaking their duties. For instance, new recruits should be invited by the managers to discuss on the various issues that is related to their personal ethics. One of the major strategies that hiring managers should adopt is to ask the prospective candidates specific questions that relates to their duties. On their part, the candidates should be provided with an opportunity to accept the code or give feedbacks on their effectiveness. After the hiring process, the employees should be provided with an extensive orientation that encompasses all the aspects of the ethics code. Existing and new employees must be provided with job descriptions that are in line with the code. This implies that managers must clearly indicate what the employees are supposed to

The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field Essay

The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field - Essay Example A good case study to commence with will be our chemical process design group project. Through it, the description of what project management and planning is is revealed. Before the commencement of our project week, the inception of this project week was planned prior to our meetings which were organised with minutes and agendas being recorded concurrently. I was tasked with the role of being a chair of the design project since I was eloquent and fluent. With this, I was deemed to allow full participation and leadership in the project altogether. In order to meet project deadlines and also our groundwork, we used Gantt charts as well as some Microsoft programs. However, the major setback was the individual performances of project/group members in the assigned tasks. It was duly noted that the persona of each member played a critical role in project completion since some members were more involved than others. The result of this was a failure in the first part of the design project. Wi th this, I examined each member’s advantage and disadvantage, including myself, by requesting them to come up with a SWOT analysis of themselves. This assisted me to adopt dissimilar management as well as leadership techniques for individual members. As a result, the majority of inactive members became more involved with the second part of the design strategy, and we successively achieved a positive result. In order to solve and analyse a situation at hand, it is a necessity to embrace teamwork. This will ensure a more positive end result.

Oskar Schindler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oskar Schindler - Essay Example Oskar Schindler is known to have saved the lives of around a thousand Jews at the time of the Holocaust. What follows is a detailed account of Mr. Schindler (Crowe, 2004). The Life of Oskar Schindler Many people believe that Oskar Schindler was a true hero, at a time when the Jews were brutally murdered; Oskar Schindler actually saved the lives of 1000 Jews. What is most remarkable is the fact that he himself was a Jew ant that too one belonging to the Nazi party. For someone to have the courage to do that speaks volumes about his character. Oskar Schindler owned three factories, out of which only one employed Jewish forced laborers. In 1944, Emalia (the factory that employed Jewish laborers) was at its peak and had employed 1700 workers out of which 1000 were Jews. During the time of the torture, the Emalia workers were also subject to brutal treatment at the Plaszow concentration camp, however, whenever possible Schindler intervened to see that the treatment at the camp was as less severe as possible. Moreover, Schindler also gave refuge to his employees at the Emalia along with approximately 450 other Jews so that they were able to evade the torture and brutal murders at Plaszow (Bulow, 2009).

The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field Essay

The Advancement of Technologies in the Communication Field - Essay Example A good case study to commence with will be our chemical process design group project. Through it, the description of what project management and planning is is revealed. Before the commencement of our project week, the inception of this project week was planned prior to our meetings which were organised with minutes and agendas being recorded concurrently. I was tasked with the role of being a chair of the design project since I was eloquent and fluent. With this, I was deemed to allow full participation and leadership in the project altogether. In order to meet project deadlines and also our groundwork, we used Gantt charts as well as some Microsoft programs. However, the major setback was the individual performances of project/group members in the assigned tasks. It was duly noted that the persona of each member played a critical role in project completion since some members were more involved than others. The result of this was a failure in the first part of the design project. Wi th this, I examined each member’s advantage and disadvantage, including myself, by requesting them to come up with a SWOT analysis of themselves. This assisted me to adopt dissimilar management as well as leadership techniques for individual members. As a result, the majority of inactive members became more involved with the second part of the design strategy, and we successively achieved a positive result. In order to solve and analyse a situation at hand, it is a necessity to embrace teamwork. This will ensure a more positive end result.

Ethical Issues Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues Essay Researchers found that 10 percent of employees at all levels report feeling pressured to compromise ethical standards in the workplace (Managing Business Ethics by Trevino and Nelson 2007). Ethical issues are faced by every industry in the business world as well as communities, public and private organizations and individuals. Leadership, internal practices, and training may impact the proper implementation of business ethics. Halliburton is one of the many large corporations involved in unethical business practices. This paper examines ethical issues faced by public sector employees and employees of private sector firms that conduct business with and for government agencies. The paper discusses Halliburton, a U. S. defense contractor (former vice president Dick Cheney’s old firm), ethical issues and the impact on stakeholders involved. The goal is to highlight the ethical issues and make recommendations for how prospective employees and managers can handle similar situations. Background Since 2001, energy services company Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) have performed unspecified services to the United States military in Iraq, Kuwait, and several other countries under a no-bid, long-term global logistics contract, (LOGCAP). In February 2003, Halliburton received a five-year extension, $7 billion no-bid contract for services in Iraq. During the course of awarding and executing these contracts at least two people made the decision to become whistle blowers, a government employee, and a Halliburton/KBR procurement employee. The government employee disclosed that Halliburton/KBR was involved in closed-door meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers that resulted in the no-bid, multi-year, billion dollar contract awarded exclusively to Halliburton/KBR (Morning Edition October 29, 2004). The procurement employee disclosed the specific activities within Halliburton/KBR that resulted in overcharging the government and taxpayers for goods and services while simultaneously eliminating competition among potential vendors. Some allegations include soliciting higher priced products and services because the government pays a fee based on the total of goods/services procured and manipulating purchases orders to maintain a maximum of $2,500 to avoid the bidding process between prospective vendors. Specifically, Halliburtons subsidiary Kellogg, Brown Root hired a Kuwaiti company, Altanmia, to supply fuel at about twice the going rate, then added a markup, for an overcharge of at least $61 million, according to a December 2003 Pentagon audit. The only problem is that $61 million is taxpayer money. Perception of Unethical Practices of Dick Cheney From the beginning many American citizens raised an eyebrow towards the decision to have Halliburton as a U. S defense contractor. This public outrage stemmed from the former vice president’s former employment as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Halliburton from 1995 through August 2000. KBR, the companys former subsidiary has been the main government contractor working to restore Iraqs oil industry that was awarded without competitive bidding in 2001. According to Cheneys 2001 financial disclosure report, the vice presidents Halliburton benefits included three batches of stock options comprising 433,333 shares. He also has a 401(k) retirement account valued at between $1,001 and $15,000 dollars. His deferred compensation account was valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, and generated income of $50,000 to $100,000. Halliburton has contracts worth more than $1. 7 billion for its work in Iraq, and it could make hundreds of millions more from a no-bid contract. During Cheney’s tenure as the defense secretary, the Pentagon chose Halliburton’s subsidiary KBR to study the cost effectiveness of outsourcing some military operations to private contractors. Based on the results of the study, the Pentagon hired KBR to implement an outsourcing plan (Washington Post Sep 26, 2003). Many companies like Bechtel, Exxon, Blackwater and Halliburton have profited from the Iraq war. It is no secret that war creates wealth for those companies canny enough to exploit it, and not be killed by it. Is Dick Cheney one of these? After his departure from office former vice president Cheney will be free to profit in whatever way he feels. The ethical question is, however, has he ever really left it? And by not leaving it, was he in ethical violation of his oath of office, at the very least? Stakeholders The stakeholders in this situation are the client, which is the U. S. government and American taxpayers who are the investors or funders of the government; the vendors, who through the bidding process maintain a competitive and profitable business environment; and employees who make sure that their employers receive the best value for the services and products they procure. Ethical dilemmas The first ethical dilemmas is if employees should bring wrongdoing to the surface and if so, how? Will the decision violate the privacy of vendors or other employees? Is it legal to disclose certain activities related to defense contracts? Secondary ethical issues relate directly to the stakeholders. Is the U. S. government unfairly awarding contracts? Is that awarding process facilitating a culture of overcharging, which is absorbed by U. S. taxpayers? Are vendors intentionally overcharging Halliburton/KBR? Are Halliburton/KBR’s procurement practices eliminating competition in the marketplace? Analysis The primary issue in this situation is whistle blowing. â€Å"Whistle blowing means calling attention to wrongdoing that is occurring within an organization. †(Nadler and Schulman 2006) Halliburton is still under investigation by the FBI. Perhaps the negative publicity and the case caused the contract to be divided with Halliburton winning one of the parts in a public bid. The underlying secondary issues include exposing potentially fraudulent business activities, financial irresponsibility, and illegally profiting from public funding. The government employee wrote and spoke to superiors about the activities. The government employee sought legal counsel upon deciding to go public with their disclosure. Finally, both made their testimonies to the proper investigating bodies including the FBI, the U. S. House of Representatives Committees on Government Reform and Energy and Commerce. For their troubles, the government employee and Halliburton/KBR procurement employee were forced into a whistle-blowers protection program. Conclusion In the public sector, whistle blowers are often faced with the dilemma that their choice to disclose can constitute a criminal act. In both cases these employees called attention to suspected activities within their organizations before going outside or public. Employees faced with this dilemma must identify the stakeholders and ethical issues that concern them, and then make calculated decision whether or not to disclose. The facts surrounding whether or not the U. S. government are unfairly awarding contracts will be an ongoing issue. Despite all the measures set forth to regulate the procurement of contracts, greed for money will play a critical factor for the people that have weak ethical character. Whether you are the employee or employer being the standard bearer in ethical situations will earn the respect of others as well as keeping you out of big trouble. References Analysis: FBI investigates whether Pentagon officials committed fraud in their handling of a no-bid contract to a subsidiary of Halliburton before the Iraq War. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Oct 29, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Donahue, J. (Nov-Dec 2005). Treading on the taxpayer. Multinational Monitor, 26, 11-12.p. 7(2). Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Nadler, J. Schulman, M. Whistle Blowing in the Public Sector. Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/f ocusareas/government_ethics/introductio n/whistleblowing. html. Profile: US Army will allow bidding for contract work in Iraq initially given to Halliburton. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Sept 8, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale.

Francisella Tularensis Gene Sequencing

Francisella Tularensis Gene Sequencing Francisella tularensis, a pathogenic gram-negative bacteria and the only bacteria recognized under the genus Francisellaceae of the gammaproteobacteria family, was isolated by George Walter McCoy from ground squirrels in 1912. There are four subspecies of F. tularensis: biovar tularensis (type A), biovar holartica (type B), subspecies novicida, and biovar mediasiatica. Type A, most commonly found within North America, is the most virulent subspecies and includes the fully sequenced laboratory strain, SCH4U. Type B is most commonly found within Europe and Asia but is rarely linked to fatal disease while subspecies novicida and biovar mediasiatica, found within North America and central Asia respectively, are non-virulent strains in human hosts, however, little is known about the latter. F. tularensis is non-motile , aerobic and rod shaped with an approximate size of 0.2  µm. Despite F. tularensis having been categorized as a Class A Select Agent by the U.S. government as a prospective instrument of bioterrorism, human-to-human transmission of the bacteria has not been observed. F. tularensis is most commonly spread through vectors such as ticks or deer flies, with aquatic rodents, deer and lagomorphs being common reservoir hosts. F. tularensis has the ability to infect a host via skin contact and inhalation, leading to ulceroglandular forms of tularemia and pneumonic tularemia. Without treatment, pneumonic tularemia has been shown to be fatal (mortality rate of 30-60% if left untreated), causing symptoms such as fever, anorexia, and septicemia within approximately three to four days after infection. Although human-to-human transmission has not been identified, F. tularensis’ ability to infect human hosts is not hindered. F. tularensis requires a low infectious dose (approximately 10-50 bacteria), contributing to its high virulence. Being an intrac ellular bacterium requiring cysteine for growth can be limiting, however F. tularensis is capable of surviving outside of a host for weeks at a time. This characteristic leads to its easy spread when one comes in contact with water and grasslands, particularly during activities like brushcutting or lawn mowing in which the carcasses of dead reservoir animals may be present within the environment, leading to what is commonly known as â€Å"lawnmower disease† or â€Å"rabbit disease†. Tularemia is endemic in North America, Europe and Asia with 5-10% of cases being waterborne infection opposed to the most common method, via contact with reservoir animals. At risk groups include those who are immunosuppressed. The life cycle of this intracellular pathogen is important in determining which aspects are of main focus when dealing with potential virulence factors. There are approximately five steps of this pathogens life cycle: entry (associated with type IV pili), phagosomal escape, cytoplasmic multiplication (associated with biofilms and ppGpp), lysis and release (associated with MglA). The entry of this pathogen is dependent on complement factor C3, mannose receptors and cell surface-expressed nucleolin (encoded by the ncl gene). Within the cell, the bacterium colocalizes within arrested, late endosomal phagosomes. Within 15-30 minutes, the phagosomes are destroyed and the bacteria escape into the cytoplasm of the host cell. After multiplication, two distinct mechanisms for host cell lysis occur: Type 1-induced apoptosis and caspase 1-mediated pyropoptosis (in which immune cells that recognize signals of infection within themselves, go through programmed cell death via production of cytokin es). The pathogens response to innate immunity within the host cell also plays a role in it’s virulence as evading innate responses (such as production of cytokines) is crucial when infecting host cells, macrophages in particular. Being able to detect environmental changes through use of two-component systems help the pathogen survive in different conditions within or outside of host cells, which can have a huge impact on its virulence as well. Biofilms also play a significant role in the virulence of F. tularensis. Biofilms are a community of microbes attached to a surface, encased in a matrix. Biofilms help provide protection from antimicrobial agents as well as protection from the immune system of the host. Biofilms play a role in chronic infections as they protect the bacteria which are most resistant to antibiotics or antimicrobials that may be administered to the host. In the case of F. tularensis, biofilm formation is increased when the relA gene is inactivated. Production of hyperphosphorylated guanosine diphosphate and triphosphate analogs or (p)ppGpp, is used to combat limited nutrient conditions. Uncharged tRNA molecules bind the ribosome resulting in stalling of translation and activation of ribosome associated RelA. This causes the production of (p)ppGpp which is then converted to ppGpp. ppGpp molecules bind RNA polymerase to alter gene expression under certain conditions. Inactivation of the relA gene causes d efective production of (p)ppGpp which leads to increased biofilm formation and increased resistance to stress. These biofilms make it hard to treat infections resulting from this pathogen as eliminating the pathogen from the body becomes more difficult with increased production of biofilms and increased resistance. The ability for this pathogen to survive without a host is due, in part, to its ability to adapt to different environments by activation and repression of genes, some of which are found within what are known as pathogenicity islands. In the case of F. tularensis, the pathogenicity island FP1, contains 17 highly controlled genes that are crucial to its survival. In the laboratory strain of Type A alone, the expression of approximately 658 genes are up regulated and/or down regulated during infection within macrophages. The change in expression of these genes has helped researchers understand F. tularensis’ reactions to specific environmental stimuli such as temperature, limited iron source and oxidative stress. In terms of temperature as an environmental stimuli, F. tularensis is able is to alter its outer surface when growing in temperatures of 25 °C as opposed to 37 °C in a human host, by modifying the lipid A of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This pathogen is capable of tempe rature changes through involvement of alternative sigma factors as well as heat-shock proteins. In F. tularensis, the only alternative sigma factor that is encoded is RpoH. In terms of iron acquisition, intracellular pathogens require the ability to acquire iron because of the limited availability within mammalian host cells, as intracellular replication is iron-dependent. F. tularensis contains siderophores. These small molecules grow under iron-limiting conditions and bind iron from inorganic and host sources. Studies show that iron-starved F. tularensis expresses an additional 80 genes, including some within FP1, and that F. novidica growth in broth and macrophages is inhibited as well as it virulence in regards to causing pneumonic tularemia in mouse models. In addition to temperature and iron acquisition, the detection of oxidative stress is important as oxidative stress is hugely involved in innate antimicrobial responses by macrophages in the host. Reactive oxygen species (RO S) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have the ability to produce superoxide and hydrogen peroxide molecules which cause damage to biological molecules within bacterial cells, such as DNA, as well as important enzymes which lead to metabolic defects. F. tularensis has the ability to inactivate these reactive species by inactivation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase which is found within the phagolysosome and is required to reduce oxygen to superoxide anions. Environmental stimulus is important when studying the virulence of this pathogen as it is directly related to regulation of virulence gene expression. In fact, the gene MglA (or macrophage growth locus) has been linked with responses to oxidative stress. MglA in particular, is required for replication within macrophages. MglA is highly up-regulated during infection and mutant strains are unable to escape macrophage phagosomes. MglA binds with SspA (a transcription factor that responds to nutrient limitation) as well as RNA polymerase in a heterodimer which is required for FP1 gene activation. In order for the pathogen to detect these environmental stimuli, however, two component regulatory systems composed of membrane-bound sensor kinases and cytoplasmic response regulators are essential. The F. tularensis genome codes for two of these systems, one of which is of major importance and contains a response regulator that resembles PmrA of E. coli bacteria, involved in LPS modification. Inactivation of this gene increases susceptibility to killing through antimicrobial actions, decreased growth and inability to escape macrophages. PmrA is described as a DNA binding protein that allows for binding of the MglA and SspA complex bound to RNA polymerase to initiate FP1 gene transcription. Aside from gene expression relating to virulence, genes within F. tularensis’ genome have also been shown to produce structures that aid with its life cycle and its virulence. One structure in particular is type IV pili. Multifunctional and flexible, these appendages are capable of adhesion, motility, biofilm formation and conjugation, all of which are important aspects of colonization of pathogens. In human strains of the virus, type IV pili have been shown to be essential for virulence, specifically in type A. In type B strains (which have relatively low virulence), however, pseudogenes of genes encoding type IV pili have been found which further support the idea that virulence is somehow connected to type IV pili. In the case of F. tularensis, type IV pili are essential for the binding of the bacterial cell to host cells to allow phagocytosis to occur. Mutant strains lacking the genes responsible for the production of pili (mainly pilA, pilB, pilC, pilD, pilT, and pilQ) are considerably attenuated in pathogenicity. Another structural virulence determinant is the ability of Francisella tularensis to suppress and avoid early innate immune responses (which slows progression of infection and allows for adaptive immunity to develop) by modifying its LPS, as mentioned previously in regards to PmrA and temperature as an environmental stimulus. Through removal of Kdo (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid) saccharide, F. tularensis is able to kill the host before adaptive immunity matures. Mutant strains with the inability to modify its LPS are shown to be attenuated in mice models, inducing an early innate immune response. The O-antigen present within the LPS of F. tularensis is also important for multiplication. O-antigen is a repetitive glycan polymer, composing the outermost domain of the LPS. Mutant strains lacking O-antigen show susceptibility to killing by serum. F. tularensis also produces AcpA (burst-inhibiting acid phosphatase) which inhibits respiratory bursts (release of neutrophils by macrophag es when they encounter bacteria) in order to help evade host immune system responses. Though the genome of F. tularensis has been sequenced, not many genes have been shown to be identical or even similar to those currently within bioinformatics databases. This makes it challenging to determine what genes are responsible for what functions. As described above, the major factors that determine F. tularensis’ virulence are mainly two-component systems which detect environmental stimuli, helping the bacteria adapt to environmental change (including temperature, iron limitation and oxidative stress), which leads to expression of important regulatory genes such as MgIA, PmrA, and relA, all of which are associated with specific stages of its life cycle. MglA is of major importance because of its role in initiating transcription of another virulence factor, the FP1 pathogenicity island. Biofilms, LPS modification and type IV pili also influence virulence through their ability to aid in multiplication, resistance, and evasion of innate immunity as well as entry into hos t cells. Even though the functions of many genes within the genome of F. tularensis are unknown, this pathogen is still very important to the world of biotechnology because of its ability to be used as a biological weapon. This is due to several characteristics of F. tularensis including being: easy to aerosolize, highly infective (requiring only a small dose of 10-50 bacteria for infection) highly incapacitating to infected hosts (with a relatively high mortality rate if its associated disease is left untreated). WHO estimated, in 1969, that 50kg of aerosolized virulent F. tularensis could result in 250,000 illnesses and 19,000 deaths if dispersed over a population of approximately 5 million people. This has led to production of a live vaccine as well as an attenuated; however the live vaccine has not yet been approved within the United States and the attenuated vaccine is only available in special cases. Disease associated with this pathogen is currently treated with antibiotics, the drug choice being streptomycin or tetracycline-class drugs. The best way to prevent an infection by F. tularensis is through proper protection when skinning wild animals, particularly lagomorphs (rabbits), avoiding ingestion of uncooked reservoir animals and untreated water sources in which these animals inhabit as well as wearing repellent to prevent tick bites.