Saturday, December 28, 2019

Why Should We Help To Veterans - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 857 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Veterans Essay Did you like this example? Veterans have sacrificed so much for our country by fighting to maintain our freedom and rights. For this reason, the government should do something about the veterans poverty rate. Veterans have resources that they could use but the resources do not always reach out to the veterans in need. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why Should We Help To Veterans?" essay for you Create order The rate of homeless veterans is very high compared to non-veterans in the United States because they were usually not ever taught how to write a resume and many have had little to any experience with a job interview. Even though the government provides care for veterans, veterans are still not getting enough care with mental health or assistance in securing jobs on returning to civilian life. The result is a mass majority of veterans who are homeless and destitute. There are three key reasons first, the mass majority of veterans become homeless after retiring from the service. The government should be doing more to provide more affordable housing for the veterans. There should be programs to help them obtain housing at affordable costs. Studies have shown that more than five hundred thousand U.S. veterans experience homelessness each year, maintains the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans(Homelessness). Also, There is a problem with the veterans not getting enough resources they need to able to afford a house. There is a more likely chance for males than females to become homeless. Also, if veterans are retiring from the military at an older age, there is also a higher percentage of homelessness due to lack of job skills. This is a major problem because veterans do not get the resources they need. Most are not taught how to write a resume that would help them acquire a job that they would need. Secondly, most veterans come back from fighting and are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), and do not get access to the right resources to help them get better. For this major problem, the government should provide more mental health programs for veterans. A large percentage of veterans coming back from war are diagnosed with some kind of mental health problem. In fact, one in eight soldiers returning from combat during that first year of War in Iraq was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or some other mental illness (Dreaxen). Veterans and active soldiers should be provided with more resources to help lower the percentage of mental health problems that affect veterans after retiring from the service or are still active duty. There should be affordable health care for those veterans that can not afford to get the help that they should be getting for PTSD. Lastly, a high percentage of veterans find themselves jobless when coming back after fighting. The main reasons for this are, First, many simply have little idea of how to write a resume, prepare for a job interview, or search out companies with openings (Dreazen). They are not provided the right resources to help them get a job because they are just told what to do when they are serving, so when they retire they do know how to seek out a job. Another reason if they most people do not want to hire a veteran because of the possibility of them having a mental health issue from serving in the military. They are very quick to not hire veterans also because sometimes they do not have all the experience they need for certain jobs. They are very quick to turn down veterans due to these conditions. But, there are some resources out there that help provide veterans with jobs that are limited to veterans for jobs. However, there are still some resources that provide help for a group of veterans. There are nursing homes that help provide care for veterans but it is only for veterans that need a certain care. The VA is committed to providing a customized treatment plan.. Any veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at 70% or more qualifies for nursing home care (Washington Times ). This works for veterans that fit the criteria. On the other hand, if veterans or not informed about the VA programs to help then they are not really reaching out to the veterans and their families that might need this program or help in their families situation. VA offers a variety of programs Yet, many veterans and their families argue that these programs are not limited value if veterans are not informed about them.. ( Washington Times). They need to reach out to families that need help and not just help those who are 70% and qualifies and should expand the program to help others. In conclusion, there is a program that helps a certain amount of veterans that have a certain percentage rate to be provided help. This help does not always give veterans and their families the care they should be provided with so they should provide different coverage options. This problem makes it so that some veterans become homeless, and another reason this happens is that they will not get hired for jobs. The bottom line is that the government should do more for the veterans that fight for this country.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Child Is A Boy Or Girl - 1730 Words

Children are not known to form attachments with just one person. Even though a child may grow up and be natured by both parents in the home and children, the emphasis is usually placed on the mother and the attachment formed with the mother seems to be the most significant whether the child is a boy or girl. It is the mother that focused on to provide the stability and security for the child to develop a secure attachment. This is likely because the mother is the one that the child is likely to form an affectionate bond with. An affectionate bond is described as a bond that is not transitional but rather continuous with someone that is consistent rather than interchangeable. In addition this person remains in close proximity to the child†¦show more content†¦One of the most distressing ways that a child is affected when he or she is removed from the parent or caregiver is in that child’s emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is important because studies show that â€Å"young children who have better self-regulation are more socially competent, have fewer problem behaviors, show more internalized control of behavior, and in general, show fewer externalizing problem behaviors† (Miller Commons, 2010). Internalizing behaviors are depression and anxiety while externalizing behaviors involve aggression and violence. Not only is the mother to provide stability but to do so she herself must be stable. In situations of neglect it more times than others as a result of an unstable mother due to the leading cause of substance abuse quickly followed by mental health issues or poverty. According to Donohue et al, 2014, â€Å" more than 8 million children in the united states have at least one parent who abuses substances, with the percentage of women evidencing severe levels of illicit drug use increasingly relative to me†(p. 707). Women are also under additional strain in the home because â€Å"Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 17.4 million — are being raised without a fathers and nearly half (45%) live below the poverty line† (Donohue et al, 2014). As a result, due to substance abuse and additional stressors, the mother can have difficulty in

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Musical Theatre Analysis for Pathos and Logos-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMusical Theatre Analysis for Pathos, Ethos and Logos. Answer: Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. The above quoted line clearly indicates the importance attached to music as the medium to articulate the inarticulate. Music has been primarily seen as a form of entertainment for the people and also a way to pass their leisure time. Music has been an important part of our society since the ancient times however in the recent times the form has undergone some rapid transformations (Taylor 2012). The end result of this is the rise of the various kinds of musical theatres which use the medium of music to depict a performance. The present day musical theatres along with the medium of music use various other devices like the use of pathos, ethos, logos and various instrumental forms of music (Taylor 2012). It is to be noted that the various musical theatres consists of song, dialogue, dance, acting and others (Taylor 2012). P.B. Shelley very aptly defined the meaning of the present day songs when he said in his famous ode To a Skylark, We look before and after, And pine for what is not: Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. The concept has been used by the various musical theatres to captivate the audiences as well as to attract them with their musical works. According to Friedrich Nietzsche, in his book,Twilight of the Idols, Without music, life would be a mistake. This essay intends to compare and contrast two pieces of musical works, namely, Les Misrables (1985) and My Fair Lady (1956). My Fair Lady produced in the year 1956 was based on the famous play Pygmalion of George Bernard Shaw (McHugh 2012). Alan Jay Lerner wrote the lyrics for this Broadway play and Frederick Loewe did the music composition for this piece (Garebian 1998). It is to be noted that in 1956 this musical set the record for the longest running musical on Broadway (Garebian 1998). The original play Pygmalion on which this musical was based, was itself based on the ancient myth of Pygmalion (Lerner, Shaw and Loewe 1959). The musical narrates the transformation of a girl named Eliza Doolittle with the help of the phonetics specialist Prof. Henry Higgins. However, under this mesh of transformational tale this musical consists of a range of themes like the emancipation of women, the faade of the social class and system and various others (Lerner, Shaw and Loewe 1959). Les Misrables, produced in the year 1985, was based on the novel of the same name of Victor Hugo (Grossman and Stephens 2016). Alain Boublil composed the original French lyrics of the musical whereas the music was composed by Claude-Michel Schnberg (Grossman and Stephens 2016). It is to be noted that the London production ever since its launch in the year 1985, thereby making it the longest running play of the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks (Grossman and Stephens 2016). The musical narrates the story of Jean Valjean, a 19th century peasant of France who gets arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and had to serve nineteen years in the prison (Boublil and Kretzmer 2013). After getting out of the prison he decides to follow a path of redemption by following a righteous path (Boublil and Kretzmer 2013). The original novel as well as the musical production of it still remains one of the masterpieces of mo dern Literature and Theatre. It is to be noted that both the works My Fair Lady and Les Misrables belong to the genre of musical theatres. Both the works make use of dialogues, songs, action and various other musical elements to convey their message to the audience. For example, Eliza Doolittle in the musical My Fair Lady sings, Eliza Doolittle: (singing) The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain! Eliza Doolittle: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain! In the musical, Les Miserables as well there are many songs like If I speak, I am condemned. If I stay silent, I am damned! The contrast between the two musicals lies primary in the nature of the content which they portray and also the manner in which they are being portrayed. The musical My Fair Lady, for example, is very light veined and uses the genre of comedy to deliver its message whereas the musical Les Miserables, on the other hand, is a more serious one and delivers its message using the devices of pathos and logos (Grossman and Stephens 2016). The songs as well as the musical pieces used in the two works are also greatly different. The musical piece, My Fair Lady, for example, uses songs as well as instrumental music pieces which had a distinct English flavor in them whereas the songs and the instrumental musical pieces used in the musical Les Miserables had a distinct European flavor in them (Grossman and Stephens 2016). It is also interesting to note that the musical Les Miserables makes a much more eloquent use of the devices of lightening, use of space on the stage, costumes and various othe rs in comparison to the musical My Fair Lady (McHugh 2012). It is also to be noted that the style of singing and dialogue delivery in My Fair Lady has a cockney flavor to it which is missing in the musical Les Miserables, although the central character of this musical is a 19th century French peasant (McHugh 2012). It is to be noted that the musical My Fair Lady is often considered to be one of the finest musicals of all times. According to an article, Not since Guys and Dolls have all the elements of a big musical production the stars and the chorus, the sets and the costumes, the dances and the plot, the melodies and the lyrics been blended so artfully and so enjoyably (NY Daily News 2018). The original musical score of the musical also have been much appreciated. According to the same article, With all its extra musical trappings, My Fair Lady remains pure Shaw (NY Daily News 2018). Thus, it can be said that the composer, Frederick Loewe uses all the devices of music to make this musical a remarkable one. It is to be noted that the background music during the performance keeps on changing keeping in view the changes on the stage. The Rain in Spain is one of the most popular songs of the musical My Fair Lady. The melody or the line which the listener follows most closely in this particular song is The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!/ The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!. The song initially starts in a lower tone however as the song proceeds the tone or the dynamics of the song increase keep in view the portrayal of the transformation of the cockney girl into the Duchess. It is to be noted that during the entire song a faint piano plays in the background keeping in view the changing tone of the song sung of Eliza. The texture of the song is often said to be plain and often falls in the category of cockney music. It is to be noted that the song consists of two sections-the first one where Eliza is a bit nervous and the second section where she sings confidently. The musical Les Miserables, on the other hand, has also been much appreciated for its musical quality. The musical was initially not very well received by the audience. However, its original music hit the right cords with the people. According to an article, Despite the grandeur of the music, the courage of the intentions, Les Miserables has, sadly, been reduced to The Glums (Dominic Cavendish 2018). The composer, Claude-Michel Schonberg frequent changes in the style of music as well as the musical instruments in a bid to incorporate the mood of the individuals on the scene and also to keep the music in synchronization with the scene. The song If I speak, I am condemned./ If I stay silent, I am damned! forms an important part of the musical Les Miserables. The tone of the song is constant throughout. However, towards the end of the piece there a deepening of the tone keeping in view the emotions which the singer tries to portray. It is to be noted that during the entire song a backgr ound piano music plays on the stage. The song has a peasant texture as it is being sung by a French peasant. The song has a symmetrical quality to it. Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes clear that the two musical pieces although belonging to the same genre of musical theatre have some similarities as well as dissimilarities among them. However, the differences between them far outweigh the similarities among them. It is to be noted that each work is unique in its own right and therefore the message or the amount of pleasure which it seeks to deliver to its intended audience cannot be matched by any other work no matter how good or bad that work is. References Boublil, A. and Kretzmer, H., 2013.Les Miserables Selections From The Movie. Wise Publications. Garebian, K., 1998.The Making of My Fair Lady. Mosaic Press. Grossman, K.M. and Stephens, B., 2016. Les Misrables: From Epic Novel to Epic Musical.Gordon and Jubin, The Oxford Handbook of the British Musical. Notes. Lerner, A.J., Shaw, B. and Loewe, F., 1959.My fair lady: a musical play in two acts based on Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. New American library. McHugh, D., 2012.Loverly: the life and times of My fair lady. OUP USA. Shaw, B., 1975.Collected Plays with their prefaces(Vol. 4). Dodd, Mead. Taylor, M., 2012.Musical theatre, realism and entertainment. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. NY Daily News. 2018.My Fair Lady is a superb, stylish musical: 1956 review. [online] Available at: https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/fair-lady-superb-stylish-musical-1956-review-article-1.2561573 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018]. Dominic Cavendish 2018.30 reasons why Les Miserables has lasted 30 years. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/30-reasons-why-les-mis-has-lasted-30-years/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2018].

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

International Business Zara- Free solution with case study

Questions: 1. How does Zara's advantage travel globally? Explain what features of Zara travel well and which ones do not. Analyze / discuss. 2. What do you think of Zara's past international strategy? Evaluate its past strategy for Product (market selection), its mode of entry (e.g. franchising, etc) and its standardization of marketing approach. 3. What is the best way to grow the Zara chain internationally? Where do you think (what region) would make most sense? Answers: Introduction Zara is one of the biggest retail chain in the worlds fashion industry. Indixt group from North West Spain owns the business. Some of the worlds famous brands are owned by the company. These include Pull Bear, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Stradivarius, Uterque, and Bershka. Zara was first opened in 1975. They had been one of the most successful brands in the world having innovation at its core. The production line of Zara is not outsourced to low-cost countries to ensure authenticity in designs and productions. Many other companies in this segment do outsource there production to low cost countries. Zara is not very fond of advertising there brand. Instead they open new stores in different locations. Zara has always been known for the efficient customer support and effective supply chain they have in place. Their main focus lies upon the loyal customer. 1. How does Zara's advantage travel globally? Explain what features of Zara travel well and which ones do not. Analyze / discuss. Zaras promotion strategy both for domestic and the foreign market is same where at the start of the sales or when new store is made, then advertisement campaigns are held. Zara uses its store and its customers as its main promotional tools. Prices are set centrally with Spain as the core center and other international market as destination. Spain has least prices and prices of the international store varies as per the distribution cost associated with the overall value chain. Store location has always been a critical factor both for domestic as well as international market. Zara (Vertica, 2011) uses prime locations as their priorities for establishing a store. Opening up of stores at prime location are decided as per the overall analysis of the local environment where opportunity persist for the company so as to achieve maximum profitability at the end. Professional store decorators are used to prototype the interior design and shop window display centrally and then replicated intern ationally. Zara standardizes important strategic component such as window display, location, store layout, interior design, store display rotation, information systems, customer service and logistics. To suit the local preferences rest of the items are synchronized accordingly. 2. What do you think of Zara's past international strategy? Evaluate its past strategy for Product (market selection), its mode of entry (e.g. franchising, etc.) and its standardization of marketing approach. Zara follows three theories when one is talking about internationalization (Carmen, 2009). Uppsala internationalization model, Transaction cost analysis model, and the network model. First one which is Uppsala internationalization model (Hongjoo, 2014) says that a firm using the experience gained over time intensifies the commitment towards the international market (Andrea, 2013). With time and experience in a particular area, one tends to spread the business in that area locally first and then globally as per the capacity of the business expands. Foreign market have similar features in this case to the local territory. Similar feature can be said to be language, political system and culture. Firstly sporadic exports are been followed with no exports in the initial period. Secondly independent representatives do the export. Then foreign sales subsidiary are established. This model requires a four step model stated above. Zara started its business in 1975 when it opened its first store in Spain. Zara started off with opening stores in highly populated regions. They always tried to cover the territories they were working in and in 1988 went search for other international opportunities. They used their experience to learn and grow and to expand in the country and then to the foreign market. Their initial destination was Portugal because of its cultural and geographical similarity with Spain with some changes in the existing business model. Countries with less geographic distance were identified and new stores were opened there spreading all over the country. Then a new store was opened in Northern Europe particularly in Paris which is also called capital of fashion. Then they went to Mexico then to South American market. By overcoming the psychic and geographical distances, Zara expended in eight countries of Europe with the help of European Union. Then they changed the theme country of theirs to coinci de with the Australian and Middle East Culture. Zara readily followed the oil stain strategy by dominating over one place and spreading across similar to an oil stain on water. Zara opened its first social flagship store to get information about the industry and equipping the required expertise for which it opened the store in a strategic area. This expertise and experience helped the company to expand in the country. In European countries where the cultural and geographical distance is very low, Zara did direct investment using hierarchical model and used intermediate to enter the countries using joint ventures and franchises. In countries like India Zara used local agent like Tata to enter the market of the country. This overall strategy seems similar to the Uppsala internationalization model where Zara established there grounds in different countries going through the four stages. They outsourced some of the products instead of going to foreign manufacturing plant to be cost effective. 3. What is the best way to grow the Zara chain internationally? Where do you think (what region) would make most sense? Zara uses multi brand store strategy which has both advantages and disadvantages for the company. Zara (Viswanadham, 2012) has multiple brands under its roof like Zara Kids, Pull Bear, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Stradivarius, Uterque, and Bershka. Zara followed an ethnocentric orientation during the early stages of internationalization where subsidiary companies of Zara had to be a replication of the existing Spanish stores. This approach however landed Zara into many difficulties due to the vast difference in the culture which is why Zara decided to now think on geographic front as well thereby allowing the company to use local solutions for the expansion of company rather than mere replicating the existing business model. One can see a homogeneous mix of products for the global market by Zara. It makes adjustments in the existing marketing mix hen it is expanding to different culture location. For example some of the garments werent allowed to be sold in Arab nations, vast different in customer sizes in Asian countries, different season as compared to other in the southern hemisphere. Zara is one of the biggest retail chain in the worlds fashion industry. It has transformed itself from a local Spanish brand to a globally recognized fashion brand within just 30 years (Rupal, 2013). References Andrea Runfola, Simone Guercini, (2013) "Fast fashion companies coping with internationalization: driving the change or changing the model?", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, Vol. 17 Iss: 2, pp.190 - 205 Carmen Lopez, Ying Fan, Brunel Business School , 2009, "INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE SPANISH FASHION BRAND ZARA ", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management (2009), 13:2, 279-296 Hongjoo Woo , Byoungho Jin, 2014, "Asian apparel brands Internationalization: the application of theories to the cases of Giordano and Uniqlo", Youngone N. Viswanadham, 2012, ZARA-Fast Fashion, Ecosystem Aware Global Supply Chain Management, https://14.139.160.15/courses/110108056/module1/Lecture03.pdf Rupal Parekh, 2013, "How Zara Ballooned Into a Multi-Billion Dollar Brand Without Advertising", Advertizing Age, https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/zara-grew-a-multi-billion-dollar-brand-sans-ads/243730/ Vertica Bhardwaj, Megan Eickman Rodney C. Runyan, 2011, "A case study on the internationalization process of a born-global fashion retailer", The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Volume 21, Issue 3, 2011.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Corporate social responsibility Research Paper Example

Corporate social responsibility Paper Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contributes to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. Although the secondary stakeholders such as community, society and environment seem to have lower effect on business, an organisation that sought to act in a responsible way would need to compromise and take into account the secondary effects i.e. the externalities of business practice when undertaking work. These responsibilities are directly linked to the essential functions the organisation performs for society and the influence it has upon the lives of individuals. WPP Media is undertaking many programmes in relation to being socially responsible. In 2002, WPP adopted a Corporate Social Responsibility policy and established a performance baseline comprising a small number of key measures for environmental and social issues. WPPs director, Howard Paster, is responsible for the implementation of this policy. WPPs operating companies, together with the parent company, make a substantial contribution to society e.g. donations to charity and community organizations. They contributed more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 million worth of time, skills, materials and money to social and community causes in 2001. WPP supports a number of community programmes including the Partnership Against Drugs, a UK-government initiative led by Business in the Community, and has participated in the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum. WPP is a founder member of the RSAs initiative, Centre for Tomorrows Company, which advances best competitive and ethical business practice. As WWP Media is mainly a service-based company, their impact on the environment is small, but the Group recognises that the pursuit of economic growth and a healthy environment are inextricably linked. WPP, as a parent company to their operating companies, upholds the principle of subsidiary and charges their companies to adhere to best practice. In their worldwide operations they endeavour to adopt good environmental practice in respect of premises, equipment and consumption of resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate social responsibility specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate social responsibility specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate social responsibility specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the last few years they have invested in millions in improving areas such as education, employment and financed government schemes. As part of WPPs strategy of supporting young people through education, they have pledged 60,000 to Londons first Arts College for the Media Arts: Charles Edward Brooke, a state secondary school for girls from multi-ethnic backgrounds. This government-backed initiative aims to equip young people with the skills needed to succeed in business and to make learning more relevant to the needs of future employers. Group companies are contributing help, counsel and equipment to the college. To carry on the social responsibility doesnt mean the company has to give up their profit, WPPs success has proved that socially responsible firms tend to outperform the market average; it shows the company has long term plan. In addition they will obtain good reputation and stable relationships with their external environment. In conclusion of this essay, WPP Media is showing signs of being a Company that is dedicated to high standards of ethical practice. Their behaviour has met the public expectation, customer demand, also the employees desire. They are taking up projects, policies and standards that please all of their main stakeholders and are still improving every year. Therefore they have obtained not only economic profit but also more importantly, the good reputation, which will benefit their business in long run. Their needs are being met and constantly exercised. It remains to be seen what entails for the company in the future; after all ethical practise should be set as a long-term goal for any organisation and its worth the investment. Bibliography Business strategy, an Introduction  Authors: David Campbell  George Stonehouse, www.weblocate.net.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Deutsche Mark and its Legacy

The Deutsche Mark and its Legacy Since the Euro crisis occurred, there has been a lot of talk about the common European currency, its pros and cons, and the European Union in general. The euro was introduced in 2002 to standardize the money transactions and to push the European Integration, but from then, many Germans (and, of course, citizens of other members of the EU) still  could not let go of their old, beloved currency. Especially for Germans, it was rather easy to convert the value of their Deutsche Marks into Euros because they  were just about half  the  value. That made the transmission rather easy for them, but it also made it harder to let the Mark disappear from their minds. To  this  day, billions of Deutsche Mark bills and coins are still circulating or just lying somewhere in safes, under mattresses, or in collecting albums. The relationship of the Germans towards their Deutsche Mark has always been something special. The History of The Deutsche Mark This relationship has begun just after the Second World War, as the Reichsmark was no longer in use because of the high inflation and the lack of economic coverage. Therefore, people in post-war Germany did just help themselves by reintroducing a very old and basic way of paying: They practiced barter. Sometimes they bartered food, sometimes resources, but many times they used cigarettes as a currency. Those have been very rare after the war, and therefore, a good thing to swap for other things. In 1947, one single cigarette had the value of about 10 Reichsmark, which equals a purchasing power of about 32 euros today. That is why the expression Zigarettenwhrung has become colloquial, even if other goods are traded on the black market. With the so-called Whrungsreform (currency reform) in 1948, the Deutsche Mark was officially introduced in the three western Besatzungszonen, the allied occupied zones of Germany to prepare the country for a new currency and economic system, and also to stop the flourishing black market. This led to inflation in the Soviet-occupied zone in East-Germany and to the  first tension between the occupants. It forced the Soviets to introduce its own eastern version of the mark in its zone. During the Wirtschaftswunder in the 1960s, the Deutsche Mark became more and more successful,  and in the following years, it became a hard currency with international standing. Even in other countries, it was adopted as legal tender during hard times, such as in  parts of  the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is – more or less – still used  today. It was linked to the Deutsche Mark and is  now  linked to the euro, but is called the  Convertible Mark, and the bills and coins have a different look. The Deutsche Mark Today The Deutsche Mark has overcome many hard times and has  always seemed to represent the values of Germany,  such  as  stability and prosperity. That is one of many reasons why people still mourn the days of the Mark, especially during the financial crisis. However, that does  not  seem to be the reason why so many Marks are still circulation, according to the Deutsche Bundesbank. Not only has  a  large amount of the money  been transferred abroad (mainly to  the former Yugoslavia),  but  also, it is sometimes the way  in  which many Germans saved their money over the years. People often mistrusted the banks, especially the older generation, and just hid cash somewhere in the house. Thats why many cases are documented where large amounts of Deutsche Marks are discovered in houses or flats after the occupants died. After all, in most of the cases, the money might have  just been forgotten- not only in hiding places but also in pants, jackets, or old wallets. Also, much of the money that is still circulating is just waiting in collectors albums to be found. Over the years, the Bundesbank has always published new specially-made coins to collect, most of them with a nominal value of 5 or 10 Marks. The good thing is, though, that one can still change Deutsche Marks into euros at the Bundesbank in the exchange rate of 2002. You can also return bills to the bank and get them replaced if they are (partially) damaged. In case you find an album full of  a D-Mark collectors coins, send them to the Bundesbank and get them exchanged. Some of them can be very precious today. If they are not, with the increasing silver prices, it  might be a better idea to get them melted down.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood Essay

Do you believe Girl or Sabbat function as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) Rewrites Why or why not In your response, you may respond to only one text and you must compare it to a traditional version of LRRH - Essay Example In as much as â€Å"Sabbat† appears to be in the tale, â€Å"girl† is more dominant and serves as the Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). In all versions of the tale, there are human relationships evidenced by the presence of people such as grandmother. Certainly, a â€Å"Sabbat† cannot have a grandmother unless in a fiction. Evidently, the girl had a grandmother and was anxious to learn various things. As a result, when given a Red Riding Hood by her grandmother she ends up wondering around in the forest. Certainly, the latter plays a more important role in shaping perception and understanding of the tale (Hillert 71). The original versions make the wolf a dangerous animal that eats the girl. Nevertheless, the following versions make it difficult for the story to end in the direction as she gets saved before the actual process. For instance, in one instance a saviour disguises as her father to initiate a safe retrieval from the dangerous situation. In other instances, the saviour appears as a hunter or woodcutter to rescue the Little Red Riding Hood. The moral ambiguity in all the stories appear to focused on a human experience. Variation in moral message among the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood represents different issues. Conceivably, the theme of not talking to strangers dominates the story that makes it easy for children to learn. Undoubtedly, many parents have been on the verge of teaching and educating their children not to talk to strangers. The educative book makes it easy for parents to educate children without going through hard lessons (Mays 46). Contrary to Perrault version that has additional text located at the end of every story, others leave the unintended version for readers to employ different measures. Interestingly, the human experience of the girl in the tale makes this possible. Without a consistent word layout, it is difficult to bring into light

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

William F. Baker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

William F. Baker - Essay Example This is because both of his late grandfathers were also engineers though their fame did not equal that of Baker as a skyscraper designer. In his early schooling, Baker used to excel in Maths, Physics and History though before his graduation he had no idea of what he wanted to study while in University (Baker, 2010). Baker’s strong desire to pursue engineering as a career started after undergoing aptitude test confirmation where he proceeded to the University of Missouri and graduated in 1975 (Baker, 2010). Equipped with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, Baker worked for various oil companies in 1970s though he decided to quit within a very short time to pursue Masters Degre (Wallace, 2011). To his peers, Baker seemed to have made a wrong decision but in he knew better than they did (Wallace, 2011). This is by going back to school to study Masters in Structural Engineering at the University of Illinois (Wallace, 2011). Baker’s Masters Degree was extremely deman ding due to the course’s many subjects supposed to equip him with right knowledge concerning how to tackle varied tasks that characterized his field of specialization. After graduating, Baker joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM) firm whose staff comprised of talented experts from his former school (Baker, 2010). Here he worked under the supervision of Fazlur Khan who also mentored him on how to design and evaluate tallest buildings besides other structures. Consequently, this was revelation to the young Baker who by then he hardly knew that experience acted as a preparation for great, complex and fascinating projects in future, for instance, Burj Dubai Tower (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). Throughout his career, Baker has always collaborated with other numerous and different experts like architects while undertaking extremely involving design projects (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). 2. Problem / Issue identification Baker was a structural engineer, but most of his works required architects’ intervention, especially when he was drawing certain figures that entailed refined details. The two fields’ core role encompasses producing effective structural designs that will support and ensure safety to all people. This is by ensuring the load of every designed structure can adequately withstand varied inevitable natural forces, for instance, wind and gravity (Baker, 2010). This study seeks to relay Baker’s experience, expertise and career achievements that have prompted him to the most renowned structural engineer in the world (Baker, Pawlikowski & Young, 2009). Literature Review Mainly, Baker’s major role in every designing project encompasses coming up with a strong and effective plan that will not only meet client’s aesthetic value, but also ensure evenly distribution of the entire structure’s weight. The designing of the entire structure that will be free from adverse effects resulting from gravity a nd wind is the task that cannot be complete without the intervention of architects. This is evident in the recent completed Burj Dubai Tower which, according to Baker and his team, comprises one of the current famed breakthroughs. According to Baker, for a skyscraper to meet client’s specifications, it ought to fulfill key inevitable engineering principles. These are insignificant for the client, but experts must employ them while erecting the required structure as per the stated specifications. For instance, Burj’s design had to be efficient, considerable wide base to support the expected load but narrow enough such that the building is economically viable (Baker, 2010). Therefore, the building despite designed to meet all the client’

Monday, November 18, 2019

Assessment of Pain in Post Surgical Patients Essay

Assessment of Pain in Post Surgical Patients - Essay Example The research paper â€Å"Assessment of Pain in Post Surgical Patients† focuses on a subjective and objective assessment of pain in post-surgical patients of cardiothoracic surgery. Pain management includes the various types of pain experiences throughout an individual’s life cycle and alleviating the same through interventional measures. Pain experiences may include acute and chronic in nature. Pain has physiological, spiritual, emotional and psychosocial dimensions, it is for this reason managing pain through multidimensional observations, and assessments are extremely important. Due to the various advances in the field of pain management (including assessment tools, newer guidelines on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions), nurses may land up into incomplete or inadequate domain knowledge leading to ineffective pain management. These include the failure to identify types of pain (neuropathic or nociceptive or psychopathic?), how it will be assessed ob jectively and subjectively? If the type of pain is screened properly, it will create a roadmap to treat the pain in a patient whether with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for nociceptive pain) or drugs that reduce neuropathic or psychopathic pain like Pregabalin or Sertraline respectively. With these observations it will help to design a proper care because if the patient is suffering from neuropathic pain NSAIDs will be ineffective and if the patient has a more nociceptive component , then neuropathic drugs like Pregabalin will not mediate cure. Materials and Methodology A total of 75 patients will be evaluated as per the current admission beds in the CTVS ward. Both male and female patients would be evaluated. Inclusion Criteria Patients undergone CTVS surgery in past 7 days Patients expressing some sort of pain. Exclusion criteria Patients without pain. Patients with chronic diabetes mellitus Patients having pain from fall, arthritis, fibromyalgia, spondylosis, disc prolla pse, chronic low back pain prior to CTVS surgery. The reason for the exclusion criteria is that we wanted to find whether the sole component of CTVS surgery causes post operative pain in patients. The variables were due to the fact that diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, disc prollapse can all have a neuropathic component of pain and will interfere with our findings whether CTVS surgery is the cause of neuropathic pain. The assessment tool that will be used is based on Dr Freynhagen’s Pain Detect Tool which comprises of a set of questions that gives each component of observation a individual score.( Freynhagen et al, 2009). The scores are assigned a weighted point of +1, -1,0, or +2. For example, if a patient complains of a pain that is radiating to both his hands from the point of origin ( heart in this case), a +2 is assigned in that criterion score. The final score of all the criteria are summated and put on an assessment scale to determine the objective compon ent of pain as given below in the format below: Results evaluation The summated pain score is placed in a pain scale given in the attached appendix (A) from a 0 to 38 point scale. If the score of the patient is 0-12 a neuropathic component is unlikely and it can be inferred the patient has chiefly nociceptive pain component, if the total score is 13 to 19 then the pain has both nociceptive and neuropathic compo

Friday, November 15, 2019

Torsional Effects On Irregular Buildings Under Seismic Loads Construction Essay

Torsional Effects On Irregular Buildings Under Seismic Loads Construction Essay This chapter presents a brief review of literature available on the subject torsional effects on irregular buildings under seismic loads. Efforts were made to collect related research material. Review of literature encompass research papers on the topic in general and specifically aims at latest trend to control asymmetry, design requirements, configuration requirements, torsional irregularity, performance of irregular buildings, and behaviour of appropriate structural system. At the end of the chapter, selection of lateral force procedures is also described. 2.2 RELATED RESEARCH WORK Latest available research papers are studied related to subject of thesis. Few of research papers are described here under 1) Torsional irregularity of any structure can be determined by calculating the deflections at the ends in every storey. Codes and guidelines give the definite numbers or coefficients to limit the excess torsion in irregular structures. In this paper adequacy of code provisions regarding the torsional irregularity coefficient is checked and concerned over limits are expressed. For this particular research works different groups of buildings are made with different changes in plans such as position of shear walls, number of grids and number of storey etc. Four groups are made namely A, B, C and D with different locations of shear walls in plan. At first, variation of torsional irregularity with respect to number of grids is investigated. Analysis has been performed for each variation of gridlines in a particular group and conclusions carried out. Graphs are plotted by changing the number of grids lines in each group A, B, C and D against irregularity coefficients. It is observed from theses graphs that in each particular group A, B, C or D there exist different numbers of grid lines against which maximum results are obtained in that particular group. Maximum value of irregularity coefficient is determent in group C in which shear walls is away from the gravity center but not at the edges. Irregularity coefficient reach a maximum value for certain number of grid lines then decrease by increasing the number of axis. In second stage, torsional irregularity coefficient is calculated by changing the number of storeys. General trend which graphs shows that with increasing the number of storey for any particular structures, keeping position of shear walls and number of axis same, torsional irregularity coefficient decreases. Curves for structure group C for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 storey shows that lesser number of storey yields more critical results because as the number of stories increases center of rigidity shifts toward center causing lesser torsion consequently gives less critical results. In the last, position of walls is changed to determine the effects on the torsional irregularity coefficient. Graphs are plotted for each individual structural group against the torsional irregularity coefficient. Curves of different storeys predict the lesser the number of storeys more critical will the results. By changing the location of the shear walls in any particular key plan indicate that critical results are obtain for shear wall placed in between the center and edges of the structures. (Guany Ozmen, 2004) 2) Parametric analysis of irregular structures under seismic loading reveals the effect of torsion as per Turkish Earthquake Code. For the purpose center of stiffness were changed and torsional irregularity was created. Different number of storeys was considered which were analyzed using static force procedure and dynamic force procedures. Results for both of the methods were compared and conclusion drawn. Effect of non-orthogonality was also studied by changing the orientation of the non-orthogonal walls. All these cases were studied for five different directions of earthquake. From these research results limitations in Turkish earthquake code suggested to be improve. (Semih S. Tezcan and Cenk Alhan, 2000) The earthquake forces produced in the irregular buildings are unpredictable and can not be determine with greater accuracy thus such structures are more critically prone to earthquakes. A series of five, framed and walled structures are taken with different irregularity coefficients. This paper shows the behavior of different modules against earthquake forces and results drawn. Paper suggests more elaborative measures need to be taken by codes and standards to take over the issue of torsional irregularity. (Ozmen G and Gulay F.G. 2002) 3) Codes and Standards direct that along with the static force procedure non linear analysis are need to be performed to know the exact behavior of the structure. In this paper investigation is done by creating two different models. In first model eccentricity made only in one direction by shifting mass, whereas in second case eccentricity was produced in both directions. Near-fault zone effects were investigated alongwith far-fault results. Research work shows that displacement demand of the structures remains the same irrespective of distance from fault. The paper concludes that non linear analysis needs to be performed necessarily linear classic analysis alone are not sufficient for analysis of torsionally irregular structures. ( Emrah Erduran, February 2008) 4) To control seismic response of unsymmetrical building viscous damper are placed. With help of modal analysis effect of plan wise distribution of damping were investigated and torsional dynamic behavior were examined. For input seismic earthquake suitable performance indexes were represented by mean of norms. These norms help to distribute plan wise distribution of extra dampers with help of parametrical analysis on asymmetrical plan. Design formulas are prepared to represent the results for norms which were verified by experimentation, which is representative of seismic response of asymmetrical systems. (L. Petti , M. De Iuliis, 2008) 5) Accidental eccentricity applications provided in codes are evaluated and compared with alternative interpretations. An effect of accidental eccentricity is evaluated on the strength of different components. Flexible side elements behavior is investigated and protection measures are described to limit the forces such a comparison is made using different codes. A proposal is made with respect to codes provisions regarding accidental eccentricity, minimum value is specified laterally responding systems. Evaluation of results based on inelastic dynamic analyses indicates that all codes satisfactorily fulfill the requirements to control the response of torsionally unbalanced buildings. Similarly ductility demand and element deformation demand for all the codes are considered. This response demand has a consistence relationship with time period and geometric of the buildings. Codes requirement in design of stiff side elements are verified and found to be satisfactory. ( A.M Chandler, J. C Correnza and G.L. Hutchinson, 1995) TORSIONAL IRREGULARITY Torsional irregularity is defined in Building Code of Pakistan 2007 (BCP 2007) and is reproduced in Table No.2.1. and Table No. 2.2 Table 2.1 Plan Structural Irregularities IRREGULARITY TYPE AND DEFINITION 1.Torsional irregularity to be considered when diaphragms are not flexible Torsional irregularity shall be considered to exist when the maximum storey drift, computed including accidental torsion, at one end of the structure transverse to an axis is more than 1.2 times the average of the storey drifts of the two ends of the structure. 2. Re-entrant corners Plan configurations of a structure and its lateral-force-resisting system contain re-entrant corners, where both projections of the structure beyond a re-entrant corner are greater than 15 percent of the plan dimension of the structure in the given direction. 3. Diaphragm discontinuity Diaphragms with abrupt discontinuities or variations in stiffness, including those having cutout or open areas greater than 50 percent of the gross enclosed area of the diaphragm, or changes in effective diaphragm stiffness of more than 50 percent from one storey to the next. 4. Out-of-plane offsets Discontinuities in a lateral force path, such as out-of-plane offsets of the vertical elements. 5. Nonparallel systems The vertical lateral-load-resisting elements are not parallel to or symmetric about the major orthogonal axes of the lateral-force-resisting system. Table 2.2 Vertical Structural Irregularities IRREGULARITY TYPE AND DEFINITION 1. Stiffness irregularity soft storey A soft storey is one in which the lateral stiffness is less than 70 percent of that in the storey above or less than 80 percent of the average stiffness of the three storeys above. 2. Weight (mass) irregularity Mass irregularity shall be considered to exist where the effective mass of any storey is more than 150 percent of the effective mass of an adjacent storey. A roof that is lighter than the floor below need not be considered. 3. Vertical geometric irregularity Vertical geometric irregularity shall be considered to exist where the horizontal dimension of the lateral-force-resisting system in any storey is more than 130 percent of that in an adjacent storey. One-storey penthouses need not be considered. 4. In-plane discontinuity in vertical lateral-force-resisting element An in-plane offset of the lateral-load-resisting elements greater than the length of those elements. 5. Discontinuity in capacity weak storey A weak storey is one in which the storey strength is less than 80 percent of that in the storey above. The storey strength is the total strength of all seismic-resisting elements sharing the storey shear for the direction under consideration. 2.4 CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS Regular structures have no significant physical discontinuities in plan or vertical configuration or in their lateral-force-resisting systems such as the irregular features. Irregular structures have significant physical discontinuities in configuration or in their lateral-force-resisting systems. Irregular features include, but are not limited to, those described in code. All structures in Seismic Zone 1 and Occupancy Categories 4 and 5 in Seismic Zone 2 need to be evaluated only for vertical irregularities of Type 5 (Table 2.2) and horizontal irregularities of Type 1 (Table 2.1). Structures having any of the features listed in Table 2.2 shall be designated as if having a vertical irregularity. (UBC 1629.5.3) Where no storey drift ratio under design lateral forces is greater than 1.3 times the storey drift ratio of the storey above, the structure may be deemed to not have the structural irregularities of Type 1 or 2 in Table 2.2. The storey drift ratio for the top two storeys need not be considered. (UBC 1629.5.3) The storey drifts for this determination may be calculated neglecting torsional effects. Structures may have irregularity in plan or elevation listed in BCP 2007. 2.5 STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS Structural systems shall be classified as one of the types listed BCP-2007 and defined under. Bearing Wall System A structural system without a complete vertical load-carrying space frame. Bearing walls or bracing systems provide support for all or most gravity loads. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames. Building Frame System A structural system with an essentially complete space frame providing support for gravity loads. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames. Moment-Resisting Frame System A structural system with an essentially complete space frame providing support for gravity loads. Moment-resisting frames provide resistance to lateral load primarily by flexural action of members. Dual System A structural system with the following features comes in the category of dual system: 1. Essentially complete space frame that provides support for gravity loads. 2. Resistance to lateral load is provided by shear walls or braced frames and moment-resisting frames (SMRF, IMRF, MMRWF or steel OMRF). The moment-resisting frames shall be designed to independently resist at least 25 percent of the design base shear. 3. The two systems shall be designed to resist the total design base shear in proportion to their relative rigidities considering the interaction of the dual system at all levels. 2.6 DRIFT AND STOREY DRIFT LIMILATION Drift Drift or horizontal displacements of the structure shall be computed where required. For both Allowable Stress Design and Strength Design, the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM, of the structure caused by the Design Basis Ground Motion shall be determined in accordance with this section. The drifts corresponding to the design seismic forces ΆS, shall be determined. To determine ΆM, these drifts shall be amplified. A static, elastic analysis of the lateral force-resisting system shall be prepared using the design seismic forces. Where Allowable Stress Design is used and where drift is being computed, the related load combinations shall be used. The resulting deformations, denoted as ΆS, shall be determined at all critical locations in the structure. Calculated drift shall include translational and torsional deflections. The Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM, shall be computed as follows (BCP 2007): ΆM = 0.7 R ΆS (2.1) Alternatively, ΆM may be computed by nonlinear time history analysis. The analysis used to determine the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement ΆM shall consider P-Ά effects. Storey Drift Limitation Storey drifts shall be computed using the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, ΆM. Calculated storey drift using ΆM shall not exceed 0.025 times the storey height for structures having a fundamental period of less than 0.7 second. For structures having a fundamental period of 0.7 second or greater, the calculated storey drift shall not exceed 0.020 times the storey height, with exceptions of: 1. These drift limits may be exceeded when it is demonstrated that greater drift can be tolerated by both structural elements and nonstructural elements that could affect life safety. The drift used in this assessment shall be based upon the Maximum Inelastic Response Displacement, Ά M. 2. There shall be no drift limit in single-storey steel-framed structures classified as Groups B, F and S Occupancies or Group H, Occupancies. In Groups B, F and S Occupancies, the primary use shall be limited to storage, factories or workshops. Structures on which this exception is used shall not have equipment attached to the structural frame or shall have such equipment detailed to accommodate the additional drift. Walls that are laterally supported by the steel frame shall be designed to accommodate the drift. The design lateral forces used to determine the calculated drift may disregard the limitations and may be based on the period determined, neglecting the 30 or 40 percent limitations. 2.7 SELECTION OF LATERAL-FORCE PROCEDURE Any structure may be, and certain structures defined below shall be, designed using the dynamic lateral-force procedures. (UBC 16.8) Simplified Static The simplified static lateral-force procedure may be used for the following structures of Occupancy Category 4 or 5 (UBC 1629.8.2) 1. Buildings of any occupancy (including single-family dwellings) not more than three storeys excluding basements that use light-frame construction. 2. Other buildings not more than two storeys in height excluding basements. The static lateral force procedure may be used for the following structures: (UBC 1629.8.3) 1. All structures, regular or irregular, in Seismic Zone 1 and in Occupancy Categories 4 and 5 in Seismic Zone 2. 2. Regular structures under 73.0 meters (240 feet) in height with lateral force resistance provided by different systems. 3. Irregular structures not more than five storeys or 20 meters (65 feet) in their height. 4. Structures having a flexible upper portion supported on a rigid lower portion where both portions of the structure considered separately can be classified as being regular, the average storey stiffness of the lower portion is at least 10 times the average storey stiffness of the upper portion and the period of the entire structure is not greater than 1.1 times the period of the upper portion considered as a separate structure fixed at the base. Dynamic Lateral Force Procedure The dynamic lateral-force procedure shall be used for structures, including the following: (UBC 1629.8.4) 1. Structures 73 meters (240 feet) or more in height 2. Structures having a stiffness, weight or geometric vertical irregularity of Type 1, 2 or 3 or structures having irregular features not described in code. 3. Structures over five storeys or 20 meters (65 feet) in height in Seismic Zones 3 and 4 not having the same structural system throughout their height. 4. Structures, regular or irregular, located on Soil Profile Type SF that has a period greater than 0.7 second. The analysis shall include the effects of the soils at the site . Structures with a discontinuity in capacity, vertical irregularity Type 5, shall not be over two storeys or 9 meters (30 feet) in height where the weak storey has a calculated strength of less than 65 percent of the storey above. Where the weak storey is capable of resisting a total lateral seismic force of ÃŽÂ ©o times the design force prescribed. Where ÃŽÂ ©o = Seismic force over strength factor given in Table 16-N of UBC 97

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

the time is now :: essays research papers

If... he has committed murder, he must die. In this case, there is no substitute that will satisfy the legal requirements of legal justice.There is no sameness of kind between death and remaining alive even under the most miserable conditions, and consequently there is no equality between crime and the retribution unless the criminal is judicially condemned and put to death." Immanuel Kant. About 2000 men, women, and teenagers currently wait on America's "Death Row." Their time grows shorter as federal and state courts increasingly ratify death penalty laws, allowing executions to proceed at an accelerated rate. It's unlikely that any of these executions will make the front page, having become more and more a matter of routine in the last decade. Indeed, recent public opinion polls show a wide margin of support for the death penalty. But human rights advocates continue to decry the immorality of state-sanctioned killing in the U.S., the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter violent crime. While it is difficult to produce direct evidence to support this claim since, by definition, those who are

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Choose the Right Major

All people go throw many stages from childhood to the end of their life. They build their dreams to become something worth in their lives such as a teacher, doctor or anything else. The most important part of these dreams to become reality is to choose the right major. Many people said students should decide what they want to be before they start studying in university. I disagree with them because students at university get help from their friends or teachers to choose their career. In addition to that, many students are changing their decision of major when they start studying at the university.The first reason is, teachers encourage the student to decide the best major according to their personality. Also, their friends help them to choose their major. When students go to university, and start study they begin to communicate with other people [listening]. From those people students take some experiences, and decide what they want to study. For example, students can ask anyone from the student service to give them more information generally about the major and the majors which are available in the university, and also about the major that they want to study.The second reason is, many students change their majors when they go to university. According to the reading A, â€Å"about 80 percent of students who start college switch their major at least one time†. This is because when students start study they got more information about their majors, and they understand what they want to study so they change their majors. For example, in the university students study many subjects to help them to decide which major they want.In conclusion, in this essay I disagree that is necessary for students to know their major before interning the university because students can get some help from their friends who have experiences or from their teachers. Also, many students take time to decide what they want and change their major many times. I think in the future the go vernment will give some courses to the students before they go to the university to help them to decide what they want to study and give them more information about their major. Choose the Right Major All people go throw many stages from childhood to the end of their life. They build their dreams to become something worth in their lives such as a teacher, doctor or anything else. The most important part of these dreams to become reality is to choose the right major. Many people said students should decide what they want to be before they start studying in university. I disagree with them because students at university get help from their friends or teachers to choose their career. In addition to that, many students are changing their decision of major when they start studying at the university.The first reason is, teachers encourage the student to decide the best major according to their personality. Also, their friends help them to choose their major. When students go to university, and start study they begin to communicate with other people [listening]. From those people students take some experiences, and decide what they want to study. For example, students can ask anyone from the student service to give them more information generally about the major and the majors which are available in the university, and also about the major that they want to study.The second reason is, many students change their majors when they go to university. According to the reading A, â€Å"about 80 percent of students who start college switch their major at least one time†. This is because when students start study they got more information about their majors, and they understand what they want to study so they change their majors. For example, in the university students study many subjects to help them to decide which major they want.In conclusion, in this essay I disagree that is necessary for students to know their major before interning the university because students can get some help from their friends who have experiences or from their teachers. Also, many students take time to decide what they want and change their major many times. I think in the future the go vernment will give some courses to the students before they go to the university to help them to decide what they want to study and give them more information about their major.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Chemical Warfare in the Iran-Iraq War

Chemical Warfare in the Iran-Iraq War party that distrusted and misunderstood the army. On the side of Iran, army was under control of Ayatollah Khomein, who was a religious fanatic. These two personalities on both sides took advantage of the army and involved the army in their personal differences. Military force played a crucial role in the outbreak of the war from both sides. For instance, Baathist planned their military campaign, and they had a positive attitude on themselves. According to Iraqs, they referred Iranians as one who lacked cohesive leadership, and who lacked spare parts for America- made equipment. Baghdad on the other side possessed well equipped and trained forces, which made their morale run high against Irans armed forces including revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran) troops, who were led by the religious mullahs with inadequate military experience; the Iraqis could muster twelve complete mechanized divisions equipped with latest soviet materials. By the late 1970s, the Iraqs had assembled an army of 190,000 men, 450 aircraft and 2,200 tanks (Hogendoorn 2008). The relationship between Iran and Iraq deteriorated in April 1980; when Iranian supported Ad Dawah attempt to assassinate Iraqi, foreign minister Tariq Aziz. When they failed to assassinate foreign minister they further went on and tried another attempt to assassinate the minister of culture and information, Latif Nayyif jasim. In reaction, the Iraqis immediately rounded up members and supporters of Ad Dinah and deported to Iran thousands of shias of Iranian origin. Saddam went further and ordered the execution of presumed Ad Dawah leader Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Bagr as Sadr and his sister. Robison Grant emphasized that, on 22 September 1980 Iraqi fighter jets that were used to attack nine dissimilar Iranian bases by surprise, with intention to destroy air forces for the Iranians while on the very ground. During this period or moment, there entered 6 Iraqi divisions of army and they drove around 5 miles transversely the border belonging to Iranians on 3 fronts and ended pu occupying 1000 square kilometers of Iranian territory, although this attempt did not succeed the Iranian jets retaliated by hitting strategically crucial targets close to paramount Iraq cities. Following this, the war broke out and went on for eight years. Both sides despite being imported high- tech fighting machines, they had inexperienced and untrained personnel to operate and repair them. As a result, they had to look for other tactics, which were effective caring less about casualties (Smart 2004). During the war, to avoid defeat Iraq hunted out every promising weapon, this included developing of self- sustaining facilities to produce militarily fundamental quantities of chemical warfare agents. This presented a solution to the masses of evenly armed Basif and Posdoran. These weapons were singularly successful when used on troop meeting areas and supporting artillery. When carrying out distasteful operations, Iraq routinely supported the attacks with deep fires and incorporated chemical fires on forward defenses, artillery positions, command posts, and logical facilities (Maritson 1984, 141). During this war, Iraq developed the ability to produce, store, and use chemical weapons. These weapons included G-series blister and H-series agents. These weapons were built on various offensive munitions which include aerial bombs, rockets, war heads and artillery shells on the Al Hussein Scud missile variant. During the war, Iraqi fighters attacked Iran by dropping mustard-filled 500 kilogram and tabun-filled 250 kilogram, it is also noted that, they also installed spray tank on an unknown numbers of helicopters. Iran unsuccessfully tried to attack the osirak reactor on September 30, 1980 that belonged to Iraq. In response to Iranian missile attack against Baghdad, Iraqi fired 190 missiles against Iranian cities for a period of six weeks (Iraqi Scientist Reports on German 2003). The Iraqi air force, which consisted of about 28,000 troops, had a back from soviet and French aircraft. The air force was divided into squadrons of light bombers, interceptors, fighter, transports, and helicopters. Despite these heavy munitions, the Iraq did not have appropriate measures to utilize these munitions to their maximum. For instance, most attack squadrons and all the bomber squadrons had been retained to protect the palace. Also, they had inadequate training, especially pilots, and they received inadequate training in Soviet Union. Iraqis lacked both target analysis and reconnaissance capabilities. They also lacked a viable command and to manage system for either close air hold up or on an integrated air defense (Grant 2003). On the side of Iran, its air force was backed by United States, where they received their training and assistance. For instance, they were provided by number of air crafts which included, 166 f-5Es, 188 F-4D/Es and 77 F-14s. Iranians had only about 77 air craft dedicated to the mission, unlike the Iraqis who had 115 air craft defense. Iranians had fourteen dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, the Iranians enjoyed the fact that their aircraft had advanced avionics, and could carry smart bombs, and they had trained pilots to fly them. Also, Iranian took advantage of being near the border, based on that the Iranians would have an easier time to reach their targets, Stephen R. Shalom, The United States and Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988 Iran Chamber Society 1,2 (n.d). In conclusion, chemical warfare of Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1981, was largely fueled by internal factors. It is notable that, even though there were external influence, super powers such as Soviet Union and United state, they provided weapons which did not help too much. Case in point is in Iraq where they did not have the skills to use the weapons, thus creating more problems than it solved. It is due to this they had to look for other ways to apply, hence introduction of chemical warfare. Therefore, Iraq and Iran played a significant role in the rise and facilitated the war for eight years.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Geography of Oceania, the Pacific Islands

The Geography of Oceania, the Pacific Islands Oceania is the name of the region consisting of island groups within the Central and South Pacific Ocean. It spans over 3.3 million square miles (8.5 million sq km). Some of the countries included in Oceania are Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Palau, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati,  and Nauru. Oceania also includes several dependencies and territories such as American Samoa, Johnston Atoll,  and French Polynesia. Physical Geography In terms of its physical geography, the islands of Oceania are often divided into four different sub-regions based on the geologic processes playing a role in their physical development. The first of these is Australia. It is separated because of its location in the middle of the Indo-Australian Plate and the fact that, due to its location, there was no mountain building during its development. Instead, Australias current physical landscape features were formed mainly by erosion. The second landscape category in Oceania is the islands found on the collision boundaries between the Earths crustal plates. These are found specifically in the South Pacific. For example, at the collision boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates are places like New Zealand, Papua New Guinea,  and the Solomon Islands. The North Pacific portion of Oceania also features these types of landscapes along the Eurasian and Pacific plates. These plate collisions are responsible for the formation of mountains like those in New Zealand, which climb to over 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Volcanic islands such as Fiji are the third category of landscape types found in Oceania. These islands typically rise from the seafloor through hotspots in the Pacific Ocean basin. Most of these areas consist of very small islands with high mountain ranges. Finally, coral reef islands and atolls such as Tuvalu are the last type of landscape found in Oceania. Atolls specifically are responsible for the formation of low-lying land regions, some with enclosed lagoons. Climate Most of Oceania is divided into two climate zones. The first of these is temperate and the second is tropical. Most of Australia and all of New Zealand are within the temperate zone and most of the island areas in the Pacific are considered tropical. Oceanias temperate regions feature high levels of precipitation, cold winters, and warm to hot summers. The tropical regions in Oceania are hot and wet year round. In addition to these climatic zones, most of Oceania is impacted by continuous trade winds and sometimes hurricanes (called tropical cyclones in Oceania) which have historically caused catastrophic damage to countries and islands in the region. Flora and Fauna Because most of Oceania is tropical or temperate, there is an abundant amount of rainfall which produces tropical and temperate rainforests throughout the region. Tropical rainforests are common in some of the island countries located near the tropics, while temperate rainforests are common in New Zealand. In both of these types of forests, there is a plethora of plant and animal species, making Oceania one of the worlds most biodiverse regions. It is important to note, however, that not all of Oceania receives abundant rainfall, and portions of the region are arid or semiarid. Australia, for example, features large areas of arid land which have little vegetation. In addition, El Nià ±o has caused frequent droughts in recent decades in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Oceanias fauna, like its flora, is also extremely biodiverse. Because much of the area consists of islands, unique species of birds, animals,  and insects evolved out of isolation from others. The presence of coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef and Kingman Reef also represent large areas of biodiversity and some are considered biodiversity hotspots. Population Most recently in 2018, Oceanias population was around 41 million people, with the majority centered in Australia and New Zealand. Those two countries alone accounted for more than 28 million people, while Papua New Guinea had a population of over 8 million. The remaining population of Oceania is scattered around the various islands making up the region. Urbanization Like its population distribution, urbanization and industrialization also vary in Oceania. 89% of Oceanias urban areas are in Australia and New Zealand and these countries also have the most well-established infrastructure. Australia, in particular, has many raw minerals and energy sources, and manufacturing is a large part of its and Oceanias economy. The rest of Oceania and specifically the Pacific islands are not well developed. Some of the islands have rich natural resources, but the majority do not. In addition, some of the island nations do not even have enough clean drinking water or food to supply to their citizens. Agriculture Agriculture is also important in Oceania and there are three types which are common in the region. These include subsistence agriculture, plantation crops ,  and capital-intensive agriculture. Subsistence agriculture occurs on most of the Pacific islands and is done to support local communities. Cassava, taro, yams, and sweet potatoes are the most common products of this type of agriculture. Plantation crops are planted on the medium tropical islands while capital-intensive agriculture is practiced mainly in Australia and New Zealand. Economy Fishing is a significant source of revenue because many islands have maritime exclusive economic zones that extend for 200 nautical miles and many small islands have granted permission to foreign countries to fish the region via fishing licenses.   Tourism is also important to Oceania because many of the tropical islands like Fiji offer aesthetic beauty, while Australia and New Zealand are modern cities with modern amenities. New Zealand has also become an area centered on the growing field of ecotourism.

Monday, November 4, 2019

LSTD303 Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LSTD303 Paper - Essay Example The issue of divorce does not only entail the end of a marriage or union between the two individuals involved, but also other relevant and complex legal issues such as the sharing of property, the custody of the children, the financing of the children’s lifestyle, among other fine legal details (Virginia State Bar, 2013). No wonder therefore, that the issue of divorce is a fundamental legal issue in the state of Virginia, where the State has provided that for any divorce to occur, there should be sufficient grounds which are to be applied as the basis. Besides the fundamental requirements regarding sufficient grounds for completing a divorce, there are also some requirements regarding the residency of the area of jurisdiction, which also informs the settling of the divorce issue between the involved parties. Therefore, the article seeks to address the fundamental questions that different individuals might have, regarding the issue of divorce in the state of Virginia, with a fo cus on the types of divorce, the required grounds for completing divorce, the property rights and how they are addressed, the award of spousal support, the custody of children and the children support obligations. Types of divorce in the State of Virginia The state of Virginia recognizes two type of divorces; divorce from bed and board or divorce from the bond of matrimony (Hofheimer, 2009). The divorce from bed and board refers to the situation where the husband and wife are legally separated from each other, and they are not allowed to remarry again. This is a qualified type of divorce, under which the parties involved can then go back to the court and petition the court to merge the divorce into a divorce from the bond of matrimony, after one year has passed from the date the two were legally separated (Virginia State Bar, 2013). On the other hand, the divorce from the bond of matrimony is the absolute form of divorce, where the links between a husband and wife are permanently se vered. Annulment is the other type of divorce, which takes the form of a legal decree that declares a marriage null and void, on the ground that such a marriage was entered under conditions of fraud, duress or coercion of one of the party (Stim, 2013). The Grounds for Divorce in the State of Virginia Under the Family Laws of the State of Virginia, it is provided that a divorce cannot just occur out of the mere agreement between the husband and wife. Under this law, it is required that sufficient ground should exist for effecting a divorce between a husband and wife, even where the two have mutually agreed to have a divorce (Gross & Callahan, 2006). The bases for the two types of divorces are provided for differently. The required grounds for completing a divorce from bed and board, as provided for in the State of Virginia, include a Willful desertion or abandonment, where the individuals involved have broken the bonds of cohabitation, and they have the intent to dessert or abandon e ach other (Virginia State Bar, 2013). Thus where sufficient grounds exist for one member of the marriage to dessert, the court will then grant the authority for the application of a divorce from bed and board. The second ground under which a divorce from bed and board can be applied is the acts of cruelty or bodily harm perpetrated by one party in the marriage, against the other (Hofheimer, 2009). Under circumstances where it is evident that one party to the marriage is capable of bodily causing harm to the other, and thus

Friday, November 1, 2019

Managers should adapt their leadership style according to the context Essay

Managers should adapt their leadership style according to the context. Discuss - Essay Example he or she might inspire or motivate the employees or followers towards his decisions thereby amplifying their level of performance and devotion towards the assigned tasks. This might prove effective for both the manager as well as the organization to enhance its reputation and brand image in the market among other rival players (Northouse, 2010, pp. 768-781). This essay is divided into three parts that mainly highlights the importance of leadership and the types of leadership style. Along with this, it also highlights the reasons for which, a manger need to get adapted to situational or different leadership styles so as to manage the impacts of the situations in an effective way. Finally it is concluded with a conclusion at the end of the essay. Leadership is a style that is used to influence other followers or employees to get attracted towards the decisions and actions taken or implemented by a leader or manager. With the help of this style, a leader or a manger very easily motivates or inspires others to enhance their level of performance and devotion towards the assigned jobs or tasks. As a result of which, the level of productivity of the organization gets enhanced resulting in amplification of its brand image and market share in the market among others. Therefore, it might be clearly stated that, in this age of competitiveness, an organization may retain its sustainability and competitive position only if an experienced and tactful manager or leader is present within it. Otherwise, it may not be possible for the organization to cope up with varied types of business challenges such as oil hick, recession, excess attrition, employee conflicts and many others. All individual may not comprise of the inherent quality of being a leader, but might attain such a position through vigorous experience and talents. However, in order to do so, it’s extremely essential to know about behavioural, situational and contingency dimensions of leadership. Among all these

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

PP3003 Research Question Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PP3003 Research Question Paper - Essay Example Milward suggests that the founding fathers of the EU actually intended their states to maintain sovereignty in the system and that only by binding the economies of the states to some extent together could their independence in a rapidly changing world be maintained. As Milward wrote in his The European Rescue of the Nation-State, "The reinvigorated nation-state had to choose the surrender of a degree of national sovereignty to sustain its reassertion . . .† (Milward 1992) The post-war system was such that European states would have had a harder time existing if they did not rely on one another. Without the EU they would not have as much independence as they have today. This is an interesting argument but is not a convincing one. It is one that makes more sense in the 1990s than it does in the aftermath of the recent expansion and economic crisis. The truth is that by overreaching, the EU has come to damage the independence of the nation state. Countries such as Greece and Irela nd have given up a great deal of sovereignty in recent months (Brown 2011). The EU bureaucracy and power have grown dramatically and eclipsed weaker countries. The EU has become, in some senses, a monster that has a life of its own. Nation states are vanishing within its bailout mechanism and refusal to allow individual devaluation. Milward's argument may have made more sense when he first made it but time has not been kind to it. Bomberg, E. (2003): The European Union: How Does It Work? (The New European Union Series). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Brown, JM (Jan. 2011): "How the Celtic Tiger Lost its Roar", Prospect. Milward, A (1992): The European Rescue of the Nation-State. New York: Routeledge. 2) What impact did the ECJ’s rulings in the Van Gend en Loos and Costa cases have on the development of the EU legal order? The rulings led to the establishment of the fact that the treaty creating the EC also created a new legal order, effectively creating a supra-national bod y of law. The Van Gend en Loos case related to tariffs between companies (Barnard 2007). One country wanted to raise a tariff on a chemical but this was found to breach EC law, as the purpose of the treaty was to reduce tariffs between countries. For the first time, it was determined that countries were required to obey rules higher than those created in their own legislatures. The countries of the EC were binding themselves together with new laws that in many senses encroached upon their independence and sovereignty. This case created the doctrine of direct effect, which was perhaps not foreseeable some of the new signatories to the EC treaty, whereby provisions in the treaty could have direct legal effect and overpower their own domestic law. Costa is a case that confirmed this idea. EC/EU law is paramount where a conflict occurs between the two laws. This has since been somewhat weakened by many national courts which suggest that this type of paramountcy only really occurs when t he EU law is in sync with the national constitution of the affected country. Not every EU law will therefore be paramount over every national law. There is some room to manoeuvre (Kent 2001). We can see from this important rulings by the ECJ the beginning of the legal order of the EU superstate. There were many unforeseen consequences to the signing of the first treaty and the beginning of ever closer union. Many legal

Monday, October 28, 2019

Genetically Foods Essay Example for Free

Genetically Foods Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. genes in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t.corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide tolerance For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9. Cold tolerance Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.) Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. Nutrition Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15. Pharmaceuticals Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. Phytoremediation Not all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18. How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U. S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources. Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio.org/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organisms Last year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B. t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further. Reduced effectiveness of pesticides Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target species Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not receive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive. Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone. Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human health There is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health. Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate. Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy seed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants. Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables. Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population. Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries. In Europe, anti-GM food protestors have been especially active. In the last few years Europe has experienced two major foods scares: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in Great Britain and dioxin-tainted foods originating from Belgium. These food scares have undermined consumer confidence about the European food supply, and citizens are disinclined to trust government information about GM foods. In response to the public outcry, Europe now requires mandatory food labeling of GM foods in stores, and the European Commission (EC) has established a 1% threshold for contamination of unmodified foods with GM food products40. In the United States, the regulatory process is confused because there are three different government agencies that have jurisdiction over GM foods. To put it very simply, the EPA evaluates GM plants for environmental safety, the USDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to grow, and the FDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to eat. The EPA is responsible for regulating substances such as pesticides or toxins that may cause harm to the environment. GM crops such as B. t. pesticide-laced corn or herbicide-tolerant crops but not foods modified for their nutritional value fall under the purview of the EPA. The USDA is responsible for GM crops that do not fall under the umbrella of the EPA such as drought-tolerant or disease-tolerant crops, crops grown for animal feeds, or whole fruits, vegetables and grains for human consumption. The FDA historically has been concerned with pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food products and additives, not whole foods. Under current guidelines, a genetically-modified ear of corn sold at a produce stand is not regulated by the FDA because it is a whole food, but a box of cornflakes is regulated because it is a food product. The FDAs stance is that GM foods are substantially equivalent to unmodified, natural foods, and therefore not subject to FDA regulation. The EPA conducts risk assessment studies on pesticides that could potentially cause harm to human health and the environment, and establishes tolerance and residue levels for pesticides. There are strict limits on the amount of pesticides that may be applied to crops during growth and production, as well as the amount that remains in the food after processing. Growers using pesticides must have a license for each pesticide and must follow the directions on the label to accord with the EPAs safety standards. Government inspectors may periodically visit farms and conduct investigations to ensure compliance. Violation of government regulations may result in steep fines, loss of license and even jail sentences. As an example the EPA regulatory approach, consider B.t. corn. The EPA has not established limits on residue levels in B. t corn because the B. t. in the corn is not sprayed as a chemical pesticide but is a gene that is integrated into the genetic material of the corn itself. Growers must have a license from the EPA for B. t corn, and the EPA has issued a letter for the 2000 growing season requiring farmers to plant 20% unmodified corn, and up to 50% unmodified corn in regions where cotton is also cultivated41. This planting strategy may help prevent insects from developing resistance to the B.t. pesticides as well as provide a refuge for non-target insects such as Monarch butterflies. The USDA has many internal divisions that share responsibility for assessing GM foods. Among these divisions are APHIS, the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service, which conducts field tests and issues permits to grow GM crops, the Agricultural Research Service which performs in-house GM food research, and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service which oversees the USDA risk assessment program. The USDA is concerned with potential hazards of the plant itself. Does it harbor insect pests? Is it a noxious weed? Will it cause harm to indigenous species if it escapes from farmers fields? The USDA has the power to impose quarantines on problem regions to prevent movement of suspected plants, restrict import or export of suspected plants, and can even destroy plants cultivated in violation of USDA regulations. Many GM plants do not require USDA permits from APHIS. A GM plant does not require a permit if it meets these 6 criteria: 1) the plant is not a noxious weed; 2) the genetic material introduced into the GM plant is stably integrated into the plants own genome; 3) the function of the introduced gene is known and does not cause plant disease; 4) the GM plant is not toxic to non-target organisms; 5) the introduced gene will not cause the creation of new plant viruses; and 6) the GM plant cannot contain genetic material from animal or human pathogens (see http://www. aphis. usda.gov:80/bbep/bp/7cfr340 ). The current FDA policy was developed in 1992 (Federal Register Docket No. 92N-0139) and states that agri-biotech companies may voluntarily ask the FDA for a consultation. Companies working to create new GM foods are not required to consult the FDA, nor are they required to follow the FDAs recommendations after the consultation. Consumer interest groups wish this process to be mandatory, so that all GM food products, whole foods or otherwise, must be approved by the FDA before being released for commercialization. The FDA counters that the agency currently does not have the time, money, or resources to carry out exhaustive health and safety studies of every proposed GM food product. Moreover, the FDA policy as it exists today does not allow for this type of intervention. How are GM foods labeled? Labeling of GM foods and food products is also a contentious issue. On the whole, agribusiness industries believe that labeling should be voluntary and influenced by the demands of the free market. If consumers show preference for labeled foods over non-labeled foods, then industry will have the incentive to regulate itself or risk alienating the customer. Consumer interest groups, on the other hand, are demanding mandatory labeling. People have the right to know what they are eating, argue the interest groups, and historically industry has proven itself to be unreliable at self-compliance with existing safety regulations. The FDAs current position on food labeling is governed by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act which is only concerned with food additives, not whole foods or food products that are considered GRAS generally recognized as safe. The FDA contends that GM foods are substantially equivalent to non-GM foods, and therefore not subject to more stringent labeling. If all GM foods and food products are to be labeled, Congress must enact sweeping changes in the existing food labeling policy. There are many questions that must be answered if labeling of GM foods becomes mandatory. First, are consumers willing to absorb the cost of such an initiative? If the food production industry is required to label GM foods, factories will need to construct two separate processing streams and monitor the production lines accordingly. Farmers must be able to keep GM crops and non-GM crops from mixing during planting, harvesting and shipping. It is almost assured that industry will pass along these additional costs to consumers in the form of higher prices. Secondly, what are the acceptable limits of GM contamination in non-GM products? The EC has determined that 1% is an acceptable limit of cross-contamination, yet many consumer interest groups argue that only 0% is acceptable. Some companies such as Gerber baby foods42 and Frito-Lay43 have pledged to avoid use of GM foods in any of their products. But who is going to monitor these companies for compliance and what is the penalty if they fail? Once again, the FDA does not have the resources to carry out testing to ensure compliance. What is the level of detectability of GM food cross-contamination? Scientists agree that current technology is unable to detect minute quantities of contamination, so ensuring 0% contamination using existing methodologies is not guaranteed. Yet researchers disagree on what level of contamination really is detectable, especially in highly processed food products such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals where the vegetables used to make these products have been pooled from many different sources. A 1% threshold may already be below current levels of detectability. Finally, who is to be responsible for educating the public about GM food labels and how costly will that education be? Food labels must be designed to clearly convey accurate information about the product in simple language that everyone can understand. This may be the greatest challenge faced be a new food labeling policy: how to educate and inform the public without damaging the public trust and causing alarm or fear of GM food products. In January 2000, an international trade agreement for labeling GM foods was established44, 45. More than 130 countries, including the US, the worlds largest producer of GM foods, signed the agreement. The policy states that exporters must be required to label all GM foods and that importing countries have the right to judge for themselves the potential risks and reject GM foods, if they so choose. This new agreement may spur the U. S. government to resolve the domestic food labeling dilemma more rapidly. Conclusion Genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the worlds hunger and malnutrition problems, and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides. Yet there are many challenges ahead for governments, especially in the areas of safety testing, regulation, international policy and food labeling. Many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. However, we must proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human health and the environment as a result of our enthusiasm for this powerful technology.