Abrupt Onset Neurologic Deficit Health And Social Care Essay

Stroke is described as encephalon hurt due to abnormalcy of blood supply to the encephalon [ 1 ] . In clinical presentation, shot is portrayed as an abrupt-onset neurologic shortage that last at least 24 hours and is of presumed vascular beginning [ 2 ] . Brain cells unlike other cells ; make non hold the capableness to execute anaerobiotic respiration to bring forth energy. Therefore changeless O and glucose must run into its demand for appropriate maps. Perturbations of blood flow leads to inadequacy of these constituents ensuing in lasting neurological harm, disablement or decease. Stroke is besides the 3rd commonest decease in the UK, with lone bosom disease and malignant neoplastic disease accounting for more mortality [ 3 ] . Harmonizing to the British Heart Foundation ( Figure 1 ) , stoke histories for 9 % of all decease in the UK which is tantamount to 53000 deceases each twelvemonth [ 4 ] . Furthermore it besides causes premature mortality, obligated for over 9500 decease ev ery twelvemonth in people under the age of 75, approximately one to twenty of all decease in this age group [ 4 ] .Types of StrokeStroke occurs when the intellectual arteria that brings blood to the encephalon either becomes occluded or leaked. Therefore there are two sorts of shot ( Figure 2 ) . When blood vass are blocked, ischemia consequences while leaky vass causes bleeding ( Chart 1 ) . Ischemic shot is more common than hemorrhagic shot and it accounts for 87 % of all shot instances [ 5 ] . The hazard factors of shot includes age, familial, high blood force per unit area, smoke, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, happening of bosom onslaught or transient ischaemic onslaughts, fleshiness and other bosom diseases [ 6 ] as explained in deepness in table 1.PathophysiologyIschemic Stroke The mechanism of ischaemia can be divided into 3 chief classs ; thrombosis, intercalation, and systemic hypoperfusion [ 1 ] . Thrombosis is the pathological formation of haemostatic stopper within the vasculature in the absence of shed blooding [ 3 ] . In simpler footings it refers to the coagulum in an arteria. Carotid coronary artery disease occurs at the site where the common carotid arteria bifurcates into the external and internal carotid arterias [ 7 ] ( Figure 3 ) . The coagulums will finally contract the arteria subdivisions and blood flow is badly reduced. However if the coagulum manages to interrupt free and dislodge in other variety meats such as the encephalon, bosom or kidneys ; intercalation is said to hold occurred. The embolus may come from assorted countries for illustration coagulums from bosom walls due to atrial fibrillation may so go up to the bifurcate country of the common carotid arteria therefore ensuing in an impeding blood flow to the encephalon. Finally, s ystemic hypoperfusion is due to a generalised loss of arterial force per unit area [ 8 ] . This is associated with terrible hypotension, monolithic myocardial infarction [ 8 ] , shed blooding and loss of fluid in organic structure tissues [ 1 ] . Haemorrhagic Stroke Haemorrhagic stroke can be divided in to several different subtypes, the most common being intracerebral and subarachnoid bleeding [ 9 ] . Intracerebral bleeding refers to haemorrhage in the encephalon peculiarly inside the pia affair while subarachnoid bleeding refers to bleedings outside the arachnoid but inside the dura affair [ 1 ] ( Figure 4 ) .Clinical findingsIschemic shot Signs /Symptoms Symptoms may happen depending on the type of arterias that are block and the location of the occlusion. If the internal carotid arteria is blocked, patients may see sightlessness on one oculus, hemiparesis ( inability to travel one half of the organic structure ) , prosopagnisoa ( inability to acknowledge faces ) , aphasia ( inability to speek ) and dysarthria ( ocular field effects ) [ 2 ] [ 7 ] [ 9 ] . However if the vertebral arteria is occluded ; giddiness, dizziness, dual vision and failing or centripetal perturbations in some or all or the limbs will attest. Other jobs such as depression, kiping trouble, deep vena thrombosis as a consequence from inability to travel legs for a long period of clip ensuing in pneumonic intercalation may besides originate in shot patients [ 1 ] . Diagnosis Ischemic patient will frequently hold a history of high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, or valvular bosom disease [ 10 ] . Sudden oncoming of characteristic neurological shortage besides accounts for the diagnosing. Doctors besides test the patient & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s address, memory, ocular and facial motions [ 1 ] . Besides, a encephalon imaging trial such as CT ( Computed imaging ) and MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging ) scan of the caput is indispensable in excepting intellectual bleeding with intellectual infarct and tumor [ 10 ] . Electrocardiography ( ECG ) and a complete blood trial is besides done [ 1 ] . Haemorrhagic Stroke Signs /Symptoms In subarachnoid bleeding, symptoms such as sudden concern followed by a loss or damage of consciousness that may sometimes intensify to coma or decease may happen [ 10 ] . Almost similar symptoms were noted for intracerebral bleeding whereby consciousness is ab initio lost followed by frequent purging [ 10 ] . Diagnosis CT ( Computed imaging ) scanning is of import to corroborate that bleeding has occurred. [ 10 ] . Besides, a complete blood sugar, blood count, thrombocyte count, shed blooding clip, factor II and partial thrombokinase times and liver and kidney map trial [ 10 ] are besides carried out.TreatmentsThe coveted intervention of shot is to cut down neural impairment, bar of secondary complications and to avoid shot return [ 2 ] . Treatment therapy can be farther divided into pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapy. The list of drugs, their action and their side effects could be found in table 2.Pharmacologic therapyIschaemic shot Thrombolytic drugs Alteplase ( rt, tissue-type plasminogen activator ) Alteplase is a thrombolytic drug which consist of a individual concatenation recombinant tPA. It has high selectivity for fibrin-bound plasminogen that on plasma plasminogen and being labelled & amp ; acirc ; ˆ?clot-selective & A ; acirc ; ˆA? [ 3 ] . It has the advantage of lysing merely fibrin [ 11 ] and less consequence on circulating, unbound plasminogen [ 14 ] . Patients under alteplast should be monitored for their intracranial bleeding and blood force per unit area. Besides, alteplast is besides contraindicated in patients with paroxysm attach toing shot, and a history of patients with diabetes [ 12 ] . The side effects of utilizing alteplast are chiefly nausea, purging and shed blooding. The hazard of intellectual hemorrhage is besides addition in acute shot [ 12 ] Antiplatelet drugsAspirinAspirin is an antiplatelet drug which exerts its consequence through irreversible suppression of thrombocyte Cox ( COX ) [ 2 ] [ 3 ] . Consequently, the transition of arachidonic acid to thromboxane A ( TXA ) , which is a powerful vasoconstrictive and stimulator of thrombocyte collection is later been prevented. As binding is irreversible, thrombocyte can non synthesis new protein due to the deficiency of nuclei therefore its map is altered for its full life span. Additionally, acetylsalicylic acid besides inhibits prostacyclin ( PGI ) synthesis in endothelium ; nevertheless depletion of prostacyclin is non prolonged as endothelium is able to synthesis new prostacyclins [ 2 ] . Hence acetylsalicylic acid is said to change the balance between TXA and PGI in such as manner that platelet anti-aggregating consequence is maintained. Aspirin is contraindicated in patients with hypersensivity to aspirin and other NSAID, active peptic ulceration, hemophilia and other hemorrhage upsets. Furthermore cautiousness should be applied when utilizing with asthma patients. Its side effects include bronchospam and GI annoyance [ 12 ] .ClopidogrelClopidogrel exhibits its consequence by moving as an inhibitor of the adenosine diphosphate ( ADP ) tract of thrombocyte collection [ 2 ] and therefore suppress the activation of GP llb/lla receptors on thrombocyte which requires them to adhere to fibrinogen and each other [ 11 ] . Caution should be noted when utilizing clopidogrel with patients who are at hazard of shed blooding from injury or surgery. Furthermore it is contraindicated in patients with active hemorrhage. Clopidogrel is besides associated with side effects such as indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal hurting and hemorrhage upsets ( including gastrointestinal and intracranial ) [ 12 ] . Clopidogrel is frequently use concomitantly with acetylsalicylic acid in cut downing shot [ 2 ] and used as a monotherapy when acetylsalicylic acid is non tolerated de spite add-on of a proton pump inhibitor [ 12 ] .DipyridamoleDipyridamole exert its consequence by increasing intracellular degrees of camp by suppressing cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase accordingly cut downing thromboxane Asynthesis which is potent in thrombocyte collection [ 11 ] . In add-on, dipyridamole is known to hold possible vasodilating belongingss through its suppression of adenosine consumption in vascular smooth musculuss [ 13 ] Dipyridamole is frequently combined with acetylsalicylic acid in a sustain release preparation for secondary bars of ischemic shot [ 13 ] and is uneffective when used entirely [ 12 ] . Besides, it should be used with cautiousness in patients with aortal stricture, declining angina and drugs that may increase hazard of shed blooding. Its side effects are GI effects, giddiness, and throbbing concern [ 12 ] .TiclopidineTiclopidine is a thienopyridine antiplatelet which has similar construction and mechanism of action to clopidogrel [ 2 ] . Howeve r it is associated with haematological perturbations such as neuropenia as it suppresses bone marrow. It besides causes roseola, diarrhea and elevated serum cholesterin degree [ 2 ] therefore it is debatable when administrating them to patients. Nevertheless it is given to patients who fail to react to aspirin, acetylsalicylic acids combined with dipyridamole and clopidogrel [ 13 ] . AnticoagulantsWarfarinWarfarin is unwritten decoagulants which inhibit the decrease of vitamin K therefore interfering with post-translational -carboxylation of glutamic acid residues in coagulating factors [ 3 ] . Warfarin is use as bar of shot in patients with atrial fibrillation. Targeting an international standardization ration ( INR ) of 2.5 is recommended [ 2 ] . Caution should be noted on patients with a recent surgery, and attendant usage of drugs that increase hazard of shed blooding. Warfarin is besides contraindicated with peptic ulcer and terrible high blood pressure. Side effects are haemorrhage therefore monitoring INR is important as doses need to be adjusted and omitted suitably to forestall major and minor hemorrhage [ 12 ] . Lipid Regulating DrugsLipid-lowering medicinesLipid-lowering medicines inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A ( HMG-CoA ) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterin synthesis in the liver. Lowered intracellular concentrations stimulate an addition in look of low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) receptors in the liver ensuing in an increased consumption of LDL-cholesterol from plasma into liver cells. This mechanism reduces LDL and entire cholesterin in the plasma [ 14 ] . Statins is used as a secondary bar of shot in patients who have diagnostic atherosclerotic disease [ 3 ] though they may increase the hazard of early hemorrhagic enlargement [ 15 ] . Besides, lipid-lowering medicines should be carefully used in those with history of liver disease or high intoxicant consumption. Lipid-lowering medicines can do GI perturbations, concern, giddiness [ 12 ] and assorted muscular side-effects including myositis. Haemorrhagic strokeVitamin KIn intercerebral bleeding, vitamin K is normally given intraveneously [ 9 ] . Generally, vitamin K is of import in the formation of coagulating factors II, VII, IX and X. Side consequence includes hypersensitivity. Furthermore transfusions of thrombocytes and fresh frozen plasma are given [ 9 ] . Calcium channel blokersNimodipineNimodipine, a Ca channel blocker is normally given to forestall vasospasm and incidence of ischaemic neurological shortages following aneurismal subarachnoid bleeding [ 12 ] . It exerts consequence by doing generalized arterial/arteriolar distension and intellectual vascular beds. It should be carefully used in patients with intellectual hydrops, hypotension and those taking Citrus paradisi. It is besides contraindicated with unstable angina and those who are within one month of myocardial infarction. Nimodipine is besides associated with side effects such as hypotension, fluctuation of bosom rate, concern and GI upsets [ 12 ] .Nonpharmacologic TherapyLifestyle alterations Post shot patients are encouraged to hold a healthy diet which involves devouring more fruits, and veggies with at least five parts per twenty-four hours. Reducing salt consumption, ruddy meat, debris nutrient and intoxicant ingestion is of import to command blood force per unit area. Home cook nutrient is extremely encouraged than eating out. Besides, quit smoke by motive and support is besides indispensable. Exerting such as walking on a treadmill for station shot patients helps cut down blood force per unit area, maintain organic structure weight, promote healthy bosom musculuss, and keep healthy balance of LDL and HDL in the blood. Surgical intercessions and rehabilitation Centres Craniectomy is used to let go of the lifting force per unit area in instances of ischaemic intellectual hydrops. Carotid endarterectomy ( surgical remotion of atheromas or coagulums ) of a stenosed carotid arteria is effectual to cut down shot incidence and return [ 9 ] . On the other manus, surgical intercession to either cartridge holder or ablate the piquing vascular abnormalcy reduces the opportunities of rebleeding in patients with subarachnoid bleeding [ 2 ] . Besides, stroke attention Centres such as rehabilitation has been shown to cut down disablement and aid patients to relearn loss accomplishments such as walking, pass oning and many others when portion of the encephalon is damaged.NICE Guidelines [ 15 ]Based on the shot algorithm on chart 2, FAST trial should be performed on those with sudden oncoming of neurological symptoms. However those with hypoglycemia should be excluded. Those with positive showing will undergo several diagnosings and appraisal of encephalon showin g. If shot is indicated, the patient will be treated with alteplast less than 3 hours from the oncoming of shot. If there are no immediate indicants, scanning has to be done within 24 hours. Following, patients are admitted to acute shot unit for specializer and monitoring intervention. The types of shot will be identified. If it is an ischaemic shot, antiplatelet intervention with 300mg acetylsalicylic acid is given and in hemorrhagic shot, contrary decoagulants are given. Thereafter, supervising patients physiological demands will be done. Surgical referral and intercessions will be done if it is indispensable. Nevertheless, patients who do non necessitate any surgery will be given medical intervention before discharged.DrumheadStroke is one of the major unwellnesss that consequences in high per centum of mortality every bit good as disablement. Two major types of shot which accounts for the occluded or leaked arterias have given rise to ischemic and bleedings severally. Signs and symptoms of shot really much depend on the country of harm and the location of the incidence. Treatments available are divided into two parts which is pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacologic therapy. Pharmacotherapy interventions involve the use of drugs while nonpharmacologic therapy involves lifestyle alterations, surgical intercessions and rehabilitations.

Cannabis and Food Service Essay

Introduction I.Attention-Grabbing introduction: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a recent government survey shows that over 98 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime. II.Preview of 3 Main Points: Today I am going to give you information about marijuana legalization. There are three main points to touch on. First, what is marijuana and how does it affect humans. Second, when and why did marijuana become illegal? Third and finally, I will speak about the trend of states legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Thesis/Specific Purpose Statement: Using these three points, I am going to attempt to inform you about marijuana and the movement to legalize it. Body I.Point One: What is marijuana and how does it affect humans? A.Sub-point A: According to WebMD, marijuana, or cannabis sativa, is a naturally occurring plant that contains several psychoactive ingredients, including delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). B.Sub-point B: When THC reaches the brain, it induces relaxation and a feeling of euphoria. It also typically heightens the senses and relieves pain. Transition Now that we know what marijuana is, let’s look at when and why it became illegal in the United States. II.Point Two: When did marijuana become illegal in the United States? A. Sub-point A: According to an article published in Fortune magazine, marijuana has been utilized by human civilizations for thousands of years. It has been a part of western medicine since the early 19th century. B. Sub-point B: Starting in the early 1900’s, states began outlawing cannabis because it had become associated with violence and psychosis. C. Sub-point C: In 1937, through the Marihuana Tax Act, the federal government effectively outlawed marijuana, in spite of objections by the American Medical Association. Transition: So, we have looked at what marijuana is, as well as when it became illegal in the United States. Let’s finally look at the current trend of states legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. III.Point Three: More and more states are enacting legislation that legalizes medical marijuana. A. Sub-point A: According to the USA Today, when New Jersey passed medical marijuana legislation in 2010, it became the 14th state to legalize marijuana in some form. B. Sub-point B: In addition to this, there are another 14 states that are currently considering legislation that will either legalize medical marijuana or decriminalize possession of personal amounts. Conclusion A.Summary Statement / 3 main points & thesis: In review, first we looked at what marijuana is as well as its effects on the human brain, second we saw when and how marijuana was prohibited in the U.S. and third, we looked at the growing number of states that have legalized or decriminalized marijuana. B.Statement tying introduction to conclusion: With a large portion of Americans having tried marijuana, and more and more states considering legislation, it seems that the time has come for a serious debate about the legality of marijuana. Sample Outline Goal: To convince listeners that the often-criticized Campus Food Service is really quite good. Introduction I. How many times have we, as students, complained about Campus Food Service and decided to order in or go out after having previewed that day’s menu? II. By showing how the Food Service on campus keeps costs to a minimum, keeps offering a good variety, and keeps maintaining high quality standards, I am going to prove that Campus Food Service is the best meal program for students. Thesis/Specific Purpose Statement: Campus Food Service is vastly underrated. Body I.Cost is not a valid complaint. A. According Myer Tempel, an outside review company, no one is getting rich off Food Service, since proceeds are divided among utilities, labor, wages, and the cost of food. B. An informal survey shows that Campus Food is comparable in price to local restaurants. Transition: Now that we’ve talked about the cost of the food, let’s move to quality of the food itself. II.Taste is not a valid complaint. A. According to Matt Davis, the Campus Foods coordinator, and supported by Myer Tempel, all foods served are Grade A, fresh daily, and never reused under any circumstances. B. Every Friday night, Campus Foods has an â€Å"international dinner night,† taking us from Latin America to Italy to China. Transition: In addition to preferring tasty food, students also wish for a variety of foods to choose from. III.Lack of variety is not a valid complaint. A. Every day, Food Service offers three entrees and a vegetarian meal, not to mention a salad bar option, breads, soups, and a dessert bar. B. Although Food Service serves a lot of chicken and fish, Myer Tempel says this is because students have requested healthier sources of protein. Conclusion: I. Through consistent efforts to charge students a low price, maintain fresh, tasty standards, and offer a wide variety of food, Campus Food Service is a fair, affordable way for students at the university to dine. II. We are just left with one problem: now that we know all the benefits of eating at Food Service, what are we going to complain about at dinner?

Why you can not use your phone while standing watch in the military Essay

Why you can not use your phone while standing watch in the military (navy) - Essay Example Mobile phones are huge distractors in the current society and there are many accidents that have been triggered by careless use of the mobile phones. Regardless of the type of watch, watch stander must devote full attention to it because the watcher helps in keeping the ship running smoothly. Moreover, maintaining a watch is essential in ensuring quality communication, security, and safety, elements that do not require any form of attention. Military requires high quality discipline is paramount because failure to abide by laws put in place may cause serious danger to the health of others or even risk in facilities. Watches such as security watches are supposed to prevent sabotage, protect property from damage and prevent access to restricted areas or even protect personnel, all these cannot be carried out successfully in case of any distraction by mobile phones. Mobile phones may lead to divided attention or even make an individual forget the duties to be carried out. Duties assigned to security watches do not require any form of distraction that mobile phones are associated with. Using mobile phone makes it difficult to maintai n continuous patrols above and below decks and reduces alertness for evidence of sabotage, thievery, and fire hazards. Additionally, use of mobile phone interferes with attention required in checking security of weapons, obtaining periodic sounding of designated tanks and inspecting damage control closures. Security watch is crucial in barracks in protecting it against fire, for safety of personnel and property as well as carrying out routines, all these requires security watch to be responsible for understanding and carrying out provisions of the fire bill and emergency bill. A security watch stander has essential responsibility of maintaining prescribed standards of order and discipline and therefore use of mobile phone

The Effectiveness of the Royal Family and how it has changed the Essay

The Effectiveness of the Royal Family and how it has changed the United Kingdom - Essay Example The leader of the political which acquires the most number of seats in the House of Commons can form a government and this opportunity is granted to the Member of Parliament by the monarch. INTRODUCTION TO THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY The last monarch who took active part in the government was Queen Anne and she was responsible for the Act of Union 1707 according to which England and Scotland were united into a single Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1714, Queen Anne was succeeded by George I (Luttrell 1857). Formation of the British Royal Family The new monarch was not as active in the government as his predecessors but he did not let go of his governmental control over his German kingdoms. Due to his comparative inactiveness in the government, the governmental powers shifted towards the ministers of George. In this regard, most powers were shifted to Sir Robert Walpole who is regarded as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The title of the Prime Minister was not officially used at that time but due to the powers held by Sir Robert Walpole, it is said that he was the first Prime Minister (Pinches & Pinches 1974). This was the initiation of the change in the political structure of the United Kingdom and it can said that this was the start of the formation of the United Kingdom as it is today. ... The next monarch was George II and with his ancestors, the Royal Family grew. The members of the Royal Family increased and since then the Royal Family holds a very special position in the political structure of the United Kingdom. The Royal Family has a number of formal responsibilities and whether the responsibilities are taken care of is recorded. The formal responsibilities include meetings among the members of the Family and other public engagements (Collins 1984). Role of the Royal Family in the United Kingdom The members of the Royal Family take part in hundreds of public engagement that take place each year all around the United Kingdom. The members of the United Kingdom attend the ceremonies to encourage and know about the endeavors of institutions and individuals in their work regarding different aspects of life. The members of the Royal Family take part in certain activities on behalf of HM The Queen and act on her behalf. The members of the Royal Family often take part in commemorating historical events, celebratory occurrences, holidays and tragic occurrences. Due to the involvement of the Royal Family in such occurrences, the Royal Family holds an important position for the people of the United Kingdom. The citizens of the United Kingdom attach great respect to the Royal Family and honor the involvement of the Royal Family in national activities with great enthusiasm. The Royal Family also sponsors a number of cultural, social and charitable activities. This is also one of the reasons behind the constant high position of the Royal Family among the citizens of the United Kingdom. By these activities, the Royal Family shows that it cares for the people of the United Kingdom and in turn the people of the United Kingdom

Responsibility to Protect and Obstacles in Its Implementations Essay

Responsibility to Protect and Obstacles in Its Implementations - Essay Example In so doing, the Assembly deliberately rejected the old paradigm that viewed sovereignty and human rights as diametric opposites of a horizontal continuum, and embraced the notion that the two principles necessarily reinforce each other. In paragraph 139 of the Document, the Security Council was recognized as possessing the right to authorize force under Chapter VII to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity where "national authorities manifestly fail" to protect their own populations" (World Summit Outcome 31). This recognition has decisively broadened the legal effect of Article 39 of the Charter - it is now fully settled in law that the Security Council may use force in contained domestic crises where atrocities are being committed. The principal argument of this paper is that notwithstanding the advancements of "responsibility to protect", the doctrine in its present form has serious shortcomings that could leave the Security Council without cl ear parameters and guidelines for dealing with future genocides. R2P fails to meet the needs of civilians due to the non-intervention norm enshrined within the Charter. It is vital that more work be done to develop clearer standards and benchmarks in the determination of responsibility to protect. Barriers Implementing R2P R2P, while specifically addressing humanitarian interventions, is a doctrine which is not legally binding. R2P merely serves to clarify the criteria permitting intervention. The criteria are just cause, right intention, last resort, right authority, proportional means, and reasonable prospects. Just cause determines the grounds under which humanitarian interventions may occur. The ICISS identified genocide and large-scale ethnic cleansing, actual or imminent. Right intention prohibits intervention for the sake of regime change or other national interests. The intervention must be solely based on humanitarian motives. The last resort criterion determines that all n on-military means of conflict prevention must be exhausted before relying on the use of military force. The right authority criterion clarifies that while the UN Security Council is the primary vehicle for authorising intervention, it may also, in the case of UNSC paralysis, be authorised by regional organisations such as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the European Union (EU), or the African Union (AU). Proportional means is the idea that the scale, duration, and planned military intervention are the minimum of what is necessary to secure the defined objective. This assures the country in which the intervention is taking place that the intervention is merely temporary and that sovereignty will be returned in the shortest time possible. The final criterion; reasonable prospects, is perhaps the most important. It is the idea that an intervention will only take place if the consequences of such action will not be worse than doing nothing (Matt 31). However, like all legal c onventions, R2P is subject to interpretation. There is nothing in R2P which prevents states from arguing that the just cause threshold has not been crossed or that the responsibility to protect lies with the host state and not the international community. It is stated within the R2P report that it is a pro-sovereignty doctrine, and that the responsi

Compare between SAP system and Microsoft Dynamics system in ( Bill of Research Paper

Compare between SAP system and Microsoft Dynamics system in ( Bill of material) - Research Paper Example Others include NAV, SL, and AX. Dynamics NAV is designed in a way to suite mid-size companies. It is an ERP that incorporates both basic PM and accounting functions that are offered by other types like SL. Dynamics SL is best suited for managing projects and other accounting roles across many divisions in a firm. It was made to target construction management firms, distributors and any other contractor. Dynamics GP which will be our focus of discussion in this analysis is used mainly in the Americas, UK and Ireland, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the first accounting packages released in the USA and was meant to run on Windows 32 bit machines. It was designed to be used in financial management, supply chain management, human resource management, project management and manufacturing. Dynamics AX was designed for global corporations and modern manufacturing firms. It offers all the functionalities of GP and also provides advanced business reporting and intell igence. SAP Business One This is an ERP that is used by all type of businesses i.e. small, medium and even in large companies. It is applied in business functions ranging from customer relationship management, purchasing and supplies, financial management and business analytics. It also provides comprehensive business intelligence and reporting. In 2011, SAP introduced a solution that was meant to consolidate business and enable intercompany integration. This was to enable multinationals to manage transactions and activities across multiple databases. The functions of the SAP ERP system can be broadly categorized into four broad modules i.e. Financial, Human Capital Management, Operations and Corporate Services. In financial management, it supports for multiples currencies, bank reconciliation and budgeting. In human capital management, it is applied in functions of managing the payroll, recruitment, human resources, learning and development and analysis of work functions. In operat ions, it provides functions like purchasing, manufacturing and research and development. In corporate services, it helps in asset management in areas ranging from real estate, travel management and project management. The business area chosen for comparison in this paper is supply chain management functions with respects to each ERP package. Supply Chain Management When we discuss about supply chain management, the discussion is based on two main core ideas; Every product that reaches the customers will represent a collective effort of many corporate organizations and this firms will be collectively referred collectively as a supply chain Unfortunately most businesses have only focused what happens within their premises in as much supply chains have existed for a long time. Therefore few business have understood the entire chain of activities that leads to the ultimate delivery of the final products to the customer Therefore supply chain management can be referred to the management of all the supply chain activities in order to improve

Analytical Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analytical - Research Paper Example Furthermore, information systems assist the decision makers to have a clear perception about the present situation of the organization by proving strong evidences about the organization. However, healthcare information systems have certain demerits as well. Implementation of the systems is quite an expensive process and it also requires a lot of efforts and trained individuals to operate effectively. The management of information system is fundamentally done to gather data from the different departments of an organisation and then to present the data in a systematic format. Management of information system furthermore includes processing of the gathered data. Management of information system plays a vital role in most of the organisations. This system ensures the collection of appropriate data from the different sectors of the organisation and further facilitates to deliver the collected data when it is required (University of Mumbai, 2012). According to Colesca and Dobrica (2009), information system management plays a significant role in improving the efficiency of the healthcare organizations. Furthermore, it facilitates in improving the effectiveness of the services provided by the organizations while maintaining the costs at a minimum level. In addition, the system aids the organizations to remain competitive according to current market scenario and also enables them to provide high quality services as per the requirements of the customers (Colesca & Dobrica, 2009). According to Carlson (2007), management information systems can provide a numerous significant benefits to the healthcare organizations. These systems facilitates in the decision making process of the organizations and enable them to control the emerging related difficulties and also provide a basis to the organisations to monitor their progress towards the organisational goals. In addition, these systems educate the individuals as well as communities about the

The problem of the huge gap between the rich and poor in China and the Essay

The problem of the huge gap between the rich and poor in China and the solutions - Essay Example In contrast to them the poorest 10 per cent of China’s population’s income increased by no more than 12-fold. This sustained trend ranging over a period of almost 2.5 decades has distanced the rich and the poor so much that they almost find themselves at opposite poles today. The Gini coefficient suggests that the yawning gap between the two populations in China has become so wide that it is now disturbing the limits of social stability. The hukou system in China The growing inequality between the rich and the poor in China is integrally linked with the hukou system of the permits of residency according to which the internal migration of the poor is restrained to the towns. Economic gap between the rich and the poor in China has increased with the growing scarcity of the rural labor. The hukou system has limited the poor to the access of public services only where they are registered which are mostly the very places where they are born. â€Å"[M]aking individualsâ€⠄¢ hukou status salient and public significantly reduces the performance of rural migrant students on an incentivized cognitive task by 10 percent, which leads to a significant leftward shift of their earnings distribution† (Afridi, Li, and Ren). The rules applying limits to migration in China that limit the poor in the countryside are blatantly unfair. The concept of Guanxi The growth of business in general and the small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in China has recently grabbed the attention of the whole world. One factor that has played a prime role in the growth of business and the consequential strengthening of economy in China is the concept of Guanxi, that encourages people to build social connections and networks and seek benefits from them. â€Å"The concept of Guanxi or a network of connections is a well known and central aspect of life in China, both in business and social life. It's no different from the 'old boys network' in the UK† (Walker). This sys tem has not only increased the economic divide between the rich and the poor in China, but has also helped the cultivation of corruption and injustice in the systems. Chinese politicians today recognize and appreciate the Old Etonian bonds among the City Hall and the Downing Street. China’s upcoming leaders are linked through families. Economist Mao Yushi has described the problem in these words, â€Å"The wealth in China is not only allocated by the market, but also by power. The people with power have money. The marriage between power and money allows people to make money by using illegal methods. It increases further the income gap between the rich and the poor beyond the market itself† (Yushi cited in Taylor). The system is unfair and the poor do not stand any chance even in the long run. Solutions Decreasing disparity of income between the rich and the poor Since it is one of the most important contributing factors in the widening economic gap between people of

A Ghost Story by Mark Twain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Ghost Story by Mark Twain - Essay Example The paper is aimed to discuss and to analyze A Ghost Story which is written by Mark Twain. It is a story of the interaction between the narrator and the ghost of the Cardiff Giant. The narrator is a person who rented a huge old building in Broadway which had not been occupied for a long time.While in bed, the blankets were pulled and other actions were made by the ‘ghost.’ Different paranormal images had been perceived by narrator and in the end the ghost finally shown himself. He is the ghost of the gentle Cardiff Giant. When the narrator recognized him, the atmosphere of the story completely changed and they talked about the reason for the haunting. There are two characters in the story, the narrator and the ghost. The main focus of the story is the ghost of Cardiff Giant. In the course of the story, the characteristics of the ghost changed, thus, he can be classified as a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story, the main objective of the Giant was to haunt an d get attention and justice because of the use of his remain in unjust manner. Prior to the end of the story, the conversation between the narrator and the ghost of Cardiff Giant changed his views regarding his situation. Through the information given by the narrator that the Giant’s remains were just duplicated and the real ones were in Albany, he was freed and he found no reason to continue his haunting in the said place anymore. The story has both the internal and external conflicts. The external conflict was observed in the first part of the story when the haunting of the ghost along with his friends caused fear to the narrator and to other people before him. The said conflict had been exhibited through the antagonistic treatment of the ghost to the residence of the building. The internal conflict was perceived in the latter part of the story, through the conversation between the Giant and the narrator. The internal conflict defined the main purpose of the ghost of the Ca rdiff Giant which was the feeling of tiredness of the ghost versus the need to seek help and justice for his remains. He wanted to rest for a very long time already but the need to bury his remains to a rightful place kept him haunting for a long time. The setting of the story is figuratively and literally descriptive of the characters of the story. The readers can accept the setting as strong part in the story since the basic information had been presented such as the names and the landmarks. Readers know that the story occurred in New York, near a museum and near a street with old buildings. May that be fictitious or real, it had contributed to the whole atmosphere of the story. The distinct imagery brought about by the setting inside the house. The point of view of the story was achieved through the perspective of the narration. This gave credibility to the story by being in the first person thus being a primary experience. Another effect of the point of view was the primal effec t of the story in terms of the feelings being conveyed, for example fear. The story is rich in metaphors and other figurative forms of language. One example is the description of the building which had â€Å"surrendered to dust and cobwebs, to solitude and sadness.† Other figures of speech are â€Å"locking out mould and darkness† and â€Å"cheery fire† which can be found in the first two paragraphs. Thus it meant that the whole story was enriched by these literary treasures. The author used these figures of speech in a casual and relaxed manner which can easily be related to and understood. The main idea of the story is that not everything is what it seems. The story teaches lesson of

Process and Content Theories of Motivation Essay Example for Free

Process and Content Theories of Motivation Essay There are several process theories of motivation: The Vroom Expectancy Theory, the Adams’ Equity Theory, the Needs-Goal-Setting Theory, and the Reinforcement Theory of Motivation. Here our centre of attention is on helping you make a clear-cut distinction between process and content. Basically, process theories of motivation focus on how workers needs influence their own behaviour. Here our attention goes beyond motivation, our focal point is on giving you a key conceptual tool to help you manage both the performance of your direct reports (management) and the performance of your entire organization (leadership). â€Å"Process† is how employees work together, as opposed to the what – the â€Å"content,† the task, the issue – they are working on. An example of â€Å"process† is the way in which people interact with each other during a meeting; on the contrary, an example of â€Å"content† is the decision they make in that meeting. Process is hiring (the hiring processes that a company practices); content is the selected candidate that becomes the new employee. Process is the nature in which day-to-day performance conversations take place between the manager and her direct reports; content is what gets talked about, agreed upon, and actually understood. Process is the way in which people interact with each other in order to solve a problem; content is the actual solution to the problem. Most executives have the unconscious tendency to focus on content – which is great, that’s what they get paid for – but unfortunately most executives also have the unconscious tendency to forget about the process they are using. However, the quality of the â€Å"process† that is used (the type of meeting that is used to make a decision for example), has an impact on the quality of the resulting â€Å"content† (if the meeting is poorly designed, the quality of the resulting decision is likely to be poorer, but if the meeting is well designed, the quality of the resulting decision is likely to be better). Again, the better the process used, the better the resulting content, and vice versa: The poorer the process used, the poorer the resulting content. Do the people in your company hate meetings because they spend too much time in them? The problem is not in the meetings themselves, but in the way your company runs those meetings. Does your company have several low performers? The problem is not in those poor people who perform below standards, but in your company’s management practices. Is your company lagging behind its competition? The problem is not in those high performing organizations, but in the leadership skills of your company’s leaders. The process by which a company is led and managed determines its long-term success.heori of Motivation A great company is successful in the long run not because of its great products or services, but because of the nature of its leadership and management processes. You can have the greatest product or service, but if you don’t have the appropriate management and leadership processes, your company won’t get too far. It’s that simple. The next time something doesn’t go as you wanted it to go, stop for a second, step back, get your focus off the content, and take a closer look at the process you are using. How can you improve the process that you are using?

Types of Mitochondrial Diseases

Types of Mitochondrial Diseases Abstract: Mitochondrion is the primary site of energy and ATP generation so it is called â€Å"power house† of the cell. Mitochondria are composed of two different types of membranes like an outer membrane, an inner membrane and a protein-rich matrix. Protein kinases can localize to specific cytoplasmic sub compartments and mediates many important processes like cell motility and many signaling events. The mitochondrion is a point of integration for these signaling cascades due to its role in cellular metabolism, redox processes, and cell survival-death. PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) ,Protein kinase C(PKC),Raf-MEK-ERK,JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK, Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1),Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²),Protein kinase A (PKA),PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are associated with mitochondria and modulate mitochondrial activity and the release of mitochondrial products affects mitochondrial respiratory chain, transport, fission-fusion events, calcium turnover, reactiv e oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial autophagy and apoptotic cell death. Mitochondrial diseases are due to degeneration of the mitochondria in specialized compartments present in every cell of the body. Mitochondria diseases causes damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems. So this review focuse on various kinases associated with mitochondria, their role in progression of neurodegenerative diseases and treatment. Introduction 1 Mitochondria: Mitochondrion is present in every eukaryotic cell having size range of 0.5 to 10 ÃŽ ¼m in diameter (Munn et al., 1974). It is the primary site of energy and ATP production so it is called â€Å"power house† of the cell. Mitochondria are composed of two different types of membranes like an outer membrane, an inner membrane and a protein-rich matrix. The molecular machinery of chemiosmosis is associated with the inner membrane. Mitochondrial energy production is same in all cells but there are variations in shape, connectivity, and membrane morphology (Munn et al., 1974, Fawcett et al., 1966). There might be changes in the â€Å"energization† state of the mitochondrial membrane integral to energy production (Green et al., 1973). Structural diversity and dynamics of mitochondria were studied with the help of light and electron microscopy and their relationship with other cellular components. This technique gives idea about changes in shape and structure of mitochondria dur ing biological processes. Electron tomography shows remodeling of the inner membrane in the case of apoptosis and cytochrome c release (Scorrano et al., 2002) and mitochondrial fragmentation (Sun et al., 2007). Cell controls the mitochondrial structure, its function and response against various stimuli (Mannella et al., 2006) 1.1 Structure: A mitochondrion has double layer structure composed of phospholipids and proteins (Munn et al., 2007). These two double membranes have five compartments like the outer membrane, the intermembrane space ( between the outer and inner membranes), the inner membrane, the cristae formed by unfolding of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and the matrix (space in the inner mitochondrial membrane). 1.2 Inner Mitochondrial membrane: The inner membrane contains invaginations called cristae. The cristae are not random folds but these are small regions that open through narrow tubular channels into the peripheral region of the membrane (Fig. 2) (Mannella et al., 2001). Topographic analysis of intact, frozen-hydrated, rat liver mitochondria(Mannella et al., 2001) describes the inner diameter of the tubular â€Å"cristae junctions† is 10-15 nm (Fig. 2).This is enough to pass metabolites and many soluble proteins and the inner membrane restrict internal diffusion rates. For example, computer simulations indicate that the steady-state level of ADP inside cristae with long small junctions can drop below the Km for the adenine nucleotide translocator, leading to a local drop in ATP generation. Like that truncated (t)-Bid-induced remodeling in the inner mitochondrial membrane of isolated mouse liver mitochondria (Fig. 2) causes mobilization of a large fraction of the internal pool of cytochrome c lead to increased rates of reduction by the NADH cytochrome b5 redox system on the outer membrane of the organelle(Scorrano et al.,2002).The inner-membrane remodeling involves fivefold widening of the cristae and diffusion of cytochrome c between intracris tal and peripheral (intermembrane) compartments. These shows that the topology of the mitochondrial inner membrane can have effect on mitochondrial functions by influencing the kinetics of diffusion of metabolites and soluble proteins between the internal compartments defined by this membrane (Mannella et al., 1997). 1.3 Mitochondrial Inner-membrane Dynamics: Isolated mitochondria has two morphologic states, condensed and orthodox.Condence state is characterized by a contracted, very dense, matrix compartment and wide cristae while orthodox having an expanded, less-dense matrix and more compact cristae(Hackenbrock et al.,1966 ). Changes between these two morphological states has been detected in real time by light scattering or simply by adjusting the osmotic pressure of the external medium, causing water to flow into or out of the matrix. A reversible condensed-to-orthodox transition also occurs during respiration when ADP is in excess amount and fully phosphorylated form (Hackenbrock et al., 1966). Electron micrograph shows changes in inner mitochondrial membrane as passive unfolding and refolding of the inner membrane. 3D images of rat liver mitochondria obtain by electron tomography indicate that condensed rat liver mitochondria have large pleiomorphic cristae and multiple junctions to each other and to the peripheral region of the inner membrane, that is the region opposed to the outer membrane and the Orthodox rat liver mitochondria have cristae either tubular or flattened lamellae, both types usually having only one junction to the periphery of the inner membrane. For this to occur the inner mitochondrial membranes must undergo fusion and fission, with tubular forms merging into the larger cisternae during matrix condensation. Large lamellar compartment are formed via cristae fusion is strongly suggested by their appearance in tomograms of frozen-hydrated mitochondria (Fig. 2).so that the structural variations that mitochondria undergo in response to osmotic and metabolic changes involve not only the contraction and dilation of the matrix and intracristal space but also by remodeling of the inner mitochondrial membrane. A review of mitochondrial morphologies associated with a variety of osmotic, metabolic, and disease states suggests that inner-membrane topology represents a balance between fusion and fission, with defects (such as crista vesiculation) corresponding to an imbalance in this process (Mannella et al.,2006). 1.4 Inner mitochondrial membrane proteins: Mitochondrial proteins responsible for maintenance of normal cristae morphology and dynamics are also responsible for mediate inter mitochondrial fusion and organelle division since these processes involve fusion and fission of the inner as well as the outer membranes. For example, the dynamin-like GTPase called Mgm1p in yeast and OPA1 in mammalian cells is required for the fusion of mitochondria. Mutations in this protein cause a progressive, autosomal, dominant retinopathy, dominant optic atrophy (Alexander et al.,2000, Delettre et al.,2002) giving the physiological importance of mitochondrial dynamics. Another protein that directly influences inner-membrane topology is F1F0 ATP synthase. Mutations in subunits e or g of the F0 domain cause lateral dimerization and subsequent oligomerization of these inner membrane complexes and are associated with wrapped cristae lacking tubular junctions (Paumard et al., 2002). This also occurs with the down regulation of the protein mitofilin tha t regulate interactions of the ATP synthase (John et al., 2005). In ATP synthase dimers, close packing of the bulky extra membrane F1 domains causes the smaller, intramembrane F0 domains , which could induce local bending of the inner membrane.Mgm1/OPA1 has a chaperone-like function for subunit e of the ATP synthase. The loss of the function of Mgm1/OPA1 mutants inhibits ATP synthase dimer formation, which lead to the deficiency of normal tubular crista junctions in these mitochondria. 2 Mitochondrial kinases: Activated protein kinases can localize to specific cytoplasm sub compartments and mediates many important processes like cell motility (Glading et al., 2001), and signaling endosomes may facilitate communication between neurons(Howe CL et al.,2004). Like hormone- or growth factor-induce signaling cascades, recent advances in redox signaling pathways have very complex function. The mitochondrion is a point of integration for these redox signaling cascades due to its role in cellular metabolism, redox biochemistry, and survival-death decisions. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain components of protein kinase signaling cascades are specifically targeted to mitochondria, where they modulate mitochondrial activity and the release of mitochondrial products that ultimately affect the entire cell. 3 List of Mitochondrial kinases: PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) Protein kinase C(PKC) Raf-MEK-ERK JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) Protein kinase A (PKA) PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) (1) PI3K/Akt/Protein Kinase B(PKB) The protein kinase B (serine/threonine kinase Akt) has a major role in cell proliferation and survival in many cells of the body. Akt is activated by phosphoinositide-dependent kinases to the plasma membrane by products of the type I phosphoinositide 3- kinase (Vanhaesebroeck et al., 2000). Antiapoptotic effects of nitric oxide may be partially mediated by cGMPdependent activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Akt (Ha KS et al., 2003). Inspite of direct effects of Akt in phospho-inactivating the proapoptotic protein BAD (Datta et al., 1997), Akt also activate Raf-1 in the mitochondria (Majewski et al., 1999) and cause expression of proteins involved in the mitochondrial permeability transition pore(Nebigil et al.,2003). Akt can also having role in cell survival through regulation of forkhead transcription factors (Linseman et al., 2005). In Neuroblastoma and human embryonic kidney cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 Cause rapid translocation of phospho-Akt into mitochondrial subcellular fractions (Bijur et al., 2003). This effect may be cell type specific, as Akt was not observed in mitochondria of mesangial cells stimulated by insulin-like growth factor 1(Kang et al.,2003). Activated mitochondrial Akt can also phosphorylate ÃŽ ² subunit of ATP synthase and of glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK3ÃŽ ²) (Bijur et al., 2003). GSK3ÃŽ ² has been localized by immunoelectron microscopy to the mitochondria, where it functions to phosphorylate and inhibit mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase activity (Hoshi M et al., 1996) and to promote apoptosis (Hetman et al., 2000). Akt can localize within the mitochondria rather than on its surface most commonly in the mitochondrial membrane fractions and to a lesser degree in the matrix (Bijur et al., 2003). It has pro survival role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. The antioxidant selenite has neuroprotective effects and increases AKT activation by PI3K (Wang et al., 2007). Inhibition of PI3K enhance RGCs survival upon axotomy, in a fashion that depended on the presence of local macrophages PI3K inhibition suppressed the neuroprotective effects of sodium Orthovanadate (Wu et al., 2006). (2) Protein kinase C (PKC) The protein kinase C (PKC) family consists of multiple isozymes with distinct distribution patterns in different tissues of the body (Dempsey et al., 2000). Extracellular ligand binds to a receptor tyrosine kinase or G protein-coupled receptor activates phospholipase C and produces inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Calcium released by IP3 causes PKC to bind to membranes, where DAG then activates PKC. Activated PKC phosphorylates many cellular targets, including c-Fos and NF-ÃŽ ºB. The isozymes of PKC differ not only in their localization but also in their responsiveness to IP3, DAG, and calcium. There are three subgroups of PKC isoforms, conventional, novel, and atypical, classified on the basis of their responsiveness to these regulators (Parker et al., 2004). The ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ² isoforms of PKC were found in a subset of mitochondria in carp retinal Mà ¼ller cells (Fernandez et al., 1995) Immunoelectron microscopy studies showed that the kinase was associated with the inner membrane and cristae. Researchers described that PKC isoforms play a direct role in regulating mitochondrial function. Activated PKC isoforms that translocate to the mitochondria are proapoptotic or inhibitory to mitochondrial function. For example, renal proximal tubular cells respond to oxidative stress by activated PKCÃŽ µ to the mitochondria and inhibit the electron transport chain, ATP production, and Na+ transport by direct phosphorylation of Na+-K+-ATPase (Nowak et al., 2004). Treatment of various neoplastic cells with phorbol esters, H2O2, or anticancer agents such as cisplatin and etoposide causes accumulation of PKCÃŽ ´ to the mitochondria, with subsequent releases cytochrome c and induction of apoptosis (Majumder et al., 2000). In rat cardiac myocytes PKCÃŽ ´ was shown to move to the mitochondria in response to anesthetic exposure or ischemia/reperfusion. PKCÃŽ ´ then activate mitochondrial KATP channels, which then promote cardio protection (Uecker et al., 2003). PKCÃŽ µ also promotes cardioprotection following ischemia/reperfusion through a different mechanism, phosphorylating the voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC) component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (Baines et al., 2003). This prevents mitochondrial swelling, outer membrane rupture, release of apoptogenic factors, and decreases in ATP production. PKCÃŽ µ and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) interact at the mitochondria to inactivate the proapoptotic protein BAD in cardiac myocytes (Baines et al., 2002). Inactivation of the proapoptotic protein Bax by PKCÃŽ µ in prostate cancer cells renders these cells resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy (McJilton et al., 2003). PKC isoforms translocate from one cell compart ment to another, these responses to PKC signaling may be mediated by association with specific anchoring scaffold proteins, RACKs (receptors for activated C kinase) and RICKs (receptors for inactive C kinase) (Mochly-Rosen et al., 1998). (3) ERK-Raf-MEK The extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) has a role in regulating the processes like proliferation, differentiation, adaptation (i.e., cell motility, long term potentiating), survival, and even cell death. ERK has been found in the mitochondria of neurons and non-neuronal cells such as in mouse heart, renal epithelial cells, outer membrane and the intermembrane space of rat brain mitochondria, mouse hippocampus, B65 cells, SH-SY5Y cells; Leydig cells and human alveolar macrophages (Ruben K et al., 2009).The three-tiered ERK signaling involves sequential activation of Raf (MAPKKK), MEK1/2 (MAPKK), and ERK1/2 (MAPK). Depending on its intracellular localization and pathway of activation, Raf-1 can affect apoptosis by different mechanisms (Majewski et al.,1999, Alavi et al., 2003).ERK signaling can have opposite responses to injury even within the same cell type (Chu et al., 2004, Hetman et al., 2004). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Pha rmacological inhibition of ERKs resulted in a reduction of cortical lesion volumes one week after trauma (Mori et al., 2002). Intravenous administration of a specific inhibitor of MEKs after ischemia results in decrease of infarct volume (Namura et al., 2001). The antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 plays an important role in targeting Raf-1 to the mitochondria, resulting in phosphorylation of proapoptotic BAD, provides evidence for signaling roles for plasma membrane-targeted versus mitochondrially targeted Raf proteins (Wang et al., 1996). Signaling cascade consisting of Raf-1, MEK1, and the adapter protein Grb10 have been localized to mitochondrial membranes (Nantel et al., 1999). The antiapoptotic effects of mitochondrially localized Raf-1 are independent of ERK activity in myeloid cells (Majewski et al., 1999), and MEK/ERK signaling does mediate antiapoptotic effects of B-Raf in fibroblasts (Erhardt et al., 1999). Phosphorylation of S338 and S339 on Raf-1 promotes mitochondrial translocation and protection of endothelial cells from the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, whereas Src cause phosphorylation of Y340 and Y341 and MEK/ERK activity are important for protection from death receptor-initiated cell death (Alavi et al., 2003). ERK can modulate mitochondrial functions and inhibition of MEK, those associated with cell death. For example, ERK signaling promotes mitochondrial ATP synthase function in glucose-deprived astrocytes (Yung et al., 2004), to maintain mitochondrial membrane potential and prevent cytochrome c release (Lee et al., 2004), and to inactivate the proapoptotic protein BAD (Jin et al., 2002). ERK has also role in promoting oxidative neuronal injuries (Chu et al., 2004) and in neurodegenerative diseases (Tobiume et al.,2002, Kulich et al.,2001) MEK/ERK promotes organophosphate induce mitochondrial vacuolation(Isobe et al., 2003), apoptotic translocation of Bax to the mitochondria(Isobe et al., 2003), and nonapoptotic programmed cell death(Sperandio et al., 2004). As pro- and antiapoptotic effects of MEK/ ERK signaling could be mediated by downstream targets or at the transcriptional level (Bonni et al., 1999), these studies do not necessarily indicate mitochondrial targeting of ERK. Mitochondrial targeting of ERK signaling was first derived from biochemical subcellular fractionation studies. In renal tubular cells, both activated ERK1/2 and PKCÃŽ ± are enriched in mitochondrial fractions during cisplatin injury, where they increase mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease oxidative phosphorylation, and increase caspase-3 activation and apoptosis (Nowak et al., 2002).ERK activity in phosphorylating both Bcl-2(Deng et al., 2000) and BAD (Kang et al., 2003) are associated with increased levels of activated ERK colocalizing or co-immunoprecipitating with the Bcl-2 family members in mitochondria. Immuno-electron microscopy studies shows presence of phosphorylated ERK1/2 within the mitochondrion (Zhu et al., 2003, Alonso et al., 2004). Phospho-ERK was found at high labeling densities within a subset of mitochondria in degenerating neurons from patients of Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia (Chu et al., 2003) and distinct granular cytoplasmic pattern of staining are not observed in control patients(Zhu et al., 2002). (4) JNK/SAPK and p38 MAPK The p38 MAPKs and the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) / SAPK (stress-activated protein kinase) are of MAPK family membranes and involved in prodeath signaling (Matsuzawa et al., 2001). The p38 and JNK are activated by a MAP kinase (MKK), which is activated by a MAPKKK in response to a stimulus like oxidative stress, irradiation, or proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor ÃŽ ±. Role of p38 MAPK signaling in cell death includes translocation of proapoptotic Bax from cytosolic to mitochondrial compartments (Park et al., 2003 Shou et al., 2003), caspase-independent potassium efflux (Bossy-Wetzel et al., 2004), and transcriptional regulation of TR3, a steroid receptor-like protein that translocates from the nucleus to the mitochondria to initiate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway (Bossy-Wetzel et al., 2004). Irradiation causes translocation of both p38 and JNK1 to mitochondrial subcellular fractions (Epperly et al., 2002). The effects of JNK on the mitochondria involve stimulation of apoptosis. Treatment of isolated rat brain mitochondria with active JNK causes the inhibition of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and release of cytochrome c (Schroeder et al., 2003). The mitochondrial JNK is activated by oxidative stress in cardiac myocytes, and cause the release of cytochrome c lead to apoptosis (Aoki et al., 2002). Treatment with phorbol esters cause localization of JNK to the mitochondria in human U-937 leukemia cells, where it binds to and inhibits Bcl-xL, promoting apoptosis (Kharbanda et al., 2000, Ito et al., 2001). Mitochondrial JNK can also cause the release of Smac, the activator of caspase that promotes caspase-9 activity (Chauhan et al., 2003). JNK also phosphorylates and oligomerize proapoptotic BAD (Bhakar et al., 2003). JNK signaling can yield cell survival under some conditions. JNK can inactivate the pro-apoptotic protein BAD (Yu C et al., 2004). Activated JNK phosphorylates Bcl-2 at Ser70 in the mitochondrial membranes of interleukin-3-dependent hematopoietic cells. This occurs under conditions of stress or by exposure to interleukin-3, resulting in enhanced antiapoptotic activity of Bcl-2(Deng et al., 2001). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. JNK3 (but not JNK1 nor JNK2) absence conferred significant neuroprotection to axotomized neurons. The absence of JNK3 (but not of JNK1 nor of JNK2) resulted in a substantial resistance against kainate-induced seizures, which correlated with improved survival (Brecht et al., 2005). Pharmacological JNK inhibitors diminished several manifestations of apoptosis and reduced infarct volume (Gao et al., 2005). Intravitreal administration of a p38MAPK inhibi tor induced apoptosis (Kikuchi et al., 2000). Oral administration of a p38MAPK inhibitor during pre- and post-ischemia provided dose-dependent neuroprotective effects (Legos et al., 2001). Pharmacological inhibition of p38MAPK protects neurons from NO-mediated degeneration (Xu et al., 2006). (5) Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) All living systems are exposed to numerous physicochemical stressors, and appropriate responses to these stresses at the cellular level are essential for the maintenance of homeostasis. The mitogen-activated protein Kinase (MAPK) cascades are having major signaling pathways in regulation of these cellular stress responses (Kazuki et al., 2009). The MAPK pathway consists of a cascade of three protein kinases. These protein kinases are sequentially activated, such as the MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK) phosphorylates and activates the MAPK kinase (MAPKK), which then phosphorylates and activates the MAPK. MAPKs have a wide variety of cellular functions, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. ASK1 identified as a member of the MAPKKK family and activate the MAPKK 4 (MKK4) JNK and MKK3/6-p38 pathways but not the MAP/ERK kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway (Ichijo et al., 1997). Tumor necrosis factor-ÃŽ ± receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) having important role in the regulation of ASK1 activity. In TRAF family proteins, TRAF1, TRAF2, TRAF3, TRAF5 and TRAF6 are associate with ASK1, but only TRAF2, TRAF5 and TRAF6 increase ASK1 kinase activity (Nishitoh et al., 1998). TNF-ÃŽ ± treatment induces JNK activation in a TRAF2- dependent manner (Yeh et al., 1997, Tobiume et al., 2001). Phosphorylation of Thr845 in mouse ASK1 have role in activation of ASK1 (Tobiume et al., 2002). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activates ASK1 and involved in variety of neurodegenerative diseases (Lindholm et al., 2006). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Decreased activation of ASK1/JNK by the antioxidant selenite correlated with neuroprotective effects (Wang et al., 2007). (6) Glycogen synthase kinase 3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) Glycogen synthase kinase-3ÃŽ ² (GSK-3ÃŽ ²) is a constitutively active 47-kDa Ser/Thr protein kinase. It has about 40 substrates and having functions like cell proliferation, growth and death. GSK-3ß has a significant role in the regulation of apoptosis. Apoptotic injury is increased by the over-expression of GSK-3ß lead to cellular injury. During oxidative stress, GSK-3ß can lead to the activation of caspase 3 and cytochrome c release ultimately lead to apoptosis. Mechanism of GSK-3ÃŽ ² is phosphorylation at Ser and Tyr residues, complex formation with scaffold proteins, priming of substrates and intracellular translocation. GSK-3ÃŽ ² has been involved in serious diseases such as Alzheimers disease, bipolar mood disorder, cancer and ischemia/reperfusion injury (Tetsuji et al., 2009). It has Pro-apoptotic role in mitochondrial membrane permeation. Clinical dose of lithium inhibits GSK-3ÃŽ ² resulted in significant axon sprouting and functional recovery (Dill et al., 2008). (7) Protein kinase A (PKA) The protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway involves responses to hormonal stimulation which are often cell type specific.The PKA pathway involves the binding of an extracellular molecule to a G protein-coupled receptor, which catalyzes the formation of intracellular cyclic AMP through the activation of adenylate cyclase.Cyclic AMP then binds to the two regulatory subunits of PKA, thereby releasing the two catalytic subunits to phosphorylate serine and threonine residues on target proteins. These subunits enter the nucleus and phosphorylate transcription factors such as CREB and NF-ÃŽ ºB. PKA signaling in specific subcellular compartments has been recognized with the discovery of specific anchoring scaffold proteins. PKA activity has been identified within the mitochondria in a wide variety of species, including human (Kleitke et al., 1976). Mitochondrial targeted PKA activities have positive effects on the mitochondria. PKA localized to the inner membrane and matrix of mitochondria phosphorylates and promotes the activity of complex I (NADH dehydrogenase) (Technikova-Dobrova et al., 2001). AKAP (A-kinase anchoring proteins)-mediate the activation of PKA to the cytoplasmic surface of mitochondria results in phospho-inhibition of the proapoptotic protein BAD, enhancing cell survival (Harada et al., 1999, Affaitati et al., 2003). A peripheral benzodiazepine receptor-associated protein functions as an AKAP that promotes mitochondrial steroid genesis (Liu et al., 2003). AKAP-121 can also function as targeting of Mn-superoxide dismutase mRNA to the mitochondria for localized translation of this important antioxidant (Ginsberg et al., 2003).The small G-protein Rab32, which regulates mitochondrial fission, appears to function as a mitochondrially targeted AKAP(Alto et al., 2002). Thus, mitochondrial targeting of PKA appears to be involved in regulating most major mitochondrial functions, promoting respiration, antagonizing cell death, and regulating mitochondrial protein expression and biogenesis. (8) PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) PINK1 is a serine/threonine kinase having similarity to calcium/calmodulin regulated kinases. The primary sequence for PINK1 includes a canonical N-terminal mitochondrial leader sequence (Ruben K et al., 2009). PINK1 has been found in the mitochondria human brain and it is cleaved by matrix proteases. Transmembrane domain of PINK1 is responsible for its insertion in to outer mitochondrial membrane. The C-terminal domain of PINK1 having role of its auto phosphorylation (Liu et al., 2008). Point mutations and truncations of PINK 1 have been mapped throughout the transmembrane, kinase and C-terminal domains lead to impaired kinase activity and promote degradation, or induce misfolding of PINK1. The TNF receptor associated protein 1 (TRAP1, or Hsp75) are substrate for PINK1, and the serine protease Omi/Htra2 and heat shock proteins, Hsp90/Cdc37 are PINK1 binding proteins. So degradation of PINK1 catalytic activity leads to disease like parkinsonian neurodegeneration (DeFeo et al., 1981). 4 Human Diseases associated with Mitochondrial Kinases Mitochondria are important because of the Respiratory chain which is the major sites of energy production in all cells (Taylor et al., 2005). Mitochondria perform many functions in different tissues and cells so there are so many different mitochondrial diseases associated with different tissues of the body. Each disease produces abnormalities that are difficult to diagnose. There are complex relationship between the genes and cells that are responsible for maintaining our metabolic processes running smoothly; it is a basis of mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial diseases is due to degeneration of the mitochondria in specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except RBC (red blood cells).When mitochondria fail to generate energy, less energy is generated in the cell so cell injury and even cell death can occur. If this is repeated throughout the whole body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person is severely compromised. The disease affects more in ch ildren as compared to adult but onset is becoming more and more common. Mitochondria diseases causes damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems. Kinases that are associated with mitochondria during neuronal injury include mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) such as extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), protein kinase B/Akt, and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1). Their sites of action within mitochondria and specific kinase targets are still unclear but these signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial respiration, transport, fission-fusion, calcium buffering, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial autophagy and apoptotic cell death( Kachergus et al., 2005). 5 List of mitochondrial kinases associated human diseases: A) Neurodegenerative diseases: Parkinsons disease Alzheimers disease B) Cancer 1 Parkinsons disease (PD) Parkinsons disease is a debilitating, movement disorder that affects around 1 million people in North America. Symptoms: Motor symptoms can be due to degeneration of endogenously pigmented midbrain neurons of the nigrostriatal projection. Olfactory, autonomic and cognitive dysfunction. Most of the cases have no known cause; oxidative stress, disordered protein handling/degradation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are mechanistically observed factors in sporadic PD due to toxin/pesticide exposures, and in models of familial PD (Ruben et al., 2009). Factors like Disturbances in mitochondrial function, transport, dynamics and turnover have central role in neurotoxin, environmental and genetic approaches to Parkinsons disease (Ruben et al., 2009). In addition to changes in mitochondrial fission/fusion machinery and trafficking, autophagic degradation process has a critical role in regulating mitochondrial quality and content (Kiselyov et al., 2007). Macroautophagy has a role in membranous engulfment of cytoplasmic cargo bodies for lysosomal degradation, and this the major degradative pathway for organelles and insoluble proteins. There is deregulation of macroautophagy and of chaperone-mediated autophagy observed in toxin and genetic models of PD (Ruben et al., 2009). Gene multiplication and ÃŽ ±-synuclein mutations are autosomal dominant of PD in model of parkinsonian neurodegeneration (Polymeropoulos et al., 1997). Aggregation of ÃŽ ±-Synuclein, Lewy bodie formation and mutation in leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are found in the sporadic and dominant forms of PD (Kachergus et al., 2005). Parkin, ATP13A2, DJ1 and PTEN induced kinase 1(PINK 1) are involved in autosomal recessive Parkinsonism disease. PINK1 and Parkin regulates mitochondrial morphology and turnover (Ruben et al., 2009). In human PD brain and diffuse Lewy body diseases, Phospho-ERK (p-ERK) in the cytoplasm and mitochondria of midbr

One Of The Hardest Things I had To Do - Original Writing :: Papers

One Of The Hardest Things I had To Do - Original Writing As we drove from the peaceful, secluded surroundings of Hertfordshire into the bustling hub of Heathrow's Terminal 4, it suddenly dawned on me how hard it would be for me to carry out this featà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It was the time I was most looking forward to. We had finally been allowed out of the school gates into our eight weeks of freedom. No work had to be handed in the next day, no teachers would moan how over worked, under paid they were and most of all it was not the winter. After careful deliberation my family and I decided to spend our two-week vacation in the all night city of Paris. We were looking forward to the 35oC weather, the theme parks built inside the over developed hotels and one of the greatest wonders of the world, the Eiffel tower. The hotel we wanted to stay at was called the Jolly Hotel Lotti. This hotel was like no other hotel I had ever seen. Not only did it have its own built in theme park with log flumes, roller coasters and any other ride imaginable but it also had twenty to thirty shops and restaurants all inside. To put it mildly, it was huge! On the 21st August, about a week before we left, we received a letter from the hotel's theme park. It told us that for one day only, they would be offering a free ride on the 'Screamer', for anyone who raised more than  £150 in sponsorship. Only when I watched the enclosed video in astonishment, did I realize what this 'ride' was. It was something I had always wanted to do, but had never managed to convince my parents that it was safe. I found out that it was the first bungee jump that allowed anyone over the age of nine to fly through the air at an exhilarating 80 mph at a g-force of 2.5, so you could understand what my parents' reaction would be to my interest.

African-American Civil Rights Movement of 1955-1968 Essay -- Black Civi

The series of African-American Civil Rights movements, which stretched from 1955 to 1968, aimed at restoring the rights of African-American people and liberating them from social and racial discrimination. This movement changed the social and political structure of the United States. The main catch was that the movement accomplished successful results following the ‘nonviolent resistance’, establishing the fact that the Christian religion believed in peace and equality. BIRTH OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS United States, since its foundation has endured racial inequality. The government and other major institutions were administrated by the ‘whites’ and the ‘black’ Americans lacked behind in every aspect of life. The reconstruction period, that started after the defeat of the Confederate States of America, lasted for twelve years starting from 1865 to 1877.The elections of 1876 brought an end to this era in which the whites of the Democratic party gained political control in the south while the Republican Party, which mainly constituted of the Blacks, lost terribly because blacks were not allowed to register their votes. By the early 20th centaury, majority of the elected officials in the south were Democrats, the white domination caused increase in the violence on African Americans and they were detained from their rights of education, employment and religion. The consequence was the emergence of the ‘Jim Crow’ system which suppressed and violated the racial and social rights of the African Americans. The conditions in the North and West were comparatively better so most of the African people seek refuge in migration. Previously, the Civil rights movement of 1955 – 1968, with the help of organizations like NAACP (National... ... which was responsible was the division of equal power, took no practical measures in that regard. All in all, this movement was very successful in the general populous and managed to give them a sensation of separate and distinct identity but didnot achieve any remarkable results in the political domain. Conclusion To conclude, Civil Rights Movement of 1955 – 1968 has been the turning point not only in the history of African – American but has also been a source of inspiration and motivation for the further Civil Rights movements, that strived for the equality of gays, women and other minority nations. The key points of the movement were derived from the teachings of Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi and perhaps it was the result of such remarkable teachings that the movement managed to attain triumphant results and turned around the life of the people of America.

Effective Literary Elements in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights Essay

Effective Literary Elements in Wuthering Heights      Ã‚  Ã‚   Critics analyze and examine Wuthering Heights to obtain a deeper understanding of the message that Emily Bronte wants to convey. By focusing on the different literary elements of fiction used in the novel, readers are better able to understand how the author successfully uses theme, characters, and setting to create a very controversial novel in which the reader is torn between opposite conditions of love and hate, good and evil, revenge and forgiveness in   Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. There is no doubt that the use of conflictive characters such as Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Edgar, with their interactions in the two different settings creates an excellent background for a doomed love story.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The central theme of Wuthering Heights is a love story that challenges the established social rules in which the protagonists, Catherine and Heathcliff have lived; it is a story that survives the unfortunate choices that both lovers make and even mystically survives Catherine's death.   The protagonists fall in love despite the opposition of   Hindley Earnshaw.   Catherine's attraction for Heathcliff is so strong that she feels compelled go against her brother's wishes and the social class conventions existing at that time. However, after courting for a while, Catherine makes the tragic decision of accepting Edgar Linton's proposal for marriage. This decision brings about a conflictive situation between Heathcliff and both the Earnshaws and the Lintons. One day, Heathcliff overhears Catherine telling Nelly "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now" (Bronte 59). This comment enrages Heathcliff and he storms out of the house; ... ...to illustrate how humans shape their way to unhappiness by not addressing their true feelings.  Ã‚   However, in the end, young Catherine and Hareton are able to acknowledge their feelings and choose to be happy.   They finally obtain the happiness that has eluded the previous generation of these English houses - Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange -   as clearly shown in the movie version directed by Peter Kosminsky.      Works Cited Bronte, Emily.   Wuthering Heights. New York: Dover Thrift   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Editions, 1996. Charters, Ann, ed. The Story and Its Writer. 3rd ed. Boston:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   St. Martins, 1999. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Dir. Peter Kosminsky.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perf. Julliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes, Sophie Ward,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simon Shepherd and Jeremy Northam. 5 Star Cinema.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bravo Special Presentation. Videocassette. 2002.   

A Brief Introduction for Chinese Culture Essay

China, as one of the four homes of the world’s earliest civilization, has a recorded history of nearly 4,000 years. Through centuries of migration, merging and development, it has formed a distinctive system of language, writing, philosophy, art and political organization, which came to be recognized as Chinese culture. It originated from Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasty, which was known as slave culture period. Xia culture represented the early Chinese culture and Zhou culture contributed to the form of more than 2000 years of feudalism culture in China. The May 4th Movement of 1919 was also an important date because it symbolized that it entered into a new culture period. In the spring and autumn and warring-states period, slave society gradually turned into feudalism society and a lot of thinkers sprang up with their immortal work. Among those, Confucianism was the most successful, which helped to build up the norms and values of Chinese people in the following centuries and also was used as a method for emperors to rule the country. However, after the fall of Qing dynasty, the last feudalism dynasty, Confucianism, which was seen as the product of feudalism society lose its dominant position. But its influence still lasts until now. Besides Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism also once played an important role in ancient Chinese. Nevertheless, nowadays most of Chinese are atheists. Buddhism is the biggest religion in China with a history of about 2,000 years. Then Muslim comes the second. It is popular within minority nationalities such as Hui and Uygur. See more: how to start an essay Christianism and Catholicism are also believed in by some people. However, Taoism as indigenous religion has the fewest followers. Moreover, China is a multi-national country with quiet different 56 groups, in which Han has the largest population. Every group has its own language, customs, festivals and some fixed residence. In order to solve the problems of communication between groups and facilitates management, the government standardized language through popularizing mandarin, which is mostly based on Beijing dialect. Cultural values. The development of Chinese values can be divided into two phrases:the former is the traditional cultural values; the latter is modern cultural values, which is affected by the western culture since the 20th century. Confucianism is the core element in traditional values. Deeply influenced by Confucianism , Chinese people tightly adhere to the Doctrine of Mean and try to avoid conflicts. Afterwards, with time going by, Confucianism experienced improvements by combining with Taoism and Buddhism. In this period, Confucianism focused on human, for example, the relationship between human and human, human and nature and so on. Under the influence of the above factors, Chinese traditional values can be concluded into the following aspects: -believe in self struggle ‘Man’s determination can conquer the nature’ is an old Chinese saying. Chinese people believe that through their efforts they can change their life. -emphasis on the art of tolerance Tolerance is another characteristic for Chinese nation. Chinese people won’t be easily infuriated by others. They are used to avoid conflicts and keep peace. It seems to be a little cowardly . But the truth is that many great men succeed because of temporary tolerance . -follow the majority. This is still a serious problem in today’s society. Conformist mentality has proved to have negative effect on building up one’s confidence and independence. People are not willing to express its own opinion to keep conformity with the majority and become passive. -respect the old Respect for the old is a Chinese traditional virtue. Not like western individual consciousness, Chinese parents think it’s their duty to look after their children and do all that they can do for them. So when children grow up, they tend to be grateful for their parents’ contribution. As a result, the old enjoy a high position in the family. Moreover, since the old experience much more than the young, young people are willing to listen to their opinions when making decision. -collectivism This means that Chinese, in general, is a collective society that strives for harmony and group belonging, whether to family, friends, work, or country. The Chinese are more willing to suppress their own feelings and needs for the good of the group. This value has been passed down the Chinese culture from folklores where martyrs sacrificed their lives for their community or country ever since the dynastical eras 5,000 years ago. The arrival of western cultural value stroke Chinese traditional culture values and helped to discard some backward or bad parts of traditional values. Moreover, it also brought something new such as freedom, charity, democracy and etc. Cultural norms -saving face and losing face ‘Fcae’ stands for one’s position in a certain social group. It’s related to honor, good reputation or respect. Consequently, loss of face is not simply a form of embarrassment. Saving face is another concept. Chinese people respect a person who is friendly and who carefully avoids hurting the feelings of others. Loud, untactful or boisterous behavior is usually regarded as very poor taste. – greeting When meeting for the first time, a handshake is the most common greeting. In order to express some special esteem, to those elderly people or government officials, a slight bow might be given. -gift When visiting a family it is appropriate to bring a small gift, such as fruits, to the host, especially around New Year’s time. Gifts should be given and received with both hands. It is also a Chinese custom when receiving a gift to thank you for it and then place it to the side without opening it.-eating.  ·Chopsticks and a soup spoon are common eating utensils. Food is not passed around the table, but remains in the center. The host usually chooses the food for his guests and serves it to them from the central dishes on the table.  ·Refusing to drink is sometimes thought as dishonor to the people who toast to you. -relationship (guan-xi) Guan xi is a Chinese word which means relationship. One’s guan-xi, is an important factor in the individual’s social status. It is also an important Chinese business element. Having a right guan xi helps companies to minimize the risks, frustrations, and disappointments. Guan-xi relationship, like face behavior, is obligation between individuals for the purpose of maintenance of group integrity. -parents dominant Parents are accustomed to interfering children’s decision and sometimes just determine for them regardless of their own wishes. -look down on girls In some remote areas, the natives still prefer boys to girls. If a family has two children and they can’t afford the education fees for both of them, the boy will have more chance to go to school. Ways of communication -nonverbal communication Chinese is a high context country. Nonverbal communication is as common as verbal communication. Nonverbal communication includes facial expression, tones of voice , gestures, and eye contact. They’re quiet important in Chinese daily life and sometimes it is even more powerful than the verbal interaction. Different gestures have different meanings. Due to different cultural background, even the same gesture has different meaning for people in certain context. -avoid speaking directly Speaking directly is often considered rudeness. Try to be â€Å"diplomatic† and tactful where possible, as the Chinese may be offended by directness in some situations. For example, it is a terrible thing to be criticized in public due to the fact that harmony is highly valued in Chinese society. -conversation tips Find some common areas to talk about such as family, sports and etc. Don’t verbally attack China and be careful about criticizing things there, as many Chinese will feel personally attacked by this. Avoid political arguments, as many Chinese feel reluctant to speak or explore their true opinion about the current government. – saying â€Å"Thank you† â€Å"Thank you† is said a lot less than in the West. In a lot of instances, for example when someone opens a door for you or passes the soy sauce, saying â€Å"thank you† is seen as being over polite and without meaning, and is often met with requests for you not to be so polite (over-polite). -saying â€Å"Excuse me† â€Å"Excuse me† is not used as often in China. People are expected to give way naturally to one another on the street or when walking around, without anything being said. Interrupting somebody talking or doing something else to ask a question, make a request, etc. also happens regularly without any warning or apology. -compliments Be careful when complimenting someone’s possessions or somebody because they may think it’s a kind of flattering rather than appreciation. In conclusion, Chinese culture is based on the wisdom of Confucius and quiet different from western culture in many aspects. But nowadays because of the process of globalization, Chinese people are striving to learn from mainstream culture and improve and develop their own culture.

Mass Communications Essay

Communication has developed and still continues to develop. Over the centuries, many forms of communication have developed that have made the transmission of messages among people faster and more efficient. These include the radio, television, the print media as well as telephones. With technology and globalization improving at a fast rate, certain factors have influenced the way these different channels of communication operate in ensuring their audiences are satisfied with the services they offer and also the media houses make profits. Some of the trends affecting the delivery of content are: convergence, increasing audience control, and media mobility. The focus of this essay is to analyze the impact and relevance of convergence, increasing audience control and media convergence on Radio. Radio is a means of communicating by using electromagnetic waves or frequencies to detect signals and transform them to sound and its history of radio can be dated back in the late 19th century. Back then, the radio was a simple device whose usefulness was seen during the wars and battles as it was used to send telegraphic messages to people fighting in far places. Since then, radio has developed and is used for other purposes such as educating, advertising, relying information and entertaining people. In addition, it has created a livelihood for many people who depend on it. ? Convergence Convergence refers to the way in which various communication systems are linked so as to foster faster and better ways or relaying information. Basically, it is the merging of technologies. In media, convergence is the linking of technology with media content as well as the communication networks. As technological improvements continue to advance as each day passes, people in the radio business have embraced the changes and have become better. Radios initially used to be big equipments; but they have been modified and transformed such that they can be small as the size if a pen. Convergence nowadays is seen by how the internet has linked up with radio such that people from any corner of the world can listen to different radio stations in other countries. Before the internet came to use in 1969, people could only listen to radio stations within their regions. â€Å"The arrival of new digital communication technologies have facilitated the delivery of digital signals through various platforms and improved audio visual quality (Chan-Olmsted, 2006). † With the advancements in digital technology and the internet, people can now choose on what they would like to listen and from anywhere. Internet has enabled people to listen to music online, download and upload whatever they like. Moreover, it has generated new experiences both socially and business wise such that people from different regions meet and interact and businesses can advertise their products to more people thus expanding their markets. Convergence is also being enhanced in radio in through pod casting such that individuals can download their favorite programs on MP3 players. The disadvantages that come with convergence is that mobiles such as the iphone and the internet are taking over the functions of the radio networks are slowly being eroded away. For radio stations to be able to tap on the convergence advantages , they need to have experts working for them that is the employees, employers as well as the private consultants who advice them. This will be good because they will always be keen and updated on what is happening so that they know whish areas need to be improved on or the ways in which technology will be incorporated into the system. Moreover, professional consultants will advice them on what competitors are doing so that the can also try similar strategies. ? Increasing audience control Nowadays, the audience especially the younger generation that is technologically more advanced and conversant with how things work influences the activities of radio stations. This is because what they listen to, read or watch determines there preferences. â€Å"Although they have a variety of things to choose from, they are influencing time, prices and the portability of media use (Chan-Olmsted, 2006). † These preferences make them request or demand for programs they like and even suggest for what things they would like to see. Since the audience is means everything to the radio owners, they are forced to give in to their customers requests. This has enabled radio stations to benefit from the customers ideas as they always work on improving their services and retain their audiences. The shortcomings of audience control is that media houses need to change the way they operate so as to meet the demands of customers and at the same time offer quality services. In doing so, they will have to invest on the latest machinery and technologies and sometimes they have to overstretch their budgets to do away with the pressure or sometimes they do not have the funds hence they risk losing their audience. ’ Media houses have to contemplate on how to internalize new technology and be responsive to the new media audience. Another disadvantage is that the audience once they do not get what they want, they will opt to down load things on the internet or shift to their competitors. ? Media Mobility Media mobility refers to the ease with which the technologies in communication can be accommodated and enhanced so as to diversify the uses of the radio. The radio while being serving as a communication channel also links technologies with customers, markets and technology. â€Å"The globalization of mobility directly involves the way in which service integration and network integration relate to one another (Hardy, Malleus & Mereur, 2002). †Mobility can be seen in the way the radio is incorporated with various devices making it more portable and more flexible thus increasing the rate of acceptance. Most mobile phones nowadays have evolved and have radios. This was mainly a marketing strategy used by the mobile companies to attract the younger generation and we can say that it has helped in expanding the usage of telephone. Furthermore, some DVDs especially home theaters and televisions have been modified to perform many functions and the radio is one of them. The usage of radio has expanded to accommodate many things and people are always eager to know what will come next. All these coupled by various enhancements such as the ear pieces have made radio more attractive. The disadvantages that come with incorporating all these new things is that the focus shifts from the radio to the other devices as it is being used to complement the other functions of the device. In addition, the costs of certain software and hardware is high therefore this limits research at times especially now when the global economy and markets are not doing well. To tap on the advantages, radio companies will need to be regularly updated on new technologies as well as invest in training and educating their staff so that they become better at what they do as well as find better marketing strategies. In addition, radio companies need to budget properly so that they have enough funds to run their businesses as well as accommodate new strategies that are beneficial to the business. Conclusion These factors have greatly impacted the things we purchase and what we listen to. Moreover, they influenced and enabled businesses to develop and grow as they do their advertisements, promotions and marketing strategies using it. I as well as other Americans have been exposed to a variety of products thus making it easier to purchase commodities especially those manufactured in far off areas. We therefore need to support the work done by researchers as well as radio stations so as to benefit through things like media mobility which link the old and new systems. References Chan-Olmsted, S. M. (2006), Competitive Strategy for Media Firms: Strategic and Brand Management in Changing Media Markets. Routledge, p. 204 Hardy, D. , Malleus, G. & Mereur. J. N. (2002). Networks: Internet, Telephony, Multimedia: Convergences and Complementarities. Translated by Michael Byrne,De Boeck Universite