Skills and Competencies in Human Resource Management Essay

Skills and Competencies in Human Resource Management - Essay Example HR departments are not designed to provide corporate therapy or social or health and happiness retreats. HR professionals must create the practices that make employees more competitive, not more comfortable. (1999). Competencies help organisations to focus on the characteristics their employees must possess in order for them to be successful. Competencies also provide a way to measure employee’s performance and to align performance with business strategies. Competency may be grouped as â€Å"the underlying characteristics of skills, knowledge, self-concept, traits and motives.† (Tucker and Cofsky, 1994) But one cannot ignore at the myriad of problems that the HR Managers confront. Among them health related incompetence bear the most serious implications, for part of it lies in the individual affiliation for lifestyle and food habits. Therefore, it gives rise to a question â€Å"Do companies have the right to get involved in peoples’ eating and exercising habits? The obesity epidemic is robbing our youth of their future and our generation of their leisure years in retirement. What can be done about it? Is it a pubic or private matter?† (Smith, 2006) http://www.cfib.ca. From the sphere of being totally a private matter the issue has reached an insurmountable proportion that needs proper mechanism in place to tackle it. It concerns the companies mostly as it is a human resource issue rather than being a result of private individuals’ eating habit. Needless to say all companies are earmarking huge amounts for the health issues of the employees and much of this outl ay are eaten away by obesity related problems. An efficient workforce is the backbone of all companies and efficiency is relied on the health of the employees. If the wrong life style and food habits get the better off the employees, their negative implications are manifold. All concerted efforts at modernization, and

Chinese Literature Essay Example for Free

Chinese Literature Essay 1. Shang Dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC) Development of Chinese Writing * Historical record and archaeological evidence are present in this era. * Hieroglyphic writing system later evolved into ideographic and partly-phonetic Chinese characters. 2. Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) Basic Philosophical and Religious Literature * The great literary works of philosophy and religion that became the basis for Chinese religious and social belief stem from what is called the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221). * Taoism, Confucian literature, and other prominent religious and philosophical schools all emerged during these two periods or the so called â€Å"One Hundred Schools of Thought. † * They say that most of the philosophical and religious works of that time were destroyed. If there were great fictional books created, they have been lost. 3. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) Literary Disaster and Legalism * A big philosophical and religious school then was called Mohism. * An early form of Buddhism was also established in China at that time. * The emperor wanted to reduce and destroy the â€Å"One Hundred Schools of Thought† * So the â€Å"Book Burning and Burial of Scholars† was a literary disaster. * The Qin Dynasty standardized the written Classical Language. * The Qin Emperor favored a philosophical school that was called Legalism (æ ³â€¢Ã¥ ® ¶). 4. Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) Scientific and Historical Texts * Confucian texts were rewritten and republished. Confucianism was mixed with the Legalism philosophy of Li Si. * Sima Qian wrote Historical Records that is a major history concerning the overall history of China from before the Shang Dynasty until the Han Dynasty. * The Han Dynasty era was one of the two main hotspot eras for scientific and technical advance. * Two or three mathematical texts showing advanced mathematics for the times were written. 5. Tang Dynasty (618-907) Early Woodblock Printing and Poetry * This era’s main contribution to Chinese literature was in the poetry of Dufu, Li Bai and many other poets. 6. Song Dynasty (960-1279) Early Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature, Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-Confucian Classics * Has made remarkable scientific and technical advances. * Invention of movable type which helped to spread knowledge since printed material could be published more quickly and cheaply. * Travel literature in which authors wrote about their trips and about various destinations became popular perhaps because the texts could be cheaply bought. * The Confucian Classics were codified and used as test material for the entrance examination into the elite bureaucracy, advanced scientific texts and atlases were published, and important poems were written. * The Five Classics and Four Books were written in the written Classical Language which include: * * Five Classics: * The Book of Changes, * The Classic of Poetry, * The Record of Rites * The Classic of History, and * The Spring and Autumn Annals * Four Books: * The Analects of Confucius * The Doctrine of the Mean * The Great Learning * Analects of Confucius * .Shen Kuo (1031–1095) is said to have discovered the concepts of true north and magnetic declination towards the North Pole * Su Song (1020–1101) wrote a treatise called the Bencao Tujing with information on medicine, botany and zoology. * Song poet named Lu is thought to have written almost 10,000 poems. Su Tungpo is regarded as a great poet of the Northern Song era. Here is a stanza he wrote: â€Å"The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?† 7. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) Drama and Great Fictional Novels * An era whereof some historically renowned dramatic playwrights and novelists who wrote in vernacular language. * The Yuan â€Å"Zaju† style of opera was similar to their shadow plays. Perhaps the playwrights adopted the plots and the features. The music of the Zaju operas was called Yuan Qu (Yuan Music). * After the Yuan Dynasty, the operatic style developed into the Painted Faces style of Chinese opera that was popular until modern times. * Guan Hanqing is regarded as one of the best playwrights of the times. He wrote Midsummer Snow that was one of the most popular drama pieces. * The Romance of the Western Chamber was written by Wang Shifu. It is considered one of the best romantic dramas ever written in China. * Novels were another outstanding achievement of the Yuan era. 8. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Novels * The Journey to the West is based on the historical journey of a Buddhist to India during the Tang era to learn Buddhist teachings and bring back scriptures and information. 9. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Novels and Pre-modern Literature * In the 19th century, foreign literature and the West became better known. In the middle of this era, the last of China’s four great classic novels was written called Dream of the Red Chamber (ç ´â€¦Ã¦ ¨â€œÃ¥ ¤ ¢); and near the end of the era, modernistic literature developed. * Educated Chinese had easier access to foreign literature, and they were more influenced by Western culture. Chinese Literatures 1. Chinese Classical Prose * Prose writing in ancient and pre-modern China differed from poetry in that it was less rigidly structured and wasnt like verses in a song or like one of the common styles of poetry. But compared to English prose, literary prose before the year 1900 was often much more formalized. * Classical prose can be divided into three types called * Piantiwen style or parallel prose style is more formalized style of prose writing * Guwen style is less formal and more ancient style * Vernacular style which is used in operatic dramas and in the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature. 2. Chinese Poetry * Poetry has been a favorite literary genre for thousands of years. Poetry isnt taken very seriously in the West, especially in the last two hundred years, but Chinese ancient poetry is still read and ancient Chinese poets are honored. * There are Five Major Kinds of Major Ancient Poetic Styles * Shi è © © poems are composed of couplets. They are poems of two more coupled lines. The two lines of a couplet usually rhyme and match rhythmically and complement each other tonally. Modern Mandarin only has five tones, but ancient languages usually had more, so the tonal rhythms are generally lost. * Ci è ©Å¾ poetry can be described as poems that have patterns of syllables and tonal patterns. In making a Ci poetry, a poet chooses words that fit a specific pattern. These patterns may have once been part of a song. But the music has been lost. There are various patterns that provided affective settings for various effects or moods. * Ge æ ­Å' means song. Ge poems are the words to a song that can be sung. There were folk songs as well as songs composed by the literate and educated composers. * Qu æ› ² is the style of music and song in the operas or Mongol Music. The songs from the operas and popular songs were a poetic style that was also popular in later eras. The poetic style is freer of form. * Fuè ³ ¦ is the fifth major style of poetry . These are descriptive poems that contain both prose and couplets. These were popular about 1,500 years to 2,000 years ago. Often poets included rare or unusual written characters from preceding eras in their poems. * The greatest ancient poets are thought to lived in the Tang, Song, and Han eras. The following were considered to be the exemplary poets: * Du Fu (712-770) liked to write in a structured form of poetry that was called Lu Shi Ã¥ ¾â€¹Ã¨ © © or regulated poetry. He is thought of as one of the greatest realist poets of China. His poems reflect the hard realities of war, people dying next to rich rulers, and primitive rural life. Here is a famous couplet: â€Å"Behind redden doors stink wine and meat; But upon the road die frozen men.† * Li Bai (701-762) liked to write in a free form poetry like that of more ancient times. This kind of poetry was called Gu Shi (Ã¥  ¤Ã¨ © ©). He wrote about places he visited and things he saw. He is described as a romantic poet. * Su Tungpo (1037-1101) is also called Su Shi. He is regarded as a great poet of the Northern Song era (960-1127). More than 2,000 of his poems survive. Here is a stanza he wrote: â€Å"The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?† 3. Chinese Scientific Texts * Chinese science texts give an idea of the state of knowledge in the dynastic eras. During several eras,Chinese scientists and inventors led the world in various fields. * Suan Shu Shu (Computation and Numbers Book). It shows how to solve arithmetic problems that officials or people doing business face. * Jiuzhang Suanshu (Nine Chapter Computation Book). The book features basic algebra such as finding cube roots and square roots. Negative numbers are also used. * Zhoubi Suan Jing (The Arithmetical Classic of the Gnomon and the Circular Paths of Heaven) about astronomical problems. It is said text has a mathematical proof for the Gougu Theorem (å‹ ¾Ã¨â€š ¡Ã¥ ®Å¡Ã§ â€ ; a2 + b2 = c2) that is known as the Pythagorean Theorem in the West. A method of determining the distance of the sun from the earth by using a right angled triangle is described. * The second period of rapid scientific and technological advancement was the Song era. Two men in particular stand out: Shen Kuo (1031–1095) and Su Song (1020–1101) both wrote scientific treatises about their research and about various fields. 4. Chinas Classic Novels * Four long fictional novels are usually thought to be the best novels in Chinese literature. And the following two novels set a standard for classical literary works. * The Romance of the Three Kingdoms The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a semi-historical work said to be written by Luo Guan Zhong. It is historical fiction about the lives and struggles of rulers and the wars at the end of the Han Dynasty and in the Three Kingdoms Period. The novel describes the machinations, court intrigues, and the shifting alliances of the three kingdoms that emerged from the Han Empire. * Water Margin Water Margin is about the lives and ideals of a group of characters who fought against the corrupt Song Dynasty that the Mongols conquered. It is said it was written in vernacular language by Shi Nai An. The setting of the novel is during the Northern Song Dynasty era before the northern part of the Song Empire was overrun by a northern tribe and before the Mongols conquered the whole area. Water Margin is reminiscent of the story of Robin Hood. Likewise, there may have been actual outlaws, and popular legends and stories later grew. But Water Margin is probably more fictional and less historically accurate than The Romance of the Three Kingdoms * The other two novels. * Journey to the West The long tale about a fantastic journey to the west of a group that went to India was written at a time that the Silk Road land routes were blocked by Mongol and Muslim countries. Perhaps one of the reasons the novel was popular was that people during the Ming era wanted to travel to the west, but they couldn’t. The latter Ming Dynasty was isolationist. In the novel, a great intelligent monkey and a small band of characters protects a defenseless monk during his journey. Buddha commissioned the monk to help India that had fallen into gross sin and immorality. The monkey and other characters have magical skills. Journey to the West is thought to have been published anonymously by Wu Chengen in the 16th century though scholars have doubt about the authorship. * The Dream of the Red Chamber The fourth major novel that made an impact on Chinese history and literature is The Dream of the Red Chamber. It was the last of the Four Classic Novels to be written. It is about the fortunes and lives of the people of two branches of a clan in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) era. The two families had adjacent compounds. It is appreciated because it gives a view into the lives of two ruling families of that time. One of the members of the clan was made a concubine of an emperor. But then the imperial court turned against the two families.

Health Care and Insurance Coverage Essay -- system, insurance, coverage

Everyone knows that in order to be a functional human being, your health must be in order. Bacteria and diseases can be devious forces if someone's system is not equipped to fight them off. In order to prevent said things from attacking our immune systems, we go to the doctor for guidance in the areas of taking care of ourselves, but going to these doctors has a price. Most people living comfortably would tell you that their insurance covers ever bump and bruise that appears on them, but what about those who cannot afford health insurance? Luckily for them a document, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was signed into law by President Barack Obama so that they may have the same opportunities for coverage concerning their health. It is necessary for everyone to have health insurance to prevent the spreading of diseases, end the depletion of the population due to illness, and to keep the core of America's workforce healthy. There have been several epidemics and outbreaks in our nation and in other areas of this world due to weak immune systems and no form of preparation to counterattack bacteria cells entering the bloodstreams of the population. As time progressed and technology advanced, those in the medical field discovered ways to stop certain reactions before they happened or cure them once they have already began to damage an individual internally. But if there is a large sum of the population unable to afford the things necessary to receive the aid that will boost their health, then diseases will only continue to circulate and morph into even more dangerous compositions that will eventually overpower our medicines. And if we are unable to tame the new viruses, the human race may cease to exist. Hundreds of thou... ... â€Å"Non-Grandfathered† plans are required to change before December 15, 2013, to ensure no lapse in coverage because existing plans will terminate the end of this year. Basically, no one will be denied health services, benefits, or prescription drugs and monthly premiums will be calculated based on age, region, and use of tobacco products. It is in the best interest of the public to have health care afforded to all. I myself am preparing for a future in medicine and my main concern is to help all of those in need, not just a select few. Evidently there are many negative effects that come along with individuals not being covered health wise and it can eventually be a detriment to society if the problem is not fixed. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that problem has a solution and can ultimately have a positive impact on many aspects of this country.

How to Change Bad to Good

In a society where children can no longer be spanked because it's considered child abuse, gun violence is at an all time high, and parents fear what ay happen as they are sending their children off to school, it's difficult to watch the evening news anymore. There was a time where people would leave the house to go to the grocery store for a loaf of bread and leave their doors unlocked. Today, if you leave your doors unlocked, there is a high probability you will be burglarized.What is the world coming to and is the Justice system really serving its purpose if there are so many repeated offenses, and in some cases, repeat offenders? For Assignment One for this week, I shared information about Singapore Criminal Justice System. The information I learned through my research was astounding. Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and while many feel Singapore punishments are inhumane and extreme, some feel Corporal punishment would allow individuals contemplating crimin al activity to think twice before they act out on impulsion.In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned four strokes and sentenced to four months in Jail for vandalizing cars and public property, despite the United States appeals for a different sentence (The Wall Street Journal, 2010). After the caning and turning to the United States, Michael Fay was involved in a butane accident, burning his face and hands, and was subsequently admitted to the Hazarded rehabilitation program, located in Minnesota, for butane abuse (People Magazine, 1994, pig 60). According to People Magazine (1994), Fay blamed his butane abuse on his experience in Singapore.Following the butane incident, Michael Fay continued his troubles with the law. In Florida in 1996, he was cited for several traffic violations (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pig 82) and in 1998, Fay was charged with drug rappelling and possession of marijuana (Askew, 1998, pig 1). Did Fay continue to break the law in the United State s because he knew Corporal Punishment was not an option and his punishment would be much lighter than caning, or can his misdoings' really be a direct correlation to his caning experience?Why do people commit crime? Is there a difference between a man stealing a turkey at Thanksgiving because he is homeless and a man stealing clothing so he can then turn around and sell it to support his bad drug habit? It seems as though there should be a difference, et both men could face the same sentence. There are underlying psychological reasons why people commit crimes, however, some may be more reasonable than others. But then again, who defines reasonable? I believe in order to allow Justice to prevail; you must understand the criminal at hand.Why did the person commit the crime? Is the person a threat to society? Can the person be rehabilitated if given the correct direction and opportunities? Sentences should be appropriate to the crime committed. If a man steals a turkey because he is ho meless and is trying to eat, what DOD is it going to do sending him to Jail when he knows he will be giving a warm place to sleep and food to eat? Wouldn't that antagonize him to continue to steal? Instead of sending him to Jail, send him to work.Order him to pay for what he stole and continue to hold a steady Job so he is able to pay for food, contribute to society and show remorse for the crime committed out of disparity. If a man is stealing clothing to sell it for a drug habit, again, the situation should be assessed. Is he a threat to society and would he continue to steal if his substance abuse problem was obliterated? Instead of sending him to Jail, send him to a rehabilitation center. However, do not send the defendant to rehab for ninety days.If someone has a substance abuse problem severe enough to steal, ninety days is not going to rehabilitate the individual. An extensive rehabilitation program is called for. Repeated offenders are a concern. If the individual did not le arn from their prior punishment, it is obvious there must be some sort of attempt to mislead and commit crimes without being caught. For those individuals, they should be sentenced accordingly, and then sent to the military. The enlisting time should depend on the offense committed and their prior criminal history.As a victim of crime, I understand that Justice is not always served in the way some feel it should be served. For example, there are plenty of homicide cases reported in the news where the accused has been convicted before on murder charges. Why is this person out on the streets? If a person murders someone intentionally, there is absolutely no excuse for why they should be given another chance. I am a big proponent for Capital Punishment. If money takes a life, why should they be allowed to continue their life?There is a local municipal Judge in my area that I have much respect for, as do others in the community. His name is Judge Continent. Judge Continent believes in c reative sentencing. He has sentenced a woman who abandoned kittens in a box in the woods during the winter season to a night spent in the woods. He has sentenced a man who called a police officer a â€Å"pig† to stand on a busy city street corner with an actual pig and a sign that read â€Å"Police Officers are NOT pigs. † It is hard not to laugh at some of Hess sentences, but it does seem very close to the â€Å"eye for an eye† mentality, which I thoroughly support.I believe that if this type of mentality was used when handing down all sentences, the element of suspense and criminals thinking they will get a slap on the wrist will soon disappear. If the sentence is known before the crime is committed, and the sentences are uniform, people may think twice before committing a crime, especially if they know they will be subjected to the same treatment they caused someone else to endure. Is there really a quick fix for the United States Criminal Justice System?

Plate Tectonics Essay Essay

Assess the strength of the relationship between tectonic processes and major landforms on the earth’s surface. Tectonic processes have been responsible for the major landforms across the Earth’s surface. These processes are controlled by the convection currents rising from the Earth’s mantle. Firstly, one place where tectonic activity occurs is at oceanic to oceanic constructive plate boundaries. Here two plates diverge or move away from each other, pushed apart by huge convection currents In the earth’s mantle. These convection currents are initiated by heat energy produced from radioactive decay in the earth’s core. As the convection currents move the plates away from each other, there is a weaker zone in the crust and an increase in heat near the surface. The hotter, expanded crust forms a ridge. Magma rises up from the mantle in the gap. The lava cools, solidifies and forms a chain of volcanic mountains thousands of miles long down the middle of the ocean eg. Atlantic. There are transform faults at right angles to the ridge. The movement of these faults causes rift valleys to occur. Examples of these landforms created by constructive plate margins are the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MIR) , and the Great African rift valley (GARV). The MIR is the result of the North American plate and Eurasian plate diverging in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Here, volcanic islands such as Iceland, the Canary islands and ascension island have been created by the rising magma from the mantle. The GARV is an example of where the crust has dropped down between parallel faults to form rift valleys. As the crust subducts into the mantle it melts causing igneous activity below, magma to rise and therefore volcanoes erupt on the surface as a result. Evidence of this volcanic activity is shown by Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro. The lava here has a low viscosity, it very hot (1200 C) and has a low silica content. An example of where landforms have been created at a different plate boundary, a destructive plate margin, is where two plates, the Nazca plate, an oceanic plate, and the South American plate, a continental plate, converge. Here, two plates meet and the denser oceanic lithosphere of the Nazca plate is forced down under the more buoyant continental lithosphere of  the South American plate, descending at an angle into the mantle in a process called subduction. This is marked on the ocean surface by the presence of the Peru-Chilie trench. The friction between the plates prevents the subducting oceanic plate from sliding smoothly. As it descends it drags against the overlying plate causing both fracture and deform. This results in frequent shallow focus earthquakes The subduction of the Nazca plate under southern Chile produced the largest earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9.5 in 1960. Volcanoes are also created here as one plate subducts and partially melts; the magma rises up through fissures and can reach the surface. The type of lava here is andesitic, very high in silica and not very hot resulting in a composite volcano being formed out of layers of ash and lava. The cascade mountain range is an example of where a destructive plate boundary has caused the Juan de Fuca plate to subduct under the North American plate. This resulted in 15 composite volcanoes being formed, one of them, Mount St. Helens. Similar to the peru-chile region, the Japanese islands are situated in a subduction zone. In the northwestern margin of the pacific oceans, the pacific plate and Philippine plate converge. On the pacific side, trenches run parallel to these islands. As one plate subducts beneath the other, it heats up and melted magmas rise towards the surface. These Japanese island arcs extend 3000km and magma produced under them form felsic plutonic rocks (granite), some of which erupts on the surface to make volcanoes. Large-scale formation of granites develops the crust of island arc. On the other hand, some tectonic activity doesn’t produce any landform. An example is at the San Andreas Fault. Although both plates are moving in a north westerly direction, the pacific plate Is moving faster than the north American plate (7cm/year faster), so the relative movement of the north American plate is to the south east. The pacific plate is being moved northwest due to the sea floor spreading from the pacific coast rise in the gulf of California. The North American plate is being pushed west and north due to sea floor spreading of the mid-Atlantic ridge. Movement is sporadic and jerky. Frictional forces lock the blocks of lithosphere together for years at a time. When frictional forces are overcome, the plates slip and  shallow focus earthquakes are generated. Similarly, landforms can be produced without the source of tectonic activity. The Hawaiian islands are not connected with any plate boundary. The volcanic area is caused by a localized hotspot beneath the pacific plate. A concentration of radioactive elements inside the mantle may cause such a hotspot to develop. From this, a plume of magma rises to eat into the plate above the hotspot. The hotspot is stationary so as the pacific plate moves over it, lines of basaltic shield volcanoes are created. These can be eroded to have flat tops called guyots. In Hawaii, the main island is closest to the hotspot and so it is the most volcanically active. However as the pacific plate moves north west at 10cm/year, a new island, Loihi will form as the submarine volcano builds up to sea level. Finally, collision plate boundries.. When continental and oceanic plates collide, the thinner and more dense oceanic plate is overridden by the thicker and less dense continental plate. The oceanic plate is forced don into the mantle by a process called subduction. As the oceanic plate descends it is forced into higher temperature environments. At 100 miles deep the subducting plate begins to melt. The partial melting produces magma chambers above the subducting oceanic plate. The magma ascends through the overlying materials, melting and fracturing its way up. If the magma rises to the surface without solidifying it will break through in the form of a volcanic eruption. The Himalayan mountains are an example of where the Indian continental plate has been put under extreme pressure as it collides with the Eurasian plate, forcing the edges of the pates upwards in to a series of folds, as one subducts beneath the other. In conclusion, the strength of the relationship between tectonic processes and major landforms on earth can be described as strong. There is a clear correlation between the events that occur at constructive, destructive and collision plate boundaries and the landforms produced consequently. Although there are situations where the two are not linked, ultimately the characteristics of the landform will have been influenced by some soft of tectonic movement. For example, the chains of Hawaiian hotspot islands are  in this shape due to the northward movement of the pacific plate.

Franchise Business Ownership Essay Example

Franchise Business Ownership Essay Example Franchise Business Ownership Essay Franchise Business Ownership Essay Franchise Business Ownership Name: Course: Institution: : Instructor: Date: Executive Summary Franchise is a business method that incorporates marketing strategies for the sake of rapid expansion of various business ventures. Business franchisors are independent entities in the market that develop outlets, or franchisees and offer to brand them with their id entity and give them a trademark logo. In return, the franchisees are supposed to sign the franchise agreement that stipulates the way they will run their businesses, and this should be done in the presence of the lawyer of the franchisee. Therefore, they must adhere to the business practices of the franchisors to sustain their legal relationship. In most cases, the business practices are accordant to the success of the business. The franchisors also give the outlet businesses the right to sell their goods or services. They are well organized, and they monitor the sales of the goods or service to realize the weaknesses and improve on them. The franchisees enjoy the profits of the businesses if they follow the rules as st ipulated in the franchise contract. However, upon breach of contract, there is a threat of franchise termination where the two franchise parties cease to be partners. Although it is usually advisable for established businesses to get into a franchise contract rather than small and new ones, new business are also at a great advantage to become franchisees. However, they must make a good choice. If the franchisor has assessed the business venture and has seen potential growth, it will offer a franchise deal to the business. In addition, franchisors often have training opportunities for the owners of the new businesses that give them comprehensive insight on management and operation strategies. They also provide them with manuals that will act as references in the future. This puts the potential entrepreneurs at an advantage of knowing their competitors and assessing the risks to avoid or mitigate them in the future. In as much as franchising is feasible, there are still other alternat ives that businesses can choose for their establishment and operations, though the pros of franchising are weighty as compared to the rest. Background The Hatches Coffee Shop is a small business, which two couples, Ken and Mary Hatch want to start up and establish. Both have previously served as employees with Ken having been a caretaker for a local school in Markham for 20 years and Mary, a coffee shop attendant for 8 years. However, they do not have tangible experience in the field of management of restaurants. Ken has vague management skills on supervision considering his promotion to supervisor in the local school, in Markham, while Mary has been an employee in a coffee shop for as long as 8 years. They are very optimistic about the business venture because they need emancipation from the bondage of obtaining orders from the bosses having been employed for such a long time. The Hatches need to commence the coffee shop with minimal risks hoping to reap better benefits. They are pondering on sealing a contract with a successful Canadian Franchise nationally known as Second Cup, which was formed in 1975, Toronto. The Canadian Fra nchise has shown remarkable development with its extension of 400 outlets countrywide. It operates on a franchise fee of $ 20,000 and a promotional fee of 9% of gross sales. It is based on additional cost of $ 200,000 for equipment and other start-up costs as the total investment for an outlet in Markham. Second Cup also takes the responsibility of constructing the business building of the franchisers and rents it to them. The company offers an extensional service to the franchiser with the help of their bank if the franchiser is unable to begin with $200,000 but is dedicated to seal the deal. Here, the bank finances the remainder of what the franchiser can offer at a levied 5% upon the signing of the contract. Second Cup has a Coffee College at which it offers a three-week comprehensive course pertaining to the training of franchisers on the fundamentals of the coffee and retail business. Presently, Second Cup thrives with five Markham outlets. Problem Statement The Hatches want to be self-employed by establishing their own coffee shop with minimal risks through a franchise contract with Second Cup. They have a vague idea of management, though not substantial enough to confidently manage the coffee shop since have limited ideas in managing a restaurant. The well organized operating and monitoring system, growing coffee sales and parent company, offer opportunities for success although the Hatches are faced with many experienced future competitors in contract with Second Cup. Analysis of Firm and Industry Market Structure There are competitive coffee houses and shops and fast foods outlets that sell coffee in Markham. The form is perfect competition since there are many shops, outlets and coffee houses selling the same product. This type of form has no barriers to entry of another business involved with selling or serving coffee and it consists of many sellers and buyers while coffee remains the undifferentiated commodity. There are three Starbuck coffee houses in the region, many other independent coffee shops and other fast-food outlets selling coffee. This market form allows the Hatches to venture into the industry smoothly and share the same market as the rest. They have a stiff competitor, Starbucks, who have three coffee houses and are already franchisers with Second Cup. Key participants The key participants in the establishment of the small business are the Hatches and the Second Cup, a Canadian franchise. The Hatches are ordinary employees who are in dire need of being their own bosses by starting up the coffee shop. Despite their lack of proficiency in restaurant management, they have expressed their enthusiasm by conducting a survey on the Canadian Franchise to enable to reach a decision. The decision is based on whether to sign the franchise contract or not. Mary Hatch went a notch higher by gathering information on the Franchise Company and its need of franchisees from her boss in the coffee shop where she has been working. Second Cup has an attractive offer to his clients since it deals with promotion for the product of the small business and it takes charge of the premise of the business by building it and renting it back to the business owners. This pushes the business plan of the Hatches forward and gives them a chance to maximize all the opportunities in the area. As a franchisee, it will work to ensure that the Hatches get all the business information they need. Since Second Cup has partnerships with other coffee houses as well, it is better placed to advise the Hatches on the type of promotion strategies to apply to have a competitive advantage. The Hatches will be able to jumpstart their business growth. However, there is still a probability that Second Cup can be bought off by the Starbucks coffee houses to bend its favor towards them and, therefore, conceal necessary information from the Hatches. If the Hatches do not make the right choice concerning the contract, they will be faced with myriads of challenges that will see to it that their small business crumbles and their capital will go down the drain. Nevertheless, second cup have proven to be more promising by providing them with a financial statement sample that would give the couple a framework for a business plan. Important Trends There are important trends that the Hatches should consider before getting into the franchise agreement with Second Cup. The franchise agreement will be a bond between the Hatches and Second Cup for a successful future. It will determine the direction of the coffee shop as a small business and its beneficial outcomes. The three-week course Second Cup is offering the Hatches will enable them to go through the training process, to get insight on major business operations. There are legal implications in case of breach of contract. S.W.O.T Strength The strength of the Hatches coffee shop becoming a franchisee is the fact that they already have a clear starting point. Second Cup will ensure that they have sufficient business training and will organize a premise for them. Upon that, the Hatches Coffee Shop will run on the grounds of the franchise policies, which work to make the small business successful. Second Cup will also ensure that the hatches stick to what is best for their coffee shop when they finally start it. Therefore, the Hatches coffee shop will be treading on the right path. In addition, as a franchisee of Second Cup, the Hatches will have a business privilege of legitimately having a trademarked logo and name for the coffee shop as part of their business plan and marketing expertise. Second Cup has already considered promotion campaigns for the Hatches coffee shop. Another advantage of a franchise agreement is that the franchise company has already established the same contract with other related business like Se cond Up has with Starbucks. In case of a breach of contract, in the future the Hatches coffee shop together with Starbucks can launch complaints until there are rectifications. Weakness The weakness of this franchise contract would be unexpected investments incurred on Hatches coffee shop. In the event that Second Cup adjusts the conditions of the franchise agreement, for instance the coffee shop’s outlook and withdraws its financial assistance, the Hatches will have to meet up with the costs. This might derail their business strategies making them have a financial hiccup for utilizing a lot of money. In addition, in case of a hike in price of coffee in the future by the supplier recommended by Second Cup as per the contract, the Hatches will not be able to find a new supplier because the contract has no opening for that freedom. Hence, they will not enjoy the profits. Opportunities The franchise contract will give the Hatches an opportunity to equip themselves with business knowledge especially since they do not have adequate background on management. They will have an opportunity to assess some of the risks related to their business and conclude on how to mitigate such risks. Second Cup is offering the Hatches a three-week course at their coffee college to enlighten the couple on the fundamentals of coffee and retail business. This will keep the couple on toes concerning the competitive business environment. Threats The threat the Hatches have upon signing the franchise contract with Second Cup is franchise termination, which would happen if the Hatches do not pay royalties such as the promotion royalties as stipulated in the contract and other unpaid fees. This can be through frivolous litigation or legal release. Alternatives There are three alternatives to franchising the coffee shop. Licensing This is a situation where an entity will allow the Hatches to start up a version of its coffee shop under the Hatches name. The first advantage of this method is that the sales process and legal documentation are simple as compared to a franchise agreement. The second advantage is that in licensing, the Hatches will be able to act as an autonomous company making changes and decisions for themselves. Every operation will in line their interest, as opposed to the inflexibility that is in a franchise agreement. The other advantage is that the cost will not be as hefty as in franchising. One disadvantage is that the couple will not have the opportunity to build a brand name and establish themselves in the market through adequate advertisement as franchisees would. This will be detrimental to them because it will be their first ownership venture with inadequate experience. The second disadvantage is that with such limited experience, licensing does not give them the opportunity to go thr ough training as Second Cup does. Hence, the couple will be operating blindly without enlightenment. For lack of knowledge and direction, the coffee shop might crumble. Thirdly, the new business might develop impractical business practices. No â€Å"Fee† Route The Hatches in this case will have to look for an entity that offers no fee. The entity does not compromise profits fully but develops a transaction structure that does not resemble a franchise agreement. Therefore, the Hatches will choose either to share ownership of the coffee shop with the entity or start a dealership where the entity supplies coffee to the shop as a wholesale while the Hatches become the retailers. The advantage here is that the Hatches will be free from hefty investments like the advertising fees, royalties, training, and initial or equipment fee. The second advantage is that the Hatches will also be in a position to make business decisions autonomously. However, it also has three advantages. The first one is that the entity is not accountable for any training leaving the Hatches on the losing side because of lack of adequate skills. The second advantage is that the hatches will not have a trademarked logo and thirdly the Hatches will not have a good idea of be tter suppliers in the market. In case they do, they will have already killed their profits. Trademark License This method is almost like franchise since the entity also licenses its trademark. However, the trademark licensor does not undertake operational support or control. The advantage is that the Hatches can get the trademark and still operate autonomously. This would earn them publicity and their market would increase. Another advantage is that they will also have a relief on the cost since it does not incur royalties or training costs. Consequently, the Hatches will not be tied to only one supplier of coffee in case of rise in price by their supplier. The disadvantage of this alternative is that the Hatches will not undergo a training program, limiting their capacity to run the business. In addition, since they are incapable of making a good start, they might spoil the brand of the trademark licensor. They might not be able to control how they use the brand name. The third disadvantage is that due to lack of training, the hatches will not assess the risks in the industry and therefore lack competit5ive advantage. Recommendation For Ken and Mary Hatch, the best means to use to start up their coffee shop is to accept the franchise contract that Second Cup offers. They are in dire need of becoming entrepreneurs and on that note, franchising will be best because it offers business training, promotion through a trademark logo and premise building. They should sign the contract in the presence of a lawyer to vet the jurisdiction and confirm that the conditions are feasible. Implementation Long-term After making a choice of being a franchisee, the first step will be to sign the franchise contract in the presence of a lawyer. The franchise contract courtesy of Second Cup contains rules and regulations that will govern the partnership. It will clearly define the requirement of the coffee shop as a franchisee and the code of conduct to be adopted by the coffee shop. This will be a binding agreement between the Hatches and Second Cup that will serve as a long-term reminder for the business relationship. Since the Hatches are unable to raise the total investment cost, which is $200,000, Second Cup through its bank will accept their savings of $ 20,000 and finance the remainder at 5%. The building of the coffee shop premise by Second Cup will be another long-term venture because it will establish the location and the market. Once the building is done and the outlook is complete, the Hatches will then venture into the business. Second Cup will in turn rent the building to the Hatches The training will be vital and it is a long-term investment because the Hatches will undertake a three-week course on the fundamentals of coffee and this will give them insight. They will also develop expertise in the field of management to assess business risks and they will be positioned on the same radar as the other competitors. The training will involve business plan manuals that will give them better ideas on entrepreneurship. These ideas will be used for a long-term in the business enabling it to grow. Another long-term implementation plan will be the franchisor’s responsibility to give the coffee shop a brand or a trademark logo that will establish it among other franchisees in the same field. This will give the coffee shop permanent recognition in the market because the clients will associate it with the big brand. It might even result to a bigger business in the future. Since clients have already familiarized with the franchisor in the wide market, the Hatches will attain a reputable personality. Second Cup will also need to establish a relationship between the supplier and the Hatches. They will have to comply with the supplier chosen since Second Cup is in charge and makes the ultimate decision. Since the coffee sales are growing, the Hatches will be sure to have a successful business. They will have good savings by purchasing supplies from Second Cup. Short-term Second Cup will produce marketing expertise who will market the coffee shop in Markham. The expertise will derive unique ways of promoting the business so that the clients are aware of it as a new outlet of Second Cup. This will involve promotional campaigns and advertisements, which the Hatches will have to pay royalties according to the franchise agreement. This will be short-term since it will serve to entice the interest of the consumer and after achieving this goal, the promotion will be toned down.

Living Resources of the Ocean

Living Resources of the Ocean Introduction The ocean is among the most important natural resources bestowed upon mankind. It has extensive benefits to human life and it provides a wonderful ecosystem in which other organisms live. The following are some examples of the benefits that the ocean has on human life (2). The ocean is extensively used for transportation of bulky goods over long distances. It is also a very valuable source of a number of minerals and crude oil. Most of these minerals are found in deep sea.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Living Resources of the Ocean specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Examples of these oceanic minerals include cobalt, salt, iron, copper, manganese etc. The ocean is also a valuable recreation site for human beings. It provides a serene environment that acts as an attraction to people on holidays seeking relaxation. The ocean is also a source of organisms with useful medical value. It also regulates the leve l of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen. This is a very important input in the efforts towards reduction of the levels of global warming. Lastly, the ocean is a very important source of biodiversity (1). It provides organisms that have great value to human life. The most commendable among the benefits of marine life to human life are the fact that marine life can act as food and the fact that some oceanic organisms have medicinal value. Living resources of the ocean The marine habitat harbors a large percentage of the earth’s cumulative population of plants and animals. Over one million animal species and plant species have already been discovered and scientists have estimated that an extra nine million species are still living in the marine biome without human discovery. Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. Wadsworth Publishing. Resenick, John. Marine Biology. Reston Publishing Company This means that, of all p lant and animal population living in the ocean we only know 10%. Thus if the scientists are right, there is a lot of plant and animal species in the oceans that could have more value than just medicines and food. Let us explore the marine animals that have already been discovered.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fish The ocean has been the leading source of fish for ages. Humans have used the ocean for a very long time as their source of fish for food. The fact that the ocean is full of a myriad species of fish is thus obvious. Specific examples of marine fish and their adaptations include the black swallower which is able to triple the size of its stomach in order to prey on other fish that are bigger that it is. Another example is the tripod fish which derives its name from its exceptionally long caudal and pelvic fins. Fish also have other adaptations for mari ne life. Virtually all fish have streamlined bodies for ease of locomotion (1). All fish have their blood pumped from the heart to the gills from where it is supplied to other body parts. Thus fish are, in this way adapted to survive in deep water by taking in oxygen from the water through their gills. Fish have also been able to survive in oceans due to the constant availability of their chief food: the planktons. These are small fish that are preyed upon by virtually every marine organism. Thus marine fish can never be starved. A discussion about the types of marine fish would be incomplete without the mention of sharks. Sharks are widely known for their huge bodies. They feed on other animals and thus they are carnivores. Their common diets include lobsters, crabs, bony fishes, worms and mollusks. The choice of what to eat is normally determined by the availability of the latter. Thus pelagic sharks normally feed on squid. Sharks will therefore eat dead fish at the ocean floor. G arrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. Wadsworth Publishing. Tiger sharks are believed to be able to eat anything. Most sharks spend almost all their time swimming in order to allow respiration to freely take place. However, other sharks are normally found in ocean floors where they carry out their respiration normally (1). Marine Mammals Marine life is also composed of a number of mammals. Just like other marine life forms, mammals are adapted to cope with the harsh living conditions that are characteristic of marine life. For example, they normally have a thick layer of fat under their skins to help them insulate their bodies from excessive heat loss. This is because some regions of the experience extremely cold temperatures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Living Resources of the Ocean specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contrarily, sea otters, an example of ocean mammals, have dense fur instead of blubber that s erves the purpose of insulating them from the extremely cold temperatures of the ocean. These adaptations against heat loss are necessitated by the fact that marine mammals are similar to terrestrial mammals in terms of their warm bloodedness. They are thus forced to develop these adaptations in a bid to keep their temperatures above ocean temperatures. Other examples of marine mammals include seals, whales, sea cows, dugongs and manatees. Other adaptations of mammals to heat insulation include a large internal volume and reduced surface area. Their blood is also controlled to ensure that only a negligible amount comes close to cold water. They also have other adaptations to marine life apart from heat insulation mechanisms. Such adaptations include ability to expel air from lungs as they dive deep in the ocean (Garrison 1). This enables them to avoid excess intake of nitrogen. Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. Wadsworth Publishing. They also have slower heartbeats, high am ount of hemoglobin in blood and strategic blood flow. Both fish and marine mammals have streamlined bodies but while marine mammals are capable of swimming both horizontally and vertically, most fish are only able to swim horizontally. This is due to difference in the adaptation of their tails. Mammals are horizontal while those of a majority of fish have horizontal orientation. Fish and most mammals have streamlined bodies which enhances their mobility in water. The few mammals which do not have streamlined bodies have other special adaptations that enable them to survive in the ocean. These special adaptations include camouflage or body armors that protect them from sea carnivores (1).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Benthic life forms Benthic is a term used to describe the area of the ocean that lies below the pelagic zone. It is not the last zone in terms of depth but in spite of this fact, it is normally referred to as the sea bed. The deepest zone of the ocean is known as the abyssal zone. The benthic zone is characterized by extremely cold water since sunlight does not penetrate such depths. Organisms that live in the benthic zone are mainly fungi, bacteria, fish, worms and sponges. These benthic forms survive in the harsh conditions of this zone because they normally have adaptations for resisting cold temperatures and also because the benthic zone is rich in nutrients. Also evident among benthic life forms are sea stars which are normally carnivorous (1). Other marine life forms Other marine life forms include animals that have impenetrable shells that protect them from being preyed by other animals in the ocean. Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. Wadsworth Publishing. An example of such animals is the chitons which live exclusively in the ocean. The feature that distinctively identifies them is the overlapping plates at the back of the animal . The plates are eight in number and they enhance the physical morphology of the animal for protection. Such organisms normally have underdeveloped organs for compatibility of their bodies with their shells (4). Their adaptations to marine life have made them thrive in this carnivorous environment for many years. This is in spite of the fact that they are preyed by sharks. Preservation of marine biome A lot needs to be done to reduce the rate of extinction of marine life. Human activities like fishing, industrialization (pollution), reconstruction, experimentation, transportation etc. have had a persistent negative effect on marine life. A considerably large number of fish die every year due to the pollution caused by the disposal of industrial effluents in to the ocean. In other areas people have overfished the oceans , catching juvenile fish and thus limiting the growth of fish population. Fishermen have also continually used wrong fishing methods that continue to be a threat to the growth of biodiversity (3). For example, some fishermen may utilize fishing methods which make them catch unwanted species of fish and thus contributing to the inability of certain species of fish to multiply. It is our responsibility to strive to conserve marine life. For instance, when planning reconstruction of intertidal oceanic zones, we should first of all analyze the effect that our projects are likely to have on marine life and carry out the necessary steps to reduce them. Berta, Annalisa. Marine Mammals. McMillan Publishing. Littler, Mark and Littler, Diane. â€Å"The Evolution of Thallus Form and Survival Strategies in Benthic Marine Microalgae For instance, before reconstruction, artificial waters could be made in the ocean shores to preserve corals and fish so that they can be protected from the effect s of the reconstruction process. Organizations should ensure that they practice Corporate Social Responsibility by contributing philanthropically to projects involving conservation of marine habitat. Governments should also ensure that regulations are laid down that support the fight against extinction of marine life forms (1). They should thus discourage industrial pollution by all means and ensure that other factors that negatively affect marine life are controlled. Conclusion Marine life was once thought to be so dynamic that it was under no threat of extinction. Contemporary research has shown that marine population is drastically reducing due to uncontrolled exploitation (1). The worrying bit is that the recovery rate of marine life after exploitation is very slow as compared to the growth rates before exploitation. Marine mammals are particularly endangered. This is because they must surface in order to breathe before going back underwater. This makes them easy targets for hum an capturing. With these worrying trends in the population of marine life, we are obliged to take preventive measures to ensure that our negative effects on marine life are minimized. We owe our future generations the responsibility of preserving biodiversity for them and thus we should do our best in ensuring that the best measures towards preserving biodiversity are implemented. Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. Wadsworth Publishing. Berta, Annalisa. Marine Mammals. U.K. McMillan Publishing. Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. U.S. Wadsworth Publishing. Littler, Mark and Littler, Diane. â€Å"The Evolution of Thallus Form and Survival Strategies in Benthic Marine Microalgae.† 1979. Web. Resenick, John. Marine Biology. Virginia. Reston Publishing Company. 1989. Print.

A Quiz About Tactical Syntactical Revision

A Quiz About Tactical Syntactical Revision A Quiz About Tactical Syntactical Revision A Quiz About Tactical Syntactical Revision By Mark Nichol Most writers understand that whole subject-verb-predicate thing, but there’s more to crafting sentences than making sure they include those basic ingredients (but not necessarily in that order and, then again, a sentence doesn’t really require any of those elements). The following sample sentences suffer from poor organization (and, as a result, their readers suffer, too). Although the information in them is present in fundamentally correct grammatical components, the syntax the arrangement of these building blocks is clumsily ineffectual. Redistribute the parts of these sentences for optimum impact, and then compare your solutions with mine, provided and annotated below each example. (This is a new format for quiz-type posts here let me know whether you like this format or prefer that my revisions be collected together at the bottom of the page.) 1. â€Å"He says he doesn’t think a prominent breast cancer charity should continue giving grants to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortion services.† The location of the â€Å"because . . .† phrase at the end of the sentence can confuse readers into assuming that there is a reason other than the one stated that the paraphrased speaker supports the grants. But the sentence means that the stated policy is the reason the person does not support them. This ambiguity is resolved by inserting the â€Å"because . . .† phrase at the head of the sentence: â€Å"Because Planned Parenthood provides abortion services, he says, he doesn’t think a prominent breast cancer charity should continue giving grants to the organization.† 2. â€Å"Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling.† The problem in this sentence is similar to that of that in the first example. A reader might assume that the intention of the passengers is to ensure the safety of other travelers, but that they will be granted access for another reason. Other misreadings are also likely. This confusion is eliminated by placing the concluding modifying phrase at the head of the sentence: â€Å"In order to ensure the safety of others traveling, passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area.† 3. â€Å"America should rely on the entrepreneurship and goodness of its citizens to be a great society, not on the well-intentioned but ineffective policies of government agencies.† This sentence is not incorrect, but it is weakly constructed, spoiling the conclusion by placing it near the head of the sentence and trailing off with the alternative. Sentences intended to persuade are most effective when they first dismiss an obverse point of view and are anchored with the point of argument. (The sentence preceding this parenthesis has a similar effect.) Also, the stated goal is stronger when located at the head of the sentence than at the tail: â€Å"To be a great society, America should rely not on the well-intentioned but ineffective policies of government agencies, but on the entrepreneurship and goodness of its citizens.† 4. â€Å"Every year, colleges inject a stream of impassioned, idealistic new leaders into our nation, eager to take on our country’s toughest challenges.† The modifying phrase â€Å"into our nation,† and especially the comma following it, retard the momentum of this sentence. By placing the phrase earlier in the sentence, the writer solidifies the â€Å"inject . . . nation† imagery and omits the obstructive comma, thereby streamlining the statement: â€Å"Every year, colleges inject into our nation a stream of impassioned, idealistic new leaders eager to take on our country’s toughest challenges.† 5. â€Å"The fact is, evangelicals have progressed a long way in a very short time when it comes to relations with Catholics.† The explanatory modifier about the target segment of Christians for the evangelicals is best located earlier in the sentence, which is strengthened by placing the accomplishment at its end: â€Å"The fact is, when it comes to relations with Catholics, evangelicals have progressed a long way in a very short time.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesWhat to Do When Words Appear Twice in a RowCareful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

Jesus and Kingdom of God Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jesus and Kingdom of God - Assignment Example In order to develop a better understanding, it may be suitable to analyze some of the Beatitudes. Thus, in Matthew chapter 5 verse 8 it was pointed out that those who are â€Å"pure in heart† will enter the Kingdom of Heaver. It is quite obvious that the above mentioned concept is synonymous to ethical decision making. Another concept which is analyzed in the next verse, namely peacemaking, reflects the ethical principle of refraining from violence and avoiding conflict between people. There is no doubt that this contributes to harmony in the world and is greatly values by Christianity. Finally, the high significance of mercy is states in the previous verse. As one can easily see, the idea of Kingdom of God stands for an environment of moral individuals who exercise highest ethical values such as refraining from violence or mercy on other people. That is why the above mentioned concept should be seen as an ethical

The Educational Programs and Specifications Assignment

The Educational Programs and Specifications - Assignment Example Developing educational specifications provides a means of communication between educators and architects. These purposes as identified by the North Carolina State Board of Education, 2002 are outlined below I. It shapes the individual thought which enables the person to reach a consensus before taking it to be designed.Normally, writing these specifications gives the staff an opportunity to collect and analyze information about the methods of teaching, the utilization of space furniture and equipment and other variables relating to teaching. This is vital for it enables the teachers to prepare adequately giving quality services to the students. (Alonsabe, 2010) II. It also acts as a means of public relations. This implies that it seeks the active participation of the members of the community that involves parents to support the school. Normally, representatives of community agencies are also consulted in the process. (Alonsabe, 2010) III. Finally, it provides a continuous and final evaluation. It has a tangible statement where the various stages of the design process can be evaluated. This is accomplished through the continuous dialogue of education program which exists between the architect and the educators. (Alonsabe, 2010) I. This body identifies the educational program and space needs for all schools without partiality. The program is checked to ensure that it follows the general rule of teaching to ensure that there is quality. II. The body provides equity and parity in terms of the general rules for the designing process. This also entails having the same vision and guidelines for all facilities. This is important in the harmonizing the general teaching strategy to ensure all students at a particular level gain the same quality education. III. It provides regularity of elements i.e. Equipment to be used, Lighting in the building and the general finishes.  

Leadership Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership - Coursework Example As opposed to these, there are modern theories and these are; style, trait and situational leadership theories. Style theory focuses on the adoption of one style of management. This is based upon the manager’s position as far as initiating consideration and structures are concerned. There were three styles of leadership brought forward under this, laissez-fair, democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Trait theory, on the other hand, is said to have been highly popular in the 1900s. Up to the 1950s, this theory formed the major factor when it came to the persons who would become leaders as regards the organization of criminal justice. The theory forms its basis on a major assumption that all good leaders have particular traits that poor leaders lack. The third and the last theory is that of situational leadership. This theory recognizes that a work place is a form of complex setting, which is faced with various rapid changes. Thus, it would be inadequate and ineffective if one style of management is applied in these differing situations. Therefore, the most apt way to lead is reliant on the current situation. (McKinney, 2008) There are three different modern strategies. These are; style, trait and situational leadership theories. Style theory focuses on the adoption of one style of management. This is based upon the manager’s position as far as initiating consideration and structures are concerned. There were three styles of leadership brought forward under this, laissez-fair, democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Trait theory, on the other hand, is said to have been highly popular in the 1900s. Up to the 1950s, this theory formed the major factor when it came to the persons who would become leaders as regards the organization of criminal justice. The theory forms its basis on a major assumption that all good leaders have particular traits that poor leaders lack. The third and the last theory is that of situational

Alternative media Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Alternative media - Case Study Example It’s obvious this is a subtle dig at the propensity of tobacco to be a cancer causing agent. In other such co-optations Adbuster’s parodied Tiger Woods as a picture of the Nike logo in the background was featured and then a swoosh sign within Tiger Wood’s mouth was inserted. The implications for this are clear, as it demonstrates a political commentary on the means by which Nike has purchased Wood’s advertising power and voice. Another image has the slogan ‘Buy Nothing Day’ with a giant credit card running down the street displayed. In these regards, there are ultimately two means of constructing these forms of alternative commercialization. The first being the alteration of existing imagery in an effort to play on the power effects contained in these images. The second method is the direct construction of methods that call into question mainstream social ideals, for instance consumerism. References "Culture Jammers." Adbusters. N.p., 2011. We b. 7 Apr 2011. .

BRITISH STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BRITISH STUDIES - Essay Example There are many benefits to being a part of this great institution, and a revamping of the marriage law could be an asset in the improvement of our culture, economy and health. Whereas it can be argued that many aspects of society are required to evolve and grow with the times, the rate and extent to which marriage is able to do this is of the utmost importance as it is one of the most basic traditions and helps to establish one of the most fundamental aspects of modern society. As a function of seeking to understanding and define this institution in the light of the current era, with regards to how much or how little the institution of marriage has been able to evolve with the times, it will be the hope of this author that such an analysis will be capable of presenting a functioning and well argued piece of research into this topic so that the reader might come to a more informed understanding of societal evolution and growth with regards to this most fundamental of traditional socie tal demarcations. As with many traditions and cultural understandings, there can be no denying that the culture of marriage has changed. The cozy imagery of the perfect marriage, as exhibited by the now-comical television shows of the early 1960s and late 1950s have long since faded from memory (Dommaraju, 2009). Fairy tales with stories of love- ever- after were, and to a large part still are, what children are raised on. Within the not so distant past, little girls dreamed of the knight in shining armor, or being brought back to life by a simple kiss from a Prince. When the movie, â€Å"Love Story†, first appeared society was still extremely absorbed in a marriage culture that encouraged and supported getting and staying married until the end of one’s days (Fortunato & Archetti, 2010). Within a few years, the womens movement, the pill, the

Integrated Policy versus Integrated Science Essay

Integrated Policy versus Integrated Science - Essay Example Integrated Policy versus Integrated Science Whether crime is defined as the breaking of a relevant law or a more generalized type of deviant behavior does not inhibit the fundamental positivist inquiry; more specifically, the positivist school of thought seeks to explain crime and deviance as phenomena that result from certain forces that are beyond an individual's control. This essay will compare and contrast two types of positivism, psychological and sociological, and argue that an attempt to create an integrated theory of criminology would do more harm than good. This may allow for the articulation of integrated social policies. Policies, however, must be kept separate from the underlying scientific theories and methods used to more clearly understand crime and deviance. This is because, in certain ways, the two strains of positivism, while concerned with similar issues in the larger picture, are not truly compatible as scientific methods of inquiry. As a preliminary matter, both psychological positivists and sociological positivists are generally concerned with the same issues in a criminological context. These scholars are interested in determining, through application of the scientific method, the causes and the consequences of crime and deviance. Significantly, both schools of thought agree that these issues are not the fault of the individual; quite the contrary, they postulate that crime and deviance are caused by factors over which the individual has little or no control. This, however, is where the two theories begin to diverge. It is this focus, outside or uncontrollable forces, that characterize the respective types of positivism. The psychological positivists, for instance, argue that there are particular kinds of human personalities that are more likely to behave in a deviant manner or to produce criminal acts. The focus is thus the mind and it is therein that the uncontrollable forces reside. The sociological positiv ists, on the other hand, argue that there are particular types of social conditions and factors that are likely or more likely to influence individuals to behave in a deviant manner or to commit criminal acts. Both schools of thought agree that they are dealing with forces beyond the individual's control; the key theoretical difference is that the psychological positivists concentrate on the mind whereas the social positivists concentrate on society. For a psychological positivist, it is the condition of the mind that is of the greatest importance. The larger social context, for purposes of scientific analysis, is temporarily ignored. The question is how different individuals, different personalities, process information in different settings. How a person behaves is dependent on personality and psychological positivists tend to treat personalities as being rather stable and predictable. The implications, in the field of criminology, are important. By understanding different types of personalities, such as variations of an anti-social personality, psychological positivists believe that that they can predict which individuals will behave in certain deviant ways or commit certain types of criminal acts. It is this mode of scientific inquiry that has given rise to certain popularly known designations as the sociopath, the psychopath, and the sexual predator. In addition to identifying and classifying these types of personalities th at are predisposed to certain types of behavior, the psychological

BRITISH STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BRITISH STUDIES - Essay Example There are many benefits to being a part of this great institution, and a revamping of the marriage law could be an asset in the improvement of our culture, economy and health. Whereas it can be argued that many aspects of society are required to evolve and grow with the times, the rate and extent to which marriage is able to do this is of the utmost importance as it is one of the most basic traditions and helps to establish one of the most fundamental aspects of modern society. As a function of seeking to understanding and define this institution in the light of the current era, with regards to how much or how little the institution of marriage has been able to evolve with the times, it will be the hope of this author that such an analysis will be capable of presenting a functioning and well argued piece of research into this topic so that the reader might come to a more informed understanding of societal evolution and growth with regards to this most fundamental of traditional socie tal demarcations. As with many traditions and cultural understandings, there can be no denying that the culture of marriage has changed. The cozy imagery of the perfect marriage, as exhibited by the now-comical television shows of the early 1960s and late 1950s have long since faded from memory (Dommaraju, 2009). Fairy tales with stories of love- ever- after were, and to a large part still are, what children are raised on. Within the not so distant past, little girls dreamed of the knight in shining armor, or being brought back to life by a simple kiss from a Prince. When the movie, â€Å"Love Story†, first appeared society was still extremely absorbed in a marriage culture that encouraged and supported getting and staying married until the end of one’s days (Fortunato & Archetti, 2010). Within a few years, the womens movement, the pill, the

Expanding Your Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Expanding Your Business - Essay Example In addition, the initial capital outlay for purchasing an existing coffee shop was found to be affordable with the available capital without seeking debt financing which has higher leverage risk (Ward, 2014). The financial plan for Coffee shop will be summarized below into three financial statements namely: income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet. The statement of financial position will comprises of all revenues/ incomes and expenses incurred in the previous financial year. The cash flow statement will provide the cash generated from financing and operating activities as well as cash outflow. Finally, the balance sheet below commonly known as statement of financial position will display the current and noncurrent assets of Coffee Hot Cafe as well as equity and liabilities of the business (Ward, 2014). Guerrilla-marketing strategy entails promoting a product by presenting its messages from nowhere thereby, capturing the attention of consumers by creating a large impression before disappearing. Coffee Hot Cafe will utilize various Guerrilla marketing strategies to capture the attention of different customers as well as to increase sales and profitability. Among the strategies that will be utilized include. Media, marketing via events, utilization of giveaways, partnership, free demonstrations and word of mouth. Coffee Hot Cafe will influence the media to talk about their products; this will help to create awareness among the members of the public. The use of media may also involve inviting media people to an educative workshop on healthy eating. Further, Coffee Cafe may employ event marketing. This entails participating or supporting certain events such as soccer, volleyball and athletic games. Such events may help to create awareness about the company products (Sam Ashe-Edmunds, 2 014). Giveaway strategy may involve donating to charity or offering free

Policing Essay Example for Free

Policing Essay Policing CRJ 201, Section 511 Frank Serpico Francesco Vincent Serpico was born on April 14, 1936 in Brooklyn, NY. At the age of 18 Serpico enlisted in the United States army and spent two years in Korea. In 1959 Frank Serpico graduated form the police academy and was sworn into the New York City Police Department. From the =Beginning of Serpico’s career in the NYPD he was forced with having to defend his integrity to the police department. While a rookie taking part in field officer training, there was a rape in progress call sent out over the radio. Serpico, wanting to do nothing but help wanted to take the call though it was out of his sector and against his veteran officers advice. Frank later forced to give up his collar despite the fact he apprehended the remaining rape suspects on his own. Being a rookie officer left him susceptible to officers with seniority easily getting over on him. In 1960 Frank became a patrolman in the 81st precinct. He then worked for the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) before he was assigned to being a plain-clothes officer. This is when Frank Serpico’s problems began and he was exposed to department wide police corruption. Police subculture is defined as; shared values and norms and the established patterns of behavior that tend to characterize policing. During Frank’s time police corruption was definitely apart of police subculture. However it was not apart of Frank Serpico’s police subculture. While stationed at the 93rd precinct Serpico was given $300 as a part of the station pay off. Not knowing what to do with the money, and it being his first experience with corruption Frank took the money to his Sargent who in turn pocketed the money for himself. Becoming a snitch is something frowned upon then and now among civilians and law enforcement when it comes to one of your own. It is especially difficult to be a snitch in the police department because there is then no one behind you when in need. Blowing the whistle on fellow officers took a lot of guts and courage, especially when knowing that no one is there to stand behind you, and everyone is against you. On April 25, 1970, a New York Times article was published by David Burnham that would shake up the entire New York City Police Department. With the aid of Frank Serpico and Sargent David Durke, Burnham told the world of the millions of dollars paid to policeman in the New York Police Department by drug dealers, gamblers, and crooked businessmen. Frank also pointed out that despite the obvious corruption both Mayor Lindsay’s administration, and the police department ignored and failed to look into corruption cases repeatedly brought to their attention. This very article and the now public knowledge and outrage forced Mayor Lindsay to form the KNAPP Commission; a five-member panel whose purpose was to investigate corruption among the police department. Once the New York Times article was published, Frank Serpico was officially deemed a snitch. Subjecting himself to the possibility of extreme danger and violence, either at the hands of his own or by criminals when a lack of police back up and support is available. This possibility of danger became reality on February 3, 1971. While working in the vice division out of Brooklyn North, Serpico and 3 others detectives were working a drug sting. Frank was sent into the building and after witnessing the drug buy informed the two other plains clothes officers of were the suspect apartment was located. Serpico, the only officer that knew how to speak Spanish, was prompted to fake as if he wanted to purchase heroin to gain access into the suspects’ apartment. Once the dealer cracked the door Frank tried to force his way in, only able to wedge some of his body into the suspects’ door. Subsequently Serpico was shot at point blank range in his face with a . 22 caliber handgun. Once collapsed on the floor the remaining two officers stepped over him and proceeded with the drug bust instead of helping, they didnt even care enough to send out a cop shot call over the radio. It was a neighbor living on the floor of the shooting that called the ambulance and stayed with Serpico until a squad car arrived to escort him to the hospital. Frank Serpico soon after the shooting began to question the circumstances of the shooting, feeling he was set up to be executed. While in recovery at the hospital Serpico was constantly harassed and faced with wishes of death. Frank recovered, losing hearing in his left ear, and in December of 1971 testified in front of the KNAPP Commission. Ultimately Serpico received what he always wanted, a brass shield and a promotion to detective. Of course there was no customary ceremony when Frank was awarded detective status, he was called and told to pick his badge up from the office. This was one of the many things that displayed the distain the department and city officials had for Frank Serpico. In 1972 after receiving a gold metal of honor, Serpico retired from the New York City Police Department and moved to Switzerland, where he stayed for almost a decade. In 1980 Serpico back to New York City and now lives a quiet life upstate. Frank Serpico was the first and probably most famous New York police officer to report and go as far as to testify on the department wide corruption. He never gave up, never gave in, and always stayed true and loyal to the oath he took when graduating from the police academy in 1959. Hearing the story of Frank Serpico makes me grateful because I know there are truly honest and loyal individuals that hold jobs in the public service field. People like him played major roles in molding what the police department is today. However I do not think I would have followed in Frank Serpico’s footsteps to expose the ugly truth of what was going on in the police department at the time. Being apart of the police subculture, all you have is each other. Once you put on the uniform and strap on that gun and badge no one can protect you from danger but yourself and your fellow officers. Once those other officers distrust you there is no one to have your back when faced with a criminal with intent to harm you. I would remember that when my shift is over I have to go back to my family, I have to live a life outside of my career as a New York City Police Officer. If I could have found a way to not take the payoffs, still do my job to the best of my ability, and not snitch on my fellow officers, that would definitely be the route in which I would take. Frank Serpico could have easily been killed and I don’t think the police department or anything else is more important then my life and the lives of my family. I do respect everything that Frank Serpico did. His integrity and courageousness was unprecedented. Without him the police department that my friends, loved ones, and I interact with daily could very well be much different and much worst. All Frank Serpico wanted to do was be a good, moral person and an honest police officer. He nicely summed up some of his feelings while in front of the KNAPP Commission by saying, â€Å"Through my appearance here today I hope that police officers in the future will not experience the same frustration and anxiety that I was subjected to for the past five years at the hands of my superiors because of my attempt to report corruption We create an atmosphere in which the honest officer fears the dishonest officer, and not the other way around The problem is that the atmosphere does not yet exist in which honest police officers can act without fear of ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers. †

Gene Therapy Methods and Delivery Systems

Gene Therapy Methods and Delivery Systems Genes the units of heredity â€Å"There can be little doubt that the idea of ‘the gene’ has been the central organizing theme of twentieth century biology† philosopher and biochemist Lenny Moss claimed in 2003. A gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism. Genes hold the information to build and maintain their cells and pass genetic traits to offspring. In general terms, a gene is a segment of nucleic acid that, taken as a whole, specifies a trait. The biological entity responsible for defining traits was termed a gene, but the biological basis for inheritance remained unknown until DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) was identified as the genetic material in the 1940s. In cells, a gene is a portion of DNA that contains both coding sequences that determine what the gene does, and non-coding sequences that determine when the gene is active (expressed). When a gene is active, the coding and non-coding sequences are copied in a process called transcription, producing an RNA (Ribonucleic ac id) copy of the genes information. RNA can then direct synthesis of proteins via the genetic code. In other cases, the RNA is used directly, for example, as part of the ribosome. The molecules resulting from gene expression, whether RNA or protein, are known as gene products, and are responsible for the development and functioning of all living things. Every cell requires a host of genes that act as blueprints of all the proteins essential for its proper functioning. DNA is a linear polymer of deoxynucleotide monomers. Chemically speaking, it has a double helical structure of two polynucleotide chains held together by hydrogen bonds between the complementary base pairs of the nucleotide strands. Each nucleotide in DNA is comprised of three components, a heterocyclic base, a sugar (2-deoxyribose) and a phosphate group. The nucleotides in a polynucleotide chain are connected through phosphodiester bonds. The nitrogenous bases are of two types, namely, purine based adenine (A) guanine (G), and pyrimidine based cytosine (C) thymine (T). In DNA, base pairs form only between A T and G C and thus the base sequence of each single strand can be deduced from that of its complementary strand. Gene Therapy: Molecular Bandage? Gene therapy is believed by many to be the therapy of the twenty first century because it aims to eradicate cause rather than symptoms of diseases by delivering a normal functioning copy of the mutated gene and its associated regulatory elements into the cell nucleus (1-3). It is a technique whereby an absent or a faulty gene is replaced by a working gene, so that the body can make the correct enzyme or protein and consequently eliminate the root cause of the disease. A potential approach for treating genetic disorders is gene therapy. The most likely candidates for future gene therapy trials will be single gene disorders like, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, familial hypercholesterolemia, ADA deficiency, Gaucher disease, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency etc. Apart from these monogenic disorders, gene therapy also holds the potential of treating acquired diseases such as cancer, by inhibiting oncogene expression or by restoring tumor suppressor genes or through immunomodulation (i.e. by i ncreasing immune response to tumor antigens). Cardiovascular diseases too remain as one of the most â€Å"promising† targets for gene therapy because of the ready accessibility of the vascular system for gene transfer (4). Types of Gene Therapy: Depending on the type of cells into which genes are transferred a process popularly known as â€Å"transfection†. Gene therapy can be broadly classified into two types: Somatic cell Germline gene therapy. Somatic Cell gene therapy: This type of therapy involves the transfection of somatic (non-reproductive) cells especially of those tissues in which expression of the concerned gene is critical for health. Expression of the introduced gene relieves/eliminates symptoms of the disorder, but this effect is not heritable. Germline gene therapy: This type of therapy involves gene transfer into reproductive cells (egg or sperm cells). Here germ cells are modified by the introduction of functional genes, which are ordinarily integrated into their genomes. It would change the genetic pool of the entire human species, and future generations would have to live with that  change. Depending upon the method of correcting the faulty gene, gene therapy can be classified into the following categories: Gene augmentation therapy: This type of therapy is the most appropriate one for the treatment of inherited diseases caused by the loss of a functional gene. It involves supplementing the body cells with a functional copy of the lost gene so that the missing protein is expressed at sufficient levels in the body. It is only suitable if the pathogenic effects of the disease are reversible. Gene inhibition therapy: Its aim is to introduce a gene whose product inhibits the expression of the pathogenic gene or interferes with the activity of its product (5). Suicide gene therapy: This method is best suited for a disease like cancer where the aim is to eliminate a certain population of cells. It involves the transfection of such cells with a suicide gene, whose product is toxic. The suicide genes should be appropriately targeted to avoid widespread cell death (6). Depending upon the mode of delivering genes into a patient’s body, gene therapy can be classified into the following two types: Ex vivo gene therapy: In ex vivo gene therapy, gene transfer occurs outside the patient’s body. This is again sub-divided into two types viz, Autologous Non-autologous. Autologous gene therapy involves the transfection of cells derived from the patient followed by the re-introduction of these cells into the patient’s body. Non-autologous gene therapy involves the transfection of cells not derived from the patient’s body. In vivo gene therapy: In this method the therapeutic gene is directly introduced into the body by injection or by inhalation with the help of a suitably designed vector. Gene Delivery Vectors: Key to Success in Gene therapy Gene therapy, as a novel therapeutic modality, holds enormous promise for the treatment of a multitude of human diseases. However, till date it has failed regrettably in spite of more than 1500 clinical trials completed or currently underway around the world. The primary reason for the failure of the clinical success of gene therapy is the lack of efficient gene delivery agents, commonly referred to as transfection vectors. However, since the biological cell surfaces are negatively charged (due to the presence of glycoproteins and glycolipids containing negatively charged sialic acid residues on cell surface), spontaneous entry of polyanionic naked genes (DNA) into body cells is an inefficient process. Hence â€Å"transfer vehicle† or a â€Å"vector† in needed to condense the macromolecular DNA and to help it in crossing the plasma membrane barrier. Again delivery of therapeutic DNA to the desired body tissue is important to overcome adverse affects. In other words, the problems of developing clinically viable gene therapy methods and designing safe efficient gene delivery reagents are inseparable: shortcomings in one is going to adversely affe ct the success of the other. Hence, realization of the full potential of gene therapy will depend, in a major way, on the future development of safe and efficient gene delivery vectors. The Ideal Vector!!! A â€Å"perfect† or an â€Å"ideal† vector would resemble a traditional pharmaceutical and should have the following characteristics: (a) should be capable of efficiently delivering to its target an expression cassette carrying one or more genes of the size suitable for clinical application, (b) must not elicit an immune response, (c) should not induce inflammation and thus be safe for the recipient, (d) can be produced in bulk at an acceptable cost with reproducibility, (e) should be stable on storage, and finally, it should express the gene (or genes) it carries for as long as required in a strictly regulated manner. No single vector currently available has all these desired properties and each vector presently in use has its own pros and cons. However, it is important to realize that there cannot be a â€Å"universal† vector, optimally useful for all gene therapy applications. This is due to the fact that each disease will have a unique set of technical requirements, and the â€Å"perfect† vector for a specific disease should be optimized in accordance with these requirements. For example, some diseases will require local delivery of the transgene (e.g., ischemia, retinitis pigmentosa, parkinson’s disease, etc.) while others likecancer and atherosclerosis necessitate systemic delivery. In some cases, only a transient, short-lived gene expression will be needed (e.g., therapeutic angiogenesis, cancer) while in monogenic disorders, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, hemophilia and SCID a long term (sometimes life long) gene expression is mandatory (1). The future clinical success of gene therapy will certainly depend on the uphill task of designing â€Å"tailor-made† vector systems for the treatment of specific diseases. The efforts to design a â€Å"perfect vehicle† for the membrane-impermeable DNA have so far led to the development of many methods based on the principles of biology (viral vectors), physics (microinjection, electroporation, particle bombardment, hydrostatic pressure, and ultrasound) and chemistry (synthetic vectors like cationic lipids polymers). Each of these methods has its intrinsic advantages and disadvantages. Viral Vectors: Nature’s Own Infecting Vehicles Viruses have evolved specific mechanisms through the course of evolution to deliver their genetic material into host cells and then hijack the cell’s biosynthetic machinery to produce new viral particles (7). Thus, owing to their natural ability to infect cells, they can be used as vectors in gene therapy by replacing the genes that are essential for replication phase of their life cycle with the therapeutic genes of interest. Majority of the clinical trials currently underway around the world are based on the use of mainly five categories of viruses, namely, retrovirus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, lentivirus and herpes simplex virus. Retroviruses: These are a class of enveloped viruses containing a single stranded RNA molecule (approximately 10 kb). Inside the host cell, the RNA is reverse transcribed into double stranded DNA, which in turn integrates into the host genome and is expressed as viral proteins (8). These are the most promising and widely used viral vectors used for gene therapy applications to date. Advantages: Rapidly dividing cancer cells can be targeted by using these viruses. Enters into cells efficiently and gives long lasting gene expression due to stable integration. Disadvantages: Only infects dividing cells, capable of producing tumorigenic mutagenesis due to random integration, unable to deliver larger genomic sequences. Again, it can insert the genetic material of the virus in any arbitrary position in the genome of the host- it randomly shoves the genetic material into a chromosome. Adenoviruses: These are the second most commonly used viruses for gene delivery. They carry a double stranded linear DNA chromosome of approximately 36 kb. Unlike retroviruses, adenoviruses deliver their genetic payload outside the chromosome and are thus less likely to disrupt the cell’s genome (9). But it is immunogenic and may cause inflammation and tissue damage. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV): They contain a single stranded DNA of approximately 4.7 kb surrounded by a protein coat (10) and can integrate at a specific site in human chromosome 19. AAV does not contain any viral genes and contains only the therapeutic gene and it does not integrate into the genome. It requires co-infection with a â€Å"helper† adenovirus for propagation. The advantage of AAV is that it is a non-pathogenic virus but the size for the exogenous DNA it can deliver is limited due to its smaller genome. The difficulty in large scale production is an additional disadvantage. Envelope protein pseudo typing of viral vectors: The envelope proteins on each of these viruses bind to cell-surface molecules make facile attachment to and entry into a susceptible cell. The potential for off-target cell modification would be limited, and many concerns from the medical community would be alleviated. Although viruses are the most efficient gene transfer vehicles available to date, their widespread clinical success has been impeded by the following major drawbacks: (a) Viruses are notorious for eliciting an immune response which, apart from posing a serious threat to the host, also makes a second dose of the same viral vector ineffective due to the production of high level of antibodies against the viral structural components following its initial administration. In 1999, the death of 18-year old Jesse Gelsinger, undergoing gene therapy for ornithine transcarboxylase deficiency, was believed to be triggered by a severe immune response to the adenoviral vector used. (b) Size restriction on the genetic material that can be encapsulated within the viral particles. (c) Possibility of random integration into host genome leading to the risk of inducing tumorigenic mutations (d) Purification of recombinant vector, verifying the sequence, transfecting the packaging cells, isolating and titering the transgenic virus and finally transducing the target cells are time consuming and labor intensive steps. Collectively, all of these complications associated with the use of viral vectors have prompted researchers around the world to develop artificial non-viral transfection vectors. Non-Viral Methods: Although the gene transfer efficacies of the viral vectors are unmatched till date, the above mentioned serious immunogenic concerns associated with their use have led to the development of non-viral methods for gene therapy. The non-viral vectors offer many advantages over their viral counterparts including significantly lower toxicity and immunogenicity, size independent transfer of nucleic acids, very low frequency of integration, relative ease of large-scale production, simpler quality control and substantially easier pharmaceutical and regulatory requirements. The non-viral transfection methods could be broadly classified into two types: Physical methods and Chemical methods. Physical Methods for Gene Delivery: Physical methods involve the direct introduction of genes into the target cells or tissues thereby avoiding the introduction of any foreign substance like a virus or a synthetic vector. Hence, no serious immunogenic concerns are associated with their application. The required genes are inserted via microinjection, electroporation or particle bombardment (gene gun). Microinjection: In this method, the DNA is directly injected into the nuclei of target cells using a fine glass needle under microscope. Although this method is seductively simple, it is difficult to apply clinically. While this method of gene transfer is nearly 100% efficient, it is laborious and time-consuming, typically allowing only a few hundred cells ( Electroporation: This technique involves the perturbation of the cell membrane by an electric pulse for a few microseconds resulting in the formation of transient pores thereby allowing the exogenous DNA to enter the cell cytoplasm. Although there is no limit on the size of DNA that could be delivered via electroporation, the gene transfer efficiency is low and there is high incidence of cell death (12). Gene Gun: In this method, plasmid DNA is coated onto micron size tungsten or gold micro particles and then propelled into cells using either electrostatic force or gas (Helium) pressure. The high velocity results in some DNA being trapped by a few cells and then it may be expressed at sufficient levels. This technique is fast, simple and safe and has been successfully employed to deliver nucleic acids to cultured cells as well as to cells in vivo especially gene transfer to skin (13) and superficial wounds. Chemical Methods of Gene Delivery: DEAE-Dextran: Diethylaminoethyl-dextran (DEAE-dextran) is a polycationic derivative of the carbohydrate polymer, dextran and was one of the first chemical reagents used for transfer of nucleic acids into mammalian cells (14). Owing to its positive charge, DEAE-dextran forms an electrostatic complex with the polyanionic DNA. This technique of delivering genes into cells is simple, reproducible and cost effective. However, it could prove toxic to the target cells especially when DMSO or glycerol is used as a supplementary chemical shock to increase gene transfer efficiency. Secondly, this method is not generally useful for stable transfection studies that require integration of the transferred DNA into the chromosome. A major disadvantage of this method is its ability to transfect a limited variety of cells, e.g. phagocytic cells. Calcium Phosphate: Calcium phosphate co-precipitation method for DNA delivery was first introduced by Graham and Van Der Eb in 1972 (15). This technique involves mixing of DNA with calcium chloride and then carefully adding this mixture to a phosphate buffered saline solution followed by incubation at room temperature. The finely divided DNA containing precipitate thus formed is taken up by the cells via endocytosis or phagocytosis. The main advantages of the calcium phosphate method are its simplicity, low cost, and its applicability to a wide variety of cell types. Moreover, it could be used for transient as well as stable transfection studies. The main drawbacks of the technique involve its sensitivity to slight changes in buffer salt concentrations, temperature, and pH, as well as its relatively poor transfection efficiency compared to newer transfection methods. Cationic Polymers: A wide range of organic polymers has been used for gene transfection, the most popular being polylysine polyethylenimine (PEI) (16). These have a high cationic charge density that condenses DNA into positively charged particles capable of interacting with anionic cell surfaces and entering cells via endocytosis. PEI also exhibits extensive buffering capacity across a wide range of pH which protects DNA inside the endosome from degradation via endosomal swelling and rupture. Dendrimers represent another class of polymers used for gene delivery. They consist of three-dimensional, bifurcated, branched structures called dendrons. The polyamidoamine (PAMAM) family of dendrimers has been shown to be very useful for transfection (17). Cationic Liposomes: â€Å"The Artificial Fat Bubbles† Liposomes, in general, have long been viewed as bio-compatible drug/gene delivery reagents owing to their structural similarity to cell membranes. They are spherical bilayers composed of individual lipids enclosing a watery interior. Each lipid possesses a hydrophilic head group attached via a linker to a large hydrophobic domain. When exposed to an aqueous environment, these amphiphiles spontaneously form large spherical structures known as liposomes above a certain critical vesicular concentration (CVC). Within the sphere, lipids are arranged back-to-back in bilayers with the polar hydrophilic group facing outwards shielding the hydrophobic domain from the aqueous solution. Liposomes may be unilamellar (composed of a single bilayer) or multilamellar (composed of many concentric bilayers). The multilamellar liposome (MLV) upon sonication followed by repeated extrusion through polycarbonate membranes of defined pore size assume the size of small unilamellar vesicle (SUV, 30-100 nm) o r large unilamellar vesicle (LUV, 150-250 nm) (Figure 1).