Allelic Drift - Definition

Genetic Drift / Allelic Drift - Definition Definition: Genetic drift is defined as the changing of the number of available alleles in a population by chance events. Also called allelic drift, this phenomenon is usually due to a very small gene pool or population size. Unlike natural selection, it is a random, chance event that causes genetic drift and it depends solely on statistical chance instead of desirable traits being passed down to offspring. Unless the population size increases through more immigration, the number of available alleles gets smaller with every generation. Genetic drift happens by chance and can make an allele disappear completely from a gene pool, even if it was a desirable trait that should have been passed down to offspring. The random sampling style of genetic drift shrinks the gene pool and therefore alters the frequency the alleles are found in the population. Some alleles are completely lost within a generation due to genetic drift. This random change in the gene pool can affect the speed of evolution of a species. Instead of taking several generations to see a change in allele frequency, genetic drift can cause the same affect within a single generation or two. The smaller the population size, the greater the chance of genetic drift occurring. Larger populations tend to function through natural selection much more than genetic drift due to the sheer number of alleles that are available for natural selection to work on as compared to smaller populations. The Hardy-Weinberg equation cannot be used on small populations where genetic drift is the main contributor to diversity of alleles. Bottleneck Effect One specific cause of genetic drift is the bottleneck effect, or population bottleneck. The bottleneck effect occurs when a larger population shrinks significantly in size in a short amount of time. Usually, this decrease in population size is generally due to a random environmental affect like a natural disaster or spread of disease. This rapid loss of alleles makes the gene pool much smaller and some alleles are completely eliminated from the population. Out of necessity, populations that have experienced population bottleneck increase the instances of inbreeding to build the numbers back up to an acceptable level. However, inbreeding does not increase diversity or numbers of possible alleles and instead just increases the numbers of the same types of alleles. Inbreeding can also increase the chances of random mutations within DNA. While this may increase the number of alleles available to be passed down to offspring, many times these mutations express undesirable traits such as disease or reduced mental capacity. Founders Effect Another cause of genetic drift is called founders effect. The root cause of founders effect is also due to an unusually small population. However, instead of a chance environmental effect reducing the numbers of available breeding individuals, the founders effect is seen in populations who have chosen to stay small and do not allow breeding outside of that population. Often, these populations are specific religious sects or offshoots of a particular religion. The mate choice is significantly reduced and is mandated to be someone within the same population. Without immigration or gene flow, the number of alleles is limited to only that population and often the undesirable traits become the most frequently passed down alleles. Â   Examples: An example of founders effect happened in a certain population of Amish people in Pennsylvania. Since two of the founding members were carriers for Ellis van Creveld Syndrome, the disease was seen much more often in that colony of Amish people than the general population of the United States. After several generations of isolation and inbreeding within the Amish colony, the majority of the population became either carriers or suffered from Ellis van Creveld Syndrome.

Sculptures in Kuwait and Great Britain Comparison

Sculptures in Kuwait and Great Britain Comparison It goes without saying that art is the powerful force that makes the world a beautiful place and at the same time allows the artist to show the rest of the people their true colors; taking the veil off the everyday mysteries, art pins down the tiniest imperfections of life and yet portrays it as something unique and delightful.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Sculptures in Kuwait and Great Britain Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most unusual kinds of art, the one that allows to represent the elements of the world in their usual three-dimensional form, sculpture is the least emphasized at present, which makes it quite a peculiar target for a research. Comparing the specifics of the Kuwait and British sculpture, one can possibly see the specifics of the Kuwaiti and the British culture, the key differences and the unexpected similarities, and learn about the trends in both the British and the K uwaiti sculpture. Speaking of the aim of the research, one must mention that the paper will describe the key differences and the similarities between the current Kuwaiti and British sculpture. Being the key purpose of the given paper, the search for the specifics of each sculpture art development will lead to the further analysis and the work on the conclusion. Thus, the links between the British and the Kuwaiti culture are likely to be discovered. In addition, the prospects for the further development of the Kuwaiti and British sculpture are likely to be made. Moreover, it is necessary to mention that the given aim presupposes reaching a number of various objectives. For instance, the research will focus on the development of the Kuwaiti sculpture and the key people who contributed to the latter most; the same issues are going to be researched in the field of the British sculpture. However, since Britain includes English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish art, the British sculpture develop ment will be mentioned briefly, with the key facts about each of the cultures.Advertising Looking for proposal on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The paper is going to be split into three major parts, i.e., the research on the British sculpture, the research on the Kuwaiti sculpture and the following analysis of the two. However, since there are possibly several major stages in the establishment of the British and the Kuwaiti sculpture, the first two parts will possibly be split into several parts according to the sculpture development stages. Speaking of the way in which the analysis is going to be conducted, the following aspects are going to be compared: the time period at which the art of sculpture appeared; the key cultures and/or factors which contributed to the stylistic choices; the most famous sculptors; the outside influence; the modern sculpture and the current tendencies. Therefore, it c an be suggested that the given paper will be targeted at several objectives that will contribute to a single goal of learning about the sculpture of the two countries. There have been quite a number of researches on the British culture, yet there are quite few papers on the topic of the Kuwaiti culture and especially sculpture. Hence, it can be considered that the given field needs additional researches. In addition, even though there have been some papers devoted to the issue of the Kuwaiti culture, and some even touched upon the issue of sculpture, there are still not enough researches made on the differences and similarities between the development of sculpture in the two states. Thus, the research background is rather scanty, yet one can possibly learn quite much about the issue in the process. As for the significance of the given paper, one can possibly assume that the given research will have some weight. Mainly due to the fact that there has been very little done in exploring the sculpture of Kuwait, one can assume that the paper will provide a lot of colorful new details about the issue. In addition, since there has never been a comparison made between the British and the Kuwaiti sculpture, one can suppose that the given paper is going to shed some light on a relatively unknown subject and provide unique facts, as well as deliver specific and unexpected results. Hence, the significance of the paper is going to be sufficient enough to prove its right to exist.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Sculptures in Kuwait and Great Britain Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In terms of the paper methodology, it is necessary to mention that the research is going to be conducted on the basis of the data collected from books and reports. As it has already been mentioned, the research is going to touch upon various epochs in the development of sculpture in both countries, which means that not only the recent reports on the sculpture exhibitions or festivals and the modern sculptors with their most famous works are going to be analyzed, but also the books on the historical development of sculpture in the specified countries are going to be considered. The next issue to discuss will be the sources. As it has already been explained, the sources for the paper are going to be very diverse, mostly because of the specifics of the issue. In addition, it will presumably be quite difficult to pick the necessary information, since the art of sculpture was underdeveloped in Kuwait until the mid-90ies of the XX century. To start with, the story of the Kuwaiti sculpture is going to be researched. In DiPiazza’s work (2006), several artistic traditions are going to be researched, such as the annual Festival of arts. Moreover, the reasons for the underdevelopment of the sculpture genre in Kuwait are going to be explained in details. Another peculiar work which deserves taking a closer look at is the book by O’Shea Spilling (2009); the latter will shed some light on when the actual development of the Kuwaiti sculpture began (according to the authors, it was exactly 1963 (O’Shea Spilling, 2009, 108)). Finally, USA International Business Publications (2007) will tell about the places in Kuwait where notable sculptures are, such as Free Studio for Fine Arts (USA International Business Publications, 2007, 257), etc. Further on, when dealing with the emergence and the further progress of sculpture in Great Britain, the book by Westmacott (1824) will be of great importance. Allowing to track the history of British sculpture till the day it emerged as a phenomenon, Westmacott offers more than enough information for the given research. Unlike Westmacott, Greengrass Huges (2008) offer the specifics of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish sculpture instead of digging deep into the history of the British sculpture in general.Advertising Looking for proposal on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Allowing to access the most significant elements of the British sculpture, the given book, nonetheless, makes it obvious that British art embraces several cultures, which is the key difference between the British and the Kuwaiti sculpture. Meanwhile, Hill (2011) allows to check the greatest sculptors of the XXI century Britain, making the readers plunge into the present-day British sculpture. However, Eigner (2010) shows that there are a number of modern Kuwaiti sculptors worth mentioning; listing the key people who have had essential impact on the XXI century Kuwaiti sculpture, the author stresses the fact that sculpture is only developing in Kuwait. With the help of Ammari’s (2009) article, one can learn even more about the modern Kuwaiti sculptures, which Wintle (2002) lists the key British sculptors of the XXI century. Brought together, the above-mentioned sources allow to track the history of British and Kuwaiti art of sculpture. For the paper, the following work plan is going to be adopted. First of all, the sources on the topic are going to be collected based on their relevance to the issue. Further on, the sources are going to be analyzed and split into several categories, i.e., the sources which deal with the Kuwaiti sculpture and sculptures at the time when sculpture appeared in Kuwait, the sources which deal with the same issue of appearing and further development of sculpture in Great Britain, and the sources which concern the present-day sculpture in each of the countries in question. Further on, the outline for the paper is going to be developed. Finally, I will provide a rough draft for the paper and start writing the research. In the end, the final conclusions will be drawn and the prognoses for the Kuwaiti and British sculpture will be drawn. References Ammari, S S, 2009, Kuwaiti sculptor’s work is new addition to downtown Burj Dubai. Web. DiPiazza, F D, 2006, Kuwait in pictures, Twenty-First Century Books, Minneapolis, MN. Eigne r, S, 2010, Art of the Middle East: modern and contemporary art of the Arab  world and Iran, Merrel, London. Greengrass, M Huges, L M, 2008, The virtual representation of the past, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK. Hill, J, 2011, The sculpture of Gertrude Hermes, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK. O’Shea, M Spilling, M 2009, Kuwait, Marshall Cavendish, Singapore. USA International Business Publications, 2007, Kuwait investment and business guide, International Business Publication, Washington, DC. Westmacott, C M, 1824, British galleries of painting and sculpture, comprising a  general historical and critical catalogue, with separate notices of every work of fine art in the principal collections, Sherwood, London, UK. Wintle, J, 2002, Makers of modern culture, Routledge, New York, NY.

Key Developments within the Global Airline Industry Essay

Key Developments within the Global Airline Industry - Essay Example The researcher states that the growth of the airline industry is averaged at 5 percent annually through the estimates have changed due to changing economic conditions and differences in air travel safety across continents. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the industry experienced a $ 4 billion decline in profitability in 2011. Surprisingly, analysts point that global air travel passengers will hit a mark of 3.5 billion passengers annually in2015 which is a 30 percent increase from the current figures. IATA clarifies that increase in global fuel costs will impact negatively on the profitability of many airlines since it is estimated that global airlines will experience about $ 1.6 billion fuel cost increases. Accordingly, fuel costs account for about 35 percent of airline costs currently, up from 15 percent in 2000. Numerous uncertainties such as the recent global financial crisis and global terrorism have negatively affected the profitability of the in dustry. The developments have led to shifts in t global air travel services provision as major global players have intensified competition in the new centers of production. Additionally, the emergence of new international financial hubs such as China has led to movements of major airlines from their home markets to new high growth markets. Transnational corporations like the World Trade Bank and International Monetary Fund have facilitated globalization through the elimination of barriers in trade and investment flows among the nations. There are numerous factors affect the competitiveness of the airline in the domestic market. Some factors include the level of technological innovation, the influencing factor creation, and organization of the airline. According to Porter’s diamond model, the structure of the industry, the rivalry of the firms, the factor conditions, demand in the market and supportive industries are the important internal factors that determine the success of the firm in the domestic or national market.

Discuss weber's concept of ideal types in political authority, with Essay

Discuss weber's concept of ideal types in political authority, with reference to real world examples - Essay Example According to Weber, â€Å"authority is power accepted as legitimate by those subjected to it. Weber outlines three forms of authority in modern societies: traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal. These forms of authority are ideal pure types that are rarely â€Å"pure† in real life†. Political system has a rational nature and it gives political authority a legal outlook. The people who govern have been given the right to do so. The people who are subordinate believe in the actions taken by leaders trusting in their right of action. Every society has people in different position to govern the system. During the second First World War Weber raised as major critic to the government’s war policies. Marx writing had central focus on inequality and he considered it to be an inevitable part under capitalism(Laundy ,p 55,1988)After the end of the war the Germany found in Weber a statesman and an intelligent leader.Thus according to Weber they are traditional, charismatic and rational- legal. â€Å"Webers three kinds of ideal types are distinguished by their levels of abstraction† (Coser,1977). It is very essential to understand which factors lead to the formation of different kind of leaders in the world. They are from different field of activities like political, spiritual, cultural entertainment etc. Weber details different types of ideal political authorities in order to show their genuine nature. The following are the ideal types of Weber’s political authority. According to traditional way the authority is transferred by custom or religious means. .The practice of authority is in a dictator mode and it is passed on from past. In this case the power of the authority is not challenged by the subordinates. It can be made up from cultural or spiritual aspects. They have a dominant status as the power is being given from past authority. The people are more obedient to these leaders as this system is being

Standard Costs for Product Costing Research Paper

Standard Costs for Product Costing - Research Paper Example It is a cost accounting method that is designed to determine appropriate cost of a product under current production circumstances. The definition of ‘standard cost’ given by Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) UK is that, it is â€Å"a predetermined cost which is calculated from management’s standards of efficient operations and the relevant necessary expenditure.† More simply, a standard cost is a planned cost for a unit of product or service produced under certain circumstances. The final phase of the standard costing method involves comparison of the predetermined/standard costs to the actual costs (which can only be established after the production) and a variance between the two costs enables the management to take required corrective action as suited regarding the manufacturing process. Thereby standard costing presents many obvious advantages to a manufacturing business like of Johnstown Division. Listed below are some of the most prominent advantages that have been identified in the past literature. 2. Finding of variance: The variance determined by comparison of actual verses standard costs indicates areas in the business process e.g. production-line with inefficiencies. It promotes corrective measures at the earliest and thereby systematic checks on various expenditures (Dosch & Wilson, 2010). 5. Right decisions: It enables and generates useful information for the management in taking important decisions. E.g. regarding purchase price inflations, employee incentive schemes, product pricing, etc. (Michael, 2011) Despite of these benefits, literature claims that shorter life cycles of products, new advanced manufacturing technologies, lesser importance of labor in the manufacturing process, and globalized competition has potential to cause expiration of standard costing (Sulaiman et al., 2005). A significant addition to the debate whether to encourage the use of standard costing is the research by Zoysa et al, in 2007. It

Comprehensive perspective of radical feminism

Comprehensive perspective of radical feminism In Rosemarie Putnam Tongs book, Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction, she describes the perspective of radical feminism. By splitting radical feminism into two different parts, the radical-libertarian feminists and the radical-cultural feminists, Tong shows how two parties that have the same basic theory and goal can have significant differences. In the beginning of the chapter, Tong points out that a feminist must insist the sex/gender system is the fundamental cause of womens oppression (Tong, p. 46). This differs from the liberal view of feminism because the radical feminists want an entirely new system opposed to working with the system for change. Tong illustrates two very different methods for achieving a solution to womens oppression, the radical-libertarian and the radical-cultural feminists. The radical-libertarian feminists oppose the concept of femininity and all things including reproductive, mothering and sexual roles. They believed in an androgynous society which combines both masculine and feminine characteristics exemplified by society. This expressed radical feminists original desire to transcend the limits of the sex/gender system by daring women to be masculine as well as feminine (Tong, p. 47). The radical-cultural feminists differs from radical-libertarian because it rejects masculinity and encourages women to be more like women and emphasizes the values and virtues associated with women (Tong, p. 47). Both methods have conflicting ideas about sex, reproduction, and mothering. The radical-libertarians believe in all forms of sexual expression and freedom as long as pleasure is achieved for both parties. Any form of sexual restriction is looked at as cruel (Tong, p. 62). Pornography is looked at as a way to control sexuality (p. 68). On the other hand, the radical-cultural feminists see male sexuality as flawed (Tong, p.62). When looking at reproduction and mothering, radical-libertarian feminists look at reproduction as a weakness. They are also against biological motherhood and prefer reproduction to be done artificially. Radical-cultural feminists see reproduction as a womans source of power, hence men always trying to control it. The best choice is for women to be mothers on their own terms (Tong, p. 80-81). Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger was one of the cornerstone representatives of radical feminist movement of the twentieth century. In her book, Woman and the New Race, Sanger discusses birth control and womens rights to her own body. As she states clearly in the beginning of the section, no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother (Sanger, 138). Sanger compares both man and woman and the effects of pregnancy on both of them. Though men do suffer from the consequences of the situation, Sanger feels women suffer much more. The woman is the one who has to face the physical difficulty of bearing and rearing the unwanted children (Sanger, p. 139). Like many liberal feminists, Sanger touches on the fact that a change needs to be made. Unlike other feminists though, Sanger took action. Regardless of what is right, the fact is that women will never gain freedom until women take it for themselves. Women should not accept but challenge as pointed out by Sanger. Instead of looking into the past like most of society would, look at what should be. Before it is a mans problem, it is a women and she should therefore be able to decide for herself (Sanger, p. 139). Birth control is womans problem. The quicker she accepts it as hers alone, the quicker will society respect motherhood (Sanger, p. 139). Sanger brings up an important fact about motherhood. No one can enjoy something they never really wanted in the first place. By giving women the right to choose, society is making it more likely for woman to be satisfied and enjoy motherhood. By just giving woman the choice is a satisfying enough step for Sanger. This relates to radical feminism in that as Tong stated earlier, Sanger wanted a completely new system of womens right to her own body rather than just fixing what society saw as acceptable (Sanger, p.139). Kate Milletts Theory of Sexual Politics relates to radical feminism by showing how thoroughly culture and society are dominated by men. The central thesis to this theory of sexual politics is that when one group rules another, the relationship between the two is political. When this is carried out over a long period of time it develops into a belief. She defined sex as a status category that contained political implications. Such areas in society like the military, industry, technology, universities, science, political office, finance, and police force are all powered by males (Millett, p. 219). Politics equals power and according to Millet, males dominate female and elder males dominate younger (Millett, p. 220). Millet also touches point on democracies, aristocracy, and patriarchy. In a democracy, females have not held office except in small areas. This differs from an aristocracy in that women are permitted to hold power and the elder male rule is not present either. In a patriarchy, men hold power over women, children, and most areas of society (Millett, p. 220). Milletts beliefs of sexual politics can be related to Tongs original theory of radical feminism. Millet wished to destroy the sex/gender system and create a new society where men and women are equal throughout society. Millett also believed in the idea of androgyny and that it was only valid if feminine and masculine qualities are worthy enough separately (Tong, p. 51). This androgynous person must combine the balance of the best masculine and feminine characteristics (Tong, p.53). Tong ends chapter two with a critique of radical feminism. This theory of women is shown to be fascinated by roles and stereotypes that ignore the flaws of women. It is also described as being a historical by social feminists. Radical Feminism is the root to womens oppression. Women realize their strength and power and want society to acknowledge that. Women are given few choices in a male dominated society. Sanger and Millett focus on the lack of choices when dealing with birth control and political power. Both want a change and an entirely new system.

First Corinthians Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

First Corinthians In 146 B.C. the Roman general Mummius crushed Greece’s attempt towards independence by completely destroying the city of Corinth. For a hundred years the area of the city laid in ruins. Eventually Julius Caesar sent a colony of veterans and descendants of Freedmen to rebuild the city, and in a short period of time a new Corinth was created from the old ruins (Ancient Corinth p. 20). During the rebuilding of Corinth Caesar was assassinated and reconstruction was continued by Emperor Augustus (Background First Corinthians). Corinth is a Grecian city, located on the isthmus which joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. It is forty-eight miles west of Athens (Ancient Corinth p.16). The Isthmus is a strip of land that connects the lower peninsula of Greece with the mainland which is where the term â€Å"Isthmus† came from, in reference to any strip of land between two seas. The city was situated on a tableland two hundred feet above sea level (Zondervan Encyclopedia p.960-961) The location of Corinth helped to build its character to a great extent. It was a city that was excellently designed for shipping and trade. This fact invited a mixed population. There were two harbors in the city's position of control over the isthmus (Zondervan Encyclopedia p.960). Lechaeum provided for the westward side, facing the Corinthian gulf, and Cenchreae functioned as the harbor on the eastward side, facing the Saronic Gulf (Ancient Corinth p.40-41). In the 5th century B.C., Corinth was one of the three major powers within Greece, and they participated in all of the battles against Persia (Ancient Corinth p. 19) See map for Missionary Journeys. Paul came to Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey toward the end of the year 51 A.D. (Zondervan Encyclopedia p.962). Paul wrote Romans while he was in Corinth and the list of Latin names found at the end of the letter agrees with historical statement that Corinth was a Roman colony. Jews naturally found a place in Corinth, and the Jewish population rose even higher when the edict of Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. Along with many of the Jews came Paul, to the city of Corinth (History First Corinthians). Paul spent eighteen months in the city of Corinth, (Acts 18:11) and during the time he spent in Corinth, Paul laid down the foundation of the Church of Corinth. The congrega... ...p;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baptism iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul’s plans, final greeting, (16:19-24) Works Cited Bright, Hilda â€Å"Servants of Christ† December 2004, 14 March, 2005. Bucke, Emory S.†Corinth† and â€Å"First Corinthians† The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Abingdon Press, Nashville. 1962. â€Å"Corinth† and â€Å"First Corinthians† The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1975. Guthrie, Donald New Testament Introduction United States, December 1975. Henderson, Charles â€Å"Christianity – General† 2005, 14 March, 2005. â€Å"History of the Book of First Corinthians† 2003, 14 March, 2005. < http://1corinthians.jesusanswers.com/ > Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of I and II Corinthians Minneapolis: Minnesota, 1963. Papahatzis, Nicos Ancient Corinth The Museums of Corinth, Isthmia and Sicyon Athens 1981. â€Å"St Marks Berowra First Corinthians† 2003, 14 March, 2005. < http://www.stmarksberowra.org/sermons/1corinthians1.html> Smith, Gordon â€Å"New Testament Story Outlined in Maps† 14 March, 2005. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Illinois: Wheaton, 1996. Walvoord, John F. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. United States, 1986.

Absurdity in Camus’s The Plague

Albert Camus tried to make sense of plague's challenge to the human spirit in this novel set in North Africa. It is a chronicle of human suffering. â€Å"But what does that mean – ‘plague'? Just life, no more than that.† (Camus, Gilbert 1948 : 307).The old asthmatic, who spends his days transferring peas from one pan to another, summarizes the overarching theme of Camus's narrative: life and death, in a world that does not seem to care for us. The Plague is a powerful literary work, despite its many logical and other shortcomings, which we will be looking into. Camus is obviously trying to stimulate the reader to think about the problems of life and ways to confront life in a seemingly absurd and cruel world — although how far he succeeds in this attempt is doubtful.Over the course of a few days in sometime in the 1940s, in the Algerian city of Oran, thousands of rats emerge into the streets in dying conditions. At this point begins the outbreak. Absurdity creeps into Camus’s story in more ways than one. Dying rats and the spread of bubonic plague is not an unprecedented phenomenon in human history. In the mid 14th century, the devastating black plague exterminated nearly one third of the population of Europe. Spanning three years, it was a disaster of colossal proportions.A major episode of Bubonic plague occurred in ancient Greece, as well as in the late Roman period, killing people in hundreds of thousands. The narrator of the story himself acknowledges the fact of a ten thousand people dying every single day in Constantinople. Therefore, on the first sign of rats dying en masse, all the nations and international authorities would be alerted, not just the city officials. But that does not strangely happen in Camus’s account. No action is taken at all for a long time, though much hullabaloo goes on.The Plague recounts a specific (albeit fictional) epidemic taking place in a particular location at a particular time, alt hough the year is not clearly specified. Therefore historical and practical questions are important in making sense of the story.Camus’s novel was published in 1947, in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. It is reasonable therefore to assume that the Oran episode might have occurred towards the end of the war or in the first years of peace. Towards the end of the First World War, a massive outbreak of Influenza pandemic killed an estimated 40 million people worldwide.No one would even remotely want such a disaster to happen all over again at the end of the Second World War, and therefore no one would have taken the matter lightly. The moment the news is in the media, it would have sent shivers across the national capitals all over the world. By no stretch of imagination, Bubonic plague can be considered a local issue.One cannot possibly conceive any city authorities to be complacent over such a grave matter, thereby delaying action and letting the infection take hold in the populace. Leave alone the local authorities, national and international authorities would immediately jump into the scene taking all possible action to contain the burgeoning plague. That a plague is on its way is clear as day from the first deaths of rats to anyone who is least educated, however the city officials go on merely debating, discussing and hesitating.In 1994, a case of pneumonic plague, a deadlier air-borne version of bubonic plague, broke out in the Northwestern India. The word plague was in the air, and hundreds of thousands of people immediately started evacuating their houses, even before the authorities could rush into action. In the end, few people died of the actual infection, more people must have perished in the stampedes to catch trains and buses.In Camus’s novel that seeks to question the very meaning of human life and existence, however, no such commonsensical, logical measures are taken.Common people behave meaninglessly, authorities beha ve absurdly, international authorities do not even figure in – all this in spite of the narrator, Bernard Rieux, being a doctor himself. Even when the doctor starts worrying, he worries about his own city, not the continent and the world, as if plague knows any city limits. Region-specific infectious diseases such as Ebola infections which break out in West African countries from time to time are called endemics, not epidemics.According to the novel, one is given to understand that Bernard Rieux is preoccupied with his wife’s impending trip to a sanitarium and is therefore at first not alarmed by the rats dying on the streets with blood spurting from their muzzles.Doctors are always preoccupied with something or other, yet any doctor spotting a number of rats dying in such a ghastly manner would have issued red alert instantaneously. Rats dying by coughing up blood are strangely viewed by every one concerned as a sanitation issue! This is a preposterous way of telling a story.

The Shailendra Kingdom of Java

The Shailendra Kingdom of Java In the 8th century CE, a Mahayana Buddhist kingdom sprang up on the central plain of Java, now in Indonesia. Â  Soon, glorious Buddhist monuments flowered across the Kedu Plain - and the most incredible of them all was the massive stupa of Borobudur. Â  But who were these great builders and believers? Â  Unfortunately, we do not have many primary historical sources about the Shailendra Kingdom of Java. Â  Here is what we know, or suspect, about this kingdom. Like their neighbors, the Srivijaya Kingdom of the island of Sumatra, the Shailendra Kingdom was a great ocean-going and trading empire. Â  Also known as a thalassocracy, this form of government made perfect sense for a people located at the linch-pin point of the great Indian Ocean maritime trade. Â  Java is midway between the silks, tea, and porcelains of China, to the east, and the spices, gold, and jewels of India, to the west. Â  In addition, of course, the Indonesian islands themselves were famous for their exotic spices, sought after all around the Indian Ocean basin and beyond. Archaeological evidence suggests, however, that the people of Shailendra did not rely entirely upon the sea for their living. Â  The rich, volcanic soil of Java also yielded bountiful harvests of rice, which could have been consumed by the farmers themselves or traded to passing merchant ships for a tidy profit. Â   Where did the Shailendra people come from? Â  In the past, historians and archaeologists have suggested various points of origin for them based on their artistic style, material culture, and languages. Â  Some said they came from Cambodia, others India, still others that they were one and the same with the Srivijaya of Sumatra. Â  It seems most likely, however, that they were native to Java, and were influenced by far-flung Asian cultures through the sea-borne trade. Â  The Shailendra seem to have emerged around the year 778 CE. Interestingly, at that time there was already another great kingdom in Central Java. Â  The Sanjaya dynasty was Hindu rather than Buddhist, but the two seem to have gotten along well for decades. Â  Both also had ties with the Champa Kingdom of the Southeast Asian mainland, the Chola Kingdom of southern India, and with Srivijaya, on the nearby island of Sumatra. The ruling family of Shailendra does seem to have intermarried with the rulers of Srivijaya, in fact. Â  For example, the Shailendra ruler Samaragrawira made a marriage alliance with the daughter of a Maharaja of Srivijaya, a woman called Dewi Tara. Â  This would have cemented trade and political ties with her father, the Maharaja Dharmasetu. For around 100 years, the two great trading kingdoms in Java seem to have peacefully coexisted. Â  However, by the year 852, the Sanjaya seem to have pushed the Sailendra out of Central Java. Â  Some inscriptions suggest that the Sanjaya ruler Rakai Pikatan (r. 838 - 850) overthrew the Shailendra king Balaputra, who fled to the Srivijaya court in Sumatra. Â  According to legend, Balaputra then took power in Srivijaya. Â  The last known inscription mentioning any member of the Shailendra dynasty is from the year 1025, when the great Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I launched a devastating invasion of Srivijaya, and took the last Shailendra king back to India as a hostage. It is terribly frustrating that we do not have more information about this fascinating kingdom and its people. Â  After all, the Shailendra were quite obviously literate - they left inscriptions in three different languages, Old Malay, Old Javanese, and Sanskrit. Â  However, these carved stone inscriptions are fairly fragmentary, and dont provide a very complete picture of even the kings of Shailendra, let alone the daily lives of ordinary people. Thankfully, though, they did leave us the magnificent Borobudur Temple as a lasting monument to their presence in Central Java.

Principles of Responsible Commerce

Principles of Responsible Commerce Most businesses operate to make profit in the society. Apart from the profit-making objective, businesses should ensure that their operations bring positive changes in the society. The positive changes can be through job creation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Responsible Commerce specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The latter does not exclude non-corporate businesses since any act on the environment affect all businesses irrespective of size (Supporting Corporate Social Responsibility 2012). A business that creates wealth, offer products that satisfy the needs of customers and employs members of a society is dubbed a responsible business. Moreover, a responsible business strives to uphold the principle of equity and fairness to its entire stakeholders and the local community in general. The essay will analyze the principles of responsible commerce in light to th e utilitarianism theory and the learning trend that I have experienced in this course. In addition, the essay will analyse the Hewlett Packard Case Study and compare it to the theory of utilitarianism in an ethical dimension. In CSR, businesses have to align their objectives with the societal requirements. For example, businesses can engage in ethical practices through participating in environmental protection in the community, which they operate. Companies always engage in CSR as an ethical practice and not a legal requirement (Supporting Corporate Social Responsibility 2012). On the other hand, organizations can decide not to engage in CSR, but does not imply that they have gone against a legal requirement. In the journey of learning this course, I have learnt that not all ethical practices are lawful. In essence, principles of responsible commerce involve engaging in ethical activities that may affect the stakeholders.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another example involves a situation where a driver may notice an accident while driving and decides to drive away from the scene. Ethically, he should have stopped and offered help to the victims; however, his/her action has not violated the law. Again, if a business decides to take care of the poor in the community by offering educational scholarship programmes, it becomes an ethical practice. Conversely, a business that has the capability of supporting a local community, but decides not to do so has not violated the law, but its negligence results to an unethical practice. It becomes unethical since it has the potential to do so but opts to avoid it. An ethical practice involves what is right or wrong while law deals with what is unlawful or lawful (Njoka 2012). The two terms do not have direct implications on each other. In business perspectives, businesses outline their acceptable conduct s that they consider fit to guide their operations. Responsible businesses consider the needs of all participants hence they lay their foundation on trust and confidence that forms the core of ethical practices (Njoka 2012). Social enterprises are the main practitioners of these principles as their goals and objectives gear towards social responsibility. However, business enterprises that are profit making in nature ought to understand that their ethical practices directly affect human needs. For instance, if there are lapses in integrity on the employer or employees side, the consumers are the final group that bear the consequences. According to Njoka 2012, such incidences of integrity lapses lower consumers’ trust and confidence in the business. Businesses should realize that the consumers that they feel should purchase their products in order to maximize profit require due attention, which only come from ethical engagements.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Responsible Commerce specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If businesses neglect the interests and needs of their customers, the market can become unsustainable hence leading to business failure. Noticeably, organizations that desire to survive in this global and competitive market should instil ethical leadership in their management systems in order to attract and maintain their customers (Njoka 2012). Therefore, it is the role of the Human Resource Management (HRM) to ensure that the employees adhere to the set out ethical procedures. Moreover, business survival in the competitive market requires a high level of morality and responsibility. This aspect touches on giving back to the community in order to improve their living standards. Some of the activities that support ethical behaviours include offering sponsorship programmes for needy and bright students, training the local community how to engage in agricultural prac tices and even subsidising the cost of farming. Businesses that participate in these activities acquire high societal approval for their services (Corrales 2011). Even though other businesses may view CSR as an additional expense, the benefits that arise after the process are numerous; they include increased profitability hence assurance on continuity and the sustainable economic development.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, activities like environmental conservation programmes assist businesses to minimize their costs of production since they can mitigate the effects of climate change. An effect of climate change like drought has a direct impact on the costs of production for organizations that rely on agricultural products. In addition, the consumers will experience a low standard of living, which results to low purchases of goods and services that businesses offer. Moreover, environmental conservation will give the businesses opportunities to exploit their potentials in the present and even assure them of the same in future. Sustainable economic development offers businesses potentials both at present and in the future; therefore, it ensures that businesses survive into the future (Corrales 2011). Notably, businesses are only assured of sustainable economic development if they inculcate ethical practices in their operations. Distinctly, a responsible business should engage in CSR since t he major beneficiary is the business and not the surrounding community. The utilitarianism theory conceives that an act is moral if the results create a positive impact to several individuals (Moreland 2009). It believes that no moral act or regulation is right or wrong; one can only determine their rightness or wrongness of an act by studying the consequences. This theory deals with the philosophy of the end justify the means. This theory analyzes all the courses of action that are available and the possible effects that can occur owing to the action before deciding on a course that is morally right and the situation that one may find himself. The possible effects include the benefits and harms that may result from such an action. In the final part, a course of action that presents highest benefits is chosen after considering the costs (Andre Velasquez 2010). It does not matter whether the means that one uses is right or wrong provided the results are beneficial to many people. Fo r example, a person can break into a chemist and steal a drug that can assist a patient to recover if they cannot afford to purchase the drug. According to the utilitarianism theory, the whole process is ethical since the drug helped in saving life. Clearly, the theory oversees the unethical behaviour of stealing. In this aspect, the theory may encourage some acts, which are unethical in the business environment since they may result to positive feedbacks. As a result, the theory analyzes the morality of any effect. If the effect is good, the process is acceptable. From the above scenario, stealing produced a good and not an evil effect-rescuing life. The theory supports some acts that the societal norms consider as unethical practices. However, the theory does not consider whether the doctor has received justice for the act that made him lose his drug and experience destruction of property or not. In the business point of view, the benefits that the utilitarianism theory defines ar e the satisfaction levels and the number of stakeholders that will receive the benefits. The theory expects managers to make decisions that have greatest benefits to the majority of the stakeholders in order to ensure their satisfaction. Human Resource Managers should treat consumers as ends not as means; they should not involve consumers in the whole process of management, but must ensure that the results of the management process benefit a majority of them (Andre Velasquez 2010). From the above example of rescuing life, responsible businesses should consider the life of a human being as the most important parameter. For instance, if a business realizes that it will spend heavily in order to produce healthy products, it should do so since unhealthy products will negatively affect the lives of consumers. Even if the action of producing healthy products will result into losses, human dignity still overrides it. It is the responsibility of a business to provide high quality products to its customers and not for purposes of making profit. A responsible business will view apt employees’ remuneration as its responsibility and not a means of attracting skilful employees (Moreland 2009). The Hewlett Packard Case involved pretexting where a person pretended to be the owner of some information. This action made the private investigator access phone records of different individuals within the company. The act reveals information leakage to third parties, which were putting the company at risk of stakeholders’ withdrawal hence creating low trade values for their shares. Moreover, other drivers were leaking vital personal information to the press. Some board members could access data of the company’s customers at will. The company after investigating the issue had to reconstitute the Board of Directors in order to salvage the company’s reputation from other stakeholders (Sebastian 2011). In this manner, the company made a risky decision, which proved to be best alternative after analysing the overall costs and benefits of the consequences. This incident saw most board members resign from their posts as others tarnished their reputations. On the issue of legality, the issue of pretexting was presumed not illegal (Sebastian 2011). However, this does not imply that the act is ethical. The board members presumed that the legality of pretexting was all that could affect the operations of the company hence neglecting the ethical dimension. Despite the fact that the board members did not break any law, their acts could have affected the entire group of shareholders, stakeholders, and employees. In this dimension, the board members failed to analyse the effects of this deceptive practice in relation to the interests of the stakeholders. The pretexting ethical dilemma discloses a management system that is short-sighted, unprofessional, and egocentric in their operations. In relating the HP case and the utilitarianism theory, the decision by the company to lay-off some board members was an option that saved the reputation of the company as it considered the majority beneficiaries in the whole aspect. The interests of the stakeholders, shareholders, and employees overrode that of the few board members. The consequences of the company’s action on the pretexting incident affected the few board members negatively but benefited the stakeholders of the company. Hewlett Packard was experiencing organisational challenges at the time when the incident took place thereby giving loopholes on the ethical practices. During this time, the company’s shares had fluctuated in the market. Therefore, the case study supports the need for applying the principles of responsible commerce in all business operations irrespective of the legality. Businesses ought to act ethically when making decisions on their course of actions since the consequences may either protect or destroy the image of the businesses. This reflec tive essay has revealed that businesses that adhere to their ethical practices in order to improve their reputation among their stakeholders and shareholders hence obtaining the survival assurance in the present dynamic market. Businesses have to consider their decisions in a longsighted and humane manner. For example, they must include the interests of the local community since the community offers both social and operational security to the business (Corrales 2011). A responsible business should strive to prevent pollution and use proper waste disposal techniques. The Hewlett Packard case study and the utilitarianism theory have also analysed the need for businesses to make professional and long-sighted decisions that benefit the majority in the mix. References Andre, C Velasquez, M 2010, Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics, Santa Clara University -Welcome, scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v2n1/calculating.html Corrales, M. E 2011, Caux Round Table Princi ples for Responsible Business, Slideshare.net, slideshare.net/villamarcos/caux-round-table-principles-for-responsible-business Moreland, J 2009, Ethics Theories: Utilitarianism Vs. Deontological Ethics, Christian Research Institute, equip.org/articles/ethics-theories-utilitarianism-vs-deontological-ethics/ Njoka, F 2012, Principles of Business, Scribd, scribd.com/doc/109515149/Principles-of-Business Sebastian, E. R 2011, The Ethical Problem of Pretexting: The Hewlett Packard Case Study, Yahoo Voices, voices.yahoo.com/the-ethical-problem-pretexting-hewlett-packard-8104728.html?cat=3 Supporting Corporate Social Responsibility 2012, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/labour_globalization/ila/rep_canada/supporting_csr.shtml

Interview with the Vampire Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interview with the Vampire - Movie Review Example This is one of the main characteristics of vampire protagonist, which is the sense of belongingness. Also, in the light of Louis, he wanted to escape the pain that he has been experiencing for almost a year due to the death of his wife and his child. He wanted to die and wanted someone to end his life for him, which brought him to being a vampire. He is described by Lestat as â€Å"...perfect.... bitter, and ...strong.† The vampire protagonist, i.e. Louis, may be inhumane and may have discarded the morals of a human being, but he still longs to be loved and feel the basic human emotions. Furthermore, vampire protagonists are considered as outlaws; this is exemplified in their act of killing and feeding on human beings. However, Louis, as much as possible wanted to feed on the blood of the animals. As he said during an encounter with Lestat â€Å"we can live on animals. We can live without taking human life.† Also, another difference is that a vampire protagonist may fee l the full human experience, but on the part of Louis, he was not able to succeed on this. He stated that there was â€Å"no passion in me any longer. I am reverent. A spirit with preternatural flesh. It ended when I saw Claudia burnt to ashes in that airwell. My dreams died with Claudia. My faith.† Nonetheless, a vampire protagonist is greatly depicted in the characters of Louis and Claudia because they have felt security and acceptance in their relationship, which are great characteristics of a vampire protagonist (Day

Marketing Communications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Communications - Assignment Example Audi AG is a German manufacturer of automobiles, involved in designing, engineering and distributing of the same. Since 1966, the brand is majorly owned by Volkswagen Group, who has re-launched the brand through Audi F103 edition. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, famous by the name of BMW, is a German motorcycle and automobile manufacturing company, which was founded in 1916.Both the brands, Audi and BMW, are hugely successful worldwide. They have loyal consumer base and immense brand equity. Both these companies are well-known for upgraded technology and innovation. These are the brands that feature in the upscale mid-size car segment. Presently, with these two products, they are fiercely competing in the automobile market in the USA. Audi A4’s turbo-charged four cylinder engine generates huge power to the car. The front wheel drive models are provided with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Whereas, the models with all wheel drive gets either an eight speed automatic transmission or a six speed manual. Drivers opined that with the precise and nicely-weighted steering system and powerful brakes, this car is favored by most. It has brilliant interior, balanced handling and also scores high in fuel economy (US News, 2014a). BMW 320i is equipped with turbo-charged four cylinder engine as well. This car equals in the mileage obtained with Audi 4, which is 24-36 mpg. 320i has a spacious interior with more cargo carriage space than Audi A4. 320i has impressive handling and acceleration (US News, 2014).The car is fuel efficient. It is through balance in operation that Audi A4 can compete with BMW 320i. The output of both the cars in terms of torque and power of the engine has been almost similar. Both the cars are considered to be luxury vehicles and purchased by consumers as status symbol products in the market. Through the range of power within each car is different, but it is noted that power steering facilities,