Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss

Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss Into The Gorge: A Spiral of Decline toward Loss â€Å"Jesse stood on his porch and looked east toward Sampson Ridge, where bulldozers razed forests and grazing land for another gated community† ( Rash 18 ) . If one were to cut down Ron Rash’sInto the Gorgedown to one markedly important transition, this would be among the campaigners. It presents an image of commercialisation from the eyes of Jesse, a adult male who was raised to esteem the land. It besides marks a tangible passage for Jesse as he unwittingly conforms to his milieus.Into the Gorgenowadayss a narrative of loss. Get downing with the loss of Jesse’s great aunt and finally stoping with the loss of his ain life, or so the reader is to assume. This subject represents the spiral of diminution that ensues in a society that abuses and disrespects the land for intents of pecuniary addition. Into the Gorgeclears with a beautiful word picture of Jesse’s great aunt. The reader really rapidly becomes affiliated to her, about to the point of misidentifying her as the supporter in the narrative. She is aligned with a harmonious life with an about calm aura about her while being profoundly connected to the land and its seasonal rhythms ; she â€Å"could state you to the hebdomad when the first cornel flower would lighten up the ridge, the first blackberry darken and swell plenty to harvest† ( Rash 17 ) . But so she had lost her head and â€Å"with it all the people she knew, their names and connexions, whether they still lived or whether they’d died† ( Rash 17 ) . But despite this the reader is told in the really following paragraph that â€Å"The cognition of the land was the one memory that refused to dissolve† ( Rash 17 ) . Jesse’s grandaunt would go on to hoe her Fieldss every twenty-four hours until the twenty-four hours of her de cease, when she wandered off into the forests to vacate herself to the one invariable in her life, the one love that refused to fade out, a â€Å"final stepping down of everything she had one time been, † a surrendertothe land ( Rash 26 ) . The decease of Jesse’s grandaunt has in consequence begun the spiral of diminution toward an overall neglect for the necessity of the renewing of the land. The reader is told that â€Å"after her decease neighbours shortly found topographic points other than the gorge to run and angle, garner blackberries and galax†¦When the park service made an offer†¦Jesse’s male parent and aunts had sold†¦Now, five decennaries subsequently, Jesse stands on his porch and looked eastward†¦where bulldozers razed forests and grazing land for another gated community† ( Rash 18 ) . As antecedently mentioned, the loss of Jesse’s grandaunt seems to hold caused, at least for Jesse and his immediate milieus, a loss of a regard for the land. As the narrative takes the reader through Jesse’s foremost and successful effort at reaping the ginseng we are told, â€Å"Afterward, he’d carefully replanted the seeds, done it merely as his male parent had done, so walked out of the gorge, past the Fe gate that kept vehicles off the logging route. A xanthous Sn marker nailed to a nearby tree said US Park Service† ( Rash 18 ) . Here the reader gets a split image ; Jesse replants the seeds â€Å"just as his male parent had done† old ages ago ( Rash 18 ) . There is a sense of regard for the land and the cyclic nature of nature, which is besides represented in the generational lessons of planting and replanting passed down from male parent to boy. However, there is besides a really explicitly painted image of development. The workss that Jesse ha s harvested and so replanted are within the boundaries of the land which the authorities uses for logging. This land has been transformed into a commercialised operation in order to untangle any and all pecuniary value from it. Furthermore, there is a parallel image in this xanthous mark. A blazing neglect for nature is nailed to the tree by manner of a US Park Service mark, nevertheless in the predating paragraph it says â€Å"back so, the forests had been communal,No Trespassingmarks an affront†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Rash 18 ) . The forests had been a topographic point of community and friendly relationship and invitation, any effort to interrupt apart this public into personally claimed belongings was seen as an abuse to the corporate. But now, non merely is the land sectioned off into countries of unpermitted districts, but these countries are being used explicitly to work the land for pecuniary addition. This loss of a regard for the cardinal significance that the land has is somethi ng that Jesse seems to be troubled by, yet it is something he himself can’t isolated off from. The lone ground he is out reaping the ginseng in the first topographic point is to acquire money. He doesn’t love the act of reaping and replanting, he hasn’t even had any exposure to the land in this regard since his grandaunt passed, five decennaries earlier. What’s more, he doesn’t needfully even need the excess money. The storyteller says â€Å"his house and 20 estates were paid for, as was his truck. The baccy allocation earned less each twelvemonth but still plenty for a widowman with adult kids. Enough every bit long as he didn’t have to travel to the infirmary or his truck throw a rod. He needed some excess money put away for that. Not a million, but some† ( Rash 18 ) . Albeit he isn’t a money hungry corporate executive who has wholly disregarded the verve of nature. But he is however reaping the land for one ground and one gr ound entirely: money. This disconnected image of working and fostering the land represents an even further diminution, as a society, toward the commercialised corruptness of the land. The narrative comes full circle at the terminal as Jesse â€Å"waited† in the forests merely as his grandaunt did before she died. In this minute he thought of his grandaunt and paralleled himself to her as his waiting was â€Å"a concluding stepping down of everything†heone time was. However, it’s non merely a pure and symmetrically sound stoping ; the usage of the word â€Å"abdication† has a dual entendre underlying it. In respects to Jesse’s grandaunt, it has a meter of a dignified release of her life and everything that she lived for. Not needfully the instance for Jesse, for him it seems to take on a different significance wholly. It is Jesse’s chance to fly from the forfeiture of artlessness that his life has culminated to. Jesse recognizes his loss of artlessness, his loss of self-respect, but it is merely when he attempts to travel back to being in melody with the land that he comes to this realisation ; â€Å"Jesse shifted his orga nic structure so his face turned downhill, one ear to the land as if listening for the faintest footstep. It seemed so incorrect to be 68 old ages old and running from person. Old age was supposed to give a individual self-respect and respect† ( Rash 22 ) . In this minute Jesse acknowledges his loss of regard, a regard which has been neither received from others nor given by himself. The consequence of this self-fulfillment is his â€Å"waiting† at the really terminal. A bi-laterally asymmetrical stoping to the gap. One can follow though this narrative the slow diminution toward a society which does non foster the land, but instead relies on it for the here and now. The reader is left gyrating down along with Jesse as the plot line moves from the loss of Jesse’s grandaunt, to the commercializing of his hometown, to Jesse’s ain selfish aims with the land, and eventually to Jesse’s realisation of his conformance which finally leads to his decease. This spiral is a representation or a possible warning to the effects of a commercialized society which exploits the land: there is a natural and unconditioned diminution when 1 refuses a fear to the land. This refusal leads to inside turned desires, which leads to capitalistic inclinations and the commercialisation of the land—extricating it for all that its worth—which will finally take to the decease of those who were one time respected, and who in bend irradiated it back.

Culture and workplace ethics Essay

Culture in the workplace has very little to do with the well known culture of literature, music and art. In the workplace, culture actually refers to the shared work environment, belief systems, behavior expectations and expected efforts, all of which usually characterize a certain organization or business enterprise. The work setting culture mainly includes things like, socialization expectations, dress code, how different groups within the organization perceive issues relating to attendance, problem solving and quality of work output. Finding the appropriate culture to fit an organization is a vital element in ensuring that a particular field or job is successful. Corporate culture has a lot of influence on ethics of an organization. It is through it that right or wrong decisions are made. They determine whether to adopt strategies that will benefit majority of the people in the workplace positively or adopting ones with an impact of affecting most workers in a negative manner (Russell, Para 3). Effect of culture on workplace ethics The organization’s culture is quite important perhaps more than most people appreciate. It holds various categories of people within an organization together and thus it has a lot of impact on what people within the organization perceive to be right or wrong. Even though certain conducts like corruption might be considered to be vice and thus culturally immoral in some organizations, there are other workplaces where the behavior is considered to be appropriate. Culture is usually deep rooted in an organization since although it is manmade; it takes several decades to grow. New employees in each and every work place are first introduced to the operating culture in the workplace and thus it is usually in each and every person working in the workplace. Ethics comes after culture and it therefore has to sing to the tune of culture (Lagan, & Moran, pp 46). The depth of culture within an organization is usually realized when someone attempts to alter an organization’s culture in a manner that is not consistent with the shared believes and norms of the organization. Such a person usually meets a lot resistance regardless of whether the intended cultural change is ethical or not. Culture within an organization is usually not stagnant but it is rather dynamical so as to take into account the changing business and workplace environment. Due to the fact that the workplace ethics are tied to culture, they also have to keep on changing so as to be consistent with the workplace culture (Russell, Para 4). Workplace ethics is highly influenced by the leadership of the entire organization. These are the people who are charged with the mandate of running the business and making decisions for the entire organization. The organizational culture determines the type of people to take managerial decisions. Therefore, if the culture of an organization is to be led by men and women of high integrity, then the workplace in such an organization is likely to be ethical. This is due to the fact that when an organization is led by such people, they will always make decisions with each and everyone within and without the organization in their mind. Their decisions will in most cases affect majority of the people in a positive manner. In this case, culture is very important on business ethics since it determines in an indirect manner the type of decisions to be made by the managers leading the organization (Hopkins, pp 78). On the other hand, if the organizational culture of a particular enterprise is one that allows men and women of less integrity to lead it, people who enter these offices via unethical channels where merit is not a priority, then such managers will in most cases be unethical. They will in almost all cases make unethical decisions which are likely to only benefit very few individuals within the organization while exposing the majority, mainly the junior members of staff to unfair treatment. Workplaces operating from such environments are mostly unethical and clearly this is as a result of the organizational culture. Most of the decisions adopted in such organizations are usually only aimed at maximizing the profits of the organization without putting into consideration other parties who are likely to suffer as a result of such decisions. These types of managements are mainly self centered and are only worried about their business organizations with little or no concern at all for other people. They are not worried of whether their actions are ethical or not, as long as business is running and making profits nothing else worry them. This attitude is usually enhanced by the organizational culture which in turn affects the workplace ethics significantly (Russell, Para 7). The corporate culture of an enterprise determines the criteria of promotion. If the culture of an organization enhances promotion based on merit, then the workplace will be more ethical as compared to instances where promotion is not based on merit. Since employees seek for promotion every now and then, they have to look for the criterion that is used for promotion so that they can be well equipped to qualify for promotion. Such a culture of promotion will take decades to develop and will thus be very much deep rooted to eliminate within the workplace (Lagan, & Moran, pp 69). The culture of an organization determines the values that are to be held in high regard within the organization. If a culture holds unethical behaviors in high esteem, then such conducts will be dominant in the organization. Rewards will be awarded to those people who excel in such conducts. In this case, the organizational culture is mainly concerned with appreciating the efforts of its employees who have excelled in certain field regardless of whether their actions were ethical or not. Such a culture therefore, promotes unethical behaviors among its employees (Brooks, & Dunn, pp 120). In other organizations, the culture is very clear and is tailored towards promoting ethical behaviors among its employees. In fact, the employees who excel in ethical conducts in various fields in the course of their work are identified in a fair manner and rewarded so as to encourage them to continue in the same spirit and be even more ethical in future. The other employees are also challenged to act ethically and at the same time they are made to desire to act ethically so as to be rewarded like their counterparts who were more ethical than then in a certain period. This form of culture thus acts as a tool for enhancing ethical behaviors within an organization to develop (Bassman, pp 55s). Culture within an organization determines how the organization as whole perceives the outsiders, more so its competitors. There are cultures which are tailored towards viewing the competitors as enemies and thus it promotes actions which will deal with such enterprises as enemies. Such a culture will promote unethical behaviors to its competitors and enmity arises between the two organizations. Culture is responsible for various unethical actions that might be penetrated to the other organization since it has made everyone within the workplace of the organization to develop a negative attitude towards its competitors (Russell, Para 9). At the same time, culture can act as a catalyst for enhancing ethical behaviors among the various employees of the organization especially in their actions towards the competitors. Culture will in this case promote good relations among the two organizations and it will make the employees to perceive the other organization as a competitor and not an enemy. This form of culture will promote actions that will enhance positive competition between the two sides and thus ethical behaviors will be enhanced greatly (Lagan, & Moran, pp 89). While there are employment regulations and laws governing the manner in which employees are to be treated, the ethics of an organization are more tailored by the organizational culture and not such laws and regulations. The ethics therefore goes beyond the regulations and the laws connecting the business practices of an organization to the workers’ personal beliefs. Culture in this case plays a leading role in ensuring that the actions adopted by the organization are in line with it. In this case, the organizational culture ensures that various employees in the workplace within the enterprise work together for a common objective as well as having the intention of doing the right thing in a world that is quite diverse and complex (Bassman, pp 126). The culture in operation within an enterprise determines how an organization treats its outsiders and whether or not it does anything that is likely to affect them negatively. For culture to be able to promote ethical actions among its employees towards the outsiders, then it must be one that encourages decisions that will affect these people in a positive manner. Among the current issues that has brought a lot of criticism in the entire world is that of pollution. An organization is considered to be ethical if it emits fewer pollutants to the environment. This means that it is concerned about the environment and the consequences of disposing untreated chemicals to the environment. On the other hand, there are organizations that are completely unethical. They pollute the environment without really caring how many people will be affected by the same. This affects the workplace environment indirectly since the employees will face hostility from members of public and will in several occasions be referred to as unethical people who do not care about tomorrow. This might make the organization to loose several employees to other companies which are more ethical as employees will like to be associated with organizations with good reputation (Brooks, & Dunn, pp 258). Conclusion Culture is a very important element in every organization. It is responsible in shaping the ethical behavior of the employees and also the workplace ethics. This is due to the fact that ethics within an organization is driven by the culture that is in operation within an organization. Culture is therefore a very important force in driving ethical practices of an enterprise. This is mainly because the organizational culture takes time to grow and mature and that it is taught to all new employees which make it to be deeply rooted within all employees. Culture has the ability of making an organization to act either ethically or unethically. Work cited: Bassman, Emily S. ; Abuse in the workplace: management remedies and bottom line impact; ISBN 089930673X, Quorum, 1992. Brooks, Leonard J. & Dunn, Paul; Business & Professional Ethics for Directors, Executives & Accountants; ISBN 0324594550, Cengage Learning, 2009. Hopkins, Willie Edward. Ethical dimensions of diversity; ISBN 080397289X, SAGE, 1997. Lagan, Attracta & Moran, Brian; Three Dimensional Ethics: Implementing Workplace Values; ISBN 097574223X, eContent Management, 2005. Russell, Mike; Workplace Ethics & Business for Social Responsibility: Initiatives for corporate culture’s committed to ethical business practices, concern for the environment and global humanitarian causes (2008): Retrieved on 5th August 2009 from http://sandiego. jobing. com/blog_post. asp? post=8929.

Should College Athletes Get Paid?

The question of whether or not college athletes should get paid is of heated debate in todays times. While many believe that student athletes are entitled to income, It remains undougtibly a concern of moral interest to universities across the country. This paper is going to explain the pros and cons that come with allowing student athletes the right to receive a salary. Should college athletes be paid? Let’s take a quick glance at the pros and cons of each perspective. For starters, in my opinion, yes, college athletes should get paid. What deserves debate, is the conversation of how to get this done.From my experience, in America, you get paid in proportion to the value you bring to the marketplace. College sports is one, if not the only, place where this isn’t the case. it’s only a matter of time before players start getting more than â€Å"a free education. † There are plenty of cons that come with paying students to play sports. According to Title IX, a federally-mandated law, if conferences and schools decide to increase the value of student-athlete scholarships to cover living expenses, they have to do it for women’s programs as well.This means that schools would have to, for example, increase the value of womens volleyball and softball scholarships as well. Schools have to stay in-accordance with Title IX, otherwise they’re risking their federal funding. And you know they’re not trying to lose out on any money. Another argument as to why schools should not allow student athletes to get paid is the fact that small schools would be at a disadvantage. How would the smaller schools and conferences afford this? The bigger conferences make way more money than the smaller conferences through their huge tv deals.So unless the Big Ten’s, and SEC’s of the world agree to donate revenue to conferences that make afraction of what they make, (think MAC and Mountain West conferences), wouldn’t this create an even wider gap recruiting-wise between the powerhouse conferences and the smaller conferences? ask yourself; if you were to choose between playing football for a small school, and a big school that’s legally giving you $5,000 in living expenses, which would you choose? Most college athletic programs are already losing money, so how could they afford to all male and female athletic programs, to cover for the athlete’s living expenses?Another concern to paying student athletes is the question of whether to pay athletes of all sports? Let’s be real here; men’s football and basketball teams are usually the programs that make the most money for universities, so if football players and basketball players got paid, does that mean that the men’s lacrosse and baseball players would get paid too? Most schools would not have the findings to financially pay athletes of the fur major sports in the united states. Finally players are still going to take under the table money.In my opinion, increasing scholarship amounts to cover living expenses may keep some of the kids from accepting money, but it’s not going to keep them all from doing it. I don’t think kids getting an extra $5,000 or so from their Universities wouldn’t keep the agents, boosters, etc. , from offering them cash and benefits. But I must admit, it’s definitely a step that I believe would at least keep some of the kids from accepting benefits; those that only take the money because of their circumstances or lack of cash for living expenses.There are plenty of beliefs, which justify paying student athletes. Jim Tressel gets paid close to $1 million a year for trying to win as many football games as possible. His players, however, earn no salary for doing the same thing. Although college athletes do get rewarded with scholarship money, there is a debate around the country as to whether that amount is enough compensation for all the work req uired of student athletes each year. Several Ohio State coaches were recently asked if they thought college athletes should be paid a salary, and their responses varied. I believe there is a big difference between paper money and real money, and the scholarships these kids get are only paper money,† said basketball coach Jim O’Brien. â€Å"They need to have some real money to walk around with that they can live off of. † Student athletes are not allowed to work much under NCAA regulations, and those who are in favor of paying them often point to that rule as a reason college athletes need money. But that reason isn’t enough for all coaches to share O’Brien’s views toward paying student athletes.Wrestling coach Russ Hellickson answered the same question: Should student athletes be paid? He came up with a very different response. â€Å"No, but they should be able to get what, say, a Presidential Scholar gets,† he said in an e-mail. †Å"This should be an educational experience. † Presidential Scholars receive full in-state tuition, room and board, book allowances and miscellaneous expenses — a total that OSU media relations estimates to be $12,483 per year for in-state students. That is nearly $2,000 more than an in-state athlete receives, even if they are awarded a full scholarship.Most of that $2,000 falls under the category of miscellaneous expenses, something athletes do not receive money for. The extra scholarship money is to be used for â€Å"athletic tickets, book costs, bus passes; anything that students need for living,† said Amy Murray, OSU spokeswoman. Some coaches are in favor of keeping things exactly as they are, without raising scholarship levels. Softball coach Linda Kalafatis said she did not feel well versed enough in the topic to know an answer to the question for sure, but she weighed in with her opinion on whether or not college athletes should get more for what they do.So ftball coach Linda Kalafatis said she did not feel well versed enough in the topic to know an answer to the question for sure, but she weighed in with her opinion on whether or not college athletes should get more for what they do. â€Å"There are some good arguments out there for it, but I am against it,† she said. â€Å"The fact that our kids get scholarship opportunities and good exposure makes the experience good. One of the issues that may be a problem with paying college athletes is the difference in revenue that each sport brings in through television contracts and other sources.At OSU, football and basketball both bring in a large amount of money for the university every year, so some may argue that they deserve a percentage of that. But do football and basketball players deserve more than athletes who participate in non-revenue sports? Some coaches chose not to comment on the issue because it is a delicate subject. Those who did respond felt strongly towards equalit y. â€Å"If money is given, all tendered athletes should be the same,† Hellickson said. â€Å"This isn’t and shouldn’t be the pros. We have more class. Athletics Director Andy Geiger agreed, saying if a compensation plan ever went into effect, it would have to be equal for everybody. That’s the only way it works,† he said. â€Å"It would not work, for instance, if only football and basketball players were paid. † Title IX calls for scholarship equality in college athletics, so if pay ever was given to student athletes, all sports would probably receive the same amount. The plan that is the most likely to take place in the next few years is the one Geiger mentioned during his recent interview.I wouldn’t mind seeing a liberalization of the financial aid rules to allow athletic grants and aid to move closer to the cost of education,† he said. â€Å"As far as players actually getting salaries — no. † Staying away from salaries for college athletes was the consensus of all coaches who chose to comment on the issue. â€Å"I’m not in favor of salaries, but some sort of stipend would be beneficial,† O’Brien said. When asked how much of a stipend he would like to see, O’Brien said that was something he did not know the answer to yet.He said it would have to be discussed at great length before he reached a decision. Another topic that is worth considering when deciding whether or not to pay student athletes is the fact that not all university sports programs earn as much as OSU’s. Equality is the key factor in this issue as well. Should a college with high-revenue programs, like OSU, be able to pay more than smaller Division I colleges? Under Title IX, the answer has to be no. â€Å"Since athletic budgets around the country aren’t all in as good shape as ours, I don’t really know how realistic a plan this is,† Kalafatis said.O’Brien said he agreed. â€Å"When you start talking about every sport at every college across the country, that’s a lot of money. Every sport would need to receive the same amount, so right now this is not too realistic of an option. † Hellickson thinks differently about the realism of the plan. Unfortunately, it will probably be driven through in the next five years by those who believe athletics is more important than education, With the popularity of sports nowadays, leagues are making more money than ever before.The universities are raking in the dough from these humongous television contracts, and the coaches and everybody else are seeing their fair share. † he said. Everybody waits in line for their piece of the pie, yet, the ones who make the system work are the ones who don't even get to taste the crumbs that have fallen onto the table. In fact, while everyone is going up for seconds, the athletes don't even get invited to the dinner table. I think we can all agree tha t collegiate sports is no longer an amateur enterprise, and I am not going to argue that fact with you.We can save that for a different time and different day of the week. Like everything in life, paying collegiate athletes has its pros and cons, but it would certainly save the sport of college basketball if some type of payment plan was installed. College basketball is by far a smaller market than college football is. I would say that more than half of the people that fill out the March Madness brackets don't even pay attention to the season until the month of February rolls around. And there are certainly reasons for that.One is that the sport has to compete with college football and the NFL until late January, and another is that the sport is slowly but surely suffering a slow death. I can't tell you how many times I have watched the â€Å"Fab Five† documentary on ESPN. I have watched it more than Seinfeld reruns, not because of everything they did for the game or because it was a great piece to keep you occupied when you have two hours to kill, but because I am wondering when or if we will ever see a team like that again.That squad was put together during the 1991 season, and all five of those players played at least two seasons. Four of the five stayed till their junior years, while two of the Fab Five played out their entire years of eligibility in a Michigan uniform. Nowadays, teams do land several of the most talented players in the country, but they end up leaving after one season. Even if the player is still raw at the position, needs to add on weight or could use another year to tweak his game, he is still off to the next level the second he hears he is first-round material and is guaranteed an NBA contract.Having players stay for more than one year would help create greater teams, as those programs would be able to add to the current talent rather than just replacing it. When you think of the greatest teams in college basketball, you think o f teams that were likely formed before you were even born. That's because the NBA wasn't handing out ridiculously large sums of money to these athletes and making it such an easy choice to leave college. It would also help even out the recruiting process, giving some of these other teams a better shot at competing for a national championship.The players that are going to be one-and-done only want to play for the best of the best schools, so they choose Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina because it gives them the best chance to win a title in the one season they are on campus. Well, if players were being paid, it would certainly help create a little more of an even playing field. If that player was going to stay in school a little bit longer, why wouldn't he think about staying close to home or joining a school with a little less talent where he can become the star rather than joining a team already stacked with 5-star recruits?Wouldn't college basketball be a lot more inter esting if it had many of the same players every year rather than having to get to know an entire roster every season? You thought Kentucky was good last season? Imagine if Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins had decided to stay for another season and had been a part of that championship roster. There is a reason that teams such as Harvard, Wichita State and Murray State are making noise lately, and it has a lot to do with experience on the roster.

The Principal Rules of Evidence in Criminal and Civil Trials and Their Essay

The Principal Rules of Evidence in Criminal and Civil Trials and Their Legal Basis - Essay Example The development of the rules can trace its development back to the 16th century when the earliest juries could not even be said to be neutral triers of fact based upon their immediate knowledge of the dispute before the court. The law of evidence recognises two principal burdens that are the legal and evidential burden. The legal burden will put the responsibility on the party to prove a fact in issue. Whether a party has discharged the legal burden is something the tribunal of fact will decide and is also known as the persuasive burden and the burden of proof. The evidential burden is the obligation on a party to adduce sufficient evidence to raise a fact in issue and this is something that the judge will decide. A party bearing legal burden can also sometimes be bearing the evidential burden. The standard of proof is the degree of persuasiveness which is required of the evidence as adduced by a party in order to discharge a burden borne by them. The presumption of innocence in crim inal law denotes that, the prosecution will have to prove each element beyond a reasonable doubt. The general rule is that the prosecution which brings proceedings against a defendant will bear the legal and evidential burden. However, where the defence bears the legal burden in relation to a fact in issue in a criminal trial the standard of proof is the balance of probabilities. (R v Carr-Briant 1943 KB 607).However, where the prosecution or the defence bears the legal burden on an issue the evidential burden may be described as the obligation to adduce such evidence as would be sufficient to justify a possibility in a finding by the jury in their favour. According to the case of Batty v AG for Northern Ireland 1963 AC 386 HL where the defendant bears the evidential burden alone he must adduce such evidence as would if believed and left uncontradicted induce reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury.  

Countering the Anti-Israel Apartheid and the BDS Messages Essay

Countering the Anti-Israel Apartheid and the BDS Messages - Essay Example The anti-Israel apartheid and the DBS messages have spread to an extent that in America, there is the Israel apartheid week which is an international campaign which involves, calls for boycott of Israel in US campuses. According to the current anti-Israel apartheid policy, fighting campus hatred is a strategy that is applied to curb anti-Israel apartheid. However, according to the CEO of pro-Israeli organization, there is hostile environment toward Israel in 60-80 out of 4000 American universities (Benhorin, 2012). This is a considerably manageable figure with added communication efforts, the number could go down reasonably. In the current policy, demonstrations are another strategy that is channeled towards bringing to an end or at least reducing the spread of anti-Israel apartheid and the DBS messages. Peace demonstrations are most of the time mistaken for riots. This leads to defensive response from other members of the affected area, for instance, these demonstrations lead to des truction of property, hence provoking havoc from the victims. Propaganda is a dangerous calamity that if not controlled well can lead to a number of calamities. These include; various states may cut economic links with Israel, and this may lead Israel in a crisis of lacking a country to trade with, which may lead to economy deterioration in Israel. It may also lead to cut of diplomatic ties from other countries. This would limit Israel to depend on her educational materials since there would lack exchange programmes among schools in Israel and those in other countries. These and many others call for introduction of a new policy to fight the propaganda. Just to mention but a few loopholes in the current policy, there is dire need for a new policy that will help prevent rise in the de-legitimization in a more professional way. The new policy will address the issue in all dimensions; social, political and economic. Social in the sense that it will take into consideration the social eff ects of the strategies put in place on the social lives the Israelite as well as those of other people. The policy will take care of the economic factor in that it will be reasonably affordable to implement both financially and time wise. THE NEW POLICY This is a policy that will use communication efforts to help prevent the rising de-legitimization. This policy contains terms and strategies that when implemented will give positive and more effective results. The policy will make it clear that other than using political strategies to fight propaganda, communication can also be used to curb the fast spreading calamity. Using communication means will enable the message to reach more people than demonstrations and boycotts would. Since the challenge at hand is spreading at a very fast rate, an equally fast means is required to counter its immense spread. Therefore, the strategies in this policy are designed to suit the speed at which the propaganda is spread and manage to save the face of Israel in the eyes of the world (Burgoon, Berger, & Waldron, 2000). These strategies include; use of print media, use of electronic media, use of social media, use of small media, publicity in international forums, use of targeted scholarships and campaigns in institutions . Print media is a strong tool that can be used to control this fast spreading fire. Print media ranges from newspapers, magazine, newsletters, journals and books. Through these channels,

International and Comparative Human Resources Management Essay

International and Comparative Human Resources Management - Essay Example Choy (2007) suggests that the increasing role of multinational HR managers as trainers, counsellors, guides, and succession organizers is increasingly becoming irreversible. The role of HR managers is also sidling towards promoting and championing the ideals, ethics, concepts, and spiritual elements of their multinational organizations, especially with regard to handling cultural diversity at the workplace (Choy, 2007). HR managers for multinational companies grapple with numerous challenges in their line of duty, problems brought about by globalization (Mongiello, and Harris, 2006). These include; workplace diversity, low employee morale and productivity; and complicated planning options in certain markets. However, with an open and strategic approach to management, the managers can show effective leadership for their organization and manage the resources well (Choy, 2007). Globalization Globalization has tailored the significance of HR management in multinationals to reflect the to wering global scope and value (Escobar and Vredenburg 2011). Today’s HR managers have to deal with the transfer of workforces and responsibilities across countries. Additionally, globalization has enhanced the need for human resources to interact with sophisticated technologies in order to accomplish various HR tasks: these include; ensuring more competition among skilled employees at all organizational levels; more convoluted and strategic talent sourcing and nurturing pipelines (Jain, and Singh, 2013). In particular Darrag, Ahmed, and Hadia (2010) have noted the presence of a highly rigorous advertising, communication among various corporate fields and... This essay stresses that an effective HR manager of a multinational should apply controls and measure the outcomes of each employee’s productivity. Such a manager ought to carry out organizational appraisals on issues like remuneration, benefits, and condition of the workplace environment among other issues on a regular basis to evaluate the status of the organization for long-term planning initiatives. Additionally, there is need to implement performance matrix for gauging the effects of cultural diversity programs on the business operations through feedbacks. This report makes a conclusion that the mandate of a HR manager should be tailored to suit the changing requirements of the organization in relation to the dynamic global market. An effective HR manager transforms his organization into a more adaptable, strong, and consumer-oriented business. Within such an environment, the leader must learn and deploy effective management strategies such as being able to plan, organize, lead and manage the human assets in an evolving and competitive market environment. To manage the challenges that couple the enforcement of various HR initiatives in multinational corporations, organizations should promote cross-cultural communication among the diverse workforce to achieve teamwork. It is important to also embrace technology as a way of improving better interaction with customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.

Distinguish Knowledge from Opinion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Distinguish Knowledge from Opinion - Essay Example In Plato’s Meno, Socrates and Meno argue about what virtue is and whether it can be taught. What ensues is an exchange of ideas which lead Socrates to further prove his point – that virtue cannot be taught and is rather simply recalled. For Socrates, â€Å"the soul is immortal† and therefore â€Å"there is nothing which it has not learned.2 The soul therefore only has to draw out from its reservoir of knowledge all the truths that can be known. In order to prove this point, Socrates calls on a young servant boy of Meno’s and begins using the elenchus on him, hoping to draw out the truth from him without teaching him anything. Socrates begins his demonstration of the elenchus by drawing a 2 ft. x 2 ft. square on the ground. This square has an area of 4 square feet and Socrates then asks the boy how to come up with a square double this area, which is 8 square feet. Through a series of questions and answers using a trial-and-error method, Socrates and the __ ________________________ 1 Gladwell, p. 197. 2 Baggini & Fosl, p. 13. boy finally come to a conclusion that double the area of the given square is the square of its diagonal. Many times during the interrogation, Socrates points out to Meno that he is not teaching the boy and rather makes him remember the truth. ... For the French philosopher, the means of finding true knowledge is through skepticism, or the method of casting doubt on all arguments, principles and beliefs until any of these could be proven true. Descartes’ principle of â€Å"methodological doubt† begins when he notices that his senses sometimes deceive him.4 He then proceeds to wonder what is real and what is not. He thinks that everything that he can perceive through the senses may merely be opinion and not the truth for he can doubt the existence of these things. Moreover, the fact that he may be deceived by the senses also somehow makes him cast doubt on the goodness of God, for he wonders why a good God would allow him to be deceived. As this deceptive quality does not fit Descartes’ notion of a good God, he replaces God with an â€Å"evil genius† that possesses the power to deceive him completely.5 With such a powerful evil force, Descartes then begins to doubt everything else, even the verity of mathematics and geometry, and he asks himself, â€Å"What then will be true? __________________________ 3 Baggini & Fosl, p. 16. 4 Ibid., p. 50. 5 Ibid., p. 52. Perhaps just the single fact that nothing is certain.†6 Descartes, however, finally comes up with the conclusion that, despite the fact that the existence of everything can be doubted, he exists: â€Å"†¦there is no doubt that I exist, if [the evil genius] is deceiving me.†7 Descartes then takes it from here and he supposes that the fact that he is being deceived rests upon the fact that it is because he thinks so. With the premise that he as a thinking being now exists, Descartes is able to conclude that he as a thinking being can also doubt, understand, affirm, imagine, sense and perform many other functions related to thinking. Moreover, using

In depth analysis about article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In depth analysis about article - Essay Example But at the same time, author’s view on internationalization is also pertinent because it helps the nations to maintain their autonomy vis-a-vis their fiscal policies and economic welfare and equitable distribution of wealth for the wider welfare of their people. The article emphasizes that globalization promotes economic integration across the globe through free trade and liberalization. It has resulted in diminishing national boundaries and brought in influx of foreign trade, both in term of goods and human capital. Daly believes that it undermines the national interests of the individual nations. But it nevertheless greatly facilitates the development process in the developing and under developed countries which need to be exposed to the opportunities for improving their standard of living. The developing world has indeed gained through globalization! Daly also asserts that internationalization would be more relevant because it helps to maintain national identity but promote s international relation through trade, treaties, alliances and protocols etc. The author has unconsciously supported the process of globalization in his emphasis for internationalization! When trade and business alliances are encouraged across nations, inter-dependency of economic units become vital ingredients of the developing relationship.

Drug cartels and us involvement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Drug cartels and us involvement - Research Paper Example In addition, other significant activities of the Gulf cartel are present in Monterrey in Nuevo Leon and Morelia in Michoacan. Finally, there is the Tijuana cartel which is approximated to be spread in 15 states. It conducts most of its operations in Tijuana, Mexicali, Tecate, and Ensenada in Baja California and in parts of Sinaloa. In the past years alliances have been established by the major cartels. An alliance was formed between Tijuana cartel and the Gulf cartel as a result of prison negotiations made by the cartels leaders. Other cartels came together and established the federation alliance. This alliance is mainly under the leadership of the Sinaloa, Juarez, and Valencia cartels representatives. In most cases the cartels still remain independent even though they work jointly. The availability of the illegal drugs has also been on the rise in the United States. The expanding activity from drugs cartels in Mexico has contributed greatly to this condition. These cartels are the m ost drug trafficking threat to the United States (Stich, 123). The Mexican drug war is considered to be a continuous armed conflict among the drug cartels that are competing for regional control and the Mexican government forces that are battling to bring the drug trafficking to an end. Mexico as a country is popular for production and transit of drugs. It is considered to be the leading foreign supplier of marijuana and also top supplier of methamphetamine to the United States. Most cartels in Mexico have been in existence for a longer period but their power has become significant in recent years especially after Medellin and Cali cartel’s in Columbia came to an end. ... Even though Mexico produces a smaller percentage of heroin in the whole world, it is the leading supplier of heroin in the United States. Most cartels in Mexico have been in existence for a longer period but their power has become significant in recent years especially after Medellin and Cali cartel’s in Columbia came to an end. The cocaine traffic was moved to Mexico after the trafficking route in Florida was closed. This resulted in tremendous increase in the trafficking of cocaine by the Mexican cartels (Friesendorf, 130-132). The Mexican cartels have also grown marijuana in the United States, and are located in the federal land in California. Currently they are increasing their drug production to northwest in the pacific area and a small portion in the eastern side of the United States. All those involved in these different areas have joined together to form strong ties. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, the American illicit drug market has been dominated mostly by the drug cartels from Mexico. The center also reveals that the cartels have a transport network which is well established. This helps them in the transportation of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin to the various destinations. There has been continuous balanced power in the different cartels as others are introduced and the older ones are weakened. In most cases their system is disrupted when the key leaders are arrested or even killed. The top rival’s takes an advantage and tries to occupy the power vacuum and this in most cases results in bloodshed. Leadership vacuum in some cases is as a result of successful law enforcement against a specific

Investment in Libyan Oil Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment in Libyan Oil Industry - Case Study Example But owing to reforms being undertaken in the country and improvement in relations with other nations, opportunities are now being explored to take up investments in the country and take advantage of the emerging situation. Libya on its part appears to be making all the right moves. Colonel Qaddafi too has expressed his opinion in favour of reforms together with the vision of applied socialism and popular democracy. Multinational companies and foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are now being given encouraging signals to invest in the country. Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem, supported by Seif al-Islam, the son of Col Qaddafi has started the reforms process. The ban put on the imports of Libyan oil and some exports to Libya in 1982 by some nations has also been subsumed in the emerging scenario. Libya has the largest reserve of crude oil, but despite such a great wealth and a population of just about 6 Million the country could not progress much during all these years (The Economist, 2007). With the improvement in geo-political equations and a conducive atmosphere for investments, the oil sector seems to have become quite attractive in Libya. The main intention of the study is to develop a better understanding of the manner in which Libya has charted the reform course for itself in the past and the investment opportunities being presented to the world. The oil is sector is one which offers huge opportunities from a long term perspective. During the study an effort would be made to analyse the process of reform in Libya. In addition some of the major oil companies will also be analysed to explore how these companies are preparing themselves to take on the global players. In particular the study will try to seek answers to the following key objectives. To analyze the economic condition of Libya and how the sanctions have impacted the economic condition of the country. To study the oil industry of the country and the levels of competition amongst the oil companies. Determine the factors assisting the upward movement of Libyan economy in the rect past. To identify the behavioural patterns of some of the oil majors, investment bankers, etc. During the course of the study efforts would be made to evaluate how these investors respond to the introduction of economic reforms and how the oil industry in general is being affected by these reforms. Analyze some of the fast developing economies and compare their growth vis--vis the economy of a country like Libya. This will be an effort to point out some areas which require attention in order to open up the investments on a larger scale. Oil exploration is more of a technical field requiring skilled workers and managers. During the study an effort would be made to study the HR scenario in the country in general for taking up the challenge of increased activities in the fields of oil exploration etc. Scope of the Report Scope and context of this study will include; 1. Analysis of an overall picture of the Libyan economy and its oil industry particularly after the new regime has come into effect 2. Analysis of some of the major oil companies in Libya. 3. Growing curiosity about the Libyan market and the interest of many

Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics Essay Example for Free

Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics Essay Introduction: The Beginning of the â€Å"Continental Drift Theory† In the middle of the eighteenth century, James Hutton proposed a theory, uniformitarianism; â€Å"the present is the key to the past†. It held that processes such as geologic forces- gradual and catastrophic-occurring in the present were the same that operated in the past. (Matt Rosenberg, 2004) This theory coincides with the theory of Continental Drift that was first proposed by Abraham Ortelius in December 1596, who suggested that North, South America, Africa and Eurasia were once connected but had been torn apart by earthquakes and floods. He also discovered that the coasts of the eastern part of South America and the western coasts of Africa fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and this fit becomes especially prominent as the edges of the continental shelves have similar shapes and thus, appear to be once fitted together. (Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2) The similarity of southern continents’ geological formations had led Roberto Mantovani to speculate that all continents had once been a supercontinent and was smaller in its volume than it is now. Through volcanic activity, fissures are created in the crust causing this continent to break apart. However, this theory, known as the Expanding Earth Theory has since been proven incorrect. The Theory of Continental Drift In 1912, The Theory of Continental Drift was intensively developed by Alfred Wegener, who claimed that the world was made up of a single gigantic supercontinent named Pangea since the Permian period, 250 million years ago. It began forming at the beginning of the Carboniferous period, 365 million years ago, when Gondwana collided into Laurussia producing the Appalachian mountain belt in eastern North America and closing in Paleo-Tethys Ocean and modern landmass became exposed to air. Alexander Du Toit then suggested that 145-200 million years ago, in the middle Jurassic Period, Pangea started breaking up into two smaller supercontinents, Laurasia in the northern hemisphere and Gondwana in the southern hemisphere, with Tethys Sea and North Atlantic Ocean separating the two supercontinents. The late Jurassic era began the formation of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada mountains. In the Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago, the two supercontinents then began fragmenting into the present seven continents. (USGS, 2012) The Tethys Sea that lay between the two landmasses was subducted beneath Eurasia, forming the lower Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, it disappeared. (Nelson Thomas, 2007) (Figure 2) Wegener proposed that continents were moving at about one yard per century and supported this theory with several points of evidence. Evidence supporting the Theory of Continental Drift (Alfred Wegener and Du Toit) Alfred Wegener matched up coastlines, and he realized that by fitting the continental shelves together, cratons formed a contiguous pattern across the boundary of South America and Africa. (Lois Van Wagner, 2013) He realized that mountain ranges that ended at one coastline seemed to begin again on another such as ancient mountains in South Africa that align with the mountains in near Buenos Aires in Argentina. (Sant, Joseph, 2012) He discovered earthworms of the family Megascolecina, who are unlikely to be long-distance migrators, were found in soils of all the Gondwanaland continents. (kangarooistan, 2009) This identical species could not have arisen on different continents without some variations. (WiseGeek, 2010) Fossil remains of a prehistoric reptile known as the Mesosaurus had been uncovered on both sides of the South Atlantic coasts, yet the creature was unable to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. ( Lois Van Wagner, 2013) Fossils of the land reptile, Lystrosaurus were discovered in South America, Africa and Antarctica. (Sant, Joseph, 2012). He also discovered the fossil plant Glossopteris was distributed throughout India, South America, Southern Africa, Australia and Antarctica. (USGS, 2012)(Figure 3) Alexander Du Toit traveled to Brazil and Argentina where he found similarities in the fossils and rock strata to those found in South Africa such as the fossilized remains of Mesosaurus in fresh water deposits, dune deposits capped by basalt flows, tillite and coal beds. Similar layers of rock were formed in Antarctica, Australia, South America, Africa and India. (Figure 4) Widespread distribution of Permo-Carboniferous glacial sediments in South America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Antarctica and Australia and striations that indicated glacial flow away from the equator and towards the poles were discovered and supported the theory of Continental Drift which proposed that southern continents were once located over the South Pole region and covered by ice sheets. (Lois Van Wagner, 2013) (Figure 4) He also discovered a base layer of shale scratched by glaciers and covered by layers of tillite in South Africa, a continent of a tropical equatorial climate. Tillites and varves dating back to 2 billion years ago, were found in Canada and India, indicating glaciation on a worldwide scale. Such tillites were found on all major continents except Antarctica, which has been the most extensive glacial continent in earth’s history. (kangarooistan, 2009) Additionally, fossils of tropical plants in the form of coal deposits were found in Antarctica which implies that Antarctica had to be closer to the Equator. (USGS, 2012) This study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth is known as paleoclimatology. Sediments of rifting have proved the drifting apart of Pangea. The rifting that formed the South Atlantic Ocean began late in the Mesozoic Period when Africa and South America began to pull apart. Water from the south then flowed in over time, thus forming the evaporites now found along the coastlines there. (Lois Van Wagner, 2013)(Figure 5) However, Wegener believed that only the continents were moving and they plowed through the rocks of the ocean basins. (Colliers Encyclopedia, 1996) Harold Jeffreys then argued that it is impossible for continents to break through solid rock without breaking apart. (USGS, 2012) Wegener also claimed that the centrifugal force of the spinning planet had forced the continents sideways, parallel to the equator; tidal pull from the sun and moon had caused lateral movement. (Sant, Joseph, 2012) His orders of magnitude were too weak. Thus, his theory was dismissed. (Lois Van Wagner, 2013) Further development and support of the â€Å"Continental Drift Theory† in the 1960s After World War 2, the U.S. Office of Naval Research intensified efforts in ocean-floor mapping, leading to the discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to be part of a continous system of mid-oceanic ridges on all ocean floors, prompting Harry H. Hess to suggest the theory of sea-floor spreading. The oldest fossils found in ocean sediments were only 180 million years old and little sediment were accumulated on the ocean floor. Thus, he suggested that seafloors were no more than a few hundred million years old, significantly younger than continental land due to hot magma rising from volcanically active mid-oceanic ridges, spreading sideways, cooling on the seafloor’s surface due to cooler temperatures of the sea, solidifying to create new seafloor, thereby pushing the tectonic plates apart. (Edmond A. Mathez, 2000) The realization that the shape of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Atlantic Coast are strikingly similar substantiated the claim that the continents had been joined together at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (J. Tuzo Wilson, 1996) (Figure 6) The cause of the continental drift that Wegener was unable to explain had been further researched on by Arthur Holmes who claimed that the movement of continents was the result of convection currents driven by the thermal convection in the heat of the interior of the Earth, namely the mantle. The heat source of the mantle comes from radioactivity decay in the core. (Figure 7) At constructive plate boundaries, molten basalt flows out on either side of the ridge and cools with the iron particles in the basalt aligning with the earth’s magnetic field which reverses direction every few hundred thousand years. (Lois Van Wagner, 2013) Due to magma cooling, the polarity of rocks will be recorded at the time it was formed. (Figure 8.1) In 1950, researchers of paleomagnetism discovered that there were alternating regions of normal and reversed magnetic directions symmetrically disposed on both sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge –magnetic stripping. (J. Tuzo Wilson, 1996) Harry H. Hess’ theory was thus proven by the magnetic anomalies in the oceanic crust. (Nelson Thomas, 2007) (Figure 8.2) It was also discovered that the youngest rocks were closest to the mid-oceanic Ridge and the oldest rocks were near the coasts of the continents. When scientists began collecting magnetic data for North America and Europe, they discovered the north pole seemed to be moving about over time. (ALLA, 2009) However, when data from other continents was collected for the same time frames, it showed different polar locations, thus supporting that continents were moving about. The Theory of Plate Tectonics The theory of plate tectonics held that the Earth’s lithosphere, the Earth’s crust and the uppermost mantle, is broken into seven macro-plates and about twelve smaller ones, averaging 50 miles in width. (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 2007) Any plate may consist of both oceanic crust and continental crust. (Colliers Encyclopedia, 1996) (Figure 9) It suggests that the ocean floor began to spread at constructive plate boundaries, and continents, existing on â€Å"plates†, moved due to convection currents in the mantle and constant sea-floor spreading. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2011). They drag and move plates above them due to rising magma spreading out beneath the earth’s crust. As two oceanic plates move apart, magma from the underlying asthenosphere mantle wells up from oceanic ridges and becomes rigid enough to join the lithosphere of the plates on either side of the plate boundary, creating new seafloor and eventually, an oc ean is opened up. (J. Tuzo Wilson, 1996) (Figure 10) Examples are the Atlantic Ocean formed between South America and Africa. New rock is created by volcanism at mid-oceanic ridges and returned to the Earth’s mantle at oceanic trenches where the denser plate is subducted under the other, forcing the earth’s crust back into the mantle. (J. Tuzo Wilson, 1996) This process is known as the ridge push and slab-pull. (Figure 11) Different plate tectonics movement and subsequent tectonic activities Transform plate movement causing earthquakes: Seismic waves disrupting the continents in the form of earthquakes are due to the great amount of stress and energy built up by the friction of the moving plates, especially during transform plate movement, where plates slide past each other in a grinding, shearing manner and form tear faults (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2011). (Figure 12.1) There is gradual bending of rocks before the ductile limit of rocks is exceeded, causing the plates to lock and the fault to break, leading to sudden release of stored energy, causing earthquakes. (Nelson Thomas, 2007 ) An example is the strike-slip fault, San Andreas Fault in California. (Figure 12.2) (WiseGeek, 2010) Oceanic and Oceanic convergent plate movement: Other evidence of plate tectonics movement are most of the world’s active volcanoes located along or near the boundaries between shifting plates known as plate-boundary volcanoes. (J. Tuzo Wilson, 1996) When two oceanic plates collided, the denser plate will subduct under the other, forming a deep oceanic trench and form magma through hydration or decompression melting. The magma being less dense than the surrounding mantle, rises and escapes to the sea-floor through cracks in the earth’s crust, forming submarine volcanoes that rise above water to form a chain of volcanic islands known as island arcs, such as the Japan Islands. (Figure 13) Examples would be the Pacific Plate subducting underneath the North American Plate creating the Kuril Trench and the Japan Trench that can be found along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Many volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens, Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Pinatubo in the Phillipines are located along the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean Basin where boundaries of several plates such as the Nazca and the Cocos Plate are found, forming the Ring of Fire. (Fraser Cain, 2009) (Figure 14) Volcanoes formed not due to tectonic activities: 5 per cent of the world’s volcanoes are formed at isolated â€Å"hot spots† and many intra-plate volcanoes form roughly linear chains along the middle of oceanic plates. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2011)Examples are the Yellowstone National park and Hawaiian Islands, an intra-plate volcanic chain developed by the Pacific plate passing over a deep, stationary â€Å"hot spot†, located 60 km beneath the present-day position of the Island of Hawaii. Heat from this hotspot produced a constant source of basaltic magma by partly melting the overriding Pacific Plate. This magma rises through the mantle to erupt onto the seafloor, forming an active seamount. Over time, countless eruptions caused the seamount to grow until it finally emerges above sea level to form island volcanoes. The continuing plate movement eventually carries the island volcano away from the hotspot, cutting it off from the â€Å"hot spot† and creating another island volcano. This cycle is repeated, forming the Hawaiian Islands. (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, 2007) (Figure 15) Continental and Continental convergent plate movement: Continental fold mountain ranges are evidence of two continental plates that are thick and buoyant thus, preventing both plates from subducting. Instead, the two plates collide into each other forming fold mountain ranges in a process known as orogenesis. An example is the high elevation of the Tibetan plateau, fringed to the south by the Himalayas as the edges of the Indian and Eurasia plate buckle, uplift, fold and deform. Mt. Everest is the highest summit on Earth, yet Yellowband limestone that was originally part of the shallow seals of the Tethys Ocean was found on Mount Everest at a height of 8462m. (Figure 16) Oceanic and Continental convergent plate movement: Mountains are formed when oceanic crust is subducted under a continental crust, resulting in melting of rock, thus volcanic activity and causing the continental crust to deform, rise and buckle upwards under compressional forces. Examples are the Andes Mountain, the Chile-Peru Trench and the uplift of the Rockies and Appalachians in the past. (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2007) The Table Mountains was formed approximately 250 million years ago, due to the Pacific plate subducting under the North American plate, (Mary Ann Resendes, 2012) thus creating the Sierra Nevada foothills, subsequently creating the Cape of Good Hope as the ocean erodes the soft sandstone of Table Mountains on the coast. (National Geographic, 1996) Other tectonic activities such as the Wadati-Benioff zones, that are earthquake zones parallel to oceanic trenches are also formed at such subduction zones and inclined from 40 to 60 degrees from the horizontal, extending several hundred kilometres into the mantle. (Figure 17) Continental and Continental divergent plate movement: When two continental crusts are pulled apart due to tensional forces, the area sinks and forms a rift valley and sea such as the East African Rift Valley and the Red Sea that runs from the Jordan Valley and into East Africa, already dotted with volcanoes such as Hermon. This is due to the area being stretched, causing the crustal material to thin, weaken and sink due to lowered density. (Figure 18) Isostasy Also, isostasy takes place wherever a large amount of weight such as the fold mountain ranges created from plate tectonics movements is formed or glaciers, pushes down the Earth’s crust and creates a small dent. Isostasy also takes place at divergent plate boundaries when a large amount of weight is removed from an area, causing that portion of the Earth’s crust to rise. Therefore, equilibrium in the earth’s crust is achieved such that forces elevating landmasses balances those tending to depress landmasses. (Learning Network, 1998) (Figure 19)

Charles Dickenss Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickenss Great Expectations Essay Charles Dickenss Great Expectations is the coming-of-age story of Philip Pirrip, better known as Pip. The story presents the development and growth of Pip as he becomes an adult. During the novel, the characters seem to have trouble communicating with each other. Because of the characters interest in only themselves, especially Pip, messages, some important and some not, are delayed or not received at all. According to G. K. Chesterton (1911/1996) in his article The Characters in Great Expectations, despite the novels title, expectations were never realized. This statement could be interpreted as expectations were never realized because of the communication problems between the characters. The characters never seem to express what they want to tell one another. Messages are misinterpreted, and some messages are never heard. For example, Pip had loved Estella from the first time he met her. Toward the end of the novel, he finally told her so, but she did not reciprocate his love for her. She replied instead that she never misled him into thinking she felt the same way about him that he did for her. As a result, Pip was heartbroken (Dickens, 1861/1998). Pip only believed what he wanted to believe, and saw what he wanted to see. This was evident when he dismissed her cold-hearted personality. She tried to tell him that she did not love him, but he would not listen. Pip turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to Estella until he was ready to profess his love for her. Perhaps he was hopeful that, one day, she would love him as much as he loved her. Pip refused to see that Estella did not love him; he instead chose to look at the world through rose-colored glasses. This was not the only time in the novel when Pip had trouble communicating with another character. Early in the story, Pip is reunited with Magwitch. Pip wanted Magwitch to know that he did not turn Magwitch in to the police. However, Magwitch is seemingly not interested in what Pip has to convey. Instead, Magwitch gives Pip a look that Pip cannot quite understand (Dickens, 1861/1998). Magwitch does not seem at all interested in Pips explanation. It was evident to Pip that Magwitch did not comprehend the message Pip was trying to get across to him. Many of the characters have facades (Harris, 2000). This could be a cause of the communication problem. For instance, Pip, when he became a gentleman, began to act how he though a gentleman should act. This led Pip to alienate Joe. Toward the middle of the story, Joe visited Pip in London. Although the visit was awkward, Joe wanted to tell Pip about what was happening back home. Joe was going to tell Pip that Wopsle became an actor. However, Pip did not listen. Instead, he was only interested in hearing that Estella wanted to see him. After Joe told him that Estelle did want to see him, Pip became friendlier and was then open to hearing what Joe had to say. Unfortunately, Joe ended their visit before Pip had a chance to change his behavior (Dickens, 1861/1998). Had Pip not been interested only in himself, Joe would have been able to tell Pip about Wopsle. Because Joe felt alienated, Pip never heard the news about Wopsle. Perhaps if Pip had stopped thinking about his own, selfish needs for a few minutes, he would have been able to hear the news from Joe. On the road to adulthood, there are many times when miscommunication occurs. At the beginning of the story, Pip was an orphaned boy trying to find his way. On his path to adulthood, he was misled. Paul Pickrel (1960/1999), editor of the Yale Review, likened Pips journey to adulthood to a fairy tale, with Joe and Jaggers as Pips guides, and Magwitch as the terrible ogre. Magwitch led Pip to try to become a gentleman; Magwitch was the benefactor for one of Pips â€Å"great expectations. † While Pip was thinking he was being a gentleman, he alienated Joe, one of his guides to adulthood. This alienation led to the miscommunication when Joe went to visit Pip in London. The reader follows Pip on his journey to adulthood from an innocent little boy to a man educated by experience. He is a fantasist; he thinks he can have the best of both worlds (Pickrel, 1960/1999). Pip isolates himself, and in the process becomes a terrible snob. He cut himself off from the people he loved, the people who loved him. At the end of the story, Pip returned to the forge. He was then informed that his sister has died and Joe married Biddy. Had he not been sucked into the myth of his own life, Pip could have married Biddy. Pips life could have turned out much differently had he kept the lines of communication open with Joe. Miscommunication happens along the way, but Pip learned from those experiences, and he became a better man for it. Chesterton, G. K. (1911/1996). The Characters in Great Expectations. In Harold Bloom (ed. ), Charles Dickenss Great Expectations. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers. 34. Dickens, Charles. (1861/1998). Great Expectations. New York: Barnes Noble Books. 43, 216-217, 345. Harris, Robert. (2000). Notes for Great Expectations. Retrieved June 10, 2009, from Virtual Salt. http://www. virtualsalt. com/lit/greatexp. htm Pickrel, Paul. (1960/1999). Pips Personal Journey to Adulthood. In Lawrence Kappel (ed. ),

Properties of Poly(B-amino Ester)s

Properties of Poly(B-amino Ester)s The poly(b-amino ester)s, a class of biodegradable cationic polymers, were firstly  prepared by Chiellini in 198340. These polymers were based on poly(amidoamine)s  developed in 1970 by Ferruti41, that contain tertiary amines in their backbones and  can be synthesized by a simple Michael addition reaction of bifunctional amines  and bisacrylamides. However, the interest over the use of poly(b-amino ester)s rised  significantly after its use as transfection reagent at Langer Lab in 200042. The development  of poly(b-amino ester)s emerged by the need to develop a cationic polymer  for gene delivery with high transfection efficiency and long-term biocompatibility  including hydrolyzable moieties easily degradable into non-toxic small molecule  byproducts. The synthesis of this polymer can easily be accomplished: without  necessity of independent preparation of specialized monomers; the use of stoichiometric  amounts of expensive coupling reagents, or amine protecti on strategies prior  to polymerization42. The main general objective of the work of mentioned research  group was to develop a polymer-based non-viral vector more efficient and less cytotoxic  than other cationic polymers used at that time for this purpose (such as,  polyethylenimine (PEI) or poly(L-lysine) (PLL)). In fact, poly(b-amino ester) approach exhibited a particularly attractive basis for  the development of new polymer-based transfection vectors for several reasons: the  polymers contain the required amines (positive charges to complex genetic material);  readily degradable linkages (by hydrolysis of ester bonds in the polymer backbones  may increase the biodegradability and biocompatibility); and multiple analogues  could be synthesized directly from compounds commercially available (easy and inexpensive  synthesis) allowing to tune polymer properties (like buffering capacity)42. Besides being used as transfection vector, PbAEs has been also applied in others  biomedical areas, such as delivery systems for drugs43;44 or proteins45;46, magnetic  resonance imaging agents47;48, or as scaffold for tissue engineering49;50. Synthesis and main physicochemical properties of poly(b-amino ester)s The poly(b-amino ester)s are easily synthesized by the conjugate addition of a primary  amine or bis(secondary amine) and a diacrylate, in a one-step reaction without  any side product that need be removed through further purification steps. It can be  prepared without solvents, catalysts, or complex protecting group strategies42;51. Depending on the ratio of monomers during the synthesis, poly(b-amino ester)s  can be tailored to have either amine- or diacrylate-terminated chains. An excess of  either diacrylate or amine monomer results in a prevalence of acrylate- or amineterminated  poly(b-amino ester)s, respectively52;53. The synthesis is performed either neat (solvent free) or in anhydrous organic  solvents to mitigate hydrolytic degradation during synthesis42;54. Normally, experiments  using solvents occur at lower temperature and over long periods of time  compared to solvent-free formulations. Table 1.3 summarizes the main reactions for  the synthesis of PbAE and the obtained properties such as molecular weight, polydispersity  index (à ), solvent solubility or yield. The most common solvents used are dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), chloroform  (CHCl3), or dichloromethane (CH2Cl2)57. However, others solvents have also been  used, such as methanol, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or N,N-dimethylacetamide  (DMA)59;61–63. The solvent used has influence on the final molecular weight of the  PbAE. For example, the use of CH2Cl2 typically yields higher molecular weight  polymer compared to THF42. On the other hand, solvent-free polymerizations maximize monomer concentrations,  thus favoring the intermolecular addition over intramolecular cyclization reaction64. The absence of solvent also allows rising temperature resulting in a higher  reaction rate and a lower viscosity of the reacting mixture, assisting to compensate  the higher viscosity found on the solvent-free systems. The combination between  increased monomer concentration and reaction temperature resulting in a reduction  in the reaction time64. The solvent-free reactions also allows the generation of higher  molecular weight polymers, besides increasing the reaction rate and obviating the  solvent removal step53;64. After polymerization, PbAE can be precipitated, normally in cold diethyl ether,  hexane42, ether65 or ethyl ether58 and/or then dried under vacuum57;65. Frequently, PbAEs are immediately used or stored in the cold conditions (4 _C52;66;67, 0 _C62, or  -20 _C68–70). Some PbAEs should be also kept airproof due to its strong moisture  absorption ability and easy degradation71. Concerning to the biodegradation and biocompatibility, PbAEs have been shown  generally to possess low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility42;52;61;55;72. Different  studies have suggested that PbAEs are significantly less toxic than currently available  cationic polymers, such as, PEI and PLL51;64. Nevertheless, the increase of the  number of carbons in the backbone or side chain is associated to the increase of the  cytotoxicity73. PbAE degrade under physiological conditions via hydrolysis of their  backbone ester bonds to yield small molecular weight b-amino acids biologically  inert derivatives42;51;55;74. Some results revealed that the degradation rate of poly(b  amino ester)s was highly dependent on the hydrophilicity of the polymer, i.e., the  more hydrophilic the polymer is, the faster the degradation occurs75;76. In Table 1.4 are summarized the main characteristic of PbAEs which make them  a promising polymeric non-viral vector for gene delivery. Combinatorial libraries a fast and efficient way to evaluate different poly(bamino ester)s A fast and efficient way to study the relationships between structure and function  in particular material that could be prepared with different reagents is using combinatorial  libraries. Due to promising preliminar results of PbAEs as non-viral vectors,  Langer research group reported a parallel approach for the synthesis of hundreds of  PbAEs with different structures and the application of these libraries to a rapid and  high throughput identification of new transfection reagents and structure-function trends. For this purpose, major contributions have been reported52;53;57;66;67;72;75;77;78  not only exploring the possible structure/function relationships, but also imposing  an assortment of monomers (amines were denoted by numbers and acrylates by latin  alphabet letters) used in order to facilitate cataloging of different PbAEs (Table 1.5  and Tables A.1 and A.2 (Appendix A)). The first initial library screening was synthesized in 2001 by Lynn51. 140 Different  PbAEs from 7 diacrylates and 20 amines were prepared with molecular weights  between 2,000 and 50,000 g.mol-1. From this, polymers C93 (Mw = 3180 g.mol-1) and  G28 (Mw = 9170 g.mol-1) revealing transfection levels 4-8 times higher than control  experiments employing PEI. At same time, it was observed that for transfection efficiency,  high molecular weight was not an important parameter. This work was then  completed in 2003 by Akinc57, where biophysical properties and the ability of each  polymer/DNA complex to overcome important cellular barriers to gene deliver were investigated. As previous experiments, complexes formed from polymers C93 and  G28, revealed higher levels of internalization compared to †naked† DNA, displaying  18- and 32-fold more internalization, respectively. In contrast, the majority of the  polyplexes were found to be uptake-limited. Regarding d iameter and zeta potential,  out of 10 polymer/DNA complexes with the highest internalization rates, all  had diameters lower than 250 nm and 9 had positive zeta potentials. By measuring  the pH environment of delivered DNA through fluorescence-based flow cytometry  protocol using plasmid DNA covalently labeled with fluorescein (pH sensitive) and  Cy5 (pH insensitive) it was possible to investigate the lysosomal trafficking of the  polyplexes. The results demonstrated that complexes based on polymers C93 and  G28 were found to have near neutral pH measurements, indicating that they were  able to avoid acidic lysosomal trafficking. In the same year, Akinc64 studied the  effect of polymer molecular weight, polymer chain end-group, and polymer/DNA  ratios on in vitro gene delivery. For this purpose, 12 different structures were synthesized  based only in two different PbAE (C28 prepared from 1,4-butanediol diacrylate  and 1-aminobutanol and E28 prepared from 1,6 -hexanediol diacrylate and  1-aminobutanol) (Figure 1.6.) These structures were synthesized by varying amine/diacrylate stoichiometric ratios, resulting in PbAEs with either acrylate or amine end-groups and with molecular  weights ranging from 3,350 to 18,000 g.mol-1. Polymers were then tested, using high  throughput methods, at nine different polymer/DNA ratios between 10/1 (w/w)  and 150/1 (w/w). Concerning terminal groups, it was found that amino-terminated  polymers transfected cells more effectively than acrylate-terminated polymers. In  contrast, none of the acrylate terminated PbAEs mediated appreciable levels of  transfection activity under any of the assessed conditions. These findings suggest that end-chains of PbAE have crucial importance in transfection activity. Concerning  molecular weight effect, highest levels of transfection occurred using the higher  molecular weight samples of both amine-terminated C28 (Mw _13100 g.mol-1 and  E28 (Mw _13400 g.mol-1). Regarding the optimal polymer/DNA ratios for these   polymers, it was observed a markedly difference, 150/1 (w/w) for C28 and 30/1 for  E28. These results highlighted the importance of polymer molecular weight, polymer/DNA ratio, and the chain end-groups in gene transfection activity. Moreover, it  has found the fact that two similar polymer structures, differing only by two carbons  in the repeating unit, have different optimal transfection parameters emphasizing  the usefulness of library screening to perform these optimizations for each unique  polymer structure. Meanwhile, in 2003, Anderson52 described, for the first time,  a high-throughput and semi-automated methodology using fluid-handling systems  for the synthesis and screening of a library of PbAEs to be used as gene carrier. A crucial feature of these methods was that all process of synthesis, storage, and  cell-based assays were performed without removing solvent (DMSO). By using these  methods, it was possible to synthesize a library of 2350 structurally unique, degradable  and cationic polymers in a single day and then test those as transfection reagent  at a rate of _1000 per day. Among PbAEs tested, it was identified 46 polymers  that transfect in COS-7 as good as or better than PEI. The common characteristic  among them was the use of a hydrophobic diacrylate monomer. Moreover, in the  hit structures mono- or dialcohol side groups and linear, bis(secondary amines) are  over represented. From data obtained from this library, Anderson67, in 2004, continued  his study developing a new polymer library of >500 PbAE using monomers  that led higher transfection efficiency in the previous studies and optimizing their  polymerization conditions. The top performing polyplexes were asses sed by using  an in vitro high-throughput transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity assays at different N/P ratios. As previously observed, the most promising polymers are based on  hydrophobic acrylates and amines with alcohol groups. Among those, C32 stood  out due to higher transfection activity with no associated cytotoxicity. The efficiency  to deliver DNA was evaluated in mice after intra-tumoral (i.t.) and intra-muscular  (i.m.) injection. The results revealed important differences. While by i.t injection  C32 delivered DNA 4-fold better than jetPEI R , a commercial polymeric non-viral  vector, by i.m. administration transfection was rarely observed. C32 was then assessed  for DNA construct encoding the DT-A (DT-A DNA) deliver to cells in culture  and to xenografts derived from androgen-sensitive human prostate adenocarcinoma  cells (LNCaP). Results showed that DT-A DNA was successfully delivered and the  protein expressed in tumor cells in culture. In hu man xenografts, the growth was  suppressed in 40% of treated tumors. The fact of C32 is non-toxic and it is able to  transfect efficiently tumors locally and transfects healthy muscle poorly turned it as  a promising carrier for the local treatment of cancer. From here, a panoply of results based in PbAE combinatorial library appeared. In  2005, Anderson53, prepared a new library of 486 second-generation PbAE based on  polymers with 70 different primary structures and with different molecular weights. These 70 polymers were synthesized using monomers previously identified as common  to effective gene delivery polymers. This library was then characterized by  molecular weight of polymers, particle size, surface charge, optimal polymer/DNA  ratio and transfection efficiency in COS-7 of polymer/DNA complexes. Results  showed that from 70 polymers with primary structures, 20 possess transfection activities  as good as or better than Lipofectamine R 2000, one of the most effective commercially  available lipid reagents. Results also revealed that, in general, the most  effective polymers/DNA complexes had In 2006, Green79, synthesized, on a larger scale and at a range of molecular  weights, the top 486 of 2350 PbAEs previously assessed52 and studied their ability to  deliver DNA. These PbAEs were tested, firstly, on the basis of transfection efficacy in  COS-7 cells in serum-free conditions, and then, the 11 of the best-performing PbAEs  structures were further analyzed. The transfection conditions were optimized in human  umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the presence of serum. In this  study, the influence of the factors like polymer structure and molecular weight, and  biophysical properties of the polyplexes (such as, particle size, zeta potential, and  particle stability throughout time) were studied. The results showed that many of  the polyplexes formed have identical biophysical properties in the presence of buffer,  but, when in the presence of serum proteins their biophysical properties changed differentially,  influencing the transfection ac tivity. Concerning to the size, the results  showed that in spite of all vectors condensed DNA into small particles below 150 nm  in buffer, only a few, such as C32, JJ32 and E28, formed small (_200 nm) and stable  particles in serum. C32, JJ32 and E28 revealed also high transfection activity both  in the absence of serum in COS-7 cell line as in the presence of serum in HUVEC  cell line. Moreover, C32 transfected HUVECs in the presence of serum significantly  higher than jetPEI R and Lipofectamine R 2000, the two top commercially available  transfection reagents. The 3 mentioned PbAEs share a nearly identical structure. The acrylate monomers of these polymers, C, JJ, and E, differ by only their carbon  chain lengths (4, 5, and 6 carbons, respectively). Similarly, amines 20, 28, and 32  differ also by only the length of their carbon chain (3, 4, and 5 carbons, respectively). For example, polymers prepared with the same acrylate monomer (C) in which itwas increased the length of the carbons chain of the amine monomer resulted in  an increased transfection efficacy (C32 (5 carbons) > C28 (4 carbons) > C20 (3 carbons))  of these polymers-based polyplexes. Interestingly, this study reinforced C32  as the lead PbAE vector and revealed other potential two, JJ28 and E28, which previously  showedto be poor vectors. On the other hand, C28 and U28, previously  recognized as an efficient transfection reagent, were found to transfect inefficiently  HUVEC in serum. By constructing a new library of end-modified PbAE, the research  was continued78 in order to understand the structure-function relationship  of terminal modification of PbAE in transfection activity. For this purpose, it was  used twelve different amine capping reagents to end-modify C32, D60 and C20. The  choice of these 3 PbAEs was based in their transfection activity: C32, the most effective; D60, an effective transfection reagent with a significantly different structure  from that of C32; and, C20, a poor transfection reagent but with similar structure  to C32 differing only in the length of the amine monomer. The results showed  that some PbAEs-based vectors (C32-103 and C32-117) were able to deliver DNA by  approximately two orders of magnitude higher than unmodified C32, PEI (25,000  g.mol-1) or Lipofectamine R2000, and, at levels comparable to adenovirus at a reasonably  high level of infectivity (multiplicity of infection = 100). Once again, it was  demonstrated that small structural changes influence greatly gene delivery, from biophysical  properties (such as, DNA binding affinity, particle size, intracellular DNA  uptake) until final protein expression. From these 3 polymers assessed, C20 was the  one who transfected cells much less effectively, although it has seen a remarkably  improvement with end-modifications. As expected, C 32-based polyplexes, based on  C32-103 and C32-117, revealed the higher transfection efficiency enhancing cellular  DNA uptake up to five-fold compared to unmodified C32. Interestingly, and in a  general way, terminal modifications of C32 with primary alkyl diamines were more  effective than those with PEG spacers, revealing that a degree of hydrophobicity at  the chain ends is an added value for these polymers. Another interesting fact in terminal  modification of C32 was that at least a three carbon spacer between terminal  amines is necessary to obtain an efficient gene delivery. For example, results showed  that C32-103 transfection efficiency is 130- and 300-fold higher than C32-102 on the  COS-7 and HepG2 cell lines, respectively. As the molecular weight was the same,  this result demonstrated the critical role of the chain ends in transfection activity. In order to better understand the role of the chain ends in transfection efficiency  a new library of end-modified C32 was synthesized by Zugates80 in 2007 using 37  different amine molecules to end-modify the PbAE. In a general way, it was observed  that polymers end-capped with hydrophilic amine end groups containing  hydroxyls or additional amines led to higher transfection efficiency. On the other  hand, terminal-modifications with hydrophobic amines containing alkyl chains or  aromatic rings proved to be much less effective. Concerning to cytotoxicity, terminal  modification with primary monoamine reagents (independently of functional group  extending from the amine, such as aromatic, alkyl, hydroxyl, secondary and tertiary

Recreational Center for the Handicapped :: essays research papers

The Janet Pomeroy Center â€Å"The Recreational Center for the Handicapped† Descriptions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Janet Pomeroy Center†, also known as â€Å"The Recreational Center for the Handicapped† has been serving the residents of the San Francisco community for over 50 years. Founded by Janet Pomeroy on November 18, 1952 it has enriched the lives of over 17,000 individuals. It is a multi service center conveniently located off of Skyline Boulevard, over looking Lake Merced and directly behind the San Francisco Zoo. With a wide range of services offered, â€Å"The Janet Pomeroy Center† strives to provide recreation and vocational opportunities for the mentally and physically challenged, so as to create and instill independence, personal achievement, and a means for self expression for the disabled population. Having a variety in age from the youth to the elderly, RCH’s clients also have a wide range in the levels of physical and mental disability. They range from being mildly to severely mentally challenged. There are clients who can easily communicate verbally and others who rely on other methods to express themselves. These individuals also range in their physical disabilities. Some are in need of a wheelchair, where as others are able to easily get around. There are clients who violently have seizures, as well as those whose seizures are generally mild. â€Å"The Recreational Center for the Handicapped† is unique in the fact that it also provides services to those who have had a head trauma. In collaboration with St. Mary’s Hospital and the Department of Mental Health, RCH has started SF TBI NET, which stands for â€Å"San Francisco Traumatic Brain Injury Network.† Imagine the tremendous impact it must be living one moment able-bodied, then the next moment, disabled. Imagine the impact an event like this would have on your loved ones. The individuals who benefit from the program were once able-bodied like us, but because of a brain injury, they now need help relearning their motor skills and being able to function in daily life. SF TBI NET also recognizes the strain a traumatic event like this can have on the entire family and provides help and relief to its members. Rather than focusing on their weakness, the staff focuses on their client’s strengths. Through the different recreational activities and services this multi service center provides, the interests and talents these individuals have are further nurtured. For example, having access to art supplies and instruction is a great benefit to those clients who are interested in further developing their art skills.

Responsibilities of the Human Resources Department :: Human Resources Essays

It is the responsibility of the human resources department to ensure that the organisation recruits the correct staff and that the staffs are trained to ensure that the business meets its aims and annual targets. Our function is absolutely central to the success of the business. Sometimes in human resources there has to be disciplinary for staff and termination of contracts. What is important is that all staff members are treated fairly and in line with company policy. The Human Resources Department are responsible for four main functions: Ø Human Resources Planning Ø Recruitment and Selection Ø Training and Development Ø Performance Management. (Needham and Dransfield, 2000) Human resources planning- is a critical part of any manager's job. To guarantee a fully staffed business of productive employees, managers must take the time to plan how their organisation should be structured, establish the grade level and types of employees needed to meet the organisation's aims, regard the employees' developmental requirements, and take into account probable changes due to workload shifts. (www.web.lmi.org/acqbook/planning/, 2003) To avoid staff losses a plan should be presented in advance for long-term absences due to training or medical needs and the time needed to fill important positions. Although it is difficult to anticipate specific losses, overall patterns can be recognized. The manager should consider typical patterns of separation, such as retirements and turnover, in their workforce planning. (www.web.lmi.org/acqbook/planning/, 2003) Effective workforce planning will help predict the human resource needs of the organisation, including long and short-term skills recruitment needs, training and development needs, restructuring, outsourcing, and diversity opportunities. (www.web.lmi.org/acqbook/planning/, 2003) Recruitment and Selection- is the ongoing process of marketing, locating, and attracting high-quality candidates to meet current and anticipated employment needs. Recruiting is everyone's responsibility, including employees, managers, supervisors, and personnel specialists. A formal recruitment program requires the full support of both personnel and functional managers. Regardless of the type of position to be filled, every recruitment