On different cultures and traditions Essay

From the selection of poems based on different cultures and traditions, compare and contrast any TWO that you find particularly interesting or enjoyable. (you must choose poems by different poets) ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ by Moniza Alvi, and ‘Search for my tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt, are two poems which I have selected from the selection of poems based on different cultures and traditions. I have selected these poems, because both poems are about one person who is recalling their homeland using objects and thoughts to explain, how much they overlook their homeland, including culture. Both poets have expressed their feelings deeply about their cultures and traditions, using things that they miss and want. For example, Moniza Alvi, in ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ uses clothes, jewellery, presents, etc†¦ to express who she is. Where as, Sujata Bhatt, in, ‘Search for my tongue’, uses her mother tongue, Gujarati, of how much she misses her homeland. Also, both cultures are quite alike, so it is very easy and understandable, for me, the reader, to read. In, the poem written by Moniza Alvi, she has used many words, which are said, exactly the same in Gujarati, and sometimes English. This shows the similarities in cultures. Here are some examples from the poem: * ‘They sent me a salwar kameez’ * ‘My aunts chose an apple-green sari’ As Moniza Alvi wrote her complete poem in English, together with the Indian words written as English. Sujata Bhatt wrote half in English and half in Gujarati, but under each line there was a translation in English of how to read it for people who cannot read Gujarati. So, what both poets are trying to state is that, it does not matter if you are not in your own country, even if you are absent from your homeland, your culture will always stay with you, no matter what. Even though the two poems are similar in most ways, these poems differ from each other in some ways. Firstly, Moniza Alvi’s poem, ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ is based on a young girl, who feels as if she is the odd one out, as she is living in England, but wears and acts as if she was in Pakistan. However in Sujata Bhatt’s poem, ‘Search for my tongue’, she is saying how she thought, by living in a different country, than her homeland, she would forget all mother tongue and everything about her culture. A further variation, between the two poems, is that one poem is written all in English, where as the other is written half in English and half in Gujarati. Also, the poet Moniza Alvi has set out her poem in different stanzas, and sometimes she has started the beginning of a line half way through, away from the margin. Another thing is that, she carries sentences into the next lines. While Sujata Bhatt, just wrote her poem in one long stanza. All of her lines were short and simple, and each line was linked to the next, in some way, or another. Finally, another difference is that, the first poet used objects to help the reader understand the poem; where as poet two used her mother tongue, Gujarati. The poet called Moniza Alvi wrote ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’. ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ is about a young girl who receives all types of presents, from her aunts in Pakistan. Most of these presents are things that are only, mostly worn in Pakistan. After receiving these gifts, she feels that she is very different from everyone else surrounding her, like friends from school. This is cause she dresses differently to others. This makes her feel kind of uncomfortable, because, even though she really likes these presents from her aunts, she sometimes feels, that she would like to look the same as the rest of her mates. Moniza Alvi’s poem is mainly showing her feelings to us by using the presents given to her, as examples. ‘ I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn’t rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila.’ ‘My salwar kameez didn’t impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes.’ Above were two examples, which showed part of her feelings. In these two stanzas, it shows how she really felt, and what she actually wished for, or wanted. Moniza Alvi has set this poem, ‘Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ in England, because it is a perfect example of a foreign country, for Pakistan to be compared to. Also, the setting of a poem is very important, as it is the main scene of the poem. Another thing is that, as the poem is set in England, it helps me, the reader to understand what is happening. I also think that England was a terrific idea to set the setting, because in England there are many different types of people, which have come from other countries. This poem shows an example of a normal muslim family, which live in an area which they very familiar with, but like to carry on living as they would in Pakistan. I felt, after reading this poem a couple of times, that there is not one particular mood set to this poem, but there is a mixture of moods. I found that, in some cases Moniza Alvi was showing a sense of sadness, in the atmosphere, but tried to make herself feel happy, by changing the subject slightly. Where as in some cases she showed a lot of happiness and pleasure in the atmosphere. An example of her sadness changing, slightly into happiness is, ‘ Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood. Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan-‘ At first, when I was reading this poem, I felt that she was so happy, but as I got nearly half way through the poem, I felt that this happiness was now changing into sadness, and, this is where her true feelings started to come out. ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ is the type of poem which, when reading it, has to be read in different tones of voice. I thought that this poem went from being very settle, to, something, which was quite serious, to a child no a days. ‘Search for tongue’, written by Sujata Bhatt, is about a young lady who thinks, that, by living in a different country she will forget all her homeland, cultures and traditions. Especially her mother tongue, Gujarati. In this poem she is saying that, she thought that each person had a different tongue, for each different language they speak. And that she thought she had lost her tongue forever. But one night, she says that her language comes back to her in her sleep. Sujata Bhatt explains, in Gujarati, how your language is like a flower, which just blooms in your mouth, naturally. The main theme of this poem, I think, is that no matter where you live, your traditions and cultures, especially mother tongue, will stay with you. ‘Search for my tongue’ is similar to ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’. The two poems are connected mainly by religion. The following point about the two poems is probably half a similarity, and half a difference, from my point of view. Firstly, Moniza Alvi has written her poem in English, but for the gujarati words, she has written them, so that the word is said in gujarati, but read in English, where as Sujata Bhatt has actually written part of her stanza in gujarati, but to help the reader read the gujarati, she has, underneath written the word in English, so it is written in English, but said in gujarati. The tone of this poem is sort of the opposite of the first poem, as ‘Search for my tongue’ is like a question, answer poem, as she asks a question, through her poem, but does not actually want you to answer it. Below is an example of my question, answer theory, from the poem, ‘I ask you, what would you do if you had two tongues in your mouth,’ ‘Search for my tongue’ is set in Sujata Bhatt’s dream. This is where she is explaining how; she thinks everything has come back to her, through a dream. Also, the mood of this poem is quite different to the first as, this entire poem is filled with enjoyment, and happiness, where as the first poem was a happy feeling poem, hidden with sadness. From these points mentioned, there are many differences between the two. To begin with, one poem was set in their dreams, as the other was set in England. Secondly, the first poem was all about a young child feeling really upset, and different, where as the second poem is about a young lady, thinking she has lost an important part of her, but has it all along. ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ was written in first person. As the poem was written in first person, it made me, the reader to understand the poem, quite easily. Because if the same poem was written in second or third person, it would be very difficult for the reader to understand it. It would also become very confusing, where as, this way everything is short and simple. In the first poem, Moniza Alvi has used many adjectives to describe all the gifts she has received. This helps, me, the reader to picture the image in my mind. From doing this, it helps give a better understanding of what the poet is talking about. Below are a few examples of, Moniza Alvi describing her clothes, which she received.

Ir and Globalization

Ir and globalization CONENT: Introduction Body 1. What is Globalization and how it is related with the International Relations; 2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Globalization; 3. Effectiveness of the Globalization Conclusion NTRODUCTION In my work I talk about the Globalization and its relation with the Globalization where I dwelled upon the Globalization. In the second part I did survey and focused on the advantages and disadvantages of globalization as the statistics show. After hammering out the two factors I wrote about de facto effectiveness of the Globalization and at the end I stated my estimation and conclusion.International Relation and Globalization As more nations, people, and cultures adapt to the ever changing international community, diplomats, politicians, and representatives must meet and deal with accordingly to the needs and wants of nations. Diplomacy can be exerted in many forms; through peace talks, written constitutions, field experiences, etc. Culture is a familiar term and remains unchanged by definition. However, globalization and international relations have constantly altered culture both positively and negatively.Globalization increases worldwide technology, and the readability of fast, effective communication and consumption of popular products. Globalization links cultures and international relations on a variety of levels; economics, politically, socially, etc. International relations have used globalization to reach its goal: of understanding cultures. International relations focus on how countries, people and organizations interact and globalization is making a profound effect on International relations. Understanding culture, globalization, and international relations is critical for the future of not nly governments, people, and businesses, but for the survival of the human race. In today’s increasingly interdependent and turbulent world, many of the leading issues in the news concern international affairs. Whethe r it is the continuing impact of globalization, Globalization – the process of continuing integration of the countries in the world – is strongly underway in all parts of the globe. It is a complex interconnection between capitalism and democracy, which involves positive and negative features, that both empowers and disempowers individuals and groups.From the other hand Globalization is a popular term used by governments, business, academic and a range of diverse non-governmental organizations. It also, however, signifies a new paradigm within world politics and economic relations. While national governments for many years dictated the international political and economic scene, international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization have now become significant role players. In this â€Å"Global Village† national governments have lost some of their importance and perhaps their powers in favour of these maj or international organizations.As a process of interaction and integration among people, companies and governments of different nations Globalization is a process driven by the International Trade and Investment and aided by Information technology. This process on the environment on culture, on political system, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Globalization has a range of advantages while it has also disadvantages. The Advantages include GDP Increase; statistics shows that GDP in developing countries has increased twice as much as before.Unemployment is reduced. Education has increased. Competition on Even Platform: The Companies all around the world are competing on a single global platform which allows better options o consumers. It increased fee trade between nations; The Corporations have greater flexibility to operate across borders. Global mass media ties the w orld together. Increased flow of communications allows vital information to be shared between individuals and corporations around the world. It increases in environmental protection in developed nations. Spread of democratic ideas to developed nations. Reduced cultural barriers ncreases in the global village effect. The Disadvantages are considered to be Uneven Distribution of Wealth, Income Gap Between Developed and Developing Countries, where the wealthof developed countries continues to grow twice as much as the developing world. Next disadvantage is Different Wage Standards for Developing Countries, which is explained by the following fat that the technology worker may get more value for his work in a developed country than a worker in a developing country thus there are in the later many dynamic, industrious and enterprising people who are well educated and ready to work with rigor.The reveal of Globalization is also considered as a disadvantage which is explaining by future fa ctors such as war that can be demand the reveal of the globalization and current process of globalization may just be impossible to reverse. There is also another aspect of disadvantage of globalization in media sphere. The threat that control of world media by a handful of corporations will limit cultural expression. And the final in my estimation is the chance of reactions for globalization being violent in an attempt to preserve cultural heritage.Effects of Globalization With the roster of the mentioned disadvantages and advantages Globalization culminates also effective facts. The following are considered the Effects of Globalization; * enhancement in the information flow between geographically remote locations * the global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital * there is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies * worldwide production markets emerge free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits * global envi ronmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions * more trans border data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones, etc. * international criminal courts and international justice movements are launched * the standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase * corporate, national and sub-national borrowers have a better access to external finance * worldwide financial markets emerge multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation * international travel and tourism increases * worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held * enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture * local consumer products are exported to other countries * immigration between countries increases cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place * there is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture * free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs * due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced * subsidies for local businesses decrease * capital controls reduce or vanquish * there is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions, i. e. , patents authorized by one country are recognized in another CONCLUSIONIn conclusion I would like to state m estimation that despite all the formidable obstacles and stumbling blocks the effectiveness of the Globalization and cohesive efforts of people and the government will help to stand a positive stead prevail over the disadvantages. It will fortify to prevent migration which is inherent in third-world and back water countries and reduce social inequality which in its turn will benefit the advantages of the Globalization. A ll these mentioned facts are time-consuming and labour-intensive process but it will distinctly fortify and develop the Globalization. Ir and Globalization Ir and globalization CONENT: Introduction Body 1. What is Globalization and how it is related with the International Relations; 2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Globalization; 3. Effectiveness of the Globalization Conclusion NTRODUCTION In my work I talk about the Globalization and its relation with the Globalization where I dwelled upon the Globalization. In the second part I did survey and focused on the advantages and disadvantages of globalization as the statistics show. After hammering out the two factors I wrote about de facto effectiveness of the Globalization and at the end I stated my estimation and conclusion.International Relation and Globalization As more nations, people, and cultures adapt to the ever changing international community, diplomats, politicians, and representatives must meet and deal with accordingly to the needs and wants of nations. Diplomacy can be exerted in many forms; through peace talks, written constitutions, field experiences, etc. Culture is a familiar term and remains unchanged by definition. However, globalization and international relations have constantly altered culture both positively and negatively.Globalization increases worldwide technology, and the readability of fast, effective communication and consumption of popular products. Globalization links cultures and international relations on a variety of levels; economics, politically, socially, etc. International relations have used globalization to reach its goal: of understanding cultures. International relations focus on how countries, people and organizations interact and globalization is making a profound effect on International relations. Understanding culture, globalization, and international relations is critical for the future of not nly governments, people, and businesses, but for the survival of the human race. In today’s increasingly interdependent and turbulent world, many of the leading issues in the news concern international affairs. Whethe r it is the continuing impact of globalization, Globalization – the process of continuing integration of the countries in the world – is strongly underway in all parts of the globe. It is a complex interconnection between capitalism and democracy, which involves positive and negative features, that both empowers and disempowers individuals and groups.From the other hand Globalization is a popular term used by governments, business, academic and a range of diverse non-governmental organizations. It also, however, signifies a new paradigm within world politics and economic relations. While national governments for many years dictated the international political and economic scene, international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization have now become significant role players. In this â€Å"Global Village† national governments have lost some of their importance and perhaps their powers in favour of these maj or international organizations.As a process of interaction and integration among people, companies and governments of different nations Globalization is a process driven by the International Trade and Investment and aided by Information technology. This process on the environment on culture, on political system, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Globalization has a range of advantages while it has also disadvantages. The Advantages include GDP Increase; statistics shows that GDP in developing countries has increased twice as much as before.Unemployment is reduced. Education has increased. Competition on Even Platform: The Companies all around the world are competing on a single global platform which allows better options o consumers. It increased fee trade between nations; The Corporations have greater flexibility to operate across borders. Global mass media ties the w orld together. Increased flow of communications allows vital information to be shared between individuals and corporations around the world. It increases in environmental protection in developed nations. Spread of democratic ideas to developed nations. Reduced cultural barriers ncreases in the global village effect. The Disadvantages are considered to be Uneven Distribution of Wealth, Income Gap Between Developed and Developing Countries, where the wealthof developed countries continues to grow twice as much as the developing world. Next disadvantage is Different Wage Standards for Developing Countries, which is explained by the following fat that the technology worker may get more value for his work in a developed country than a worker in a developing country thus there are in the later many dynamic, industrious and enterprising people who are well educated and ready to work with rigor.The reveal of Globalization is also considered as a disadvantage which is explaining by future fa ctors such as war that can be demand the reveal of the globalization and current process of globalization may just be impossible to reverse. There is also another aspect of disadvantage of globalization in media sphere. The threat that control of world media by a handful of corporations will limit cultural expression. And the final in my estimation is the chance of reactions for globalization being violent in an attempt to preserve cultural heritage.Effects of Globalization With the roster of the mentioned disadvantages and advantages Globalization culminates also effective facts. The following are considered the Effects of Globalization; * enhancement in the information flow between geographically remote locations * the global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital * there is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies * worldwide production markets emerge free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits * global envi ronmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions * more trans border data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones, etc. * international criminal courts and international justice movements are launched * the standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase * corporate, national and sub-national borrowers have a better access to external finance * worldwide financial markets emerge multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation * international travel and tourism increases * worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held * enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture * local consumer products are exported to other countries * immigration between countries increases cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place * there is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture * free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs * due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced * subsidies for local businesses decrease * capital controls reduce or vanquish * there is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions, i. e. , patents authorized by one country are recognized in another CONCLUSIONIn conclusion I would like to state m estimation that despite all the formidable obstacles and stumbling blocks the effectiveness of the Globalization and cohesive efforts of people and the government will help to stand a positive stead prevail over the disadvantages. It will fortify to prevent migration which is inherent in third-world and back water countries and reduce social inequality which in its turn will benefit the advantages of the Globalization. A ll these mentioned facts are time-consuming and labour-intensive process but it will distinctly fortify and develop the Globalization.

Investment Opportunity Essay

What is the interest rate or coupon rate?   The stockbroker has already given us the answer to this and it is already very appealing. What is the bond price? The stated bond price refers to the cost of purchase or investment in the bond issue. This part of the question should also include elaboration of the yield to maturity period.   The referred yield to maturity of a bond is the expected rate of return until the bond matures. What is the bonds credit quality, its rating and is it insured? The credit rating of a bond is an initial indicator of the views of the market place considering the position of the issuer’s ability to repay interest and principle on a timely basis. It is very convenient to be aware of the type of bond you want to invest in, that is, an investment grade bond or high yield If the bond is insured, there is guarantee that the investors will be indemnified for their principal amount and interest should the Yubetchyu state default. Investors are also privileged to purchase insurance on purchases of secondary market bonds. What is the tax status? Different types of bonds have different tax status. Interest income from the United States for example is exempted from state and also local taxes. The stock broker should expound on whether the Yubetchyu state is likely to drop state and local income taxes. What is the tax break worth? There should be the ample consideration of the tax break worth. This is mostly determined by the state you are in and your income tax bracket. It is therefore advisable to consult from financial professionals before investing in areas carrying out tax implications. What is the actual yield after my broker has taken his commission and fees? Calculations of the total yield should be done with relevance to deductions. It is calculated as follows:   Annual Interest à · Price = Yield, this however does not reflect fees charged on the brokers commission or the overall transaction. This is rather calculated as a percentage of the sales. What is the transaction type of the bond? Before purchasing a bond, it is important to know whether the bond is being offered for the first time or not. New issue bonds are more likely to prove difficult to invest in since the competition is against institutions and professional investors. Finally how credible is my advisor? Is he a registered one and if so, how long has he been working in the field of investing in bonds for clients. By asking these questions, you determine what kind of investment advisor you are associating with.

Risk assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk assessment - Essay Example All the above risks posses a challenge of exposure to risks of loss hence uncertainty and instilled fear in major economic, social and political pillars of the society (Adams,pp 23). Risk assessment on the other hand involves a systematic method of looking at or identifying work and field activities activities, considering all alternatives in relation to what could go wrong in is certainly likely to occur, and deciding on suitable control measures to prevent loss or help to avoid such losses, damage or related injuries in the workplace or work environments. Risk assessment is also the careful examination of the diverse and numerous factors that can bring about these risks. The Assessment should include the controls required to eliminate, reduce, and attach to cause or minimize the risks (Adams,pp111). REASONS FOR RISK ASSESSMENT Therefore, the need for risk assessment can never be underestimated given that it is the process that will always lead individuals into risk management activ ities. Risk Assessments are a critical requirement and necessity for most human and businesses organizations (Wisher,pp 155-9). If you don’t know, or appreciate where the risks are, you are placing yourself as an individual, your employees if any, your customers and your organization or business in danger and all the stakeholders that surround your operations. Therefore to an individual doing business risk assessment is a must thing to ensure minimization of risks and risk related activities, this leads to profit and wealth maximization hence successful business operations. Legal environment and systems surrounding businesses given their countries of operation also forces employers and owners of ventures or businesses must always look into all work involvements that are likely to cause harm in order to decide whether they are doing enough to meet their legal obligations so as to avoid legal risk which result into financial losses as payments are made due to court orders. In b usiness its always reasonably practicable for employers to meet the legal minimum requirement of operations as laid down by the law requirements of the land or state. The main aim of this should always be to assist reduce the risks as much as is 'reasonably practicable' (Gleason,pp275-7 ). Risk assessment is also meant to help reduce the costs of operating business. This is because when stringent risk control measures are put in place, there would be less payments for insurance premiums hence reduced insurance costs. Risk assessment also contributes to social well being of the societal members. This because with the psychological feeling of reduced risk comes the peace of mind and this puts in place a peaceful and healthy growing society. PROCEDURE OR PROCESS OF RISK ASSESSMENT Normally, there are no hard or fastened rules as to how risk assessment should be conducted due to the sole reason that each and every organization is unique and very much different from each other. This diff erence is on the diversified ways in which most organizations and businesses operate, the kinds of businesses in which they are involved which are also not the same and also the laws that govern each and every business (Luhmann,pp236).

Collaborative learning in the virtual Workplace Article

Collaborative learning in the virtual Workplace - Article Example As a learning facilitator my goal and therefore ultimate expectation is for students to collaboratively get the course content and concepts. I will therefore expect the design of an online learning program to facilitate participant engagement, concentration and lively participation. The technology should allow me a facilitator and to monitor and track every individual student’s activity respond to their learning concerns and therefore meet their expectations. The program should therefore encourage me as the facilitator to pull more are as opposed to pushing as this is the only way to gauge whether the learners are progressing (Brindly and Walti, 2009). My other expectation of an online learning program is the technology should be user friendly and offer a platform for groups to build social networks in that the entire experience is anchored on experimentation with ideas that assist the organisation. The program should also create an enabling environment for continuous improvement by spreading the events over time. The program should also put into considerations the unique situations such as differences in time zones, work schedules and availability so that no learner is left behind. Virtual instructor-led trainings will define the future of learning and therefore the goal should to identify technologies that enable improved collaboration and interactive

Homework 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Homework 4 - Essay Example The US supports the Jewish Israelites against the Christian Palestinians who do not believe in Jesus and Muslims as they support the expulsion of the all Israel citizens living in Palestine. The Americans have embraced the perverted interpretation of Christianity that ignores the humane message of Jesus Christ which is the same view held by the non-Christians in Palestine. The mainline Christians in Palestine usually question about the legitimacy of the Jewish faith while some evangelical Christians back Israelites hence the reason why the US is against the Christians. The Palestine-Israel conflict for the US economy and diplomacy has huge consequences on the economy and security of the US. The passionate attachment that US have with Palestine has produced numerous evils in their country (Green 120). The conflict between the two countries has highly jeopardized the security in the US and that the conflict is responsible for the economic, moral and social

Analysis of Research Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Research Articles - Essay Example The use of likert scale response questions makes it easier for the respondents to answer the questions in addition to improving the questionnaire response rate (Crotty 1998). The researcher employed the use of questionnaire in this study in that, respondents respond according to their own opinions and are not controlled as in interviews and observations. The researcher had the questionnaire tested for reliability and validity. According to Greenfield (2002), for any research findings to gain the required scientific rigor, the research tool should be test-retested through a pilot study or through an expert’s forum to harmonize issues. This practice is done to ensure that the results from the tool can be generalized to fit the whole population. However, in terms of sampling, the researcher failed in that, different companies’ employees should have participated in the study to ensure non-biasness and rigidity in the generalization of the survey findings. Further, the researcher should have allowed the staff members to make an informed decision on whether to participate or not according to Denzin’s (1997) arguments. This practice is highly recommended in research ethics as it protects the participant from coercion and ensures justice of the participants. Another important aspect left out in the methodology is the fact that the participants had to be informed that the data collected from them was to be used confidentially and for the sole purpose of the study. This would ensure tangible, valid and reliable data is collected since if assured of confidentiality, then they may be biased to avoid victimization by the company. Further, a lesser sample would have been more economical in terms of time and resource requirements (Kaplan 2004). In this case, an un-biased sample would have resulted into the same kind of results as a complete count. Further, the sample should have had the same or nearly the same number of males as females. In the

PTC PROPOSAL Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PTC - Thesis Proposal Example As compared to males, the study that was presented by Bartoshuk, Duffy and Miller (1994) strongly suggest that there is a higher taste sensitivity for PTC/PROP among the females. In line with this, Fareed, Shah and Hussain (2012) made a confirmation that there are literally more female PTC tasters as compared to male. Women in general can be classified as taster or non-taster of PTC. Specifically the main purpose of this laboratory proposal is to analyse the PTC threshold of my female classmates. As such, this study aims to answer the question as to whether or not ethnic or racial considerations could somehow affect the ability of women to taste PTC. Likewise, it will also answer whether or not PTC concentration affects the tasters’ and non-tasters’ ability to taste PTC. In other words, the proposed laboratory test will seek to address the following research hypothesis: The laboratory test is composed of two rounds. The first round will require each participant to taste each of the six (6) tasting solution at a lower concentration. The second round will require each participant to taste each of the six (6) tasting solution at a higher concentration. Regardless of age, a total of 20 female students will be invited to participate in the laboratory tests. To learn more about the health status of each participant, each one of them will be requested to check their history of illnesses (i.e. diabetes, COPD, sinusitis, etc.). Prior to test, each of the research participants will be instructed not to smoke, eat, or drink for at least an hour (Hong et al., 2005). In relation to age and ethnic or race, the PTC taster status, taste threshold, and taste recognition threshold will be measured in each participant. As such, participants who are able to recognize the bitterness of PTC solution at a concentration of < 1.80 x 10-4 M will be classified as PTC tasters (Hong et al., 2005). Prior to tasting each sample, each participant will be

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed Essay

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of the mexican war and the Kansas-Nebraska act - Essay Example The Kansas-Nebraska act also pushed the country into civil war and divided the nation into two factions. The act also gave rise to a new Republican Party arguing abolishment of slavery. The arguments of Republicans against slavery were based on morality. Republicans treated everyone equally and considered freedom the most basic right. Lincoln said in his famous Lincoln-Douglas Debate â€Å"I agree with Judge Douglas he is not my equal in many respects—certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral or intellectual endowment. But in the right to eat the bread, without the leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man† (Lincoln). It is important to note that those who opposed slavery were not in favor of total social equality between people of all races. However they believed that blacks were also humans and they should be treated with respect. Lincoln was actually afraid that popular sentiment would be in favor of slavery and then it would be impossible to demolish the institution of slavery from America for ever. The moral arguments of Republicans were not ideal but still they provided room for some sort of acceptance of blacks. They were saying that blacks were not equal but this does not mean that their freedom should be taken away. Social equality was not argued but practicality and humanity was made basis for abolishment of slavery. The famous poet James Russell Lowell called those people slaves who did not dare to speak for the weak (344). He was a poet who was strongly against slavery and his poems reflected his passion towards abolishment of slavery. He considered slavery immoral and devoted his poetry against it. Wilmot Proviso can be seen as an attempt to curb the spread of slavery and mitigate differences between pro and anti slavery politicians. It was presented by a Democrat David Wilmot and the

U.S. HISTORY (What did the Gilded-Age city offer to newcomers) Essay

U.S. HISTORY (What did the Gilded-Age city offer to newcomers) - Essay Example Specifically, in the realm of industry, people who were moving to the cities in search for employment were able to see the greatest growth in technology, development of politics and economic systems. One of the greatest strengths of America, even to modern day, has been in American ingenuity in the research and development of technology. Especially after the Civil War and after reconstruction, many new technologies and ways of creating goods were revolutionizing the American way of life as well as the goods and services that were being provided. Industrialization was especially important as the second industrial revolution took place. During this time, the greatest growth was seen in the steel and coal industries. This allowed the creation of new jobs, although this did not always mean that the pay and safety concerns were adequately met. In addition, electrical production was becoming more of a common day occurrence. There was also experimentation in chemical refining such as the production of newer and better metallic alloys which were being used in the construction of buildings and in other applications. Not only was the second industrial revolution an impact on the United St ates, but it was also having a major impact in other parts of the world such as in Europe. It can be extrapolated that without the increased industrial and technological growth that occurred in the Gilded Age that the United States and the other Allies would not have been able to fight as efficiently during World War I. Especially after the Civil War and Reconstruction, the face and development of politics had radically changed. Corruption was growing as quickly as the monopolies of the steel and railroad tycoons. These larger cities were dominated by political machines in which politicians would be backed by special interest groups who were funding their campaign and office. This was also

Cognitive Biases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cognitive Biases - Essay Example Cognitive bias affects objectivity, perceptions, relationships, and organizational learning in a multitude of positive and negative ways. Cognitive biases affect the quality of decision making by making the decisions compliant to the biases and instincts which may or may not be true. "The way an organization chooses and obtains from its environment the inputs it needs to produce goods and services determines how much value the organization creates at the input stage" (Jones, 2008, p. 3). The negative effect of cognitive biases can be removed by constantly reminding and discussing the mission and vision of the organization with the organizational personnel. Open dialogue, easy and effective channels of communication, and more interaction is the solution of any misperceptions and the cognitive biases that can develop in an organizational set up. The responsibility of keeping everybody on the same board rests primarily with the top management and leadership of an

Coursework †Metamorphosis Essay Example for Free

Coursework – Metamorphosis Essay Gregor must work at a job he hates to pay off his family’s debts. The family is in debt, but he is the only one who has a job. While he wakes up early and goes on the train until late at night, his father has a leisurely life. Kafka writes, â€Å"for his father breakfast was the most important meal time in the day, which he prolonged for hours by reading various newspapers. † Instead of working, he is eating and reading newspapers for many hours. At this time, Gregor must work to support the whole family. Later, he finds out that the family has enough money to live on for a few years and maybe Gregor did not have to work so hard. Kafka writes, â€Å"with this excess money, he could have paid off more of his father’s debt to his employer and the day on which he could be rid of this position would have been a lot closer. † He is like a servant, and this is not natural for a family member. Changing into the insect is symbolic of being liberated from this life. Since he is now a bug and cannot work, he does not have to be responsible for paying off the family’s debt anymore. Instead, the family has to be responsible. Therefore, the metamorphosis is also symbolic of the family being liberated because they do not depend on Gregor anymore. They depend on themselves for support. After the change, the mother and sister must do the cooking and the family must all get jobs. Once that happens, the family quickly decides that they do not want or need Gregor anymore. They are independent and decide that Gregor is not an important part of the family. Question 2: If the story was set in contemporary America and Gregor was working two jobs, the plot would change in many ways. If he is working two jobs, it is probably because they are barely able to pay the debts. The family would already be working, they would not get new jobs so easily, and there would be no servant girl or lodgers. If Gregor had two jobs, the other family would probably be working too. This would change the plot significantly. If all the family is working, Gregor would not be the only one responsible for the debts. After the metamorphosis, the family would not have enough money. If they are already working and Gregor loses two jobs, the family would be more in debt every day. Also, in the story, the family starts working soon after Gregor is changed to an insect. However, today it is not so simple to get a job like in the story. If the family has to get new jobs, it would take a long time and their debts would be higher. In addition, there would not have been a servant in the story. Kafka writes, â€Å"The servant girl was now let go. A huge bony cleaning woman with white hair flying all over her head came in the morning and evening to do the heaviest work. The mother took care of everything else in addition to her considerable sewing work. † If Gregor was working two jobs, the family would not have a servant girl or cleaning woman. They would not have enough money and the family would do this work themselves. Also, the family gets rent from three lodgers. Today, lodgers are not so common so the family would be forced to find other ways to get money. The story does not say if the rent is a lot of money, but one of the family would have to get another job to replace the rent. Question 3: I researched â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and found two very good resources: 1. The Modern World. 16 Mar. 2007 http://www. themodernword. com/kafka/index. html. This website is a collection of information about Franz Kafka and â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † It has a biography, review of the story, and a collection of other resources like papers, research, and websites. 2. Bloom, Harold, ed. Franz Kafkas the Metamorphosis. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. This is a book with many essays about â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † I read â€Å"Metamorphosis of the Metaphor† by Stanley Corngold and â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafkas Metamorphosis† by Walter H. Sokel. In â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafkas Metamorphosis,† Walter H. Sokel writes Gregor turns into an insect because he has self-contempt. Sokel writes, â€Å"Seeing himself as vermin, and being treated as such by his business and family, the traveling salesman Gregor Samsa literally turns into vermin† (105). I agree with the author when he says vermin represents the way Gregor is treated, but I do not agree that Gregor sees himself this way. Gregor does not like his job, but must go to work to â€Å"pay off my parents’ debt† to his boss. His family uses him because he can make money and pay off the debts. His boss uses him because he can make money for the company. Kafka writes about Gregor, â€Å"He was the boss’s minion, without backbone or intelligence. † He cannot even miss work if he is sick. He certainly is treated like vermin by his family and boss. However, I do not see that Gregor thinks he is vermin until after he turns into an insect. He seems to be proud that he supports his family.

On First Looking Into Chapmans Homer

On First Looking Into Chapmans Homer John Keats On First Looking into Chapmans Homer is a sonnet in which he writes of the impact of reading Chapmans translation of Homer. Reading Chapmans Homer did more than spark Keats intellect. Chapmans Homer caused a massive explosion in Keats mind which allowed him to write as John Middleton Murray says one of the finest sonnets in the English language (Murray). In this paper I will show that Keats writes the poem On First Looking into Chapmans Homer after he had an epiphany as a result of reading Chapmans translation of Homer. George Chapman was an English poet, dramatist, and translator during the Renaissance. He is most remembered as the poet who translated the works of Homer. He was born in Hitchin around 1559. Chapman died in poverty in 1634, but left a wealthy estate of writing for all to inherit. John Keats, born in 1795, was an English Poet. He published three books of poetry. Keats lost both parents at a very young age. Keats was not born into aristocracy, he was not rich, and therefore was not very well educated. Most critics did not consider Keats to be credible poet. Because he was poor he could not marry the woman he loved and only achieved fame after his death in 1821. Andrew Motion of the Richmond Review writes: The story of John Keats is one of the best known lives in literary history. His working class origins, poor critical reception and tragically early death constitute a perfect blueprint for a popular archetype of the Romantic Poet (Motion). The poem On Looking into Chapmans Homer was written after Keats and his friend Charles Cowden Clarke was given a copy of Chapmans Homer. Michael R. Richards states: Keatss sonnet is a criticism in miniature, a capsulated criticism very much in tune with almost all the Romantic critics (Richards). Evidently, Keats used the poem as a vehicle to reveal the hidden treasure of literary wealth regarding Homer and his literary works that was not mimed by Pope. Keats uses the Italian (Sonnet) or Petrarchan form of the sonnet to structure his poem. The octet, which is the first eight lines of the poem, carries an abba abba rhyme scheme. The next six lines of the poem, the sestet, have a rhyme scheme of cdcdcd. As expected, line 9 of the poem introduces a change in the poem, formally known as a Volta, commonly called a turn. In the octet, Keats speaks of travels he experienced vicariously through his reading. Keats vivid imagination allows him to enter into the pages of the books and the words were as sparks causing his intellect to catch fire. In concert with the theme of Petrarchan sonnets, Keats uses the octet to introduce the problem when he writes: Oft of one wide expanse had I been told / That deep-browd Homer ruled as his demesne / Yet did I never breathe its pure serene / Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold. (5-8) First, it is fitting to look at the words used in the poem. Keats uses language that depicts expansive travel, major discovery, and an enriching sense of satisfaction. Using words like much, states, kingdoms, many, and islands, he successfully communicates that his travel was plentiful and varied. Next, he intimates discovery by alluding to astrologers finding new planets, and the imagery of Cortez first seeing the Pacific Ocean. Keats encapsulates the fact that he had heard of Homer and the euphoria of the vast impact of the newly acquired insight by declaring: Yet did I never breathe its pure serene / Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold / Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / when a new planet swims into his ken/ or like Stout Cortez when with eagle eyes / he stard at the Pacific. (6-11) Keats reading experiences in general, and more his specifically, reading of Chapmans Homer was so prolific, that he could only describe it in the sestet with metaphors and similes that bespeak grandeur of expanse, height and depth. The overarching metaphor is reading presented as travel. Hiliary S. Brautigam, in her essay, Controlled Passion writes: Keats dramatically establishes the narrative with the arresting first line, drawing the reader into the overarching metaphor that encompasses the poem (Bressler). A surface reading of the poem misleads the reader into believing that Keats is a man who has travelled to many places. Keats writes: Much have I travelld in the realms of gold / And many goodly states and kingdoms seen. / Round many western islands have been / Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. (1-4) A closer inspection of the poem reveals that the word much quantifies travel that was done figuratively and not literally. So in this instance there is a twist of irony and there is also the masterful use of binary opposition whereby much is less in terms of Keats actual travel, but it is volumes in terms of travel through reading. The same mastery holds true for the concept of travel. As defined by Dictionary.Com to travel is: to move or go from one place or point to another(Dictionary.com). Denotatively, the word travel means moving between physical spaces; however, in Keats case, travel is not between physical spaces, but is over miles on mental projection. While Keats hero, Homer, though blind, travelled extensively, the vast majority of Keats travel was in the space of his reading. The further use of simile and metaphor makes an excellent segue for Keats use of imagery. Keats writes: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken / Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes / He stard at the Pacific and all his men (9-12). The simile watcher of the skies speaks of people who studied the science of astronomy. In the historical context, watchers of the skies or, astrologers are people who studied the skies. According to Chris Lawton, From around 3000 BC onwards, astronomy in its most primitive form had developed (Lawton). In the religious context, watchers of the skies were called Egyptian Magi, wise men, who were able to look at the skies and gain the knowledge and wisdom to predict events. The religious value of Magi can be found throughout the Holy Bible. For example, Matthew, in Matthew 2:1, 7 writes: Now when Jesus was born à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem Then Herod à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared (Matthew). Thus, Keats pronouncement that he felt like a watcher of the skies strongly implies the degree of wonder and amazement he felt when reading Chapmans translation of Homer. It was, for Keats, as though he became aware of a celestial event. Interestingly, the title of the poem On First Looking into Chapmans Homer the emphasis on Chapmans Homer alludes to the fact that Keats was aware of the interpretation of Homer as translated by the English Poet, Alexander Pope. Michael Richards writes: Keats had been previously acquainted with Homer, only through Popes translations, translations that Keats found artificial (Richards). Further, Richards claims: The Romantics criticisms of Pope and Chapman agreed with Keats in that it condemns the flaccidity, the polluted poetic diction, and the artificiality of Popes translation and praised the strength, purity, and originality of Chapmans (Richards). Until Keats read the translation by George Chapman, there was no awakening in him. Furthermore, the use of the word looking in the title employs irony and imagery masterfully. According to Dictionary.Com: look may be defined as: to investigate; to see (Dictionary.Com). It is fair to conclude that Keats reading and understanding of Chapmans Homer was so thorough that Keats could see by visualization the events, places, and people in Chapmans translation. In addition, the overarching themes of travel and discovery may very well be complimented by a theme of enlightenment or awakening. Through a theme of enlightenment or awakening, it may be argued that when Keats read Chapmans Homer, it was not the first time that Keats had heard of Homer; however, it was the first time that the life, legacy, and literary contributions of Homer united with the literary experiences and convictions of Keats, giving birth to a synergistic awakening which unleashed Keats creativity. Keats declaration of hearing Chapman speak out loud and bold is the climatic moment when he felt and understood the power of Chapmans translation. Keats believes that Chapman illuminated Homer better than any other poet. The Sestet of the poem shows an overpowering word picture. There is a picture of bewildering excitement, star-struck awe, and fulfilling silence, much like a lover anticipating a climax, then experiencing the climax, and after the climax, falling into a breathless, trance-like fulfilled silence. Keats writes: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken; / Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes / He stard at the Pacificand all his men Lookd at each other with a wild surmise / Silent, upon a peak in Darien. (9-14) As is expected of Italian Sonnets, there is a clear denouement in the sestet. The depictions of Cortez as stout and eagle-eyed are additional and effective uses of simile and metaphor that enhances the imagery. The word stout commonly evokes physical images of being hefty, round, bulky or fat. But, coupled with the expression eagle-eye, it most likely identifies with this interpretation as defined by Dictionary.Com: having endurance or staying power (Dictionary.com). It is a widely known fact that the vision of eagles is superior to that of humans. While lauding the superior vision of Cortez to identify the Pacific Ocean, Keats also shows the precision with which he scoured Chapmans interpretation. Thus, by combining stout with eagle-eye, the poem highlights the strength, stamina and precision of not only Cortez but also that of Keats. The allusions to strength and stamina bolsters Keats strong use of metaphors, simile, and imagery. The strength of these literary elements is testament to Keats belief that Chapmans Homer is superior to that of Popes. In the poe m, Keats atttributes the discovery of the Pacific Ocean to Cortez and not Balboa. It is not clear whether Keatss attribution was as a result of a careless scholastic approach, or, whether the attribution was as a result of the deliberate use of poetic conceit which is using extended metaphors to create an image. What is crystal clear though, is the fact that with diction, imagery, the use metaphor and simile, and the application of binary oppositions and irony, Keats allows the reader to envision how he felt when the life and works of Homer as offered by Chapman touched his pysche. The impact of Chapmans Homer complimented Keats historical, social and political perspectives. In October 1816 during the Romanic Era Keats penned On First Looking into Chapmans Homer. As was fitting during the Romantic Era, Keats glorified Homer in the poem. Of course, in the neoclassic era, Homers individual heroism would be frowned upon, since neoclassics preferred people who conformed to social norms. Like Homer, Keats elevates the art of using metaphors. Again, Like Homer, Keats also combines the art of using simile and metaphor to bring to life a literary work that might otherwise be mundane. Here is a comparison of how Homer and Keats combined similes and metaphors. Homer writes: The two immortals stepped briskly as wild doves, quivering, keen to defend the fighting men of Argos. (Fagles) Keats writes: Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken (9-10). It is evident that Keats discovered the value of Homers use of metaphors and immediately made use of this powerful literary tool. In summation, I submit that Keats ability as a poet and his understanding of the purpose and elements of Poetry, in particular, imagery, simile and metaphors were awakened by Chapman because Chapman captured the essence of using similes, metaphors, and imagery and gave life to writing about Homer. Apparently, after observing Chapmans use of metaphor and gaining a deeper understanding of the power of the use of metaphor and simile, Keats appreciation for them as literary elements grew. Based on his newfound understanding, it is possible to assert that Keats view of Homer, as seen through the scope of Popes translation appeared tumultuous. However, Chapmans translation depicted a much clearer view of a man whose territory is serene. Chapmans translation was the catalyst for Keats climatic epiphany. Keats was able to clearly articulate how he felt before reading Chapmans Homer and how he felt after reading Chapmans Homer. The excitement felt by Keats as he discovered new truths about Ho mer and his work, is one that is shared and should be shared by any person seeking higher learner. John Keats so brilliantly and effectively conveyed the emotions he felt as he uncovered the dynamics of Homer that readers of the poem are drawn into the excitement of travel and discovery metaphorically. The imagery of Keats first as a poet who is reading for knowledge, then as an astronomer gazing into new truths, and finally as a explorer realizing that he had discovered a new world of literary skill was very vivid. The impact of Keatss discovery fueled him to demonstrate the skill and document the experience. As a result future students, poets, writers, translators, interpreters, and lovers of the literary world have a good specimen of the effectiveness of imagery, simile, and metaphor. The words of Keats following below are a fitting conclusion to his discovery of power of the metaphor. Keats writes: Oft of one wide expanse had I been told / That deep-browd Homer ruled as his deme sne / Yet did I never breathe its pure serene / Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold. WORK CITED Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Prentice Hall, 2007. Dictionary.com. 10 July 2010 . Dictionary.com. 15 July 2010 . Dictionary.com. 19 July 2010 . Fagles. Think Quest .Org. 10 July 2010 . Lawton, Chris. tcp.co.uk. 5 July 2010 . Matthew.Blue Letter Bible. 8 July 2010 Motion, Andrew. Richmond Review. 27 August 2010 .

Evaluating Organisation Values and Structure

Evaluating Organisation Values and Structure Organization culture can be defined as a functional element of a business that comprise of organizational values, experiences and beliefs and the cultural norms of the organization. The specific collection of these values and attributes are shared by the employees within an organization and are controlled according to the level of interaction between them. The main protectors of organizational cultures are the employees within the organization and the stakeholders outside the organization. Thus this report discusses the key aspects of organizational culture and behaviour and also covers basic theories related to organizational management. Organizational values can be attributed to the beliefs and ideas of the individuals within the organizations regarding the strategic goals. The organizational values are conveyed right from the top of the organizational pyramid to the bottom. As far as organizational culture is concerned, there are various factors comprising of the organizational culture. These factors include employees, creation of values, growth, commitment, motivation and future emphasis. Organizational values and culture influences the kind of behaviour individuals carry within a work place. Thus these are the basic concept regarding organizational culture and values. It is a well known fact that an organization cannot succeed without a sound organizational culture and positive behaviour of the individuals comprising the organization. There are various factors that influence the behaviour of individuals and are an important part of the organizational culture. All these phenomenons and other activities such as coordination, task allocations which are collectively directed towards achieving the organizational objectives consist of the organizational structure. Most of the organizations have organization structures comprising of the clustered entities. The structure of an organization depends of its objectives and the strategies which are formulated to achieve these objectives. Organizational structure enables giving responsibilities for different business operations to various business entities such as department, workgroup or team, individuals and many more. If an organization doesnt have a sound structure, there are chances that it might face difficulties in achieving its objectives. We shall now discuss organizational structure and culture in more detail. Organizations witness different cultures because they consist of different types of individuals. The culture within an organization has direct implications on its performance and also reflects its values and beliefs. If there is no alignment between the organizational culture and the companys business strategies, the company will struggle to work with full potential and satisfy the objectives of its stakeholders. There are many types of organizational cultures as suggested by various academic scholars. First of all, there can be Collaborate organizational culture which is found where the workplace is open and friendly and employees share lot of things among themselves. Next is the Create culture wherein the workplace is dynamic, entrepreneurial and innovative and experimentation is considered to be the driving factor for development. Then we have the Control culture wherein the organization is very structured and formal and employee behaviour is governed by the set rules and procedur es. Finally, we have Competitive culture which is observed in the results seeking organizations with employees being highly competitive, goal-oriented and productive. Thus these are different types of organizational cultures which have direct or indirect effects of business performance. The main factor of organizational structure and culture that drives the performance is leadership. Leadership is characterized by the focus on internal business environment, organizational effectiveness and business results. Thus all the organizations thrive to create a sustainable and robust culture that ensures future viability of the business and enhanced performance. Figure 1 explains the main factors of organizational culture and its impact on performance. Figure1: Organizational Culture and Performance Factors influencing Individual behaviour Individual behaviour within a workplace is influenced by various factors such as emotions, culture, persuasion, values, norms, ethics and personal attitudes. The main factor influencing human behaviour is the work environment and organizational culture. For example, if an employee is highly motivates within a workplace, he/she would develop a positive approach towards work and the productivity will increase along with the profits. On the other hand, if an individual faces issues such as ignorance, demoralization, corruption and unethical behaviour, this will have a negative impact of the individuals behaviour. Moreover the individuals abilities and skills, perception and personality also help in determining his/her behaviour within an organization. Thus there are the main factors that affect an individuals behaviour within an organization. Organizational Theories There are various organizational theories in academic literature using which the organizations survive in the competitive market. The foremost organizational theory is the contingency theory which suggests that whenever the company management takes important decision, they should consider all the aspects of the companys current performance and act accordingly. Next is the systems theory which considers the organizations in a broader perspective and helps in interpreting the market and anticipating the needs of customers. Then we have the scientific management theory which helps in accurate measurement and monitoring of organizational tasks and also the strategies developed in order to achieve these goals. Finally there is the human relations theory which supports the idea of trade unions and government regulations. According to this theory, more emphasis is given to employees and their potential in the organization. The main culture and subculture within an organization plays an important role in the company and is also vital for its success or failure. Thus these are the basic organizational theories that play a significant role in organizational management. These theories help in every aspect of organizational management as they help is management operations such as sales forecast, performance monitoring, decision making, enhancing the business networks and so on. Thus we shall now discuss about management theories and organizational culture of two organizations namely Google and Microsoft. Google have very different and unique approaches towards management. The main management approach of Google is effective employee handling and motivation by providing a wonderful experience at work. All Google employees are called as Googlers and the whole organizational culture of Google is very unique. For example, employees have the liberty to comment on the companys strategies or give suggestions to the top management personals. The company management principles consider all its employees equally important for the success of the company. Googlers were allowed to carry their pets at workplace, were given free lunch and snacks and other amenities. Thus one can clearly suggest that Googles zero percent employee turnover rate is an excellent testament to its respectable organizational culture. Moving onto Microsoft, managers here are described as Mentors and employees as Pupils. Mentors in Microsoft carry high profile with a wealth of knowledge and experience whereas pupils are encouraged to be hard-working and enthusiastic to take risks. Microsoft has been successful over the years by using a sound organizational structure. The company is managed by 10 Board of Directors who are elected every year. The company is sub-categorized into various teams that handle critical aspects of business. All the employees of Microsoft share the same values and beliefs and the expectations they have from the company. These shared views affect the companys performance, decision making and also team performance. Employees are allowed to grow within the company as a part of the strong organizational culture Microsoft has. Thus over the years, Microsoft has successfully used its organizational culture and resources in order to achieve its business objectives. Thus these are the different approaches towards management of two organizations namely Google and Microsoft. There is one thing common between the two companies as far as the role of technology in organizational culture is concerned. Both the companies are equipped with latest technological gadgets that make it easy for them to give good performance, analyze markets, anticipate future forecasts and many more. One can clearly comment that indeed the organizational culture and sound approaches towards organizational management are the basic elements needed by the organization to have an edge over its rivals. Thus we shall now discuss about various leadership styles and their effectiveness in leadership approaches. Importance of different leadership styles Leadership style can be defined as the effective behaviour of leaders towards achieving team objectives and management of the team. It can also be considered as the way of giving direction to others, implementing strategies and motivating individuals. There are numerous leadership styles discussed in the academic history. We shall now discuss about different leadership styles and their importance in organizational performance. The first is autocratic style where all the decision making authority lies with the leader. Here the leader doesnt pay much attention to the suggestions given to him/her and all the initiatives taken are the leaders responsibility. The only advantage here is that the leader possesses extreme wealth of knowledge and experience which is used to achieve organizational goals. Next is the Participative style wherein the leader consults his/her group of team before making decisions. This is very advantageous as far as team performance is concerned. This style also he lps members of the team to self motivate by taking active part in team discussions. Democratic leadership style ensures that the leader takes the final decision but consults a couple of individuals regarding the decision making process. This leadership style is a sign of strength as it helps in earning the respect from employees. Finally we have the free reign leadership style, wherein employees are allowed to take their own decisions. However the responsibility of the decision lies on the leaders shoulder but this helps the employees to analyze situations and determine the strategies. Here the tasks are generally completed based on the priority factor of an individual task. Thus these are some of the leadership styles that the leaders in real world carry with themselves in order to complete tasks or achieve organizational goals. There are various factors that influence the different leadership styles within the organization. These include available time, responsibility, and possession of information, knowledge of employees, internal conflicts, and stress levels, type of objectives and finally the rules and regulations of the organization. All these factors highly influence the leadership styles in a way that there is lot of uncertainty that same style would be used for the whole process of achieving organizational objectives. Thus these are the main issues regarding different leadership styles and their effectiveness. Motivation Theories In order to discuss the application of motivational theories within a workplace, we shall first discuss about different types motivational theories. The first is the incentive theory wherein a tangible or an intangible reward or benefit is given to the employee after completion of a particular task or exceptional services. According to this theory, the reward given to the employee will motivate him/her to continue giving exceptional service to the organization and develop positive attitude towards work. Next is the need motivational theory suggesting that the needs and wants of a human being reflect the type of performance given by them. The fulfilment of one need motivates individuals to work harder in order to fulfil the next need or a want. Over the years, there has been very strong relationship between the motivation theories and management practices in organizations. Motivation theories are the driving factors that positively influence the performance of individuals and hence the company. On the other hand, management theories cover effective administration as well as the business. Both these theories are interrelated and work together. For example, a manager motivates an employee by giving certain benefits or rewards for hard work and as a result the productivity of the employee goes up and so does the profits of the company. In this case, the manager applied motivation theory and the whole process comes under the management theory which includes using relevant resources in order to meet the objectives or get the work done. Moreover, if a sound motivation theory is not applied then the overall process of management has chances of not meeting the expected outcomes. Thus one can clearly suggest that indeed, the motivat ion theories have sound influence on the management theories within any given organization. Thus we shall now try to evaluate the nature and work behaviour of groups or teams and also discuss the factors that lead to their failure or effectiveness. Team effectiveness and failure A very common practice observed within many organizations is the formation and working in teams. Working in team enables completion of goals with team efforts and condensing bigger objectives into smaller individual tasks. Teams can be formed within an organization with different departments, rank of employees, based on projects and also based on abilities of individuals. In the case of team efforts, the whole team is responsible for completion of the given task and if one member underperforms then it can affect the performance of the whole team. Thus specific groups are formed in order to complete the given task in a specific manner which a single individual cannot perform. Groups or teams have different natures or behaviours which influence their performance. The team or group can be ambitious, enthusiastic, hard-working, motivated, inexperienced, disorganized and many more. All these factors directly or indirectly lead to the team effectiveness or failure. The factors or behaviour of the team that leads to its effectiveness are high morale, motivation, energetic, high experience, well coordinated and hard working. For example, if a team has these factors then it can easily coordinate and work hard collectively in order to achieve team goals. On the other hand, factors such as individual concerns, lack of coordination, dissatisfaction among members, over ambitious leader, low morale and lack of experience can lead to the team failure within an organization. For example, if a team has less experience and coordination among team members, then it is obvious that the performance cannot be enhanced and thus leading to the team failure. Thus these are the main factors that affect the whole performance of the team and which lead to the team effectiveness or failure. We shall now analyze the role of technology on team functioning within an organization. Impact of Technology on Team Functioning In todays world, almost all the businesses are loaded with technology and make the full use of technological equipments in order to run their administration tasks. Technologies such as e-mails, mobile phones, Blackberry, groupware, computers and laptops have played significant role in improving team performance. For example, if team members are not at a same place, they can still have a communication via the e-mail. Mobile phones have brought a big revolution in the world of technology which helps team members when they are out of the office, on the road or otherwise unavailable. Groupware helps the team members to plan important meetings and collaborate in a virtual environment which can be accessed from all parts of the world. Finally computers and laptops allow team members to use internet and perform various business tasks very easily. Thus these are the main factors that have a deep impact on the team functioning. There are so many other technological factors that influence the team performance. For example, there has been extensive advancement in the technological gadgets such as video conferencing, web cam, fax, printers, scanners and many more have direct or indirect influence on team functioning. As far as information technology is concerned, it helps the team to perform back-end operations such as monitoring sales forecast, managing customer database, conducting business through websites, using various software and many more. Information technology plays a vital role in todays organizations and is the determining factor for the success or failure of the organization. The development of information technology over the years is showing no signs of slowing down. A region-wide Wi-Fi and nanotechnology are the latest inventions that boost all the aspects of business functionalities. Thus these are the main impacts of technology on the team as wells as business functioning. Conclusion Thus one can clearly suggest from all the above discussions that indeed a sound organizational culture and organizational structure plays the determining factor for the success or failure of the organization. In this competitive business environment, all the companies are constantly trying to improve their organizational culture so that they can have an edge over their competitors. Employees are a very important aspect of organizational culture and thus there are various factors that influence individual behaviour at the workplace. Thus these organizational theories underpin all the basic principles of management. The example of Google and Microsoft explained that how a sound organizational culture helped the companies to progress toward their desired goals. An organization consists of various individuals and these individuals can work together forming various teams among themselves. As we have seen, there are many factors that affect the team performance and thus a positive organizational culture will always have a positive impact on the team performance. Finally, the use of technology in recent years has been the driving factor in the effective working of a team or an individual or a company.

Julius Caesar :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title of this play is â€Å"Julius Caesar.† This play was written by William Shakespeare in the past. The play involves many different characters, events, and emotional feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mark Antony is a skillful orator because he has experience, knows how to sway the mob, and knows how to keep them on his side and how to persuade them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antony is a very skillful orator. Throughout the speeches that were given by Antony, he proved this statement. He used multiple methods to achieve the feelings of the crowd. For example, he would say a line or two and then cry and stop talking. Dur g this time, he would listen to the crowd’s emotions and go from there. Antony would rile up the crowd, making them furious, holding them back, then making them even more furious once again. He would continue this until he thought they were angry enou to do what he pleases.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antony points out in his speech dictating that he is loyal to Caesar as dictator and as a friend. Following the killing of Caesar, Antony quickly grasps that he must deal with Brutus, and he has the shrewdness to take advantage of Brutus’s naivetà ©. H repeats many lines over and over again being sarcastic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antony also uses half-truths and outright falsehoods to sway the mob to do what he wants. Antony repeats the line â€Å"but they were honorable men† multiple times referring to all of the conspirators. This, of course, was Antony’s sarcastic side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another special technique Antony uses to sway the mob is by holding Caesar’s will. He would say that he’s not sure if he should read it, which then stirred up the mob making them anxious, while Antony was getting the mob onto his side. Eventually, th will was read and the mob was emotionally riled up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, Antony had Caesar’s body brought out and sat down. He told the mob to gather in a circle around him and Caesar’s body.

Essay example --

Chile is a very dynamic country with many interesting features that have shaped their aviation industry to be one of the most unique in the world. Apart from having a very unique shape, it also has many land features that set it apart from other countries. These features have affected the international aviation industry in Chile and made it very distinctive. Before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, Chile was home to the Inca tribe in the north and the Mapuche ruled central and southern Chile. Overtime the Spanish began to take over and drive out the native people. The Spanish ruled Chile until they were driven out in the War of The Pacific in the early 1800’s. Over the next few centuries Chile's governance was very unstable, changing rulers and governments every few decades. Things began to settle down starting in 1990 when Chile inaugurated a freely elected president. With this new government system Chile saw steady economic growth, the poverty rate was cut in half, and it began to establish itself as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile acquired a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2014-2015 term (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). The Chilean economy is market oriented meaning that it has a lot of foreign trade and has also established itself as a home for strong financial institutions earning it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). Exporting goods and natural resources accounts for approximately one third of Chile’s Gross Domestic Product and copper provides 19 percent of the government’s revenue, making it the world’s leading producer of copper (Heritage Foundation, 2014). Chile’s other export... ...tion, 2013). Another issue that Chile has to face is the possibility of volcanic eruptions and subsequent ash clouds. If a major eruption occurs in Chile it could greatly affect the air travel in and out of Chile for a long time. The last major eruption occurred in 2011 and not only grounded flights in Chile but also Australia and New Zealand as the ash cloud was blown a great distance (Williams, 2011). Chile has a very strong and stable aviation industry today. Since the government stabilized and remained consistent over the past years the focus of the government was clearly on enhancing the aviation industry in Chile. From airline giants like LAN to some of the most treacherous, mountainous regions in the world, it is amazing that the aviation industry has been able to thrive as much as it has. Chile truly has one of the best aviation industries in the world.

Simulation †Case Study

Kathy, the project manager, obviously did not have the people skills or knowledge of the culture needed to be successful on this project. Had she researched the culture, listened to her team members, and worked with them rather than over them, this project would have been more successful. Also she should implement incentives for the team. The problems facing Kathy are that her team resented her, drug their feet, and caused the project to not meet the deadline. Her team resented her because she pushed them too hard as she did not take her people’s culture, feelings, expectations, and work habits into consideration. This caused the team to drag their feet, as a short term problem, and cause the long-term problem of ultimately missing the deadline. The decision facing Kathy was how to get the team to work more efficiently. Since Kathy did not take her team into consideration and cause her team to resent her. Without the ability to read people and sympathize with them, it is difficult to effectively manage people. Lacking this ability cause Kathy’s team to resent her and drag their feet. Had she taken the time to get to know her team and their work habits, she would have known that pushing them without giving them breaks would not have worked. They became bitter toward her and her ethics and caused more problems for her than necessary. Instead of working a round-the-clock schedule, and pushing and demanding the team to work beyond their capability, Kathy could and should have taken different approaches. Above all she should have worked harder to understand her team better and work with them rather than above them, or given them incentives for their work. Unfortunately, giving incentives can cause people to cheat through their work instead of doing their best, but most people would use the incentives as a means for motivation to do their best and meet the expectations of the project. Working long hours is usually a given when working with close deadlines, but requiring the team to work round-the-clock is a bit much. Kathy could have petitioned to hire more people or extend the deadline. Hiring more people could put the project over budget, but the project could have been completed more efficiently and on time. Moving the deadline could cause people to relax more, but if given more time to complete from the beginning, it could have reduced a lot of the stress put on Kathy and the team. If I were Kathy, I would take time to understand the people she works with, implement incentives for making deadlines, and petition to hire more people. As soon as she met with her team she should have gotten to know them and taken the time to understand their work ethic. As soon as the team started to fall behind, more people should have been hired to make up the time. The project manager should get their hands dirty and dive in to help make the deadlines. Cut the project into phases. Say the foundation has to be done by a certain time. Let the team know that if they make that deadline the will receive an incentive, and if the team surpasses that expectation, they get a better incentive. I would make it a dinner if deadline met, and an afternoon off if the team has started the next phase before the deadline of the first phase has come. This would cause the team to want to do better and go beyond their expectations which would cause the project to be complete by the deadline and hopefully within budget.

Early Childhood Education Essay

â€Å"Children are our future. † This explains to you, the reader, why I chose to dive into the career path of Early Childhood Education. In this essay I will explain to you what the job of an early Childhood professional is, what training they need and what standards they are expected to maintain. These are all important facts in becoming an Early Childhood professional. First of all, what is the job of an Early Childhood professional? Well, their job is to nourish the growth of children, support families, and work closely with coworkers. Their work with children begins before the first child arrives, and continues until after the last child leaves. Early Childhood educators spend a lot of time with not only the children, but with the families of the children. The book, â€Å"Who Am I in the Lives of Children† states that â€Å"young children cannot be separated from the context of their homes, so relating to and working with families is an important part of the role of the Early Childhood educator. † If your not a people person, this job may not be for you. Educators provide a safe and secure environment for the children, allowing them to grow and blossom into an independent child, with a personality of their own. Early Childhood education may take a number of faces including family childcare providers and nannies, teacher aides or teacher assistants, assistant teachers or assistant care givers, teachers or care givers, master teachers or head teachers and lastly, directors. Members of this field share a mission, commitment and set of values. Also, they have agreed on standards, in the form of a code of ethics. In one single day, an Early Childhood professional may function as a teacher, friend, secretary, parent, colleague, nurse, janitor, counselor, entertainer, and a diplomat. Second of all, what training are Early Childhood professionals expected to have? Well, paraphrasing from the book, â€Å"Who Am I in the Lives of Children,† the training and experience required will be determined by program licensing. Requirements vary from state to state. In some states being in good health and having a diploma are all that is necessary. Most states require that teachers and care givers in center based programs be qualified for their jobs through training, either by having a college degree, or a CDA credential(Child Development Associate). From what I know you need approximately 12 units of ECE training to go into the field of Early Childhood education. Lastly, what standards are Early Childhood professionals expected to maintain? I think the core values of early childhood education are very important to maintain. These core values are: appreciating childhood as a unique a valuable stage of the human life cycle basing our work with children on knowledge of child development appreciating and supporting the close ties between the child and the family recognizing that children are best understood in the context of family, culture and society Respecting the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member and colleague) Helping children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust, respect and positive reguard. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is also important is the field of Early Childhood education. (A copy of the code is found in the appendix of, â€Å"Who Am I in the Lives of Children†) These two things are important because young children are vulnerable and lack the power to defend themselves. In conclusion, when people say that â€Å"you just babysit kids† they are wrong. Being an Early Childhood professional is a very important job. You are helping shape and raise our future’s leaders.

Haemoglobinopathy

Review Article Indian J Med Res 134, October 2011, pp 552-560 Invasive & non-invasive approaches for prenatal diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies: Experiences from India R. B. Colah, A. C. Gorakshakar & A. H. Nadkarni National Institute of Immunohaematology (ICMR), Mumbai, India Received October 29, 2010 The thalassaemias and sickle cell disease are the commonest monogenic disorders in India. There are an estimated 7500 – 12,000 babies with ? -thalassaemia major born every year in the country. While the overall prevalence of carriers in different States varies from 1. to 4 per cent, recent work has shown considerable variations in frequencies even within States. Thus, micromapping would help to determine the true burden of the disease. Although screening in antenatal clinics is being done at many centres, only 15-20 per cent of pregnant women register in antenatal clinics in public hospitals in the first trimester of pregnancy. There are only a handful of centres in major cities in this vast country where prenatal diagnosis is done. There is considerable molecular heterogeneity with 64 mutations identified, of which 6 to 7 common mutations account for 80-90 per cent of mutant alleles. First trimester foetal diagnosis is done by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and DNA analysis using reverse dot blot hybridization, amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and DNA sequencing. Second trimester diagnosis is done by cordocentesis and foetal blood analysis on HPLC at a few centres. Our experience on prenatal diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies in 2221 pregnancies has shown that >90 per cent of couples were referred for prenatal diagnosis of ? -thalassaemia after having one or more affected children while about 35 per cent of couples were referred for prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell disorders prospectively. There is a clear need for more data from India on non-invasive approaches for prenatal diagnosis. Key words Haemoglobinopathies – India – invasive and non-invasive approaches – prenatal diagnosis Introduction The inherited disorders of haemoglobin are the most common monogenic disorders globally. Around 7 per cent of the population worldwide are carriers with more than 3,00,000 severely affected babies born every year1. Prenatal diagnosis is an integral component of a community control programme for haemoglobinopathies. Estimating the disease burden, generating awareness in the population, screening 552 o identify carriers and couples at – risk and genetic counselling are prerequisites for a successful prevention programme. The remarkable success of such programmes in the 1970s in Cyprus, Italy, Greece and the UK led to the development of control programmes in many other countries2-6. The extent of the problem in India ? -thalassaemia has been reported in most of the communities that have been screened so far in India. While the overall prevalence varies from 1. 5 to 4 per COLAH et al: PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF HAEMOGLOBINOPATHIES IN INDIA 553 ent in different States, communities like Sindhis, Punjabis, Lohanas, Kutchi Bhanushalis, Jains and Bohris have a higher prevalence (4-17%)7-12. Different reportshaveestimatedthat7500-12,000? -thalassaemia major babies would be born in India each year12 -14. It has also been shown recently by micromapping at the district level in two States, Maharashtra and Gujarat in westernIndiathattheprevalenceof? -thalassaemiatrait in different districts within these States is variable (0 9. 5%). Based on these estimates there would be around 1000birthsof? thalassaemiamajorbabieseachyear in these two States alone15. Thus, such data should be obtained from different States to know the true burden of the disease and for planning and executing control programmes. Haemoglobin S (Hb S) is prevalent in central India and among the tribal belts in western, eastern and southern India, the carrier rates varying from 1-40 per cent16-18. It has been estimated that over 5000 babies with sickle cell disease would be born each year19. Haemoglobin E is widespread in the north eastern States in Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, the prevalence of Hb E trait being highest (64%) among the Bodo-Kacharis in Assam and going up to 30-40 per cent in some other populations in this region20-22. In eastern India the prevalence of Hb E trait varies from 3-10 per cent in West Bengal8,23. Both Hb E andHbSwhenco-inheritedwith? -thalassaemiaresult in a disorder of variable clinical severity24-26. These inherited haemoglobin disorders cause considerable pain and suffering to the patients and their families and are a major drain on health resources in the country. The need for accurate identification of carries and couples at risk Classical ? thalassaemia carriers have typically reduced red cell indices [mean corpuscular volume (MCV)T) ? + 3. -87 (C>T) ? + 4. -80 (C>T) ? + 5. -29 (A>G) ? + 6. -28 (A>G) ? + 7. -25 (A>G) ? + B. Cap site 1. +1 (A>C) ? + C. Initiation codon 1. ATG > ACG ? 0 D. RNA processing mutations i) Splice junction site 1. Codon 30 (G>C) ? 0 2. Codon 30 (G>A) ? 0 3. IVS 1-1 (G>T) ? 0 4. IVS 1-1 (G>A) ? 0 5. IVS 1-129 (A>C) ? 0 6. IVS 1-130 (G>C) ? 0 7. IVS 1-130 (G>A) ? 0 8. IVS II-1 (G>A) ? 0 (ii) Consensus site 1. IVS 1-5 (G>C) ? + 2. IVS 1-128 (TAG > GAG) ? + 3. IVS II-837 (T>G) ? (iii) IVS changes 1. IVS I-110 (G>A) ? + 2. IVS II-591 (T>C) ? + 3. IVS II-613 (C>T) ? + 4. IVS II-654 (C>T) ? + 5. IVS II-745 (C>G) ? + iv) Coding region changes 1. Codon 26 (G>A) Hb E ? + E. RNA translational mutations i) Nonsense 1. Codons 4,5,6 (ACT CCT GAG> ACA TCT ? 0 TAG) 2. Codon 5 (-CT), Codon 13 (C>T), Codon 26 ? (G>C), Codons 27/28 (+C) in cis 3. Codon 6 (GAG > TAG) and on the same ? 0 chromosome Codon 4 (ACT> ACA) , Codon 5 (CCT>TCT) 4. Codon 8 (A>G) ? 5. Codon 13 (C>T), Codon 26 (G>A), Codons ? 27/28 (-C) in cis 6. Codon 15 (TGG > TAG) ? 0 7. Codons 62-64 (7 bp del) ? 0 8. Codons 81-87 (22 bp del) ? 9. Codon 121 (G>T) ? 0 Contd†¦. themselves, today their relatives and extended families are coming forward to get screened38. There is only one centre in Lucknow in north India which offers a formal course for genetic counsellors and there is a need for more such courses throughout the country. Counsellors should be aware that couples at risk of havingachildwith? -thalassaemiamajor,sicklecel l disease, Hb S ? -thalassaemia, Hb E ? -thalassaemia, – ? -thalassaemia, Hb Lepore ? -thalassaemia and Hb SD disease should be given the option of prenatal diagnosis to avoid the birth of a child with a severe disorder. However, couples at risk of having a child with Hb D disease, Hb D ? -thalassaemia and Hb E disease do not require prenatal diagnosis as these disorders are mild. InSardinia,identificationofthemaximumnumber of carriers followed by effective genetic counselling helpedtoreducethebirthrateof? -thalassaemiamajor babies from 1:250 to 1:400039. Prenatal diagnosis The first initiatives in India Facilities for prenatal diagnosis became available in India in the mid 1980s40. Until then, although prenatal diagnosis was offered by a few centres, foetal samples were sent to the UK and other countries for analysis. Foetal blood sampling by foetoscopy done between 18 and 22 wk gestation and diagnosis by globin chain synthesis were done for the next 4 to 5 years at 2 centres in Mumbai40,41. Chorionic villus sampling and DNA analysis in the first trimester In the 1990s first trimester foetal diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and DNA analysis was established at 4-5 centres in the north in Delhi42, in the west in Mumbai41,43,44 and in the south in Vellore45. These services then expanded to other cities like Lucknow and Chandigarh in the north46,47, and Kolkata in the east48. However, these services are still limited to major cities where couples are referred to or CVS samples are sent from surrounding areas. Molecular analysis ? -thalassaemia is extremely heterogeneous with more than 200 mutations described worldwide49. In India, about 64 mutations have been characterized by studies done at different centres30,31,49-51 (Table I). Six to seven mutations [IVS 1-5 (G? C), 619 bp deletion, IVS 1-1 (G? T), Codon 8/9 (+G), Codons 41/42 (-CTTT), COLAH et al: PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF HAEMOGLOBINOPATHIES IN INDIA (ii) Frameshift 1. Codon 5 (-CT) 2. Codons 7/8 (+G) 3. Codon 8 (-AA) 4. Codons 8/9(+G) 5. Codon 13 (C>T) 6. Codon 15 (-T) 7. Codon 16 (-C) 8. Codon 16 (C>T) 9. Codon 17 (A>T) 10. Codons 22-24 (7 bp del) 11. Codon 26 (G>T) 12. Codon 35 (A>G) 13. Codons 36/37 (-T) 14. Codons 36-39 (8 bp del) 15. Codon 39 (C>T) 16. Codon 44 (-C) 17. Codons 47/48 (+ATCT) 18. Codon 55 (+A) 19. Codon 55 (-A) 20. Codons 57/58 (+A) 21. Codon 88 (+T) 22. Codons 106/107 (+G) 23. Codon 110 (T>C) 24. Codon 111 (-G) 25. Codon 135 (C>T) F. RNA cleavage and polyadenylation mutation 1. AATAAA>AACAAA G. Deletional mutations 1. 619 bp deletion; 3’end 2. 10. 3 kb deletion 3. Codons 126-131 (17 bp deletion) Source: Refs 30, 31, 49-51 55 ?0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 ? + ? 0 ? + ? 0 ? 0 ? 0 Fig. 1. Regionaldistributionof? -thalassaemiamutationinIndia. molecular techniques like covalent reverse dot blot hybridization (CRDB), amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and DNA sequencing43,44 ,52. Foetal blood analysis in the second trimester Most of the prenatal diagnosis programmes in the Mediterranean countries started with second trimester foetal blood analysis but they were able to switch over tofirsttrimesterdiagnosisinashortspan5,39. In India, second trimester diagnosis is still done as manycouplesatriskareidentifiedlateduringpregnancy. Foetal blood sampling is done by cordocentesis at 18 to20wkgestationandafterconfirmingthatthereisno maternal contamination in the foetal sample by foetal cell staining using the Kleihauer-Betke method, it is analysed by HPLC on the Variant Hemoglobin Testing System (Bio Rad Laboratories, Hercules, USA). The HbA levels in foetuses affected with ? -thalassaemia major have ranged from 0 to 0. 5 per cent and these were distinguishable from heterozygous babies where the Hb A levels were >1. per cent in different studies. However, there was some overlap in Hb A levels between heterozygotes and normals53-55. Sickle cell disease and Hb E thalassaemia have also been diagnosed in this way. On the other hand, experience in Thailand showed that while ? 0 thalassaemia homozygotes and HbE-? 0 thalassaemia compound heterozygotes could be diagnosed by HPLC analysis of foetal blood, ? ++ thalassae mia homozygotes may be misdiagnosed as heterozygotes56. Amniotic fluid cells have not been used extensively in India for prenatal diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies. Codon 15 (G? A), Codon 30 (G? C)] are common accounting for 85-95 per cent of mutant alleles. However, regional differences in their frequencies have been noted30,31,50,51 (Fig. 1). The prevalence of IVS 1 -5 (G? C), the most common mutation in India varies from 15-88 per cent in different States. Codon 15 (G? A) is the second most frequent mutation in Maharashtra and Karnataka and Codon 5 (-CT) is the third most common mutation in Gujarat. The -88 (C? T) and the Cap site +1 (A? C) mutations are more common in the northern region30,31,50. The 619 bp deletion is the most common mutation among the immigrant population from Pakistan. This knowledge on the distribution of mutations in different regions and in people of different ethnic backgrounds has facilitated prenatal diagnosis using 556 INDIAN J MED RES, OCTOBER 2011 Experience at National Institute Immunohaematology (NIIH), Mumbai of Bothfirstandsecondtrimesterprenataldiagnosis for the ? -thalassaemias and sickle cell disorders are done at National Institute of Immunohaematology, Mumbai, and over the last 25 years 2,221 pregnancies at risk have been investigated (Table II). While majority of the couples were at risk of having children with ? thalassaemia major, a significant number of couples at risk of having children with sickle cell disorders have been referred for prenatal diagnosis in the last 4 to 5 years. Our experience in western India has shown that there are still very few couples (G; or codon 35 ? (A? G) at alpha -beta chain interfaces. Ann Hematol 2009; 88 : 1269-71. 52. Old JM, Varawalla NY, Weatherall DJ. The rapid detection and prenatal diagno sis of ? -thalassemia in theAsian Indian and Cyproit populations in the UK. Lancet 1990; 336 : 834-7. 53. Rao VB, Natrajan PG, Lulla CP, Bandodkar SB. Rapid midtrimester prenatal iagnosis of beta-thalassaemia and other haemoglobinopathies using a non- radioactive anion exchange HPLC technique – an Indian experience. Prenat Diagn 1997; 17 : 725-31. 54. Wadia MR, Phanasgaokar SP, Nadkarni AH, Surve RR, Gorakshakar AC, Colah RB, et al. Usefulness of automated chromatography for rapid fetal blood analysis for second trimester prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia. Prenat Diagn 2002; 22 : 153-7. 559 55. Rao S, Saxena R, Deka D, Kabra M. Use of HbA estimation by CE-HPLC for prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia; experience from a tertiary care centre in north India: a brief report. Hematology 2009; 14 : 122-4. 56. Winichagoon P, Sriphanich R, Sae-Mgo WB, Chowthaworm J, Tantisirin P, Kanokpongsakdi S, et al. Application of automated HPLC in prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia. Lab Hematol 2002; 8 : 29-35. 57. Holzgreve W. Will ultrasound screening and ultrasound guided procedures be replaced by non-invasive techniques for the diagnosis of fetal chromosome anomalies? Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 1997; 9 : 217-9. 58. Steele CD, Wapner RJ, Smith JB, Haynes MK, Jackson LG. Prenatal diagnosis using fetal cells isolated from maternal peripheral blood. Clin. Obstet Gynecol 1996; 39 : 801-13. 59. Mesker WE, Ouwerkerk-vn Velzen MC, Oosterwijk JC, Bernini LF, Golbus MS, Kanhai HH, et al. Two colour immunocytochemical staining of gamma and epsilon type hemoglobin in fetal red cells. Prenat Diagn 1998; 18 : 1131-7. 60. Takabayashi H, Kuwabara S, Ukita T, Ikawa K, Yamafuji K, Igarashi T. Development of non-invasive fetal DNA diagnosis from maternal blood. Prenat Diagn 1995; 15 : 74-7. 61. Cheung MC, Goldberg JD, Kan YW. Prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia by analysis of fetal cells in maternal blood. Nat Genet 1996; 14 : 264-8. 62. Di Naro E, Ghezzi F, Vitucci A, Tannoia N, Campanale D, D’ Addario V, et al. Prenataldiagnosisof? -thalassemiausing fetal erythroblasts enriched from maternal blood by a novel gradient. Mol Hum Reprod 2000; 6 : 571-4. 63. Kolialexi A, Vrettou C, Traeger-Synodinos J, Burgemeister R, Papantoniou N, Kanavakis E, et al. 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