Human genetic engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human genetic engineering - Research Paper Example Human genetic engineering, HGE refers to a process where medical professionals and scientists interfere with the DNA or genetic makeup of a human cell. Ideally, this process aims at fixing defective genes that have the potential of causing diseases or other genetic complications (Berry 5). Hanna refers to this as genetic enhancement and acknowledges it as the process where genetic material would be transferred for the modification of non-pathological human traits. The institute further argues that the term entails not just making humans well, but rather better than well, by optimizing their capabilities and attributes. This could be accomplished through insertion of a foreign gene into an organism that is virus-like. Thereafter, this organism would be introduced to the human cells thus inserting the new gene into the subject’s genome. Three applications have been used for HGE. Somatic engineering would target specific genes in the given tissues and organs without interfering with the genes occurring in the sperm or eggs (Koops et al. 19). This application aims at treating an existing condition without altering the entire genetic makeup of an individual. On the other hand, germline engineering targets the genes in embryos, sperm or eggs at the early development stages. Thus, this genetic modification affects the cells in the body of the developing embryo that are created afterwards. If the individual sires offspring, such genes would be passed onto the new generation. Finally, cloning could also be applied in HGE in three different ways as given by Berry (24). DNA cloning, also referred to as recombinant DNA technology, involves the transferring of DNA fragment from an organism onto an element that is self-replicating so that the DNA replicates itself in the foreign host cell. To generate an organism with the same DNA as an existing organism, then reproductive cloning would be used. Finally, therapeutic

Discipline and Improve Students Behaviour in Classroom Education Essay Example for Free

Discipline and Improve Students Behaviour in Classroom Education Essay The problem of how best to discipline and improve students’ behaviour in classroom is of permanent interest. This review is oriented to searching different methodologies concerning students’ behaviour in classrooms, teachers’ discipline strategies and behavioural management. Different points of view and different examples for appropriate behaviour have been discussed referring to the topic. The sources reviewed present different solutions. This paper examines also the classroom environment and its relation to successful behaviour implementation. The first paragraphs give different definitions conversant with behaviour and discipline according to the authors’ view. The continuation of the literature review is presented by different approaches and strategies concerning a good behavioural management. This elaboration sets out some of the arguments and recommendations which are discussed in more detail. Charles C. M. submits several definitions corresponding to behaviour: Behaviour refers to everything that people do. Misbehaviour is behaviour that is not appropriate to the setting or situation in which it occurs. Discipline†¦ are strategies, procedures, and structures that teachers use to support a positive learning environment. Behaviour management is a science that puts an accent on what teachers have to do to prevent misbehaviour (Charles 1). Students’ behaviour depends on several factors such as traditions, demographic settings, economic resources, family, experiences, and more. Some authors have made important contributions in managing classroom discipline related the twentieth century. Jacob Kounin (1971), one of them, reports that appropriate student behaviour can be maintained through classroom organization, lesson management, and approach to individual students. Rudolf Dreikurs (1972) on the other hand emphasizes the desire to belong as a primary need of students in school. He identifies types of misbehaviour and gives ideas about how to make students feel a part of the class or group (p. 63). William Glasser (1986) shows another view, making a case that the behaviour of someone else cannot be controlled. He reckons that everybody can only control his own behaviour. Personally I support this idea that we must control ourselves. According to the opinion of the other authors, Linda Albert’s, Barbara Coloroso’s, Nelson and Lott’s a good discipline in the classroom can be achieved through Belonging, Cooperation, and Self-Control. A similar idea of classroom management is also presented by Rackel C. F who declares that the teachers, considered it was necessary, â€Å"to develop students’ sense of belonging to the school† (p. 1071) The author supports the opinion of the significance of a good school climate and tells that it might be precondition for facilitating positive youth development (Rackel C. F 1071). In order to attain to a good classroom atmosphere there is a need of growing positive relationship between students and teachers, motivation the students’ participation and clear rules to control classroom discipline (Rackel C. F 1072). In addition these above-mentioned views can be defined as a positive outlook as regards to improving the classroom management. Another point of view inside the subject of managing discipline is through active student involvement and through pragmatic Classroom management (Charles, C. M. 2007, p. 7). Discipline through raising student responsibility is also positively oriented approach for classroom management. The three principles that improve behaviour presented in the article â€Å"Self-assessment of understanding† are positivity, choice, and reflection (Charles, C. M. 12). There the author explains the principles meaning. He states that being positive means being a motivator. When students have opportunity to share their choices they can present themselves with a good behaviour. â€Å"Asking students questions that encourage them to reflect on their behaviour can help them to change behaviour† (Charles 14). Rebecca Giallo and Emma Little (2003, p. 22) from RMIT University Australia give their comments also on classroom behaviour management. They claim that confidence is one of the most important characteristic that influence teachers’ effectiveness in classroom management. Giallo and Little (2003, 22) based on the previous statement of Evans Tribble accept that less confident teachers seem more vulnerable to stressful classrooms. They maintain the theory that the classroom stress is a reason for giving up a teacher’s career. In school the stress can be overcome through involving of drastic measures concerning managing a good discipline. One of the most popular strategy for solving behaviour problems is punishment. By reason of the popularity of the subject in the field of education, many experts have written articles and books as well as given lectures on discipline and punishment. Anne Catey based on Dreikur’s words considers that there is no need of using punishment in class. Based on Catey’s words kids need to have a chance they can share their ideas in the class (1). This is the best way to â€Å"smooth, productive functioning in schools† (Charles, C. M, 1999). Anne Catey from Cumberland High School gets an interview from several teachers in Illinois district about their discipline practices. She accepts the suggestion given by Lawrence as mentioning that, â€Å"very effective technique is a brief conference, either in the hallway or after class, with the misbehaving student† (Punishment, 1). Anne Catey has her own techniques for classroom management. She disagrees with Lawrence viewing about humour as one of the bad strategies for effective discipline and believes that using of humour can be effective if done without abasing the students (Punishment, 1). In this way she gives each one a bit of individual attention. When some of her students are a bit distracted on one task, talking to friends instead of reading Catey says, â€Å"Since I always assume the best of my students, I assume the noise I hear is students reading aloud or discussing their novels. However, it’s time to read silently now instead of reading aloud† (Punishment, 1). This sounds as a good strategy but personally I disclaim this thesis. This doesn’t work all the time. I am trying to be strict with my students and according to this the pupils have to observe the rules in my classes. That doesn’t mean that I admit the severe punishment but rarely the stern warnings. I agree with the following techniques used by Anne Catey (2001) to modify behaviour including giving â€Å"zeroes for incomplete, inappropriate, and/or missing work and taking points off at the end of a quarter for lack of participation and/or poor listening†. As expected, these methods are effective for some of the pupils but not for the others. Related to the above-mentioned topic it could be noticed some of the classroom discipline strategies utilized in Australia, China and Israel. On the basis of elaborated research in these countries some psychologists and school principals (Xing Qui, Shlomo Romi, 2005) conclude that Chinese teachers appear less punitive and aggressive than do those in Israel or Australia. Australian classrooms are presented as having least discussion and recognition and most punishment. In Australia (Lewis, 2005) as concerned to the study the teachers are characterized by two distinct discipline styles. The first of these is called â€Å"Coercive† discipline and comprises punishment and aggression (yelling in anger, sarcasm group punishments, tc). The second style, comprising discussion, hints, recognition, involvement and Punishment, is called â€Å"Relationship based discipline† (Lewis 7). Coercive discipline according to the above-mentioned authors means the teacher’s behaviour is such as â€Å"shouting all the time, unfairly blaming students, picking on kids, and being rude, to stimulate student resistance and subsequent misbehaviour† (Lewis, Ramon 2). The importance of classroom discipline arises not only from students’ behaviour and learning as outlined above. It depends also on the role of the teacher. Sometimes it is obvious that teachers are not be able to manage students’ classroom discipline and it can result in stress. So,â€Å"classroom discipline is a cohesion of teacher stress† (Lewis 3). Chan (1998), reports on the stressors of over 400 teachers in Hong Kong, claims that student behaviour management rates as the second most significant factor stressing teachers. In the article Teachers’ Classroom discipline several strategies have been presented for improving classroom management. They are Punishing (move students’ seats, detention), Rewarding (rewards, praises), Involvement in decision-making (decides with the class what should happen to students who misbehave), Hinting, Discussion and Aggression. Another strategy for improving discipline in class is conducting questionnaires between the students. It is an appropriate approach for defining students’ opinion about behaviour problems. In each Chinese and Israeli school a random sample of classes at all year levels have been selected. As a research assistant administered questionnaires to these classes their teachers completed their questionnaires (Yakov J. Katz 7). In comparison to all of the mentioned countries the model in China is a little different in that students support use of all strategies except Aggression and Punishment. Based on the conducted research the only strategy to range within a country by more than 2 ranks is Punishment, which ranks as the most common strategy in Australia, and the fourth and fifth most commonly used strategy in Israel and China. The author, Xing Qui generalises that, â€Å"there is not more Punishment at the level 7-12. Classroom discipline techniques showed that students in China, compared to those in Australia or Israel, report less usage of Punishment and Aggression and greater use of Discussion and the other positive strategies. At the end of their article â€Å"Teachers’ classroom discipline and Student Misbehaviour in Australia, China and Israel â€Å"(p. 14) the authors recommend that teachers need to work harder to gain quality relationships with difficult students. What I have drawn from reviewing literature so far is that teachers are able to use different techniques for enhancing classroom management in their profession. After making a thorough survey on the above-mentioned issue I would like calmly to express my position. It is harder for the teacher to keep the student focused on any frontal instruction. That’s why as with all classroom management practices, the teachers should adapt what they like to their classroom, taking into consideration the age, ethnicity, and personality of the class as a group, and of them as teachers. Much of the disruptive behaviour in the classroom can be alleviated before they become serious discipline problems. Such behaviours can be reduced by the teacher’s ability to employ effective organizational practices. These skills are individual for each teacher. The lecturer should become familiar with school policies concerning acceptable student behaviour and disciplinary procedures. Establishing rules to guide the behaviour of students is also important. Once these standards are set up the teachers have to stick to them. I agree with the authors who prefer involving the positive approach in behaviour management. But I also accept that some situations are more complicated than the others and in this case the teachers must take drastic measures against inappropriate students’ behaviour.

Culture Of India :: essays research papers fc

Nearly one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India, the world's most populous democracy. Officially titled the Republic of India, it's 1,269,413 sq. mi. lie in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, bordered by Pakistan (W); China, Nepal, and Bhutan (N); and Myanmar (E) and Bangladesh forms an enclave in the NE. Its borders encompass a vast variety of peoples, practicing most of the world's major religions, speaking scores of different languages, divided into thousands of socially exclusive castes, and combining the physical traits of several major racial groups (Compton's). The modern nation of India (also known by its ancient Hindi name, Bharat) is smaller than the Indian Empire formerly ruled by Britain. Burma (now Myanmar), a mainly Buddhist country lying to the east, was administratively detached from India in 1937. Ten years later, when Britain granted independence to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, two regions with Muslim majorities--a lar ge one in the northwest (West Pakistan) and a smaller one in the northeast (East Pakistan)--were partitioned from the predominantly Hindu areas and became the separate nation of Pakistan. East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. Also bordering India on its long northern frontier are the People's Republic of China and the relatively small kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The island republic of Sri Lanka lies just off India's southern tip (New World Encyclopedia).Much of India's area of almost 1.3 million square miles (3.3 million square kilometers--including the Pakistani-held part of Jammu and Kashmir) is a peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. There are three distinct physiographic regions. In the north the high peaks of the Himalayas lie partly in India but mostly just beyond its borders in Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. South of the mountains, the low-lying Indo-Ga ngetic Plain, shared with Pakistan and Bangladesh, extends more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal (Compton's). Finally, the peninsular tableland, largely the Deccan, together with its adjacent coastal plains, makes up more than half of the nation's area. In general, India's climate is governed by the monsoon, or seasonal, rain-bearing wind. Most of the country has three seasons: hot, wet, and cool. During the hot season, which usually lasts from early March to mid-June, very high temperatures are accompanied by intermittent winds and occasional dust storms (Concise). Culture Of India :: essays research papers fc Nearly one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India, the world's most populous democracy. Officially titled the Republic of India, it's 1,269,413 sq. mi. lie in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, bordered by Pakistan (W); China, Nepal, and Bhutan (N); and Myanmar (E) and Bangladesh forms an enclave in the NE. Its borders encompass a vast variety of peoples, practicing most of the world's major religions, speaking scores of different languages, divided into thousands of socially exclusive castes, and combining the physical traits of several major racial groups (Compton's). The modern nation of India (also known by its ancient Hindi name, Bharat) is smaller than the Indian Empire formerly ruled by Britain. Burma (now Myanmar), a mainly Buddhist country lying to the east, was administratively detached from India in 1937. Ten years later, when Britain granted independence to the peoples of the Indian subcontinent, two regions with Muslim majorities--a lar ge one in the northwest (West Pakistan) and a smaller one in the northeast (East Pakistan)--were partitioned from the predominantly Hindu areas and became the separate nation of Pakistan. East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan in 1971 to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. Also bordering India on its long northern frontier are the People's Republic of China and the relatively small kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. The island republic of Sri Lanka lies just off India's southern tip (New World Encyclopedia).Much of India's area of almost 1.3 million square miles (3.3 million square kilometers--including the Pakistani-held part of Jammu and Kashmir) is a peninsula jutting into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. There are three distinct physiographic regions. In the north the high peaks of the Himalayas lie partly in India but mostly just beyond its borders in Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. South of the mountains, the low-lying Indo-Ga ngetic Plain, shared with Pakistan and Bangladesh, extends more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal (Compton's). Finally, the peninsular tableland, largely the Deccan, together with its adjacent coastal plains, makes up more than half of the nation's area. In general, India's climate is governed by the monsoon, or seasonal, rain-bearing wind. Most of the country has three seasons: hot, wet, and cool. During the hot season, which usually lasts from early March to mid-June, very high temperatures are accompanied by intermittent winds and occasional dust storms (Concise).

Assess the Argument That Modern Childhood Is a ‘March of Progress‘

The march of progress, traditionally depicting a compressed presentation of 25 million years of human evolution, can be applied to sociologists view on childhood- is it ‘evolving’ for the better? The ‘March of progress’ view argues that, over the past few centuries, childhood in western societies has been improving steadily, and is even better than ever today. We can then go onto say that the ‘march of progress’ evidently paints a bad picture of the past; as Lloyd De Mause puts it- â€Å"The history of childhood is a nightmare from which we have only begun to awaken. The further back in history one goes, the lower the level of childcare, and the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorised and sexually abused. † Writers like Aries and Shorter look on from this dark past, and hold to the belief that children are more valued, better cared for, protected & educated, enjoy better health and have a lot more rights than previous generations. On the other hand, certain sociologists would disagree with this; for example, Sue Palmers. Her view uplifts the concept of â€Å"The Five Finger Exercise†; the belief that ‘language, love, education, play & discipline’ are what children crucially need for healthy development. In her opinion, children in the UK today are going through, what she calls, ‘toxic childhood’- in the past 25 years, children’s physical, emotional and academic development have been effected and damaged by rapid technological and cultural changes. These ‘changes’ include emphasis on testing in education, computer games, junk food, intensive marketing on children, even the long hours parents work. All of these factors (which weren’t as dominant in society, in the past) have negative effects i. e. an increase in child obesity. Neil Postman has a similar negative opinion on childhood- he stated that childhood is ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’. In contrast to Palmers opinion that children are being affected by rapid technological and cultural changes, Postman believes the disappearance of childhood is down to young people being given the same rights as adults. Similarities in the way children and adults dress, the decrease of traditional unsupervised games, ven rare cases of children committing ‘adults crimes’, such as murder. Also, as education intensifies, young people will be able to enter the adult world at an earlier age, rapidly increasing the disappearance of childhood. Though Iona Opie argues that this is not true that childhood is not disappearing; she believes there is still evidence that childhood culture exists, based on a lifetime of research into children’s games, rhymes and songs (led by herself and her husband, Peter Opie). Contradictory to Postman’s findings, Opie came to the conclusion that children can, and do, create their own independent culture which is separate from that of adults. Child liberations argue against both Palmers and Postman- they argue that western ideas of childhood are being globalised (far from disappearing). International humanitarian and welfare agencies have imposed western norms on the world, of what childhood should be- a separate life stage, based in the nuclear family and school, where children are innocent, dependant & vulnerable and have no economic role. Therefore, childhood is far from disappearing, but western notions are simply being globalised. For example, anti child labour campaigns, or concerns about ‘street children’ in less economically developed countries, reflect western ideas of what childhood is ‘ought’ to be like. Though this kind of activity could be the norm for children in that specific culture; possibly important preparation for adult life in their society. So in this view, childhood isn’t ‘disappearing’, but it is spreading across the world.

Jefferson Davis’s accomplishments Essay

Look, it’s Jefferson Davis! Not really, but now that I have your attention I will fill you in on the latest info. on Jefferson Davis. He was famous in history throughout the Civil War times, often working in partner with Abe Lincoln. A famous biographer and writer, Jefferson Davis had many accomplishments acknowledged in history. Davis was president of the Confederate States of America. He served in the House of Representatives and the senate, was a Mexican war hero, and was Franklin Pierce’s secretary of war. He became a symbol of the Lost Cause after the Civil War. He became a spokesman for the south, and was called a â€Å"cotton nabob†, which was a southern term for the newly rich. Davis was a compromise candidate who was chosen in secrecy. He had self command, gained by the discipline of a soldier, which fitted him to command others. Jefferson Davis was sometimes referred to as a Southern cheif, being born in Kentucky. He remained a plain man of the people, obeying the social law of his section; something of an aristocrat. Developing an aristocrat was a prime advantage of a republic. He was of Welsh descent and Pennsylvania antecedents, coming from â€Å"poor but honest†parents. His father, Samuel Davis, was a small farmer in Kentucky. Jefferson Davis was named after the president, therefore his name originally being Thomas Jefferson, but he dropped the Thomas to give himself a more distinctive name. His theory was that men with ill-sounding names do not get very far in politics, which was what he wanted to go into. Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America and commander-in-chief of the army and navy, belongs to history, and his career is subject to full and fair treatment by just and intelligent men.

Ghosts, Superstitions, and The Supernatural essays

Ghosts, Superstitions, and The Supernatural essays Ghosts, Superstitions, and The Supernatural Late at night, a couple leaves the movie theater and head home. While driving, everything seems fine and normal for the both of them. All of a sudden, they end up driving on a road along the way that is isolated and known for strange happenings. The occurrences that happen for this couple thereafter spell doom for their lives since they never believed in any mumbo-jumbo like ghosts and superstitions. The stories told about this road are believed to involve a hitchhiker that appears out of nowhere. The hitchhiker appears to look normal except for the hood that it wears over its head. The story goes on to state that when this hitchhiker is approached and picked up, the driver of the car then realizes that the person has no head when they look in their rearview mirror. When the realization occurs, nothing deadly happens, but the ghost disappears and a curse is put upon them and their car. What has happened to this couple that night? What on earth did they approach alon! g the road? Was it really a hitchhiker playing a trick on them or was it really some type of supernatural being that is known to bring turmoil into peoples lives? The story then goes on to describe that this couple has not been seen since that night and clues or evidence cannot be found of their whereabouts. ...

Free Essays on Steinbeck

â€Å"John Steinbeck was one of the greatest American authors of his time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Spiller, ), and will, contrary to many skeptics beliefs, be known for his use of sentimentalism, realism, and â€Å"†¦his ability to envelop the feelings of Americans.† (Wooley, Newsbank) He did this through diligent research in discovering the true America in its rawest form. The product of this research was some of the most popular and widely criticized books in all of Americas literary history. One of the most prominent aspects of his greater works were the setting. Steinbeck drew on the personal experience of being born and raised in the California agricultural area of Salinas Valley to compose many of his most famous books. Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas California. â€Å"The two important facts about the first phase of his life are that he was a Californian and the he wanted to be a serious writer.† (French, 19) California was a great place for a young and aspiring writer to grow up. It had so many tumultuous periods in it’s history; the Spanish settlers, the Gold Rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the hardships of migrant workers. These epic events made California almost a legend in itself. His family came to Salinas as conquerors of the frontier. His grandfather migrated to California straight from Ireland, and his father moved there from Florida at the time of the Civil War. Steinbeck’s father, John Ernst, Sr., was the treasurer of Monterey County for many years and was also a miller. His mother, Olive Hamilton, taught at many schools in the Salinas area. He also had three sisters. Steinbeck had ample access to the three things Emerson said went into the making of a scholar; nature, books, action. Steinbeck was a small town boy, but he lived close to the country and spent much time around the farms just outside of Salinas. He also had access to a large number of books by many authors. T... Free Essays on Steinbeck Free Essays on Steinbeck â€Å"John Steinbeck was one of the greatest American authors of his time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Spiller, ), and will, contrary to many skeptics beliefs, be known for his use of sentimentalism, realism, and â€Å"†¦his ability to envelop the feelings of Americans.† (Wooley, Newsbank) He did this through diligent research in discovering the true America in its rawest form. The product of this research was some of the most popular and widely criticized books in all of Americas literary history. One of the most prominent aspects of his greater works were the setting. Steinbeck drew on the personal experience of being born and raised in the California agricultural area of Salinas Valley to compose many of his most famous books. Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas California. â€Å"The two important facts about the first phase of his life are that he was a Californian and the he wanted to be a serious writer.† (French, 19) California was a great place for a young and aspiring writer to grow up. It had so many tumultuous periods in it’s history; the Spanish settlers, the Gold Rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the hardships of migrant workers. These epic events made California almost a legend in itself. His family came to Salinas as conquerors of the frontier. His grandfather migrated to California straight from Ireland, and his father moved there from Florida at the time of the Civil War. Steinbeck’s father, John Ernst, Sr., was the treasurer of Monterey County for many years and was also a miller. His mother, Olive Hamilton, taught at many schools in the Salinas area. He also had three sisters. Steinbeck had ample access to the three things Emerson said went into the making of a scholar; nature, books, action. Steinbeck was a small town boy, but he lived close to the country and spent much time around the farms just outside of Salinas. He also had access to a large number of books by many authors. T...

Vocabulary Tips Is Thank You One Word or Two

Vocabulary Tips Is Thank You One Word or Two Vocabulary Tips: Is Thank You One Word or Two? People often thank us for our proofreading. But even gratitude can cause spelling problems! In particular, it can be tricky to know whether to write thank you, thankyou, or even thank-you. So, is â€Å"thank you† one word or two? Check out our guide to find out. Thank You as Two Words As a verb phrase, â€Å"thank you† is always two words. Or to put it another way, you should always use two words for the act of thanking someone: Thank you for walking my dog. We can also use this term as a noun (i.e., something given as thanks): I’ll send your mom some flowers as a thank you. Or we can use it as an adjective to modify another noun: I received a thank you note in the mail today. So no matter how you are using â€Å"thank you,† you can write is as two words. Thankyou as One Word Until recently, writing â€Å"thankyou† as a single word was generally considered an error. And some people still don’t like it! But the single-word version of this term is more common now than it used to be, especially as a noun or an adjective. For instance: I’ll send your mom some flowers as a thankyou. I received a thankyou note in the mail today. Alternatively, some people hyphenate â€Å"thank-you† when using it as a noun or adjective. So we could rewrite the examples above as follows: I’ll send your mom some flowers as a thank-you. I received a thank-you note in the mail today. However, you cannot use these versions of the term as a verb. And you should not write â€Å"thankyou† or â€Å"thank-you† at all in formal writing unless you’re sure your style guide permits it. Summary: Is Thank You One Word or Two? In American English, we almost always write â€Å"thank you† as two words. This applies whether you use it as a verb phrase, a noun, or an adjective. However, other versions are gaining acceptance. How you write â€Å"thank you† may thus depend on how you use it: As a verb phrase, always use two words (e.g., Thank you for your time). As a noun or an adjective, you can write it as two words, as a single word, or with a hyphen. However, some still consider writing it as a single word incorrect, so use two words in formal writing. And if you’d like someone to check your writing, get in touch with Proofed.

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Operations Management - Essay Example The researcher states that in order to achieve and sustain a competitive edge in the market environment, every firm must attempt to achieve consistency in its manufacturing or service delivery in all aspects. Therefore, the firm must identify areas that are necessary for inclusion in the operations management plan; plan on the approach to take in order to achieve the stated objectives; implement the strategy in accordance to the guidelines formulated in the planning stage; monitor the process; and improve by making corrections and adjustments to the process. If a firm can succeed in maintaining the operations management cycle for a sustained long period, then the firm is likely to achieve long term success due to preparedness to keep up and cope with market changes. Market changes include both macroeconomic and microeconomic market changes, both of which have an effect on a firm’s operations. Macroeconomic factors include changes in the aggregate economy of a vast geographical region including political changes; economic changes; social changes; technological changes; ethical changes and legal changes. Economic factors include the effects of the economy on business; social factors include changes in beliefs and perceptions as they relate to the business; technological factors centre the changes that affect the production process. Ethical factors include changes in perceptions of the difference between moral rights or wrongs; and legal factors are aspects of policy and legislation that have direct or indirect effects on the market. Microeconomic factors are the changes that occur in the market or industry and involve stakeholders like customers, suppliers, competitors and the public (Wong and Wong, 2007). A company must endeavour to satisfy the needs of customers, who are the core source of revenue for business; and attract and retain the attention of the public, which is composed of potential customers and investors. In addition, a company should build i ts credit worth to increase the likelihood of obtaining credit from suppliers even in the absence of funds to make cash purchases (Grafton, Lillis and Widener, 2010). The general idea is that a company should strive to align its inner environment with the changes in the outer environment. According to Slack, Chambers and Johnston (2007), a company should identify its level of success in the five main performance indicators including price, quality, speed, dependability and flexibility. This essay highlights the advantages and disadvantages of basing a performance management system on these five operations objectives. Implementation The first step towards implementation of a performance management system based on the five core performance indicators is an analysis of a company’s current performance against the expected performance. The aim of implementing such a system is to narrow down or close the gap between these two phenomena; the strategy being the use of these indicator s to achieve and retain a competitive edge in the face of a rapidly changing market. However, many scholars argue that the system should not be geared on achieving full functionality but a firm should focus on one aspect and do it to its best capacity. Specialisation enables a firm to perfect one aspect of its performance and uses it to outdo the competition in the market; especially by having a competitive edge derived from its effectiveness to achieve the optimal result in a performance indicator. However, using price, quality, speed, dependability and flexibility has merits and demerits (Zeydan and Colpan, 2009). Cost Optimisation of the performance indicator of cost has direct monetary benefits to a firm, as it enables the firm to reduce the cost of production by cutting down on inputs, mainly by adopting the use of cheaper alternatives or by reducing the quantity of input but maintaining the production output. In this case, the firm has the capacity to achieve high profit margi ns due to a higher difference between revenue and expenditure. Moreover, it has

Anthem case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthem - Case Study Example lth identification numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, employment information and income data had been illegally accessed by an unauthorised party (Humer, 2015). This is a major crisis for the company as 78.8 million people including minors had their information compromised (Abelson & Goldstein, 2015). This therefore, exposed just how vulnerable the company is to cyber attacks, thus necessitating the strengthening of its IT system security. Being the among the largest health insurance companies in the United States, this situation received immense media attention. The media attention was also great as this is considered to be the worst cyber attack to have hit a health insurance company in the US. Different media companies such as the Forbes, Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Reuters and NBC, among others highlighted this issue. The stakeholders of Anthem include its employees, current customers, past enrolees, suppliers, Independent Blue Cross, Blue Shield, shareholders, the public, the government and media. The fact that this company has many stakeholders implies that this data breach affected many parties. Strong growth in revenues: Over the years, Anthem has experienced an increase in its revenues. For instance, since 2000, it is estimated that the revenues of Anthem have grown at a compound rate of about 24.1%. In 2003, Anthem experienced an increase of $3,486.6 million in its revenue; and this was an increase of 26.8% as compared to 2002. Strong focus on technology: Anthem is highly focused on IT leading to a reduction in its processing time and saving on costs. Anthem reduced its cost of claim processing per claim from $2.50 to 14 cents. Additionally, Anthem collaborated with Accenture to develop a digital pen technology that would aid digital capturing and sending of medical claim information (Anthem Health Insurance, 2015). Strong brand association: Anthem is closely associated with

The Arts and Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Arts and Architecture - Essay Example As Walter H. Godfrey (1991) rightly puts it: "...architecture is the crystallisation of history. All the arts, to a large extent, depend for their growth and encouragement on the broad movements of national life, which have their bases in profound historical conditions or great political events. But the connection between these things and architecture is more intimate, more direct, and infinitely more obvious even to the unskilled observer than in the case of, say, literature or painting." (p. 2). The first forms of architectural designs can be traced back to the early Greeks in the Hellenistic period and architectural festivals that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the nation is a recent development in Europe and the Western World. The paper here tries to analyse the various events that are held during the London Festival of Architecture and try to unearth the cultural and national significance for the event among the audience. The paper tries to analyze the London Festival of Architecture and to bring out the major theoretical aspects regarding the growth of architecture in London. The London Festival of Architecture is celebrated in each summer and this year it has taken place recently from June 20, 2008 to July 20, 2008. The festival is regarded as one of the best festivals the nation has witnessed as it offers myriads of opportunity for the spectators both for enlightenment and entertainment. Like any other architectural fest, the London Festival of Architecture unearths the best form of artistic perfection of the past generation and all the architectural monuments have a different story of culture or myth associated with it. They are reminiscent of some of the most important cultural and historical heritage and as such they have got a lot to offer to the spectators. The 2008's London Festival of Architecture offers to provide fresh outlooks to the onlookers as its theme is FRESH: "The theme of this ye ar's festival is FRESH and organizers are exhorting visitors to take a fresh look at London, to indulge in fresh thinking, to enjoy the fresh talent on show and the fresh air of the walks and rides." (Williams). The festival is located in the central London, providing easy access to the many visitors who witness the festival. Content: The London Architectural Festival consists of a variety of programs, each of which focuses on one architectural monument or other. The major highlights of the festival include the LFA Clerkenwell & City of London Hub walking tour 1, LFA Clerkenwell & City of London Hub walking tour 2, Barbican flat tours 2, Barbican Screening : Garbage Warrior, Barbican Screening: The Rural Studio, the Brazilian Architecture in the 20th Century, Building the South Bank, Embodied Energy: Dance at Carter Lane, Fresh Views of London, 24 Hour Film Competition: Prize Giving, Green Sky Thinking, Roman Fort gate, and the Digital Architecture Film Showcase. The London Architectural Festival covers architectural monuments like the City Information Centre, National Portrait Gallery, Liverpool street station balcony. Aim: The aim of the paper is to analyze each event in the London Festiv

The effects of organisational change and the feedback of the change on Dissertation

The effects of organisational change and the feedback of the change on productivity in large organisations (financial industry) - Dissertation Example This large amount of decentralisation rendered in the organisation helps in generating a skilled work atmosphere in the concern which thereby helps in enhancing the productivity of the labour forces. Large amount of technological innovation rendered in the workplace systems through the installation of computer technology works to a great extent in altering the organisational culture to become more sophisticated and much faster in meeting organisational objectives. However it is argued in this regard that mere incorporation of newer processes and technologies in the organisational sphere does not solve the game unless a proper set of practices are regulated for its steady implementation. (Hakanson, 2-5). In regards to the above discussion focus can be rendered on the effects of organisational change like incorporation of information technology resources on the productivity parameter of financial organisations like insurance industries. It is found that the extensive use of information technology in the insurance industry has helped in the effective processing of financial information which helps in the optimal management of insurance claims made by different people. Coupled with the introduction of information technology the organisational systems of the insurance industries also were made to undergo some basic organisational changes like rendering of large scale decentralisation which helped in enhancing productivity. It was observed that the enhanced use of information technology in the insurance industries helped the insurance companies to develop larger network channels. This enhancement in the channel network of the insurance industries helped in augmenting the growth of marketing activities and also eased then premium collection process. Furthermore the increased use of information technology rendered in the insurance industries also helped in reducing the cost of maintenance of distribution and marketing channels. Reduction in the operational cost helped the insurance industries to make large number of investments in incorporating better technological processes and innovation systems thereby enhancing the productivity of the firms. (Matassa, Neirotti, and Paolucci, 1-6). Research Questions and Objectives Research Questions The paper divulges to answer the following research questions in regards to the issue of rendering changes in the organizational structure, systems and processes. Firstly it endeavours to highlight on the degree of changes that can be rendered in the basic organisational structure. Secondly it focuses on the processes through which such organisational changes so planned can be rightly implemented in the existing organisational system. Thirdly the paper endeavours to highlight on the effect of such changes brought about in the organisational structure in affecting the productivity parameter of the companies. Fourthly the paper in regards to the above discussion focuses on the case of a specific industry belonging t o the financial world. Research Objectives The paper while endeavouring to answer

Otto Von Bismarck Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Otto Von Bismarck - Term Paper Example First, after the defeat of Austria, it was expected that Otto Von Bismarck would make some demands for some territory from Austria, but instead, Otto Von Bismarck adapted the illogical strategy of failing to make such demands3. Otto Von Bismarck had sought excuses to start a war with Austria, by arguing that they had violated the Convention of Gastein4. Consequently, he charged the Prussian troops to attack Austria, but on realizing that the Austria troops were equally strong, he forged an alliance with Italy which was interested in some of the Austria’s territory in Venetia. This made the Austria’s army to be divided between fighting the Prussian troops and the Italian troops, thus losing the war. It is this illogical move that eventually resulted to the unification of Germany, through the unification of the German States, to combine forces in the Austro-Prussian War5. This is because, with the exclusion of Austria from Germany, then it was possible for Prussia to domi nate the German politics6. The other RealPolitik strategy applied by Otto Von Bismarck to achieve the unification of Germany was that of sustaining an enemy outlook with France. Otto Von Bismarck provoked France though trying to impose a German prince on the Spanish throne7. After the defeat of Austria, France perceived a united Germany as a major threat to the power politics in Europe, and thus made several attempts to unite with other territories such as Belgium and Luxemburg8. During such attempts, Otto Von Bismarck kept France advanced to the intrigues, but France did not win any of the territories, making France to be perceived as greedy and aggressive. This strategy was meant to ensure that the German states would unite under the Prussian authority, so that they would be offered protection against the perceived aggression from France9. Seeking to ensure that France would be seen as the aggressor against Germany, Otto Von Bismarck

Cost, Budgets and Strategic Decision Making in Management Accounting Assignment

Cost, Budgets and Strategic Decision Making in Management Accounting - Assignment Example The projected next period’s revenues are normally grounded on the prior accounting periods’ actual revenue trends. Second, the production facility budget is prepared. The production budget is grounded on the projected next accounting period’s revenues. If the next accounting period’s expected revenues is 50 cars and the last month’s unsold cars is 15 cars, then the production budget will be to produce only the remaining 35 cars [50 cars revenue – 15 unsold cars from the prior accounting period = 35 cars] (Warren, 2015). Third, the direct materials budget and labor budget are prepared (Warren, 2015). The direct materials are used as part of the finished product. If each car needs 2 cans of paint and there are 17 cans of paint remaining from the prior accounting period, the company must purchase 53 paint cans ([35 cars x 2 cans per car] – 17 cans from prior accounting period = 53 new can purchases). If one can costs  £ 5, then the budget for the next accounting period includes  £ 265 (53 cans of paint x  £5 per can). The labor costs must be included in the budget (Warren, 2015). The labor cost is the salary of the workers directly making the products, the car painters. Furthermore, the factory overhead budget is computed (Kinney, 2012). The factory overhead is composed of all other costs that do not fall under direct materials or direct labor classification. This includes the indirect materials figures and indirect labor amounts. The other amounts include the factory Janitors’ salaries, electricity payments, water payments, and telephone amounts. Next, the selling and administration expense budget is prepared (Bromwich, 2009). The selling expense budget includes the amounts allocated to sell the finished products, including the cars. The selling expense budget includes the sales department’s salaries and commissions, advertising, and other sales department expenses. The

Otto Von Bismarck Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Otto Von Bismarck - Term Paper Example First, after the defeat of Austria, it was expected that Otto Von Bismarck would make some demands for some territory from Austria, but instead, Otto Von Bismarck adapted the illogical strategy of failing to make such demands3. Otto Von Bismarck had sought excuses to start a war with Austria, by arguing that they had violated the Convention of Gastein4. Consequently, he charged the Prussian troops to attack Austria, but on realizing that the Austria troops were equally strong, he forged an alliance with Italy which was interested in some of the Austria’s territory in Venetia. This made the Austria’s army to be divided between fighting the Prussian troops and the Italian troops, thus losing the war. It is this illogical move that eventually resulted to the unification of Germany, through the unification of the German States, to combine forces in the Austro-Prussian War5. This is because, with the exclusion of Austria from Germany, then it was possible for Prussia to domi nate the German politics6. The other RealPolitik strategy applied by Otto Von Bismarck to achieve the unification of Germany was that of sustaining an enemy outlook with France. Otto Von Bismarck provoked France though trying to impose a German prince on the Spanish throne7. After the defeat of Austria, France perceived a united Germany as a major threat to the power politics in Europe, and thus made several attempts to unite with other territories such as Belgium and Luxemburg8. During such attempts, Otto Von Bismarck kept France advanced to the intrigues, but France did not win any of the territories, making France to be perceived as greedy and aggressive. This strategy was meant to ensure that the German states would unite under the Prussian authority, so that they would be offered protection against the perceived aggression from France9. Seeking to ensure that France would be seen as the aggressor against Germany, Otto Von Bismarck

How obamacare relates to the practice of nursing and healthcare Essay

How obamacare relates to the practice of nursing and healthcare - Essay Example The name Obamacare was ironically given to it by Mitt Romney in 2007 as a pejorative term and was readily picked by media and then by Obama and other democrats. When Obama was talking about healthcare reforms, Romney took it as a threat and warned his supporters and Republicans in an address that Obama was just doing it to earn fame and to brag about it later. Romney mockingly said that if Democrats win and implement their healthcare policies, they are going to be more about their fame and less about the public welfare and the Democrats would probably name their policies according to their own names like Obamacare and Hillarycare etc. Romney also called it â€Å"socialized medicine† (Pham, 2013). When Obama was asked about it later, he very proudly said that â€Å"Yes, Obama cares†. This reform underwent a lot of ups and downs before getting signed. A very lengthy debate was held on this topic in the Senate and the House of Representatives and a lot of media hype was gi ven to the issue. Due to all this highlighting, it became one of the popular topic of debates and discussions among all and sundry and at the same time it gave rise to bravura of confusions and myths. It became one of the most debated topics in USA and ironically, most of the people didn’t even know actually about its exact implications (Wallace, 2012). The American citizens were already having healthcare facilities and insurance under the Medicaid laws that were being practiced. Being used to the existing healthcare and insurance policies, Obamacare became a hard pill to swallow for the American citizens and especially for the elderly people. With lack of awareness and confusing debates on media no one in America exactly knows whether Obamacare is actually going to help or to add more to their sufferings. Actually Obamacare is the overhauling of the already existing policies of healthcare and insurance. It adds more to the healthcare system of the country by increasing quali ty and affordability of health insurance. This affordability and quality is aimed to be achieved by lowering the insurance rates and increasing public and private insurance. There are many provisions that are going to be practiced under the banner of Obamacare. These are specifically designed to get more and more public attracted towards the new policy and by making the conditions easier or at least apparently easier for the public. This policy ensures same premium price for everyone, despite of their existing conditions. So this is going to be affordable and available for all without any discrimination. It also prohibits denial due to pre existing conditions. This policy is going to help people with low incomes. It is going to give them equal health benefits and thus going to be very useful. It is also going to provide subsidies for low income individuals and families. These subsidies are going to be provided to people who are earning between 100% and 400% of Federal poverty level. This is a very practically helpful step for people with low incomes and thus they can have good and affordable healthcare with provision of this subsidy that covers a lot of people with low incomes. This subsidy will also encourage people to get insured because of its affordability and thus it will practically help in getting nearer to the notion of universal healthcare. There are also going to be many reforms in the Medicaid payment systems and with these reforms Obamacare will

Scientific Theories Essay Example for Free

Scientific Theories Essay One of the major preoccupations of XX’s century scientific philosophers was the development of complex scientific theory explaining how science comes to be and how it works. Since 1900-s several basic theories have been proposed to explain science. This paper aims to provide an overview of those theories especially concentrating on ideas of scientific revolution by Thomas S. Kuhn. Already David Hume in â€Å"A Treatise of Human Nature† noticed, that we can never truly prove the existence of casual laws but we can only perceive them and their consequences. And as we can not know the truth about laws, we can never know the law itself, so it is always open for reconsideration. W.V. Quine went even further by proposing, that even mathematical theorems can from time to time be revised if necessary. Thusly they have created grounds for illogical negativism, under which no statement can be recognized absolutely true. In the 1920-s Moritz Schlicks and Hans Reichenbach offered another view which they called logical positivism. Basically recognizing that no statement can be true or false a priory, logical positivists held that every piece of knowledge is based on logics of â€Å"protocol sentences† based on observable events. In order to be recognized true or false a statement is to meet a verifiability criterion. Only in this case a statement can be recognized meaningful. However, some of the positivists noticed, that even non-verifiable statements may have some cognitive value[1]. In the 1930-s Karl Popper raised criticism against positivist model and introduced a theory based on ideas of practicing scientists. Under his idea scientific progress is achieved by rejection of earlier false theories and creation of a new theory when the old one no longer fits the empiric facts. The new theory is therefore closer to truth. So physics of Aristotle has been replaced by physics of Newton and physics of Newton by the one of Einstein. Every new theory explains the world in new terms and on a new level, Progressive theory has been sharply criticized by Thomas Kuhn in his â€Å"Structure of Scientific Revolutions†, published in 1962. Under his idea, scientific progress is a set of dominant structures, which he called paradigms.   Scientific research passes through stages of â€Å"normal† development including solving of current problems and â€Å"revolutionary stage†. Revolutionary stage or paradigm shift means testing of new theories and assumptions which causes a state of crisis in the old theories, when paradigms are sufficiently unprecedented to attract an enduring group of adherents away from competing modes of scientific activity[2] For Kuhn a new paradigm is not only a new theory, but a totally new view on the world and a new way of thinking. A paradigm is not a new answer to a question, but it is revolutionary new way of putting questions themselves. Core questions of the old paradigm are rejected by a new one as those, which are no longer applicable[3]. Moreover, one paradigm can not be understood in terms of another paradigm, so changing paradigms necessarily causes a crisis. Kuhn explained this using examples from astronomy by noticing that Given a particular discrepancy, astronomers were invariably able to eliminate it by making some particular adjustment in Ptolemy’s system of compounded circles. But astronomy’s complexity was increasing far more rapidly than its accuracy and that a discrepancy corrected in one place was likely to show up in another.[4] Paradigm changes the world itself, and Kuhn offers an example of Lavoisier, who saw nature differently after discovering oxygen[5]. After scientific revolution has happened, communications are to restored between advocates of new and old theories. This is a hard and long lasting process, which often ends by physical death of the â€Å"old† scientists, because Conversions will occur a few at a time until, after the last hold-outs have died, the whole profession will again be practicing under a single, but now different, paradigm[6].   This caused claims of relativism which Kuhn himself denied in the later editions of his book. However, despite of all, Kuhn’s idea have deeply influenced the modern philosophic vocabulary. Such terms as â€Å"paradigm†, â€Å"paradigm shift†, â€Å"normal science† and â€Å"revolutionary science† are now widely applied by scientists and philosophers, especially in social science, political science and international relations theory[7]. Among the latest critics one should mention reasoning by Paul Feyerabend. He noticed, that there were many cases in the history of science, when scientists considered their theories a priory accurate long after some facts are discovered, which demonstrate the weakness of the theory. Under Feyerabend’s assumption there exist certain forms of scientific thinking, which allow scholars to recognize certain theories as scientific. So methodology of science can be pluralistic and include methods from different periods. New methods of reasoning do not substitute old ones, but they enter the scientific cannon together and mutually influence each other[8]. Works Cited Friedman, Michael, (1999) Reconsidering Logical Positivism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press Thomas S. Kuhn (1996) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, University Of Chicago Press; 3 edition Fuller S. (2000) Thomas Kuhn: A Philosophical History for Our Times. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Bird A. (2000) Thomas Kuhn. Princeton and London: Princeton University Press and Acumen Press Paul K. Feyerabend (1999) Knowledge, Science and Relativism. Vol. 3, Cambridge [1]   Friedman, Michael, (1999) Reconsidering Logical Positivism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, p,- 43 [2] Thomas S. Kuhn   (1996) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, University Of Chicago Press; 3 edition, p.-10 [3] Fuller S. (2000) Thomas Kuhn: A Philosophical History for Our Times. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p.-70 [4] Thomas S. Kuhn   (1996) ibidem, p.-65 [5] Supra note, p.- 118 [6] Supra note, p.-152 [7] Bird A. (2000) Thomas Kuhn. Princeton and London: Princeton University Press and Acumen Press. p.- 113 [8] See: Paul K. Feyerabend (1999) Knowledge, Science and Relativism. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press

The American Airlines and US Airways Merger

The American Airlines and US Airways Merger Mergers and acquisitions correspond to the definitive changes for businesses. In the contemporary business environment, they are increasingly being adopted to enhance competition through increased performances. Similar organizations merge hence their long-term survival in the competitive environment (Weston, 2014). Typically, mergers and acquisitions result in organizational economic development. The companies involved grow their market share and capacity thus expanding on investment portfolios to facilitate risk reduction. They smooth the progress of entering new markets, adding up to shareholders value and offer better economies of scale. At this perspective view, nearly all publicly traded companies have experienced a major acquisition at some point in the United States, so did the American Airlines and US Airways in 9th December 2013. Both companies operate under the same radar of airspace business. The American Airlines and US Airways merged to form American Airlines Group, Inc. as a publicly traded airline holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The target company was American Airlines. American Airlines maintained 72% of the company while US Airways took the rest 28%. The majority of the shares were distributed to US Airways shareholders and American Airlines previous creditors. This merge upshot the largest airline globally with 336 locations in 56 nations worldwide, over 6,700 daily flights, more than 100,000 employees and an operating revenue of $40billion. As yet, American Airlines Group, targets to take the delivery of over 600 new aircrafts including a minimum of 500 narrow-bodied and 90 wide-body international flights (American Airlines News, n.d.) Examine the circumstances that resulted in the merger or acquisition for the selected company. Speculate on two (2) reasons why the resulting decision to merge or to acquire / be acquired was made. Circumstances that resulted in the merger of American Airways and US Airways The foremost circumstances which lead to America Airlines and US Airways merger from an abstract point of view sets from the financial problems. US Airways was an American Airlines creditor according to a bankruptcy court filing stated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It had already undergone through more than a decade of losses and retrenchments. The management team had considered a stand-alone restructuring plan before. It also revealed that American Airlines looked forward to merging with another airline and US Airways presented the potential fit. Secondly, both companies had similar operations. These incidents gave rise to possible workable and potential merger action which materialised in the end as they both agreed to a merger. Reasons that resulted to the merger The first reason as to why the resulting decision to merge was made was the fact that the merger would create a book balance by absorbing out the bankruptcy court filing after appropriate paybacks and other payments. Henceforth, the merged company would operate in financial freedom achieved for the long-term outcome. Operating together with the pooled cost of capital would lower operational costs and realize increased returns than if the two companies functioned separately (Weston, 2014). It would be cheaper for both American Airlines and US Airways to internally invest and eye for expansion of its businesses and operations. Acquiring new aircrafts and other related assets would be cheaper because of the united bargain purchase. Secondly, American Airlines and US Airways would result in a horizontal merger that would form a strong pillar to achieve a competitive edge in the global scale. This would lead to achieving additional value in airline operations and business on the international market. The projected synergy value, would direct the combined companies to forms that could yield higher revenues, lower expenses and the overall cost of capital (Cooper, 2014). The merger and acquisition of the companies would give the merged parties an edge over their rivals in terms of business opportunities. After the merge, they would exploit the emerging trends in the market together. This would also assist in gap filling of the partys weakness and upbringing of significant strength paramount for dominance in the airline industry. These reasons moved American Airlines and US Airways to make the decision to merge. Assess the significant positive (or negative) effects of the merger or acquisition. Provide at least two (2) examples of those effects now that the merger or acquisition has been completed. Effects of the merger Completion of the American Airlines and US Airways contributed to a number of significant positive effects. The major key benefit was power consolidation and control over the market. This facilitated the entry into new markets and larger shares in the existing market. It improved economies of scale which corresponded to acquisition of more assets in the form of aircrafts (Cooper, 2014). Sharing taxes increased monetary leverage making them utilize much of its benefits by saving costs (Ulijn, 2013). As a result, the combined airline company offered more convenient schedule to travel plans with access to more destinations around the world. Their combined fleet continued penetration to operate more routes with the largest fleets of airbuses throughout the world connecting more people and promoting diversification of global businesses and multicultural. For instance, it is already operates 336 destinations in more than 50 countries in the world. Currently, the combined company employs ov er 100,000 people across the globe (Cooper, 2003). Merging the two airlines resulted in the formation of a strong union of a well organised customer service than before. The union undertook to oversee systematic arrangement in cases of bankruptcy hence giving workers more power to negotiate and maintain their wages. It lifted off workers suffering during the past years. Upon completion of the merger, it provided better benefits and compensation for the combined airlines employees. In addition, employees are significantly benefiting from being part of a leading international company with stronger financial foundation and competitive platform for greater long-term career opportunities as well as more employment opportunities. However, the merging of the two companies had some negative effects as well. Their combination composes them to behave like a monopoly because of operating in the similar industry. Monopoly meant less competition and higher prices. Setting high flight prices due to lack of competition hurts the travellers and other service consumers. This lead to frequent lawsuits from the opposing bodies, this is disruptive to the thriving business (Cooper, 2003). The merge of American Airlines and US Airways implied a combination of similar operational functions together with over capability. Most of the US Airways employees faced frictions by the internal competition and had to be retrenched hence the company ended up losing some of their skilled workers. Labor difficulties continued because of the bankruptcy which resulted in frozen pension and reduced benefits. For instance, the Labour Law still follows up in determination of fair terms. Examine the organizational structure that has resulted from the merger or acquisition. Analyze the major differences between the resulting company and the original two (2) organizations. New Organisational Structure Consequence to the Merger The organisational structure consequence to the merger involved positional shift amongst the personell. Doug Parker, the pre-existing head of the US Airways became the C.E.O of the merged company while Tom Horton became the outgoing. He became the chairman of the new companys board of directors. Derek DeCross maintained his role as the vice president of the global sales for the new American Airlines. President Scott Kirby held the same role at the new American Airlines. The rest of the organisational structure was a blend of positions that retained the most competitive human resource (Cooper, 2003). Difference between the resulting Company and the Original Ones There is a remarkable difference between the original company and the merger. This is attributed to the consideration that American Airlines was known to be traditional in terms of business promotion and conduct while US Airways was known to be less formal and transparent. The resulting new American Airline is a strong blend of their difference in culture, formality and transparency. American Airlines served 277 destinations while US Airways served 193 destinations. The new American Airline combined this number to form several more destinations connecting the world. The resulting company, therefore, formed a more stable structure that comprised of a bigger operational group than the original companies (Ulijn, 2013). Initially the original companies operated domestically but their alliance gives them power to function internationally paving way to global dominance. Determine whether or not the human resources management practices of the company were modified to reflect the outcome of the merger or acquisition. If no changes were necessary, speculate on the reasons why they were not. Provide a rationale for your response. Modification of Human Resource Management Practices The human resource management practices of the company made adjustments to reflect on the outcome because this area proved a big challenge prior to the merger. Profit-sharing and performance incentives, direct compensation, retirement options and benefits packages were all upgraded and updated. They consolidated much of their training at the primary hub and at the new headquarters so as to provide the most comprehensive hands-on skills necessary for the processes of the merger. This went down to drive supervisors and managers at both airlines tasked with ensuring that employees focused on their jobs during the drawn-out airline merger. The initial combined leadership team was made to consist of US airways employees, but the split became more levelled in the managing and supervisory ranks (Cooper, 2003). The Human Resource department was rearranged such that it had US Airways on the communications side. More so, the US Airways had already snagged Chris Kelly Singley away from Delta; the best communication corporation group, to be the managing director of communication, very vital tool in the merger procedure. Chris was planned to technically work for US Airways where she would play a very important role in joining the American Airlines US Airways communications departments to support the new airline. From Kelly, the team was broken down to serve the airport functions geographically where the hub Vice Presidents would remain unchanged on the organisational chart. Regional carriers leaders were fetched from American while one cargo boss took over the similar position. Hector Adler was tasked to run the in-flight group at the new American Airline just as was the case back at US Airways. It was arranged that from US Airways, David Seymour would lead the maintenance group while someone fr om American Airlines would take care of base maintenance (Cooper, 2003). The rest of the unmentioned human resource team such as engineering and finance remained in their positions so as to enhance their responsibilities in the combined company. Rational for modification Modification of the human management practices had to be factored in to provide an organised platform for workflow and a better transition for the employees who had to leave work. The combined company needed the best practices for human resource functions as they are a fragile component of merger and acquisitions. Strategic decisions had to be centralised to one company. These practices were changed to reflect on the promotion fairness during working under a complex merger. Without the modifications in the practices, employees benefits for the combined company would be difficult to handle. References American Airlines News. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://hub.aa.com/en/nr/pressrelease/american-airlines-us-airways-merger Cooper, C. (2003). Advances in mergers and acquisitions. Vol. 2. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Ulijn, J. (2010). Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquistions: The influence of cluture on successful cooperation. Cheltenham, UK [u.a.: Elgar. Weston, J. (2001). Mergers and Acquistions. Blacklick :: McGraw-Hill Companies, The.

Albinism :: essays research papers

Page:1 Albinism is a very serious disease that could end up in death. Albinism is a recessive inherited defect in melanin, which is metabolism in which pigment is absent from skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism in hair, skin, and eyes is called oculocutaneous albinism. Humans that have oculocotaneous albinism are not able to produce melanin. These people have white, yellow, or yellow brown hair, very light ( usually blue ) eyes, and very pale skin. Their eyes may appear pink because they have very little pigment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism just in the eyes is called ocular albinism. Which is a dark biological pigment that is formed as an end product of the metabolism of the amino and tyrosine. People with ocular albinism, which only the eye lacks melanin pigment, while everything else appears normal. People who have this have a variety of the eye disorders because of the lack of pigment impairs normal eye development. These effected are extremely sensitive to bright light. Treatment for ocular albinism includes the use of visual aids and surgery for strabismus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism is very rare in humans. There is a one to seventeen thousand chance that a person will have Albinism. Because of albinism if a person with the disease is exposed to ultraviolet rays they get very sick or get cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism occurs in all races, from white, black, to asian. Regardless of skin color the people are still paler than normal people. Their hair is white and they have pinkish red eyes. Page:2 There is another type of albinism which is called Hermansk-Pudlak syndrome. In the is type of the disease there could be problems with bleeding, and with lung and bowel disease as well. This is a very rare and uncommon type of albinism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For almost all types of Albinism both parents or mates must carry an albinism gene in order for their child to have albinism. Because the body has two sets of genes, a person may have normal pigmentation but carry the albinism gene. If a person has one normal gene and one albinism gene that is still enough to pass the disease on to their children. Even if both parents have the albinism gene it does not mean they have the sickness. The baby will have a one out of four chance of getting the disease. This is inherited by autosomal recessive inheritance.

Moth Man

Sarah Lyon October 22, 2008 Informative speech Comm. 103 T/R 200-315 The Moth man Lives Topic: The Moth man of Point pleasant West Virginia General Purpose: To provide information on the actual Mothman occurrences In point pleasant West Virginia. Specific purpose: To inform my class to the truth behind the movie the moth man prophecies and let them hear the err tale of the hauntings that are so close to our campus. I. Thesis: The Mothman proposes is a legend about a human side bird like creature that has been linked to many deaths over the years in point pleasant west Virginia.Organizational pattern Attention grabber: Im the type of person that loves Urban legends and when from the moment that I got to Marshall’s campus I wanted to find one. And then the hunt began, I searched and I found The Moth man. Most of you are problem familiar with him from the movie the mothman prophecies. However the story doesn’t end when the final credits started to roll. II. Background: In the early 1900's, an area outside Point Pleasant was designated the McClintic Wildlife Preserve. It was, among other things, a bird sanctuary.As part of the World War II war effort, part of the preserve was ripped up and converted to a munitions dump where about 100 cement and steel â€Å"igloos† were built to house wartime explosives. These were later sold off to a variety of gunpowder, chemical and even bio-chemical companies. This area soon became known to the locals simply as the T. N. T. , and later became a popular hangout where young people would â€Å"park† and have parties. This is the area where many of the Mothman sightings occurred. III.Relevance: All of the sighting of The Mothman have been linked significantly to deaths around point plesant including the collapse of the silver bridge that killed 46. IV. Establish credibility: Now I’d like to tell you that The Mothman is just a figment of our imagination and that we live in the safe state of West Vi rginia where nothing bad ever happens, but I’d be lying to you. He has been linked to hundreds of deaths across our great state and there have been similar stories all over the world of a bird like mythical creature that brings about death. V.Thesis/preview: The Moth man prophecies are not just a subject tile for a popular thriller movie but a real life urban legend that exists here in west Virginia. He has been linked to hundreds of deaths and the great silver bridge collapsing. Transition: Even though it is hard to believe that a bird like man is responsible for killings around the entire state it is common knowledge that animals affected by strong chemicals can have strange mutations. Body I. How are the deaths linked to The Moth man? A. Prior to every death, reports of seeing a birdlike man with red eyes were sighted. . â€Å"In the summer of 1966, sightings began to take place around the Ohio River. One woman reported seeing something looking like a giant butterfly, abo ut six feet long. On another evening a group of gravediggers saw what they described as a â€Å"brown human being† fly out of the trees. Later that November a man in Salem, West Virginia saw two red objects hovering over a field. His German Sheppard took off after the objects and was never seen again. †(http://www. otherplane. com/am/ammothman. htm). 2. â€Å"It was shaped like a man, but bigger. Maybe six and a half or seven feet tall.And it had big wings folded against its back† Roger Scar berry told reporters. â€Å"But it was those eyes that got us. It had two big eyes like automobile reflectors,† added Linda Scar berry. â€Å"They were hypnotic. For a minute, we could only stare at it. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. † (http://www. ufocasebook. com/themothman. html) B. The movie, The Moth man Prophecies is a semi-fictional account of a reporter who â€Å"solved† the story of the moth man. 1. In the film the reporter finds himself entranced by the legend when his wife has mysteriously died suddenly after a car accident. 2.He gets in his car after her death and arrives by accident in Point Pleasant west Virginia. 3. He becomes friends with the locals and starts to invest the eerie phenomenon that is engulfing their quiet American town. Transition: The movie was good at explaining what happened as far as the deaths due to the mothman but did not go into great details about how The Moth man was actually created. II. The story A. during WWII an area of Point Pleasant was inhabited by â€Å"igloos† that were used to manufactory Trinitrotoluene (TNT). The â€Å"igloos† housed the TNT until it was needed to be sent for war efforts B.The Igloos were sealed and had been hidden, the EPA said that there was no way they could have leaked out any of the chemical, however many choose to believe otherwise. C. The area is now known to locals as the TNT area. It is a recreational area for locals as well as a pla ce where teenagers tend to hang out and party. Conclusion I. Restatement of thesis: Despite common held beliefs that the moth man is just a creature that haunted the town of point pleasant wv, he is actually a bird preserve inhabitant that was destroyed by the efforts of WWII.He will still haunt the town of point pleasant forever because he is linked to over one hundred deaths but as we can see, we have no concrete evidence to show this.Bibilography: â€Å"OTHERPLANE: Ancient myth paranormal mothman. † OTHERPLANE. Otherplane. com. 22 Oct. 2008 ;lt;http:/http://www. otherplane. com/am/ammothman. htm;gt;. â€Å"The mothman souce: chapter 1. † The mothman legend. Ufobooks. 22 Oct. 2008 ;lt;http:/http://www. ufocasebook. com/themothman. html;gt;.

Microeconomics Coursework Essay Essay

Critically evaluate and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Customer Boycotts. Compare and contrast either Coca Cola or Bacardi with another consumer boycott of your choice and discuss appropriate microeconomic theoretical models. Firstly to understand this question we need to understand what a customer or consumer boycott actually is. Well it is normally called by an organisation or a group of individuals, asking consumers not to buy a specific product, or the products of a specific company, in order to exert commercial pressure. This is usually done to get the company to change behaviour, to cease an activity or to adopt a more ethical practice. For this essay I am going to discuss many advantages and disadvantages of consumer boycotts and also I have decided to compare and contrast coca cola with the Nestle boycott. There are various ways to make a boycott efficient. To be efficient a reduction of 1-2% of turnaround of a company (or product) is seen as the critical mass needed. (27 Mar 2003, Demanding consumer [online]. Available at:). Boycotts can be successful, for example, in 1986 Rainforest Action Network launched a boycott of Burger King. This was because of Burger King importing beef from tropical rainforest countries because it was cheap. But the rainforests were getting destroyed in order to provide pasture for cattle. As a result of the boycott, Burger Kings sales dropped by 12%. In response, Burger King cancelled thirty-five million dollars worth of beef contracts in Central America and announced that the company would stop importing rainforest beef. Boycott calls are at times controversial because they may be called by groups from the political side or for activities that people don’t specifically disagree. Boycott efforts can include protests against everything from  investing in a politically undesirable country to discouragement of the eating or drinking of products from certain companies or countries. Boycotts are not always effective and only a limited percentage of countries consumers will participate in one. While many people are sympathetic to the reason behind a boycott, not enough people join in. One of the main reasons is that people do not see their actions as having any results. This may be partly due to only concentrating on what happens to the primary target of a boycott. But there are also secondary effects which I will talk about later. There are many advantages to consumer boycotts that I will discuss now. Obviously the main advantage is when the boycotts work, as said above with the boycott of burger king, and the company consequently changes its ways. But more often than not boycotts rarely change the companies ways or at least so that the consumer knows about it. One advantage is that boycotts are a way that consumers can use their power for positive social change. Boycotts can be effective because when successful they will result in increased public scrutiny of the company. This in turn will cause concerns inside the company about lost profits from the loss in consumer interest and companies are always concerned about their financial position. Another advantage is that a boycott can hold a company accountable for any policies that negatively affect the environment or people. This is an advantage because a company could be ignoring the problem but with a consumer boycott more and more people will find out about the problem and may also decide to join in. The negative coverage that will arise from media coverage of the boycott may become a big problem for the company in the long run, since competitors may gain a relative advantage. An example of this is that after the boycott of French wines in Denmark had calmed down, the French wines had lost 20 percent market share. Also there was a bigger problem, because the general impression was that consumers could be persuaded to switch back to French  wines. But many supermarket shelves had been reorganised in order to give more space to Italian and Spanish wines, and this was considered a more serious problem. (Can Consumer boycotts work, 2002 [online]. Available at: I mentioned briefly earlier something called a primary effect, well this would be where the target organisation changes its practice. Many targets are however reluctant to change as the result of hostile pressure, and even if changes are made they may try to hide the fact that the consumer action had any effect. There is also the fact that most boycotts are small by comparison to the overall sales, so a target can ride out a boycott. Thus the primary effects may be small and many boycotts may be judged not to have succeeded. So this could be seen as a disadvantage. But the secondary effects are an advantage and are the effects that are not connected to the target. They are effects on other organisations that are not in conflict and can therefore change without the public knowing. Secondary effects can be changes to regulations, lasting change in industry practices, allowing substantial growth entrance of ethical players into the market or effects on decisions of similar organisations to the target. (Why Secondary Effects, [online]. Available at: An example of secondary effects is if someone refuses to buy Nescafe (the coffee brand from Nestle) then he may choose to buy a brand from a much smaller company. The positive effect to this smaller company is much larger than the negative effect to Nestle. The new company may find out that many people are switching to it on ethical grounds and position itself in the market to take advantage of this by, for example, publishing a code of conduct. Having switched brand once this person will have less brand loyalty and a newly formed company will know this by market research and will know they have a better chance of success in the coffee sector. (Why Secondary Effects, [online]. Available at: The boycott campaigns can also be important in developing political consciousness and can be one of the few non violent means to create political pressure. Another advantage is the exposure of the company and with less people buying their products the consumers will be looking at  buying substitute goods and therefore the demand for these will increase and therefore the supply will also increase. Consumer boycotts will increase competition in the market and firms will reduce their prices as a result to compete and also to gain the extra consumers that have less brand loyalty. The firms profits will also reduce and the smaller firms will gain more of the market share. There are also disadvantages to boycotts though. One of these could be a large reduction in jobs, â€Å"Boycotting Nestle products won’t help the poor farmers who sell to the company†, the head of Oxfam said. (Charlotte Denny, 2002. Retreat by Nestle on Ethiopia’s $6 debt [online]. The Guardian. Available at: ) They can have an adverse impact on individuals and communities which become innocent victims of the economic damage that boycotts can cause. Obviously there are disadvantages for the company as the reputation of the company will be harmed as a result of the impact of consumer boycotts, this isn’t good for it as it would need to lower its prices because the demand will become less. This is shown below As the demand falls so does the equilibrium price (Pe1 to Pe2). Another disadvantage to the company is that the company budgets will get ruined and will need to be analysed and changed. Also the gross domestic product of the host country could fall which is a disadvantage. In extreme cases there could be a loss of multinational specialisation and technology in a third world country as the company may not do their business their. There could be a loss of consumer choice if the product ceases after a boycott. Boycotts like that of advertising of cigarettes can cost businesses their survival, as in motor racing as half the advertising used to come from cigarette companies. Now a lot struggle to get the advertising money needed. There can also occasionally be some violence resulting from the boycotts and also resentment. Another disadvantage for consumers would be that some people would argue that all publicity is good publicity. Now I will compare and contrast the consumer boycott of coca cola with the consumer boycott of Nestle. Coca cola is the worlds fastest selling non-alcoholic beverage and the consumer boycott of it started on the 22nd July 2003. The reason behind the boycott is because they are accused of complicity in the assassination of 8 Sinaltrainal trade union leaders in Colombia since 1990. Sinaltrainal is a trade union and it organisers workers in the food and drink sector. Many other of the leaders have been imprisoned, tortured, forcibly displaced and exiled. Coca Cola deny any responsibility for these murders. They say that 100’s of union leaders are killed every year in Columbia. However many of the murders were made inside Coca Cola plants while negotiating agreements. Coca cola management were reported in the national press as meeting and contracting members of the AUC death squads to â€Å"sort out their labour problems†. (Boycott Coca Cola, [online]. Available at: Since 1977, Nestle has been the subject of an international boycott for its deceptive promotion of artificial baby milk as a superior alternative to mother’s milk. Artificial baby milk can harm babies because it does not contain the natural anti bodies which a mother’s milk provides, and because it is extremely expensive, causing many mothers to mix it with too much water resulting in mal-nutrition. Also, in many places the water used to dilute it is not portable. Once a mother starts giving her baby the formula, her own supply of milk dries up. Nestle provides free packages of formula in hospitals with the result that many babies never ever even get a chance to start nursing. In 1988 the boycott was re-launched when it was discovered that the company did not abide by its promise to follow the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. (A Consistent Corporate Criminal, [online]. Available at: ). There have been massive impacts on Nestle because of the boycott. In 1984 the boycott forced Nestle to agree to abide by the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing of breast Milk Substitutes. But now it was discovered that the company has not abided by its promise so the boycott was re-launched. Also in one afternoon 8,500 people emailed Oxfam to complain about Nestle, this was the fastest response Oxfam says it has had to a campaign. (Charlotte Denny, 2002. Retreat by Nestle on Ethiopia’s $6 debt [online]. The Guardian. Available at: ). Coca cola is in the non-alcoholic beverage market whereas Nestle is one of the world’s largest food manufacturers; it is also though same as coca cola in the beverage market. With a consumer boycott against both of these two companies, this means that the demand for both of their products will decrease as a result, causing an increase in the demand for substitute goods, like Pepsi instead of Coca Cola. Also because there is a shift in the demand curve this leads to a movement along the supply curve so the price of the goods, coca cola or a nestle brand will go up from P1 to P2 and the quantity in equilibrium falls from Q1 to Q2. This is a supply and demand graph for what has happened with coca cola and Nestle because of the consumer boycott against them. This is a supply and demand graph for what happens to the demand for a substitute good like Pepsi for coca cola because of the boycott. If a company has a strong consumer loyalty then a boycott would be unlikely to have much of an effect on the number of people who choose to join in and not purchase their products, however if a company has failed to build up a strong consumer loyalty then consumers will find it easy to decide to no longer purchase their product and will purchase the competitors products. Why have both Coca Cola and Nestle continued to upset consumer groups when  they could easily change there policies and consequently have the boycotts against them lifted. The answer to this is that the company must be getting more financial gain from what ever is upsetting the consumer groups than the loss of revenue that the boycotts have brought about. Both Nestle and Coca Cola are oligopoly markets because there are just a few firms that share a large proportion of the industry. Both of the markets of Nestle and Coca Cola are differentiated, because they both produce many types of the product. Coca Cola and Nestle are the same as much of the competition between such oligopolists is in terms of the marketing of their particular brand. There are barriers to entry into both markets, these could be product differentiation and brand loyalty, where there are differentiated products where the consumer associates the product with the brand, and it will be very difficult for a new firm to break into that market. The problem would be being able to produce a product sufficiently attractive to consumers who are loyal to the familiar brand. (John Sloman, 2003. Economics. Fifth edition. (s.l.): Pearson Education). Another barrier could be lower costs for an established firm. The companies are likely to have specialised production and marketing skills. They are more likely to be aware of the most efficient techniques and the most reliable and/or cheapest suppliers. They are also likely to have access to cheaper finance, therefore operating on a lower cost curve. New firms would find it hard to compete and be likely to lose any price wars. Aggressive tactics or intimidation could also be used. (John Sloman, 2003. Economics. Fifth edition. (s.l.): Pearson Education). Because Nestle and coca cola are in the oligopoly markets they both are affected by their rivals actions and vice versa. Because of this the firms could wish to collude and act as though they are a monopoly so they could jointly maximise their profits, or the firms could try and compete with their rivals to gain a bigger share of industry profits. Because Coca Cola and Nestle are both the leading firms in their industries, tacit collusion could form where they set the prices for their markets. Oligopolists will not engage in price cutting, excessive advertising or  other forms of competition. By doing this profits will be maintained in the long run. If oligopoly firms compete, profits are low and consumers benefit. If there were a rise in price of Coca Cola or a Nestle product e.g. Nescafe, then this would lead to a large fall in the quantity demanded. This is because consumers would buy alternative substitute goods like Pepsi or another coffee brand. The reason is because both coca cola and Nestle products are elastic products. After looking at both the advantages and disadvantages of consumer boycotts, I have found out that even though the firms lose consumer loyalty, lose revenue and get public scrutiny the firms must be coming out on top and are gaining financially, otherwise they would change their ways. This is probably why Nestle maybe did start to abide by the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, then realized how much revenue they were losing so changed back even knowing they were likely to have the boycott brought back aswell because they must be gaining financially, but this is only my opinion. Also the other businesses in the market that whilst their competitors are having their products boycotted can take advantage and increase their own financial position and customer base.

Descartes Meditation 1 Summary Essay

In his first meditation, Descartes embarks on a journey to ensure that all his beliefs are true. He deems that he must rid himself of all false knowledge in order to obtain any true knowledge. Descartes decides to doubt everything he has previously held to be true. He will rely on his reasoning ability to rebuild his own knowledge, beginning with things of which he is completely certain. He states, â€Å"But reason now persuades me that I should withhold my assent no less carefully from opinions that are not completely certain and indubitable than I would from those that are patently false,† (18). Descartes refuses to accept anything that is possible to doubt. His reason for doing so is because he truly believes that this is the only way to discover the possible existence of something that cannot be doubted. While the text is at times muddled, Descartes does use a method in his attempt to acquire knowledge. He starts by defining everything he could possibly doubt. He presents the argument of sensory deception. In his life, the things he has accepted as true are things he has learned through his senses. In this meditation, he rejects knowledge that which he has learned through his senses because he claims that the senses can often deceive. But, while the senses are deceitful in some cases, Descartes claims that there are certain things learned through the senses that would be crazy to doubt. For example, he simply describes what he is wearing and what he is doing at the time he is writing the meditation. He uses his senses in order to write this description, and he claims that he would have to be insane to doubt what he is saying (19). Descartes then goes on to present a second argument, about dreams. He claims that there is the possibility that he is dreaming. He compares the perceptions we have in our dreams to those we have when we are awake. They are essentially the same. He concludes that there is no definitive way to distinguish being awake from being asleep. However, he still maintains that there are certain things that would be foolish to doubt. He considers several of his a priori beliefs as potentially containing doubt. For example, he casts some of his basic knowledge of mathematics into doubt. He states, â€Å"For whether I am awake or asleep, 2 plus 3 make 5, and a square  does not have more than 4 sides,† (20). He ultimately concludes that while the senses are at times deceitful, certain things are indubitable. Descartes then transitions to the existence of God. His considers the potential doubt of his a posteriori belief of God. He claims that God is all-powerful and all knowing. He reasons that he, himself, could not have come up with the idea of God, because God is a being more perfect than himself. And the only way he could have an idea of such a supremely perfect being is if God himself planted the idea in the meditator. Therefore, he concludes that God does exist. Since God is supremely good, the meditator determines that God is not a deceiver. The meditator then reaches the conclusion that God is not a deceiver, but there could be a â€Å"supremely powerful and clever,† (22) evil genius who is deceiving him. This leads the meditator to believe that everything his senses tell him is possibly an illusion created by this evil genius. Descartes ends his first meditation in a state of ambiguity. The possibility of an evil genius deceiving him causes him to doubt everything. He closes the meditation without having reached a distinct conclusion, but he states that he will refuse to believe the false things he used to believe.