Monday, September 30, 2019

Summer and People

India is a tropical country. Here Summer Season is felt more prominently than any other season. Ordinarily, we begin to feel the summer heat from the month of April to the second week of June. This season is remarkable for the heat. People suffer from terrible heat right from the morning till the midnight. In the morning people feel a gentle breeze. Then the sun rises and the horror of the heat commences. All the activities of the people are done with a little comfort only in the morning time. As the sun rises heat is felt.People are afraid to go out. Due to terrible heat, streets and roads become lonely. Those who take up some journey in day time get tired very soon. Very often they are affected by the sun-stroke. Dehydration occurs as body sweats heavily. If we do not take plenty of water, we break down. The mid-day is the most horrible and unbearable part of the day. Birds and other animals take rest. Sometimes wind blows carrying hot particles of dust. Sometimes there is no wind. There is only radiation and heat. They sit under the shade of trees.Still there is no relief from the heat. They frequently feel thirsty. People keep their cattle confined to the shed. This hot condition prevails up to four o'clock in the afternoon. Although the sun comes down in the sky the blazing heat does not decrease. When people come out, the skin of their body feels burning. Ponds and pools dry up. The water level in wells also goes down. People often walk miles and miles to fetch water. If there is scanty water in a pond, people use that water for all purposes. Thus, the unhygienic situation is created.Of course, the development of science has given us coolers and fans to fight heat. This is possible only on the part of the rich. In Summer Season, violent thunderstorms arise in afternoon. They bring showers very often. People get relief from the painful heat. Schools and Colleges remain closed for Summer Vacation. Government offices function in the morning only. Cold drinks , lasi and sharbat are sold in specific stalls. Children run for ice-creams. In this season we get several fruits such as mango and jackfruit, etc.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Written task

This task will be related to Part 1: â€Å"Language in cultural context† specified in the topic of â€Å"Language and Identity' and how both (language and identity) are related to each other. In order to find the relation, the movie â€Å"The Freedom Writers† was studied. This film portrays the achievement of dreams, and how people living in the same place can express their language in different ways depending on their social and cultural history. The task was centered on how language is shaped by a cultural context, represented with a diary entry written from a character from the movie: Ben.He talks about his and his classmates' experiences with Miss Erin as a teacher and how her life changed together with their own, and how social differences interfere in their social relationship. This diary is separated into different sections according to what he lives every day, talking in present tense. Along the diary there are quotes from the teacher and the students, used to emphasize the main theme of this task: language and culture. Through those quotes the teacher showed code switching, trying to get to know her students by their own language.Ben tells his story his personal point of view and sometimes he compares the teacher's story to his own. Nowadays this is a big problem for some people who go to different countries and still don't adapt. That's why this was a good exercise for better understanding of the problem (cultural/social) and practice better writing. A diary entry was chosen for this task because it is interesting how the point of view from a certain character can change the way a general audience can think about a certain topic.The characteristics of the airy entries were to add different dates to each paragraph and write in first person. *Written task based on the movie â€Å"The Freedom Writers†- directed by Richard Laggardness- year 2007 Rationale words: 300 How my story begins to change Monday 1 2: This is my first diary ent ry, so I will talk a little about myself. I lived all my life in Los Angles, California. One day I had to move to Long Beach, California for family reasons. In Los Angles my teachers were very serious, formal and not so appealing with students.For some reason everyone thought we were educated, but the real taxation is that teachers mistreated us. Once I moved to Long beach everyone was different from me, not in the educational part, but in the physical and language aspect; I was white and everyone else black, I talk in a certain tone and they talk in a different one. They discriminated me for those differences and I wasn't able to defend myself, so instead I stayed quiet and ignorant. Suddenly my story began to change when Miss Erin arrived to school.I always saw something good about her; she wasn't like the other teachers; she seems educated, DOD looking and she was white. I didn't feel alone anymore around my classmates: someone was Just like me in the physical aspect. However, at the beginning I saw a strange attitude from her towards the class; she didn't understand us very well. I didn't know why, she did not look racist, but with time I was able to realize she didn't understand the way my classmates talked. I say â€Å"my classmates† because I do not feel I belong to them, not now.Tuesday 19th: Today, Miss Erin had chalk on her skirt and one of the boys of the class told her: do you want give me fries with that shake†. Everybody laughed very hard, she laughed a little so nobody notice she didn't understand the Joke, I knew she didn't understand what he meant by that phrase, because that used to happen to me too, in fact I still don't get them but I am used to those strange phrases. I realized that the misunderstanding was mutual, she didn't understand them and they didn't understand her since she used very professional words like: auxiliary, abrogate, acrimony etc.Nevertheless, she tried so hard to understand the class' engage and be part of them but her culture was too different from theirs, however I was able to realize something; she didn't want to learn the language Just to be updated, but because she cared about us and our education. Miss Campbell told Miss Erin we had to learn real discipline but how could she teach us discipline if she couldn't communicate verbally with us? Wednesday 20th: Today at class, Miss Erin started to imitate the way they talked, she told us: â€Å"My badness† when she tried to be nice with us, as a consequence everyone started laughing because it was mispronounced.Also she got mad sometimes with one of my classmates, so she had to punish him verbally in a way that he could understand her, by saying: â€Å"This is a buck you' to me and everyone in your class†. Either for worse or better she tried to communicate. I thought she was very brave to learn their language and face them in bad moments, it was certainly something that I would never do, I am too fearful. Friday 22nd: On this day Miss Erin told us she realized that the bad pronunciation and spelling mistakes came from their bad attitude, since they didn't care about their own education.She notices that they express that attitude through drawings (that I never was able to understand) it was like their language was expressed in a simple drawing. She saw one of the drawings my classmates did; it was a comic mocking one black boy of the class. That was the moment when Miss Erin explained to us the story of the holocaust; nobody in my class knew what it was, neither did l. She told us that this event of the past was related to discrimination Just like the type they were doing to this boy. She explained how important education was for us, the opportunity it eave us to; go to school, college, work etc.She sounded really sad and mad at the same time, because we were losing a chance that many people throw away. I felt happy in a certain way because finally there was a teacher who cared about us in a deepe r way. Right after that, she gave us some diaries where we could write, not only to write our feelings but also to improve our grammar. At the beginning, of course, nobody wanted to write because they weren't used to express their feelings and writing their daily life on a piece of paper. Personally, I was scared for someone to e my life, get to know my fears and use that evidence to mock me.Nevertheless, one girl in my class took the first diary, which leads to the rest of the class to pick one too. Monday 24th: Miss Erin, arrived to school with a big surprise; everyone started to write in their diaries, it was awesome how they started to care about their grammar and their attitude was instantly changed, they were happier, their grades began to rise; it seems like writing took away all their problems. I can talk by myself to; I'm not afraid anymore of my classmates and our cultural differences, in fact, now I have friends.However, Miss Erin still doesn't get the language; one day o ne boy told her: â€Å"No that don't fly ‘ma†. And she told him â€Å"I'm not your mom†. Of course everyone laughed, including me, but not mocking, instead, they told her that was a sign of respect. Now that two years have passed from the first time we saw Miss Erin, she has learned our language and we all make Jokes between each other. All this effort came from her, that's why I have to thank her for teaching us to be better persons with the rest of the people and most important, with ourselves. Task words: 1. 000

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Enterprise Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Enterprise Resource Planning - Essay Example According to Lau (2005, p.127), there are several issues that need attention from a Chief Information Officer before implementation. A CIO basically needs to examine the objectives and need for implementing an ERP system. The management needs methods to tackle the continuous changes in requirements. The manager needs to identify the financial backup of the company as implementing an ERP system is highly expensive. The CIO has to take timely decisions based on the business factors and the changes required in structure and environment.(Willcocks, Leslie, & Sykes, 2000) Â  Future integration problems of different systems are always imminent and managers should be able to create plans to adapt to the scalability of an organization. The recent example for integration and changes in structures of the system is when the University of Kent chose IBM Cognos 8 for planning requirements, replacing the spreadsheets used earlier. It is the responsibility of the CIO to provide information systems that are responsive and efficient for students. (Navuluri 2008) The current mortgage crisis and the economic recession in US have certainly affected the ERP supported information systems. With further recession predicted, CIO’s would face more tough time as changes in ERP systems require high expenditure, a cost practically unaffordable in such a crisis.(Unit4aggresso, 2008) A progressive way to move forward would be to adapt right type of plans for an ERP system, to reengineer it and contour processes to avoid loss..

Friday, September 27, 2019

Should medicare and medicaid be reformed How so Explain fully Essay

Should medicare and medicaid be reformed How so Explain fully - Essay Example But in practice, leads to the fact that medicine in America has become absurdly, mega expensive.  Being for-profit businesses, insurance companies are focused on money earning.  They can get profits denying sick people medical care, raising prices or paying less to doctors. The last option is unrealistic, since doctors are a very powerful cast - America is ruled by doctors and lawyers.  Therefore, insurance companies are choosing raise cost of services and refuse compensations.  Most people do not pay the doctors themselves, their treatment is covered by insurance.  A huge percentage of Americans - 47 million people, roughly one in six, do not have insurance for many reasons.  So, all citizens who are outside the health care system do not undergo medical examination, health surveys and preventive treatments - as a result visit doctors with advanced stages of diseases that are expensive to treat.   No wonder that having such fantastic ineffective expenditures on Medicare and Medicaid and quite more successful examples of the problem solution, like in Canada, the Government took a risk of reforms that split society. It’s obvious that the state should strengthen its influence in the medical field.  It has to introduce a more strict control over private hospitals’ prices of services. Health care should become more social.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Critique of a Qualitative Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Critique of a Qualitative Research Paper - Essay Example In addition, the researchers have particularly concentrated upon the social marketing, which looks for striving for the betterment of society at large. Social marketing, Andreasen (1995:31) submits, is the application of commercial marketing technologies to the analysis, planning, execution, and evaluation of programs designed to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences in order to improve their personal welfare and that of their society. In other words, the main objective of the social marketing is working voluntarily for the benefit and uplift of the individuals at large. Moreover, it is also a reality that the young people are the future builders of a society, proper education and training of which is one of the most formidable responsibilities of all members of asocial set up. If the youth is not discouraged and prohibited from participating into the social evils including drinking, smoking and gambling etc, the future prospects of the society would be in grave jeopar dy for the future years of come. In addition, it has aptly been observed that gambling leads the young people towards other nefarious activities including drinking and sex etc, which may challenge their health condition. Hence the social problem, selected by the researchers, is very important in its scope and exposure, and carries wide scope and depth in its nature. The researchers are quite justified in choosing the research problem related to social marketing, which looks to strive for the wellbeing and safety of the young people on the basis of the findings of the study, as well as the suggestions made on the foundations of the findings of the present research. Whether positively or negatively the gambling prevention campaigns, being launched by the government and non-governmental organizations at various media platforms, influence the minds of the young

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Concrete to Prove Abstract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concrete to Prove Abstract - Essay Example   One day he came to know about the situation through which John was going. John had no money with him and going to a restaurant was almost a fancy to him. Tom found him thoughtful on that day and after having a discussion with him came to know about his situation. His kind heart was deeply concerned. He had money to feed himself only yet he took John to the restaurant nullifying all the latter’s protests. Tom ordered for John’s favorite dishes and as they arrived, served them with his own hand to John. John’s eyes became wet with tears. Tom supervised but ate nothing while John had his meal. There were still a few dollars in Tom’s pocket and he gave them to John while returning. Tom did not even tell us anything about what he had done for his friend. My mother even scolded him for expending so much money but he remained silent. We came to know about all these from John’s mouth after three months when he visited our place with the good news that h e had got a good job. We were astonished to see the depth of kindness and love in Tom for his friend.  Tom’s kindness was not limited to human beings either. Here, I shall tell you another story of his life. This happened in his college days too. That day it was raining heavily and Tom had troubles while returning home from college. Reaching our door, he saw a dog sitting with one of its right legs bleeding from some injury. I was the person who opened the door and saw Tom picking up the dog and coming in. My mother was horrified and cried, â€Å"No Tom! This is too much. I ain’t gonna allow any dog here.† But Tom, who was occupied with his concern for the four-legged animal, hardly listened to what his mother said. He made the dog sleep under the couch in the drawing room. Then he ran towards his own room and before my mother could say or do anything more, he came back with a gauge of bandage and a small bottle of ointment which he uses for his football injur ies.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Information systems role in Ernest and Young's on-line consulting Essay

Information systems role in Ernest and Young's on-line consulting service - Essay Example It was later converted in to a pay and use to web users for accessing all the consulting strength of E&Y (Webizus 2003). Business models have taken on greater importance recently as a form of intellectual property that can be protected with a patent registration (Rappa 2006). In this case, the tax-payer (the consumer) is helped by the model called 'Consumer Direct'- transactions involving products, services, or information between businesses and consumers, here the expert consultants enrolled with Ernest & Young, and the client company's employees; the product - tax-management solutions (Adapted from IBM 1996). The tool used here are the Decision-support systems - interactive computer-based tools used since the 1960s by decision-makers to help answer questions, solve problems and support or refute conclusions (Hall 2005). The advantages of 'Distance Consulting' involved in this model, in this case study of Ernst & Young may be listed as follows: a) The cost: They are more economical. b) A large resource base like panel of direct access to E&Y's national network of tax specialists, FAQs, self-educating information tools to decide on the right solution. c) The guaranteed rapid turnaround and the get-back time. d) Ernie's email consulting helps clients' articulate problems when they write to consulting firms thus leading to faster solutions. Disadvantages include a) May be perceived as too impersonal in a business based on relationship and trust. b) Developed to answer technical tax questions with a limited scope. c) Some large-scale consultations which involve handling large data-base systems, still require on-site assessments for best results. d) Possibility of servicing unknown clients, and risk of oversight of information leading to inappropriate conclusions, very high (Millard 1999). Discuss Knowledge management systems and decision support systems. How are these ideas related to Ernie and Tax Advisor The definition of Knowledge is given as "a function of information, culture, and skills" (Rampersad, 2002).The storing and sharing of such information and acquired knowledge to benefit all the members of the organization paved way for Knowledge Management. In the 1990s, E&Y created three knowledge centers, with three goals: the Center for Business Innovation for creating new knowledge through research, the Center for Business Technology for the use of existing knowledge to create predefined methods and automated tools, and the Center for Business Knowledge for gathering and storing E&Y's internal and external knowledge and information resources. The services included a library, a call centre for answering consultant requests, and a database of consultant skills (NHS 2005). Interactive information systems using data and models to help managers analyze semi-structured problems were developed in the 1970s. These diverse systems were all called Decision Support Systems. In the 80s Executive Information Systems (EIS) was born, from single user model-driven Decision Support systems and improved relational database products (Power 2003). And in the 1990s, data warehousing and On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) started expanding the domain of EIS and defined a broader category of Data-Driven DSS (cf., Dhar and Stein, 1997). E&Y started in 1996 On-Line

Monday, September 23, 2019

Mutual Funds Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mutual Funds Articles - Essay Example In many cases, it is seen there has been a change in investing styles. Suppose, suddenly a fund manager leaves a company and joins another company and two new fund managers takes his place. It is quite obvious they would change some things or make some moves to make the working pattern according to their style. It can be quite possible that some of their initial moves may backfire. Many companies keep bench strength by keeping upcoming managers as trainees so that they can tackle emergency situations. At the Pioneer (TAHYX) High Yield fund, the managers are hopeful. Outflows have slowed, and when no manager expects a quick turnaround to the credit crisis, they also note that junk bond investors are being paid for taking on risk. Fund manager transitions can often be a little shaky or rough, especially if the previous manager had achieved great results. The main lesson for investors must be that they should not flee when a star manager moves on but they must make a more informed decision by being aware of challenges a new manager might face. The firms can bench strength of upcoming managers to avoid the transition phase problem, or create terms of managers. Even a planned transition can go wrong but that must not mean that the companies would stop planning about the transition phase well in advance. The article â€Å"Equities In Disguise?† by Greg Miller says that the main component of convertible security is coverable bonds. Other components may include preferred stocks and other hybrid convertible securities. The word â€Å"bond† mainly refers to safety, security, stability, and income. Most of today`s bonds are not true bond funds neither are they return focused. The term â€Å"absolute return† refers to positive returns through both bull and bear markets. Similarly, many convertible funds are not bond funds either. There are many examples that can be cited to prove the validity of this statement. For example, one can take a look at the top

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Peer Evaluations in Enhancing Written and Oral Communication Essay Example for Free

Peer Evaluations in Enhancing Written and Oral Communication Essay Communicative practices such as writing and reading are important components in the facilitation of education and learning. For educators, they must realize the relative importance of these communication practices for they are vital in the enhancement of learning. One way to address this is by creating peer review mechanisms. Though such may prove to be an important component in the facilitation of education, there are cultural impediments that continue to surround the facilitation of peer evaluations. â€Å"When we deal with English-as-a-second-language students, cultural factors may influence both the operation and outcomes of peer response groups. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 78) By being constantly aware of these issues, one can create effective peer evaluation mechanism that is free from cultural bias and prejudice. A collective action and approach must be created by instructors and teachers to address such problem. â€Å"To maintain the group cohesion and harmonious interpersonal communications interpersonal relations valued by collectivist cultures, collectivists use indirect means of communicating messages that may otherwise be disruptive to the group. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 82) Thus, giving of vital information is an important tool and component in the overall facilitation of peer evaluations in enhancing communication practices. â€Å"By being informed of cultural differences in communication, they may be better able to interpret the feedback they receive from the English-as-the-second-language students and also better able to provide these students with effective feedback. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 83) Enhancing the Writing Skills Effectiveness in writing is one facet that students must acquire in school as it is vital in the overall communication process not only in the educational sector but in different aspects of society. By enhancing such skills, an international student can be fit and remained at level with native speakers of the language. The main barrier and impediment in such scenario is the lack of expertise in the local and native language. The study of Koffolt and Holt showcases several important mechanisms that can improve writing skills of international students. The article seeks to showcase how teachers can be a vital part in the overall facilitation of efficient writing among students. By doing these, students can get the development in the realm of writing. â€Å"Teachers who play a more active role in guiding their students through the entire writing process of gathering ideas, organizing, drafting, and revising can help students produce writing that is thoughtful, coherent, and polished. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 53) By providing several important measures that a teacher must consider is an important process to guide students in the overall facilitation of improving writing capabilities. One important method is by creating feedbacks on writing works by international students. By doing this, the student can actively assess his/her standing as far as competency in writing is concerned. The creation of a feedback system â€Å"gives them the opportunity to correct deficiencies in content, language and style. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 54) For the part of instructors, there must be an active collaboration with an international student as far as writing is concerned. The instructor must recognize the relative challenges that an international student may face during the course of writing. That is why it is essential for the teacher to actively create writing strategies that will help improve the overall capacity of the student to write. However, the teacher must recognize that the process of such endeavor is not easy. â€Å"Writing is seldom a linear activity, and it is common for writers to go back and forth among different steps of the writing process as they complete a major writing task. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 56)

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Exercise the Mind, Body, and Soul Essay Example for Free

Exercise the Mind, Body, and Soul Essay Being in this class has helped me realize that my health, as well as others’ health, is very important. The past five weeks I have been recording my habits to see what was necessary to change. After the first three weeks, I had concluded that I really needed to increase my physical activity to do more than my average everyday walking. We were to go about our everyday lives and record exactly what we did on a regular basis. Before this, I would never have considered myself a person who exercises regularly. However, after this project I feel that I have earned the title of a person who exercises on the regular. Once I had picked my area I wanted to increase, I picked out to goals. My first goal was to exercise a minimum of 120 minutes a week. Two objectives I had to fulfill that goal were to complete my homework by four o’ clock each afternoon so that I had time to walk for twenty minutes in the evenings. Another objective I had was to park further away so I could wake an extra ten minutes to and from my car each day of school. My final goal was to lose three pounds by October 23, 2011. The first objective I had to fulfill that goal was to ask my friend/s Karlee, Sarah, and/or Samantha to exercise with me to help me stay motivated. My last objective to reach my weight loss goal was to do Zumba at least three times a week for 30 minutes minimum. Participating in daily physical activities such as walking or doing aerobic exercises is not only important for you physically, but it can also benefit you mentally and emotionally. A report shows that at least 60% of the global population fails to achieve the minimum recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity daily (Saxena, Van Ommeren, Tang, Armstrong, 2005, p. 445). Walking is one of the most popular, easiest, and safest forms of physical activity (Sykes, 2009, p.40). Walking has many positive benefits to doing it. You have  less chance of getting/having heart problems, lower blood pressure, lose body weight, stress reducer are just few good things walking can do for you.  Studies have generally shown that exercise increases states of positive affect or energetic arousal, and reduces anxiety, tension, or negative affect. Research has also demonstrated that exercise may be similarly effective in the treatment of depression (Lutz, Lochbaum, Carson, Jackson, Greenwood, Byas, 2008, p.166). Exercise gives you something to do. It is an easy way to get your mind off negative things and makes you feel better not only physically, but also mentally. According to Sykes, et al (2009, p. 42), exercise can improve a person’s physical self-worth and other important self-perceptions such as body image. Having exercise goals that relate to personal performance and improvement is also associated with high positive emotion and improved mood. My last two weeks of recording was difficult to say the least. Some days seemed easier than others did. Walking a couple times, a week was easy for me to get in the habit of doing. Not only did I notice that I was having a bit more energy, my dogs, that I took walking with me, we willing to walk more around the house, instead of sleeping all day. As the days went by, I noticed I was finishing my homework earlier, which allowed me more time to increase my time to do activities. My friends were extremely helpful and supportive during this whole process. They were excited to come over and do Zumba with me. They would come at least once a week and work out for at least 30 minutes. I believe I have made a change for the better that will continue to grow. I have realized that I had just been lazy. I now have so much more energy in the days, which really helps me go to sleep earlier and longer. It was difficult at first to change my ways, but with the support of my friends, it made things a lot easier for me. With my increase in physical activity, as I mentioned,  my sleeping habits have gotten better, and well as my leisure time. Now all I need to do is work on my eating habits, which are not too bad, and I will be living a much healthier life than I have been.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Role Of Metal Ions In Biochemistr

Role Of Metal Ions In Biochemistr A metal is a chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat and forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals. In chemistry, ametal (from Greek ÃŽÂ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ mà ©tallon, mine]) is an element, compound, or alloy characterized by high electrical conductivity. In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions (cations). Those ions are surrounded by delocalized electrons, which are responsible for the conductivity. The solid thus produced is held by electrostatic interactions between the ions and the electron cloud, which are called metallic bonds.[2] Metal ions play essential roles in about one third ofenzymes . These ions can modify electron flow I a substrate or enzyme, thus effectively controlling an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. They can serve to bind and orient substrate with respect to functional groups in the active site, and they can provide a site for redox activity if the metal has several valence states. Without the appropriate metal ion, a biochemical reaction catalyzed by a particular metalloenzyme would proceed very slowly, if at all. The enzyme provides an arrangement of sidechain functional groups having an appropriate sized hole with the preferred groups on enzyme side chains needed to bind the required metal ion. The optimal number of such binding groups is chosen for the particular metal ion, together with the appropriate hydrophobic or hydrophilic environment in the binding site. Metal ions may be bound by main-chain amino and carbonyl groups, but specific binding is achieved by the amino acid side chains, particularly the carboxylate groups of aspartic and glutamic acid, and the ring nitrogen atom of histidine. Other side chains that bind metals ions include tryptophan (ring nitrogen), cysteine (thiol), methionine (thioether), serine, threonine, tyrosine (hydroxyl groups), and asparagine and glutamine (carbonyl groups, less often amino group . No set of general rules exists that describes how a given metal ion will behave in an enzyme . Now that many crystal structures of proteins are being studied by X-ray diffraction, information on the binding of metal ions in the active sites of enzymes is available and should provide clues to the mechanism of action of the enzyme.The examples of catechol methyltransferase andmandelate racemase will be discussed later in this article.The work described here includes results fromexaminations of the crystal structures in the CambridgeStructural Database and the Protein Databank . Astudy of binding, however, also involves an analysis ofthe energetic consequences of changing the way thebinding occurs, so that the most stable binding pattern fora given group of ligands can be deduced. We haveapproached this using ab initio molecular orbital and density functional calculations . In this way weobtain both the binding geometry of ligands and theenergetic consequences of changing this binding m ode. Properties of metal ions Metal ions are generally positively charged and act as electrophiles, seeking the possibility of sharing electron pairs with other atoms so that a bond or charge-charge interaction can be formed. They behave rather like hydrogen ions (the poor mans metal). Metal ions, however, often have positive charges greater than one,and have a larger ionic volume so that they can accommodate many ligands around them at the same time. In addition, metal ion concentrations can be high atneutral pH values, while hydrogen ion concentrations are, by the definition of pH, low at these values. Ligands are the atoms or groups of atoms that are bonded to the metal ion, generally in an electrostatic manner. They are usually neutral or negatively charged and they donate electron density to the metal ion. Thecoordination number of a metal ion, that is, the number of ligand atoms bound to it, is viewed in terms of concentric spheres; the inner sphere containing those atoms in contact with the metal ion, the second sphere containing those in contact with the inner sphere ligand atoms. The number of atoms in these spheres will depend on the size of the metal ion and the sizes of the ligand atoms. For example, sodium is smaller than potassium, and sulfur is larger than oxygen. Measurements of metal ion-liganddistances in crystal structures led to the idea of atomic and ionic radii [9-11]; anion radii can also be derived from the minimum anion-anion distances in crystal structures. The radius ratio, a concept introduced by Goldschmidt [11], is the ratio of the radius of the cation to that of the anion and is generally less than 1.0 Tetrahedral structures have a radius ratio between 0.225 and 0.414, while octahedral structures have a ratio between 0.414 and 0.645. For example, the radius of Mg2+ is 0.65 D, while that of O2- is 1.40 D and their radius ratio is 0.464; the packing is octahedral. The charge distribution in the active site of an enzyme is designed to stabilize the transition state of the catalyzed reaction relative to that of the substrate. In enzyme-catalyzed reactions it is essential that the reactants be brought together with the correct spatial orientation, otherwise the chance of the reaction taking place is diminished and the reaction rate will be too low.The electrostatic environment in the active site is a major factor that serves to guide the substrate to the binding site in the correct orientation. Metal ions can assist in this process, often binding groups in a stereochemically rigid manner, thereby helping to control the action of the enzyme. Thus, an enzyme will bind its substrate in such a manner that immobilization and alignment, ready formation of the transition state of the reaction to be catalyzed,and then easy release of the product will result; metal ions often help in accomplishing this process. Each metal ion has its own chemistry. An example of the differing reactivities of metal cations is provided by their ability to bind or lose water molecules. The exchange of coordinated water with bulk solvent by various cations has been categorized into four groups: those for which the exchange rate is greater than 108 per second including alkali and alkaline earth metal ions(except beryllium and magnesium), together with Cr3+,Cu2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+. Intermediate rate constants (from 104 to 108 per second) are found for Mg2+ and some of the divalent first-row transition metal ions. Those with slow rate constants (from 1 to 104 per second) include Be2+ and certain trivalent first-row transition metal ions. The inert group with rates from 10-6 to 10-2 per second containsCr3+, Co3+, Rh3+, Ir3+, and Pt2+. One of the factors involved in rates of exchange is the charge-to-radius Ratio; if this ratio is high the exchange rate is low.An important reaction catalyzed by metal ions inenzymes is the ionization of water to give a hydrated hydrogen ion and a hydroxyl anion. Initial studies of this process will be discussed here as they are relevant to the action of a metal ion in providing a hydroxyl group and a hydrogen ion for use in an enzymatic reaction. Polarizing Potential of Various Ions Atoms or groups of atoms are considered polarizable if, when they are placed in an electric field, a charge separation occurs and a dipole is acquired. This deformability or polarizability is measured by the ratio of the induced dipole to the applied field. Those atoms that hold on less firmly to their electrons are termed more polarizable. It is found that if two ions have the same inert gas structure (potassium and chloride, for example), the negatively charged anion is more polarizable than the positively charged cation, which holds on to its electrons more tightly. The word hard has been introduced to indicate a low polarizability so that the electron cloud is difficult to deform (like a hard sphere). By contrast soft means high polarizability so that the electron cloud is readily deformed . A hard acid or metal cation holds tightly to its electrons and therefore its electron cloud is not readily distorted; its unshared valence electrons are not easily excited. Soft (polarizable) metal cations contain electrons that are not so tightly held and therefore are easily distorted or removed. A hard acid prefers tocombine with a hard base, while a soft acid prefers to bind with a soft base by partially forming covalent bonds .The type of binding is related to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the electron-pair donor (a lewis base, the ligand) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the electron-pair acceptor (a Lewis acid, the metal ion). If these have similar energies, then electron transfer will give a covalent (soft) interaction, whereas the energy difference is large, electron transfer does not readily take place and the interaction is mainly electrostatic (hard-hard). Hardcations include the alkali and alkaline earth metal ions while soft metal ions include Cu 2+, Hg2 2+, Hg2+, Pd2+. Inbiological systems, hard ligands generally contain oxygen while soft ligands contain sulfur. Hard acids tend to bind hard bases by ionic forces, while soft acids bind soft bases by partially forming covalent bonds. These hard-soft categorizations are a help in understanding the relative binding preferences of various cations. Most metal ions of biological significance are hard or intermediate between hard and soft. Most soft metal ions and soft ligands are poisonous and they interact with other soft species in the body. For Pb2+ the harder ligands are found in hemidirected structures and the softer ligands in holodirected complexes.Nature has devised many enzyme systems in which a metal ion interacts with the oxygen of a water molecule.If a water molecule can be dissociated into a hydrogen ion and a hydroxyl group, the latter can serve as a nucleophile in chemical a nd biochemical reactions.Nature has chosen activation of a water molecule as a means to obtain such a nucleophile in situation so that a chemical reaction can occur in a stereochemically controlled manner in the active site of the enzyme. The questions we ask are as follows: 1) how does nature ensure that the specific water molecule will be activated; 2) how does nature compensate for the lower water activation power of some cations over others (since a wide variety of metal ions may not be available in the particular active site and the enzyme has to do the best it can with what is available); and 3) how does nature ensure that the required reaction occurs. Ab initio molecular orbital and density functional calculations have been carried out to measure the extent to which a series of metal cations can, on binding with water, cause it to be dissociated into its component hydrogen ions (subsequently hydrated in solution) and hydroxyl ions. Initial data indicate that the charge of the metal ion plays a significant role in modifying the pKa of water. The binding enthalpies of a wide variety of metal ion monohydrates, M[H2O]2+ , have been published [21] but their deprotonation enthalpies are still under investigation. Geometry of Metal-Ion Binding to Functional Groups The geometries of metal ion-carboxylate interactions have been studied in order to determine the following: 1)which lone pair of an oxygen atom in a carboxylate group, syn or anti, is preferred for metal cation binding; 2) does the metal ion lie in the plane of the carboxylgroup; and 3) under what conditions do metal ions share both oxygen atoms of the carboxylate group equally? We found that cations generally lie in the plane of the carboxylate group . The exceptions to this mainly include the alkali metal cations and some alkaline earth cations; these metals ionize readily and form strong bases so it is not surprising that they have less specific binding modes. When the distance of the metal cation to the carboxylate oxygen atoms is on the order of 2.3-2.6 D, the metal ion tends to share both oxygen atoms equally. Otherwise one oxygen atom of the carboxylate group is bound to the metal ion and the other is not. Calcium ions often form bidentate interactions, while it is less common for the smaller magnesium ions. Imidazole groups in histidyl side chains of proteins bind metal ions in a variety of enzymes. One imidazole can, by virtue of its two nitrogen atoms, bind one or two metal ions, depending on its ionization state and the suitabilities of the metal ion. The bases in DNA can also bind metal ions. We have analyzed hydrogen bonding to and from nitrogen atoms in nitrogen-containing heterocycles for crystal structures in the Cambridge Structural Database. It was found that for hydrogen bonding, a slight out-of-plane deviation of the binding atom often occurs. Metal ions bind more rigidly in the plane of the imidazole group. The energetic cost of such deviations were analyzed by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. In an investigation of protein crystal structures in the Protein Databank it was found that the binding of metal ions to histidine in proteins is more rigid and the location of the metal ion is more directional. Thus, if an enzyme needs to control the location and orientation of a carboxylate or imidazole group, it can accomplish this better with a metal ion than by hydrogen bonding. Metal ions in proteins are often involved in structural motifs. When a metalloenzyme carries out its catalytic function it uses one of a few possible three-dimensional arrangements of functional groups around the metal ion to ensure the specificity of the required biochemical reaction. Thus, if such catalytic metal-binding motifs can be identified and categorized, then incipient reactivities of enzymes could be inferred from their three-dimensional structures. Such a categorization, however, requires an understanding of the underlying chemistry of any metal ion in the active site. One motif identified in the crystal structure of cobalt(II) formate consists of a carboxyl group in which one oxygen atom is bound to the metal ion and the other is bound to metal-bound water, to give a cyclic structure. This motif has been found in many metalloenzyme crystal structure , such as D-xylose isomerase . The roles of these motifs are of interest. The metal ion-hydrated-carboxylate motif (I) is planar and commonly found. It does not, however, affect the ability of the metal ion (in studies of Mg2+ complexes) to ionize water. On the other hand, for magnesium ions (which generally have a rigid octahedral arrangement of binding groups) it utilizes 2 of the 6 coordination positions and therefore serves to orient the arrangement of ligands, an effect we have labeled coordination clamping. Motif (II) is also found in several crystal structures such as that of the -subunit of integrin CR3 . It appears to help bind subunits together. A third motif (III) is found in D-xylose isomerase and involves two metal ions with several carboxylate ligands and a histidine ligand . The metal site that binds only oxygen atoms can bind substrate in place of the two water molecules and orient the substrate. The second metal ion site (with histidine as one ligand) then positions a metal ion-bound water molecule to attack the substrate. Roles of Metal Ions in Enzyme Action The crystal structure of mandelate racemase with bound p-iodomandelate provides a useful example of the importance of a metal ion in a reaction . The enzyme binds a magnesium ion by means of three carboxyl groups. The substrate mandelate has displaced water from the magnesium coordination sphere and binds by means of its carboxylate group and an a-hydroxy group.The magnesium ion will lie in the plane of the carboxyl group, as shown by our studies of metal ion-carboxylate interactions . The magnesium holds the substrate firmly in place so that the catalytic abstraction and addition of a hydrogen atom by His 297 or Lys 166 is precisely effected . The magnesium probably also aids this activity by affecting the electronic flow in the carboxylate and hydroxyl groups by mild polarization. We have found that metal ion coordination is better than a hydrogen bond in aligning a functional group; there is considerable flexibility in a hydrogen bond as we found for imidazoles . In the reaction c atalyzed by the enzyme mandelate racemase the magnesium ion binds substrate . A Histidine (His 297) and Lysine (Lys 168) are positioned to abstract a hydrogen ion from the substrate and, if it is added again from the other side, racemization occurs. Hydrogen bonding to a carboxylate group of the substrate helps to stabilize an enolate intermediate in the reaction. In catechol O-methyltransferase , a methyl group is transferred from the sulfur of Sadenosy[ methionine to catechol. The magnesium ion is oriented by a motif of type I and it binds substrate in such an orientation that a hydroxyl group is near the S-CH3 group, and the other hydroxyl group is held in place by a carboxylate group. There are many other examples of two-metal ion active sites, such as hemerythrin, alkaline phosphatase and superoxide dismutases (which have been well documented). These studies of the geometries and energetics of metal-ion ligand b inding can therefore aid in our understanding of metalloenzyme function Metals in the RNA worid By combining our limited knowledge of metal-ion-binding to contemporary RNAs and our more extensive knowledge of metal-ion-binding to proteins, it is possible to speculate on the role of metal ions in prebiotic molecular evolution. It seems clear that specifically bound metal ions coevolved with RNA molecules. Many of the mononuclear sites in Table 5 are formed with, or can be engineered into, small RNA fragments. Since such sites are highly hydrated and contain limited direct contact with the RNA, the observed affinities are only moderate, in the 1-1000 ÃŽÂ ¼M range. These sites are also expected to show limited specificity, predominantly dictated by the chemical nature of the ligands. Furthermore, in these examples, the RNA structures themselves are likely to be quite flexible and can accommodate a variety of metal ions with only minor distortions to the overall RNA fold. These minimalist sites are sufficient to stabilize the secondary and tertiary structures observed in these motifs. The metal ion sites generated on small RNAs appear to be capable of facilitating a variety of different types of chemistry. Activities range from the transesterification and hydrolytic reactions of small ribozymes (Pyle 1996; Sigurdsson et al. 1998) to the more exotic porphyrin metalation (Conn et al. 1996) and Diels-Alder condensation reactions (Tarasow et al. 1997) catalyzed by aptamers produced from in vitro selection experiments.These small RNAs have only limited amounts of structure and therefore are likely to position the catalytic metal ions by only a few points of contact. The relatively modest rate enhancements supported by catalytic RNAs such as these probably reflect the types of species that first evolved from random polymerization events. Very active metal ions might have assisted in this process but would have increased the danger of side reactions that would accidentally damage the catalyst. A striking difference between most RNA metal-binding sites studied thus far and those seen in proteins is the degree of hydration. Both structural and catalytic metal-ion-binding sites in proteins are predominantly dehydrated (Lippard and Berg 1995). Water molecules occasionally appear in the coordination spheres of these metal ions, but in these cases, they are often believed either to be displaced by the substrate when it enters the active site or to take part in the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme. Such protein sites also bind their metal ions much more tightly than the RNA systems. In fact, tight binding is a requirement for dehydrated sites, since there is a characteristic energy (ÄHhyd) associated with the hydration of any ion. The net binding energy upon coordination of the ion must account for the energetic cost of dehydration. The question arises, Why are such dehydrated sites not observed in RNAs? One possibility is that metal-binding sites in RNAs are intrinsically different from those in proteins. RNA has a much more limited set of ligands to use in generating a specific metal-binding pocket. Amino acid side chains containing thiols and thioethers are well suited to binding a variety of softer metals. In addition, the carboxylate side chains provide anionic ligands with great versatility in their potential modes of coordination. They can act as either terminal or bridging ligands and bind in either monodentate or bidentate geometries. The nucleotides, on the other hand, are much larger and more rigid than the corresponding amino acids. The anionic ligand in RNA, the nonbridging phosphate oxygen, is an integral component of the backbone and therefore is more limited in its conformational freedom than the aspartate and glutamate carboxylate groups. The heterocyclic ring nitrogens and the keto oxygens from the bases are held in rigidly planar orientations by the aromatic rings. This geometric constraint severely limits the ability of an RNA to compact encompass a metal ion and provide more than facial coordination and therefore complete dehydration. It also explains why the most specific metal-binding sites are not in the Watson-Crick base-paired regions of the structure where the conformation is too constrained. Instead, metalion- binding sites are clustered in regions of extensive distortion from the A-form RNA helices. There is also the question of the folding of RNAs relative to that of proteins. It is possible that in RNAs there is insufficient energy in the folding and metal-binding process to completely displace the waters of hydration around a metal ion. It has been suggested that in contemporary RNAs, modified nucleotides might be present to assist in metal ion binding (Agris 1996). A more straightforward possibility, however, is that most RNAs studied to date are structurally too simple. In these RNAs, most residues involved in metal ion binding are solvent-exposed. Thus, the RNAs have no real inside comparable to the hydrophobic core of a protein. The largest RNA crystallographically characterized to date is the P4-P6 domain. On the basis of that structure, it was proposed that an ionic core may substitute in RNA folding for the hydrophobic core of proteins such that the 3 ° structure assembles around a fixed number of discrete metal-binding sites (Cate et al. 1997). Even in this structur e, however, the most buried of the metal-binding sites are significantly hydrated. It could be that all metal-ion-binding sites in RNA are at least partially hydrated. One can imagine several advantages to using hydrated ions within the ionic core of a large RNA. Hydrated ions would span larger voids than dehydrated ions and allow looser packing of secondary structure elements. The hydrated ion also can accommodate a wide range of structural interactions through its orientation of the water molecules as compared to direct coordination of metal ions at every site. In addition, the energy associated with deforming the outer-sphere interactions should be significantly less than what would be observed for distorting the innersphere coordination. A consequence of RNAs having a core of hydrated ions is that one might expect this core to be much more dynamic than the hydrophobic core of a protein. In the modern protein world, metal cofactors are associated with a variety of reaction types, including electron transfer, redox chemistry, and hydrolysis reactions. Trans esterification and hydrolytic activities, however, are the primary catalytic behaviors observed in ribozymes. Did these other catalytic activities not develop until the dawn of the protein world, or are there undiscovered natural catalytic RNAs that are the ancestors of the early redox enzymes? Through the use of in vitro selection experiments, the scope of RNA catalysis has been significantly broadened is almost certainly capable of catalyzing these other classes of reactions, but it is still unclear whether there are naturally occurring examples. Such an enzyme would likely use a metal ion cofactor other than Mg(II), so the search for RNA molecules that naturally use alternative ions is of significant interest. A recent selection experiment showed that a single base change results in an altered metal ion specific ity for RNase P (Frank and Pace 1997). It is clear from this result that catalytic RNAs retain the ability to adapt to an everchanging environment, using the resources available to evolve and to overcome evolutionary pressures. Were RNAs to have evolved out of an environment devoid of metal ions, they probably would have found a way around the problems of folding and generating reactive functional groups. The primordial soup and all cellular environments that have evolved subsequently contained a variety of ions, however. Given the availability of metal ions, they will certainly play a significant role in the biology of current and future RNAs. Effect of metal ions on the kinetics of tyrosine oxidation by Tyrosinase The conversion of tyrosine into dopa [3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)alanine] is the rate limiting step in the biosynthesis of melanins catalysed by tyrosinase. This hydroxylation reaction is characterized by a lag period, the extent of which depends on various parameters, notably the presence of a suitable hydrogen donor such as dopa or tetrahydropterin. We have now found that catalytic amounts of Fe2+ ions have the same effect as dopa in stimulating the tyrosine hydroxylase activity of the enzyme. Kinetic experiments showed that the shortening of the induction time depends on the concentration of the added metal and the nature of the buffer system used and is not suppressed by superoxide dismutase, catalase, formate or mannitol. Notably, Fe3+ ions showed only a small delaying effect on tyrosinase activity. Among the other metals which were tested, Zn2+, Co2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ had no detectable influence, whereas Cu2+ and Mn2+ exhibited a marked inhibitory effect on the kinetics of tyrosine ox idation. These findings are discussed in the light of the commonly accepted mechanism of action of tyrosinase. Tyrosinase (monophenol,dihydroxyphenylalanine oxygen oxidoreductase; is a copper-containing enzyme responsible for melanogenesis in plants and animals, which catalyses both hydroxylation of tyrosine to dopa and its subsequent oxidation to dopaquinone (Hearing et al., 1980; Lerch, 1981). The first reaction, which represents the rate-limiting step in melanin biosynthesis (Lerner et al., 1949), is characterized by a lag period that has subsequently been explained in terms of a hysteretic process of the enzyme (Garcia Carmona et al., 1980). The extent of this induction time depends on various parameters including, besides pH and both substrate and enzyme concentration, the presence of a suitable hydrogen donor. Kinetic studies carried out on tyrosinases from various sources (Pomerantz, 1966; Pomerantz Murthy, 1974; Hearing Ekel, 1976; Prota et al Abbreviations used: dopa, 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-alanine; SOD, superoxide dismutase. To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. 1981) have shown that dopa, in very low concentration, is the most effective reducing agent in eliminating the lag period, whereas other catechols, such as dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline, behave similarly to ascorbate and NADH and NADPH in only shortening it, even at high concentration. Tetrahydropterin, a well-known specific cofactor of other aromatic hydroxylases (Lerner et al., 1977; Marota Shiman, 1984), is also effective in stimulating tyrosinase activity, although to a lesser extent than dopa. At present, no other organic or inorganic substances have been reported to shorten or lengthen the lag period of tyrosine oxidation. Although metal ions are known to play a role in many biologi cal processes, little attention has been directed to their possible involvement in melanogenesis, particularly in the early enzymic stages .As a part of our continuing studies on the chemistry of melanin pigmentation (Prota, 1980; Sealey et al., 1982; Palumbo et al., 1983), we report the results of a survey on the effect of metal ions on the activity of purified Sepia tyrosinase, readily available in large amounts from the ink of the cephalopod Sepia officinalis thermostability of amalyse Three Metal Ions Participate in the Reaction Catalyzed by T5 Flap Endonuclease*à ¢- ¡ Protein nucleases and RNA enzymes depend on divalent metal ions to catalyze the rapid hydrolysis of phosphate diester linkages of nucleic acids during DNA replication, DNA repair, RNA processing, and RNA degradation. These enzymes are widely proposed to catalyze phosphate diester hydrolysis using a two-metal-ion mechanism. Yet, analyses of flap endonuclease (FEN) family members, which occur in all domains of life and act in DNA replication and repair, exemplify controversies regarding the classical two-metal-ion mechanism for phosphate diester hydrolysis. Whereas substrate-free structures of FENs identify two active site metal ions, their typical separation of>4 AËÅ ¡ appears incompatible with this mechanism. To clarify the roles played by FEN metal ions, we report here a detailed evaluation of the magnesium ion response of T5FEN. Kinetic investigations reveal that overall the T5FEN-catalyzed reaction requires at least three magnesium ions, implying that an additional metal ion is bound. The presence of at least two ions bound with differing affinity is required to catalyze phosphate diester hydrolysis. Analysis of the inhibition of reactions by calcium ions is consistent with a requirement for two viable cofactors (Mg2_ or Mn2_). The apparent substrate association constant is maximized by binding two magnesium ions. This may reflect a metal dependent unpairing of duplex substrate required to position the scissile phosphate in contact with metal ion(s). The combined results suggest that T5FEN primarily uses a two-metal-ion mechanism for chemical catalysis, but that its overall metallobiochemistry is more complex and requires three ions. Key cellular processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair, RNA processing, and RNA degradation require the rapid hydrolysis of the phosphate diester linkages of nucleic acids. The uncatalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate diesters under biological conditions is an extremely slow process with an estimated half-life of 30 million years at 25  °C (1). Protein nucleases and RNA enzymes produce rate enhancements of 1015-1017 to allow this reaction to proceed on a biologically useful time scale. Most enzymes catalyzing phosphate diester bond hydrolysis have a requirement for divalent metal ions. Based largely upon crystallographic observations, most metallonucleases are proposed to catalyze reactions using a two-metal-ion mechanism (Fig. 1a) analogous to that suggested for the phosphate monoesterase alkaline phosphatase (2, 3), although this view is not universally accepted. Three recent reviews present contrasting views on the roles of metal ions in protein nuclease and RNA enzyme reactions and illustrate this controversy (4-6). One family of metallonucleases over which there has been considerable mechanistic debate are the flap endonucleases (FENs)3 (7-12), which are present in all domains of life and play a key role in DNA replication and repair. Unlike most metallonucleases, which typically possess a cluster of three or four active site carboxylates, the FEN active site is constructed from seven or eight acidic residues located in similar positions in FENs from a range of organisms (Fig. 1b, see also supplemental Fig. S1) (7, 9, 10, 13-16). Several FEN x-ray structures also contain two active site carboxylate-liganded divalent metal ions, designated as metals 1 and 2 (9, 13-15). The position of metal 1 is similar in all cases, but the metal 2 location varies. In all but on

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Understanding My Social Location and Experiences Essay -- Personal Exp

The intersection of dominant ideologies of race, class, and gender are important in shaping my social location and experiences. By exercising my sociological imagination (Mills, 1959), I will argue how my social location as an Asian American woman with a working class background has worked separately and together to influence how I behave, how others treat and view me, and how I understand the world. The sociological imagination has allowed me to understand my own â€Å"biography†, or life experiences by understanding the â€Å"history†, or larger social structures in which I grew up in (Mills, 1959). First, I will describe my family’s demographic characteristics in relation to California and the United States to put my analysis into context. I will then talk about how my perceptions of life opportunities have been shaped by the Asian-American model minority myth. Then, I will argue how my working class location has impacted my interactions in institutional settings and my middle/upper class peers. Third, I will discuss how gender inequalities in the workplace and the ideological intersection of my race and gender as an Asian-American woman have shaped my experiences with men. I will use Takaki’s (1999) concepts of model minority myth and American identity, Race; The Power of an Illusion (2003), Espiritu’s (2001) ideological racism, People Like Us: Social Class in America (1999) and Langston’s (2001) definition of class to support my argument. Before I analyze how my social location has influenced my experiences, I need to talk about my family’s demographic characteristics in comparison to our community and the larger U.S. society: In my hometown, Asians make up the third largest racial group (23%). Whites make up 51.3% and H... ...ding white, male superiority. Back in high school, I dated a non-Asian male from my class who often talked about how Asian women are â€Å"hot and sexy† yet â€Å"more faithful to men and less aggressive than White women.† At the time, I thought this was a compliment and I often tried to conform to this stereotype in order to satisfy my partner. Images of Asian-American women as both innocent and dangerous have legitimized any racist and sexist policies directed at Asians and women. Works Cited People Like Us: Social Class in America http://www.pbs.org/program/people-like-us/ Race; The Power of an Illusion (2003) http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm Takaki, R. (1999). The myth of the â€Å"model minority.† In D. M. Newman (Ed.), Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life: Readings (pp. 255-259). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Deconstruction of Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Fro

A Deconstruction of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front The young soldiers depicted in Erich Maria Remarque's text All Quiet on the Western Front represent a generation without precedent, constancy, or forethought. The men, answering their elders' calls to become national heroes, have lost their innocence on the battlefield and remain forever altered in belief and spirit. Remarque contrasts the cold realities of war in the present to the tranquility of the past in order to illustrate the psychological transformation of the men stationed on the frontlines. The soldiers appear trapped in the present and alienated from their pasts; however, deconstruction of the text rejects the present and past as opposing states of time and identity, and reveals them as related conditions that are intimately and permanently intertwined. Much of the critical literature regarding All Quiet on the Western Front concerns the binary relationship between the symbols of present and past. For example, critics Barker and Last assert: "This rupture with the past is one of the most dominant themes of Remarque's work, the discontinuity of life, this jolting from one place of existence to another, for which man is completely unprepared" (54). This opposition is represented in Remarque's descriptions of the contrasting environments of present and past.? The present is depicted as a state of unpredictability, uncertainty, and impermanence in which the soldiers merely exist on the edge of life. The narrator, Paul Baumer, imparts the dismal desperation of the front: "Shells, gas clouds, and flotillas of tanks--shattering, corroding, death. Dysentery, influenza, typhus‑scalding, choking, death" (Remarque 283). In contrast, the past is... ...between the present and the past. Defining symbols, customs, and allegations of the past, both real and perceived, provoke a human battle between rival notions of an ideal present. Literary deconstruction approaches a text in much the same manner, confronting and dismantling fixed signs, traditions, and assertions. Yet like war, a deconstructive reading does not provide a final answer or the ultimate truth. Works Cited Barker, Christine, and R.W. Last. Erich Maria Remarque. London: Oswald, 1979. Culler, Jonathan. On Deconstruction. New York: Cornell University Press, 1982. Leitch, Vincent. Deconstructive Criticism. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Ballantine, (1928)1958. Wagener, Hans. Understanding Erich Maria Remarque. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1991.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Law unit

Consultation- this is your first stage where you have to get different opinions from other people about what they think about the law that you want to introduce. You can do this by creating a survey, questionnaire, asking people face to face etc. If you get you get positive or negative feedback then you can go through to the next stage which is the green paper.Green paper- this is the second stage, where you produce your draft and its being hacked to see if it's suitable enough to be presented to the Members of Parliament White paper- when your bill becomes a white paper it means that it Is suitable to be presented to the public and the members of parliament. You'll then go to the next stage which is the first reading. First reading- this is when all the members of the parliament and the public get together in a court and you present your bill to all of them. Second reading- this can be days after your first reading.In the second reading you'll o In to more detail explaining why you want your bill to be officially made a law. You'll list both the disadvantages and the advantages of the bill. Committee- after your second reading the committee will get together and discuss your bill. They will be located in a room where they have privacy and are able to discuss without any Interference. 1 OFF including the members of parliament and the public and you. The committee will give back feedback to what they think about your bill. Third reading- throughout the presentation your bill might be changed a few times.This is where you present your bill for last and final time. The last vote is taken here, that decide whether your bill is officially a law. Other house (depending where it started of – this is where your bill gets send to the other house depending where it started off. Royal assent- When both houses agree on the bill you've presented and its then sends off to the queen so that can give a royal assent to make your bill and official law. Public and private bills: Private bills- are laws that are passed and only affect a few individuals or reparations.They don't affect the whole community that's why they are known as Private Bills. Private members Bill- These can be sponsored by individual MSP. When presenting a Private Bill all members of the Parliament get together. Normally there will be about 20 members of parliament. They all take turns presenting a Bill to the Parliament. There is a time limit for present a Private Bill. The debate takes place on Fridays so that other members of the Parliament get the chance to present the selected Bill.Public bills- this is laws that are passed and affects the whole country or partly of it. Majority of the Government bills. Fall under: Reform Act 2005, the Legal Service Reform Act 2007 and the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Doctrine of Parliamentary Supremacy- the Parliament is only allowed to pass laws that can be changed in the future by Parliaments. No other body can overrule the Parliament. The Parliament is known as the I-J constitution. It can make or end a law. It's seen as the highest supreme legal authority.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Compare and Contrast: Schools Essay

Choosing a college could be hard like if your choosing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or University of California, Los Angleos. They have many similarities but there has to be something different about them that helps you choose a decision but you cant find it. Is it the environment that surrounds each of the schools. Maybe the different academics, does it have what I want to succeed in one day. Or what if it has the sports I love to play and watch and are they good at them. Choosing a college is a choice that is apart of your life forever. Its where one day you hopefully will get your degree and have the oppurtunities of a lifetime. Is the University of California, Los Angelos a better school then the University of Nevada, Las Vegas? The environment in Las Vegas is not as big and open as Los Angelos. They both have many simularites such as: the culture, opportunities, experiences, and walking distance in many places. But Las Vegas is known as sin city and if your for the partying, and having the fun its a great environment for you to be around. Like Los Angelos, Las Vegas is known to many big businesses. There are 20,000 people that attend this university which seems like a lot In contrast the University of California which is located in Los Angelos. When many people think Los Angelos they think gangs and violence but there is an up part to that. The University of California is one the highest known schools in the United States. The environment is a lot like Vegas but there are 40,000 people that attend the school and wheres there more people usually means more surroundings and a bigger space. It may have some of the same things like culture, opportunities , and experiences. Like UNLV, UCLA is a lot of walking distance from dorms to school, and many things in between those are things like food, gyms and etc. Vegas is a great place for learning; It has many things to offer just as well as Los Angelos. The environment is great but academics is the real reason you are going to college unless your the next Micheal Phelps, Lebron James , or another athletic star. In the University of Nevada they offer 220 undergraduate, masters , and doctoral degree program. It might offer less due to the smaller school. Unlv is based on a medical school. As for UCLA, it offers 5,000 courses that could end in 125 different majors. UCLA has a lot more to offer its not really based on just one thing. With the bigger classes it maybe a little crowed but the professors are there to help you. They may not care as much as they do it the classrooms but it would be your responsibility to go after to ask for help. Or even join tutoring which I’m sure is offered at both schools. With over 109 academic departments it would help you decided on what you want to do in life. Being Micheal Phelps, LeBron James, or even Alex Rodriguez, you would have to start somewhere in life. College is where everything hits the big time because the professional teams or even Olympics starts to really look at you. Both UNLV and UCLA have many sports to offer. The University of Nevada is the home of the red and silver Rebels. They offer the normal football , baseball, basketball, swim, golf, soccer,and etc. They do offer men cheer which not many schools do not offer. Although UCLA doesn’t offer male cheer it offers others things like track and field, mens volleyball, water polo, women gymnastics, women rowing,and women sand volleyball, otherwise it offers the same basic sports. UCLA is home of the blue and gold Bruns. They are very high in there division because of the level of talents they have on the field and/or courts. UCLA is a better school it offers a more experience environment that will prepare you more for the future, has a better verity of academics, and more sports to offer for the people who have dreams to become professional athletes. College is very stressful itself but finding one right for you is even harder. The University of Nevada in Las Vegas offers many things but; it isn’t just as big and have more opportunity then the University of California in Los Angelos. With the environment, academics, and sports its a bigger and better school. Some people might disagree but that’s what I think.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-Five

Initiation night for the newest members of the Vitale Society had arrived at last. The cavernous room was lit only by golden candlelight from long tapers placed around the space and by the fire of high-flaming torches against the wal s. In the flickering light, the animals carved in the wood of the pil ars and arches almost seemed to be moving. Matt, dressed in a dark hooded robe like the other initiates, gazed around proudly. They'd worked hard, and the room looked amazing. At the front of the room, beneath the highest arch, a long table had been placed, draped in a heavy red satin cloth and looking like some kind of altar. In the center of the table sat a huge deep stone bowl, almost like a baptismal font, and around it roses and orchids were set. More flowers had been scattered on the floor, and the scent of the crushed blossoms underfoot was so strong that it was dizzying. The pledges were lined up, evenly spaced, before the altar. As if she'd picked up on his pride at how everything had turned out, Chloe pushed her dark hood back a bit and leaned toward him to mutter, â€Å"Pretty fabulous, huh?† Matt smiled at her. So what if she was dating someone else? He stil liked her. He wanted to stay friends, even if that was al there could be between them. He tugged at his robe self-consciously; the fabric was heavy, and he didn't like the way it blocked his peripheral vision. The current masked members of the Vitale Society wove silently among the pledges, handing out goblets ful of some kind of liquid. Matt sniffed his and smel ed ginger and chamomile as Wellas less familiar scents: so this was where the herbs had been used. He smiled at the girl who gave it to him, but got no response. Her eyes behind the mask slid over him neutral y, and she moved on. Once he was a ful member of the Vitale Society, he would know who these current members were, would see them without their masks. He sipped from his goblet and grimaced: it tasted strange and bitter. The soft rustlings of cloaked figures moving across the floor were silenced as the last of the goblets was handed out and the masked Vitales quietly retreated under the arch behind the altar to watch. Ethan stepped forward, up to the altar, and pushed back his hood. â€Å"Welcome,† he said, holding out his hands to the assembled pledges. â€Å"Welcome to true power at last.† The candlelight flickered over his face, twisting it into something unfamiliar and almost sinister. Matt twitched nervously and took another swal ow of the bitter herbal mixture. â€Å"A toast!† Ethan cal ed. He raised his own goblet, and before him, the pledges raised theirs. He hesitated for a moment, then said, â€Å"To moving beyond the veil and discovering the truth.† Matt raised his goblet and drained it with the other pledges. The mixture left a gritty feeling on his tongue, and he scraped it absently against his teeth. Ethan looked around at the pledges and smiled, locking gazes with one after another. â€Å"You've al worked so hard,† he said affectionately. â€Å"Each of you has reached his or her personal peak of intel igence, strength, and leadership ability now. Together, you are a force to be reckoned with. You have been perfected.† Matt managed to politely restrain himself from rol ing his eyes. It was nice to be praised, of course, but sometimes Ethan was a little too over the top: perfected? Matt doubted it was even possible. It seemed to him that you could always strive to be a little more, or a little less, something. You could always wish to be better. But even if he could, after al , be perfected, he suspected that it would take more than a few obstacle courses and group problem-solving exercises to do it. â€Å"And now it is time to at last discover your purpose,† Ethan continued. â€Å"Time to complete the final stage in your transformation from ordinary students into true avatars of power.† He took a clean and shining silver cup from the altar and dipped it into the deep stone bowl in front of him. â€Å"With every step forward in evolution, there must be some sacrifice. I regret any pain this wil cause you. Be comforted by the knowledge that al suffering is temporary. Anna, step forward.† There was a slight uneasy stirring among the pledges. This talk of suffering and sacrifice was different than Ethan's usual emphasis on honor and power. Matt frowned. Something was wrong here. But Anna, looking tiny in her long robe, walked without hesitation up to the altar and pushed back her hood. â€Å"Drink of me,† Ethan said, handing her the silver cup. Anna blinked uncertainly and then, her eyes on Ethan, tipped back her head and drained the cup. As she handed it back to Ethan, she licked her lips automatical y, and Matt tried to peer more closely at her. In the flickering candlelight, her lips looked unnatural y red and slick. Then Ethan led her around the side of the altar and into his arms. He smiled, and his face twisted, his eyes dilating and his lips pul ing back in a snarl. His teeth looked so long, so sharp. Matt tried to shout a warning but realized with horror that he couldn't move his lips, couldn't draw the breath to cal out. He knew, suddenly, that he had been a fool. Ethan sank his fangs deep into Anna's neck. Matt strained, trying to run toward them, to attack Ethan and throw him away from Anna. But he couldn't move at al . He must be under some kind of compulsion. Or perhaps something in the drink, some magic ingredient, had made them al docile and stil . He watched helplessly as Anna struggled for a few moments, then went limp, her eyes rol ing back in her head. Unceremoniously, Ethan let her body drop to the ground. â€Å"Don't be afraid,† he said kindly, gazing around at the horrified, frozen pledges. â€Å"Al of us† – he gestured toward the silent, masked Vitale behind him – â€Å"went through this initiation recently. You must brace yourself to suffer what is only a smal , temporary death, and then you wil be one of us, a true Vitale. Never growing old, never dying. Powerful forever.† Sharp white teeth and golden eyes shining in the candlelight, Ethan reached out toward the next pledge as Matt struggled again to shout, to fight. Ethan continued, â€Å"Stuart, step forward.† Elena smel ed so good, rich and sweet like an exotic ripe fruit. Damon wanted to simply bury his head in the soft skin at the crook of her neck and just inhale her for a decade or two. Snaking his arm through hers, he pul ed her closer. â€Å"You can't come in with me,† she told him for the second time. â€Å"I might be able to get James to talk to me because it's a question about my parents, but I don't think he'l tel me anything if someone else is there. Whatever the truth is about the Vitale Society and my parents, I think he's embarrassed about it. Or afraid, or †¦ something.† Without paying attention to what she was doing, Elena shifted her grip and held on to Damon's arm more firmly. â€Å"Fine,† Damon said stubbornly. â€Å"I'l wait outside. I won't let him see me. But you're not to walk across campus at night by yourself. It's not safe.† â€Å"Yes, Damon,† Elena said in a convincing imitation of meekness, and rested her head on his shoulder. The lemony scent of her shampoo mixed with the more essential Elena smel of her. Damon sighed with contentment. She cared for him, he knew that, and Stefan had taken himself out of the picture. She was stil young, his princess, and a human heart could heal. Maybe, with Stefan gone, she would final y see how much closer she was, mind and soul, to Damon, how perfectly they fit together. In any case, she was his for now. He lifted his free hand and stroked her head, her silky hair pliant beneath his fingers, and smiled. The professor's house was barely off campus, just across the street from the gilded entrance gates. They'd almost reached the edge of campus when a familiar presence that had been lurking nearby at last came very close. Damon wheeled to scan the shadows, pul ing Elena with him. â€Å"What is it?† Elena said, alarmed. Come out, Damon thought with exasperation, sending his silent message toward the thickest shadows at the base of a crowd of oak trees. You know you can't hide from me. One dark shadow detached itself from the rest, stepping forward on the path. Stefan simply gazed at the ground, shoulders slumped, his hands loose and open by his sides. Elena gasped, a smal hurt sound. Stefan looked terrible, Damon thought, not without sympathy. His face seemed hol ow and strained, his cheekbones more prominent than usual, and Damon would have bet that he wasn't feeding properly. Damon felt a twinge of disquiet. He didn't take pleasure in causing his brother pain. Not anymore. â€Å"Well?† Damon said, raising his eyebrows. Stefan glanced up at him. I don't want to fight with you, Damon, he said silently. So don't, Damon shot back at him, and Stefan's mouth twitched in a half smile of acknowledgment. â€Å"Stefan,† Elena said suddenly, sounding like the word had been jerked out of her. â€Å"Please, Stefan.† Stefan stared down at the path under his feet, not meeting her eyes. â€Å"I sensed you were nearby, Elena, and I felt your anxiety,† he said wearily. â€Å"I thought you might have been in trouble. I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I shouldn't have come.† Elena stiffened, and her long dark lashes fel over her eyes, hiding, Damon was almost sure, the beginnings of tears. A long silence stretched between them. Final y, irritated by the tension, Damon made an effort to ease it. â€Å"So,† he said casual y, â€Å"we broke into the campus security office last night.† Stefan looked up with a flicker of interest. â€Å"Oh? Did you find anything useful?† â€Å"Crime scene photos, but they weren't very helpful,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"The folders were marked with black Vs, so we're trying to figure out what that means. Elena's going to talk to her professor about the Vitale Society, see if it could have anything to do with them.† â€Å"The†¦ Vitale Society?† Stefan said hesitantly. Damon waved a hand dismissively. â€Å"A secret society from back in the day when Elena's parents were here,† he said. â€Å"Who knows? It may be nothing.† Drawing a hand across his face, Stefan seemed to be thinking hard. â€Å"Oh, no,† he muttered. Then, looking at Elena for the first time, he asked, â€Å"Where's Matt?† â€Å"Matt?† Elena echoed, startled out of her wistful contemplation of Stefan. â€Å"Um, I think he had some kind of meeting tonight. Footbal stuff, maybe?† â€Å"I have to go,† Stefan said tightly, and was immediately gone. With his enhanced abilities, Damon could hear Stefan's light footsteps racing away. But to Elena, he knew, Stefan had been nothing but a silently vanishing blur. Elena turned to Damon, her face crumpling in what he recognized as a prelude to more tears. â€Å"Why would he fol ow me if he doesn't want to talk to me?† she said, her voice hoarse with sorrow. Damon gritted his teeth. He was trying hard to be patient, to wait for Elena to give him her heart, but she kept thinking of Stefan. â€Å"He told you,† he said, keeping his voice even. â€Å"He wants to make sure you're safe, but he doesn't want to be with you. But I do.† Firmly recapturing her arm with his, he tugged her lightly forward. â€Å"Shal we?†

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Nordstrom

Nordstrom's problems†¦ Nordstrom is a classic case of how complicated and counterproductive the business becomes if a system is not properly designed or implemented. Nordstrom’s intentions were very good when they launched their customized piece rate compensation technique called â€Å"Sales Per Hour (SPH)† for the first time in the retail industry. Their plan was to motivate all the sale employees to think and act outside the box and earn tremendous customer satisfaction thus augmenting the sales.Their intentions were good but they haven’t really anticipated the problems that they faced due to this idea, thus failed to create a system which was fool-proof and awarding for the employees. For example, the SPH system was set such that the employee with higher SPH gets compensation more than the one with lesser SPH. But it doesn’t account for the quality of work done in order to create that particular sale. What if a customer worked more hours to generat e lesser dollar amount to satisfy the customer?Does that mean that the sales clerk deserves less money than someone who does a less intense work to create more SPH? The fine line between selling time and non-selling time was not properly documented or practiced, which in a way brought the entire system down. Nordstrom’s management always were on a single loop learning process of reacting according to that particular situation and focused on the motivation aspect of the employees to enhance their sales but never concentrated in a double loop learning process of how things can be improved or what might go wrong with this idea etc.If they had implemented the double loop learning and be more proactive in extrapolating the glitches of the system, they would never have ended in a position like the one the case mentions about. Nordstrom had used the expectancy theory of motivation for compensating their employees. When a sales clerk joined Nordstrom, he/she expected that they first will be valued and also will be compensated for their performance which is directly tied to rewards and reinforcements.This system proved to be fatal for Nordstrom. One more problem with the system failing is the decentralized process created within Nordstrom which never allowed good supervision of the employees and the sales clerks from the managerial side. A decentralized system has advantages of increased creativity, better communication and more efficient environment but suffers from lack of co-ordination and supervision between different departments thus creating silos within the work environment.This exactly was the case in Nordstrom where managers never realized the failure of the system and the issues of the sales clerks with the SPH system until it got nasty. Having said that, Nordstrom’s SPH system succeeded for a long time by motivating employees to give their hundred percent and generate more sales thus creating a name for themselves. Nordstrom’s culture al so included punishment and reinforcement when the case mentioned that if an employee has lesser SPH, he/she served decreased hours or possibly was terminated.This brings all the employees into a vulnerable state where they cannot deliver their best. It also creates an unhealthy competition among the employees and they work against each other rather than working together towards a common goal. All systems, not matter how big they are, fall at some point if not properly designed or implemented like a small crack in the wall can dilapidate the entire house. Alas, that was the case for Nordstrom. Nordstrom Nordstrom's problems†¦ Nordstrom is a classic case of how complicated and counterproductive the business becomes if a system is not properly designed or implemented. Nordstrom’s intentions were very good when they launched their customized piece rate compensation technique called â€Å"Sales Per Hour (SPH)† for the first time in the retail industry. Their plan was to motivate all the sale employees to think and act outside the box and earn tremendous customer satisfaction thus augmenting the sales.Their intentions were good but they haven’t really anticipated the problems that they faced due to this idea, thus failed to create a system which was fool-proof and awarding for the employees. For example, the SPH system was set such that the employee with higher SPH gets compensation more than the one with lesser SPH. But it doesn’t account for the quality of work done in order to create that particular sale. What if a customer worked more hours to generat e lesser dollar amount to satisfy the customer?Does that mean that the sales clerk deserves less money than someone who does a less intense work to create more SPH? The fine line between selling time and non-selling time was not properly documented or practiced, which in a way brought the entire system down. Nordstrom’s management always were on a single loop learning process of reacting according to that particular situation and focused on the motivation aspect of the employees to enhance their sales but never concentrated in a double loop learning process of how things can be improved or what might go wrong with this idea etc.If they had implemented the double loop learning and be more proactive in extrapolating the glitches of the system, they would never have ended in a position like the one the case mentions about. Nordstrom had used the expectancy theory of motivation for compensating their employees. When a sales clerk joined Nordstrom, he/she expected that they first will be valued and also will be compensated for their performance which is directly tied to rewards and reinforcements.This system proved to be fatal for Nordstrom. One more problem with the system failing is the decentralized process created within Nordstrom which never allowed good supervision of the employees and the sales clerks from the managerial side. A decentralized system has advantages of increased creativity, better communication and more efficient environment but suffers from lack of co-ordination and supervision between different departments thus creating silos within the work environment.This exactly was the case in Nordstrom where managers never realized the failure of the system and the issues of the sales clerks with the SPH system until it got nasty. Having said that, Nordstrom’s SPH system succeeded for a long time by motivating employees to give their hundred percent and generate more sales thus creating a name for themselves. Nordstrom’s culture al so included punishment and reinforcement when the case mentioned that if an employee has lesser SPH, he/she served decreased hours or possibly was terminated.This brings all the employees into a vulnerable state where they cannot deliver their best. It also creates an unhealthy competition among the employees and they work against each other rather than working together towards a common goal. All systems, not matter how big they are, fall at some point if not properly designed or implemented like a small crack in the wall can dilapidate the entire house. Alas, that was the case for Nordstrom.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Advantages Of Effective Communication

Advantages Of Effective Communication Effective communication is the act of using correct word in order to get your message across and keep in mind who is receiving it. For example most people often use up to date slang when with friends as a mean of talking effective considering the best way to get their message to that person. Advantages of effective communication The fact is that while you already know how to communicate, learning a some simple principles that can be used at once will make you an effective communicator and give you enormous advantage in today’s extreme competitive business world. Conflict is reduced. Conflict can arouse from the smallest word or action and can cause destructive responses and behaviours .Unsolved or poorly navigated conflict can harm and even ruin relationships.   Most conflict is cause by misunderstood communication. When you turn out to be an effective communicator, you can solve conflict and create harmony by bridging the communication gaps that create conflict. You can ev en use your skills to resolve conflict between other people. Effective communication skills provide a key role in successfully resolving conflict, both in the home and in the workplace. Help people  to  adopt your ideas.   Knowing how to persuade and getting people adopted to your idea require you to nudge hard and do things that will piss people off to make them adopt your ideas. Effective communication is not about â€Å"you† and getting what you want†¦ it is about becoming aware of what other people want and need and then adapting your presentation to match their needs. As you practice and develop your skills, you will find that people easily  adopt your ideas because you have cleverly helped them to notice them for themselves rather than telling them about them. Have stronger relationships. A keen, healthy relationship can be best achieves in your life. Good relationships enhance every part of your life, supporting your health, mind, and your connections with others. Some relationships are special and people often come all together for several reasons. Effective communication builds strong business and personal relationships and allowing you understand exactly what people want  and how to give it to them. At the same time, it allows you know how to communicate your thoughts and emotions in ways that people we automatically understand at an unconscious level. Lead to successful career. Effective communication provides people great advantage in getting good jobs which they had passion for, balancing their mood of life both in academic, moral aspect and bring out the out of life. People will like you better. People grow very accustomed to a certain manner in life. We like to celebrate individuality in the world and also discriminate against to that are dissimilar to us. Gratefully, effective communication shows us that we don’t need to decide between these two polarities. We can communicate in a way which is similar to other peopl e while still keeping the honour of our individuality. In order to be unique easily express what you want to express (say what you want to say and do what you want to do but in a way which is familiar and understandable to other people. Using effective communication will aid you to understand other people well and when you understand them, you will relate to them well. When you relate well, people will like you more.

Explain and illustrate the ways in which the theme of Maslowian Essay

Explain and illustrate the ways in which the theme of Maslowian self-actualisation has come to be central to HRM discourses - Essay Example However, under the light of incisive consideration, the matter emerges as a highly intricate interconnection where the motivational factors are seen as more personal and less dependent on extrinsic rewards contrary to popular assumptions. The simplicity of intrinsic vs. extrinsic is disqualified under the assumption that in a HR context, the motivation of employees is inherently intrinsic based on the desired of individuals to develop their professional and by extension personal and deed seated desired for fulfilment. This paper examines the notion of self-actualisation in contemporary HRM where it is widely regarded as an objective in itself outside the rest of the needs in Maslow’s pyramid. Consequently, employees are encouraged to strive for the perfection underpinned in self-actualisation to draw intrinsic motivation from their desire to achieve the unachievable. People tend to define their worth not as employees but individuals based on their ability to perform in their various tasks (Jim, 2006). Therefore, in HR, self-actualisation is more than just reward as payment or reward for the actual production but rather for the internal effort and self-production, which is always there to motivate the employees with a promise of reward for positivity. The traditional notion of rewards in terms of promotions is transcended by a powerful drive and self-reward that one gives himself/herself after the successful completion of a task. HRM discourse looks at one’s career as a means through which they try to fulfil their potential and they reinforce these efforts by trying to answer questions such as â€Å"What is my true self?†, â€Å"What can I accomplish?†, â€Å"What am I doing with my life?† When one seeks to answer such questions, they are well on their way to interior motivation and reward. HRM directly and

Thursday, September 12, 2019

QUALITY MANAGMENT OF A HISTOGRAM AND A PARETO CHART Essay

QUALITY MANAGMENT OF A HISTOGRAM AND A PARETO CHART - Essay Example The most useful chart for the data is the Pareto chart because it shows the prioritization of the corrective actions. The shown data could also be communicated using a frequency polygon. A frequency polygon is a graphical representation that is used in understanding the distribution shapes of data (Atchison and Ross 57). They have a similar role as the histogram but useful in making the comparison of a data set. From the two graphs, it is evident that the Competitive priority of Golden Yalley bank is reducing with time. This is evidenced by the reduction of the frequency with the increase in the decision process time. This shows that the department was not doing so well if compared to other competitors with an increasing trend of their frequency. The frequency reaches its maximum at around 13 to 15 hours implying that the manager should consider this decision process time as the optimum time for maximum loan