The Egyptian Civilization Essays - Religion, Geography Of Africa

The Egyptian Civilization Egyptian civilization formed along the Nile river and the earliest traces of human life in that region are from the Paleolithic Age, (Old Stone Age), about 300,000 B.C., at the very edges of the Nile Valley. Beyond, on both sides of the river the land was and still is desert. At that time the people moved from place to place, ate berries, roots, and any animals they could find, but stood close to their lifeline, the Nile. The lands along the Nile were rich enough to be farmed, so over time the people started to grow crops. They found ways to store the yearly floodwaters and then use them for the dry seasons. The farmers learned to lift water out of the Nile or wells and send it across the fields through a system of canals. In order for all of this to work out they had to work together, no one could do any of it alone. So as the farmers and people began to cooperate, an organization began to grow. They found leaders among them who directed the work. A form of government developed and due to that they soon began to build cities, to manufacture things, in time to trade with their neighbors. That is how it all started. Over a period from 3100 B.C. to 332 B.C. they grew in culture, arts, religion, science, medicine, and many other fields. The early Egyptian people grew food by the Nile and lived mainly by hunting for meat, fishing, and gathering wild plants. They kept a small number of cattle, sheep, or goats, and grew a few crops. Their crops were flax, barley, and a primitive kind of wheat called 'emmer.' They got the sheep and goats from the middle east, and their crops too. Farming provided most of the food and helped their population grow. Later on in time, the basic diet of the ordinary people was bread and beer. The wealthier ones ate more meat and drank wine instead of beer. The most common clothes women wore were tunic dresses. Those were made by folding a rectangle of cloth in half, sewing it up at the sides, leaving holes for the arms, and cutting a key hole for the head. Some had sleeves and some were sleeveless. This looks very different from the tomb paintings where women are shown wearing skintight transparent dresses with no underclothes. I guess they wanted the art more attractive. Men usually wore loin-cloths and short kilts. Much of the people's clothes were made of linen because for the mostly hot weather they needed light, loose, and easily washed clothes. Linen was perfect for that. Children went naked whenever it was warm enough. At about the age of 10 they started to wear the same kind of tunics or kilts as their parents. Egyptian doctors were the most famous in the ancient world. Today some scholars call them "the first real doctors." The people who were doctors were often priests as well. They were trained in the temple medical schools. Their medicine was a mixture of science, religion, and magic. In many kingdoms all over the Mediterranean if medical help was needed their services were at demand. Their medical writings include all sorts of magic charms and chants, but they had a lot of practical knowledge. They knew how to deal with broken bones, wounds, and fevers. It is said that they approached their study of medicine in a remarkably scientific way. An example of likely treatment in those early times is the binding of a slice of raw meat over a stitched wound. Also wounds were treated with willow leaves, which contain salicylic acid (aspirin), to reduce inflammation, plus copper, sodium salts to help dry up the wound. Cream and flour were mixed to make a cast for a broken limb. With very bad diseases, where they didn't understand the cause, magic spells were mixed with the potions. Even if the magic didn't work itself the patient felt a little better just thinking it might work. There are many gods and goddesses to be found in the beliefs of ancient Egypt. The gods were associated with individual provinces, and their names varied throughout the country. The basic belief of most Egyptians was that in the beginning there was only water. Then, just as happened after the Nile floods every year, the first mound of earth rose out of the waters of chaos. What they believed happened next depended on where they lived. There were common gods to all though.

Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example

Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay In the globalized era when most of the business organizations are involved in different business activities it has become inevitable for the firms independently perform all the functions. Most of the companies do not operate their supply chain and rely on other firms to perform the multi-faceted tasks. The successful and efficient combination of the operations of these firms provides the company with the competitive edge in the market. (Cook, DeBree, and Feroleto, 2001). Lummus and Vokurka   (1999) points out towards the need for the managers to understand the performance of all the stake holding firms in the supply chain. According to (Pohlen, 2003), this insight in the performance of each firm will enable the managers to develop measures in order to fulfil the demands of the customers. The main task of the supply chain management is to develop a strategy which can cater the need of the customers and is aligned with the company objectives (Pohlen, 2003). In this lieu it is important for the mangers to keep on measuring the performance of different parts of supply chain (Deloitte, 1999). It has been a proven fact that the improvement in the company’s performance cannot be undertaken with out improving the performance of its suppliers (Lummus, Vokurka, and Alber, 1999). The planning and information taking activities can be easily performed by the operations managers and senior executives it they have an up to date information regarding the performance of different supply chain firm and stake holders and the resources available to the firm. Authors (La Londe and Masters 1994; Lambert, Stock, and Ellram 1998; Mentzer et al. 2001) regard a supply chain as a set of firms involved in the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, information, and/or finances.   Mentzer et al. (2001, p. 4) described a supply chain as a set of three or more organizations directly linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer. Thus, the nature of a supply chain is comprehensive so that membership is not limited to a supplier, a manufacturer, and a distributor, but open to any firm that performs various flow-related services (Mentzer et al. 2001). The notion of production management has been transformed from the manufacturing activities and has expanded to activities as purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations from the procurement of raw materials through various activities until a product in available to the buyer. The notion includes the process of delivering the services to the customers with the products. With the changing time the aspects covered are increasing, the process now also includes RD, value creation, marketing management, sales activities, accounting and finance. The operation management model constitutes of inputs and outputs. The list of inputs include, 1. customer needs 2. Information 3. Technology management 4. Fixed assets of the business 5. Human capital 6. Variable assets related to transformation process. Information and the physical factors play an important role for managers in order to produce outputs. Most of the physical assets remain unchanged. These include buildings, land, manufacturing plants, warehouses etc. Planning, operating and controlling are the important constituents of transformation process. The improvement in the system is also an important aim of the model. Outputs consist of products and services and may even be information, such as that provided by a consulting organization. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p 633, 634) The international sourcing policy effects the corporate, marketing, purchasing, and other strategies.   It is important for the firm to connect the future objectives with corporate objectives and strategy. The purchasing function should also be undertaken in order to support the corporate objectives. It is often observed that the purchasing functions in the firms are undertaken without gathering proper and enough information. Also the purchasing decision of most of the companies are not undertaken in the line of the strategy of the company. It is also important for the companies to undertake strategic planning while undertaking the purchasing decision. Most of the researchers emphasize the need of aligning the purchasing function with the firm’s strategic planning process. In order to undertake effective planning according to the company’s goal it is important to plan and implement strategic planning more effectively at the departmental level. Some of the researches a lso pay great attention in establishment of the link between the customers and the suppliers as part of their purchasing strategy. The purchasing decision in the right direction can also help the company in acquiring the market leadership through cost reduction. â€Å"Purchasing’s contributions to corporate strategic planning include the following: monitoring supply market trends, interpreting the impact of these trends on the firm, identifying the materials and services required to support company and strategic business unit strategies, and developing supply options.† (Ellram and Carr, 1994) There are many techniques, which can be undertaken by the management in order to improve the quality of management process. Some of them are described below. Time-Event Networks: Time network analysis is a logical extension of the famous Gantt chart. Often referred to as the program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) an in its essentials as the Critical Path Method (CPM), this technique of planning and control has wide potential use in many applications. But PERT and its various refinements, like PERT/COST, have considerable potential for use in many aspects of planning and controlling operations (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648). For a company having the expanded supply chain PERT/ COST analysis should be performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of supply chain. Value Engineering: A product can be improved and its cost lowered through value engineering, which consists of analyzing the operations of the product or service, estimating the value of each operation, and attempting to improve that operation by trying to keep costs low at each step or part. The following specific steps can be taken in order to improve the supply chain. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify the costs for each part and operation. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify each part’s relative contribution value to the final unit or product. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Find a new approach for those items, which appear to have high cost and low value. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Work Simplification: Work methods can be improved through work simplification, which is the process of obtaining the participation of workers in simplifying their work. Training sessions should be conducted in the company to teach concepts and principles of techniques such as time and motion studies, workflow analyses, and the layout of the work situation. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Quality Circles The supply chain management should establish a group of people from the same organizational area who meet regularly to solve problems they experience at work. (Goldstein, 1985; p.504-517) Members should be trained in solving problems, in applying statistical quality control, and in working in-groups. A facilitator should work with each group consisting of six to twelve members. The QCs may meet 4 hours a month. Although QC members may receive recognition, they should also receive monetary rewards. Quality circles should evolve from suggestion programs. In both approaches, workers will participate in solving work-related problems. Although in suggestion programs the problems are usually quite specific, those dealt with by quality control circles are often more complex and require the involvement of several team members. The team should consist primarily of rank-and-file workers and sometimes it can also include supervisors. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.649) The Concept of TQM: TQM is defined as both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of a continuously improving organization. It is the application of quantitative methods and human resources to improve all the process within an organization and exceed customer needs now and in the future. TQM integrates fundamental management techniques, existing improvement efforts, and technical tools under a disciplined approach. (Besterfield, Michna, Besterfied Sacre, p.1) Possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain: TQM is based on a number of ideas. It means thinking about quality in terms of all functions of the enterprise and is a start is a start-to-finish process that integrates interrelated functions at all levels. It is a systems approach that considers every interaction between the various elements of the organization. Thus, the overall effectiveness of the system is higher than the sum of the individual outputs from the subsystems. The subsystems include all the organizational functions in the life cycle of a product, such as (!) design, (2) planning, (3) production, (4) distribution, and (5) field service. The management subsystems also require integration, including (1) strategy with a customer focus, (2) the tools of quality and (3) employee involvement (the linking process that integrates the whole). A corollary is that any product, process, or service can be improved, and a successful organization is one that consciously seeks and exploits opportunities for improvement at all level s. The load-bearing structure is customer satisfaction. The watchword is continuous improvement. (Ross) Hence following steps should be taken in order to improve the supply chain of the company: 1. Management Commitment: Top management must become convinced of the need for quality and must clearly communicate this to the entire company be written policy, starting that each person is expected to perform according to the requirement or cause the requirement to be officially changed to what the company and the customers really need. 2. Quality improvement team: From a team composed of department heads to oversee improvements in their departments and in the company as a whole. 3. Quality measurement: Establish measurements appropriate to every activity in order to identify areas in need of improvement. 4. Cost of quality: Estimate the costs of quality in order to identify areas where improvements would be profitable. 5. Quality awareness: Raise quality awareness among employees. They non-conformance. 6. Corrective action: Take corrective action as a result of steps 3 and 4. 7. Zero defects planning: From a committee to plan a program appropriate to the company and its culture. 8. Supervisor training: All levels of management must be trained in how to implement their part of the quality improvement program. 9. Zero defects day: Schedule a day to signal to employees that the company has a new standard. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goal setting: Individuals must establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Error causes removal: Employees should be encouraged to inform management of any problems that prevent them from performing error free work. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recognition: Give public, non-financial appreciation to those who meet their quality goals or perform outstandingly. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality councils: Composed of quality professionals and team chairpersons, quality councils should meet regularly to share experiences, problems, and ideas. 14.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does it all over again: Repeat steps 1 to 13 in order to emphasize the never-ending process of quality improvement. (Ross) Conclusion: Production management refers to all those activities necessary to manufacture products; it may also include purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations. Operations management has a similar meaning, referring to activities necessary to produce and deliver a service as well as a physical product. It is important for the supply chain management to give importance to all of the above activities. Since a low level of performance from any part of supply chain can effect the whole process.   (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653) The method of operations research, which is the application of scientific methods to the study of alternatives in a problem situation to obtain a quantitative basis for arriving at the best solution, should be used. Other tools of production management such as linear programming inventory planning and control, the just-in time inventory system, and distribution logistics should be used to enhance the productivity of the Company. Other tools and tech niques such as time-event inventory system, engineering, work simplification, quality circles, total quality management, and a variety of computer-aided approaches can also be used according to the need. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653)

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER OFFER BUSINESSES BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND Essay

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER OFFER BUSINESSES BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES - Essay Example Overall, both challenges and opportunities surface to businesses when using Twitter and Facebook. If no marketing activities were present on the social media sites, perhaps no consumer would be willing to pay for such sites. This is majorly because the social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, offer both consumers and businesses an opportunity to interact and share experiences with certain products and services. While most businesses use the social media for marketing and customer service, a vast majority of the consumers tend to offer valuable feedback and complaints via the same sites. This close interaction between businesspersons and their clients strengthens the bond between the consumers and the businesspeople. Owing to the critical service that consumers receive from respective businesses, it is appropriate to imply that few consumers would be willing to pay for the social media sites if there were no marketing activities in such sites. Essentially, they are consumers, and need information about the product they consume, probably from the marketers. Facebook and Twit ter offer the best platform for such marketing activities hence retaining several consumers. Although most marketers are genuine in their advertisements, some marketers have the tendency of posting what a majority of the social media users would consider inappropriate. Perhaps it is because the social media is a platform where people are supposed to have fun and any serious content that interrupts the conversation of fun lovers might appear inappropriate. In essence, oversharing of information by some marketers might be considered inappropriate, especially when such advertisements are unwarranted. Additionally, some marketers do not clearly examine the market segments hence posting would be offensive to some sections of social media users. Therefore, it is imperative that marketers be

Describe the Jacksonian Era What were some of the highlights of this Essay

Describe the Jacksonian Era What were some of the highlights of this period - Essay Example He was a creator and destroyer, but he destroyed to create! He destroyed Bank of the United States and left the nation without the financial authority to regulate and oversee the economic health. On the social and political front, he arranged the relocation of more than 90,000 Indians. He established direct rapport with the voters of the country. Though democratic to the core, he often worked against the mandate of the Congress, and he was a firm believer in the rights of the states. But he knew how to maintain the sanctity of the federal structure of America when he threatened federal military action against South Carolina, when it claimed that it has legal right against federal law. The heritage of Andrew Jackson, as President Roosevelt said, is â€Å"his unending contribution to the vitality of our democracy.†(x) He was compassionate and he adopted an Indian child. He encouraged interracial marriages and left an inedible imprint on the American political and societal

Unit VIII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unit VIII - Essay Example This agreement was anti-competitive because it stated that BRG and HBJ would not compete in Georgia. Furthermore, this had an impact on interstate commerce as the price of the course increased substantially in Georgia. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring that the food that reaches the public is fit for consumption. In order to ensure this, the institute is authorized to conduct regular inspections on different food and drug related companies. FDA has the right to prohibit any food that may contain traces of filth; even when the filth is not found in the food, FDA has the right to prohibit adulterated food that is manufactured or packaged in unsanitary conditions (Cheeseman, 2013). Gel Spice is guilty of selling adulterated food to the people and should be charged for this activity. Gel Spice filed a motion that FDA conducted the investigations in bad faith when they found contaminated food during their first inspection. However, this was a weak claim given the fact that Gel Spice continued to sell unsanitary food to the public despite being aware of the conditions. The doctrine of Adverse Possession states that another person may acquire the rights to a property if he gains possession of the land for over a period of twenty years. However, the possession would only be complete if certain conditions are met. Adverse Possession occurs when rights to a property are acquired through continuous, hostile, open, actual and exclusive conditions (Cheeseman, 2013). In the case, Witt V. Miller, the Witts claimed that they had acquired rights to the property through adverse possession. They had been occupying the land for nearly twenty years. However, all the conditions of adverse possession have not been met. The occupancy was not hostile. Also when the Shaughnesseys sold the property to the Millers, they were not aware of this possession, therefore it was not open. The Witts would have to clear the land because this specific

Social Cognitive Perspective and Phenomenological Perspective

Social Cognitive Perspective and Phenomenological Perspective The quoted text is taken from Social Psychology (Hollway et al 2007, p.35). It challenges the accountability of certain methods in their ability to accurately reflect the reality of social phenomena. Implicitly understood in this statement is that qualitative methods are better suited than quantitative methods. Qualitative methods are better able to reflect richness and complexity of lived experience than quantitative methods which are capable of limiting, constraining and distorting it. This is a polemical stance that has accompanied the growth in qualitative methods since the 1980s. The Social Cognitive Perspective (SCP) and Phenomenological Perspective (PP) demonstrate how strikingly different methods can be. They have different epistemological stances and make different ontological claims. The nature of being (ontology) is understood differently in social psychology, such as the information-processing individual in a social context (SCP) or the experiencing, embodied individual in relation with  others (PP). Limitations and benefits of the SCP and the PP are illustrated by a critical review of Milgrams 1970s experiment on obedience to authority and the works of Eatough and Smith (2006) on feelings of anger in the context of the lives of individual women. Gregen, K.J. (1973) in his account of social psychology as History gave voice to a debate about the relative merits of social psychology methods. In particular whether social psychology as a discipline was scientific in nature or should be considered as contemporary history. Gregen argued that social psychology was a product of historical and cultural climates which constantly changed, producing theories and knowledge that did not prove to be consistent. In this light it was suggested that the prevailing quantitative scientific methods should give way to more descriptive accounts with appreciation for how knowledge is situated within a social-cultural-historic context. These themes of situated knowledge are highlighted by Milgrams findings on obedience to authority. Milgram demonstrated through his experimental conditions the potential for acts of cruelty to be committed by a stranger (research participant and executant) to another stranger (researcher assistant and victim) because they were following orders (researcher and authority figure). His findings have been widely cited and used in psychological text books as factual scientific accounts. They have however been criticised on a number of ethical and substantive terms (Holloway et al 2007, p.53). For example Milgram recorded that participants were observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips, and groan as they found themselves implicated (Milgram, 1977, p. 112; in Holloway et al 2007, p.54). The use of deception and unnecessary stress to research participants is seen by many as being unjustifiable. Milgram himself was less concerned with the immediate distress caused and was satisfied that questionnaires sent after one year showed participants felt positively towards the experiment (Milgram, 1974, p.195 within Hollway et al 2007, p.52). In Milgrams time research ethics were not as developed as they are today. Arguably the overall benefit of the research was deemed more important than any minor stress caused. This insight is perhaps justifiable given Milgrams interest in trying to understand how hatred and persecution of Jews under Hitlers Nazi Germany could have happened. Milgrams experimental conditions in which one agent commands another to hurt a third reflected his underlying theory that elements of authority, executant and victim were central to obedience and hostility (Milligram, 1977, p.102; in Holloway et al 2007, p.53). Apart from ethics critics such as Harre 1979, p.105 argues that there are substantive problems with his study. Harre notes that the issue of trust was overlooked; trust as a possible response to power was likely key to participants behaviour as an executants. In fact 40% of participants did not follow the instruction to inflict pain on the victim, however these accounts are given little attention. Similarly the research setting was changed because of a perceived influence of Yale University on giving authority to the instruction to the executant. It was moved from the universitys laboratory to the basement and then to a nearby town called Bridgeport. But, Milgram, 1977, p. 116 believed that the level of obedience in Bridgeport, although somewhat reduced, was not significantly lower than that obtained at Yale with 48% vs. 65% opposed. 17% between sites can be interpreted as statistically significant (Holloway et al 2007, p.53). Ultimately the reliability and validity of Milgrams findings can be questioned on a number of points. Although Milgram sort scientific objectivity he failed to consider ethical questions fully, did not explore the relevance of the research settings or participants personal experiences. PP provides an interesting perspective to juxtapose with traditional scientific methods. It has in its own right a long established history dating back to the C18th from philosophical works by Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jean-Paul Sartre, et al (Smith Woodruff 2009). As an approach to social psychology it became popular alongside a humanistic perspective in USA during the second half of the C20th. It seeks detailed descriptions instead of explanations for human behaviour, addressing all aspects of a topic, and suspending judgements and assumptions that may be held by the researcher (Hollway et al 2007, p131). Linda Finlay (2009) in Debating Phenomenological Research Methods acknowledges that variations in methodology have flourished within PP. The competing visions of how to practice phenomenology stem from different philosophical values, theoretical preferences, and methodological procedures. Smiths Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is however one that has become popular. Smith argues that his idiographic and inductive method, which seeks to explore participants personal lived experiences, is phenomenological in its concern for individuals perceptions. He also, however, identifies more strongly with hermeneutic traditions which recognize the central role played by the researcher, and does not advocate the use of bracketing (Smith, 2004). The competing visions of how to practice phenomenology stem from different philosophical values, theoretical preferences, and methodological procedures. Eatough and Smith (2006) used interpretative phenomenological analysis of feelings of anger in the context of the lives of individual women. Specifically they used descriptive tools to explore three analytic themes the subjective experience of anger, forms and contexts of aggression, and anger as moral judgment. They concluded that mean making is a fundamental process in how the participants formed emotions. The descriptive accounts from the interviews with Marilyn (one of the research participants) were given as a case in point. Eatough and Smith (2006) believed that Marilyns anger towards her mother was changed by her self-reflections and counselling. It can be argued that richness and complexity provided by PP in its account of womens anger by Eatough and Smith (2006) far outreaches that by its SCP counterparts. The SCP remains however the dominant perspective in social psychology and has been helped by innovations in research methods. For example, Fazio et al (1995) work that has built on the concepts of cognitive errors and biases implicated in prejudice thinking (Fiske and Taylor, 1991). Their research has suggested that subtle forms of prejudice are now more pervasive than blatant forms. Their experiment measured response times of white undergraduates when classifying stimulus words as either being positive or negative meaning; after viewing random photos of black and white faces. They found evidence of inhibition and facilitation effects which were largely automatic, unconscious associations, between the colour of faces and positive or negative evaluations. In conclusion, the quoted text implicitly suggests that methods such as those used by SCP can be limiting, constraining and distorting but perhaps this is only half the story. Although quantification can be accused of being myopic, failing to appreciate richness and complexity in the account of the social phenomena under question they often do so knowingly. The scientific tradition of looking for cause and effect relationships in social psychology continues to be dominant over other methodologies. This reflects the willingness of the discipline to continue to strive for objectivism, statistical reliability and validity, and ultimately for the advancement of practical application. Moreover, as Gregen, K.J. (1973) noted social psychology methods are constantly adapting and evolving the work of Fazio et al (1995) on subtle forms of prejudice being testament to this. In contrast richness and complexity of qualitative methods such as PP often comes at a cost as the research is time-consu ming may have limited practical application.

Barium :: essays research papers

Barium is a soft, heavy, silver-colored metal element. This element does not have very many uses outside of the laboratory, but it combines easily with other chemicals to form compounds used for important industrial uses. For example, Barium carbonate is used in the manufacture of ceramics and special glass, and also to purify certain chemical solutions. It is also an ingredient in clay slurries, also known as water muds, used in drilling oil wells. Barium titanate is used in sonar detectors and other electrical equipment. At low doses, barium acts as a muscle stimulant and at higher doses affects the nervous system eventually leading to paralysis. Acute and subchronic oral doses of barium cause vomiting and diarrhea, followed by decreased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. Higher doses result in cardiac irregularities, weakness, tremors, anxiety, and dyspnea. A drop in serum potassium may account for some of the symptoms. Death can occur from cardiac and respiratory failure. A cute doses around 0.8 grams can be fatal to humans. Barium nitrate makes signal flares burn with a green flame. Barium ferrite is used to make magnets. Barium sulfate is an extremely insoluble barium compound that is not poisonous. Doctors use it in X-ray examinations of a patient's digestive system. The barium sulfate absorbs X rays to show an outline of the intestines on the developed film. A barium enema is performed to examine the walls of the colon. During the procedure, a well lubricated enema tube is inserted gently into the rectum. The barium is then allowed to flow into the colon. The flow of the barium is monitored by the health care provider on an X-ray fluoroscope screen. The test is used to detect colon cancer. The barium enema may also be used to diagnose and evaluate the extent of inflammatory bowel diseases. Barium sulfate and zinc sulfide form lithopone, a white coloring matter for paint. Barium is never found in a pure state because it combines so easily with other elements. Pure barium is obtained by passing an electric current through a fused barium compound, such as barium chloride. A piece of barium metal quickly reacts with oxygen and water vapor in the air to form barium oxide. It must be stored under kerosene to keep it pure. Barium is found most often as barium sulfate in the mineral barite. The chemical symbol for barium is Ba.

Ethical and Legal Dilemmas of Surrogacy

Many individuals have a life plan consisting of college, marriage, and then children. After numerous methods of conception, many couples are still unable to conceive a child. A woman who enters into a contract with a couple, agreeing to carry and birth a child, then hand that child over to the contracted couple, who is often unable to conceive own their own naturally is considered surrogacy (Pozgar, 2012). Surrogacy raises many ethical and legal issues for all parties involved. Is it moral or immoral to enter into an agreement with a woman to birth a child for money? What are the legal rights of the woman conceiving or of the couple? Should the child be aware of the process in which he or she was born? Does the child have rights to access the confidential records of the process? These are a just a few questions that will be addressed throughout this paper. Discussed below is the history of surrogacy, the ethical and legal dilemmas that surround surrogacy, alternative solutions to surrogacy, and the potential effects and future implications of how surrogacy may be addressed. There are two types of surrogacy arrangements to consider. These types of surrogacy are genetic and gestational. Genetic or traditional surrogacy is where the surrogate mother contributes her genetic makeup to the offspring, whereas gestational surrogacy consists of the genetic makeup of the intended parents (Greene, 2013). Of the two, gestational surrogacy accounts for 95% of the surrogate pregnancies in the United States of America (Covington & Patrizio, 2013, p. 277). One of the first accounts of surrogacy dates back to the story of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible. Sarah, who was well beyond child-bearing years and having being barren of child-bearing years sought to have a child. Abraham had intercourse with Hagar, a handmaid and gave birth to Ishmael, which she then gave to Abraham and Sarah to raise (King James Bible, Genesis 25:12). While surrogacy continued throughout history, it became more prevalent in the last half century or so. Altruistic surrogacy is when a friend or family member is the surrogate without being paid; however, the most common is commercial recruitment of women who are paid to be a surrogate (Covington & Patrizio, 2013, p. 277). Noel Keane was a broker who made the first commercial surrogacy agreement in the case of Baby M (Cassidy, 2012). The details of this first legal case began raising ethical dilemmas with surrogacy. The application of autonomy and distributive justice are at work with surrogacy. Autonomy is the acknowledgment of a persons right to make their own decisions and distributive justice is equal and fair treatment to all (Pozgar, 2012). Principle number four in The Medical Code of Ethics states requires respect for the patient’s right (American Medical Association, 2001). In surrogacy issues, whose rights should be placed first? The surrogate who is carrying the child? Should the emotional ties that she can accumulate over the course of ten months be placed first or the rights of the adopting parents? Is there a possible outcome for justice to be distributed among all the parties involved? In attempting to define ethical decisions, Jones writes that â€Å"An ethical decision is a decision that is both legally and morally acceptable to the larger community. (Jones, 1991, p. 387)†. Thus, Jones explains that decisions such as surrogacy are often resolved using the perspective of a utilitarian. Utilitarianism is considered a moral theory in which individuals and governmental action should be directed at providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Mosser, 2010). One question remains: Can an action be placed on the issue that provides good to all? An ethical dilemma placed with surrogacy is dehumanization and exploitation. For people who oppose surrogacy as means of conception, it is viewed that women who are living in poverty are exploiting their bodies to profit (in cases of gestational surrogacy) financially (Surrogacy, 2008). On the flipside on the issue, can it not also be viewed that allowing these women to do as they see fit with their bodies as economic empowerment? The money provided to these women can used for various financial means outside of taking care of medical heath care for themselves and the child. The amount provided to each female varies depending on what she and the couple feel is sufficient, therefore any extra monetary compensation can used to help the women relieve themselves from other debts. Autonomy does provide the right that women get to choose their reproductive rights and that includes bearing children for those who cannot do so or for monetary stability. Suggesting that surrogacy dehumanizes her is another form of paternalism. Paternalism limits one’s autonomy for their own good (Pozgar, 2012). Some view altruistic surrogacy as a form of exploiting the surrogate. There is no monetary compensation to woman placing her health and well-being on the line for another’s benefit. However, it can also be held that the woman knowingly entered into the agreement with full disclosure of the risks and benefits to her health and body. Again, autonomy and justice are extremely prevalent ethical principles to explore when discussing the topic of surrogacy. Same-sex marriage has become a hot topic in the United States in the last few years. The idea of raising a family by homosexual couples brings about other ethical issues of surrogacy. Should those of same-sex marriages be allowed to have children? How will there relationship affect the child of the couple? A recent article in the American Bar Association’s (ABA) journal tells of a same-sex couple whose case is similar to that of the Baby M case (Hansen, 2011). The United States, unlike many other countries have no policies governing surrogacy, as it is a state-by-state policy (Hansen, 2011). In places such as India, commercial surrogacy is legal and often seen as a popular place of fertility tourism because the costs are one third of that in the United States (Saxena, Mishra, & Malik, 2012). In some cases, children have been placed in orphanages until paternity has been established or in some instances disowned when a child is conceived naturally by the parents, as with Ishmael from the Bible. Women of poor and illiterate backgrounds stricken by poverty are sometimes coerced by intermediaries or spouses to become surrogates. In such cases, fidelity among the couple has been cast aside. The women may feel that they cannot trust their spouse to stand by them if they do not comply with their wishes. Unlike the United States where psychological screening and legal counseling is mandatory to be surrogates, in India women are placed in hostels for the duration of their pregnancy by recruitment commercial agencies (Saxena, Mishra, & Malik, 2012). Back to the case of Baby M and the same sex couples, who after waiting for their buddle of joy begin having legal issues. It is important to know that the surrogate has the legal right to keep the child she has bore, regardless of genetics (Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, 2009). In other words, the birth mother is considered the legal parental unit of the child until such documentation states otherwise. She has the right at anytime to change her mind, therefore it is important to have knowledge and fidelity with your surrogate. Understanding the meaning of how the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985 reads is important. If you are having problems comprehending or deciphering parts of the act, speak with a lawyer. It reads, â€Å" an Act to regulate certain activities in connection with arrangements made with a view to women carrying children as surrogate mothers,† (Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985). As far as legal rights of the father, if the woman did so in a licensed clinic and has no partner, the child will have no legal father; however, the surrogate’s husband or civil partner is the child’s legal father, unless it is shown that the partner did not consent to the procedure (Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, 2009). The intended parents have a course to follow concerning rights as well. If they wish to become the legal parents of the child, they can adopt or file for a paternal order. Provided certain conditions are met, the rights and parentage are transferred with the order, this must be done within six months of the child’s birth and at least one individual of the commissioning couple needs a genetic link for a paternal order (Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, 2009). If there is no genetic relationship with the child in question, adoption is the only legal route. In this case, an adoption agency will get involved, so it is important to know the legal aspects of surrogacy. An article in the British Medical Journal argues that the only way to resolve such issues of legality is through legislations and regulations of international laws (Ramskold & Posner, 2012). The ethical responsibilities for physicians of surrogates can been seen as: advising couples who are considering surrogacy, counseling women who may wish to become surrogates, providing obstetrics to women engaged in surrogacy, or offering assisted reproductive technologies (ART) related to surrogacy (Committee on Ethics, 2008). Physicians should not treat the intended parents of a surrogate child while also treating the surrogate mother, as conflicts may arise and not all parties may be treated fairly and the physician should. As in all other aspects of medical care, physicians should be certain that there would be a full discussion of ethical and legal issues as well as medical risks, benefits, and alternatives, many of which have been addressed in this statement (Committee on Ethics, 2008). Physicians may decline to participate in surrogacy arrangement, as with any other treatment of a patient because of personal, ethical, medical, or religious views as per the AMA Code of Medical Ethics (AMA, 2001). A physician should apply the same legal and ethical aspects to the surrogate as with the intended couple. This includes screening and counseling the surrogate and intended couple; referral for mental health testing for the surrogate to evaluate the possible outcomes and effects, as well as evaluate psychological risks, vulnerabilities and benefits, and the possible effects of existing relationships with existing children (Committee on Ethics, 2008). It is important that confidentiality be maintained between the physician and the patient. The intended parents may only access the pregnant woman’s medical records if the woman has given explicit consent. This is guaranteed in the Patient’s Bill of Rights and the Constitution (Right to privacy, n. d. ). This would also address whether or not the child would have any legal right to know his or her birth mother without her consent. Two alternatives to surrogacy are natural conception and adoption. When a couple conceives naturally, there is no need for a surrogate. This can be done through sexual intercourse or through in-vitro fertilization. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medical procedure in which mature eggs are obtained from the female’s ovaries and are fertilized by the male’s sperm, then the eggs are implanted into the uterus (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). This option is usually applied due to infertility. Adoption, as an alternative to surrogacy can also be very beneficial to involved parties. Children without parents, due to unforeseen circumstances are provided homes with caring, loving families. A couple adopting may not have genetic links to these children, but loving relationships can emerge and often treat the child as their own. In my personal opinion, I think surrogacy will continue to increase the numbers of childless couples. In such cases where altruism is applied, I think the emotional ties are easier severed because the woman is volunteering her services to a couple she sees in need. I speak of this from somewhat of a personal viewpoint. I have two healthy children and am currently pregnant with my third with no complications during either pregnancy; however, my sister has been trying to conceive naturally for almost 4 years now and has had no luck. I would gladly consider being a surrogate for her should she ever ask. I know from her interactions with my own kids that she would be a great mother to a child. I do not know her medical history or what medical advice she has sought regarding her problem, but I know that I could help a family member in need and not want monetary compensation for doing so. However, I will acknowledge that this is not the best road for all women. The emotional involvement may make it hard to part with the child after carrying it for nine months. I would only recommend this to a woman who has decided that she no longer wants to have children or does not wish to raise any more children of her own. I also see gestational surrogacy still being the most common between the two types of surrogacy because of the emotional detachment. I think that some people feel that not having a genetic link to a child makes it easier to part with after birth. I feel that some women need to be able to look at their child and see similarities in physical features to know that they are part of a child. Gestational surrogacy requires no genetics from the surrogate, only from the intended parents. Considering both types of surrogacy and the current state of how the legal issues around the topic are addressed, I think improvements need to be made. From research, the surrogate has more legal rights than anyone. This provides a very limited window for the intended couple who has long awaited a child. Legislations need to be enacted that provide more rights to intended parents of the child, especially during a gestational surrogacy. I do not think that it should be legal and find it unethical that a surrogate still has legal rights to a child with no genetic link. I find hope in the future that additional regulations in how surrogacy is handled will be sought. While surrogacy has been around since Biblical times, it has made a splash as headline news in the last half century. The legal and ethical dilemmas surrounding the topic derive from the rights of the surrogate, the intended couple, and for the children that are involved with the procedure and process. The alternatives to surrogacy do not necessarily provide additional benefits and in some instances, do not always apply to those wishing to have a child. While no one can predict the future, surrogacy in my opinion, will continue to flourish among couples; not just infertile couples or same-sex couples, but among women who do not wish to go through the process of labor and delivery. Women who live in poverty may continue to see the benefits of surrogacy for economic gain for themselves and their families. There are so many ethical elements at play with surrogacy that the issue will remain to have legal and ethical complications, now and in the future.

The May Revolution in Argentina

The May Revolution in Argentina In May of 1810, word reached Buenos Aires that the King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, had been deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Rather than serve the new King, Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother), the city formed its own ruling council, essentially declaring itself independent until such time as Ferdinand could reclaim the throne. Although initially an act of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the â€Å"May Revolution,† as it came to be known, was eventually a precursor to independence. The famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires is named in honor of these actions. Viceroyalty of the River Platte The lands of the eastern southern cone of South America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay, had been steadily growing in importance for the Spanish crown, mostly because of revenues from the lucrative ranching and leather industry in the Argentine pampas. In 1776, this importance was recognized by the establishment of a Viceregal seat in Buenos Aires, the Viceroyalty of the River Platte. This elevated Buenos Aires to the same status as Lima and Mexico City, although it was still much smaller. The wealth of the colony had made it a target for British expansion. Left to Its Own Devices The Spanish were correct: the British had their eye on Buenos Aires and the rich ranching land it served. In 1806-1807 the British made a determined effort to capture the city. Spain, its resources drained from the devastating loss at the Battle of Trafalgar, was unable to send any help and the citizens of Buenos Aires were forced to fight off the British on their own. This led many to question their loyalties to Spain: in their eyes, Spain took their taxes but did not hold up their end of the bargain when it came to defense. The Peninsular War In 1808, after helping France overrun Portugal, Spain was itself invaded by Napoleonic forces. Charles IV, King of Spain, was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII. Ferdinand, in turn, was taken prisoner: he would spend seven years in luxurious confinement in the Chà ¢teau de Valenà §ay in central France. Napoleon, wanting someone he could trust, put his brother Joseph on the throne in Spain. The Spanish despised Joseph, nicknaming him â€Å"Pepe Botella† or â€Å"Bottle Joe† because of his alleged drunkenness. Word Gets Out Spain desperately tried to keep news of this disaster from reaching its colonies. Since the American Revolution, Spain had kept a close eye on its own New World holdings, fearing that the spirit of independence would spread to its lands. They believed that the colonies needed little excuse to cast off Spanish rule. Rumors of a French invasion had been circulating for some time, and several prominent citizens were calling for an independent council to run Buenos Aires while things got sorted out in Spain. On May 13, 1810, a British frigate arrived in Montevideo and confirmed the rumors: Spain had been overrun. May 18-24 Buenos Aires was in an uproar. Spanish Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre pleaded for calm, but on May 18, a group of citizens came to him demanding a town council. Cisneros tried to stall, but the city leaders would not be denied. On May 20, Cisneros met with the leaders of the Spanish military forces garrisoned in Buenos Aires: they said they would not support him and encouraged him to go ahead with the town meeting. The meeting was first held on May 22 and by May 24, a provisional ruling junta which included Cisneros, Creole leader Juan Josà © Castelli, and commander Cornelio Saavedra was created. May 25 The citizens of Buenos Aires did not want former Viceroy Cisneros to continue in any capacity in the new government, so the original junta had to be disbanded. Another junta was created, with Saavedra as president, Dr. Mariano Moreno, and Dr. Juan Josà © Paso as secretaries, and committee members Dr. Manuel Alberti, Miguel de Azcuà ©naga, Dr. Manuel Belgrano, Dr. Juan Josà © Castelli, Domingo Matheu, and Juan Larrea, most of whom were creoles and patriots. The junta declared itself rulers of Buenos Aires until such time as Spain was restored. The junta would last until December 1810, when it was replaced by another one. Legacy May 25 is the date celebrated in Argentina as the Dà ­a de la Revolucià ³n de Mayo, or May Revolution Day. Buenos Aires famous Plaza de Mayo, today known for protests by family members of those who disappeared during Argentinas military regime (1976-1983), is named for this turbulent week in 1810. Although it was intended as a show of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the May Revolution actually started the process of independence for Argentina. In 1814 Ferdinand VII was restored, but by then Argentina had seen enough of Spanish rule. Paraguay had already declared itself independent in 1811. On July 9, 1816, Argentina formally declared independence from Spain, and under the military leadership of Josà © de San Martà ­n was able to defeat Spains attempts to retake it. Source: Shumway, Nicolas. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1991.

Macromolecules Essay Example

Macromolecules Essay Example Macromolecules Essay Macromolecules Essay The four macromolecules that are essential to life are Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It provides energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system. The food sources are in sugar and grains. Lipids Lipids are made up of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. It provides Energy storage, acting as structural components of cell membranes, and hormone production. The food sources are in fatty acids, dairy, and trygycerols. Proteins Proteins are made up of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. It provides energy storage, basic building blocks of living things and is responsible for the growth and repair of body cells and tissues. The food sources are in vegetables, meats, and grains. Nucleic Acids Nucleic Acids are made up of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and phosphorous. It stores and transmits genetic material and Synthesis of Proteins. The food sources are seafood, nuts, vegetables, mushrooms, yeast, beef, broths and, soups. a casdvkpasdJvbdsakvJbnivJbdskvJadbfsvipqeubvsdoJVNBAD;FKBJVADF;KBVAD;KFBJVFJ Protelns are mace up 0T nyorogen, oxygen, nitrogen ana caroon. It prov10es energy It stores ana transmlts genetlc materlal ana syntnesls 0T Proteins. I n sources Nucleic AclOs are mace up 0T oxygen, nltrogen, caroon, nyarogen, ana pnospnorous.

Heroes and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Heroes and Culture - Essay Example But the way these heroes have affected the present cultures is different. They have ignited in people the will and power to be like them and fight for their rights. Today, people imitate them and follow their ideals. Obviously, no one will go to war but people do indulge in a silent war waged through the ideals of their heroes and proper channeling of plans. Today, heroes inspire people to bring about a desired change and fight against terrorism to save mankind. The name of the hero, Beowulf, is accepted as the title of a poem, originally untitled. The greatest surviving old English poem, in a volume of the Cottonian collection now placed in the British museum, London, known as Vitellius A XV. Beowulf a warrior at heart was a young nobleman of Geatas. (a people who lived in southern Sweden}.The main deeds of his bravery depict court life, social and moral problems of the layman. The legendary Geatish Hero killed two super natural demons, Grendel and Grendel's mother, who in human form, were terrorizing the court of Hrothgar, a Danish monarch. The other event depicts the killing of a dragon that was guarding a treasure since three hundred years. He died himself while pursuing this noble deed since Beowulf belonged to the inherited Germanic heroic traditions. ... The ethical values he transpired are manifest by the Germanic code of loyalty to the chief and tribe and vengeance to enemies. The critics see Beowulf as the champion of goodness and light against the forces of evil darkness. His sacrificial death is not seen as tragic but as a fitting end of a great hero's life. Role he played in inspiring others to imitate him Beowulf has inspired heroes in laymen to sacrifice for their people and to gain earthly joy. He has inspired goodness in many and also the common man to wake up from their deep slumber and take a stand. He has inspired heroes in a nation of the then cowardly people. Today, in the 21st century the age old tale has once again brought into light since Beowulf is now an epic movie about to be released soon. The legend has come alive and will inspire many yet again. Wolverine Wolverine is a fictional character and a superhero created by writer Len Wein, artist John Romita and illustrator Herb Trimpe. Recently, the character of Wolverine was refreshed by the movie X-men's writer Chris Claremont. Wolverine's catch phrase describes his character best; "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice." Wloverine is a mutant with animal keen senses and incrdible physical capabilities. He has the power to recover from his wounds supernaturally. Using the Weapon X with the indestructible metal alloy adamantium, Wolverine has long razor sharp nails. He is a master at martial arts as well. Deeds Wolverine has a long confusing history but the character gained limelight when it was included in the popular X-men series. He is a super hero who kills evil and especially goes against authoirty of all kinds. His deeds basically depict cunningness, sharpness, quickness and fearlessnes. These qualities

Factory Gate pricing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Factory Gate pricing - Essay Example either directly to the stores or to his retail ware houses. The retail got the finished goods at reduced prices than before. Prior to the implementation of the FGP the supplier used to incur the transportation costs and the retailers the inventory costs at the warehouses. The factory gate pricing give the option to reduce the investment cost on maintaining the inventory for the distribution centre at times as the retailer will have he option to transport the goods directly to the shops. The retailer has the option of making the entire supply chain operations under one roof. FGP brings the control of primary transportation from the factory to distribution centers and inventory into one hand which likely leads to generate cost savings operations. In addition FGP offers two other sources for savings. Firstly, retailers generally have a vast product range for which they can make the transportation-inventory trade-off at one point of time. The orders from different suppliers that are located close to each other may be synchronized in time, such that they can be combined in the same vehicle route. Secondly, under FGP, primary and secondary distribution can be integrated and can be handled by one single entity. The supply chain initiative can be improved by optimizing the usage of space by the retailer by using the same vehicle to deliver the goods to the shop and to the distribution centre on one single trip.Significance of factory gate pricing The significance of FGP is that it removes traditional geographic transport boundaries where an assigned logistics provider controls all vehicle movement within a particular region for a... The significance of FGP is that it removes traditional geographic transport boundaries where an assigned logistics provider controls all vehicle movement within a particular region for a retailer. Better vehicle utilization as suppliers shares vehicles in order to reduce costs by sharing the space with the vehicles. Removal of uneconomical vehicle movements through combining additional products from different sources to ensure every lorry is full when it sets out on its delivery route. Benefits of implementing factory gate pricing. The benefits of factory gate pricing are Effective Transportation as the retailer is involved with the supplier and the time for transportation reduces to a considerable extent. Effective transportation may lead to Improved Availability of the goods in the stores and sustainable stock can be maintained in the shops. The decrease in transport costs leads to reduced prices on the finished goods. Environmentally it will be a positive aspect as the vehicles wi ll fully carry the goods of different supplier thus reducing the repeat trips to the same route thus reducing the vehicular traffic which results in reduced air pollution. Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment â€Å"CPFR is the sharing of forecasts and related business information among business partners in the supply chain to enable automatic product replenishment†. CPFR is designed to link the supply and demand processes allowing for a more consumer driven supply chain. CPFR aims to seamlessly link the industry from manufacturer to consumer.