W5 BPO GROUP PPP OM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W5 BPO GROUP PPP OM - Essay Example Below is how the two tools can be applied to the case points. On the case of time spent by the CSRs on the phone for calls that they handled versus calls that they sent to the BAs, this can be classified as one of the seven wastes under the lean production (Abdullah, 2004). Specifically waste for waiting. Instead of spending that much time on calls to and from the BAs, alternatives that focus on reducing the waiting on phone for response can be used. For example text messages and emails could be used, which will require less time in waiting for response to be given. Since emails and text messages are less interactive between communicating parties, it could save much time and guarantee efficiency at work. On the case point of CSRs giving priority to new incoming calls over callbacks, this can be said to be misplaced priority that undermines the process capabilities of the workplace. Once there is such undermining of process capabilities also, effectiveness becomes affected (Meredith and Shafer, 2014). Clearly, new calls come with much enquiry which require a lot of attention, explanations and feedback. Callbacks on the other hand have solutions to problems. As recommended earlier, there can be other forum for new inquiries, for example through the use of emails and text messages so that after finding appropriate responses, those who made the enquiries can be contacted by the CSRs. On the third case point about BAs giving priority to Database Update sub-process over researching calls escalated by the CSRs, it is important to note that such limited priority to calls escalated by the CSRs can bring about deviation from targets, which is against the principle of the six sigma (Labovitz and Rosansky, 2007). It is said that this situation would lead to deviation from targets because once there is escalation of calls from the CSRs, the time to be

Exxon Valdez †Continuing Case Essay Example for Free

Exxon Valdez – Continuing Case Essay Many years ago, Raymond Baumhart the greatest sociologist questioned organization people, What does ethics mean to the business world? Some people believe that Ethics is a kind of feeling which would give the knowledge about right or wrong situation on the basis of religious beliefs. While other argues the prior view admitting that it simply the level of behaviour society accepts and the law requires. â€Å"Ethics is a study of moral standards whose explicit purpose is to determine as far as possible whether a given moral standard is more or less correct (Manuel G. Velasquez, 2006)† Standpoint March 24, 1989, one of the Exxon Valdez, a loaded oil tanker with 52 million gallons crude oil runs in Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The government was strongly feeling about the environmental damage, to the fishery and the life of people involved there. Output That was bad luck for the wildlife, approximately 30,000 birds and 2000 sea others lost their lives. More than $2 billion spent just to clean it up and paid millions of dollar to the fishermen. Ethically, Exxon lost image in the world and about 40,000 credit cards destroyed in protest. Ethical Issues It was truly horrific, the longer that marine animal is setting in oil the more they were dealing with death. Consumers lost their faith in Exxon and faced opposition from the world. The affected area has not fully recovered. The control over the ethical situation This was the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced. After a week, CEO Lawrence Rawls wrote apology note in all newspapers. In addition they began cleanup immediately after the situation occurred. Many of the ethical issues and dilemmas in international business are rooted in the fact that political systems and laws differ from nation to nation. In the international business setting, the most common ethical issue involve employment practices and corruption. According to the given case of Castle Cook, â€Å"whistle-blower† would be able to file the lawsuit in a federal court. The plaintiffs alleged claims under the violation of the â€Å"Foreign Corrupt Practices Act† The jurisdiction in this case can enable the person thus empowered to act towards, and in what manner this power may be exercised. In Subject matter jurisdiction thus empowers â€Å"whistle-blower† to act toward certain kinds of legal questions, whereas in Personal jurisdiction, the foreign country employee lives out of state, the court must look at the contacts with the state. Going into a state regularly to conduct business is usually sufficient for the court to obtain jurisdiction. (The Le ctric Law Library,2014) References The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2014, from http://www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml The Lectric Law Librarys Lexicon Personal Jurisdiction, Retrieved September 4, 2014, from (http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/p211.htm) http://crab.rutgers.edu/~sambhary/International%20Bussiness%20Environment/notes/IBe%20Ch%2004%20Ethics.pdf In 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker spilled nearly 11 million gallons of oil around the cost of Alaska; it caused one of the worst oil spills in the United States history. The Exxon Valdez continues to suffer from last 25 years and still paying off for the incident. The Exxon was to be sued by many individuals and businesses within state or federal court as required, as per the administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, for the Environmental regulations law comes under both state and federal court. Some company sued under the law of business losses within the federal court. Sea Hawk Sea foods, Inc, having a seafood processing business on Prince William Sound in Valdez, Alaska sued the Exxon shipping company under the law of business losses. The court dismissed the case with the advice of federal admiralty  law (9th Cir.1994). Fishing industry filed the complaint again Exxon. In 1994, the Exxon was initially ordered to pay $5 billion by federal court, which was reduced in federal appeal in 2006 to $2.5 billion. In 2008, The United States Supreme court had decided to cut down the damage by $500 million as Exxon has already spent approximately $2 billion for cleanup and recovery (New York Times, 2010). The Exxon shipping co continues with the lesson, even after paying all these damages and standing for a long time in the federal and Supreme Court of the United States. References The district court also removed more than 160 other state law cases relating to the oil spillEyak Native Vill. v. Exxon Corp., 25 F.3d 773, 774 (9th Cir.1994) Retrieved September 5, 2014, from (http://openjurist.org/484/f3d/1098/in-re-the-exxon-valdez) New York Times, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (1989), August 3, 2010 07-219Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (2/27/08), Retrieved September 5, 2014, from (http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/07-219.pdf)

ICT in Private and Government Organisations

ICT in Private and Government Organisations The term I.C.T, otherwise known as Information and Communication Technology, encompasses quite a wide range of the scope of multi-dimensional communication infrastructures and systems employed for enhancing effective communications in business and public organisation.   As implied by the abbreviation and also the full meaning of it, the said communication occurs at different levels and for different purposes, some of which has to be secured, but all of them share one thing in common: they are all enhanced through computers and electronic networks.In recent times, almost every organisation is dependent or assisted with one type of communication equipment or another and the fact that such communication infrastructures can be easily linked to Information Technologies could be claimed as prove of the importance of I.C.T in organisations.   To make this argument more clear, it is necessary to pinpoint some specific organisations, both private and governmental whose operation will collapse or highly hindered, should the I.C.T aspect of it be removed or for some reason cease to function. To make the picture clearer, the organisations to be analysed will be categorised and then individual organisation will now be placed undo the category they belong to before they are further analysed.   The major categories are Private and Governmental and thereafter we look at how the chains are connected and interwoven. This sector is divisible into various other major sub-categories namely:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Security: These are organisations such as the security agents including the police, army, customs, immigration officers, civil defence corps, and also the secret agents.   In this sector there is a lot of communication and information exchange going on, some of which are beyond the British borders, e.g. our soldiers in Iraq has to make constant uninterrupted communications via phones, internet, and other satellite-linked, wireless technology networks.   They also need to communicate with one another both as groups or platoons and also as individual.   Here, the communication network has to be as secured as can be. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social: This relates to everything from financial help to psychological helps and also political helps for foreigners such as asylum seekers and other classes of immigrants.   At this level also communication and efficient information transfer is a necessity.   Help-line telephone services that is installed with up- to-date software for managing calls, sometime on a 24-hour basis and transferring such calls automatically to the officer responsible for each individual cases and also to maintain an orderly queue where necessary. A log of all the official activities is created and stored in the appropriate database, which is connected via LAN networking system and thus the internet or intranet network system to transfer the logged cases to other concerned offices within the department or to the outside near and fear government departments for preparing statistical data (such as spreadsheets), prepare budgets or to inform deliberations on crucial social issues, such as how to manage illegal migration into the country. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Commercial: Sometimes, the government is also involved in commercial ventures, especially in the area of social amenities, such as electricity, telecommunications, transportation, agriculture, and some special production sectors, e.g. exploration and export of mineral resources. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education: Governments role in the education sector is very high. From nurseries to University education and adults literacy and vocational trainings, the governments hands will always be found in the pie.   To effectively plan and monitor the activities in this sector, the government need to be well equipped with the relevant I.C.T. infrastructures.   A good database that is interpreted and organised by a good spreadsheet software.   Appropriate networking facilities that will link every arm of this education systems ladder to the monitoring departments and sections must be in place.It must be noted here also that each of the education levels have their individual basic I.C.T needs.   For example, At the secondary school level, the teacher manages his classes, schedules and attendance register from a laptop computer, running probably on Windows XP Professional Operating System and installed with Bromcoms Winfolder which is currently version 2.03.   This soft ware is the one that collects daily register for the teacher from the schools server, which is equipped with Bromcoms e-School MIS version is 2.10.2, the softwares that prepares the register ready for the other day. The teachers laptop is either connected either via the CAT5e cables to the Ethernet LAN port which links him to the server, or connected wirelessly via network cards. The server which probably runs on Microsoft SQL houses the schools database and connects to the outside network system via optic fibres of the type Fibre Optic Multimode GBIC (1.25Gb/s bi-directional). The server is secured against power interruptions through the use of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). UPS is a battery system that enables to server to carry on functioning for a period of time in the event of a power outage, or enough time for it to safely shut down if the power outage is for an extended period.The teacher takes class attendance to ascertain that all the registered pupils are in attendanc e and send same via the internet to the data base which is equally connected to back-up storage outside of the school premises to secure against accidental data loss. The library system is another complex I.C.T. system that is active both locally and also on the network to the outside, running on effective software that facilitates an dynamically updated warehouse of information about the whereabouts of library materials and also for calling materials that is in urgent need, or have overstayed with the borrower. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health: Health is wealth as the saying goes.   The governments involvement in the health sector in deep and this ranges from procurement of hospital equipments to physical maintenance of the hospital premises-employment and payment of wages.   Monitoring of all the activities at the health sector is quite important and this often is done in real time or through other communication channels including writing on paper, which is printed out on a printer connected to computer system connected to both intranet and internet networks.   The health sector is undoubtedly another fertile soil for the I.C.T. systems.   If we have to start analysing the way in which the hospital, as an entity, operates on a daily basis; we will see how appointments are booked on phone, and the doctors secretaries will keep a log of the appointments, having sent a notice to the concerned doctors calendar of schedule.   The patient may have to be sent a printed letter of notification as a reminder of the appointment date and time.   All these activities are also stored in the departments database, which is sent automatically to the hospitals central database, which probably is equipped with multiple hard drives in a RAID array to allow the system to continue functioning in the event of the loss of any one hard drive and also back-up tape drive, which allows a back-up of vital information and for several copies of this data to be kept off site. The doctors, office and consulting room is equipped with computers, which run on up-to-date Operating Systems and also have special software featuring medical encyclopedia, and maybe old cases database, from which they could compare difficult cases and find solutions via the network. The doctors always record their finding on Dictaphones and this is probably for sharing with other colleagues for knowledges sake, but our concern here is that all these equipments are I.C.T based.Heart-beat monitors, incubators, ultra-scan equip ments, X-ray and physiotherapy equipments and many more are scattered all around the hospital.   Patients survive on dialysis machines, which are monitored through computer and network systems. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administration:   For administration purposes at all levels of governance is the process dependent on I.C.T infrastructures: Databases, civil registration numbers, national insurance number, passports and national identity cards, budgeting, population distribution and statistics, elections, and many more functions of the government are done via reliable I.C.T. infrastructures. Looking at the private sector, there is much more application of the I.C.T. equipments.   This sector can be further sub divided into the following categories:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Commercial:†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transport:   From Land to air and the sea, transportation is deeply dependent on I.C.T. infrastructures.   From Scheduling to announcements, you will always find I.C.T.   Take the train services for example, most trains in the UK runs on electric and are scheduled and monitored in real time.   Apart from the internal daily runs of this system, the travellers are also included in the chain via e-commerce, such as internet booking and ticketing; the credit card and debit card accessible ticket kiosks are erected for self-services and you can also receive train and coach schedules on your mobile phones in the form of short text messages.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manufacturing: Most manufacturing outfits, especially those involved in the production of continuous process products, su ch as cars, telephones, plastics, dairy products, breweries, etc, are engaging the services of different types of industrial robots for their operation.   These robots or programmable production lines are mostly 100% dependent, because daily running of them depends on information communicated through I.C.T media and the whole activities is afterwards, logged for records purpose and also to monitor the process and know when the machine should be over hauled.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Banking and Finance:   Financial institution today are one of the organisations that depend to a high degree on I.C.T. Imagine what the day will be like for the banks and other money markets operators, e.g. Stockbrokers, without their I.C.T. systems. No computers, no internet connections, no printers, no telephones.   How will international banking thrive without the internet?   How about the credit and debit cards? The situation is better imagined than experienced.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurance:   Ins urance organisations are more or less like banks.   They need a sound I.C.T system for a smooth running of their business every second of the day.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supply Chain sector:   With the advent of e-commerce, supply chain sector is undergoing some kind of revolution right now.   Tesco Supermarket is a testimony to this fact.   Other than the fact that they need a good database for managing their wares, they also use laser scanners, bar code readers for both price tags and security of the wares.   They also use mobile phones to communicate and collaborate towards, customer satisfaction and use public address systems to make announcements.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Communication: The story of I.C.T in organisations can never be complete without mentioning the communication sector, whose daily operations are entirely dependent on I.C.T infrastructures.   From   mobile telephony, featuring mobile phones (with camera, video recorder with playback functionalities, MP3, r adio, WAP, Interactive games, chatting, internet, and now T.V; and PDAs with GPS functionalities for navigating continents. Letters are sent within seconds via email messaging, people chat online in written form and also verbally in real time.   It was first on the internet that it was possible to see the person you are chatting with via the web cam.   Pictures and digital music (MP3) is another mystery of the internet communication and information exchange of limitless magnitude. Now we are having internet television and online cinemas.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advertisement: This sectors business revolves around I.CT. very much. They use computers for graphic design, store information, make and edit video materials and digital animations, scanning and printing are part of their daily activities.   These cannot be done without I.C.T infrastructures.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consultancy Services: This organisation requires a good database, and sound network system.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heal th: This is similar to that of the government sector earlier mentioned.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agriculture: Cow milking, feeding and branding and monitoring have all gone hi-tech.   This is made possible through I.C.T.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education: The story in the private sector in not much different from that of the government sector.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journalism:   From news gathering to editing to disseminating, everything in this sector is I.C.T related: Video recorders, digital cameras, Dictaphones, electronic typewriters, computers, etc, are their instrument of office.†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Others: There are many more areas to be cited.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-profit organisations: Though they are not profit oriented, these organisations still require I.C.T. based equipments such as telephones and Personal Computers (PC) with internet connections, good printers, fax machines and scanners for their daily operations.   Their major areas of operation is as listed:†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   S ocial Help†¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental Fig. 1. A chart showing I.C.T-related sectors of the human endeavours and some examples of the infrastructures.Conclusion:The role of I.C.T in many organisations surrounding our lives cannot be underestimated.   They are the pivot on which our entire system revolves.

measles :: essays research papers

Measles Virus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1800’s the measles was a very dangerous disease, and when people who come in contact with it will die, if they have never been exposed to the virus before. The measles is transmitted through the air. The way that the virus is transmitted is that infected droplets are released by coughing, sneezing, and by talking. When the infected droplets that contain the measles are in the air, they are taken into the body through the mouth, nose and eyes of the potential person that could get the virus. People with low respiratory tract, which is the lungs and bronchi, are more likely to get the infection. During the next two to four days after the infection penetrates the body, the measles virus replicates in the respiratory cells and then spreads to the draining lymph nodes, where it reproduces again. Then it moves into the blood stream, carried by the white blood cells. This results in the virus being carried all over the body, which leads to infecting other p laces inside the body. During this time, the infected person feels fine and the measles infection and incubation stages are very unnoticeable. The next stage of the measles happens after eight to twelve days. The infected person has symptoms of fever, weakness and loss of appetite. Coughing and running of the eyes and nose are also seen. Now the infection is spreading all over the tissues through out the body. They also trigger the body’s immune system, which causes the symptoms. When the measles virus infects the immune system and interacts with the antibodies and T cells, a measles rash begins on the face and very quickly spreads to the body, arms and legs. The fever and cough become more intense after the fifth day. The rash turns into 3-4 mm red maculopapular lesions, which are flat and slightly raised. Pretty much this virus starts on the face, behind the ears, and moves downward all over the body. After awhile the rash begins to disappear, but the immune system is still weak. Making people who were infected with the measles more prone to other infections, making the immune system more susceptible to become infected, which in the early days of the measles caused many deaths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the growth of medical technology and research, a measles vaccine was produced. It is given to children before the age of four, and the measles infection is on the decline.

The Animal Kingdom Animals

In the animal kingdom there are so many different types of species. Every animal in the animal kingdom are a part of the animalia kingdom. Some of the different species that can be found in the animalia kingdom are insects, birds, echinoderms, and mammal. Out of all these different species that belong to the animalia kingdom they all have many traits and adaptations that are either very similar or very different that the other. Mammals-There are as many as 5000 mammal species in the animal kingdom.Some very important details to know about mammals is that they have some unique qualities and characteristics that differ from other animals in the animal kingdom such as their hair and fur and the fact that mammals birth full babies rather than eggs and the produce milk to feed their offspring. An example of two mammals is deer and cheetahs. Cheetah-There is a rough estimate that there is about 100,000 cheetahs out there. The cheetah is a mammal that can be found in a savannah of in a mild ly open area.The mother land to the cheetah is Africa, but these days they can be found all across the eastern parts such as Iran. There was a time the there was a cheetah were located in more today. The cheetah is a carnivore, meaning they are meant eaters. They main prey that the cheetah hunts is gazelles, wildebeest calves, impalas and smaller hoofed animals. Talking prey, the cheetah does not just hunt prey, but are prey themselves against animal like the lions and hyenas, as well as failing victim to poachers and hunters. A fey factor and strength of the cheetah is its speed, a cheetah can reach ranges up to 70 mph.Whitetail deer- This mammal lives in habitats that have deep woods and grassy brush areas. They are best found in southern Canada and all over the United States. The white tailed deer is said to one of the smallest members in the deer family in North America. They are located in many different parts that range in area from Central America to Bolivia. Some interesting traits that the Whitetail deer has are their scent glands on all four feet, metatarsal glands on all their hind legs, and the tarsal gland on their hind legs.The male deer known as the buck has big long antlers that are pointy and sharp. These are used in mating season for territory and fighting matches. The Female deer known as does. The white tailed deer is a part of the order Artiodactyls family. The white tailed deer are herbivores and eat mostly leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Both the Cheetah and the deer are both four legged mammals and they both have fur short fur coat. The white tailed deer is herbivores were as the cheetah is a carnivore.Some traits that the impala and white tailed deer have in common are they both have scent glands and the males have horns, females do not. The different characteristics would be that the male white tail sheds its horns. Insects-Mountain pine beetle-The mountain pine beetle is an inse ct that reside in areas like the forests of western North America. The mountain pine beetle is said to be mainly located in the Colorado pine forest. The beetle lives on and eats through wood, and lumber that is found in the forest.Honey Bees- If there is one insect that is most common to everyone, it is the honey bee. The honey bee belongs to the hymenoptera family and is a huge recourse to humans and the natural world we live in. Bees refine and concentrate nectar to produce honey. Bees are known as social insects and live in hives. Each bee hive can contain anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 bees. The bees work together in strong structured social order, giving them the name, the social insect. These social groups are referred to as castes. There are three castes which are the queens, drones, and workers.Another very important role that bees play is pollination. As pollen sticks to the bee it rubs off as it makes it way from flower to flower know as pollination. Although the beetle a nd the honey bee are two separate insects they have many characteristics in common. Both the beetle and the honey bee have wing and can fly, and most all honey bees as well as beetles are similar in size, shape and color. Although they are similar in many ways they are also very different. The roles these two insects play in our natural would could not be more different.Birds- Some characteristics that most all birds share is there feathers, ability to fly, they have no teeth, have two limbs and lay eggs. Adelie penguins- A penguin is a very unique kind of bird in the bird family. Penguins live in colonies. The Adelie penguin can be found primarily in Antarctica in the cold ice oceans or along the freezing shores. An Adelie penguin’s diet consists of shrimp-like krill, fish and squid. They get they prey by diving below the surface of the waters. A Adelie penguin can dive as far as 575 feet (175 meters) to hunt for its prey.The Adelie penguin nest on land and are also very goo d swimmers. Andean condors- another very unique bird is the Andean condors. The Andean condor is a very large bird with a Body of, 4 ft (1. 2 m); wingspan, up to 10. 5 ft. It is one of the world’s largest birds that have the ability to fly. They weigh about 33lbs and has the largest wingspan of any other bird in the world. The Andean condor is known to hibernate near oceans, mountains and near deserts. They feed on carcasses of large wild or domestic animals. These birds are considered to be a very endangered species.

The Relation between SAT Scores and Academic Achievement

The Relation between SAT Scores and Academic Achievement SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You're a top student in your class does that mean you can skip SAT prep because your GPA will carry you? Or you're just average in the class, does that mean you can't do well on the SAT? It turns out, that the college board admits themselvesthat SAT score is not highly related to your high school GPA. In statistical speak, high school GPAs predict less than 30% of the variation on SAT scores. Through my own experience and numerous students I work with, this is actually not surprising at all. Why is this the case? 1. The SAT is standardized. First, the SAT scores are standardized. This means that it doesn't matter if you're from Manhattan, New York, or rural northern Mississippi, the test is the same. If you have the same skill, you'll do equally on the SAT. Not so for your GPA: if you go to a less challenging high school, you'll have a higher GPA, and if you go to a top school like Stuyvesant, you'll get a much lower GPA. In other words, GPA compares you within that school, SAT compares you across the nation. 2. The SAT Doesn't Measure Many Classroom Factors. The SAT can't tell that you're a great team player, follow the teacher's instructions, or that you're a nice kid, all of which do go into your GPA in general. Getting good grades in school is a skill that you've spent years honing and perfecting. Most of these skills don't translate to the SAT. To prepare for the SAT you'll need to, in some ways, start from square one. Preparation is key to getting ahead again. 3. The SAT Strongly Measures Analytic Test Taking Skills. Whereas schools measure your ability to be creative in essays and thoughtful in your work, the SAT measures your abiluty to guess efficient, spent time correctly, and think logically and mechanically. These skills need to be practiced for the test. Long story short, academic achievement doesn't solely determine your SAT score. If you've done well in school, you want to keep up the good work and not tarnish your chances. To do this you'll need to start learning SAT skills soon. If you haven't done well in school, this is your second chance, your shot to show the world that you still have it in you. Because the situation is different, you can have a fresh start in acing the SAT. Found this article useful? Get a lot more helpful with our Free SAT Ebook!

Women in the Holocaust Essays

Women in the Holocaust Essays Women in the Holocaust Essay Women in the Holocaust Essay Judaism, Catholic), and Cultures (e. g. Gypsies, Slovakians) were unworthy of existence. The Nazi’s considered themselves a superior race and were guilty of genocide through horrendous acts of human extermination. In this paper I will discuss this heartbreaking period, and the dangerous and frightful times women faced. I will also discuss the constant humiliation and torture which went along with experiments. In addition, I will speak about jobs given to them in and outside the camps such as prostitution. My focus will be on things such as rape, sexual harassment, murder from gas chambers, treatment of people, and on issues women faced with their children in these camps. Finally, I will like to say that although women and men both shared frightening events, each gender encountered unique emotions and experiences. Prior to these concentration camps many women were forced to move into ghettos. For example, a ghetto such as Warsaw was guarded with Polish, German, and Jewish Police. It has been recorded that, â€Å"Conditions in the Warsaw Ghetto were so bad that between 1940 and 1942 an estimated 100,000 Jews died of starvation and disease in the Warsaw Ghetto† (Jewish Ghettos, 2004). We know that this is an understatement for not everyone could be recorded. Women within these ghettos were targets of rape and public humiliation by the Gestapo. It was said that, â€Å"members of the Gestapo would come to the ghetto- alone or with friends- for entertainment. The entertainment consisted of taking potshots at a child, raping a woman, cutting a beard off an old man, humiliating people in the street, and so on† ( Chapnik, 1998). Once women began being deported to concentration camps even more disastrous things they faced. First, the Nazi’s would shear women using rusty razor blades. They shaved their whole body and even their pelvic hair. This was done in order to degrade, humiliate, and annihilate a women’s sense of femininity and determination. Also, after entering a concentration camp, being sheared, and experiencing dumbfounding stress, some women ceased menstruating. Women who did menstruate had to deal with blood coming down their legs because they were not provided with the right hygiene articles. Unfortunately, many of these women faced constant shame, critiques, and assaults by the Nazi soldiers. Although, many of these women experienced these down-grading experiences they felt lucky if they got their menstruation for they knew they were still capable of bearing children. Many women in the concentration camps also faced life changing events such as rape. This injured their self-esteem and injured their physical being. In many of these concentration camps, brothels were set up for soldiers and selected prisoners. These brothels were made for organized rape and were places where women had no control over their bodies. Many women who were thought of as pretty and had strong bodies were inspected for appearance and tried out. Thus, these women were subjugated and raped. To go along with this many women who were raped and were found pregnant were forced to have abortions. Many of these abortions were done by forced sterilization. Forced sterilization was an experiment which many doctors tried on women. This Nazi sterilization law was passed on January 1, 1934. The Nazi’s used two types of sterilization techniques. The first technique consisted of secretly adding toxic chemicals in woman’s food. These chemicals cause much pain and anguish to women. It also caused them to have certain health problems such as hemorrhaging, itching, and cavity problems. The second type of sterilization involved x-rays to burn and destroy woman’s ovaries. Both of these types of sterilization destroyed her feelings and made her feel horrible. Many women in these concentration camps also dealt with other types experiments besides sterilization. Another experiment some women were forced to do was the warming of the body heat practice. This experiment was thought of by Heinrich Himmler who recommended it to Dr. Rascher that he try to use women to warm the frozen men. He suggested that the victim and a woman copulate. This experiment occurred with some success; however it was not as successful as the Warm Bath. The Warm bath was when the victim was placed in warm water and the temperature was slowly increased. This method proved to be the best. Many victims died do to shock if they were warmed up to quickly. Another experiment some women faced with was artificial insemination. This experiment happened to About 300 women at Auschwitz. The artificial insemination was done by Dr. Clauberg. He reportedly taunted victims strapped down before him by informing them that he had just inseminated them with animal sperm and that monsters were now growing in their wombs. As if the experiments mentioned weren’t enough some women had to have experiments done on them which consisted of taking parts of their body and so on. One experiment in particular was made to benefit soldiers who suffered from gas gangrene. The studies tested the effectiveness of sulfanilamide and other drugs in curbing such infections some women were infected with gas gangrene or bacterial inflammations, while others were forced to receive bone transplants and bone amputations. Unfortunately, many of these had to deal with having such experiments done on them because if they refused to be experimented on they had to deal with threats of being beaten or had to fear with possibilities of being sent to death. One way many people from the concentration camps died from was the Gas chambers. These chambers were used by Nazis on all types of prisoners. The Camp Ravensbruck which was the largest concentration camp for women in all of German Reich had over 100,000 women from 20 countries imprisoned, and where 5-6,000 perished as a result of gas chambers. Many people described the gas chambers similar to showers. Sadly, many victims were told that they were going through a process of disinfection and they believed perhaps they were going to get some clean water to take a bath but the truth was that their lives were going to be taken away from them without approval. Many women in the concentration camps in order to survive had to not only allow themselves for experimentation but had to be physically be in shape and fit the age range in order to be considered strong and age appropriate to work. Women that worked were forced into hard labor, either at SS Textile factories or more physical work. All had to deal with terrible living conditions, made to stand outside for hours in freezing conditions during roll-call and were frequently beaten for the slightest violation of camp rules. Those that weren’t were normally shot. Then years later they were then sent to a nearby sanatorium which already had a gas chamber built for the  T4. In addition other women worked outside doing things such as farm work and many of the women who worked had long days that stretched up to 15 hours. Many Women in the camps also prostituted in order to survive. Many women in the camps prostituted themselves while asking for favors in return. For example, in exchange for sexual favors women would plea for food or to live another day. Many women also prostituted themselves with hopes that their children be taken care of with food and for their lives not to be taken away from them. Many women also prostituted themselves with false promises of liberation after a few months. Women in order to survive and keep their jobs had to try and keep themselves healthy. Sadly, many women in the concentration camps got diseases particularly typhus. They pretended that they were still healthy enough to work. They knew that being sick would lead them to being killed by the Nazi soldiers. To these women survival was the most important. Too many even escape meant death, for if any one escaped, all the other prisoners in that bunk or group were immediately shot. The only resistance possible for most people was the effort simply to stay alive. To help them survive, the prisoners looked for ways of remaining human, of not descending to the level of â€Å"animals†. They began to live an inner life, a life that the guards and the camp could not reach to destroy. For many women and men it was a life of religion. To many it had been their strength on the outside, before the camps; and now it became their strength in the camps. Also, many people to survive got a chance to do some of the work they had done before. For example, if they were doctors, they could help the sick as best they were able. If they were scientists they watched and memorized what they saw. If they were historians and writers they kept notes in their minds. One example of this although not a woman was Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist, who wrote on his efforts to help his other prisoners: â€Å"The thought of suicide was entertained by nearly everyone, if only for a brief time. It was born of the hopelessness of the situation, the constant danger of death looming over us daily and hourly, and the closeness of the deaths suffered by many of the others. I spoke of the many opportunities of giving life a meaning. I told my comrades that human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have a meaning   They must not lose hope but should keep up their courage in the certainty that the hopelessness of our struggle did not detract from its dignity and meaning. I said that someone looks down on each of us in difficult hours a friend, a wife, somebody alive or dead, or a God and he would not expect us to disappoint him. He would hope to find us suffering proudly † (Rittner, 1993). Many women in the camp of Ravensbruck also were to secretly hide anything that dealt with learning or writing. The soldiers did not want the women teaching each other things that may be of any use to them. Although it was a danger many women still took the chance and they secretly taught each other languages such as German and English. Some women hid little pieces of paper whether it was toilet paper and would write things such as poems, and birthday cards to give to one another. Tiny handbooks and dictionaries small enough to be hidden were secretly copied and passed to each other. For example, â€Å"One Polish inmate, Eugenia Kocwa, wrote her own English textbook on 80 sheets of stolen toilet paper. It was copied by dozens of other women† ( Aktion R. Camp, 2004). To many of these women it was important to get distracted and try and keep their spirits up. For this reason many women took learning important. Many women also took recipes of food and copied it and gave it to one another. They spoke to each other about different foods they made and they told each other family traditions. Some women went as far as giving up some of the little food they got in order to â€Å"buy† paper or pencil to write such things as recipe books. Food dominated the conscience of the women and for these reasons writing recipes was a way of them to alleviate their hunger. As one can see many women during the holocaust dealt with tragic events and their lives were marked for ever if they happen to survive. They had horrific things happen to them from rape, murder, humiliation, and so on. Many died from starvation, disease, or suffering. Many suffered knowing it was a possibility that they would never see their families again. These people lived a life of misery in these camps. They were used as guinea pigs for ridiculous experimentations. They felt hopeless not being able to protect their children as they wanted to. Some gave up their dignity and sold their body for false promises. All this suffering was due to the idea that not all people were equal and that it was important to go forth with hatred, discrimination, and violation. This Holocaust is something that should teach people throughout the world that decimation is not something people should teach others for the only thing it does is destroy people and nations. Aktion Reinhard Camps. (2004, March). Retrieved December 2, 2010, from eathcamps. org/occupation/ghettos. html Bauer, Yeduda. 2001. A History of the Holocaust. New York: Franklin Watts/Scholastic Chapnik, L. (1998). The Grodno ghetto and it’s underground: A personal narrative. In Ofer, D. and Weitzman, L. (Eds. ) (pp. 109-119). Women in the holocaust. New Haven; Yale University Press Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2010. m-w. com Rittner, C. , Roth, J. (1993). Different Voices: Women of the Holocaust. Paragon House: New York. Ofer, D. , Weitzman, L. (Eds) (1998). Women of the Holocaust. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press

Special Stains Laboratory Report

Introduction Special Stains Laboratory Report IntroductionMethodMasson’s TrichromeCongo RedDiscussionReferencesRelated Introduction Staining is a technique that is used to diagnose or study the morphology of abnormal cells such as cancerous cells by highlighting the structural components of a tissue (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Staining provides a contrast between different structures in a tissue specimen and allows its examination under a light microscope (Cook, 2006). Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) is a routine stain that is used to microscopically diagnose a vast majority of specimens in which the haematoxylin stains the nuclei, whereas the eosin is used to stain cytoplasm and other extracellular materials (Bancroft and Cook, 1995). According to Slauson and Cooper (2002) special stains are histochemical stains that react with known substances in the tissue. Mohan (2005) explains that special stains are required in various circumstances, where the pathologist needs to demonstrate certain constituent of the cells or the tissue to confirm the diagnosis by etiologic, histogenic and pathogenic components. This techniq ue is called special because they are not a routine stain that is performed on a tissue specimen, instead they are used in addition to HE stained sections (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Special stains can identify the presence and abundance of any specific class of molecules in a tissue specimen for example periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction is used to identify carbohydrate substances such as glycogen (Slauson and Cooper, 2002). Other examples include Toluidine blue stain which is used to stain mast cell granules, Perl’s stain demonstrates iron in haemochromatosis, Ziehl-Neelsen stains mycobacteria and Giemsa staining is used to identify Helicobacter Pylori and Giardia organisms (Slauson and Cooper, 2002 and Bass et al., 2005) Masson’s trichrome (MT) and Congo red are the two main special staining methods used in pathology laboratories. Connective tissues consist of cells such as collagen fibres, elastic fibres, and glycosaminoglycans that are scattered within an extracellular matrix (Starr et al., 2011). These cells are distinguished by using a combination of dyes to stain different structures in various different colours (Starr et al., 2011). Masson’s trichrome is used to express collagen in tissues and involves staining with three different sized dyes to stain three diverse tissue densities (Cook, 2006). MT staining produces three distinct colours as the name suggests; nuclei and other basophilic structures are stained black with iron hematoxylin; collagen is stained green or blue depending on aniline light green or aniline blue; and cytoplasm, muscle, erythrocytes and keratin are stained bright red with Biebrich scarlet stain (Young et al., 2006). Since erythrocytes are the densest as the y are packed with haemoglobin, and less porous tissues they are stained with the smallest dye molecule, the intermediate cytoplasm and muscles cells are stained by the intermediate sized dye and the collagen is stained with the biggest dye (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). However, it has also been suggested that the acid dye which is the Biebrich Scarlet, first stains the tissue as it binds to its acidophilic elements (Carson, 2001). Subsequently, the tissue is treated with phosphomolybdic/phosphotungstic acids so that the less permeable components retain the red colour, whereas it is diffused out of the collagen fibers causing it to bind with the aniline blue or aniline light green (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Young et al., (2006) describes that in addition to the use MT stain in assessing the degree of fibrosis, it is also used to evaluate portal tract structures such as the bile ducts, arteries and veins in inflamed liver According to Romhanyi (1971) (cited in Bely, 2006) Congo red is a special stain that is highly specific and a sensitive method for early diagnosis and recognition of amyloidosis.   Cook (2006) states that Congo red is used as the preferred method to identify amyloids in most laboratories on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue of patients with amyloidosis. Kiernan (2007) describes that amyloid is an intercellular material that varies in its composition and is deposited in tissues such as heart, muscle, kidneys, spleen, liver and brain, deposits differ in their composition. Rubin and Strayer (2008) explains that Congo red stain has a linear shaped molecule which helps it to bind to the ÃŽ ² pleated sheet structure of the amyloid through non-polar hydrogen bonds, giving it a red colour. Sen and Basdemir (2003) states that Congo red fluorescence (CRF) is another method that examines the amyloid deposits stained with Congo red under polarized light which shows a red-green birefring ence and according to Rocken and Eriksson (2009) this is the gold standard for diagnosing amyloid. During this experiment special stain techniques were used to analyse specific tissue elements Aims To identify fibroids in uterine tissue section using Masson’s trichrome stain To identify amyloid in spleen tissue section using Congo red stain To discuss advantages of special stains To use special stains to identify important diagnostic features of the tissue To understand the mechanism used by special stains Method Masson’s Trichrome The formalin fixed and paraffin-embedded uterine tissue section was deparaffinized and rehydrated through 100% alcohol, 95% alcohol, and 70% alcohol.   The section was washed in distilled water and then stained in Weigert’s iron hemotoxylin working solution for 10 minutes. It was then rinsed in running warm tap water for 10 minutes and then washed in distilled water. The next step was to stain the uterine tissue section in Biebrich scarlet-acid fuchsin solution for 15 minutes, and then it was washed using distilled water. It was then differentiated in phosphomolybdic – phosphotungstic solution for 15 minutes or until collagen was not red. The tissue section was then transferred directly (without rinsing) to aniline blue solution and stained for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards the tissue section was rinsed briefly in distilled water and differentiated in 1% acetic acid solution for 1 minute. It was then washed in distilled water and dehydrated very quickly through 95% ethyl a lcohol, absolute ethyl alcohol (to wipe off Biebrich scarlet-acid fuschin staining) and then cleared in xylene. The section was then mounted with resinous mounting medium. Finally the slide was examined under the light microscope. Congo Red The spleen tissue section was deparaffinized and hydrated to distilled water. The section was then stained in Congo red working solution for 10 minutes and rinsed in distilled water. It was then quickly differentiated (5-10 dips) in alkaline alcohol solution and rinsed in tap water. The section was then counterstained in Gill’s haematoxylin for 10 seconds and rinsed in tap water for 2 minutes. Following that, the section was dipped in ammonia water (made by adding a few drops of ammonium hydroxide to tap water and mixing it well) for 30 seconds or until the sections had turned blue. It was then rinsed in tap water for another 5 minutes and dehydrated through 95% alcohol, and 100% alcohol. The section was cleared in xylene and mounted with mounting medium. The slide was then examined under a light microscope. Fig 1: Normal uterine tissue stained with Masson’s trichrome viewed under 10 x 10 microscopic magnification Fig 2: Fibroid uterine tissue stained with Masson’s trichrome viewed under 10 x 10 microscopic magnification The microscopic slide (Fig. 1) shows a normal uterus tissue that was stained with Masson’s trichrome, which showed the nuclei stained black, smooth muscle stained red and the collagen fibres stained blue.   Figure 2 shows a uterus tissue specimen stained with Masson’s trichrome that revealed excessive amount of collagen stained in blue, smooth muscle stained red and nuclei stained black.    Fig 3: Spleen tissue stained with Congo red showing amyloid deposits under 1010 microscopic magnification Fig. 4 Spleen tissue stained with Congo red adapted from Stevens and Lowe, (2000) Discussion Norwitz and Schorge   (2006) states that fibroids also referred to as Leiomyomata, are benign tumours of the myometirum of the uterus   that is mainly composed of smooth muscle and extracellular fibrous material such as the collagen, Fibroids do not   invade surrounding tissues or organs and they can occur in different locations within the uterus (Lark, 1996). The symptoms include heavy periods, frequent urination, constipation, bloating and backache (Tulandi, 2003) Masson’s trichrome was used to stain the uterus tissue (Fig. 1) which showed the collagen stained in blue, smooth muscle and erythrocytes stained red and the nuclei appeared black. MT stain revealed that the normal uterus tissue (Fig. 1) had a small amount of collagen present whereas the other uterus tissue (Fig. 2) showed an elevated amount of collagen stained in blue which suggested fibrosis. MT is an advantageous technique in medicine as it allows comparing the degree of fibrosis before and after the treatment biopsies to show if the treatment has been effective and successful. It is a routine stain for kidney and liver biopsies and this can be used on paraffin fixed sections as well as on frozen sections. Kambic et al., (1986) describes that there are different types of collagen and their organization is better shown using Sirius red with polarized light. Sirius red is a hydrophilic dye, in which type I collagen appears orange or red whereas type III collagen appears green (Kumar, 2005). Congo red was used to stain a spleen tissue section where figure 3 showed amyloid deposits in pink and nuclei in blue. Fig. 4 revealed a high amount of amyloid deposits in pink which suggested amyloidosis that is the disorder caused by abnormal deposition of intracellular or extracellular insoluble amyloid which changes the normal tissue function (Stevens and Lowe, 2000). Special stains is an important tool for pathologists   as it allows to the microscopically view and identify cells, tissues and microorganisms, providing an alternative to immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and various other diagnostic techniques. References Bancroft, J. D. Gamble, M.   (2008).   ‘Theory and practice of histological techniques’.   [Online].   (6th ed).   Philadelphia, PA : Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Dhn2KispfdQCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Theory+and+practice+of+histological+techniqueshl=enei=ifGETZKEPcWwhAfSvPW_BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false.   [Accessed 7th March 2011]. Bancroft. J. D. Cook, H. C.   (1995).   ‘Manual of histological techniques and their diagnostic application’.   Edinburgh [u.a.] : Churchill Livingstone. Bass, P., Burroughs, S. Way, C.   (2005).   ‘Systematic pathology : a clinically-orientated core text with self assessment’.   Edinburgh : Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Bely, M. (2006). Histochemical differential diagnosis and polarization optical analysis of amyloid and amyloidosis TheScientificWorldJournal. 6, p.154-168. Carson, F. L.   (2001).   ‘Histotechnology : a self-instructional text’.   (2nd ed).   Chicago : ASCP Press. Cook, D. J.   (2006).   ‘Cellular pathology : introduction to techniques and applications’.   (2nd ed).   Bloxham: Scion Publishing Limited. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1440-1827.2003.01513.x/abstract Kiernan, J. A.   (2007).   ‘Histological and histochemical methods’.   (4th ed).   Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Mohan, H.   (2005).   ‘Essential pathology for dental students’.   [online]. (3rd ed).   New Delhi : Jaypee Brothers.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HmkTtLyxXF8Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=essential+pathology+for+dental+studentshl=enei=xRCCTaiHMs24hAezp6G8BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=bookthumbnailresnum=1ved=0CDAQ6wEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. [Accessed: 11th March 2011]. Odze, R. D. Goldblum, J. R.   (2009).   ‘Surgical pathology of the GI tract, liver, biliary tract and pancreas’.   [Online].   (2nd ed).   Philadelphia, PA : Saunders/Elsevier.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8ITX093f1j0Cpg=PA1143dq=Masson%27s+trichrome+staining+in+liverhl=enei=OB2GTYuVLYuqhAfJ_6m8BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=2ved=0CDgQ6wEwAQ#v=onepageq=Masson%27s%20trichrome%20staining%20in%20liverf=false.   [Assessed 16th March 2011] Rocken, C. Eriksson, M. (2009). Amyloid and amyloidoses Der Pathologe. 30, (3), p.182-192. Rubin, R. Strayer, D. S.   (2008).   ‘Rubin’s Pathology : clinicopathologic foundations of medicine’.   [Online].   (5th ed).   Philadelphia [u.a.] : Lippincott Williams Wilkins.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kD9VZ267wDECpg=PA990dq=mechanism+of+congo+red+stainhl=enei=ADGFTcSQDZGJhQf-n5iuBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=4ved=0CEUQ6wEwAw#v=onepageq=mechanism%20of%20congo%20red%20stainf=false.   [Assessed 7th March 2011]. Sen, S. Basdemir, G. (2003). Diagnosis of renal amyloidosis using Congo red fluorescence Pathology international. 53, (8), p.534-538. Slauson, D. O.   Cooper, B. J.   (2002).   ‘Mechanisms of disease : a textbook of comparative general pathology’.   [Online].   (3rd ed).   St. Louis, MO. [u.a.] : Mosby.   Available from : http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vRhtM0UMUh4Cpg=PA5dq=special+stainshl=enei=-vSETaMeqJKEB83RwccEsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=1ved=0CCoQ6wEwADgK#v=onepageq=special%20stainsf=false.   [Accessed 4th March 2011]. Young B., Lowe, J. S, Stevens, A. Heath, J. W. (2006).   ‘Wheater’s functional histology : a text and colour atlas’.   (5th ed).   Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone Tulandi, T.   (2003).   ‘Uterine fibroids : embolization and other treatments’.   [Online].   Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fZ8eha5yIfcCprintsec=frontcoverdq=fibroidshl=enei=oyOGTfnfMJGGhQeY_92_BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=7ved=0CGAQ6wEwBg#v=onepageqf=false.   [Assessed 15th March 2011]. Stevens, A. Lowe, J.   (2000).   ‘Pathology’.   (2nd ed).   Edinburgh [u. a.] : Mosby Starr, C., Evers, C. A. Starr, L.   (2011).   ‘Biology : concept and applications’.   [Online].   (8th ed).   United States : Cengage Learning.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_16xbB2Py_UCpg=PA454dq=connective+tissuehl=enei=zYeITdaEAsywhAf61cm6Dgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=10ved=0CFYQ6wEwCTgK#v=onepageq=connective%20tissuef=false.   [Assessed 8th March 2011]. Lark, S. M.   (1996).   ‘Natural treatment of fibroid tumors and endometriosis : effective natural solutions for relieving the heavy bleeding, cramps and infertility that accompany these common female problems’.   New Canaan, Conn : Keats Pub. Norwitz, E. R. Schorge, J. O.   (2006).   ‘Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a glance’.   (2nd ed).   Malden, Massachusetts : Blackwell. Kumar, R. K. (2005). Morphological methods for assessment of fibrosis Methods in Molecular Medicine. 117, p.179-188. Kambic, H. E., Kantrowitz, A. Sung, P.   (1986).   ‘Vacular graft update : safety and performance, a symposium’. [Online].   Philadelphia, PA : ASTM.   Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NU0cVwIPk_oCpg=PA162dq=limitations+of+collagen+stainhl=enei=AEKLTcmzMsmYhQe1hJHEDgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CFsQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageqf=false.   [Assessed 20th March 2011].

Role of Education in the Modernization of Japan Assignment

Role of Education in the Modernization of Japan - Assignment Example Loss of people’s faith in religious institutions is also a parcel of modernity. This paper analyzes the role of education in the modernization of Japan. Today, Japan is one of the most developed and advanced countries in terms of industry and technology. It is well-connected with the rest of the world through trade and education. The delivery of scientific education has played a huge role in maximizing the elements of modernity in the Japanese society. Education has become a necessity rather than a choice or option in Japan since it is a prerequisite for becoming a professional, getting a job, and contributing to the economy of the country. The role of education in the modernization of Japan cannot be overemphasized. Japan opened its door to modernity around the 1860s. Particularly, the period from 1868 to 1899 is very important in terms of the role of education in the modernization of Japan. The Japanese showed enthusiasm in an effective adaptation from other countries in the course of the Meiji Era. One of the most popular sports in Japan is baseball. Japan formed its first baseball team in 1873. Horace Wilson, a Christian missionary teacher taught the students how to play baseball at Tokyo University. A Japanese team challenged an American team in 1891 to a game in Yokohama.  Overwhelmed with its own superiority and overconfidence being the masters of an American game, the Americans granted the Japanese team the challenge offer after five years of wait. As the Japanese team entered the Club where it was not previously granted the permission to enter, it was booed at to which the Japanese team did not show any reaction. However, their performance and astounding victory shocked the Americans a nd the Japanese team won another rematch held later.

Gobal Financial Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gobal Financial Investment - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the first option available to the UAL, Inc. is to borrow the required investment amount of $500 million in the local currency that is US Dollars. At the initiating stage of the loan agreement, the company has to pay an underwriting fee of 0.5% of the total principal amount and therefore, it is added to the cost of borrowing. This option does not involve in exchange rate risk, however, there is surely an element of the change in the inflation rate which could affect the time value of the currency over a period of 10 lean years. However, this element has been ignored for this report. The company can borrow $500 million at a rate of 11% with two semiannual interest payments due in June and December every year. This implies that the rate which is quoted annually needs to be adjusted for semiannual payments and the number of payment periods will also be adjusted for the same reason. The interest rate adjusted will be 11% divided by 2 which is equal to 5.5% of t he total principal amount to be paid semiannually. The total number of payment periods will, therefore, be 20 as the loan period is for 10 years. Moreover, there are no principal repayments during the 10 years tenure and the whole amount of $500 million is to be settled at the end of the loan term. By placing the available information in the following table and calculating the future value it can be ascertained that the future value of borrowing under this option is $1,458,878,745. This value will be compared with the future value obtained under the second option. The second option available to the company is to borrow $500 million denominated in Japanese Yen from the leading Japanese Bank. The current exchange rate between US Dollars and Japanese Yen is at 250 which will result in borrowing of JPY 125 billion at an annual interest rate of 5%. Since the interest payments are semiannual therefore this rate has to be adjusted along with the number of payment periods as in the previous option.

Discuss the findings of the OFGEM report with regards to the UK energy Coursework - 1

Discuss the findings of the OFGEM report with regards to the UK energy market; and discuss if more competition between the big six UK energy firms may benefit UK consumers - Coursework Example The UK energy market has never experienced stiff competition from either new or existing energy supplying firms. A critical analysis of the current level of competition in energy supply proves that it is harmful to the consumers. In essence, the current competition in the energy sector has increased the energy prices and led to additional expenses to consumers. The competition among the six major energy firms in the UK is unhealthy as far as consumer welfare is concerned. Competition in the UK energy market need to be increased in order to improve service delivery and reduce the energy prices. Rise in the level of competition in the energy industry would be of great importance to the consumers. Allen, Hammond, & McManus, (2008) states that the UK energy sector has experienced several changes in the past few years. The prices for electricity and gas have been on rise, with that of gas rising at a higher rate. A research conduct from 2011 to 2013 on domestic energy prices showed that the price levels have been on an increase with no signs of decrease. The energy expense has risen by over 4% in the past ten years. Consumers have to keep on adjusting their budgets to meet the ever increasing energy expense. As a result, some customers keep on switching from supplier to supplier for better deals. However, the rate at which consumers switch from one supplier to the other is very minute and, therefore has little influence on the annual energy consumption expense (Johansson et al., 2012) The UK government has established mechanisms to move to cleaner sources of energy. Use of energy sources such as gas, coal and nuclear power produce greenhouse gases that are destructive to the ozone layer. Research has shown that the increased production of greenhouse gases has contributed to climate change. For instance, over the past ten years, climate patterns have changed and become a little bit unpredictable. In order to control discharge of harmful

Language and culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Language and culture - Essay Example This perception of low standards on the local education is detrimental based on the fact that globalization has connected the world which requires that every country equips its future work force with the skills and abilities necessary to participate in a global economy. Abroad studies has been shown to present an opportunity for students to produce negative outcomes where students use the opportunity to have fun away from their parents’ supervision and control where habits such as overindulgence in alcohol and drug abuse are taken up to alleviate loneliness and trauma of culture shock. Nonetheless, studying abroad despite the language and cultural challenges it possess, it should be considered based on the opportunities it presents to students which is essential for personal development. Studying abroad has come to be viewed as a necessary investment for parents who would like their children to gain knowledge in a different environment as this allows them to experience other cultures. In addition, studying abroad takes place after high school when the student is 18 years when parents feel is an appropriate age to begin learning how to be independent. At this age, one can be able to get a job and be able to effectively cater for his personal expenses, a process that relieves the parents of the burdens and expenses. This is because one can get a job and fend for themselves. This brings about two important; factors- experiencing other cultures and becoming independent, both of which bring about the element of personal growth. This in my opinion is the single most valuable reason for choosing to study abroad. Personal growth goes beyond these two factors to include shaping of one’s character where one has to adjust their attitudes, develop a new mentality as they challenge their own beliefs and values in the face of a different environment where beliefs and value systems are more likely to be different.

Mobile Computing and Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Computing and Social Networking - Essay Example For the same reason, health industry has always been a hot spot for research and development thereby attracting lots of investment and renovation. Monitoring of Patient Vital Signs Technology has revolutionized the health care sector to such an extent that one’s blood pressure, blood sugar levels, oxygen levels or respiratory levels all can be measured using mobile technology. Thus the perils of a patient travelling to a doctor’s office for these physiological states to be tested, manual documentation of the readings by a nurse or a clinician and the occurrence of errors while recording the readings etc can be avoided. Above all the greatest advantage is saving the most valuable resource- time. A scenario resembling a science fiction movie where sensors implanted under ones skin detects ones blood sugar level and alerts the doctor is not very far if technological explosion happens at this pace. Today’s technology has made patient’s care very effective. Sma rt phones and broad band enabled devices has allowed patients to do their own monitoring of vital signs and body functions and upload them to their medical provider’s clinical servers. Videoconferencing with their doctor via phones is possible. Not only the patients but also the hospitals are benefitted by the technology. Devices like ECG machines, ventilators, oxygen sensors, blood pressure sensors are connected to the hospital server that records and transmits to the doctor or the nurse to ensure the best care possible. As Shahriyar, Bari, Kundu, Ahamed and Akbar (2010) point out, the use of bio sensor based mobile monitoring system collects data from the patients, mines the data, predicts the patient’s health status, and provides feed back through their mobile phones. So they can access their health information anywhere and anytime. This monitoring system is called Intelligent Mobile Health Monitoring System (pp. 5-6). Advantages As Smith (2011) points out, enhanced patient doctor interaction, accessibility of health care to geographically remote patient, greater exchange of information, increased accuracy of patient records, saving time with diagnosis and treatment of illness, freedom of patience from smoldering hospital rooms and cumbersome medical devices are some of the advantages of monitoring vital signs using mobile computing technology. Wireless networking enables the transmission of signals from the monitor of an ambulance to the emergency room so that the staff is alert to treat the patient as soon as they arrive. The use of mobile technology informs the doctor about the early symptoms of his patients before acute attacks occurs. This is a boon to patients who are reserved in nature as they can express their problems without face to face interaction with the doctor. Doctors also can provide more assistance regarding the treatment and medication which otherwise would have been shortened due to lack of time. Doctors are benefitted in a way that they can focus more on priority tasks. These technologies make the health care system personalized and thereby improve its quality. Disadvantages This technological advancement may not be always an easy task for not so technologically savvy people, especially the older generation. The chances of going offline can cause unprecedented delay in communication between the doctor and the patient. There is a high risk of patient

Asda Stores - Internal communications Assignment

Asda Stores - Internal communications - Assignment Example It does this to build trust in the organization. Townley (1994) and Caruth et al. (1995) both emphasize on the importance of providing stakeholders and staff with enough information in order to avoid cases of mistrust and build staff morale. Benefits of transparent communication in an organisation It gives the staff a clear picture of picture of their tasks and the subsequent outcome. This in turn helps to build their morale and motivation to put more effort to their tasks. Transparent communication makes the staff feel part of the organization or have a sense of ownership. Asda has greatly tapped into this in ensuring that the colleagues feel like the owners of the store. Transparency in communication also ensures that in case of problems at work the manager or owner will be freely informed therefore avoid incidents that can easily be solved. The staff could also bring in their individual suggestions and ideas to foresee the success of the store. The store will therefore be able to enjoy a greater contribution of ideas. Distinction between internal and external communication is another strategy Asda uses in its communication as well as maintaining regular and frequent communication among the staff (Boxall 2003, p. 13). Media Used in Communication in the Organisation 1. Employee Branding Miles and Mangold (2004) define employee branding as the act by which employees of a particular organization internalize the organization’s trademark and project the same to customers and the entire public. Employee branding works well where the employees or colleagues as referred to by Asda willingly make an emotional connection with the store’s products by deciding to be part and parcel of all the store’s ventures. Successful employee branding leads to increase in number of customers and eventually increased sales and profits. Employees need to like a particular brand in order for them to effectively connect with it and decide to be branded using the same . Artain and Schumann (2006) came up with thirteen points that are important to note about employee branding. These are discussed below. The organization’s promise to its employees The organisation has to explain what is in store for the employees. For instance, the benefits could be accumulated by the decision of employees to be part of the organization. This will help the employees to be motivated to work for the organization. Business Strategy Employees must have complete information of the organizations plan of action. They must fully understand the goals, objectives and strategies that the company wishes to adopt. The organizations expectation from its employees is also critical to be known in advance for effective branding. Doing this will help the employees decide whether this is what they want to experience through their professional life (Enz & Siguaw 2000, p. 54). Customers Employees should know how the organization wants them to treat the customers. For example, ma nagers should take lead by example when it comes to treating customers with respect and high esteem. Employees’ tasks: The company should lay down in advance what is expected from the employees for example the mode of action, dressing, and working hours among others. The company should also invest in ensuring that employees fully understand what the brand is all about. Connection of what happens outside the organisation and what happens inside: The organisation must find a way to

Language and culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Language and culture - Essay Example This perception of low standards on the local education is detrimental based on the fact that globalization has connected the world which requires that every country equips its future work force with the skills and abilities necessary to participate in a global economy. Abroad studies has been shown to present an opportunity for students to produce negative outcomes where students use the opportunity to have fun away from their parents’ supervision and control where habits such as overindulgence in alcohol and drug abuse are taken up to alleviate loneliness and trauma of culture shock. Nonetheless, studying abroad despite the language and cultural challenges it possess, it should be considered based on the opportunities it presents to students which is essential for personal development. Studying abroad has come to be viewed as a necessary investment for parents who would like their children to gain knowledge in a different environment as this allows them to experience other cultures. In addition, studying abroad takes place after high school when the student is 18 years when parents feel is an appropriate age to begin learning how to be independent. At this age, one can be able to get a job and be able to effectively cater for his personal expenses, a process that relieves the parents of the burdens and expenses. This is because one can get a job and fend for themselves. This brings about two important; factors- experiencing other cultures and becoming independent, both of which bring about the element of personal growth. This in my opinion is the single most valuable reason for choosing to study abroad. Personal growth goes beyond these two factors to include shaping of one’s character where one has to adjust their attitudes, develop a new mentality as they challenge their own beliefs and values in the face of a different environment where beliefs and value systems are more likely to be different.

Asda Stores - Internal communications Assignment

Asda Stores - Internal communications - Assignment Example It does this to build trust in the organization. Townley (1994) and Caruth et al. (1995) both emphasize on the importance of providing stakeholders and staff with enough information in order to avoid cases of mistrust and build staff morale. Benefits of transparent communication in an organisation It gives the staff a clear picture of picture of their tasks and the subsequent outcome. This in turn helps to build their morale and motivation to put more effort to their tasks. Transparent communication makes the staff feel part of the organization or have a sense of ownership. Asda has greatly tapped into this in ensuring that the colleagues feel like the owners of the store. Transparency in communication also ensures that in case of problems at work the manager or owner will be freely informed therefore avoid incidents that can easily be solved. The staff could also bring in their individual suggestions and ideas to foresee the success of the store. The store will therefore be able to enjoy a greater contribution of ideas. Distinction between internal and external communication is another strategy Asda uses in its communication as well as maintaining regular and frequent communication among the staff (Boxall 2003, p. 13). Media Used in Communication in the Organisation 1. Employee Branding Miles and Mangold (2004) define employee branding as the act by which employees of a particular organization internalize the organization’s trademark and project the same to customers and the entire public. Employee branding works well where the employees or colleagues as referred to by Asda willingly make an emotional connection with the store’s products by deciding to be part and parcel of all the store’s ventures. Successful employee branding leads to increase in number of customers and eventually increased sales and profits. Employees need to like a particular brand in order for them to effectively connect with it and decide to be branded using the same . Artain and Schumann (2006) came up with thirteen points that are important to note about employee branding. These are discussed below. The organization’s promise to its employees The organisation has to explain what is in store for the employees. For instance, the benefits could be accumulated by the decision of employees to be part of the organization. This will help the employees to be motivated to work for the organization. Business Strategy Employees must have complete information of the organizations plan of action. They must fully understand the goals, objectives and strategies that the company wishes to adopt. The organizations expectation from its employees is also critical to be known in advance for effective branding. Doing this will help the employees decide whether this is what they want to experience through their professional life (Enz & Siguaw 2000, p. 54). Customers Employees should know how the organization wants them to treat the customers. For example, ma nagers should take lead by example when it comes to treating customers with respect and high esteem. Employees’ tasks: The company should lay down in advance what is expected from the employees for example the mode of action, dressing, and working hours among others. The company should also invest in ensuring that employees fully understand what the brand is all about. Connection of what happens outside the organisation and what happens inside: The organisation must find a way to

Construction resources Essay Example for Free

Construction resources Essay Construction resources make use of physics in many of their products. Two that I have picked are solar collectors and their use of insutation. Insulators have the purpose of preventing conduction, convection and radiation to unwanted areas. There are a wide range of techniques and materials used in doing this and I am going to look in depth at this idea. The company uses solar collectors in many different ways, their main purpose is to collect solar energy and heat energy. They can be used to heat and power many different appliances. Photovoltaic cells: Photovoltaic cells transfer the energy carried by the electromagnetic waves that make up sunlight directly to an electrical circuit in order to make a current flow. Light excites electrons to move from one layer to another through semi conductive silicon materials. Only a fraction of a volt is produced so a large array is needed to produce appreciable currents, usually about 20W to 100W. The Photovoltaic cells produce DC current so if alternate current AC is desired then an inverter is required. AC form is commonly available from the mains. Solar cells: Sunlight may also be used to heat water directly. This can be done in two ways, water can be circulated through pipes which run through the back of the solar cells, producing water at around 60oC suitable for household use. The other method is to focus sunlight from a large are to a small spot using an array of mirrors, this can produce temperatures of up to 4000oC and its quite feasible to produce power stations from this, however it has not been implemented yet. Here is on way in which the hot water can be used, this is quite economical and environmentally friendly. Solar panels are quite versatile and can be put on many roofs of simply in the garden, which makes them popular when it comes to heating swimming pools of hot water for showers. Any material that is a poor conductor of heat and electricity can be used as an insulator. Thermal insulating materials reduce the flow of heat between hot and cold regions. Thermal insulation may have to fulfill one or more of three functions: to reduce thermal conduction in the material, in which heat is transferred by electrons; to reduce thermal convection currents, which can be set up in air- or liquid-filled spaces; and to reduce radiation heat transfer, in which thermal energy is transported by electromagnetic waves. These are three ways in which heat energy can be transferred. Conduction, where heat energy is transferred through solid materials, metals are normally the best conductors. There are a number of factors that affect thermal conductivity. Increasing the area of the cross-section of the solid through which hear flows increases the rate of flow, however increasing the thickness of the wall decreases the flow of heat. Provided that a steady state has been reached (where the temperature of any point is not changing through time) then the rate of flow of heat ? Q/? t is given by: ?Q/? t A ? T/? x Besides the physical dimensions of the materials, another factor affecting rate of flow is the properties of the material, the Thermal Conductivity of the materials ? through which the heat energy is travelling is the constant of proportionality in this relationship, so:?Q/? t = -? A ? T/? x The units for thermal conductivity are watts per metre per kelvin. The Quantity ? Q/? t is called the temperature gradient. On my visit to Construction resources I noticed that they have used these Physical conclusions in there insulation. One in particular is Homatherm a wall and roof insulator. The slabs are thick which means less flow of heat, and have a thermal conductivity is only 0. 04 W/mK. Conduction in terms of particles: The particles in metals and non-metals are arranged differently, which gives them their different characteristics. In a non-metal the particles have forces between them that can be described like springs. When heat is delivered to the solid the oscillations of the particles being heated will increase in amplitude. For heat to be conducted the neighboring particles must also receive the extra energy, as particles oscillations increase in frequency the neighboring particles also gradually increase in frequency as heat is transferred to them. This is a very slow process. In a metal the arrangement is different, metallic boding occurs between metal atoms where a sea of delocalized electrons hold the positive metal ions together in a lattice. It is these free electrons that are responsible for the high conductivity character of metals. When a metal is heated the metals ions vibrate with an increase frequency. When an electron hits these ions with extra energy, they receive this extra energy and move faster. This electron can then travel to another parts of the lattice, to an ion that hasnt received any of this heat energy and collide with it, transferring its energy to this ion. Now that ion has extra energy and vibrates with a greater frequency. This process is a lot faster as there are many electrons in a metal lattice. U-Values: Architects and heating engineers use U-Values to calculate the flow of heat energy through building materials. The U-Values is quoted for a given thickness of a particular material, and is based on actual measurements made using the material. The U-Value is defined as: U-value = Rate of energy flow Area X Temperature difference Construction resources uses this knowledge of U-Values when designing building materials to reduce the energy wasted in the form of heat going out of the build and to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing CO2 emissions. But there are obvious limitations with reducing thermal conductivity, you can only reduce it to a certain amount, 0. 025 in air, so there will always be heat loss. Also too much insulation in the house will lead to what construction resources refers to as internal pollution. This has lead to construction resources researching in trying to lower the energy that is used to build and transport he construction materials. Bibliography: Microsoft Encarta Heinemann Advanced Science Salters Horners AS Advanced Physics Strengths and Limitations of Photovoltaic cells: Since one photovoltaic cell only produces a small fraction of a volt, large arrays are required to produce appreciable voltages. This requires a lot of space and the cells need to be in a place where no shadows will be cast on them. This limits what they can be used for. Also the amount of power produced by the photovoltaic cells directly depends on the amount of sunlight, so they cannot be relied on to produce power for something that constantly needs it. The only way this can be overcome is if some power was stored for a rainy day. But this again would take up space. Also an array of solar collector will be expensive and have a long pay back time. However it is environmentally friendly and after the pay back time, savings can be made. Also photovoltaic cells can be made look attractive depending on where they are placed. Strengths and Limitations of solar cells: The solar cells have similar limitations to the photovoltaic cells in regards to positioning and cost but a small array is only required to produce enough hot water for something like residential showers or central heating. This is economical and environmentally friendly and solar cells are quite versatile.

Cultural Aspects in India

Cultural Aspects in India If the 20th century was generally recognized to be the American century, then the 21st might very well be regarded as the Indian century. After all, following China, India has the largest population in the world. Like China, it too has a large and fast-developing economy, and it is steadily converting these economic gains into growing political power abroad. Unlike China, however, India is governed by a vibrant, participatory democracy, which, while chaotic, reflects the political values of human rights and pluralism so cherished in the West. Indeed, as countries which have long guided the West in leading the world begin to lose ground to counterparts in the developing world, India is one of the few major future powers in a position to pick up the Wests mantle of human progress and freedom. Though like the West in its commitment to democracy, India brings with a unique set of circumstances, informed by a history and culture, which stretch back for thousands of years. The common theme of Indian history has been heterogeneity. The abundant diversity found in India today was present almost from the beginning. The countrys oldest historical document, the Rig Veda, which is also a religious one, recounts a massive migration of one conceived ‘ancestor group and its intermingling with a loosely described native culture (Keay, 19-56). Scholars have found evidence of civilizations on the Indian subcontinent stretching back to times concurrent with the first city-states of Mesopotamia, Indian history (Keay, 1-18). Between the time of the Harrapan City States of around 3,000 B.C. all the way to Indias current prime minister Manmohan Singh, India has absorbed wave after wave of new peoples, new beliefs, and new ideas and added this to an already heady mix with every passing c entury. As a result, Indias startling diversity and variety were multiplied in countless directions. Nowadays there are over 400 languages spoken in India with over 14 official languages recognized according to the CIA World Factbook. Its population, which had stayed predominately rural until recent years, is becoming more urbanized, and two of the worlds five most populous cities are located there. The Indian parliamentary democracy is multi-party, regional, and highly factionalized, reflecting the drastic differences that exist between districts even within the same province. With all this diversity, it is tempting to impute irreconcilable contradictions between the types of people, institutions, and beliefs found in India. One might ask: how can one form a coherent statement about the existence of an overarching Indian culture? The answer to this has been as much a problem for government leaders as it has been for scholars, but it is one this paper will endeavor to supply in the following ways: We will discuss the major components of Indian culture (people, frames of references / communication, and group interactions) to illustrate the staggering variety of Indian cultural practices. We will focus on the notion of the Indian family and its characteristics, and attempt to make the case that the family as an institution provides a unifying theme for Indian culture, and a vehicle, which simultaneously relieves and reinforces the tectonic tensions brought on by societal diversity. We will discuss the findings of our interviews and outside readings to form a â€Å"big picture† analysis of Indian culture. II. Culture Components Gannon and Pillai supply readers with two metaphors through which to conceive of the sheer magnitude of diversity found in Indian cultural practices: the Dance of Shiva and a Kaleidoscope. In either case, there is a dynamic tension between change and stasis, creation and destruction, and the rules of general and specific; both metaphors create a framework for understanding that heterogeneity is the rule of thumb when conceiving of India as a whole. To view Indian culture in all its staggering complexity, it is necessary to begin with the component parts: people, frames of references / communication and group interactions. A. The Indian People For Westerners seeking to understand the staggering diversity found on the Indian Subcontinent, there is a helpful quote from a Hindu religious prayer, which can assist: â€Å"May good thoughts come to us from all sides† (â€Å"Religions†). Its simplicity reveals an acceptance of variety, heterodoxy and the unconventional; it turns on its head the notion of diversity being a challenge, and refashions it as an asset. To effectively argue that there is a general, overarching Indian culture, it is important to first acknowledge as true that such a culture is also served by many distinct parts, which have guided that nations historic, political, social and economic development. When considering the citizens of India, it is similarly important to perceive the numerous and stark divisions with regards to ethnic / linguistic groupings, social and economic levels, as well as religious and philosophical make-up. i. Demographics; Social and Economic Levels India is the second most populous nation in the world, having an estimated population of 1.17 billion (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). Though the World Factbook only subdivides Indias immense population into four ethnic categories: Indo-Aryan (72%), Dravidian (25%), Mongoloid and other (3%), the plethora of languages spoken in India 400 at last count, plus 2,000 dialects speak to a diversity almost beyond the average Westerners comprehension. India is also a very young nation, with the mean age being 25.3, and with nearly 95% of the population under the age of 64 (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). Indias population is also increasing at a brisk, if not explosive rate; it ranks 84th in the world in terms of highest growth rates higher than the United States (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). Literacy is at 61%, and only 29% of the population is urban—a number which has been increasing at the slow creep of 2.4% over the last five years (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). When adopting a big-picture perspective, noticeable differences appear between men and women: males tend to be younger, more literate and more educated (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). Males also tend to be more plentiful earlier in life, with a higher birth rate of 1.12 males to every female, but their life expectancy is lower by almost five years (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). One of Hinduisms most potent legacies, insofar as demographic effect is concerned, is Indias hierarchical caste system (Lonner; Zhang, 11 and 14). Although the caste system evolved from Hinduism for over 1000 years, some groups of other faiths such as Christians and Muslims adhere to this ancient social structure (â€Å"Religions†). Indias society reveals large gaps between the lifestyles of upper and lower class Indians; the bottom 10% hold only 3.6% of the nations wealth, where the top 10% have accumulated 31.1% (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†). By purchasing power parity, India is the 5th largest economy in the world, yet, it remains one of the poorest, with an estimated 53% of the population subsisting on less than one dollar a day in income (CIA World Factbook, â€Å"India†; Gannon and Pillai 469). Compounding economic difficulties are social, geographic and political realities, which prevent equal development for all. In a submission to the periodical Cultural Anthropology, writer Kaushik Ghosh describes the conflicting strains of â€Å"indigenousness, locality and transnationalism,† which combine to blunt social and economic development efforts being made in India. The reality for India is that, given its immense, far-flung borders (greater than the continent of Europe, according to WorldBusinessCulture.com), extreme geographic features, and the extreme multiplicity of the ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, it is not possible for any change to be applied uniformly and in a way that affects all people equally. Ghosh depicts the isolated tribes of Jharkhand, India, who, in their efforts to lobby their local government and national representatives, become effectively nullified when they are lumped in with other, separate interest groups that are labeled â€Å"indi genous.† Another writer, Navtej Dhillon, shares that â€Å"the majority of Indias 150 million muslimsMuslims suffer relative deprivation when to education and access to public employment.† For a time, the Indian government had utilized socialist economic policies, and today the state is still a large player in economic development. The role taken by government can be paternalistic, and elected officials try to reward their voters and supporters with jobs and economic opportunities. Combine this economic reality with the fact that Indias multiparty, parliamentary government is characterized by heavy regionalism and identity politics, and you get the following: certain groups are sometimes purposefully excluded from lucrative government business opportunities (Bellman, â€Å"Politics Economics: Reversal of Fortune Isolates Indias Brahmins†). In an article published in the Wall Street Journal, journalist Eric Bellman describes a government policy in the State of Tamil Nadu, which allocates 69% of government jobs and public college slots for lower castes. Though this policy actually has its genesis in the Indian Constitution, which itself was formulated to correct concentrations of wealth and privilege in the higher castes, the article documents a new dimension to the state policy, which is considerably less altruistic and more partisan. Yet for all that academics, journalists and political leaders have described the staggering dimensions of social and economic inequality, it is apparent that within India itself, there is consensus insofar as a solution is concerned: education. Gannon and Pillai describe the perceived success of Indias educational sector, which, as mentioned above, has produced an enormous pool of highly-educated and specialized workers (Gannon and Pillai 504). Indias success in these areas also masks startling inequalities, namely the low literacy rates and a general lack of access to education for many people (505). Competition to rise above ones peers is inordinately tough given the limited number of slots open at public and private universities, and in secondary school, a performance test is given to determine which field of study for which a student is eligible (Cheney, Ruzzi and Muralidharan, 8). Despite the systemic challenges like a drastic lack of funding, deficient facilities, and teacher a bsenteeism, the value placed on education and knowledge is so present in Indian culture as to make â€Å"millions of students achieve at remarkably high levels.† It is this valuing of educational attainment, which has established India as a preeminent figure in high technology fields, and paved the way for long-term economic development. Despite the endemic poverty, economic development in India has given rise to a sizeable and growing middle class, which contains in its membership the â€Å"largest number of college-educated scientists and computer specialists in the world.† (Gannon and Pillai, 469). India is now looking inwards to, in the words of Indian President, Manmohan Singh, â€Å"a vast unfinished agenda of social and economic development,† to correct abuses and disparities which occur due to culture, history, politics or environment. ii. Religion and Philosophy Every aspect of Indian culture has been impacted by religion. Prominent Hindu and philosopher Swami Vivekananda stated, â€Å"Each nation has a theme in life. In India religious life forms the central theme, the keynote of the whole music of the nation† (Gannon 470). Martin Gannon wrote, â€Å"For 2000 years of its history, India was almost completely Hindu, but for the last millennium or more, Indian culture has been a synthesis of different racial, religious, and linguistic influences† (470). Tolerance has also sustained religious pluralism of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Secularists, and other persuasions (Census of India). Despite having an 80.5% Hindu population, Indian culture is not only a Hindu culture (Census of India). The other major indigenous religions in India are Jainism (0.4%), Buddhism (0.8 %), and Sikhism (1.9%), and the major imported religions are Christianity (2.3 %) and Islam (13.4%) (â€Å"Religions†). Other smaller religions comprise 0.6% of the population, and are namely, Zoroastrianism or Parsi, Bahai Faith, Jews, and tribal persons who practice the most ancient religion of animism (â€Å"Religions†). 0.1% of Indias population did not state a religion (Census of India). Hinduism is tied with the ancient Vedic tradition estimated to have formed around 1500 B.C. and had continued to be the sole religion of India up until a thousand years ago or more (Gannon, 470; Heitzman). Indian philosophy, with its thematic undercurrents of cycles, owes much to Hinduism and later dharma traditions (Gannon, 471). The dharma and ancient monastic tradition of Jainism, owes much of its religious precepts to Hinduism (Census of India; â€Å"Religions†). Experts speculate the formation of Jainism began in the 9th century B.C. by Parshvanatha whose teachings required a path of non-violence for all living beings and other practices to guide the soul to divine consciousness (â€Å"Religions†). Similarly, Buddhism was inspired by the life and beliefs of Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. (Census of India; â€Å"Religions†). Buddhism is a dharma religion consisting of varied philosophies, beliefs, and traditions that hav e spread to the East. Buddhists in India near the Chinese border mainly follow Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana, which means from Sanskrit â€Å"Vehicle of the Thunderbolt†; and those located near the Myanmar border practice Theravada, translated from Pali â€Å"Way of the Elders† (â€Å"Religions†). Sikhism was established by Guru Nanak in the sixteenth century, who attempted to reform specific Hindu tenants like eliminating the caste system, race, and gender inequities (Census of India; â€Å"Religions†). Islam arrived in India during the early eighth century; largely from the Sunni sect (Census of India; Heitzman; â€Å"Religions†). The division of the British Empire at Indias independence forced many Muslims to migrate to Pakistan and Hindus to India, but Islam still remains the largest minority religion today (Census of India; â€Å"Religions†). Indias Christian inhabitants are majority Roman Catholic, but consist of several other denominations, including both independent and consolidated Protestant churches of Church of North India and South India (Heitzman; â€Å"Religions†). Indias small community of Parsis comprises the last practitioners of Zoroastrianism, which was brought by Iranian immigrants one thousand years ago. There are small communities of Judaism, Bahai Faith, and tribal animists (â€Å"Religions†). After Indias independence in 1947, the establishment of a secular government further facilitated mutual respect of all religious practices in public society through legislation advocating neutrality in all things rooted in an individual or groups faith (Sen, 19). Notwithstanding its constitutional obligation, religion and government do still intermix, shown in the management of Hindu temples by the Tamil Nadu state government or the Sikh political party exerting full authority over the state assembly in Punjab (Heitzman). Furthermore, Indias long tradition of religious tolerance began to be challenged by fundamental ideologues starting from the 1960s. From the 1990s to the present, riots and religious-based political parties continue to impact public life and its relatively neutral governmental body (Heitzman). 1. Hindu Religion Philosophy The general premise of Hindu philosophy is that truth is organic, pluralistic, and sometimes inconsistent, and should be arrived by multiple sources, rather than dogmatic principles (â€Å"Religions†). In other words, context matters most in India, a culture that Edward Hall refers to as high-context (Hall, 101). Hinduism is an ancient polytheistic faith originating from Vedism, or simply Brahmanism, brought by invading Aryans in 1500 B.C and thus is subsequently deemed to be the oldest â€Å"living† religion (â€Å"Religions†). Hinduisms major groups are Vaishnavism and Shaivism, though membership in these groups is loose, dynamic, and vague (â€Å"Religions†). The leading sects are the Vaishnavas, who worship Vishnu god or a related avatar such as Rama and Krishna, Shaivas which worships the god Shiva, and Shaktis, a cult that worships the manifestations of Shakti, the mother goddess and companion of Shiva. Other smaller sects advocate religious reform and revival, charity to the poor, or follow the teachings of a charismatic leader (â€Å"Religions†). There is said to be â€Å"five tensile strands† in Hinduism: doctrine, practice, society, story, and devotion (â€Å"Religions†). All Hindus follow these strands to varying degrees and accept their distinct tensions and contradictions, favoring religious enthusiasm over â€Å"fundamental rigidities of practice or doctrine† (â€Å"Religions†). To achieve absolute happiness one must live beyond worldly possessions through spiritual enlightenment—a journey in search of salvation or mukti in which leads to an ethereal transcendence called moksha (Gannon, 475). Hindu philosophy guides each person on a distinct path to this exultation from worldly suffering along four fundamental avenues that often are intertwined: intense devotion or love of God (bhakti yoga), selfless work or service (karma yoga), philosophy or knowledge of self (jnana yoga), and meditation or psychological exercise (raja yoga) (Gannon, 475). The difficulty of achieving moksha in ones l ifetime is accommodated by the concept of reincarnation in which souls or jivas enter the world through Gods power mysteriously and ascend from the simplest life forms to the most complicated bodies or human form where the search for mukti begins (Gannon, 475). The degree of these three fundamental qualities is determined by the equilibrium of rights and wrongs done in past lives, called karma and is predicted by astrological charts at birth (Gannon, 476). Hinduism also gave rise to the caste system. A caste or jati (translated as â€Å"birth†) is a social organization into which someone is born. It is also a system purported to provide social support and established economic and social roles, making it the most influential contribution to Indias collective culture (â€Å"Religions†; Zhang, 11-13). There are over 2000 distinct jatis in Indian society today (â€Å"Religions†). Each member marries within the same jati and follows specific rules of behavior such as kinship, profession, and diet, and interacts with other jatis according to their social position (â€Å"Religions†). Each jati is associated with five caste clusters or varnas in descending order: Brahmans which are priests, Kshatriyas as warriors, Vaishyas which were originally peasants but now associated with merchants, Sudras as artisans and laborers, and Panchamas which historically had been excluded from the system because of their occupation an d ways in life (â€Å"Religions†). The fifth varna reveals the mechanism for determining the level of the caste: purity. The rate at which a group comes into contact with pollutants such as dung, menstrual flow, leather, dirt, hair, saliva, and blood, determines its ranking within the social caste system (â€Å"Religions†). Panchamas are avoided for fear of contamination, hence the name â€Å"Untouchables,† but the Constituent Assembly of India adopted legislation after Indias independence outlawing the reference (â€Å"Religions†). More recently, the phrase â€Å"Dalit†, which means â€Å"Oppressed†, has been utilized in contemporary India, but is officially called â€Å"Scheduled Castes† (â€Å"Religions†). One sixth of the population belonging to this caste are typically landless, have agricultural professions, and other ritually contaminating occupations such as leatherwork which is the largest Scheduled Caste (â€Å"Relig ions†). Author Richard Lannoy demarcates mutually exclusive Western conceptions of â€Å"right and wrong† or â€Å"good and evil† from Indias philosophy which stresses finding the middle way (227). Furthermore, the cyclical nature of Hindu thought lends to an â€Å"open-ended sense of perfectibility, less anguish in the face of time, a less fanatical will to achieve everything in a single lifetime† and manifests in Indias holistic, non-linear, and inductive styles of reasoning and dialogue, harmonious existence with its environment, fluid sense of time, and high Long-Term orientation (Hall, 17; Lonner; Zhang, 20). 2. Holidays, Traditions Celebrations Both religious holidays and secular celebrations are observed broadly in India, often time with the same holy day being celebrated in unique ways by the varying religious and secular communities. For example, in Hinduism the festival of Diwali plays a significant role, but is interpreted differently by other related religions, such as BuddismBuddhism, Sikhs, and Jains. In its most generic form, Diwali is the festival of lights. Easter, Christmas, Islamic New Year and many others are also broadly celebrated by the Indian populace. In addition to holidays, the religions of India tend to be very ritualistic traditions as well. One such ritual is the lighting of the lamp before the altar of Lord Brahma while saying a prayer. This lighting represents darkness, knowledge, and ignorance. It is common in many Indian homes to have an altar or a prayer room. This symbolizes the Lord Brahma as the master of creation, and thus reorients the lives of people who occupy the surrounding space towards him and themselves. Hindu women often wear the pottu or tilak, which â€Å"invokes a feeling of sanctity the wearer and others†. The different colors and forms depend on the caste and religious subdivision. Taken as a whole, all these act of devotions large and small present a pattern as to the approach a great many Indians take toward religion and spirituality: integration. Indians of all religions are also known to regularly make pilgrimages to visit certain holy or nationally evocative sites. This attribute attests t o the powerful force of religion in an Indians daily life. B. Frames of Reference / Communication In the latter half of the 20th Century, pioneering anthropologist and culture-expert, Edward Hall conceived of what he called â€Å"the silent language† of culture. By extending the notion of culture from the more well-known and studied â€Å"front-stage† elements, and exploring the rich â€Å"back-stage† of culture, Hall demonstrated how beliefs, schemas, associated meanings and symbolism could affect intercultural communication as assiduously as spoken language might. The second subdivision of the component parts of Indian culture consider the communication patterns and frames of reference utilized by society as a whole, beginning with an exploration of the expressions and general attitudes found in contemporary Indian society, continuing with a discussion of role relationships, and ending with gestures and non-verbal communication. i. Expressions and General attitudes Like few other cultures, the belief systems found in India tend to be exhaustive and encompass a variety of values and philosophical perspectives on a wide variety of issues, such as nature (environment), human nature, privacy, individuality, wealth / material possessions, social positions, government, politics, childhood and child-rearing, time, crime, violence and others. A prominent feature of Indian society, even in non-Hindu cultures, is fatalism, which is an ultimate acceptance of the hand of fate insofar as guiding ones affairs are concerned (www.communicaid.com). Fatalism is tied to the Hindu notion of Karma, that â€Å"everything happens for a reason† and breeds and encourages passivity, and a surprisingly low uncertainty avoidance score for a country with such traditionalistic cultures (www.communicaid.com). Indian society is high context and collectivist; thus a prevalent concern in all interactions is the maintenance of social relationship and the preservation of social face. As such, activities which would provoke harsh judgment from ones peers isare frowned on. Many experts have noted that successful communication in India depends on precise knowledge of the status of the individual with whom one is speaking, and the relative standing between each party. Edward Hall diagnosed India as having a high-context culture, which is characterized by indirect, face-saving and listener-centric communication styles (Hall, p. 101). In India, communication is informed by role relationships, which, reflecting the society at large, are varied and complex. ii. Role relationships Role relationships in Indian society are in some instances outgrowths of the traditional caste system, as well as religious beliefs. The Indian caste system has been and continues to be influential in everyday life of the people. The main purpose of the caste system is to bring a sense of order in the society. The caste system enables people to have their own place in society and keeps away from any conflict. Outside of the traditional, economic and religious strictures of the Caste system, India as a society is marked by high power distance and tends to embrace clearly articulated lines of authority and respect. Indians base this respect on the behavior, title, class, and status of the person with whom he or she is interacting. The status of an Indian is determined in part by his or her possession of a university degree, his or her profession, age, and caste. In terms of professions, given the deference provided to authority figures, it is considered more impressive to work for the government than the private sector. Gender-based differences also exist, despite laws to the contrary. The head of the family is almost universally the eldest male. Male chauvinism is well-established, and women do not have the same privileges as do males. iii. Gestures and Non-verbal Communication As a high context culture, Indian communicators tend to rely heavily on indirect verbal and non-verbal cues to reinforce their message. In addition, Indians rely on a variety of contextual cues for comprehending meaning. For example, the word â€Å"No† or any kind of direct refusal is absent from most Indian discourse because it implicates an aggressive, harsh, impolite, and arrogant tone. Instead â€Å"vague and open-ended answer such as ‘Ill try or ‘I will confirm with you another time† are considered acceptable answers (â€Å"India: Prosperous Entertaining Part I†). Subsequently, a â€Å"Yes† does not always imply agreement or acceptance. Extrapolated further, some of these cues have taken on a life of their own, which is separate and considered standard when interacting with others. For instance, in order to show respect, greetings are offered with what is termed the ‘namaste or the placing of both hands together as if praying coup led with a slight bow. Use of the right hand when touching people or objects is recommended; due to the cultural association, the left hand is viewed as being unclean. Head bobbles, head wobbles, and Indian head shakes refer are a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. The head shake is the non-verbal equivalent of a multipurpose and omnipresent Hindi word, accha, which can mean anything from â€Å"good† to â€Å"I understand.† Shaking a head sideways is taken as non approval of certain things, whereas shaking a head up and down is taken as approval, though the meaning is reversed if you are aan Indian from the South. Similarly, a side to side hand wave is frequently interpreted by Indians as â€Å"no† or â€Å"go away.† Eye contact with an elder or person in a senior position is considered very rude. Avoiding eye contact with the seniors is considered as a sign of respect. Another non-verbal taboo is to touch a persons head because it ; The head is considered sensitive and so shouldnt be touched. Likewise, one should never point with a single finger or two fingers, instead, point with the chin, whole hand or thumb. Prostrating before God and elders and touching their feet is the humblest way of conveying respect in Indian culture. Known as Sashtang Namaskar it is bowing with four limbs of the body touching the ground. Touching feet of the elders is showing respect. Staring is also acceptable, as staring at strangers is a Western cultural taboo that does not carry the same weight in India. Many people feel quite free to stare at anything, or anyone, that is different from them and as part of their culture. Interpreting this as rudeness is unproductive. C. Group Interactions The third component of culture is group interactions, which are limited here to general social interactions amongst friends, peers and professional settings. Generally summarized, interactions can be sub-categorized into greetings, visits, and meetings. i. Greetings Renowned expert organizational behavior and psychology, Dr. Madhukar Shukla, describes Indians as outgoing and friendly, an attitude that is bolstered by a sense of privacy, which is less guarded than in the West (Shukla, â€Å"India: ConversatonConversation Part 1). One should not, therefore, be surprised by the ease with which conversation is started, nor with which it covers ostensibly private subject matters. There are several different naming forms in India, which vary from region to region (Kwintessential.com, â€Å"Global-Etiquette: India-country profile†). In the north of India, it is common to see a given name, followed by a surname or family name, whereas in the south, names commonly begin with a reference to the town or region the person is from, followed by the fathers name, and then lastly their given name. Similarly, in Muslim culture, surnames are not common, instead, have a derivative of their fathers name tacked on after the given name by ‘bin if the person is a male, and ‘binti if they are a female, which in both cases means ‘of; the name ‘Hajji might also have been added if this person had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Sikhs,Sikhs also have a unique naming system, which is the given name followed by the name ‘Singh (Kwintessential.com, â€Å"Global-Etiquette: India-country profile†). In all cases, however, it is recommended that w hen addressing someone, one should give the correct name, prefaced by Mr.† or â€Å"Mrs.†, or by his or her professional title: doctor, director, chairman/woman, and so on (Shukla, â€Å"India: First Name or Title?†). Furthermore, the same source points out that despite the variety, in many parts of India, people will conform to the Hindu style of naming, which is the most widely used. Upon entering the room, greetings should be offered first to the oldest or most senior person present; in many cases, the oldest person will be the most senior-ranked. Offering a â€Å"Namaste,† a handshake or even a pleasant â€Å"hello† is acceptable, though there are important caveats to note. Depending on the religion of the person with whom one meets if he or she is a muslimMuslim a â€Å"Salaam Wale Kum† might be more appropriate (Shukla, â€Å"India: First Name or Title?†). Handshakes are acceptable for men; however touch is a sensitive area for many Indians, so a handshake might not be as acceptable for women (Shukla, â€Å"India: First Name or Title?†). Experts suggest respecting the physical space of Indian counterparts, and any physical interactions should be at their initiative. The recommendation of the â€Å"hello† and slight wave,wave should only be acted upon if the audience is younger, as it is reasonable to assume they wou ld be familiar with this aspect of western culture. (Shukla, â€Å"India: First Name or Title?†) ii. Visiting â€Å"Hospitality is a key value in Indian culture, and the guest is considered the equivalent to god† (Shukla, â€Å"India: Prosperous Entertaining Part I†). Foreigners and Indians alike can attest to the geniality one encounters from invitations by those they just met to â€Å"drop on by† at any time. The Indian hos