Buddhism and Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhism and Psychology - Essay Example Why does a person become a victim of trauma or violence? Is it due to his Karma? The word, Karma, is from the Sanskrit language and means both action and duty. Karma according to Buddhist philosophy exists at two planes, at the individual plane, and at a collective plane. At the individual plane, every person gets born into circumstances, depending on his actions in his past life. And at the collective plane, a â€Å"certain category of beings live in a certain location and tend to perceive their environment in much the same way, because that particular shared situation is the fruition of their former actions.† On this depends whether a being is reborn as a human or an animal. However, the Karma Theory is not a deterministic one. At each point of time, one has a choice of adopting either an elevating course of action, thus ensuring a better birth in the future. Therefore, although Karma may have put a person into circumstances, which are difficult, including becoming the victi m of trauma, it decrees that one accepts this and treat those who wrong him with compassion. One must understand that Buddhism does not exalt suffering as a means to having a better life in the next birth. Not at all. A person who does not suffer and a person who suffers have both the same chance of being in similar circumstances in the next life. But since one’s current circumstances are the result of past actions, how one deals with it (with patience and forgiveness to those who harm you, if anyone does) ensures a better life in the next birth.

Social Injustice and Hispanophobia Research Paper

Social Injustice and Hispanophobia - Research Paper Example They sell out their races as well as their culture. The six characters of this play are objectively stereotypical and superficial. It is a dramatic play and brings out the prejudice that Mexicans face in America due to the misconceptions that Americans have on Mexicans. Theme is one of the, most important aspects of drama and in this drama there are six major themes involved. The central theme presented in this play is the theme on racism between Americans and Mexicans. Therefore Valdez finds humor as the significant way of passing his massage s as to avoid offending those involved and entertain the audience. Thus it expresses race issues through interesting play and conveys message in the form of comedy play. This way the writer is able to pass a sensitive, heavy and broad message in a simple and entertaining way. The theme of racism is well depicted in this play when a secretary from the Governor’s office buys a brown-skinned robot for the administration since it will appear good to have Mexican type on the staff. However the secretary rejects them since they do not have an American look. The issue of race prejudice and demands of the American culture leads to some Mexican American decide to overlook their race and separate themselves form own ethnic groups hence the play Los Vendidos (sell-out). Stereotyping Stereotyping is another theme explored in this play according to Helium (2). All the characters and their characteristics in this play embody the Mexican stereotype. The first character in the play is a farmworker and portrays the stereotype of farm workers in Mexico. He is the most ordinary and diplomat of the low class Mexican way of life in America. He only speaks Spanish since farm workers in Mexico do not know English (Glassvisage par 2). The farm worker consumes traditional meals such as beans consumed by fellow Chicanos in Mexico hence the stereotyping as suggested. Another character who represents stereotype is Pachuo who is a gangster in Mexican stereotype. He uses weapons to steal and he does not conform to the law so Miss Jimenez rejects him. His character of being a gangster is character for Mexicans who are prejudiced in America hence end up engaging in crime. Another stereotype is that of Revolucionaria who the older Hollywood reflection of a Mexican person is. He is mostly in western movies and he is seen as a romantic man whom women lust over and is used as marketing tool by most of companies. As a result he is one of the images the Mexican wants to take out of the American culture. The last implication of stereotype is through character Eric Garcia who is the perfect stereotype the Americans want about him. He acts like a Whiteman but still with his dark skin though he is an American-Mexican. He and other Mexican-American speak both English and Spanish which implies that they still posses the Chicano identity. They expected to be educated, hardworking and mannered in the right way to differentiate them from other Mexicans. Social Injustice and Hispanophobia The theme of social injustice is evident in this play and it is portrayed the oppression of Chicanos in America according to Helium (1). This oppression included racial prejudice and a lot of inequality as they tried to make life in America. This is well displayed when Miss. Jimenez chooses a model for the office through race rather than through ability, she refuses those models without the American look. The Mexicans do not have

Failing because of lack of the leadership

Failing because of lack of the leadership Introduction Leadership is the one on any organizations success. There are more than thousands of organizations failing just because of lack of the leadership. And there are many organizations who are success having a good leader as head of their organization. Worlds top organizations like WAL-MART, EXXON MOBIL, GENERAL MORTORS, SEARS HOLDINGS, and CITYGROUP Perform well and operate in a competitive environment and try to keep the sustainability each and every seconds passing by the needle of their clock. By investigating the reason behind this shows that it is almost a one man show. Organizations main strength is the decisions taken by the big heads. It is the top management. Others work according to the decisions taken by them. This is all about leadership. Doing a fabulous job with compared with the others. Their success is depend upon the workers is something that cannot be accepted directly. Because most companies do the same thing but few perform well. This gab exists due to the decisions taken by individuals. This assignment is all about the leadership and how it affects the organizations success. Also we have the opportunities to create a good quality leadership according to the business plan of the organization. And also in this assignment we discuss the impact of the staff welfare of the organization and how affectively help that to develop and success of the business. Here we discuss and try to understand the role of the leader in the organization and how it help to develop the values of the organization as well. Effective managers are not always good leaders; they must be quality values that they should have to influence the others to become a good leader. Every top level managers have many functions to handle day to day works, but even though they have done those responsibilities effectively, they may not be able to inspire others. The most important thing is that you must have the ability to make things differently and more inspirable. Identify the Personal Skills to Achieve Strategic Ambition of an Organization. Strategic Direction of an Organization. Every organization has its unique plan to the success. There must be a strategic plan for every organization. This begins from the Vision and Mission statement of the organization. Every organization has Vision and Mission statements this will direct the organization. They must have objectives to follow as well. This shows us how the resources are allocating for peruse the strategies. Strategic directional plan is help to understand the organizational future course. We can have three main strategic questions to answer the future of the organization. What do we do? Whom do we do that? How do we do that? We can have answers for all these three questions by analyzing the Vision and Mission of the organization. The Vision of an organization must include the following requirement, Vision is a very broad plan for the organization it indicate us the future of the organization. This is mainly shows us the worlds position of the organization or where we will be the in the industry in five years time. Mission statement of the organization indicate us the clear picture or the short version of the Vision statement. An also it show us how we going to achieve the goals in the Vision statement. And also it is necessary to have the Values of the organization. It helps us to know how to handle the stakeholders of our organization. Simply we can summarize the vision and mission statements of an organization as follows, Vision statement is telling you the what the organization ant to be. And the mission statement is telling us the fundamental purpose of the organization. In some organizations has the same vision and mission statements. But any how the mission should be SMART- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, relevant and time bound. It is vital important to have a strategic plan for an organization. Once we have a strategic plan we can have our action plan according to that. It is easy to convert the strategies in to action. We can have a directional planning by using few organizational concepts as follows. Desires, Policies, Objectives, Tactics and action Evaluate the strategic Skills As we discussed in the above an organization must have a strategic plan. And also it is important to know the skills that might need to implement the strategic plan. We must understand the internal and external environment to identify the skills that we need to have a good strategic direction. Getting the internal and external environment SWOT analysis is so vital. We need to know the Strength and weaknesses of the organization as internal environment. Strength we can take consideration of the 4Ps in here. And also this will reflect the financial, personal and manufacturing skills. Weaknesses -Here we discussed the main drawbacks according to the industry and also the problems inside the organization. We have to know the external environmental factors that affect the organizational sales and all. Here we have opportunities and threats analysis. Opportunities this shows the external chances to identify the company to be more success. Technological matters also can be an opportunity of an organization. We may know the ways that we can transfer in to an opportunity. Threats this is very important in the organization. The external environment factors such as socio cultural change, macroeconomic maters, change in the market place structure. So these factors can be analyzed and take a clear picture of how the organization have to adjust the strategic direction. To analyze these factors e need t have a skills in the business sector thoroughly. Following are some of the skills need for creating better strategy: Education System this is so important to have as a skill, well educated person can easily adjust according to the environment. Higher and further education system can be lead on to the top level of the organization. Accessible of the Finance this is so important that most of the time workers are lack of accessible the finance and they have no idea how to control the finance. The grow industries does have many financial controlling system rather than micro businesses. Empowerment of the workforce everyone need high end knowledge of technology which will create a fine strategic plan all the time. Technological skills are needed to be there for successive strategic plan. Assess the relationship between existing, required and future skills to achieve the strategic ambitions Existing Skills Future required skills Motivation- every human need appreciation on his other life. They like to have awarded what they have done. Successfully Motivated As a leader one must know the compliance o the employees. According to the strategic ambition we must have a clear and well defined recognition and reward system. Employment there may be people in the organization who are fewer skills in education and experience. Hire the best leading by example is the most suitable concept in this regards. We need to get the best people in the recruitment. Good leader you must have some good quality to lead the people in the organization. Be a great example you need to have more dedicated than normal on this regards. Peoples are looking at you all the time and they need good examples. Be creative try to do whatever you need to do new things according to the goals in strategic plan. Learn to inspire as great leader you need to create some works which inspire others and they think you as a real leader, you need to convince them for doing things forget the fullest output. Message delivering system you need to have a clear and well defined massaging system to spread the information. Practice good communication system this is beyond the message delivering system you need t build a good communication network among the employees. We can compare the existing skills of a Manager and a Leader as follows, A Successful Manager A Successful Leader Create Vision According to the strategy Allocate resources Successfully Can Create the change needed Always Control the Complexity Empower Processors, people and power Control the processes, People and the Power Align the workforce Organize the Workforce and staff Set the strategic direction Develop and implement the Plans Always promote positive Outcomes Always prevent the negative outcomes Personal Leadership Development. Opportunities to support leadership development There are so many opportunities we can offer for developing the leadership. Following are some of the supportive to development of the leadership. Integrate this refers as the reflection of the experience you have gain, the more you have gain the more you can deliver. You may have gained a self monitoring system and also you can have assessed our ok of done. Self efficiency a right coaching and the right training may lead the one to evaluate self efficiency by him. This is a good opportunity to cover up the leadership experience. Experiential learning this is very important to have, observation and reflection is one major part of this learning, we have an opportunity to observe the works and al we have a chance to reflection on the works to correct those. We can have a solid experience that will help the leadership development. We also can make concept to testing new situations. When we develop the leadership it will support us to achieve the following opportunities, Developing life purposes We can stat the actions immediately Always focus on gaining And also we can develop achievable dreams and effective workloads do Personal development plan to direct leadership development and the implementation process Every leader must have a special character that he will never do the same mistake or wrong in twice. So there he need to have continues assessment or monitoring system to defend him. There we can have a cyclic system to make the development plan as follows. We need to have a reflection system. And also we need to have conveyed our plans to the other for implementation. And after practicing the plan we need t have a proper assessment and get the feedback for redevelop the plan. Assessment Develop the Plan Practice and Reflect Give to the Works to Implement Before we make a development plan we need to identify the development plan tools first, Classes/ Education materials- we need to identify the and collect the educational materials we need to make the plan. Mentor or Supportive we need to have little resource personal to create the goals. Events we must understand the relevant events before making the plan. Finally we can have the personal development plan here we have a sketch of hat plan. Goal Area One year Three Year Five Year Ten Year Physical/ Body Finance Career Social Personal For each and every goal must have a good understanding about how you achieve the goals and what exactly do I need to accomplish those. According to the strategic directional plan we can justify the implementation process by directing the correct strategies for each. Simplify the system and free up the resources we need to have a clear vision on how the system will work and need to redirect the strategies according to free up the resources. Enhance the Skills of the employees the most important part of the implementation plan is the workers, we need to focus in good attention the workers skill level uplifting programs. Build the strength of the work place Utilizing the resources more efficient and effectively Enhance revenue generation Link the plan and the main budget of the company this is the most wanted part of the strategic plan implementation, we need to align the budget according to the strategic plan. Effectiveness of the leadership development plan We need to assess the outcomes of the strategic plan, there are basic terms of the plans we can list down all those in below Goals goals are specific so that we need to assess the goals according to the plan outcome. Objectives to achieve the plan we need to have clear objectives to assess. Strategic Activities there are some activities that come under the strategic plan call strategic activities. Tasks and resources we need to assess the task in the strategic action plan. Each of these basic terms we have outcomes to assess. And also we have the achievements of those outcomes. We need to asses achievement of the Mission and vision according to the overall purpose of the organization. We need to critically analyse whether the mission and vision statements are reference by the plan. Stock outside and inside of the company: we need to have an assessment of the environmental scan. We need to identify the driving forces of inside and outside of the organization. Establishing the goals according to the overall mission of the organization we need to establish the goals. We can assess the outcomes of the company by analysing the goals achievements. Analysing the situation- we need to assess the plan by analysing the situations thoroughly. So we can have the outcomes of the different situations. The entire outcome should be SMATER so we need not to have complicated outcomes. We need to understand the impact of the effective strategic plan; if we can get the information on the achievement of the objectives we can update and review the strategic plan very easily. These are the impact of the achievement on objectives Develop effective strategic, leadership and management at al the levels We can offer well customized service and prioritise all. Provide a self improvement programmes to create more leadership in the organization. Creating a good network connection among the sector. To update the leadership development plan we can identify few key areas to change and to develop. Encourage innovation through the leadership Continuously assess the workers to identify the innovation creations. Conducting training programmes to encourage the employees through the leadership. Plan Change After having continuous monitoring scheme we can identify drawbacks that we need to have cure immediate. Plan change is the most effective one for this kind of mates. We need to have a plan B all the time. Lead Change One the company does not go according to the mission and vision we need to change the leader. This can be identifying from the employee unsatisfactory and low productivity. Implement change We can change the implementation plan according to the changes we need to have in the strategic plan. We can have steps of the review and update of leadership development plan. Following are some of the steps that we can take in to consideration. Step 1: Analyze Your Skills This analyse tells the areas that you need to organize and develop. This will update the skills of you leadership skills. Step 2: Goals development You need to have a self examine the leadership plan of yours. And you also can have ore chance to develop and update you current goals at any stage. Step 3: Refine Your Personal Intent Statement You need to refer the development goals according to your personal ambition. Step 4: Specific Ways to Reach Goals You must have some specific and unique understanding ways that can reach the goals easily. You may grab the leadership tools according to the update you plan to implement. There are various ways that you can teach your leadership goals such as Non-Classroom/Team Experiences, Campus Activities, and Mentoring Programs. The activities you choose should bond directly with your goals. Step 5: Anticipated Outcomes You need to have SMART goals that can anticipate the outcome. Staff welfare environment that support organizational values Values fo an oganization Therare vaious values in an organizaton, we can list down so many values in different kins od organizations. Few examples of values are listedd as following, competency, equality, integrity, service, individuality, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, improvement, loyalty, credibility, honesty, diversity, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration are few of those values. We need to assess the corporate commitment o those values according to the staff welfare. Lets find out the staff welfare and how it commits the organization values. There are many aspects related staff welfare, most of the time it balance the life and work of a worker, and it create the flexible work environment of the staff. And also the most important thing in staff welfare is the reduction of the work stress. Staff welfare also depends on the leadership styles of the organization as well. We can have variety of leadership styles which support to have good commitment in the staff welfare. And also it affects the values of an organization as well. In this matter there are ethics going according to this leadership styles. The human resources department should transformational, supportive and directive. According to the sample data here the human resources department shows all above leadership style moderately. The above mentioned leadership styles should be uplifted trough out a proper guidance. The logistic and solutions department carries out various types of activities. So the people in this department should have high level of transactional, directive, supportive and achievement oriented style. Event they show the high level of transactional leadership style have the other styles moderately. So some steps should be taken to uplift the directive, supportive and achievement oriented styles. Most of the leadership development plans include the staff welfare accordance to the needs and wants of the staff. Conclusion This study covers a wide range of leadership development. It enables us to identify the strategies we need to implement for successful business development plan. And also it shows us about the strategic development direction, and how it works. What is the component of the strategic directional plans also shows us in the assignment. And also we can learn the strategies that will help s to be a god leader. Using a leadership style that encourages high levels of member transformational leadership style in decision-making processes may certainly be effective in improving organization, but other leadership plans may work equally well if one is to believe the indications of this study and if management theories from industry can be applied to diversified company. Leading a diversified company is complex, and the strategies used can be difficult to classify. Effective leadership in a diversified company setting cannot be packaged neatly and is almost impossible to explain to those looking for easy answers. Effective leadership requires leaders to understand people, to read situational dynamics and to exercise the leadership strategies that fit the situation. Therefore, telling leaders that being a good leader always means using multiple leadership strategies and developing inclusive leader/follower relationships may be overstating the case.

Lou Cannons Reagan :: essays research papers

Book Review – Reagan by Lou Cannon Preliminary Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is titled Reagan. Lou Cannon is the author. There are 464 pages in the book, and it was published in 1982. Subject Matter/Topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is a biography of former president Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. The book discusses in detail all the events of his life, from his birth to his election to presidency. Point of View   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon writes in the third person, largely objective narrator. He is writing not from the point of view of a Reagan supporter or and employee of his administration, but from the perspective of an objective reporter. Cannon was the White House corespondent for The Washington Post. Most of the book Cannon merely tells the facts of Reagan’s life without throwing in any of his own thoughts. While Reagan mostly deals with the positive aspects of Reagan’s life, Cannon doesn’t shy away from talking about the negative parts of his life, such as his firing from his radio announcing job. Cannon also discusses Reagan’s many failures as an actor, while at the same time mentioning his successes too. Cannon writes about his political defeats, such as his failure to win nomination for president in 1976, while also writing about his many political victories, such as being elected governor of California, and President of the United States. Overall, Cann on writes with a detached, objective point of view. He balances all of the positives and negatives of Reagan’s life, giving equal time to each. Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is an in-depth biography of Ronald Reagan. This definitive biography explores every aspect of Reagan’s life, and all of his successes and failures. The overriding theme in the book is that of Reagan’s determination and never give up attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon begins the book by discussing Reagan’s humble beginnings. He was born in the front bedroom of a five-bedroom flat above the general store where his father worked, near Tampico, Illinois. He spent his childhood in a succession of small Indiana towns. His family was very poor, but not quite living in poverty. They came close to being crushed by the Depression. His father, Jack Reagan, was an Irish-Catholic, but only their first son, Ronald’s brother Neil, was baptized a Catholic. Jack was a hard-worker, but struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. His mother Nelle was a very moral and dignified woman. She encouraged her children to get a good education so they could have a better life. Lou Cannon's Reagan :: essays research papers Book Review – Reagan by Lou Cannon Preliminary Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is titled Reagan. Lou Cannon is the author. There are 464 pages in the book, and it was published in 1982. Subject Matter/Topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is a biography of former president Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. The book discusses in detail all the events of his life, from his birth to his election to presidency. Point of View   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon writes in the third person, largely objective narrator. He is writing not from the point of view of a Reagan supporter or and employee of his administration, but from the perspective of an objective reporter. Cannon was the White House corespondent for The Washington Post. Most of the book Cannon merely tells the facts of Reagan’s life without throwing in any of his own thoughts. While Reagan mostly deals with the positive aspects of Reagan’s life, Cannon doesn’t shy away from talking about the negative parts of his life, such as his firing from his radio announcing job. Cannon also discusses Reagan’s many failures as an actor, while at the same time mentioning his successes too. Cannon writes about his political defeats, such as his failure to win nomination for president in 1976, while also writing about his many political victories, such as being elected governor of California, and President of the United States. Overall, Cann on writes with a detached, objective point of view. He balances all of the positives and negatives of Reagan’s life, giving equal time to each. Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reagan is an in-depth biography of Ronald Reagan. This definitive biography explores every aspect of Reagan’s life, and all of his successes and failures. The overriding theme in the book is that of Reagan’s determination and never give up attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannon begins the book by discussing Reagan’s humble beginnings. He was born in the front bedroom of a five-bedroom flat above the general store where his father worked, near Tampico, Illinois. He spent his childhood in a succession of small Indiana towns. His family was very poor, but not quite living in poverty. They came close to being crushed by the Depression. His father, Jack Reagan, was an Irish-Catholic, but only their first son, Ronald’s brother Neil, was baptized a Catholic. Jack was a hard-worker, but struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. His mother Nelle was a very moral and dignified woman. She encouraged her children to get a good education so they could have a better life.

Juno film Essay

Juno The film I have chosen for this paper is the drama-comedy Juno directed by Jason Reirman. It is a domestic comedy with anarchic elements. In the film, you get to follow Juno MacGuff, a 16-years-old girl, as her life changes when she finds out that she is pregnant. It’s a realistic film told from Juno’s point of view. The film touches several controversial, populist themes, but manages to do so without being clichà ©. The most obvious being the teen pregnancy, but other topics such as the curiosity of sex among teenagers, the constant questioning of whether abortion is okay or not comes along with it. A big part of the film takes place in Juno’s home, which is typical for a domestic comedy. The main plot of the movie touches themes common to family life. There is the â€Å"modern family† core with stepmothers and half-siblings, the complicity in being a teenager as well as raising one. The more or less ordinary family life is displayed with a lot of humor. The questioning of stereotypes and prejudices play a big role in this film, as do contrasts. Instead of the cheerleader getting pregnant with the quarterback, as many would expect, it is the tomboy and the geeky runner who end up in that situation. As most teens portrayed in films, Juno has a close girlfriend. The odd thing in this case is that it is not a girl considered stranger than Juno herself in terms of norms, it is the cheerleader. In many other of these teen films, usually the cheerleader bugs the â€Å"odd girl†, as for example in â€Å"Mean Girls†. The most prominent contrast in the film is the home of the MacGuffs VS. the home of the adoptive parents Mark and Vanessa Loring. The two homes are set like two different worlds. In the MacGuff house, it s eems like it is impossible to have too many lamps, ornamental dogs or photo frames. The color scale goes in earthy brown tones. Meanwhile, the Loring house does not seem to ever be perfect enough. As Vanessa and Mark are introduced to the story, Vanessa is putting the photo frames in order and arranging the flowers until they are perfect. The dominant colors in the Loring house are clean bright colors as beige and white. The houses become symbols for how different the two families are. The easygoing, messy MacGuffs, and the uptight, stiff Lorings. For the opening scene of the film, there is a long shot of Juno standing in front of an armchair. The armchair is going to be a symbol throughout the movie. The camera cuts to a close up of Junos face and her empty eyes staring at the chair, delivering a message of frustration and hopelessness. She has a monolog where she tells the viewer about the chair, that it was in a chair everything started, where she got pregnant. A â€Å"film inside the film† of Junos memories from that moment is shown for the viewer. A dog barks and the camera makes a quick cut back to reality, Juno and the chair. She leaves the chair behind and the camera follows her as she goes to the local corner shop to get a pregnancy test, the third for the day. She is dressed in a red hood and blue jeans, the red symbolizes her strong, colorful personality. Red is also a symbol for life and vitality, a color symbolism very suitable for the scene. She takes the pregnancy test in the store’s narrow restroom, which has a dim low-key lightning. The setting reinforces the feeling of Juno being â€Å"painted into a corner†. As she takes the test, the camera cuts between close-ups of Junos legs as she sits down, the pregnancy test and her face. These close-ups make the relationship between Juno and the viewer intimate and one gets to feel sympathy for her. It is important to anchor the sympathy for Juno in the beginning of the film since the viewer will get to follow her during her journey. Juno leaves the store and walks home, the camera follows her from behind. Darkness has fallen and Juno has put the hood over her head as a way to alienate herself from the surrounding world. As she walks, a group of guys from her school comes running towards her. They are out of focus and run by her on both sides, creating like a tunnel for Juno to walk through. To me the runners are a metaphor for the thoughts running through Juno’s head and the difficult repressed situation in which she has ended up. Juno is portrayed as a stubborn, cocky girl who takes her own way in life. She has dark hair that she wears in a ponytail and her clothes are far from what typically are considered â€Å"girl clothes†. She wears loose fitted jeans, t-shirts, pullovers and hoods. Her best friend, Leah, on the other hand is a cheerleader with long blond hair who dresses in skirts and is much of a â€Å"girly-girl†. As the Leah is introduced to the audience, the contrasting personalities between the two friends are shown trough the mise-en-scene. When Juno calls Leah to tell her about the pregnancy, the camera cuts between the two girls and their bedrooms. Junos room has a shoebox feeling to it. There are photos of her friends, posters and dif ferent paintings all over the walls as well as the ceiling. She has plectrums laying all over her desk and a miniature electric guitar that  gives away her interest for music. The dominating colors are earthy tones of brown, red and orange. Leah’s room on the other hand is dominated by light colors such as pink, white, yellow and dim blue. She has stuffed animals on a shelf and big windows with thin, light curtains. Juno decides that the way to tell the baby’s father, Bleeker, about the pregnancy is to set up a living room setting in his yard where she can break the news. When darkness falls, Leah is helping to move everything that is needed. They help each other to lift a heavy armchair into the trunk of Junos car. In this scene, the armchair is a symbol for the pregnancy, something that only the girls know of so far. It is still a complex, heavy secret kept in the dark, just like the chair. Reirman uses color values in a broad way through the film, especially when it comes to the characters clothes. In the loading of the armchair scene, Juno wears a red hood while Leah wears a blue. This highlights the different personalities of the two young girls even more. As the pregnancy progresses the color of Juno s clothes changes from the bright red hood to earthier, duller colors in green and brown shades. This color change reinforces Junos situation and the effect the pregnancy has on her life. Another example of color value being used is when Vanessa gets to see her son for the first time. She is then wearing a yellow sweater, symbolizing the joy she feels after finally becoming a mother. A task she feels she has been born to. During a visit to the prospective adoptive parents Juno finds out that Mark is going to divorce Vanessa, sad and frustrated she heads back home. The camera is shooting from the backseat as Juno is driving; she is placed to the left of the frame and the long, empty road ahead of her to the right. This creates a movement from left to right, giving the viewer a feeling of optimism and that everything will work out for the best. The camera cuts to a panning shot as Juno parks the car by the side of the road. A cut to a low angle is made, showing a close up of Juno as she cries. The gray seat, ceiling and the steering wheel creates a tight frame around Juno. There is a claustrophobic feeling through the setting, which emphasizes the fragile state Juno finds herself in. Juno decides that if Vanessa is still willing to be a mom, Juno is willing to give her the baby. The majority of the film is shot in high key lightning, typical for comedy movies. This goes for the scene at the hospital when the baby is born as well. However, in the next scene this will change. The camera shows a  close up of Mr. MacGuff as he pats the head of his daughter who just gave birth. The lightning has gotten softer, giving the yellow color of the walls a warm soothing glow. There is calm and a balance over the scene, giving the feeling that everything is going to be okay from now on. The camera then cuts to a shot from Junos point of view showing Bleeker standing in the door opening. The walls behind Bleeker are blue and contrasting to the goldish colors in Junos hospital room. The colors and the separating walls become a metaphor for the â€Å"cold† reality Bleeker is just coming from, and the warm future that he is about to step into with Juno. A reality more suitable for two 16-year-old kids, where they do not have to be parents. Juno is a realistic film anchored in reality, there are several references to modern culture to underline this. Films and â€Å"hobbits† are mentioned, but the main thing is the music. Music is a big part of Junos life and her personality. It also becomes a key element when Juno and Mark are bounding. They burn CD’s to each other and discuss music by Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop and Patti Smith among others. To convey that the film is told from Junos point of view, Reirman uses her voice over as rapid cuts are made of what she is talking about. This technique is used when Juno introduces her family. As she talks about her mother, who is living in Arizona, the camera cuts to long shot of a desert house in the middle of a beige field. The tone of Juno’s voice says that the mother’s absence does not bother her that much, as to the dullness of the colors in the shot. The camera then cuts to extreme close-ups of the smiles of her mother’s new family, the husband and their three â€Å"replacement kids†. To show the viewer that the mother has been out of the picture for a long time the camera cuts to a close up of numerous cactuses in a window. Juno’s voice over is explaining that her mother sends her one cactus every valentine’s day. In Juno, the mise-en-scene is frequently used to strengthen the message of the film. By using color values, lightning keys and symbolism Reirman captures the contrasts of the story. I do not know if I would call Juno my favorite film, but it is definitely one of my favorite â€Å"feel-good† films. No matter what mood I am in, I always feel much happier and more positive after watching this film. I love the sarcasm in the film and I can see much of myself when I was 16 in Juno. I like how the film takes up such a controversial and taboo topic with as much humor as it does. To me it mak es the film appealing instead of  feeling as a â€Å"moral message to teenagers†.

Nuclear Power Vs Coal Burning Environmental Sciences Essay

Nuclear and coal discharged power Stationss provided about half of the electricity generated in the UK in 2007. Figure 1 shows a dislocation of the parts made by all of the beginnings of fuel used to bring forth electricity in that twelvemonth. Figure 1: Fuel used for UK electricity coevals on an end product footing in 2007 [ 1 ] . Coal is an cheap fuel that is comparatively easy to mine and the UK still has big militias. In 2001 the universe militias of recoverable coal were 1083 billion metric tons which is adequate to last over 200 old ages at current World ingestion degrees. [ 2 ] Unlike oil and gas, the bulk of which is concentrated in the politically sensitive country of the Middle East, the largest militias of coal are in North America, Russia, China and India. Nuclear power Stationss use comparatively little sums of fuel compared to char, so uranium can be easy stock piled. Known uranium stocks are merely plenty for approximately 50 to sixty old ages at current ingestion degrees. However, much of the U is available from less sensitive parts such as Australia, Canada and the United States, { see Appendix 1 } . Nuclear workss are powered by enriched uranium pellets. To guarantee continuation of electricity supply, up to 100 dozenss of pellets may be stored at each reactor at any clip. Each one inch pellet can bring forth the same sum of energy as one ton of coal [ 3 ] . This is because power station class coal has a calorific value of about 26 GJ/tonne and U has a calorific value of between 420,000 and 672,000 GJ/tonne i.e. about 20,000 times as big. [ 4 ] The mean thermic efficiency for atomic workss in the UK in 2005 was 38 % [ 5 ] . The newest coal engineering can accomplish about 48 % efficiency [ 6 ] . For comparing, typical efficiencies for the assorted ways of bring forthing electricity in the UK are shown in Appendix 2. Nuclear and coal discharged power Stationss work in much the same manner. Water is heated to do steam which turns turbines connected to generators which produce electrical power. The difference is that in atomic power Stationss a concatenation reaction is used to do the heat alternatively of firing coal. Nuclear power workss create heat through the fission of U atoms that are split by slow traveling neutrons bring forthing tremendous sums of energy. Figure 2 shows the basic designs of ( a ) dodo fuel workss and ( B ) atomic workss. Figure 2 Comparison of typical designs of fossil fuel and atomic workss [ 7 ] With coal fired Stationss the immediate pollution job is air borne atoms. The ash produced in the burning chamber besides presents a major waste control job because of the immense sums created. For illustration, a 1000MW coal fired station produces about 400,000 metric tons of ash per twelvemonth [ 8 ] . Whereas, 12,000 metric tons of waste is generated by all of the universe ‘s atomic reactors per twelvemonth. [ 8a ] Nuclear power workss do non bring forth the air pollution associated with coal, but the spent fuel is a risky waste that can stay a radioactive menace for 1000s of old ages. The fact that the atomic station needs a containment edifice to envelop the reactors highlights the possible danger of atomic power. The containment edifice has a strengthened concrete shell lined with steel which acts as a radiation shield to forestall any release of radiation in the event of an accident. It is designed to be strong plenty to defy temblors, aircraft impacts and sabotage efforts. The three major events that have slowed the advancement of the atomic industry worldwide are the Windscale fire of 1957, the Three Mile Island partial reactor meltdown in 1979, and the more serious Chernobyl reactor meltdown in 1986. The incidents showed the demand for a containment edifice because with the Three Mile Island accident the radioactive dust was successfully contained. Whereas, the Chernobyl and Windscale reactors did non hold a containment edifice which resulted in big countries of the environing countryside being contaminated by radioactive dust. The Windscale incident was on a much smaller graduated table than Chernobyl with a thousand times less radioactive Iodine 131 being released. [ 9 ] In all of the incidents hapless on the job patterns, faulty or unequal equipment and complacence about safety issues were involved. These incidents and the tremendous cost of decommissioning the reactors has meant that for many old ages at that place have been no programs to construct any more atomic reactors in the UK. Coal fired power workss have been associated with smog, acerb rain and planetary heating. They besides release metals such as quicksilver, arsenic, Be, Cd, lead and Se which can be deposited on dirt, in lakes and in watercourses where they become long term environmental pollutants. Gass associated with firing coal include C dioxide, the chief nursery gas blamed for planetary heating and clime alteration ; sulfur dioxide which can do acerb rain ; and N oxides which are responsible for ground-level ozone. Particulate affair, which includes dust, carbon black, nitrates and sulfates is besides emitted doing respiratory jobs and asthma onslaughts. Natural coal besides contains trace sums of radioactive U and Th. This is non a job until coal is burned bring forthing fly ash, which concentrates the original degrees of U and Th by a factor of 10. Surprisingly, ‘the fly ash emitted by a power works carries into the environing environment 100 times more radiation than a atomic power works bring forthing the same sum of energy ‘ . [ 10 ] The environmental jobs associated with coal have led to a push for ‘clean coal ‘ steps to restrict emanations and to capture the CO2. For illustration, fluke gas desulphurisation systems can take up 99 % of the sulfur dioxide. The procedure besides produces gypsum which is used in the building industry. Nitrogen oxides are controlled utilizing particular burners which cut down the O supply to the hottest portion of the burning chamber where the coal is burned. Electrostatic precipitators can take more than 99 % of the particulates from the fluke gas by making a charge on the atoms which are so attracted by aggregation home bases. Fabric filters and wet particulate scrubbers are besides used. As CO2 is a nursery gas the proposed method is to capture the gas and shop it underground before it can get away to the ambiance. Figure 3 shows an illustrations of how a CO2 gaining control system might be used.Key1. CO2 pumped into obsolete coal Fieldss displaces methane which can be used as fuel 2. Carbon dioxide can be pumped into and stored safely in saline aquifers 3. CO2 pumped into oil Fieldss helps keep force per unit area, doing extraction easier Figure 3 Options for informations gaining control and storage The construct of C gaining control and storage has been proven by little scale systems but commercially feasible large-scale systems have non yet been developed. Coal mines can be unsafe and soiled topographic points and unfastened dramatis personae excavation in peculiar can go forth an unpleasant landscape. Coal mineworkers can be affected by pneumonoconiosis, or black lung disease, and emphysema if they breathe in excessively much of the coal dust. Transporting coal by lorry and train from the mine to the power station causes pollution. As the older coal fired and atomic power Stationss reach the terminal of their utile lives, determinations will hold to be made about their replacing. Should atomic or coal be considered for the following coevals of power Stationss in the UK? In an ideal universe the reply would likely be no ; but in the existent universe the concerns of authoritiess are energy security and supplying a uninterrupted supply of electricity at a sensible monetary value. Therefore, it is likely that one or both will play a important portion in the proviso of base burden electricity for the foreseeable hereafter because feasible options are non yet available. The instance for atomic power must get down by sing the fact that installed safety systems have non prevented three major atomic accidents in the last 50 old ages. No 1 could give a 100 % confidence that a major catastrophe will non go on in the hereafter ; but the atomic industry has been scrutinised more than any other industry in history and hence the safety steps are as near to state-of-the-art as possible. Progresss in nanotechnology may bring forth better control and feeling devices to farther better safety steps. In recent old ages ‘while the agreements for storage have proved to be satisfactory and the installations have been operated without major jobs, it is by and large agreed that these agreements are interim, that is, they do non stand for a concluding and lasting solution ‘ . [ 12 ] However, work on atomic transubstantiation, that can potentially cut down the clip that the waste is unsafe from 1000s of old ages to possibly five hundred old ages, [ 8a ] , may do it more toothsome. Nanotechnology research into disassemblers may bring forth applications in atomic risky waste direction. Coal generated power is a good established engineering that people are familiar with. However, it has a repute for being a dirty industry that can be unsafe for its workers and bring forth a visually unpleasant environment. In recent old ages the clime alteration argument has intensified and coal, which produces the most greenhouse gases of the fossil fuels, has been targeted as a major cause of planetary heating. The efforts to clean up the industry will potentially cut down the job but will be dearly-won and may take many old ages to demo any betterments. One factor that may work in its favor is the recent discrediting of scientists look intoing clime alteration. Allegations were made that ‘climate scientists had doctored informations to show that worlds are responsible for planetary heating ‘ and ‘the universe ‘s most of import administration for supervising clime alteration claimed that the Himalayan glaciers would vanish by 2035 without the backup of peer-reviewed research ‘ . [ 11 ] This has allowed advocates of coal fired Stationss to propose that the instance for planetary heating has been overstated and that coal and other dodo fuelled power Stationss may be acceptable after all. China, India and other developing states are likely to be constructing 100s of coal fired power Stationss in the close hereafter. If the clime alteration anteroom has got it right it would look irresponsible for the UK to add to the job. Furthermore, a new coevals of atomic power Stationss would assist the UK authorities to run into its mark of cutting nursery gas emanations by 80 % by 2050. There is grounds that determinations are being made within authorities to unclutter the way for new atomic power Stationss. [ ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/jul/27/decc-carbon-calculator } } . The trust on imported gas from some of the universe ‘s most unstable parts is considered unacceptable and favorable remarks associating to atomic power coevals have been made. The most recent grounds is EDF Energy uncovering programs to pass ?1billion in 2011 on new contracts and readying work for the Hinkley Point atomic power station in Somerset. [ ] { 13/02/11 Mail on Sunday Tom McGhie } After due consideration, I would give probationary support to a revitalized atomic industry in the UK working under the strictest of examination. I would trust that the major technological jobs with the handling of risky atomic waste will be solved in the close hereafter. Besides, if atomic power coevals receives more public credence, research into the fast breeder reactors and the long term end of power from atomic merger may have a encouragement. These developments would ease the waste job and do atomic power more sustainable in the long term.Appendix 1Table 1 Known recoverable resources of uranium [ 3a ] The top portion of the tabular array shows the â€Å" sensible assured resources † and â€Å" inferred resources, † at cost less than $ 130 per kilogram of U, as of 1 Jan 2005. These are the estimated resources in countries where geographic expedition has taken topographic point. There is besides 1.3 million dozenss of low uranium sitting about in reserves, a byproduct of old uranium activities.Appendix 2Source – Eurelectric hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mpoweruk.com/energy_efficiency.htm

Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere

Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere June 20-21 is a very important day for our planet and its relationship with the sun. June 20-21 is one of two solstices, days when the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously heralds the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere. In 2014, the summer solstice occurs and summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Friday, June 21 at 6:51 a.m. EDT, which is 10:51Â  UTC. The earth spins around its axis, an imaginary line going right through the planet between the north and south poles. The axis is tilted somewhat off the plane of the earths revolution around the sun. The tilt of the axis is 23.5 degrees; thanks to this tilt, we enjoy the four seasons. For several months of the year, one half of the earth receives more direct rays of the sun than the other half. When the axis tilts towards the sun, as it does between June and September, it is summer in the northern hemisphere but winter in the southern hemisphere. Alternatively, when the axis points away from the sun from December to March, the southern hemisphere enjoys the direct rays of the sun during their summer months. June 21 is called the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and simultaneously the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Around December 21 the solstices are reversed and winter begins in the northern hemisphere. On June 21, there are 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle (66.5Â ° north of the equator) and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5Â ° south of the equator). The suns rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer (the latitude line at 23.5Â ° north, passing through Mexico, Saharan Africa, and India) on June 21. The Reason for Seasons Without the tilt of the earths axis, we would have no seasons. The suns rays would be directly overhead of the equator all year long. Only a slight change would occur as the earth makes its slightly elliptical orbit around the sun. The earth is furthest from the sun about July 3; this point is known as the aphelion and the earth is 94,555,000 miles away from the sun. The perihelion takes place about January 4 when the earth is a mere 91,445,000 miles from the sun. When summer occurs in a hemisphere, it is due to that hemisphere receiving more direct rays of the sun than the opposite hemisphere where it is winter. In winter, the suns energy hits the earth at oblique angles and is thus less concentrated. During spring and fall, the earths axis is pointing sideways so both hemispheres have moderate weather and the rays of the sun are directly overhead the equator. Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5Â ° latitude south) there really are no seasons as the sun is never very low in the sky so it stays warm and humid (tropical) year-round. Only those people in the upper latitudes north and south of the tropics experience seasons.

Free Essays on Women & Spirituality

Feminist Spirituality & Goddess Religion: Then & Now in The United States Thousands of years ago, the Goddess was viewed as an autonomous entity worthy of respect from men and women alike. Because of societal changes caused by Eastern influence, a patriarchial system conquered all aspects of life including religion. â€Å"Furthermore, most feminists interested in goddesses are women who strongly reject western patriarchal theology†(Culpepper 51). Thus, there was this very strong feminist idea of women being the prime in the early part of the 17th and the 18th century. Today, the loss of a strong female presence in Judeo-Christian beliefs has prompted believers to look to other sources that celebrate the role of women. Men and women have increasingly embraced goddess religion and feminist spirituality as an alternative to the patriarchy found in traditional biblical religion of the past and the present. In this paper, I would like to discuss this whole issue of the uprising of women spirituality in the United States and also the formation of these so called Goddess Religions, and the ways in which these religions are changing the face of American societal believes. My argument will be supporting the central theme of the movie ‘Women & Spirituality: A Full Circle’, the one that was featured in the lecture. I would like to discuss the main ideas on which this religion is based, the way in which it has come back a full circle and also its adjusting to this modern American society full of many other religions having different ideologies. Within a few thousand years the first recognizable human society developed worship of the ‘Great Goddess’ or ‘Great Mother’. For these people, deity was female. The importance of fertility in crops, domesticated animals, wild animals and in the tribe itself was of paramount importance to their survival. Thus, the Female life-giving principle was considered divine and an enigma. This culture... Free Essays on Women & Spirituality Free Essays on Women & Spirituality Feminist Spirituality & Goddess Religion: Then & Now in The United States Thousands of years ago, the Goddess was viewed as an autonomous entity worthy of respect from men and women alike. Because of societal changes caused by Eastern influence, a patriarchial system conquered all aspects of life including religion. â€Å"Furthermore, most feminists interested in goddesses are women who strongly reject western patriarchal theology†(Culpepper 51). Thus, there was this very strong feminist idea of women being the prime in the early part of the 17th and the 18th century. Today, the loss of a strong female presence in Judeo-Christian beliefs has prompted believers to look to other sources that celebrate the role of women. Men and women have increasingly embraced goddess religion and feminist spirituality as an alternative to the patriarchy found in traditional biblical religion of the past and the present. In this paper, I would like to discuss this whole issue of the uprising of women spirituality in the United States and also the formation of these so called Goddess Religions, and the ways in which these religions are changing the face of American societal believes. My argument will be supporting the central theme of the movie ‘Women & Spirituality: A Full Circle’, the one that was featured in the lecture. I would like to discuss the main ideas on which this religion is based, the way in which it has come back a full circle and also its adjusting to this modern American society full of many other religions having different ideologies. Within a few thousand years the first recognizable human society developed worship of the ‘Great Goddess’ or ‘Great Mother’. For these people, deity was female. The importance of fertility in crops, domesticated animals, wild animals and in the tribe itself was of paramount importance to their survival. Thus, the Female life-giving principle was considered divine and an enigma. This culture...

Analysis Of Annual Report Of Bendigo And Adelaide Bank For Fy 2016

The title of the report is the analysis of the annual report of the company – Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. The annual report of the company consists of the financial statements of the company and the director’s report and the independent auditor’s report. The financial statements of the company tells about the financial performance of the company that it has gained during the reporting period and the financial position of the company that it has maintained at the end of the reporting period. Both the aspects go and work simultaneously and will inform about the working and functions of the company. The main aim of this report is to analyze the annual report of the company with respect to certain issues like assets and debts which will equip the users of the financial statements of the company including the stakeholders of the company about the working details of the company and to assess whether the company is working as desired by its stakeholders. With this consideration and the aim the report has been bifurcated into different section starting from the historical background of the company. After that the financial position of the company has been analysed by considering the balance sheet at the end of the reporting period. Thereafter the financial performance of the company has been analysed by considering the statement of profit and loss for the given reporting period. At the end the report has been ended by citing the conclusion stating the overall findings and the recommendation stating whether the stakeholders shall invest in this company. The company has its history started in the long back in late years of 1850’s. The company has been incorporated in the year of 1858 as Bendigo Mutual Permanent Land and Building Society to help the people who are migrating from Victoria to give them the better living and the better working conditions. After twenty years of the society formation, in the year of 1877 another society was formed namely Hind marsh Building Society which has only one aim of providing home to everyone who is in Australia. With this aim the society so created has gained the importance from many people. With the passage of the time, the society goes on growing and keeps on merging and acquiring the other societies and in the year 1982, Bendigo Building society has come up as the first financial institution which has introduced both visa and credit cards. In the year of 1993, Bendigo building society acquires the company namely National Mortgage Market Corporation Limited which is engaged in the busines s of mortgage and providing the introducers for the loans and acting as the brokers for arranging the loans. In the years of late 1990’s the company with the development in the field of banking has converted its name from the bendigo building society to Bendigo Bank (Intelligent Investor, 2017).   Bendigo bank opened its first branch office in Victoria and then has focused on the infrastructure projects of the country including the agricultural related business. The company has also been known as the company which has brought the account for offsetting the mortgage. This product has now standardized in the country of Australia. With this expansion and the growth in the business sector, the company in the year of 2007 has rejected the proposal from the Bank of Queensland for having the merger and merged with the well known bank namely Adelaide Bank. Soon after merging with the bank, the company with the approval of the members and shareholders of the company, the company has changed its name from Bendigo Bank to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (Company Official Website, 2016). With this merger, the existence of the Bendigo and Adelaide bank has come and is now regarded as the fifth largest retail bank in the Australia employing more than 70000 employees across its all branches and serving millions of the customers across Australia for achieving their financial goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The financial position of any company is analyzed by critically evaluating the balance sheet of the company. The balance sheet of the company is prepared on the particular date therefore the financial position of the company has been analysed as on 30 th June 2016 (Company Official Website, 2016). There are also other issues like financial assets held for sale, trading and maturity, met loans and other receivable and the investment made in property plant and equipment and also the risk factors that have been mentioned separately in the annual report.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The financial performance of the company is analysed from the statement of income for the financial year ending 30 th of June 2016. Following issues have been identified (Company Official Website, 2016): Thus, apart from the above issues there other financial performance issues like Net Profit and the income tax expense, etc.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The banking industry plays very important role in not only the development of the country but also the development of the individuals by keeping their money safe and providing the interest on their funds and more importantly funding the company which requires for the development of any project which may be infrastructural or financial like agricultural related project or dam building project. Thus, in this way, the banking industry plays very important role in the development. The report has laid down how Bendigo and Adelaide bank has been formed and how the same have grown over the past 158 years at the increasing rate and still have the position of having more developments in the future. The report has analyzed the financial position and performance of the company and thus it is concluded that the report has raised the financial issues with regard to its recognition and presentation in the financial statements. It is recommended that the shareholders should invest and the stakeholder’s shall take interest in the company and shall make their decisions accordingly. Company Official Website, (2016), â€Å"Annual Report 2016†, available on https://www.bendigoadelaide.com.au   accessed on 23/05/2017. Intelligent Investor, (2017), â€Å"Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (BEN)†, available on https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/company/Bendigo-and-Adelaide-Bank-Limited-BEN-249121   accessed on 23/05/2017. accounting

Ethnography and ethnographic research report (ethnomusicology) Paper

Ethnography and ethnographic report (ethnomusicology) - Research Paper Example The reflection which is created in society is one which is based on several expressions that are associated with the culture. When looking at the context of rock music, it can be seen that there are specific associations with the trends of the music, as well as how the culture relates to the ideals of the music. The rock genre becomes a reflection of the social and cultural ideologies and identity of an individual. For collective groups, it is this genre that provides a sense of social worth to specific groups and provides an understanding of where one fits in with a specific identity. This piece of field work will examine the aspects of rock music and how it creates an identity for those that fit into a segment of society. The association with rock music is one which is expressed within various groups and interactive areas. The ability to create social worth is directly linked to the expression of rock music and the applications that are within society. Currently, youth have created global structures that create the identity as an institutional structure (Kjeldgaard, 2006). This means that there are several formations of generalized areas where youth meet to show the social worth and identity while moving through structures that don’t have the boundaries of locality. ... se of the online region will show how rock music isn’t about locality among youth, but instead is creating a sense of global worth that is growing within the society. Results of Data The first rock artist which was considered was Dave Matthews, an international musician that continues to perform and release CDs for the youth crowd. A fan base for the band was considered, as well as a forum which was attached to the band. The most popular topics that were on this site included Dave Matthew tickets, an autographed poster by â€Å"Dave and Leroi,† performance discussions and a download of â€Å"Crash Into Me,† one of the most popular songs of the band (MFC, 2011). There was also an interview conducted with one of the top individuals who was interacting on the site, which included questions on why they were interested in the band. The first questions were based on the ability to perform by the band as well as the easy to remember tunes. However, after asking why the tunes could easily be remembered, the individual stated that there was a personal connection made with the themes of the song that related to their life. The second site considered was not based on the popular genres of rock, but instead moved into what is considered underground rock and indie rock. This is produced by artists which don’t have a record contract and which build their fan base through grass roots efforts in their community. The focus of this particular site is to show videos, performances and the live options of the bands so others can connect to them. The network also consists of spreading the name of the indie artists so they can receive assistance in gaining a stronger reputation on a global level (Underground Rock Music, 2011). To find the most relevant indie artists, the social networking

Inquisitorial System & Adversarial System Article

Inquisitorial System & Adversarial System - Article Example But unlike the suggestion of the name, the continental European Law is not only meant for the European Union, but is also applicable in other continents such as Asia, South America, and Central America. Within the countries that follow the common law standards, the decisions rely mostly on the negotiation abilities of Lawyers which play a major role in examining and cross questioning of witnesses. This law is more prominent for countries that follow the American legal system such as Canada, Australia, and of course the United States of America. Includes the Muslim Law, Jewish Halakha, etc. And is mostly practiced in countries where the government is based on religionist principles, rather than practicability. Most of the Common and Civil law countries oppose Religious laws as these normally bring about severe and extremely dire punishments such as experienced mostly in the case of Islamic Laws. Besides these punishments, where ever these laws apply, other aspects have also been witnessed, such as degradation of the value of women in society, favour of self religion or the prime religion of the country (rest are deemed as outsiders and unfairness can thus be witnessed within the religious legal systems), and others.5 Based on the opinion of the author of this report; Inquisitorial System, which is the better amongst the 2 (adversarial and inquisitorial), is the system to present evidence in such a manner so as it leaves the court to decide who the culprit is or to make a fair decision on the honesty amongst any 2 parties.9 Inquisitorial System very generally implies to inquiries related to criminal procedures, and not inquiries related to substantive law. The inquisitorial system is usually used along with economies that rely on the Civil Legal systems, although it is not followed in 'all' civil legal systems, and still 'some' economies which are even though based on the Civil Legal systems, rely on other methods of revealing evidence in Court. Herewith the judge may directly question the witnesses and the criminal against whom charges have been pressed, in order to clarify the matter to him further. In very simple words, here in the inquisitorial Legal

Conflict Management in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict Management in Organisations - Essay Example There are different levels of which conflict occur in organizations: within the individual (role conflict where, for example, the individual feels a clash between his role as an executive and parent); between two immediate individuals; between persons when they are working in a group or in teams; between different groups within organisations (out of rivalry arising out of variety of reasons like resource allocation, mergers); and finally between the organization and the society when there is a mismatch between organizational goals and societal goals (e.g. environment). Given this situation, it is in the interest of the organization to see that conflict does not harm or injure the organizational process in achieving its goals. With the individual differences, of people who comprise the organization, it will be a futile to think of developing a group which will be free of conflict with members completely aligned and harmonious. The issue would be as to how to manage conflict in an orga nization so that it actually benefits out of it. Experts see potential positive benefits to the organization when conflict is constructively managed, not avoided. It is even recommended that conflict is stimulated by a better group performance. What this paper is about: In this paper, the attempt is to understand the general nature of conflict how it arises and why and how it should be managed by organizations. In order to have some focus on this huge and highly researched topic, the paper confines itself only to issues relating to the topic of conflict and its management process in a group/teams and the role of group leadership in successfully managing conflict. Group effectiveness is one of the key determinants of success of an organization. Groups in organizations are very often formal (departments and divisions) but increasingly their working is seen to be informal, where there is a large delegation of responsibility and where the group is allowed to choose its process and task breakups. "The ability of groups to benefit from cognitive conflict (that is, differences in information, knowledge, and opinions) can be a critical source of competitive advantage."(Philips and Thomas-Hunt, p 37)

The African Athena Controversy Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The African Athena Controversy - Thesis Example Another is that the lack of knowledge with regards to the ancient world puts historians inside a box with only plausible ideas looming overhead, not probabilities since everything is already in the past tense, and reconstructions are the only available options to build the events of past civilizations (Berlinerblau). However, those who contest the possibility of Phoenicians and even Egyptians influencing Pre-Hellenistic Greece argue that relying only on etymologies of the words found in the Greek language does not give enough justification but rather, it only reveals the patterns and the sphere of influence on the population in question (Lefkowitz). Still, words are much the same as models, wherein they are seen as necessary symbols to represent a united representation of our reality (Bernal). Bernal’s Ancient Model regarding the origin of the ancient Greeks, or those of the Pre-Hellenistic culture states that there is an intermingling of Phoenicians and Egyptians long before the settling of the Aryan Race from the north, and that in this sense, the Pre-Hellenes or the Ancient Greeks were a race with strong Asian or Egyptian origins, and were eventually succeeded by the arrival of the Indo-Europeans or the â€Å"Aryans† (Bernal). It is plausible because the Phoenicians were able to teach the alphabet to ancient Greeks, introducing a form of written language in the area, while the Egyptians taught them farming strategies, such as building irrigation systems to continually water the crops. The Egyptians would also be able to teach the Ancient Greeks about their gods, the names as well as how to worship them, since Egyptians have a long and solid history with regards to religion and the occult. With such a premise, Bernal was able to further provide readers an idea of his premise that there are indeed Semitic and African elements in the formation of the cultures of Pre-Hellenistic or Ancient Greeks

Position Arguments on Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Position Arguments on Immigration - Essay Example According to Johnson (138), however, another portion of these analysts resist the free trade point of view affirming that it is subdued by agencies and regulated by international alliances which include the International Monetary Fund in conjunction with North America Free Trade Agreement and hence resulting in greater deal of imbalance and interference in the Latin American nations economy. They assert that this economic depression results after enormous agribusiness bodies own large tracts of Mexican farming lands and hence force the destitute to relocate. The displaced individuals then end up seeking asylum in the developed nations such as United States of America. Analysts too have scrutinized the significant contributions played by emigrants’ remittances dispensed back to their own developing nations and hence take part in elevating their homeland Gross Domestic Product. However, a portion of these analysts content with this affirming that the most considerate option is to enlighten the developing nations to boost their economy through reinforcing education and generating more employment opportunities (138). Johnson (139) affirms that, analysts have evaluated the range in which the vast emigrants in the host countries should be granted the liberty to alter the authentic culture amongst the natives in the host countries. Nations such as the European Nations has emphasised on the need of adopting multicultural systems which stipulate segregation among the emigrants and natives in the host countries. Other persons including President Nicolas Sarkozy affirm that emigrants should master and absorb the prevailing heritage and customs thriving in their host nations. However, a portion of the analysts’ content with this perspective affirming that it portrays racism and intolerance. These group of analysts urge the natives to consider incorporating unity amongst the

Conflict Management in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict Management in Organisations - Essay Example There are different levels of which conflict occur in organizations: within the individual (role conflict where, for example, the individual feels a clash between his role as an executive and parent); between two immediate individuals; between persons when they are working in a group or in teams; between different groups within organisations (out of rivalry arising out of variety of reasons like resource allocation, mergers); and finally between the organization and the society when there is a mismatch between organizational goals and societal goals (e.g. environment). Given this situation, it is in the interest of the organization to see that conflict does not harm or injure the organizational process in achieving its goals. With the individual differences, of people who comprise the organization, it will be a futile to think of developing a group which will be free of conflict with members completely aligned and harmonious. The issue would be as to how to manage conflict in an orga nization so that it actually benefits out of it. Experts see potential positive benefits to the organization when conflict is constructively managed, not avoided. It is even recommended that conflict is stimulated by a better group performance. What this paper is about: In this paper, the attempt is to understand the general nature of conflict how it arises and why and how it should be managed by organizations. In order to have some focus on this huge and highly researched topic, the paper confines itself only to issues relating to the topic of conflict and its management process in a group/teams and the role of group leadership in successfully managing conflict. Group effectiveness is one of the key determinants of success of an organization. Groups in organizations are very often formal (departments and divisions) but increasingly their working is seen to be informal, where there is a large delegation of responsibility and where the group is allowed to choose its process and task breakups. "The ability of groups to benefit from cognitive conflict (that is, differences in information, knowledge, and opinions) can be a critical source of competitive advantage."(Philips and Thomas-Hunt, p 37)

Position Arguments on Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Position Arguments on Immigration - Essay Example According to Johnson (138), however, another portion of these analysts resist the free trade point of view affirming that it is subdued by agencies and regulated by international alliances which include the International Monetary Fund in conjunction with North America Free Trade Agreement and hence resulting in greater deal of imbalance and interference in the Latin American nations economy. They assert that this economic depression results after enormous agribusiness bodies own large tracts of Mexican farming lands and hence force the destitute to relocate. The displaced individuals then end up seeking asylum in the developed nations such as United States of America. Analysts too have scrutinized the significant contributions played by emigrants’ remittances dispensed back to their own developing nations and hence take part in elevating their homeland Gross Domestic Product. However, a portion of these analysts content with this affirming that the most considerate option is to enlighten the developing nations to boost their economy through reinforcing education and generating more employment opportunities (138). Johnson (139) affirms that, analysts have evaluated the range in which the vast emigrants in the host countries should be granted the liberty to alter the authentic culture amongst the natives in the host countries. Nations such as the European Nations has emphasised on the need of adopting multicultural systems which stipulate segregation among the emigrants and natives in the host countries. Other persons including President Nicolas Sarkozy affirm that emigrants should master and absorb the prevailing heritage and customs thriving in their host nations. However, a portion of the analysts’ content with this perspective affirming that it portrays racism and intolerance. These group of analysts urge the natives to consider incorporating unity amongst the

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay Example for Free

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay â€Å"Hands up. Don’t shoot.†[1] This is a refrain shouted by #BlackLivesMatter activists throughout the United States. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that gained national momentum in 2014 after acts of police brutality resulting in the death of black Americans such as Mike Brown and Eric Garner. In both of these cases, the respective police officers involved were not indicted for the death of American citizens.[2] This prompted the reaction: â€Å"black lives matter†; the livelihood of black people should and must be as important as that of white people. Throughout history, people of African descent in the United States have not equally enjoyed the same life and opportunities as other Americans due to racism, defined by public health scholars Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcia and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, and advantages others.†[3] In the early 1900s, multiple doctors brought attention to the disparity in the morbidity and mortality of diseases, many that result from poor living conditions, between black and white Americans. Lawrence Lee, a doctor writing in 1914, noted: â€Å"that tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases and still-births cause a death-rate of 917.9 per 100,000 against a rate of 354.7 for whites.†[4] In 1927, a movement in favor of eugenics took hold, beginning with the Buck v. Bell ruling.[5] This United States Supreme Court case gave doctors the authority to designate cert ain people more fit to breed than others and supported the procreation of the so-called â€Å"fit† and limited that of the â€Å"unfit† through means such as forced sterilization.[6] During this time, forty percent of the â€Å"unfit† people sterilized were non-white.[7] However, #BlackLivesMatter activists demonstrate that racist agendas that are viewed as history in truth have ongoing effects to this day that negatively impact the daily lives and public health of African Americans. Opponents use the social media hashtag #AllLivesMatter, expressing the view that all people deserve equal rights and access to basic necessities, regardless of race. #AllLivesMatter is distinct from the #BlackLivesMatter movement in that it does not acknowledge the past and present inequity in the quality of life between white Americans and those of African descent. #BlackLivesMatter has given voice to a historically oppressed class of people and opened a discussion on how the eugen ics movement has compromised that of black Americans and how this can be corrected and how future racially-charged infractions can be prevented. The racialization of medicine has  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­had a significant role in the development of the eugenics movement. Garcia and Sharif define racism as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities† and claims that â€Å"racism as a social condition is a fundamental cause of health and illness.†[8] The eugenics movement is one that is founded on the racist ideology that was detrimental to the African American community. Negative eugenics was carried out through marriage restriction, forced sterilization, and confining the â€Å"feeble-minded† to colonies. The restriction of marriage through issuing marriage licenses was critical in the racist agenda of eugenics. It was illegal to have children outside of wedlock.[9] Virginia in particular banned inter-racial marriage. By doing so, Virginia politicians and eugenicists were intentionally preventing people from having mixed ra ce children, something they saw as undesirable.[10] #AllLivesMatter activists would argue that the eugenics movement was not focused on African Americans, as many of the victims of eugenics were white. In Buck v. Bell, a case heard by the United States Supreme Court that secured eugenic doctors’ ability to forcibly sterilize the feeble-minded, the defendant was Carrie Buck, a white woman.[11]   Proponents of #AllLivesMatter would note that eugenic doctors instead targeted individuals of lower socio-economic status. Some of the diagnostic criteria for detecting feeble-mindedness included â€Å"cold and clammy hands and excessive pallor or blushing.†[12] While many of the victims of the application of negative eugenics were of lower socioeconomic status, it cannot be ignored that the eugenics movement grew from calls to improve black public health in the early 1900’s. Advancements in germ theory allowed for doctors to understand that diseases are transmissible r egardless of race; as a result, doctors emphasized the need for sanitary living conditions for black Americans.[13] Historian Andrea Patterson claims that â€Å"public health measures were hijacked by eugenicists†[14] – rather than these public health measures benefitting blacks, they, in part, created an environment in which eugenicists had reason to believe that people of particular racial background were predisposed to certain illnesses. Although Buck v. Bell enabled the eugenics movement to impact people of all races, the racist political regimes that preceded it supported the development of eugenics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paternalism was a major contributing factor to eugenic’s establishment. In 1915, Doctor L. C. Allen posited that â€Å"the negro health problem is one of the white mans burdens, and it is by no means the least of those burdens.†[15] It was his belief that the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality rates of diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis among black Americans were the responsibility of the white population to resolve. Allen credited the strict supervision of slave owners over black slaves for the lack of illnesses related to an unclean living environment and sexually transmitted diseases while slavery was legal.[16] According to Allen, â€Å"freedom has not benefited his health, nor improved his morals,† where â€Å"he† refers to African Americans.[17] Without white slave owners to ensure that African Americans bathe, clean their living spaces, and do not engage in promiscuous sex, Allen clai ms that African Americans did not properly take care of themselves. His answer to this perceived problem is for white Americans to champion a public health reform by way of changing the educational curriculum for blacks. Allen’s proposed â€Å"industrial education† would consist of teaching African American children proper hygiene and cater to their future career prospects, which mainly consist of service or manual labor roles.[18] By singling out a minority group to be segregated for the purpose of a different education based on race, Allen’s â€Å"industrial education† plan would have been an institutionalized instance of structural racism. Black Americans would have been denied access to an equal education, and by virtue of that, they would be further limited to the jobs available to them. Although this plan did not come to fruition, the ideas behind it lingered. Eugenic doctors felt that it was for the betterment of all humankind to promote the procre ation of those with what these doctors deemed desirable traits while simultaneously diminishing or altogether ceasing the procreation of the â€Å"unfit.†[19] The widespread belief that eugenics existed in order to improve the global gene pool is paternalistic. The socio-economic elite utilized their position of power to further their self-interested ideology at the expense of those below them, particularly African Americans. Mass incarceration of African Americans is a modern practice that in many ways is a continuation of eugenics. Victims of eugenic sterilization told their stories in a 2011 testimony in North Carolina arranged by The Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board. One such victim was Elaine Riddick, a black woman. Her son, Tony Riddick commented on the ongoing systemic racism in the United States, saying, â€Å"A young man nineteen years old, first time convicted, nonviolent offense, you give him fifteen to twenty years in prison. Now look at what happens, now he can no longer be a father, his mother loses a child.†[20] Though the testimony took place a few years before the #BlackLivesMatter movement gained momentum, these sentiments are the same as those felt by activists today. #BlackLivesMatter advocate and doctor Mary Basset argues in â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities† that â€Å"there is the great injustice in the daily violence experienced by young black men. But the tragedy of lives cut short is not accounted for entirely, or even mostly, by violence.†[21] Indeed, as Tony Riddick pointed out, systemic racism has cost many black Americans the ability to lead a productive life in society and often the ability to reproduce. In the mid-twentieth century, this took the form of the eugenics movement. People designated â€Å"feebleminded,† a categorization for the so-called unfit of society, were often sent to colonies to live out their lives and forcibly sterilized.[22] Though eugenics has been abolished, similar practices occur today. When a person is sentenced to a prison sentence that spans their prime reproductive years, they are segregated from the rest of society and are much less likely to raise a family.[23] Tony Riddick drew a comparison between eugenics and mass incarceration, likening each to genocide.[24] Flaws in today’s criminal justice system have allowed a form of racial genocide to perpetuate in the United States. A quick internet search of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter will bring up a sizable list of names that activists for the movement mourn as preventable deaths. Though many people know of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown, lesser-known but equally important people are added to the list of casualties regularly. One such person is Joyce Cornell, a fifty-year-old black woman who died in jail on July 22, 2015. Cornell was arrested for failing to pay court fines, a minor offense. Cornell experienced severe nausea and vomiting and was not granted medical treatment or water. She passed away one day later from dehydration.[25] These people, every black person who has lost their life early from preventable causes, represent a public health epidemic. Structural racism has decreased the life expectancy of black people living in the United States.[26] As Garcia and Sharif argue, it is necessary to â€Å"reshape our discourse† and consider racism a public health issue in order to begin to combat its effects.[27] It is vital that positive change happens for the betterment of our fellow Americans. This process begins with recognizing that racism exists and that #BlackLivesMatter. Bibliography Allen, L. C., M.D. THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM. The American Journal of Public Health, 1914. Accessed February 8, 2016. Bassett, Mary T., M.D., M.P.H. #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities. The New England Journal of Medicine 372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085-087. Accessed March 11, 2016. Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. Dorr, Gregory Michael. STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded. In Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia, 107-36. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008. Garcà ­a, Jennifer Jee-Lyn, Ph.D., and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH. Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health. Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 8 (August 2015): E27-30. doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011. Hutchinson, Woods. The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,. The American Journal of Public Health 3 (1913): 238-42. Knapp, Andrew, and Dave Munday. Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail. Post and Courier. February 24, 2016. Accessed April 21, 2016. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. Lee, Lawrence, M.D. THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY. The American Journal of Public Health 5 (1915): 207-10. Patterson, Andrea. Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South.Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 529-59. doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [1] Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcà ­a, Ph.D. and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH, Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health,  Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health105, no. 8 (August 2015): e27, doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. [2] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [3] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [4] Lawrence Lee, M.D., THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 207. [5] Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. [6] Woods Hutchinson, The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,  AJPH  3 (1913): 238. [7] Gregory Michael Dorr, STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded., in Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia(University of Virginia Press, 2008). [8] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [9] Dorr, 112 [10] Dorr, 111 [11] Dorr, 129 [12] Dorr, 113 [13] Andrea Patterson, Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South,  Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 541, doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [14] Patterson, 529 [15] L. C. Allen, M.D., THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 194. [16] Allen, 195 [17] Allen, 194 [18] Allen, 200 [19] Hutchinson, 240 [20] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011, D-10 [21] Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities,  The New England Journal of Medicine  372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085, accessed March 11, 2016. [22] Dorr, 120 [23] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [24] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board, D-10. [25] Andrew Knapp and Dave Munday, Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail, Post and Courier, February 24, 2016, accessed April 21, 2016, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. [26] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [27] Garcia and Sharif, e27

Detecting Autoantibodies in Human Sera Samples using ELISA

Detecting Autoantibodies in Human Sera Samples using ELISA Introduction Autoimmunity is a series of immune responses that is made against an organisms own cells and tissues due to inability to recognise own cells and tissues as self (Mandal, 2014). Diseases can arise as a result of autoimmunity. This includes lupus (SLE). Lupus (SLE) arises because of immunological mechanisms. With tolerance to antigens is lost and production of autoreactive lymphocytes the process of autoantibody is produced. Continuous production of autoantibodies from autoantibody producing cells results in formation of immune complexes. (Bolland and Ravetch, 2000). There are many factors which influence the susceptibility and development of lupus (SLE). These include hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors (Lisnevskaia et al, 2014). Genes involved in lupus (SLE) include MHC loci, tumor necrosis factor alpha, components of the complement factor and the mannose binding protein (Tsao and Grossman, 2001). Environmental triggers have influence on expression for lupus (SLE) such as vi tamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has an important role in order for the immune system to function properly because receptors of vitamin D are found in the cells of the immune system such as T lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells. Also reduced vitamin D intake due to photosensitivity is associated with lupus (SLE). Thus, deficiency in vitamin D has a major consequence for the immune system and can create autoimmune diseases (Albishri et al, 2015). Hormones have a role in acting as chemical messengers in the immune response (Csaba, 2014). These chemical signals produced from hormones are disrupted especially between the brain and target cells which is an important factor in lupus (SLE) (Pick, n.d.). Because of this disrupted balance of hormone production certain hormones are more prevalent which cause lupus (SLE). High estrogen concentrations have been linked to lupus (SLE) due to it causing autoimmunity and with patients having a fast conversion of androgens to estrogens. Patients with joint pains are linked with lupus (SLE) and also have a high concentration of estrogen (Lupusinternational.com, n.d.). Diagnosis of lupus (SLE) include the lupus band test which detects for the presence of antinuclear antibodies. This is done using immunofluorescence. By looking at the florescence pattern the type of antibody can be detected. For a person to be positive for lupus (SLE) IgG and other complement depositions will be found at the dermoepidermal junction. To be specific there will be a bandlike deposit along the epidermal basement membrane due to the presence of IgG. Also a bandlike deposit will be present in the nucleus of the epidermal cells. A high concentration of anti-dsDNA antibody from titers also shows the presence of SLE due to anti-dsDNA antibody having a high specificity for SLE (Gill et al, 2003). Diagnosis can also be made using the SLICC criteria. For a patient to have SLE, at least four criterions need to be met including one clinical criterion (Petr i et al, 2012). There is currently no cure for SLE but a number of treatments are available. Prognosis for SLE has improved significantly since the 1950s with people diagnosed it living for less than five years. Now ninety percent of people with SLE live over ten years. The effect of SLE is more evident in men and children than in women. Causes of early death has been due to failure of organs and infections. Because of improved survival rate other factors have come in to play for the death of SLE patients. Cardiovascular disease is one factor and it is important to prevent this from being developed (Doria et al, 2006).       The ELISA test is a diagnostic test used to measure the concentration of certain antibodies or antigens present in a sample from a disease patient. ELISA is unique due to the separation of specific and non-specific interactions during serial binding to the multiwell plate. At the end of ELISA, a coloured product is produced that is associated with the amount of antibody or antigen present in the solution sample (Bio-Rad, n.d.). The first step of ELISA is coating, where a layer of antigen or antibody is adsorbed to the wells on the plate. After coating, blocking and detection are the next steps. Several washes are needed between each ELISA step to remove unbound materials. During this process excess liquid is removed in order to prevent dilution of the solutions added in the next stage (Bio-Rad, n.d.). For detection of SLE in the patient, the patients serum sample undergoes the ELISA test to detect the concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibodies which is specific for patients with SLE. A h igh concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibodies will indicate that the patient has SLE (Wigand et al, 1997). The aim of this experiment is to measure the concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibody present in both of the serum samples using the ELISA test by binding to the complimentary antigen double stranded DNA in the wells. The samples come from a female patient known to be suffering from SLE. Sample A was obtained when she was feeling relatively well and sample B was collected on the day of the practical. By comparing the yellow colour intensity at the end of the ELISA test for both samples and compared to the controls and using the standard curve the concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies can be obtained and correlated to the relevant SLE prognosis level. An assay result above the laboratory reference range for the anti-dsDNA-antibody at a particular prognosis level will show that the patient is positive for SLE and the level of SLE prognosis. Based on the level of SLE prognosis suitable treatments will be given to the patient. Results On each strip the first three wells were labelled the positive controls, the next three labels were measured the negative controls and the remaining wells were labelled sample A and B (three for each sample). In the first stage 50 µl of purified antigen was added to each well of the microplate strip. The strip was incubated for two minutes at room temperature to allow time for the antigen to bind to each plastic well. A layer of antigens was present in each well once incubation had finished. After incubation the wells were washed using a wash buffer to remove excess liquid. In stage three 100 µl of blocking buffer was added into each well and incubated for two minutes to remove unbound sites. The wells were washed again to remove excess liquid. In the next step 50 µl of the positive controls, negative controls and the test autosera samples were loaded into the relevant wells. The strip was then incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature. After incubation for 10 minutes the we lls were washed to remove the unbound antibodies. Once the wash was done 50 µl of secondary antibody was added to the wells. Then the wells were incubated for 5 minutes at room temperature. The washing procedure was repeated again to remove any unbound secondary antibodies. In stage nine 50 µl of the HRP enzyme substrate was added to the wells. The strip was incubated for 5 minutes at room temperature. This allowed sufficient time for the HRP enzyme which is conjugated to secondary antibodies to metabolise the TBT substrate. The metabolisation of the TBT substrate produced a blue-coloured product. Each well turned blue fairly quickly during the incubation and the final strip is shown in figure 1. The intensity for the positive control was six, negative control was zero, and sample A and sample B was five. Figure 1. The micro plate strip showing the blue-coloured product after the enzyme substrate was added and then incubated for 5 minutes. For the final stage of the ELISA test the reaction was stopped by adding 50 µl of stop solution, (10% (v/v) phosphoric acid/ddH2O) into the wells. The blue solution turned yellow on addition of the stop solution. This is seen in figure 2. The intensity for the positive control was six, negative control was zero, sample A was one and sample B was two. Figure 2. The micro plate strip showing the yellow-coloured product after the addition of the stop buffer to the blue-coloured product. Absorbance measurements were obtained using a plate reader for the controls and samples. The absorbance relates to the concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies present in the samples. The data is shown in table 1. Table 1. The absorbance data for the controls and samples. +ive controls -ive controls Sample 1 Sample 2 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 0.660 0.717 0.655 0.677 0.063 0.053 0.084 0.067 0.139 0.139 0.141 0.140 0.287 0.255 0.236 0.259 Discussion The antigen that coated the wells of the microplate strip was double stranded DNA. Two epitopes were present. During the reaction when the control and the autosera samples are loaded, the antibodies present are being detected which is complementary to the antigens coated in the wells. The antibodies need to be diluted using a blocking buffer for prevention of non-specific binding of proteins in the antiserum on the well specifically the solid phase. The antibodies in the serum will bind to the complementary antigens during incubation. Any unbound antibodies are removed by washing. After this, secondary antibodies are added in order to detect the primary antibodies. During incubation the secondary antibodies binds to the primary antibodies (Vlab.amrita.edu, 2011). Looking at figure 1, in the positive control samples, the intensity of the blue coloured product was six due to a known amount of anti-dsDNA antibodies present in the sample. This is used to show the procedure is working. The negative control had a blue colour intensity of zero due to no antibodies present in the sample. The intensities of both sample A and B were similar on the scale of five. From figure 2, looking at the positive control sample the intensity of the yellow coloured product is five due to the high amount of known antibodies present which a patient with SLE should have. The mean absorbance value from table 1 for sample 1 is lower than sample 2 which correlates to the colour intensity which is lower than sample 2. This means that sample 1 is from the patient when she was feeling relatively well due to a very low amount of anti-dsDNA antibodies present. Sample 2 has a higher absorbance value than sample 1 with a colour intensity which is also higher at two. Because of t his result sample 2 comes from the patient when she was feeling unwell. Also this level of intensity shows that the patient has a low level for SLE because of low level detection. The experiment was successful because the results obtained were precise and accurate. The only issue during the experiment was that the intensity of the blue-coloured product was the same for both sample A and B when the enzyme substrate was added. Sample 1 had the lowest concentration of anti-DNA antibodies whereas sample 2 had the higher concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies. This is because of the colour intensity of the final product where sample 1 is low and sample 2 is higher. The mean absorbance value for sample A is 0.14. The laboratory reference range value for sample A is -0.02. Based on the laboratory reference value this means that when the patient was feeling relatively well she was negative towards SLE. The mean absorbance for sample B is 0.26. The laboratory reference value for sample B is 0.13. The absorbance value is higher than the reference value meaning it is positive for a disease prognosis level which is a low level. This means that the patient is mainly disease free but with periods where low disease activity occurs. ELISA is a procedure used to measure the concentration of antigen present in the sample. The estimate of the analyte concentration is as a result from the construction of a standard curve. The standard curve is constructed from the making of several serial dilutions of a known concentration of the analyte across the range of concentrations close to the expected unknown concentration. The unknown samples concentration is derived by interpolation which needs a standard curve which has been properly generated (Natarajan and Remick, 2008). As the intensity yellow colour in the end result has a value of only two we can say that the patient has a very low level of anti-dsDNA present which means the disease is likely to be calm but with a few periods of low disease activity (Kirkbride, 2015). These low disease activities include cutaneous manifestations, musculoskeletal manifestations and serositis which can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or immunosuppression medications which have a low potency on top of the already taken hydroxychloroquine and corticosteroids (Mosca et al, 2001). Bibliography Albishri, J., Alsubai, K. and Alsubai, H. (2015). Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosis. World journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, 5(1), pp.455-462. Bio-Rad. (n.d.). ELISA Procedure | Bio-Rad. 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