Analysis Of Alan Turing s Can Machines Think - 1587 Words

On his essay â€Å"Can machines think?† Alan Turing, a great mathematician, and creator of the Turing Test presents us with the initial concept of what is now considered artificial intelligence. He states that eventually, as time progresses, machines will be able to think like humans. But, can a machine really think like a human? Can a machine even think on its own, or it is just based on human science and engineering to make computer systems perform tasks that require intelligence when done by humans? Substantial studying has been made on the subject and Turing’s overly optimistic point of view, yet, we experience difficulty when trying to combine idea of advancement in technology and what makes us humans: the capability of thinking. Conventionally, we have firmly grasp to the idea that the act of thinking is the official stamp of authenticity which differentiate humans from the rest of beings, and so while trying to decide if a computer can think or not, we are closely scrutinizing the foundation of our nature as beings to its core. But before we dive into the subject matter of why I disagree with Turing, we must inquire about what exactly is thinking. Some have tried to define thinking as having conscious thoughts; but thinking and consciousness are not terminologies that are mutually exchangeable. While thinking is a state of consciousness, consciousness is not thinking. Even as we process information necessary for reasoning, much of our brain activity and processing ta kesShow MoreRelatedFrank Jackson Functionalism Essay1403 Words   |  6 Pageslifestyles. Putnam’s theory is a brilliant theory, but has its flaws, which will be explained in more detail down below. The philosopher Frank Jackson has an objection towards functionalism and theory of the mind as a whole. I do believe that functionalism can provide a complete account of the nature of mind, but Putnam has minor flaws in his theory and my reasoning’s come from Jackson’s theory, which will be down below to justify my opinion. Functionalism is the doctrine that makes something a thought, painRead MoreArtificial Intelligence Is The Intelligence Exhibited By Machines Or Software1621 Words   |  7 Pages Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. It is also the name of the academic field of study which studies how to create computers and computer software that are capable of intelligent behavior. Major AI researchers and textbooks define this field as the study and design of intelligent agents, in which an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success. John McCarthy, who coined the termRead MoreEssay on Our Posthuman Future: The Philosophical Implications2960 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction This essay is about the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and it will delve deep into the question of the many philosophical implications of AI. In this paper, I will argue that a machine being able to think and the possibility of an emerging post human future due to the hypothetical invention of AI has philosophical implications for the future of humanity. The intersection of strong and weak AI with human consciousness is also explored through the examples of IBM’s AI systemsRead MoreIntroduction Of Natural Language Processing3416 Words   |  14 Pages INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING What is NLP? Natural Language Processing can be defined as the use and ability of systems to process sentences in a natural language such as English, instead of using a specialized artificial computer language such as C, C++ etc. The systems used for NLP are a digital computer which is similarly resemble to mainframe and personal computers. The digital computer systems in this fifth generation possesses artificial intelligence technique and thus able toRead MoreComputers7651 Words   |  31 Pagesa general purpose device that can be  programmed  to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem. Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a  central processing unit  (CPU) and some form of  memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operationsRead MoreThe Artificial Intelligence Program For Integrating English Oral Practice And Writing Skills2070 Words   |  9 PagesArtificial Intelligence Program for Integrating English Oral Practice and Writing Skills Abstract Oral language proficiency is highly essential for all language learners because it is eventually the skill they mostly use to express their observations, analysis, outlooks and views. Oral interactions remain the primary mode of discourse throughout the world. The development of oral language skill is of major importance for the second or foreign language learners. In addition, English writing course has beenRead MoreThe Development of Monitors Essay2945 Words   |  12 PagesSecurity Agency is only forty-five years old (established by order of President Harry S. Truman in 1952), the functions it performs have been part of human history for thousands of years. The need to safeguard ones own communications while attempting to produce intelligence from foreign communications has long been a recognized part of governmental activity. In the American experience, cryptologic efforts can be traced to the very beginnings of the American nation. George Washington employed ElbridgeRead More4g Communication22481 Words   |  90 Pagescomprehensive and personalized services, providing stable system performance and quality service. 4G doesn t just define a standard; it describes an environment where radio access methods will be able to interoperate to provide communications sessions that can seamlessly hand-off between them. More than any other technology, 4G will have a profound impact on the entire wireless landscape and the total value chain. This paper focuses on the vision of 4G and briefly explains the technologies and featuresRead MoreCognitive psychology  . Essay5542 Words   |  23 Pages and  neuroscience. ------------------------------------------------- History  [edit] Cognitive psychology in its modern form incorporates a remarkable set of new technologies in psychological science. Although published inquiries of human cognition can be traced back to Aristotle’s ‘’De Memoria’’ (Hothersall, 1984), the intellectual origins of cognitive psychology began with cognitive approaches to psychological problems at the end of the 1800s and early 1900s in the works of Wundt, Cattell, and WilliamRead MoreComparative Study of Quality of Work Life Management in Tcs Ibm: a Case Study Analysis14194 Words   |  57 PagesPROJECT REPORT On â€Å"COMPARATIVE STUDY OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE MANAGEMENT IN TCS amp; IBM: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS† FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF â€Å"MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINSTRATION† FROM GGS IP UNIVERSITY NEW DELHI BATCH: 2011-2013 Submitted by: Submitted to: Sheetal Yadav Dr. Parul Gupta ARMY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT amp; TECHNOLOGY, GREATER NOIDA (UP) – 201306 BACKGROUND

Nathaniel Hawthorne And Edgar Allen Poe - 1318 Words

Nathanial Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe are inextricably connected because of their methodology of works. These two authors of Dark Romanticism, delve into in their writings of pensive mystery and sorrowful characteristics of America’s Puritan thought. Both Hawthorne and Poe apprehend the impact of transgression and evil on humanity. â€Å"The Birthmark† and †Ligeia† both recognize that a yearning for perfection can generate a dark obsession that directs the heart and will of man. â€Å"The Birthmark† is a tale of a youthful woman, Georgina, who has a hand-shaped mark upon her cheek and has been convinced by her husband to get the birthmark removed because in his eyes it limits her perfection. She feels the pressure from her husband to get it removed so she will feel accepted by him. â€Å"Ligeia† is a narrative of a young bride, Rowena, who is intended to be the successor of her husband’s deceased wife, but falls far short of the manâ⠂¬â„¢s ideal image of his first wife. Jeffrey Howard’s analysis of â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birth-Mark† and Jeffrey Howard’s review † Unburying the Wife: A Reflection Upon the Female Uncanny in Poe’s â€Å"Ligeia† correctly interprets the obsession Aylmer has toward the birthmark and the narrator of â€Å"Ligeia† fixation he has towards his deceased wife. The overall outlook of these two author’s writing styles that key in on the darkness of the heart, which is capable of destruction when influenced by fixation and perfectionism. Today, Poe is known for being one of theShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allen Poe And Nathaniel Hawthorne1705 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Romanticism Era, Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, how real-life events affected their writings, and how their professional careers affected their writings. Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19,1809 to two traveling actors (Poe s Museum). Poe was the second of three children. He had an older brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, and a younger sister, Rosalie Poe. Before Edgar was three years old, both his parents had died (Poe s Museum). Poe was then taken inRead MoreDevelopment Of Narrative, By Nathaniel Hawthorne, And Edgar Allen Poe1302 Words   |  6 PagesJames Kirkpatrick English 231 American Literature I 10 November 2014 Development of Narrative Short stories did not begin to develop as a dedicated, intentional genre until the early 1800s, when authors such as Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe began to attract readers with them. These authors were from the Romanticism period. Three characteristics of Romanticism are having a profound love of nature, passionate nationalism, and a fascination with the supernatural. StoriesRead MoreAmerican Authors: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe1470 Words   |  6 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe â€Å"To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know. No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fear it as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils.† Socrates one of the greek philosophers in the 400’s BC, gives a reasonable question about the fear of death. Death affects people and characters very differently in life. In the world of literaryRead MoreRalph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, And Edgar Allen Poe1047 Words   |  5 Pagessimilar. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, many authors successfully could explain the characteristics of human nature and the effects that it has on everyone and everything surrounding human beings. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe all convey the behavior of human nature in separate ways. These three authors show the curiosity, drive for perfection, and fear of human nature throughout their texts in detail. With these characteristics being prominent in humanRead MoreDifferent Colors Of Darkness By Nathaniel Hawthorne And Edgar Allen Poe995 Words   |  4 PagesCallie Shipley Mrs. Carroll Literature 2326 5 October 2014 Different Hues of Darkness At first glance, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe may appear as though they are two birds of a feather. Their stories are often dark and dismal, and an enduring despair runs through the tales as a common thread. However, their inspirations originate from opposite ends of the spectrum. Hawthorne’s works are the offspring of legalistic Puritan values and beliefs; on the other hand, Poe’s stories reflect godlessnessRead MoreThe Romantic Period Of William Wordsworth, Nathaniel Hawthorne, And Edgar Allen Poe1019 Words   |  5 Pagesthat are leaders at the forefront of this epic social battle such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake, John Clare, Walter Scott, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe. The passive approach of writing allows the Romantic literature produced to transcend throughout history and influence the likes of philosophers, poetics, social activ ists, and other prominent figures of the modern age. These individualsRead MoreThe Romantic Period Of John Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, And Edgar Allen Poe1340 Words   |  6 Pagesfigures that stood out as leaders of this epic social battle such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake, John Clare, Walter Scott, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allen Poe. The passive approach of writing allows the Romantic literature produced to transcend throughout history and influence the likes of philosophers, poetics, social activists, and other prominent figures of the modern age. These individualsRead MoreAnti-Transcendentalism in Nathaniel Hawthorne ´s Dr. Heideggers Experiment and Edgar Allen Poe ´s The Fall of the House of Usher569 Words   |  2 PagesAnti-Transcendentalism, including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.Both writers used their stories as a platform to expose the reality of human nature. Hawthorne discuss the foolishness found in youth in Dr. Heideggers Experiment while Poe writes about the tragedy of not being able to escape your fate in The Fall of the House of the Usher. So essentially, each writer effortlessly demonstrates the traits of Anti-Transcendentalism. In Dr. Heideggers Experiment Hawthorne explores many elementsRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe And Ralph Waldo Emerson1090 Words   |  5 Pagesunique textual language. Despite these obstacles, American authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson assisted in the emergence of American Literature and the development of the â€Å"American Voice.† Edgar Allen Poe has played a crucial role in the development of the â€Å"American Voice.† Although his work uses the same language as English writers, it is also very different. Edgar Allen Poe was born in 1809 and died in 1849. He was a writer, poet, critic, and an editorRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown And A Cask Of Amontillado Analysis1110 Words   |  5 PagesGoodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and A Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, there are many examples of situational irony that are used comparably in both texts. Dramatic irony is the type of irony that informs the reader of a certain fact that one or more characters in the story may not know. This is quite evident in Young Goodman Brown and A Cask of Amontillado, because of the lack of knowledge that the characters have with their acquaintances. In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne plays with the

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42 Free Essays

string(152) " but eventually many of the guys admit they too have New Year’s Eve plans with their wives, and I take the Asian Invasion bus home to New Jersey\." I Need a Huge Favor On New Year’s Eve day, after agreeing to buy unlimited beer for our neighbors, Jake manages to trade seats with the season-ticket holder in front of me – and once Jake is seated, he props my cast up onto his shoulder so I am able to sit down during the Falcons game. A few minutes into the first quarter, head coach Andy Reid pulls the starters, and the game announcer reports that Dallas has somehow lost to Detroit, which means that the Birds have clinched the NFC East for the fifth time in the last six years and the current game is meaningless. Everyone in the Linc cheers, high fives abound, and it is hard to stay in a seated position. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42 or any similar topic only for you Order Now With the starting wide receivers out, I get my hopes up for Hank Baskett, and he actually does catch a few balls in the first half, each of which Scott, Jake, and I celebrate excessively because I am wearing my Baskett jersey over my winter coat, and we all like to root for the undrafted rookie. It’s 17 – 10 Eagles at halftime, and Scott actually leaves the game, saying that he promised his wife he’d come home for New Year’s Eve if the Cowboys lost and the Eagles game became meaningless. I give him a hard time about leaving and am surprised that my brother does not join in with the ribbing. But shortly after Scott takes off, Jake says, â€Å"Listen, Pat. Caitlin has me going to this black-tie New Year’s Eve party at the Rittenhouse Hotel. She was mad at me for going to the game today, and I was sort of thinking about taking off early so I could surprise her. But I don’t want to leave you here with the cast and all. So how do you feel about leaving early?† I’m shocked, and a little mad. â€Å"I want to see if Baskett gets his second touchdown,† I say. â€Å"But you can go. I’ll be all right here with all the real Eagles fans – the people who are staying to see the whole game.† It’s not a very nice thing for me to say, especially since Caitlin is probably already dressed and waiting for Jake to come home, but the truth is, I need my brother’s help getting out of the Linc on crutches. I have a feeling that Baskett will get the ball a lot in the second half, and I know Jake really wants to see the game anyway; maybe he’ll be able to use his mentally ill brother as a good excuse for missing the first part of Caitlin’s New Year’s Eve party; maybe this is what Jake really wants and needs. â€Å"Beer man!† I yell to the Coors Light guy who is passing our row. When he stops, I say, â€Å"Only one beer because this guy here is leaving his crippled, mentally insane brother to go to the Rittenhouse Hotel so that he can swill champagne with non-Eagles fans in tuxedos.† My brother looks like I punched him in the gut, and soon he is pulling out his wallet. â€Å"All right. Fuck it. Make it two beers,† Jake says, and I smile as my brother sits down in Scott’s seat and helps me prop my cast up onto the back of the empty seat in front of me. Through the second half, Baskett continues to catch A. J. Feeley’s throws, and early in the fourth quarter my favorite player runs an out, catches the ball, and runs down the sideline eighty-nine yards for the second touchdown of his young career. Jake helps me stand, and then everyone in our section is high-fiving me and slapping my back because over my coat I am wearing the Baskett jersey my brother gave me when I first got out of the bad place. I would later learn that Baskett is the first Eagles player to catch two touchdown passes longer than eighty yards in the same season – which is an accomplishment, even if number 84 has only been a marginal player this year. â€Å"And you wanted to leave,† I say to Jake. â€Å"Go Baskett!† he says, and then gives me a one-armed sideways hug – shoulder-to-shoulder. After the Eagles’ backup players win the last regular season game, the Birds finish their season at 10-6, locking up at least one home play-off game in the process. I crutch my way out of the Linc with Jake as my fullback, parting the crowds, shouting, â€Å"Cripple coming through! Cripple coming through! Move out the way!† We don’t meet up with Cliff’s gang until we get back to the fat men’s tent and the Asian Invasion bus. But when we do, our friends greet us with a Baskett chant because number 84 had a career-high 177-yard day and an 89-yard TD. With play-offs to discuss, everyone is reluctant to leave, so we drink beers and discuss the 8-8 Giants, whom the Birds will play in the first round. When Cliff asks me if I think our team will beat the Giants, I tell my therapist, â€Å"Not only will the Eagles win, but Hank Baskett will catch another touchdown.† Cliff nods and smiles and says, â€Å"You called it before the season even started: Hank Baskett is the man!† Jake leaves first because he and Caitlin have that hotel New Year’s Eve party to attend, so we all make fun of him and call him whipped – but even though he is leaving us for his woman, I give him a hug and thank him again for staying, getting me a season ticket, and paying for the play-off tickets too, which are pretty expensive. And I know Jake has forgiven me for making him miss the second Dallas game, because he hugs me back and says, â€Å"No problem, brother. I love you. Always. You know that.† After Jake leaves, we drink beers for another half hour or so, but eventually many of the guys admit they too have New Year’s Eve plans with their wives, and I take the Asian Invasion bus home to New Jersey. You read "The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42" in category "Essay examples" The Eagles have won the last five games and the NFC East, so there’s no stopping Ashwini from blowing the Asian Invasion bus horn when he pulls up to my parents’ house, and when he does, the chant blares loudly – â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† – which brings my mother to the door. Standing on the front step, Mom and I wave as the green bus pulls away. We eat a late New Year’s Eve dinner together as a family, but even after another Eagles win and with Super Bowl hopes alive, my father doesn’t say much, and he heads for his study before Mom finishes her meal, probably so he can read historical fiction. Just before the ball drops on Dad’s huge flat-screen television, Mom asks me if I want to go outside and bang pots and pans like we used to do when I was a kid. I tell Mom I don’t really want to bang pots and pans, especially since I am tired from spending the day outside in the cold, so from the couch, we watch people celebrating in Times Square. Two thousand and six becomes 2007. â€Å"It’s going to be a good year for us,† Mom says, and then forces a smile. I smile back at Mom, not because I think it is going to be a good year, but because my father went to bed an hour ago, Nikki never came back, there’s not even the slightest inclination to suggest that 2007 is going to be a good year for either Mom or me, and yet Mom is still trying to find that silver lining she taught me about so long ago. She is still holding on to hope. â€Å"It’s going to be a good year,† I say. When Mom falls asleep on the couch, I turn off the television and watch her breathe. She still looks pretty, and seeing her resting so peacefully makes me angry at my dad, even though I know he can’t change who he is, but I wish that he would at least try to appreciate Mom more and spend some quality time with her, especially since he doesn’t even have the Eagles to be grumpy about anymore, because the season is already a success regardless of what happens in the play-offs, especially after making it this far without McNabb. And yet I know my father is not likely to change, because I have known him for thirty-five years, and he has always been the same man. Mom tucks her knees and elbows in close to her body and begins to shiver, so I push myself up, grab my crutches, and crutch my way over to the closet. I pull a blanket from the bottom of the closet, crutch my way over to Mom, and cover her – but she continues to shiver. Back at the closet, I see a heavier blanket on the top shelf, so I reach up and pull it down. It falls on top of my head just after I hear a little crash. I look down, and by my feet is a videocassette in a white plastic case that has two ringing bells on the cover. I crutch my way over to my mother and cover her with the heavier blanket. It is hard to pick up the cassette with my cast preventing me from squatting – I actually have to sit down on the floor to pick it up. After sliding over to the TV, I slip the cassette into the VCR. I look over my shoulder, checking to make sure that Mom is sleeping soundly, and then turn down the volume before I hit PLAY. The video is not completely rewound, and the part that pops up on-screen is the beginning of the reception dinner. Our guests are seated in the banquet room of the Glenmont Country Club, which is near a golf course in a swanky little town just outside Baltimore. The camera is focused on the entrance doorway, but you can see the dance floor and the band too. Using the microphone, the lead singer says, â€Å"Let’s introduce the wedding party Philly style,† at which point the horn section of the band begins playing the opening notes of â€Å"Gonna Fly Now!† The guitarist and bassist and drummer soon begin playing, and even though it doesn’t sound exactly like Rocky’s theme song, it’s close enough to get the job done. â€Å"Parents of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Peoples!† Our guests clap politely as my mom and dad cross the dance floor arm in arm, and the painful expression on my father’s face suggests that this was one of the worst experiences of his life – being announced at my wedding. â€Å"Parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. George Gates.† Nikki’s parents do a little skipping routine into the banquet hall, making them look sloshed, which they were, and I laugh thinking about how much fun my in-laws were when they drank. I really do miss Nikki’s parents. â€Å"Bridesmaid, Elizabeth Richards, and groomsman, Ronnie Brown.† Liz and Ronnie come out waving to our guests, as if they are royalty or something, which was strange, and the tactic all but mutes their applause. Ronnie looks young in the video, and I think about how he was not yet a father, how Emily did not even exist when this video was shot. â€Å"Maid of honor, Wendy Rumsford, and best man, Jake Peoples!† Jake and Wendy walk across the dance floor and directly toward the camera until their faces are life-size on my father’s huge flat-screen television. Wendy just sort of screams like she is at an Eagles game or something, but Jake says, â€Å"I love you, brother!† and then kisses the camera lens, leaving a lip-shaped smudge mark. I see the videographer’s hand emerge and quickly wipe the lens with a piece of cloth. â€Å"And now, for the first time ever, allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Pat Peoples!† Everyone stands and cheers as we walk into the banquet room. Nikki looks so pretty in her wedding dress. She’s holding her head in that cute, shy position, with her chin close to her chest, and seeing her now makes me cry because I miss her so much. When we move to the dance floor, the band shifts gears, and I hear those sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps, and then the soprano saxophonist steps forward and â€Å"Songbird† takes flight. Something in my mind begins to melt, and it feels as though I am experiencing an ice-cream headache – or as if someone is churning my brain with an ice pick. I’m not seeing the television screen anymore, I’m seeing the road through a fogged windshield, and it’s raining something fierce. It’s not even four in the afternoon, but it’s as dark as midnight. I’m upset because we have a big game coming up and yet the gym roof is leaking again like a sieve, which has forced me to cancel basketball practice. All I want to do is take a shower and then watch game tapes. But when I enter my house, I hear a soprano sax moaning, and it’s strange to hear Kenny G’s smooth jazz coming from my bathroom at a time like this. Mr. G’s notes are swirling all about. I open the bathroom door; I feel the steam lick my skin, and I wonder why Nikki is listening to our wedding song in the shower. Kenny G’s solo has reached a climax once more. The CD player is on the sink, and two piles of clothes rest on the floor, and a pair of men’s glasses are on the sink next to the CD player. Sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps. â€Å"You fucking whore!† I scream as I rip the shower curtain off the rod, exposing so much awful, soapy flesh. I’m standing in the tub. My hands are around his throat. I’m between them now, the shower is spraying the back of my coat with hot spokes, weighing down my sweatpants, and he is in the air, begging me with his eyes, pleading for a breath of air. His hands are trying to break my grip, but he is a tiny, weak man. Nikki is screaming; Kenny G is playing; Nikki’s lover is turning purple. He’s so small, I can hold him up against the tiles with one hand. I cock my elbow back, squeeze a tight, teeth-shattering fist, and take aim. His nose explodes like a packet of ketchup. His eyes are rolling into the back of his head; his hands have fallen away from mine. When I cock back my fist a second time, the music stops playing, and then I’m on my back in the tub and Nikki’s naked lover has fallen out of the tub and naked Nikki is holding the CD player in her trembling hands. When I try to stand, she smashes the CD player over my head once more; my knees giv e out, and I see the silver faucet rise like some fat, shiny snake to strike the hard spot just above my right eyebrow, and then – – I wake up in a hospital and immediately begin vomiting all over myself, until nurses arrive and tell me not to move my head. And I’m crying and calling for Nikki, but she does not come to me. My head hurts so badly. When I touch my forehead, I feel some sort of bandage, but then my hands are being forced to my sides. The nurses are screaming and holding me down, and then doctors are restraining me too. I feel a prick in my arm, and †¦ When I blink, I see my reflection in the blank television screen. The video has ended. I look life-size on my father’s flat screen, and I can see my mother asleep on the couch, just over my right shoulder. As I continue to stare at myself, my little white scar begins to itch, but I do not really want to smash my forehead with my fist. I find my feet and crutch my way into the kitchen. The address book is still in the cabinet above the stove. I place a call to Jake’s apartment. As the phone rings, I look at the microwave and see that it is 2:54 a.m., but I remember that Jake is at a swanky hotel party and won’t be home until tomorrow, so I decide to leave a message. Hello, you’ve reached Jake and Caitlin’s machine. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep. â€Å"Jake, it’s your brother, Pat. I need a huge favor †¦Ã¢â‚¬  How to cite The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42, Essay examples

Citi Bank Presentation free essay sample

A REPORT ON Launching the Credit Card in Asia Pacific Countries by Submitted To Mr. Kiran Kumar Pedada Marketing Strategy Submitted By K. V. Ch. Madhu Sudhana Rao (32) R. Avinash Kumar (20) Y. Santosh (11) Indian Institute of Planning Management Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. CITI BANK Introduction Citigroup Inc. is an American multinational financial services company based in New York City. Citigroup was formed from one of the worlds largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate Travelers Group on April 7, 1998. Citigroup Inc. as the worlds largest financial services network in the world, spanning 140 countries with approximately 16,000 offices worldwide. According to Forbes, Citigroup used to be the largest company and bank in the world by total assets until the global financial crisis of 2008. Today it is ranked 24th in size compared to HSBC which now ranks as the largest company and bank by assets in the world as of 2011. The company employs approximately 260,000 staff around the world, and holds over 200 million customer accounts in more than 140 countries. It is a primary dealer in US Treasury securities. 1 In Asia Citibank started their services in India, Philippines and Hong Kong in 1902. At present they are performing their services in 11 Asian countries. Citibank’s mission in the Asia Pacific region was to be the most profitable provider of a wide array of financial services to an increasingly affluent and middle-income market, and to reach the rapidly growing middle-income households in this region. 2 Objective: Citibank believes expanding their credit card business into Asia Pacific would be a way to increase their revenue, as they are currently restricted on the number of foreign bank branches they can open. Citibank must decide in which countries of the Asia Pacific it should invest, and which countries to target first. 3 Executive Summary We recommend in the first phase to expand the credit card business into India, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. These are fairly stable untapped markets. Our strategy is to focus generally on the high status groups in these markets. The cards should be issued in the local currency but include an option for Taiwan customers to use US dollars. In the next phase enter into Malaysia, Australia and Singapore. Again focus on the high status groups in these markets. We don’t recommend expanding into Indonesia due to the unfavorable economic conditions. Marketing should focus on direct sales and bind-ins for markets high status cards and expands these channels with direct mail and take-ones where a more diversified population is targeted. Problem Statement Citibank believes expanding their credit card business into Asia Pacific would be a way to increase their revenue, as they are currently restricted on the number of foreign bank branches they can open. Citibank must decide in which countries of the Asia Pacific it should invest, and which countries to target first. DATA ANALYSIS Current Performance in Asia Pacific Citibank, with operations in 15 Asia pacific and the Middle East countries, earned $69. 7 million in 1998 and was an undisputed leader in most marketplaces. The table below shows that the profit margins in Asia Pacific are a phenomenal 22% on average. Looking at the performance of individual countries in Asia Pacific (See table below). We can see that Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and Singapore perform over average while Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia and India perform below average. Ranked by performance* | Thailand| Indonesia| Taiwan| Singapore| Hong Kong| Philippines| Malaysia| India| # Of Bank Customers(000)| 12| 21| 16| 18| 130| 46| 29 | 61| # Of Bank Accounts(000)| 16| 25| 30| 67| 250| 85| 58| 165| Net Revenue From Fund| 8| 12| 11| 16| 67| 19| 11| 6| Net Revenue/Customer| 0. 67| 0. 57| 0. 69| 0. 89| 0. 52| 0. 41| 0. 38| 0. 10| Net Revenue/Accounts| 0. 50| 0. 48| 0. 37| 0. 24| 0. 27| 0. 22| 0. 19| 0. 04| SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: * Undisputed leader of the marketplace * Hong Kong: people are used to credit cards- relatively affluent population * India: strong economic development in late 80’s * Malaysia: large successful business population * Singapore: â€Å"one of the world’s largest center of traditional trade and services† * Thailand: rapidly growing nation (foreign investment) Weakness: * Undisputed leader of the marketplace * Hong Kong: people are used to credit cards- relatively affluent population * India: strong economic development in late 80’s * Malaysia: large successful business population Singapore: â€Å"one of the world’s largest center of traditional trade and services† * Thailand: rapidly growing nation (foreign investment) Opportunities: * Undisputed leader of the marketplace * Hong Kong: people are used to credit cards- relatively affluent population * India: strong economic development in late 80’s * Malaysia: large successful bu siness population * Singapore: â€Å"one of the world’s largest center of traditional trade and services† * Thailand: rapidly growing nation (foreign investment) Threats: * Malaysia: many other options to choose from in 1989 (MasterCard and Visa) * Singapore: â€Å"high-tech mecca† has attracted many multinational corporations * Taiwan: restrictive laws prohibited thus industry is in early stages * Taiwan: AMEX and Diner’s Club worldwide respected reputation * Citibank’s undifferentiated view of one marketplace Positioning, Segmentation, Target Countries and Marketing We recommend taking different strategy for each county because the economic, political, regulatory and cultural situations are so different from country to country. Generally, Citibank should focus on the upper and middle class customers and segment these two types. By offering multiple brand names. Some should have annual fees and different interest rates and benefits should be offered. To reduce risk and take advantage of the experience one gains by introducing a credit card into a new market, we believe Citibank should not target all the countries at the same time. The cards should be positioned as a middle product between the traditional premium cards such as AMEX and Diners and the local bankcards. Conclusion: From the analysis it is clearly understood that the company can enter into the markets in India, Taiwan and Thailand. Company strategy is to focus on the high status segments in these markets. The only exception is Taiwan where we believe there is demand for a USD credit card, due to the large number of international travelers. Managers in Taiwan need to get the approval of NCCC to launch the credit cards. This is a crucial point that needs to be taken care of in the beginning. Managers in the Philippines need to work closely with Visa to ensure that a large number of merchants will accept credit cards. Recommendations: 1) We recommend that we enter the markets in Indian, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. 2) Entry should be delayed in Malaysia, Australia and Singapore. ) The company should not be enter into countries like Hong Kong, Korea and Indonesia. 4) Sales Managers should be made responsible for expansion in Indian, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The following table represents various recommendations to be followed by the company in various countries:   | Hong Kong| India| Indonesia | Malaysia| Philippines| Singapore| Taiwan| Thailand| Korea| Current Market Situ ation| Diners | Large potential market| Limited market| Mature market| Emerging market| Almost saturated| Growth market| Emerging market| Diners| Opportunities and Issues| -| Low credit card penetration. Strong economic development. Wealth concentrated. | Poor country, rural population. | Plenty of card options. Used to revolve credit. Favorable legislation| Booming economy. Credit card penetration low. Customer acceptance to revolve credit. | Many players. Bank reputation is important. | NCCC authorization. Industry in relatively early stages of development| Booming economy. Relatively few mayor players| -| Objectives| -| First mover| -| Gain market over local banks. | Develop a new middle-class income market. | Retain present customers. Offer a complete portfolio of services to new customers| Early mover focus on middle income customers. First mover| -| Marketing Strategy| -| Target upper- -class. Offer a product better than the local banks and comparable with Diners| Target professionals and rapidly growing wealthy class. | Offer better service than local banks. Offer high credit limits. | Offer a product between Amex/Diners and local banks. | -| Target upper- -class. | Target professionals and wealthy class. | -| References: 1) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Citigroup 2) www. personal. psu. edu/users/j/c/jcl12/Citibank_Group7. ppt 3) http://www. businessweek. com/2001/01_09/b3721170. htm 4) http://www. google. co. in/search?

30 Words Containing the Letters sm

30 Words Containing the Letters sm 30 Words Containing the Letters sm 30 Words Containing the Letters sm By Mark Nichol After writing a post about the suffix -ism, I explored the class of words that include the letters s and m in sequence in which the letters are not a consonant blend (as in small) or in which the s is not at the end of a prefix (as in besmirch and dismiss); with some exceptions (specified), they have in common an origin in Greek. Here are the qualifying words I found that do not use the suffix -ism or do not refer exclusively to a medical or scientific condition or phenomenon (though a couple of specialized terms that have acquired one or more figurative senses are included). 1. abysmal: very bad; abysm is a poetic alternative to abyss, from the Late Latin abyssus, meaning â€Å"bottomless pit† (which derives abyssos, meaning â€Å"bottomless pool,† although the sm ending either resulted from the superlative abyssimus or was created in imitation of Greek words) 2. basmati: a variety of rice, from Hindi, meaning â€Å"something fragrant† 3. cataclysm: a deluge, from kataklysmos, meaning â€Å"flood† or â€Å"inundation† 4. charisma: charm, from kharisma, meaning â€Å"favor† or â€Å"divine gift†; originally referred to exceptional authority or leadership 5. chasm: a deep crack, from khasma, meaning â€Å"gulf† 6. chiasmus: the inversion for rhetorical effect of two or more clauses (as in Voltaire’s quotation â€Å"The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursues him†), from khiasmos, meaning â€Å"crosswise or diagonal arrangement† 7. chiliasm: belief in Christ’s 1,000-year reign on Earth, ultimately from khilioi, meaning â€Å"a thousand† or referring to the number 1,000 8. chrism: a balm in oil used in church rituals, from khrisma, meaning â€Å"an anointing† 9. cosmetic: a substance used in improving one’s appearance (the plural form, cosmetics, refers to such products collectively), or, as an adjective, pertaining to personal beautification- and the words have an additional sense of â€Å"superficial† or â€Å"for the sake of appearances†- from kosmetikos, meaning â€Å"skilled in adorning or arranging†; these words and cosmetology, the term for the study of beautification, are related to cosmos (see below) in the sense of order or arrangement 10. cosmos: the universe (referred to as â€Å"the cosmos†), from kosmos, meaning â€Å"order† or â€Å"orderly arrangement†; more often seen as cosmic, the adjectival form, and cosmo- is the root word of cosmology (a word for the study of the universe) and other words, and a form of the root is also seen in macrocosm, meaning â€Å"something seen as a miniature version of something larger,† and microcosm, meaning â€Å"a large system consisting of many smaller ones† 11. desmesne: a domain or estate, or possession or use of one’s land, from a respelling in Anglo-French of the Middle English term demeine (â€Å"domain†) 12. dismal: wretched, from the Latin phrase dies mali (â€Å"evil days†) 13. enthusiasm: eagerness or zeal, from enthousiasmos, meaning â€Å"divine inspiration† 14. gismo: gadget (variant spelling of gizmo, of unknown origin) 15. iconoclasm: criticism of conventional beliefs or standard institutions, from eikonoklastes, meaning â€Å"image breaker†; originally referred to literal destruction of images and objects considered idolatrous 16. jasmine: a plant, from Persian 17. kismet: fate, from Arabic qisma, meaning â€Å"portion† or â€Å"lot† 18. melisma: one of several specific types of musical expression, from melisma, meaning â€Å"song† or â€Å"melody† 19. mesmerize: captivate, or hold spellbound, from the name of hypnosis pioneer Anton Mesmer 20. miasma: a literal or figurative cloud or fog of an unhealthy or unpleasant or obscuring nature, from miasma, meaning â€Å"pollution† 21. orgasm: sexual excitement, from orgasmos, meaning â€Å"excitement† or â€Å"swelling† (also a verb referring to the sensation); the noun refers, by extension, to any stimulating experience (note also two slang terms modeled on orgasm: geekgasm, referring to a nerd’s exultation about, for example, a new computer program or video game, and eargasm, the result of an extremely pleasurable song or sound 22. osmosis: movement of a liquid through a solid, or, figuratively, learning or understanding something easily or smoothly; this word is an invention of New Latin and does not come from Greek 23. paroxysm: a sudden attack or a convulsion, from paroxysmos, meaning â€Å"irritation† or â€Å"exasperation†; now also used colloquially to refer to an outburst of emotion 24. phantasm: a ghost or illusion, from phantasma, meaning â€Å"image† or â€Å"phantom†; a related word is phantasmagoria, referring to an exhibition of optical effects or illusions, a constantly changing scene, or a bizarre collection 25. prism: a medium or a shape that refracts light, from prisma, meaning â€Å"something sawn†; also, figuratively, something that colors, distorts, or slants one’s perspective 26. sarcasm: a form of darkly humorous criticism in which the words stated are the opposite of the intended meaning, as in â€Å"Well, that went well!† for a disastrous incident, from sarkasmos, meaning â€Å"jest† or â€Å"taunt† 27. schism: originally referred to dissension within the Catholic Church but now also pertains to any disagreement in philosophy or policy, from skhisma, meaning â€Å"division† 28. seismic: pertaining to earthquakes, from seismos, meaning â€Å"a shaking,† â€Å"a shock,† or â€Å"an earthquake†; several words derived from the root seismo-, such as seismology (the name for the study of earthquakes) and seismograph (the word for a device that measures the motions of an earthquake) also exist (seismic also might be used to describe something of hugely significant import) 29. spasm: a sudden violent muscular contraction, ultimately from spasmos, meaning â€Å"convulsion†; also loosely employed to refer to an emotional outburst 30. talisman: a good-luck charm or something believed to have magical or miraculous powers, from telesma, meaning â€Å"consecration† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, WhetherUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingIs Your Novel "Mystery," "Thriller," or "Suspense"?

3 Types of Parenthetical Problems

3 Types of Parenthetical Problems 3 Types of Parenthetical Problems 3 Types of Parenthetical Problems By Mark Nichol 1. The survey found increasing demand for customer experiences that are difficult, if not impossible to deliver with legacy systems. Writers sometimes carelessly neglect to close a syntactical door after opening it. In this case, â€Å"if not impossible† is a parenthetical interjected into the main clause, so a comma must follow as well as precede it: â€Å"The survey found increasing demand for customer experiences that are difficult, if not impossible, to deliver with legacy systems.† 2. Similar to the Internet in the 1990s that transformed business models to adopt e-commerce and new ways of working, cryptocurrencies and blockchain have the potential to disrupt in ways not even imagined. There is only one Internet, but this sentence implies that more than one exists, and that the one in question transformed business models in the manner described, but the reference to transformation is parenthetical, and nonessential to the main clause, so it should be set off with a comma as a parenthetical by preceding which, which replaces that to signal the nonrestrictive nature of the parenthetical: â€Å"Similar to the Internet in the 1990s, which transformed business models to adopt e-commerce and new ways of working, cryptocurrencies and blockchain have the potential to disrupt in ways not even imagined.† (The comma that separates the subordinate clause, â€Å"Similar . . . working,† from the main clause, â€Å"cryptocurrencies . . . imagined,† doubles as the parenthesis-closing punctuation mark.) 3. Three board members, John Doe, former CEO of World Wide Wickets; Jane Smith, CEO of Global Tetrahedron; and James Jones, executive director of the Church of the SubGenius; voted against the measure. The series of names and job titles is parenthetical to the main clause, â€Å"Three board members voted against the measure.† However, the punctuation marks that open and close the parenthetical do not match, and all the semicolons are problematic because they syntactically cut off â€Å"voted against the measure† from the rest of the sentence. The simple solution is to replace the overkill semicolons with commas because the sentence structure precludes confusion about the corresponding names and titles: â€Å"Three board members, John Doe, former CEO of World Wide Wickets, Jane Smith, CEO of Global Tetrahedron, and James Jones, executive director of the Church of the SubGenius, voted against the measure.† Alternatively, if the writer insists on using semicolons, splice the two parts of the main clause into one uninterrupted statement as a setup to a list that follows a colon: â€Å"Three board members voted against the measure: John Doe, former CEO of World Wide Wickets; Jane Smith, CEO of Global Tetrahedron; and James Jones, executive director of the Church of the SubGenius.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?The Parts of a WordTypes of Ignorance

Explain the relevance of marketing concept to the 21st century Essay

Explain the relevance of marketing concept to the 21st century business of Virgin Group - Essay Example In the case of Virgin Group, it can be observed that the overall goal of the organization is to partner with different business groups in order to create recognised brands. Therefore, the element of mutual relationship among the stakeholders involved is very important since it helps the partners involved to pull their resources towards the same direction. As such, the marketing concept that is suitable for this noble cause is relationship marketing since it is designed to improve the viability of the organization through unifying all the stakeholders involved in a certain business. This marketing concept is effective since it is oriented towards fulfilling the needs and wants of all the stakeholders involved in Virgin Group’s activities. Introduction The success of business in its operations mainly depends on the marketing concept adopted. As such, this paper seeks to evaluate the relevance of relationship marketing (RM) to the operations of Virgin Group which is regarded as t he 21st century business. The paper starts by describing above mentioned marketing concept and this is followed by a brief introduction of the chosen organization, Virgin Group. The main body of the paper will focus on explaining the relevance of the marketing concept to the 21st century business under spotlight. The main points discussed in the paper will be summarised in the conclusion. Description of the marketing concept Relationship marketing is described as the process of establishing, maintaining, enhancing and commercialising customer relationships so that the objectives of the parties involved are met Strydom (2004). Relationship marketing is particularly concerned with satisfying the customer needs and wants. During the contemporary period, it can be noted that markets are characterised by stiff competition such that it becomes imperative for the organisations to retain their customers in order for them to operate viably in the future, (Athanasopoulou N.D). This can be ach ieved through establishing quality relationships around services of the customer, suppliers and other stakeholders as well as their values. These stakeholders in business particularly the customers are the main component in the relationship mix. Concerted efforts ought to be taken in order to satisfy the needs of the customers which can lead to creation of loyalty among them. In case of Virgin Group, this strategy can go a long way in creating competitive advantage for the organization. The concept of relationship marketing often involves high customer involvement and contact whereby mutual understanding can be created among the parties involved. Strydom (2004) posits to the effect that relationship marketing is a continuous process. Essentially, the concept of relationship marketing evolved from transactional marketing in order to serve the interests of the customers profitably. The concept of relationship marketing is also centred on creation of value chain which will help the org anization to gain a competitive advantage if its products and services are regarded as more valuable than the ones offered by the other competitors in the same industry (Wang et al, 2004). Positive consumer perceptions about a product play a pivotal role in creating quality relati

Critically review and reflect on the reasons why organizations are Essay

Critically review and reflect on the reasons why organizations are using Project Management to achieve their strategic objective - Essay Example Many organizations term project management as a pre-requisite to meeting the strategic objectives. And before approaching any strategic aspect, it is being ensured that project management rules and been followed and project management structure is in place. It is commonly seen that projects often fail due to improper implementation of project management scheme (Morris & Sember, 2008). While scenarios where project management was implemented to the full, have mostly insured success. Project management is a separate discipline in itself and has a list of activities and procedures to it, along with the tools and techniques that help in making the task easy. The importance of Project management in modern times has been more than ever before and for this reason, nearly all organizations have project management scheme in place. Project management in other words is defined as all those actions, strategies, tools and techniques that lead to achieving the strategic objectives (Tonnquist, 2009 ). Strategic objectives on other hand are defined as those factors that impact the organization and its entities in a direct manner. These can be met through clear definition of the elements that contribute towards their accomplishment. These elements are namely, clear and focused vision about objectives, presence of communication channels, work break down structure, assigning of roles to the suitable personnel, making sufficient use of the resources; prepare a plan for the emergency situations. Focus on objectives: One of the most important factors any organization needs to take into consideration is the clear vision in terms of the goals to be achieved. Deviations are expected any time during the project and organizational activities, with help of clearly defined objectives the chances of deviations can be reduced. Before emphasizing on the need for project management, it is vital to understand and define the elements that constitute strategic objectives. Strategic objectives can be in terms of the overall productivity, budget allocation, social factors, the proper relationship establishment with the stakeholders, maintaining the communication channels, individual personnel that are of high importance to the organization, hence all those factors that have an impact on final result. Customers Aspect: Customers hold the key to the success and failure of any organization. Their response can turn an organization either way. Customer satisfaction is a universal strategic objective that is the front line desire of almost every organization. Meeting the customer demands requires proper planning. The field of project management provides ample guidance towards customer satisfaction (Kerzner & Sponholtz,pg 23, 2007). The scope of project management is very vast and it makes up for an entire discipline, it has few basic elements namely: Planning Organizing Controlling Staffing Leading Every organization needs the above mentioned elements to be in place in order to meet their strategic objectives (Weihrich & Cannice, 2010). Co-relation between planning and Organizational Effectively: A co relation can be established between the organizational functions and project management in many aspects. Planning is one of them. Organizations need planning to be in place while project management provides guidelines for achieving this planning. A famous saying goes about planning that â€Å"Failing to plan is planning to fail† (Hess, et al., pg 454,2011), under the principles of project manage

Dissertation proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposal - Dissertation Example (Department of Trade and Industry, 2002) Considerable awareness is there on these concepts of social enterprises, but the problem is in reality the numbers of social enterprises are significantly lower in relation to normal profit-making companies. This kind of observation simply leads to the question as to whether this situation is taking place because there is scarcity of required finance that is essential for providing support to the growth of these organizations or whether people are less interested in setting up a social enterprise on account of the challenges it faces. (Shortall, 2009) From the perspective of a lender, particularly of a banker, the flow of cash and the capability of repaying all the debts are the important factors and criteria for judging the application in the area of financing. This is indeed a challenge for the managers of the organizations like social enterprises service where the key funding sources are donations and grants. (Gates, 1998; Shortall, 2009) S ubsidies provided by Government and donations offered by various public and private organizations or individuals are not dependable sources of revenue in any of the traditional lending system, consequently social enterprises shall necessitate adequate amount of collateral for compensating for that. Cash flow on a regular basis is a very important thing for any traditional lending organization like banks to take into account at the time of lending any firm. It is generally found that banks are not as much interested in extending loans to social enterprises as in doing the same for other normal profit-making institutions. The bankers actually perceive the business and operational modes of social enterprises in a different way. (Brown, 2004; Department of Trade and Industry, 2002) In this background, it would be quite interesting to examine the environment of finance in this special type of enterprises, namely social enterprises. The proposed research aims at conducting a thorough revi ew of bankers’ actual awareness regarding business and operational modes of social enterprises, their attitudes towards social enterprises’ business modes and social enterprises’ ability to attract funds from traditional lenders like banks. Given the goals and nature of operation of these institutions, it seems that bankers would not be much likely to lend them funds. In this scenario, it would be interesting to examine the extent to which bankers are reluctant of giving funds to social enterprises and why they are reluctant. For the purpose of the present research, the social enterprises of London will be taken into account. A significant number of social enterprises operate in different industrial sectors of London and a number commercial banks operating in London will be considered. Research Objectives: Given the research aim discussed in the earlier section, the research objectives of the study can be stated as follows: To build an enhanced understanding of awareness of bankers regarding the nature of operation of social enterprises. To identify the bankers’ attitude towards lending social enterprises and to find out the sources of having the attitude they have built. To examine the ability of social enterprises in attracting funds from traditional lending organizations like banks. Research Questions: On the basis of the research obje

Analysis Of The Stranger, By Albert Camus Essay

Analysis Of The Stranger, By Albert Camus Essay Tone is very important to The Stranger. Albert Camus uses several examples of irony and ironic twists. For example, Meursault got involved in a fight that had nothing to do with his life. He started out by writing a letter for his neighbor, Raymond. Raymond wanted to get his ex-girlfriend back in order to punish her for what happened in the past. Meursault ended up fighting the brother to the woman, who happened to be Arab. The final outcome was Meursault had to kill the Arab man even through the writing made the readers think Raymond was going to kill the brother. Meursaults voice comes across as lacking typical emotions. The subjective tone of the author makes the reader feel sympathetic, unsympathetic, and sympathetic once again towards Meursault situation. Then within the last few pages he has a revelation that changes the way he thinks and feels. There are various literary devices used in The Stranger. Symbolism is shown in both part one and part two. Colors of the ocean, the sky, and the view of everyday life symbolize different feelings. The color red is used when Meursault is angry or when he feels lust. He described Maries red dress when he wanted her and he described the Arab at the beach right before they fought. The color green is used when hes happy. For example, The sky was green, I felt good. The crucifix is a symbol for god and sacrifice. The crucifix shows everything that he doesnt believe in. He proves this by saying He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to him and made one last attempt to explain to him that I had only a little time left and I didnt want to it on God. The courtroom is a symbol for mankind as a whole. The jurors and judge is like society and how they judge Meursault and can change his life. He feels this when he says, It was then that I noticed a row of faces in front of me. The y were all looking at me; I realized that they were the jury. But I cant say what distinguished one from another. I had just one impression: I was sitting across from a row of seats on a streetcar and all these anonymous passengers were looking over the new arrival to see if they could find something funny about him. Imagery is used when describing all characters, events, and settings. Albert Camus uses colors, and subtle details that paint a mental picture. He describes Old Salamano and his dog as two beings on the planet that look similar with their old yellow flaking skin. But Meursault also describes everything around him. And I can remember the look of the church, the villagers in the street, the red geraniums on the graves, Prezs fainting fit, he crumpled up like a rag doll the tawny-red earth pattering on Mothers coffin, the bits of white roots mixed up with it; then more people, voices, the wait outside a cafe for the bus, the rumble of the engine, and my little thrill of pl easure when we entered the first brightly lit streets of Algiers, and I pictured myself going straight to bed and sleeping twelve hours at a stretch. Meursault describes everything he can see making the readers understand the novella better. Similes and metaphors are used on practically on every page of The Stranger. A simile is used when describing Raymond. He was bleeding like a pig. Meursault states about the sun, But the heat was so intense that it was just as bad standing still in the blinding stream falling from the sky. To stay or go, it amounted to the same thing. A minute later I turned back toward the beach and started walking. The sun is a metaphor for Meursaults uncomfortable feeling. Hes comparing the sun to society and how both make him feel uncomfortable and different and he doesnt like it. The Stranger by Albert Camus shows a man fighting society in his head and how he deals with it. The novella uses tone, theme, and literary devices to show this mans life and his sceptical view of the world as he discovers that he can change , only to find out that it is too late.

colombia Essay -- essays research papers fc

Violence in modern Colombia takes place in many forms. The three major categories are crime, guerrilla activities, and attacks committed by drug traffickers. Violence has become so widespread and common in Colombia that many people have now become numb to it. The Colombian economy has also benefited from the illicit drug trade; however violent it may be. During the 1970s, Colombia became well known, as one of the world’s most important drug processing, production, and distribution centers for marijuana and cocaine. The shrubs and plants from which both drugs are derived from and processed has been well known in Colombia for centuries, but until the 1970s drug refiners and traffickers had not taken full advantage. The chewing of coca leaves was very well known in the South American Inca Empire in the 11th century. The Incas, the Colombian Chibchas and other local ethnic groups have always attributed mythical and religious power to the bush and to the alkaloids that were extracted by its leaves by chewing on them. The existence of a drug, cocaine, which could be chemically extracted from large volumes of leaves was not discovered until 1884 by an Austrian ophthalmologist. Marijuana is a drug extracted from hemp, a plant from which coarse fibers are also obtained for the manufacture of cloth, cordage, and sacking. The development of marijuana in Colombia took place in the mid 1940s during the administration of President Mariano Ospina Perez. The government at this time imported various fibers producing species from different parts of the world in an attempt to improve the postwar textile industry. The imported fiber plant included cannabis sativa (hemp) from Asia, and jute and sisal from Mexico. The Ministry of Agriculture was distributing these plants throughout the countryside of Colombia, and peasants and farmers were encouraged to plant them. During this same period, the consumption of marijuana was beginning to become a problem among the Bohemians in Medellin. As a result of this increasing drug problem, especially among the Bohemian members of the middle and upper class, on March 11, 1946, the Ospina administration passed the nation’s first anti-drug law, Decree No. 896. This law prohibited the cultivation, distribution, and sale of coca and marijuana, and ruled that all local and regional governments had to destroy all coca and marijuana plantatio... ... the drug cartels have a hold over the country, the economy continues to stay stable, even with the illegal drug money. Bibliography Bibliography Belov, D. â€Å"Drug Problems of Colombia,† International Affairs, Vol. 44 (Nov. 1998) pp. 125-129. Boudon, Lawrence. â€Å"Guerillas and the State,† Journal of Latin American Studies, Vol. 28 (May 1996), pp. 279-297. Chepesiak, Ron. â€Å"Narco Paralysis in Colombia,† New Leader, Vol. 80 (Jan. 1997), pp. 6-10. Knoester, Mark. â€Å"War in Colombia,† Social Justice, Vol. 25 (Nov. 1998) pp. 85-109. Maullin, Richard L. Soldiers, Guerillas, and Politics in Colombia (Lexington, Massachusetts, 1973) pp. 84-109. Oquist, Paul. Violence, Conflict, and Politics in Colombia (New York, 1980) pp.108-129. Osterling, Jorge P. Democracy in Colombia: Clientist Politics and Guerilla Warfare (New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1989) pp. 261-300. Posada-Carbo, Eduardo. Colombia: The Politics of Reforming the State (New York, 1998) pp. 111-125. Richani, Nazih. â€Å"War Systems in Colombia,† Journal of Interamerican studies and World Affairs, Vol. 39 (Summer 1997), pp. 37-81. Steiner, Roberto. â€Å"Colombian Income from the Drug Trade,† World Development, Vol. 26 (June 1998), pp. 1013-1031.

Is Monopoly Necessarily Less Efficient Than Perfect Competition?

Is Monopoly necessarily less efficient than Perfect Competition According to SJ Grant’s Introductory Economics, Monopoly is the only sole supplier of the industry. They would not inherit any competitions as well as having no close substitutes. There are many reasons that cause the formation of Monopolists. Barriers to enter or exit discourages new firms to enter the market (patent rights creates a right to sell that product, abnormal profit, predatory pricing, raw material ownership, high fixed cost, government) being a price maker, firms either merge or get taken over by other firms and economies of scale.In Perfect competition, there are many sellers and buyers; there are only homogenous goods and perfect information. They are price takers so no firm charges either below or above the ruling market price. The demand curve is perfectly elastic. In this type of market, there is consumer sovereignty and advertisement could not be used to influence consumer’s demands. Howe ver both of them are opposite extreme forms of the market structure and in the realistic world, they hardly ever occur. An economist would define efficiency as ‘nothing can be made better off without causing the loss of another’.This is also known as Pareto efficiency. Meanwhile it is also when the resources are allocated in the best possible ways at the lowest possible average cost. Figure 1 Some people view Monopoly to be less efficient than perfect competition because they face no direct competition and so they would not work towards the interest of consumers. They would fail to apprehend productive efficiency using techniques and factors of production to produce at the lowest possible average cost per unit, because the cost of production is not a main concern to a Monopolist.They would simply increase price or restrict output. Monopolies are able to do that because they are price makers; even though the setting price is determined by the demand, they are still capab le of restricting output and increase the price. This demonstrated by figure 1 where the price is set against the AR curve rather than the MR. On the contrary, perfect competition means firms compete against each other: cost in this case is one of the main issues. The firms in that market would aim to produce at the lowest average cost because of the profit maximizing point, MR=MC.But in a perfect competitive market, the firms in the long run would only get normal profit so total revenue equals total cost. Figure 2 Monopolists are able to attain abnormal profit in the long run due to barriers to entry or exit. It illustrates that monopolies have market power and the downward sloping demand curve is one of the causes as shown in figure 2. The quantity and price which the monopolist selects is largely dependent on the marginal revenue and marginal cost. But the marginal revenue curve would always be lower than the demand curve.The reason for this can be illustrated by the figure 2; It shows that at any two random points and using the method of working out the total revenue (price X quantity), you would always get a negative gradient curve. Whilst differentiating the curve’s equation, you would always get the curve being below the demand curve. The quantity or price the firm chooses is based on the marginal revenue and marginal cost because, by increasing output, it causes two contrasting effects, price and quantity.The quantity effect is that by producing one more unit and it being sold, it increases the total revenue by the price that it is sold at. But producing more units, it decreases the price of the good and makes total revenue fall: this is the price effect. The price effect means that the marginal revenue will not be constant and so it would be below the demand curve. Consequently price effect would always occur if the monopolist increases quantity. However in a perfect competition, the MR equals AR: the firms being price takers, they can only acc ept the ruling market price.The AR curve is perfectly elastic because of consumer sovereignty. In figure 3, it shows that the firms only aim the price at the market demand; no firms would produce below the ruling market price because in the long run they would be earning a loss and eventually leave the market and in contrast, they would not set it above the market price because no consumers would buy from them when the goods are homogenous and other firms are there. Figure 3 Subsequently, with the MR curve always being below the demand curve, it causes the monopolist produce inefficiently.This is because all firms desires to produce the profit maximizing point, MR=MC and when the monopoly produces at that point, it will always produce at the point that is lower than the efficient level and so monopolies misallocate resources. Hence deadweight loss occurs and this can happen both in the long and short run as there are no competition pressure for them to become allocatively efficient. Allocative efficient is when P=MC where the cost reflects the price. Another point would be that unregulated monopoly can overcharge consumers as well as not allocating resource in a satisfactory manner.In a perfect competition market, firms are able to obtain allocatively efficient in the long run. Firms can misallocate in the short run due to them either earning abnormal profit or a loss but as soon as market competitions enhances firms to earn normal profit and produce efficiently, it becomes allocatively efficient. Barriers to entry prevent this discipline from market competition to happen to a monopolist and so they continue to misallocate resources. Figure 4 The idea of misallocation of resource closely links to the result of deadweight loss.Deadweight loss is the net loss where there is a loss of goods being produced for the price that consumer pay at. For figure 4, it shows that due to the price being charged against the D curve instead of MR=MC, this causes the area of the consumer surplus , when consumer pay less for the good they were willing to pay for, to decrease and the producer surplus, the amount gained from selling a good to increase. This suggests that the monopolist is X-inefficient as consumer loses out, producers gain from it.Furthermore it can be seen that there is an area of deadweight loss formed as well. Not all resources are used in the market. In comparison to perfect competition, figure 3, all the area above P1 is the consumer surplus and there is no deadweight loss, all the quantity produced is reflected towards to consumer demand. However Monopoly being less efficient than perfect competition is not always the case. The ability of economies of scale is a mass production of a good or when goods are distributed through network or grids (i. e. water supply).This makes the cost of production cheaper thus brings the price down. They are called Natural monopoly and they are more technically efficient. In figure 5, Pm from monopoly is lower than the price from smaller firms and more quantity is produced. If these goods are provided by smaller competitive firms, the cost would be greater leading to the goods being more expensive. Figure 5 Monopolies can earn abnormal profits in the long run means that they can use the profit to invest in research and development. This is known as dynamically efficient.They choose to invest for further development because it would make them become more efficient hence maintaining their market position and also to improve their differentiated goods making demand become more inelastic. In reality, Microsoft uses their profit and invests in the development area. They are a well established company and have customer loyalty due to the quality of their goods and the patent rights they impose. In contrast to perfect competition, firms would not be able to invest because they only earn normal profit.However it is not guaranteed that monopolist would make abnormal profit; it is also possib le that they only earn normal. In conclusion, through analyzing the efficiency in productive, allocative, technical and dynamical, monopoly is not necessarily less efficient than perfect competition. Although they can misallocate resources, resulting in deadweight loss, increase price or restrict output in order to gain profit there are other monopolies that are efficient like natural monopolies.One of the main reasons that monopolies produce less than the efficient level is because they lack competition pressure. If the firm is regulated by the government maybe it would act in the best interest of the society. However others may argue that because of the government, the monopoly is being protected by them. While monopolies is not always less efficient than perfect competition, most of the time is it and that is the reason governments regulate monopolies and prevent firms merging together or get taken over by.

General Biological Evolution Example

General Biological Evolution Example General Biological Evolution – Coursework Example General Biological Evolution al Affiliation Evolution and the age of the earth have always been two topics having contentious explanation and neither is too strong to stand without critique. This work will look at biological evolution which has been used to explain the diversity between various organisms and also the relationship between them. The essay will also critique the creation theory which also stands to explain the origin and diversity of organisms. According to biological evolution, organisms had a similar origin. However, over the years the organisms have evolved differently according to what the environment dictates. Adaptation and natural selection ensures that only the best suited organisms are left living while the rest become extinct (Munday, 2008). Variation in various organisms as explained by the biological theory is due to micro and macro evolution. Micro evolution is brought about by four processes which include genetic drift, mutation, natural selection and gen e flow. All these, though happening over large periods of time make the organisms to vary and it can be the source of new species. Macro evolution on the other hand refers to the evolution emanating from the separation of gene pools. This is also significant in explaining biological evolution. Scripture versus Biological EvolutionAccording to John C. Munday who authored Scripture and Biological Evolution, the scripture is against biological evolution by asserting that animals did not die before the fall (1). Animals started dying after man sinned against God. Therefore using this assertion, it is claimed that there was no evolution before the fall. The scripture also uses the creation of Adam and Eve directly into the people they were and not from evolution as a reason to disregard biological evolution. ReferencesMunday, J. C. (2008). Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design. Munday, J. C. (2008). Scripture and Biological Evolution. Regent University.

pH, pKa, Ka, pKb, and Kb Explained

pH, pKa, Ka, pKb, and Kb Explained There are related scales in chemistry used to measure how acidic or basic a solution is and the strength of acids and bases. Although the pH scale is most familiar, pKa, Ka, pKb, and Kb are common calculations that offer insight into acid-base reactions. Heres an explanation of the terms and how they differ from each other. What Does the p Mean? Whenever you see a p in front of a value, like pH, pKa, and pKb, it means youre dealing with a -log of the value following the p. For example, pKa is the -log of Ka. Because of the way the log function works, a smaller pKa means a larger Ka. pH is the -log of hydrogen ion concentration, and so on. Formulas and Definitions for pH and Equilibrium Constant pH and pOH are related, just as Ka, pKa, Kb, and pKb are. If you know pH, you can calculate pOH. If you know an equilibrium constant, you can calculate the others. About pH pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration, [H], in an aqueous (water) solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A low pH value indicates acidity, a pH7 is neutral, and a high pH value indicates alkalinity. The pH value can tell you whether youre dealing with an acid or a base, but it offers limited value indicating the true strength of the acid of a base. The formula to calculate pH and pOH are: pH - log [H] pOH - log [OH-] At 25 degrees Celsius: pH pOH 14 Understanding Ka and pKa Ka, pKa, Kb, and pKb are more helpful for predicting whether a species will donate or accept protons at a specific pH value. They describe the degree of ionization of an acid or base and are true indicators of acid or base strength because adding water to a solution will not change the equilibrium constant. Ka and pKa relate to acids, while Kb and pKb deal with bases. Like pH and pOH, these values also account for hydrogen ion or proton concentration (for Ka and pKa) or hydroxide ion concentration (for Kb and pKb). Ka and Kb are related to each other through the ion constant for water, Kw: Kw Ka x Kb Ka is the acid dissociation constant. pKa is simply the -log of this constant. Similarly, Kb is the base dissociation constant, while pKb is the -log of the constant. The acid and base dissociation constants are usually expressed in terms of mole per liter (mol/L). Acids and bases dissociate according to general equations: HA H2O ⇆ A-Â   H3OHB H2O ⇆ B OH- In the formulas, A stands for acid and B for base. Ka [H][A-]/ [HA]pKa - log Kaat half the equivalence point, pH pKa -log Ka A large Ka value indicates a strong acid because it means the acid is largely dissociated into its ions. A Large Ka value also means the formation of products in the reaction is favored. A small Ka value means little of the acid dissociates, so you have a weak acid. The Ka value for most weak acids ranges from 10-2 to 10-14. The pKa gives the same information, just in a different way. The smaller the value of pKa, the stronger the acid. Weak acids have a pKa ranging from 2-14. Understanding Kb and pKb Kb is the base dissociation constant. The base dissociation constant is a measure of how completely a base dissociates into its component ions in water. Kb [B][OH-]/[BOH]pKb -log Kb A large Kb value indicates the high level of dissociation of a strong base. A lower pKb value indicates a stronger base. pKa and pKb are related by the simple relation: pKa pKb 14 What Is pI? Another important point is pI. This is the isoelectric point. It is the pH at which a protein (or another molecule) is electrically neutral (has no net electrical charge).

Youth Within the Juvenile Justice System Research Paper

Youth Within the Juvenile Justice System - Research Paper Example This report stresses that juvenile correction is defined as a part of the juvenile justice continuum that involves safe and temporary custody of juveniles whose alleged behavior is subject to a court jurisdiction and requires an environment that is restricted for community’s and their protection as they await legal action. This paper makes a conclusion that mediation, restoration, and apology can be used with an intention to satisfy the feelings of the victims of committed crimes. Thus, restorative justice that is justified by the benefits they result in is another important way of training juvenile corrections. Adopting the theory of punishment as a way of communicating with the children using punitive measures is another way that juvenile correction is trained. This involves the community, parents and youth correctional officers. the juvenile corrections are confronting with the challenge of space. This has been one very difficult challenge facing both the administrators and the practitioners. In some cases, underestimation of future admissions has always led to overcrowding and inaccessible facilities. The juvenile corrections lack adequate human resource personnel. This has contributed to a rise in recidivism among the juveniles. There is the need for skills training officers, psychiatrists to mana ge anger and mental health problem, vocational training officers, among other technical areas that will address the problem of these young people.

Applications and Development of Catalyst for the Synthesis of Highly Research Proposal

Applications and Development of Catalyst for the Synthesis of Highly Functional Organic Carbonates - Research Proposal Example The negative effects can also be minimized through production of synthetic polymers which are biodegradable or easy to recycle. Carbon as important industrial raw material is predominantly sourced from fossil sources of energy while plastic synthesis accounts for about seven percent of oil usage in the whole world. The future of fossil energy is not promising and as such need for other routes like biorenewable energy sources and biodegradable polymers. The world is also producing around 150M tons of plastic per year, America alone carries the burden of 30M tons which in landfills or get incinerated on our soils per year. This increases need for easy to recycle and biologically degradable polymers; they are valuable as they pose less adverse environmental effects. It is thus important to study progress on development of more environment friendly polymers and more especially those from renewable sources. To protect the environment through development and application of procedures which enable production of more biologically safe polymers and reduce dependence on fossil fuels as the source of industrial carbon. The study requires a lot of chemical reagents such as the catalysts and precursors which require a good budget and thus financial constraints might pose a challenge to the success of the research in wholesomely exploring the topic. It also requires the employment of human resources such as lab assistants which require remuneration and this could contribute to budgetary constraints apart from the fact that some of the catalysts are expensive and not easily available. Coates and Jeske (2009) in Hand of Green Chemistry discuss the evolution of epoxide-CO2 from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide under the catalysis of HÂ ­2O mixed with ZnEt2. This discovery led to a series of other chemical studies on catalysis with eventual fruitful developments inclusion the production of

Transport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Transport - Essay Example Overall, the air travel industry provides an opportunity, which is facilitated by more than tourism. It also incorporates economic development, global trade and international investments, thus being one of the best investment opportunities (Brennan, 2009, p. 212). As a small-scale entrepreneur, the number of tourists entering France provides any investor with the opportunity of establishing a low cost international or local flight service. In Europe, the connection between the UK and France presents a lucrative venture for business. The route that I choose as an investor is between the Heathrow, London and Charles De Gaulle, Paris airports. One of the strongest reasons why this choice makes economic sense to me is that the two stations represent the hubs of business in the regions (Doganis, 2001, p. 90). The two airports are located within two of the busiest cities in Europe. These cities have an intricate transportation network in which the passengers can get to the airports in a nu mber of transportation choices. One of the most preferred choices of transport happen to be the train, closely followed by the cab. Transport between the centers and the airport has some merits as well as demerits. One of the challenges that the surface transport modes face is the case of jams. In both the UK and Paris, traffic congestion is a common occurrence, especially during the rush hours (Fleisher. and Bensoussan, 2007, p. 62). The jams are common in the railway stations as well as the motor ways. These characteristic is one that lowers the convenience of this mode of transport. This is however, it is an occurrence prominent in certain hours, but the intricate network is quite useful when there is little traffic on the road and rail networks. The car, either in a private or cab company capacity provides another choice of transport in the centers to the airports routes. As the preferred choice of transport, the car is one of the best choices in transportation, when convenience is involved, but this is dependent on the profile of the passenger. Where luggage is involved, the car might be the best operational choice, since it provides a better means of transport from the house to the terminal as opposed to public transportation. The train, though high speed faces an inconvenience in that it is public transport and is located at strategic points for a community (Frechtling, 2001, p. 31), in which the travellers have to walk or take a car to the service stations as well as from the terminals to the airports. With the train and buses being restricted to certain routes, the inconvenience lays mostly in the distance between the public terminals and the airport terminals, for they are not the same though close, in some instances. Another challenge with the public surface transport is the challenge introduced by the complexity of the transport network, especially for a nonlocal (Duncan, 2012, p. 134). Some of the competitors in the route chosen include the Eurost ar. The train is one of the modes of transport between the two centers i.e. Paris and London. There are several favorable elements associated with the train such as speed, lower costs and the interactive nature of the travel. The car is another competitor to the mode of transport between the two terminals, since the intricate transport network provides a motorway that links the

Impact upon the offender Essay Example for Free

Impact upon the offender Essay The offender gets a new lease of life, and gets a chance to redeem himself or herself in the eyes of law as well as the society. Although the lawbreaker will have to continuously be doing the correct thing so that people or the police do not pick him or her again for any further offences in the future. They get a chance to contribute to society and at the same time maintain ties with their near and dear ones. Parole decisions for an individual depends on several factors which includes the offenders offense, the number of violations done at the institutions, past criminal history, personal interviewing, behavioral educational development during prison sentence, plans on released information that is available from fiends, family and victims. The main impact for the offender would be the restoration of Civil Rights, which can be completely or partially. This giving the offender the freedom to return to a normal way of life which every human being would want to come back to. Social impact upon society. According to John Howard Society of Alberta (1998), corrections give the lawbreaker a chance to come back to the society as productive and valuable members for society. Although there is evidence that Canadian citizens can be interested in community corrections, but the New Brunswick incident has shown that people want to go through the correctional system and are also willing to listen to discussions about how things work. But many still do feel that the present correctional system is a failure and people are willing to go through other alternatives to community corrections. The research done in the article shows that more information that is available to the public more is their degree of understanding and acceptance of not only the circumstances and the case but also of the sentence itself. So that the offenders get a chance to be accepted into society and the community as much as possible, so that they can aptly contribute to the society. Every year there are thousands of offenders that are released, which forces the police to take public safety very seriously. So that not only does the offender have a smooth transition into society but also so that the society accepts the rehabilitated offender. The cost for such programs is very expensive and therefore there needs to be some cost affective ways of managing with limited resources so that offences of the type do not happen again. There needs to be solutions and programs that can be put into place so that programs and people can be corrected with better strategies. Fiscal impact upon society Due to these corrective institutions and communities there has been a serious overcrowding in the community and institutions, leading to â€Å"stifling fiscal constraints† on the services and providers (McCarthy.C, Lincoln. R and Wilson. P, 2000). The paper also says that these have found to be cheap â€Å"alternative to prison†, but there is a continuous growth in prison population while the treasury has been forced to spend a lot of money to face the â€Å"pressures of overcrowding†. All this is because there is a lack of purpose and more over lack of funding. Harding (1994) and Kleinwort Report (1989) did mention that there needs to be better â€Å"public sector management† even though there is pressure and competition. What is required is to create worthwhile â€Å"benchmarks, fiscal justification and budgetary restraint†. Although privatization questions whether it is correct to privatize even though there is a possibility fiscal and other benefits (DiLulio 1989), although such resistance will need to be overcome if we need to countenance the â€Å"privatising of community corrections†. Conclusion Institutional and community corrections are done so that outcome of the criminal judicial system and their intervention with these offenders may ensure that the public is safe. Over the years criminal justice lawmakers have tried their best to come up with the most effective methods that will help in achieving the goal and also the affect it will have on the strategies in the management of the offender. There have been many ways of management inside the system itself for the judges and the offenders so that sentences that are given out is fair and just, which leads to safe and secure lives for the offenders keeping in mind the society, the offender, victims, friends and family. Communication correction is one of the main reasons that the offenders are returned back to the society as able and responsible citizens. The main goal of institutional and corrective measures is public safety through reduced means of recidivism by the effective management of offenders inside the community and institutions, wherein both need to work together as partners, so that the common goal can be achieved. To make this a success it is also important to use additional resources such as an integrated case management system all over the country, interaction between professional in the field of criminal judiciary and corrective institutions and communities, to promote the offenders success rate. References Justice Solutions, Inc. (2005) American Probation and Parole Association. Institutional and Community Corrections-sponsored Community Service Projects to Benefit Crime Victims In Conjunction With National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. February 2005. http://www. appa-net. org/announce/aaa_summary. pdf Robinson, P. H and Darley, J. M (2003). Role of Deterrence in the Formulation of Criminal Law Rules: At Its Worst When Doing Its Best, The Georgetown Law Journal. http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa3805/is_200306/ai_n9292674 Sherman. L. W and Strang. H (1997). Reintegrative Shaming Experiments (RISE). Restorative justice and deterring crime. ISSN 1328-3006 ; ISBN 0 7315 2803 4 Australian National University, Canberra RISE Working Papers, no. 4 April 1997 John Howard Society of Alberta (1998). Community Corrections. http://www. johnhoward. ab. ca/PUB/C29. htm McCarthy. C, Lincoln. R and Wilson. P, (2000) . Privatising Community Corrections. http://epublications. bond. edu. au/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1048context=hss_pubs. Harding, R. (1994) Models of Accountability for the Contract Management of Prisons in Moyle, P. (ed) Private Prisons and Police: Recent Australian Trends, Pluto Press, Sydney. Kleinwort Report (1989) Investigation into Private Sector Involvement in the NSW Corrective Services, Kleinwort Benson, Sydney. DiLulio, J. (1989) The Duty to Govern: A Critical Perspective on the Management of Prisons and Jails in McDonald, D. (ed) Private Prisons and the Public Interest Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ.

MAMLD1 Mutation and Phenotypes of Hypospadias

MAMLD1 Mutation and Phenotypes of Hypospadias The relationship between clinical phenotypes and mutations of MAMLD1 in children with hypospadias Yong-fen Lv, Lu-lu Cui, Pin Li* Department of Endocrinology, Shanghais Children Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Acknowledgements: The work was financially supported by the key project of Shanghai municipal health bureau (2011111), youth project of Shanghai municipal health bureauà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’major issue subprojects of Shanghai science and technology commission (12411952408), Yangtze river delta research project of Shanghai science and technology commission (13495810300). Abstract Purpose: To verify the relationship between clinical phenotypes of hypospadias and mutations of MAMLD1. Methods: Seventy-two patients were diagnosed to be hypospadias in department of endocrinology and department of urinary surgery in our hospital. Among all the patients, 69 were with normal karyotype and enrolled as the studied group. Fifty healthy boys were employed as the controls. Peripheral Blood were collected for DNA extraction. For the studied group, PCR primer was designed and direct sequencing was performed for screening for MAMLD1 mutations in six coding exons and the flanking region. Those mutated exons were examined for the control group. Results: Thirty-five of all the 72 patients (48.6 %) were isolated hypospadias. The other 37 cases (51.4%) were complicated by other genitourinary system malformations, including 12 cases with micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles. Abnormal karyotype was identified in 3 patients, and all were karyotype as 46, XX (SRY+ in 1 case and SRY- in 2 cases). Six types of MAMLD1 mutations were detected in exon 2, 3, 5, 7 in studied group, including c.5A>G (p.D2G), IVS4-364C/A, c.1910A>Gà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ p.N637S), c.2208T>C, c.2227 G>A (p.E742K) and IVS8-144C/T. All were single nucleotide polymorphism except c.5A>G (p.D2G), a newly discovered point mutation. The frequency of IVS4-364C/A was significantly different between patients and controls, and it was also significantly different between patients with and without micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles. Conclusion: Chromosome abnormality is not the leading cause of other genitourinary system malformations complicated with hypospadias. Mutations of MAMLD1 maybe closely related to hypospadias in Chinese. c.5Aà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¾Gà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ p.D2Gà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °is the newly discovered point mutation in this work. IVS4-364C/A is associated with underdeveloped testicles and/or micropenis in hypospadias patients. Introduction Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital genitourinary system malformations in males, with incidence 1†°Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ½Ã… ¾1%. As one of the Juvenile-types of testicular dysgenesis syndrome,(1-3) the prevalence of hypospadias is obviously increasing in these years. From 1987 to 2001, the prevalence rate was doubly increased in China.(4) Hypospadias will lead to different degrees of genital malformation, and the clinical phenotypes vary when with other complications. For instance, besides the general signs of hypospadias, e.g., ectopic ureteral orifice, phallocampsis, redundant dorsal prepuce, etc, the patient may be also suffered from other malformations including penoscrotal transposition, cryptorchidism, hydrocele, oblique inguinal hernia, micropenis and underdeveloped testicles. Hypospadias is a complicated disease due to various causes. The causes of most cases are not able to be verified, especially for those mild cases. For these cases, environmental factors, endocrine fa ctors and abnormal gene expression may be the leading causes.(5) The sex differentiation of males is a continuous series of processes related on the balancing and interaction of various genes like SRY, WTl, ATF3, SF-1, etc. MAMLD1, which is previously called chromosome X open reading frame6 (Cxorf6), is the important candidate gene widely studied recently. This gene is located in Xq28,(6,7) with molecular length of 157898 bp and containing 8 exons, among which exon 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are coding exons. MAMLD1 is initially detected in patients with X-linked myotubular myopathy. The reproductive systems of patients are normally developed with mutations in Myotubularin MTM-1, while different degrees of malformations occur in cases with deletion of MTM1 gene.(8-11) The subsequent experiments indicated that, for patients with 46, XY disorder of sex development (DSD), except MAMLD1, no other candidate genes were found in the deletion region. These results indicate that MAMLD1 is the perfect candidate gene for the study of 46, XY DSD, especially for hypospa dias. This work aimed to evaluate the mutations of MAMLD1 and clinical phenotypes in children with hypospadias in China, and thus to illustrate the role of MAMLD1 mutation in hypospadias. Methods Patients Seventy-two children with hypospadias admitted to Shanghai Childrens Hospital Affiliated to Jiaotong University from March 2011 to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. Definite diagnosis was based on the clinical signs, and patients with adrenogenital syndrome were excluded through clinical examination. Clinical examination Clinical survey was performed including patient’s complain, present medical history, past medical history, personal history, family history, birth history, mother’s medical history in pregnancy, previous exposure to environmental pollution, etc. Physical examination was performed to measure the hight, weight, heart rate, blood pressure and the status of gonad development, etc. For adolescent, the development of secondary sexual characteristics was also assessed. Regular auxiliary examinations were performed including blood and urine routine test, biochemistry test, gonadal hormone level, adrenal cortex function and abdominal ultrasound exam, etc. Karyotype analysis and detection of SRY gene Lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood of patients, cultured and smeared on slides, and G-bands were produced by treatment with trypsin. Thirty split-phases were selected for each case, and karyotype analysis was performed according to ISCN-1995. SRY gene detection was performed for all the patients. Screening for MAMLD1 mutations The gene sequence of MAMLDI was obtained from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which was the same as obtained from Ensembl Genome Browser: NC_000023.10 (NCBI) versus ENSG00000013619 (Ensembl release 70-January 2013). Primers were designed for the coding exon 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of MAMLD1. DNA extraction was performed using TIANamp Blood DNA Kit (TIANGEN Biotech (Beijing) Co., Ltd, China) and purity test was done. Ploymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with use of LONGgene A300 PCR and Premix Ex Taq Version2.0 (TaKaRa D332A), GC buffer (TaKaRa DRR20GC1) and rTag (TaKaRa DR001BM), 35 cycles of denaturation at 94à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for 30 seconds,extension at 72à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for 60 seconds. Mutations were identified in the six coding exons and flanking regions of MAMLD1, and those mutated exons were examined for the control group. Statistical analysis The SPSS 18 software was used for statistical evaluation. Chi-square test was used to compare the two groups, frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism between the two groups was analyzed using Fisher Exact test, and differences were considered statistically significant when the p-value was G (p.D2G), IVS4-364C/A (rs1209024), c.1910A>G (p.N637S), c.2208T>C, c.2227 G>A (p.E742K, rs5925166) and IVS8-144C/T (rs658748). Two types of mutations were detected in exon 5 and 7 in all healthy controls, including c.1910 A>G (p.N637S, rs2073043) and c.2208T>C. Among all the mutations, c.5A>G (p.D2G) was a newly discovered point mutation, others were all single nucleotide polymorphism. The studied group compared to the control group, the frequency analyzed by Fisher Exact test, the P value for IVS4-364C/A, c.1910A>G (p.N637S), c.2208T>C, c.2227 G>A (p.E742K) and IVS8-144C/T were 0.002, 0.638, 0.362, 1 and 0.509 respectively. Therefore, the frequency of IVS8-144C/T was significantly different be tween the two groups, and the frequency of the other 4 SNPs were not significantly different between the two groups. Relationship between mutations of MAMLD1 and clinical phenotypes of hypospadias One case with c.5A>G (p.D2G) was isolated hypospadias, the urethral opening position was located at the middle segment of penis. Due to the limited number of mutation cases, the sample size should be increased to study the relationship between c.5A>G (p.D2G) and phenotypes of hypospadias. Analyzed by Chi-squared test with Yates continuity correction, the frequency of IVS4-364C/A was significantly different between patients with and without micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles (p=0.001). Discussion Chromosome abnormality and karyotype change is one of the causes of hypospadias. Till now, ten types of chromosome abnormalities were confirmed involving chromosome 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13 19, 20, 21, X, Y, etc. In the studied 72 patients, abnormal karyotype was identified in 3 patients, and all were karyotype as 46, XX (SRY+ in 1 case and SRY- in 2 cases). For these three patients, uterus and ovary were not found through the laparoscopic exploration. Therefore, they were diagnosed to be 46, XX male sex reversal syndrome. Karyotype analysis is important for hypospadias patients with sex reversal syndrome in exploring candidate gene and pathogenesis, in clinical diagnosis as well as in making therapeutic plan. However, there are only 3 cases with karyotype abnormality in the 72 patients studied, which means chromosome abnormality is not the leading cause of hypospadias. MAMLD1 is initially detected in patients with X-linked myotubular myopathy. The reproductive systems of patients are normally developed with mutations in Myotubularin MTM-1, while different degrees of malformations occur in cases with deletion of MTM1 gene.(8-11) Except MAMLD1, no other candidate genes were found in the deletion region. These results indicate that MAMLD1 is the perfect candidate gene for the study of 46, XY DSD, especially for hypospadias. In the works of Fukami et al., three nonsense mutations were detected, i.e., p.E124X, p.Q197X and p.R653X, in 4 XY DSD cases, involving micropenis and hypospadias with urethral opening position located on scrotum and the joint at penis and scrotum.(12) Kalfa et al. have studied the mutations of MAMLD1 in hypospadias patients and discovered 3 mutations, including p.V432A, p.E109fsX121 and P.531ins3Q, and they proposed that 10 percent of all the severe hypospadias cases was caused by mutations of MAMLD1.(13) In the study of Chen et al., three mutations of MAMLD1 were discovered, i.e., p.Q529K, p.D686D and noncoding region c.2065+8a>t, in 99 Swedish with hypospadias.(14) However, this is not the case in China. Qian et al. have studied the mutations of MAMLD1 in 100 cases of isolated hypospadias,(15) where 200 healthy participants were randomly selected as control. In their work, two point mutations, c.1699C>T and c.1985A>G, were detected and all were SNPs, and statistical analysis revea led that MAMLD1 is not the candidate gene for isolated hypospadias in China. The different results may be due to the different inclusion criteria of studied population between China and abroad, i.e., the studied populations of foreign works were mostly composed by hypospadias cases complicated by other genitourinary system malformations, including gonadal dysgenesis, while mostly isolated hypospadias cases were selected in the works of Chinese. In this study, a new point mutation c.5A>G was detected in exon 2 of one patient, and this mutation was not found in controls. The mutation makes the second amino acid position, originally the hydrophilic negatively charged aspartic acid, substituted by a neutrally charged glycine. For various species, the second amino acid position in exon 2 of MAMLD1 is highly conserved, and analyzed via polyphen, the mutation c.5A>G (p.D2G) of MAMLD1 is predicted to be probably damaging with a score of 0.996 from HumDiv and 0.993 from HunVar, which indicates that c.5A>G (p.D2G) is highly related to hypospadias. SIFT predicts that the mutation can affect protein function, since there is no protein diversity on the site (supplementary figure 20). The case with c.5Aà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¾G was isolated hypospadias, and the urethral opening was located in the middle segment of penis. A big sample size and the information of the exact protein function are required to elucidate whether c.5A>G (p.D2G) of MAMLD1 is the cause of isolated hypospadias and its role in human sexual differentiation. The meaningful SNP detected in this work is the full mutation in introns close to exon 3, i.e., IVS4-364C/A (rs1209024), in 12 patients, which is not found in controls. The 12 cases including 2 cases with anterior hypospadias, 9 cases middle urethral openings and 1 case posterior urethral opening. Among all the 12 patients, 6 were complicated by 2 other malformations, 8 cases were complicated by micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles. Generally, introns are non-coding sections of a gene, which are removed before the mature mRNA can be transported, thus do not exist in the mRNA sequence. However, there may be several mini genes in some introns, the so called genes-within-genes. The frequency of IVS4-364C/A was significantly different between patients and controls, and it was also significantly different between patients with and without micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles. Therefore, two possibilities could be speculated, the first is that there may be coding sequence relat ed to micropenis and/or underdeveloped testicles in the introns close to exon 3 of MAMLD1, the second is that the mutation could affect mRNA shear mode, thus lead to the change of protein function. Next step of our study plan is to verify whether the mutation could affect mRNA shear mode through reverse transcription, amplification and sequencing of extracted mRNA. References 1. Skakkebaek NE, Rajpert-De ME, Main KM. Testicular dysgenesis syndrome: an increasingly common developmental disorder with environmental aspects. Hum Reprod 2001;16:972-8. 2. Sharpe RM. Pathways of endocrine disruption during male sexual differentiation and masculinization. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006;20:91-110. 3. Sharpe RM, Skakkebaek NE. Testicular dysgenesis syndrome: mechanistic insights and potential new downstream effects. Fertil Steril 2008;89(2 Suppl):e33-8. 4. 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Bates PA, Kelley LA, MacCallum RM, et al. Enhancement of protein modeling by human intervention inapplying the automatic programs 3D-JIGSAW and3D-PSSM. Proteins 2001;S5(Suppl 5):39-46. 10. Biancalana V, Caron O, Gallati S, et al. Characterisation of mutations in 77 patients with X-linked myotubular myopathy, including a family with a very mild phenotype. Hum Genet 2003;112:135-42. 11. Hu LJ, Laporte J, Kress W, et al. Deletions in Xq28 in two boys with myotubular myopathy and abnormal genital development define a new contiguous gene syndrome in a 430 kb region. Hum Mol Genet 1996;5:139-43. 12. Fukami M, Wada Y, Miyabayashi K, et al. CXorf6 is a causative gene for hypospadias. Nat Genet 2006;38:1369-71. 13. Kalfa N, Liu B, Klein O, et al. Mutations of CXorf6 are associated with arrange of severities of hypospadias. Eur J Endocrinol 2008;159:453-8. 14. Chen Y, Thai HT, Lundin J, et al. Mutational study of the MAMLD1-gene in hypospadias. Eur J Med Genet 2010;53:122-6. 15. Qian C, Lin HW, Sun P, et al. Research of MAMLD1 gene in Hypospadias. J Clin Pediatr Surg 2012;11:106-11. Figure Legends Figure 1. Mutations of MAMLD1, the number represents the exon serial number, the black area represents the coding region. Table 1à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ½Clinic phenotypes of 72 patients with hypospadias Table 2. Patients complicated by other genitourinary system malformations Table 3. Mutations of MAMLD1 gene screened in patients and controls