The Effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 Mr P Smith The ANIKA Foundation 234 West Highland Drive Newport 2843 Australia 1 May 2011 Dear Sir, Re: Research Proposal: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. I am currently studying Psychology Honour’s at the University of South Africa. I am a school counsellor at a private school in Sydney where I work with children from Year K through to year 12. I have a keen interest in Adolescent mental health and suicide prevention.The Department of Mental Health at the World Health Organisation states that: â€Å"WHO figures clearly show that by 2030 depression will be the single biggest burden of care on our health care system, exceeding cardio vascular disease and obesity†. It is becoming increasingly more urgent to look at preventative strategies to reduce the number of young people presenting with depression, anxiety and stress. I understand that the ANIKA Foundation was set up in response to the tragic death by suicide of your daughter Anika.The purpose of foundation is to support and promote the prevention of anxiety and depression in young people. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training has been shown to develop the capacity to: †¢Consciously act and respond with awareness and clarity rather than react out of a habitual pattern †¢Bring greater concentration and focus to daily activities †¢Monitor levels of stress and distress, and take effective steps to address them †¢Positi vely take action to renew your energy – physically, emotionally and mentally.It therefore seemed appropriate to contact you with information about my proposed research topic to see if you would be interested in this new area of prevention. I look forward to hearing from you soon Yours Sincerely 5888743 Psychology Honours student and school counsellor. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 IntroductionMy experience as a School Counsellor along with current research coming out of the World Health organization indicates that by 2030 depression will be the single biggest burden of care on our health care system, exceeding cardio vascular disease and obesity. It is becoming increasingly more urgent to look at preventative strategies to reduce the number of young people presenting with depressio n, anxiety and stress. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is part of an exciting new field in psychology that combines ancient wisdom with modern day knowledge. The associated field ofPositive Psychology looks not only at the elimination of negative mental states but also at ways in which we can understand how people grow and flourish. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training has been shown to develop the capacity to: †¢Consciously act and respond with awareness and clarity rather than react out of a habitual pattern †¢Bring greater concentration and focus to daily activities †¢Monitor levels of stress and distress, and take effective steps to address them †¢Positively take action to renew your energy – physically, emotionally and mentally.MBSR strategies based on the ancient Buddhist practice of mindfulness and meditation, seek to give people the tools to develop self-awareness in order to be able to identify the different emotions that present themselves during our lifetime. And then respond to those emotions is a way that is constructive rather than destructive. The way that we think and feel about things profoundly affects the way we act in the world, so it is important to be able to recognize the feelings and thoughts that arise habitually in our lives. Research Problem A literature review indicates that MBSR has been researched quiet extensively in the medical field.The literature shows very promising results with researchers finding significant reductions in stress, anxiety and depression after participants completed MBSR training. 1,2,3, In another study, normal healthy working adults who participated in Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) training, showed improvement in behavioural, psychological, and physiological outcomes measured. This study assessed the effects of a shortened (low-dose [ld]) work-site MBSR intervention (MBSR-ld) on indicators of stress in healthy working adults to determine if results sim ilar to those obtained in traditional MBSR could be demonstrated.Participants were randomized into MBSR-ld and wait-list control groups. Self-reported perceived stress, sleep quality, and mindfulness were measured at the beginning and end of the 6-week intervention. Salivary cortical was assessed weekly. Significant reductions in perceived stress (p = . 0025) and increases in mindfulness (p = . 0149) were obtained for only the MBSR-ld group (n = 22). Scores on the global measure of sleep improved for the MBSR-ld group (p = . 0018) as well as for the control group (p = . 0072; n = 20). There is however at this time no literature available on the effects of teaching MBSR to adolescents, in a school setting as part of the PDHPE curriculum. This research may unlock the door to an exciting field of preventative psychology in youth mental health. What we consider stressful or what causes us to feel ‘mad’, ‘bad’ or ‘sad’ varies from one person to anot her. But any negative state can have a profound effect on the way we function in our day-to-day lives. Left unacknowledged or untreated it can develop into Stress, Anxiety or Depression.Very simply one of the first impacts of practicing mindfulness can be the capacity to move out of an aroused, activated, stressed state into a calmer, reflective more regulated state. This relaxed state – called the parasympathetic state shows in responses such as slowing down of the heart rate, increased expiration, relaxation of the muscles, increased digestive activity and recuperation and rest. Many of us spend time in our sympathetic branch of our nervous system that prepares us for active engagement. It is associated with emotions such as anger, rage and fear as well as joy, excitement and interest.This is commonly known as the fight or flight response, our hard wiring for survival. However ongoing and excessive fight/flight response that is not regulated or modulated can lead to increas ed cortisol levels creating stress and distress. By cultivating in the students an innate capacity to ‘pay attention’ on purpose, in the present moment in a non-judgmental way, we can hopefully decrease overall levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Research Design The study will include both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the efficacy of the MBSR program.The study will include 42 year 9 students, aged 14 -15 years. They will participate in an 8 week program where they will learn techniques of mindfulness and meditation. The course will be taught in conjunction with the personal health and development curriculum (PDHPE). The quantitative part of the research includes two surveys. The surveys will be administered before the training begins, at the completion of the course and then again 6 months later. This methodology is useful as it quantifies variables by making them empirically observable, and makes replication and retesting plausible.Survey 1: The DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire) developed by Peter Lovibond from the University of New South Wales. The DASS is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. The DASS was constructed not merely as another set of scales to measure conventionally defined emotional states, but to further the process of defining, understanding, and measuring the ubiquitous and clinically significant emotional states usually described as depression, anxiety and stress.The DASS should thus meet the requirements of both researchers and scientist-professional clinicians. 5 Survey 2: The Self-Assessment Questionnaire: The MAAS (Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale) is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of dispositional mindfulness, namely, open or receptive awareness of and attention to what is taking place in the present. The scale shows strong psychometric properties and has been validated w ith college, community, and cancer patient samples.Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies have shown that the MAAS taps a unique quality of consciousness that is related to, and predictive of, a variety of self-regulation and well-being constructs. The measure takes 10 minutes or less to complete. 6 Both surveys will be administered electronically and the student response will be anonymous. Although the data gathered will be intra-personal in nature, the trends being assessed will be more general. The data will be analysed electronically and will give me and overall level of the participating student’s self-awareness, depression, anxiety and stress.This will be compared to the surveys conducted at the end of the 8 weeks as well as those in 6 months’ time. The qualitative aspect of the research will be the weekly small discussion groups. As the students move through the training they will have opportunity to give feedback through semi structured inter views. The qualitative information gathered will give me evidence of trends and patterns emerging. I will rely primarily on interviews and observations. â€Å"the analyses produced by qualitative researchers most often are narratives and are based on words used by informants to describe their life experiences. Royce, 2004. Pg 237) In terms of sampling, it would be ideal if I could have a control group in which I could randomly assign half of the group, however unless the control group could have the opportunity to participate in the training at a later stage, this would in fact be unethical and unfair. Given the constraints of a school curriculum, this would also be very difficult. If the initial results coming out of the pilot program were promising then it would be prudent to run the program again with a control group. This would enhance the reliability and validity of the initial results.Data Analysis The study will use qualitative and quantitative research methodology. Creswell (1998, pg 15) defines qualitative research as â€Å"an inquiry process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of inquiry that explore a social or human problem. The researcher builds a complex holistic picture, analyses words, reports detailed views of informants and conducts the study in a natural setting. † The small weekly discussion groups will give me an opportunity to provide detailed and dynamic feedback on both individual and group process.Terre Blanche, Kelly and Durrheim (2006, pg 273-274) describe this as interpretative research, interested in experiences, feelings and meaning. The interviews will be semi structured, and developed according to data collected from the previous week and current literature. All interviews will be transcribed. The intention behind the analysis of the transcripts will be to extract a common narrative There are no costs associated with my research at this time. Ethics and expected Outcomes The children will be give n permission slips and consent forms to take home to be signed by their parents.At all times the welfare of the children will be monitored and they will have access to the support of the school counsellor and the PDHPE staff. All participants will be given a letter explaining the idea behind the program. The online surveys will be anonymous and data transcribed from the semi structured interviews will be anonymous and made available to the students should they wish to see the transcripts. The students will be re-surveyed in 6 months’ time to assess whether the program has had sustainable effects. There are expected short term and long term outcomes for this research.In the short term we hope that the children will learn to meditate and make meditation and mindfulness part of their everyday routine. Obviously we hope they will also reach the goals they set for themselves on a physical level. In the long term we are hoping that the skill that they learn during this 8 week progr am will be the inoculation and thereby increased resilience that they will need for the upcoming stress associated with their HSC (Matric), and all of the other life stressors going forward. Literature Review 1.Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms in cancer outpatients: Linda E. Carlson and Sheila N. Garland 2. A qualitative study of self-perceived effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in a psychosocial oncology setting: Michael J. Mackenzie1, Linda E. Carlson1,2,*, Marleny Munoz1, Michael Speca1,2 Article first published online 28 NOV 2006 3. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer: Cecile A. Lengacher1, Versie Johnson-Mallard1, Janice Post-White2, Manolete S. Moscoso1, Paul B.Jacobsen3, Thomas W. Klein4, Raymond H. Widen4,5, Shirley G. Fitzgerald1, Melissa M. Shelton1, Michelle Barta1, Matthew Goodman6, Charles E. Cox3,4, Kevin E. Kip1,* Article first published online: 20 FEB 2009ne: 28 NOV 2006 4. Effects of Low-Dose Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR-ld) on Working Adults: Maryanna D. Klatt, PhD. College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, klatt. [email  protected] eduJanet Buckworth, PhD. College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus William B. Malarkey, MD. College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus Scales 5. Lovibond, S. H. Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. (2nd. Ed. ) Sydney: Psychology Foundation. ISBN 7334-1423-0. Lovibond, P. F. & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 335-343. 6. Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) Kirk Warren Brown, Ph. D. & Richard M. Ryan, Ph. D. References 1. Cresswell, J. W. (1998) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among 5 traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publishers 2. Kelly, K. 2006) From encounter to text: collecting data in qualitative research. In Terre Blance, M. , & Durrheim,K. , Painter, D. (Eds), Research in Practise (Second Edition). Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press. 3. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduciton/Mindfulness Based Cognitive therapy Course Book. Open Ground Training and Consultancy. Sydney, Australia 4. Royse, D. (2004) Qualitative Research from Research Methods in Social Work, Fourth Edition, Brookes/Cole-Thomson Learning, Pacific Grove, CA, USA. 5. Terre Blance, M. , & Durrheim,K. , Painter, D. (Eds), Research in Practise (Second Edition). Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press.

Is War Ethical Essay

The question, is war ethical, should always be the first question asked and the first question answered before engaging in such a world altering, life changing endeavor. One must be sure that purpose of war is to bring peace. â€Å"That its essential aim is always peace, so if peace is forthcoming in any guise, it is morally critical for all parties to seek a return to a permanent peace rather than a momentary lapse of war† (Moseley). Unfortunately, this is not the mindset of Falcon, one of the charters in The Sirens of Baghdad. He is militant; consumed with Thanatos and with an â€Å"appetite for destruction† (Hedges 251) towards the American troops; Falcon in the event below is determined to deceive and poison the minds of his brethren against the Americans troops. The event with Falcon takes place at the barbershop in Karfr Karam. Falcon and the elders of the town are gathered there, discussing the capture of Saddam by the American force in Iraqi. After some of the elders expressed their gratitude for the Americans capturing Saddam. Falcon takes this opportunity to place his seeds of doubt. He tries to unethically persuade his brethren. He expresses to them that the Americans had no right to go after Saddam and insists that it was the people of Iraqis responsibility. He believed it was because of every Iraqi’s cowardice that Saddam tyrannized them. He references this when he said, â€Å"People have the kings they deserve† (Khadra 32). He then expressed that Saddam may have been a monster but added that he was their monster. Falcon went on to explain that Saddam was one of them and shared their blood. He added that Saddam may have been a tyrant but he was Iraqi and therefore the Americans had no business touching or going after him. Falcon expressed that he would rather have Saddam still in power rather than the infidel American troops in Iraq. Falcon believed it was the Americans’ force, not Saddam that put Iraq in dire straits. Falcon says, â€Å"Look at what they’ve made of our country: hell on earth† (Khadra 33). Falcon’s behavior is fueled by Thanatos just as the behavior of the Islamic clerics was when they were determined to convert their countrymen into devout Muslims. â€Å"They spurned the decadence of the West including what the clerics condemned as the West’s loose sexual mores, drug use and thirst for sensual gratification†(Hedges 260). In that very moment Falcon was purposely lying to demoralize the American troops. He was trying to persuade his audience that the Americans did not come to free Iraq and bring peace. Falcon felt Saddam was an excuse to take Iraq’s resources and pillage their towns and cities. He tried to fill his audience’s minds with doubt and mistrust. He was unethically deceiving his community the same way real life insurgents behave in the Iraqi war. Tariq say’s, â€Å"More and more Iraqis were fooled by the insurgents’ propaganda, and the attacks aimed at Americans and their supporters increased. My country †¦ has suffered greatly from the insurgency, and we have lost many people who believed in the U. S. message† (Abandoned in Iraq). Falcon, just like the real insurgents in Iraq dedicated to their unethical war, chose an unethical path. He spread deceitful lies and led his brethren into the jaws of Tahantos instead of guiding them towards a life of peace and happiness. The next event in The Sirens of Baghdad is fueled by the insurgents’ use of deceitful tactics. In pursuit of their unethical war, they purposely caused innocent lives to be lost in order to create media propaganda to recruit the naive young men of Iraq. They dressed in civilian clothing and hid among the people. They used the innocent women and children for cover and human shields. â€Å"A populace†¦. held hostage by a group of ragged, starving ‘rebels,’ armed with filthy rifles and rocket launchers† (Khadra 76). Their actions and behaviors are very similar to those of the real insurgency and their unethical war in Iraq. An example of this is when they gave young school children realistic toy guns to play with at the very same check points their relatives work at with US troops. This was obviously done to cause innocent bloodshed which, in turn, will create some type of media propaganda for their cause. Specialist Raven Jenks says, â€Å"It’s to train the kids to use real weapons, and also to provoke us into killing civilians† (Iraq’s young Blood). The insurgency uses this unethical tactic to create media propaganda of war. This is for the sole purpose of causing despair and rage within the people of Iraq to brainwash them and turn them against the forces that are sent to help. In the event described below, Yassen is one of the first young men in the Sirens of Baghdad to be won over by this unethical war tactic. The event takes place in the cafe in Kafr Karma. Seeds of doubt and deception have already reached the minds of Kafr Karma’s youth about American troops. Before departing for Bagdad, Sayed, Falcon’s son, purposely left a parting gift of a television for Kafr Karam’s youth at the cafe. He did this in hopes the youth would not forget his message and â€Å"that the young men of Kafra Karam would not lose sight of their country’s tragic reality† (Khadra 74). Along with the seeds of doubt and deception already planted within the young men’s minds, this gift â€Å"proved to be a poisoned chalice† (Khadra 83). It served its purpose well. The youth were griped with the images of war and enraged by the lost of innocent blood shed of their people. They began to sway to the side of the insurgency unethical war; â€Å"applauding successful ambushes and deploring skirmishes that went wrong† (Khadra 84). The young men of Kafr Karam were growing closer to Thanatos everyday and the temptation to â€Å"honor false covenants †¦. and gender† (Hedges 250),such as Saddam, was taking affect. Fully aware of the unethical wrongs Saddam committed, the youth still began to further familiarize themselves with him. Their initial delight for his capture turned to frustration. One of the youth, Yaseen, felt the publicity portraying the capture of Saddam portrayed him as a rat; dirty, confused, unshaven, and exposed to the cameras of the world. Yassen took offense to this and announced â€Å"by humiliating him like that, they were holding up every Arab in the world to public opprobrium† (Khadra 84). Yassen was clearly won over by the insurgency’s propaganda and unethical chose to aid in spreading its lies and deceit. The insurgency’s seed of doubt and deception enforced by their media propaganda enforced their campaign for the loyalty (Hedges 250) and paid off. The insurgency gained a new recruit from Kafr Karam to join their unethical war. The final event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad is a fictional example of the ultimate insanity of the insurgency’s unethical war. The Iraqi insurgency preys on the young men and boys who have been submerse in violence; â€Å"the closest analogy may be to the Taliban in Afghanistan. They offer these orphans of war a different kind of family structure cemented by the bonds of Islam†(Iraq’s Young Blood). These young Iraqis want to belong but more importantly crave purpose. Their minds are impressionable, easy to manipulate and brainwash. Making them the perfect candidates to turn into suicidal human weapons. The event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad bear witness to this product of unethical war. The main character (the narrator) turns himself into human weapon. The final event takes place in Beirut, Lebanon. The narrator has been groomed by his cousin Sayed (a member of the insurgency) since his arrival in Baghdad form Kafr Karam. The narrator, who has longed to become a suicide bomber, now receives his chance. Fully aware of his cousin’s fate, Sayed still makes the unethical decision to offer the narrator the mission. Sayed says, â€Å"you wanted some action†¦. Well, the miracle has taken place†¦. mission is now possible† (Khadra 236). The narrator accepts the unethical mission. Delighted, but aware of the possibility the narrator may change his mind before the mission, Sayed makes the unethical discussion to manipulate his young cousin once again. He says, â€Å"Kafr Karam, the forgotten, will take its place in history† (Khadra 237). Those words send the narrator into a state of purpose and honor. This is evident when he says, â€Å"He had lifted me up into the ranks of those who are revered† (Khadra 237). The narrator has made the unethical choice to become a human weapon.

Food Ethics Essay

The ethics surrounding food hasn’t always been a major contributor in ones decision on what to eat. In the beginning, we would have to physically hunt or gather our meals in order to survive. The choice of what was for breakfast, lunch or dinner solely relied on what was accessible to us. The ethical questions would only come as a result of a modernized food system, where other options for food became accessible and convenient. In the essay Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, the author describes lobsters in New England in the 1800’s as having an â€Å"Unbelievable abundance (238). Read more:  Good people analysis  essay These crustaceous creatures were all over the shores of New England. Wallace writes about the Boston seashore as, â€Å"being littered with lobsters after hard storms†¦ (238). † Yet, Lobster were considered â€Å"low-class† and as Wallace states, â€Å"†¦eaten only by the poor and institutionalized (237). † It was considered unethical to even feed the poor lobster â€Å"†¦more than once a week (238). † This was modernized New England, which eventually changed at the turn of the century, just as Lobster shifted from being â€Å"low class† to â€Å"chewable fuel†. As the world became more industrialized, food became centralized. The shift from small businesses to large companies started to occur. The lobster industry changed as well during these times as Wallace describes, â€Å"Maine’s earliest lobster industry was based around a dozen such seaside canneries in the 1840’s, from which lobster was shipped as far away as California†¦ (238). † Just like the lobster industry in New England, many companies in the United States started to fulfill the demands for products to gain a profit. Ethics became secondary to making money. Corporations would produce so much that they would drive the price down, increasing its affordability and making it more accessible and widely consumed. Eventually, large companies would become so efficient and affordable, that small businesses like farms and mom and pop shops found it increasingly difficult to compete. Many small companies and farms had to either adjust their products to niche markets or work as a subsidiary to these corporations. Along with mass production of products, was a new manufacturing process. Foods started to become streamlined in such a way that they would grow in the harshest of environments. These new forms of industrialization lead to the creation of processed foods. The companies found ways to maximize profits while making the costs as affordable as possible for the consumer. The supermarkets offered everything one could think of, packaged and ready to eat. Although the prices for most foods were at an all-time low, hunger and malnutrition still existed. There were also issues arising regarding consumer trust in food safety, and the effects on the human body. As a result of these cost efficient products, people in the United States started to become increasingly heavy, leading to an obesity epidemic and a major health crisis. The ethical issues involving economical behavior of consumers and agricultural ethics are at question. Is it unethical for corporations to mass produce unhealthy foods, knowing the adverse side effects on the environment and growing rates of obesity in the United States? The trend seemed to lead to, the more affordable the food, the more we consume. Is this a personal problem or are the companies to blame for offering these products to us? We must first look into the goals of a business and if ethics play any part in the obligations to supply our population with affordable food. The very basic objective to any business is to create a profit. This is what allows companies to continue function and thrive. The best way for this to happen is to make something that is sellable and where there is room for profit. In the food industry corn is not only a commodity it’s a common ingredient in almost every product on our shelves. According to Michael Pollan, in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, It is also used to feed most of the animals that become meats in our supermarkets. To say that corn is widely used would be an understatement. It seemed that we couldn’t produce enough of this plant. Not only is our climate great for growing it, we also were able to store it very effectively. The boom in corn production can be traced back to the nineteen seventies. Since those same years, â€Å"†¦American’s average daily intake of calories has jumped by more than 10 percent (Pollan 102). † The reason for this increased caloric intake leaves many to question whether people are eating more because it’s less expensive or people are eating the same amounts but the food contains more calories. Either way, the companies that were producing these items didn’t seem to be bothered by the problem affecting â€Å"three of every five Americans being overweight (Pollan 102). † The truth is that the companies are driven by profits. The Americans who consume these foods create the profits. Additionally, a lot of these companies are traded on the public market and have a responsibility to their shareholders, who subsequently are the same ones buying these foods. So the companies were being driven to make profits for the people invested. Two of the biggest soda companies in the world, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have followed these trends as well. As Pollen says, â€Å"By 1984, Coca-Cola and Pepsi had switched over entirely from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup. Why? Because HFCS was a few cents cheaper than sugar (thanks in part to tariffs on imported sugarcane secured by corn refiners) and consumers didn’t seem to notice the substitution (104). †It’s as if these corn companies were monopolizing the industry, trying to turn-over as much product as possible. The increased production would eventually lead to increased portion sizes. Instead of lowering the prices of products, companies started charging a small upcharge for additional food and soda. This practice of continually turning over product has become so dangerous that now, â€Å"†¦in 2000 the number of people suffering from [overnutrition]-a billion- had surpassed the number suffering from malnutrition-800 million (Pollan 102). † There is clearly something broken with this system. These companies are catering to our consumer appetites and enabling us to act accordingly. You would think that the prices of the food being low would solve our food problems globally, but the answer is unfortunately no. These companies are in places where there is both a market for high sales and where they can grow these crops. Most of the areas that are facing malnutrition are in remote areas of the world. These areas wouldn’t make the companies money and therefor there isn’t an incentive for them. On the other hand, America is of course one of the largest consumer countries in the world. Our desire for food is unsurpassed by most counties. There is no question that Americans have a sweet tooth. It is part of the human makeup to consume high energy foods and is linked to natural selection. According to Pollan, â€Å"Add fat or sugar to anything and it’s going to taste better on the tongue of an animal that natural selection has wired to seek out energy-dense foods (107). † Pollan also suggests that, â€Å"natural selection predisposed us to the taste of sugar and fat (its texture as well as taste) because sugars and fats offer the most energy (which is what a calorie is) per bite (106). It’s only natural for humans to consume these ingredients, because after all we are â€Å"predisposed† to do them. This of course doesn’t mean that we are completely free of blame for our overindulging. We are all individuals and are responsible in formulating our own decisions. The companies which provide us with these calorie-packed foods and beverages also list their nutritional information on the packages. If we were to eat any packaged foods, we would be responsible for understanding the health risks involved. The real problem is whether we have the mental capacity to control our physical urges. There is extensive research that suggests, â€Å"†¦people {presented} with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more (Pollan 106). † At one time in our history, this might have served us. Now, there is no question that our bodies are becoming poisoned from this. Knowing all of this information, companies continue doing their best to offer these calorie-packed foods. This is evident in just about every corner store and fast food restaurant. The ethics concerning public safety and effects on the human body are clear. Companies are only concerned over their ability to raise a profit. Their aim to create profits from the overconsumption of high energy foods has been effective in making Americans unhealthy, while continuing to turn over profits. While the companies are certainly a large part of the problem, the consumers are also to blame. They have enabled this overproduction by continuing to consume the same products making them sick. Additionally, people seem to be ignoring their recommended caloric intakes and are choosing to eat more and more. Companies can only be blamed for producing products with limited nutritional value. They are ethically absolved of their responsibilities if they inform their consumers properly. Their goal is to make profits, not worry whether their consumers are eating the recommended serving size or not. The best way to take control of this issue would to be to consume less and choose healthier options as individuals. The more aware we become as individuals, the healthier we will become as a society.

Exegetical Paper on Christ Hymn Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exegetical on Christ Hymn - Term Paper Example The Christ Hymn and the Early Christian Community In the opinion of Robert J. Karris, there are many possible backgrounds of the hymn as the large number of studies into the New Testament put forth. Some of them are Christ as the Gnostic redeemer, the Suffering Righteous, and finally, the ruler-worship that existed during the Greco-Roman period1. According to Martin and Martin, the early Christian message about Jesus should be considered in the political context of that time. According to the scholars, the teaching had to confront two political ideologies at the same time; the Roman and the Jewish2. An example is the imperial cult of Rome. According to the cult, emperors enjoyed divine sanction of authority. According to Christian apologists and martyrologists, the imperial cult was nothing other than an instrument of pagan impiety. Thus, it is clear that at the time the hymn was composed, Christians were already aware about their association with a godly kingdom when all other group s were in search of a new kingdom that would replace the naked power of Roman kingdom. However, it is rather surprising to note that despite Jesus’ trial, the persecutors are not mentioned in the hymn. The reason for this hiding, according to Martin and Martin is that identifying the persecutors would have resulted in a lot of trouble for the church. If the Jews were blamed, it would diminish all chances of persuading more Jews to join the church, and blaming the Romans would only result in more atrocities3. As R. P. Martin rightly points out, the hymn may have had one meaning in its original form and a totally different meaning in the context of Paul’s letter. For example, there were the Jewish-Christians who possessed over-realised, triumphalistic eschatology. In order to oppose these ‘enemies of cross’, Paul intentionally stresses on the death on a cross. To counter them, Paul put forward the theory of Jesus who took the form of a servant and who emptie d himself and humbled himself4. This Jesus, according to the hymn, did not take advantage of the equality with God. Instead, He took the appearance of a man and was obedient till death. The second point that attracts the readers is the claim that ‘every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord’. To explain why Paul wanted to give Jesus such a cosmic leadership that placed Him above all others, R. P Martin points out the fact that since the time of Second Isaiah, it was common for various sectors of Judaism to consider various figures as closely related to, and sometimes equal to, God. Such figures were often considered as divine attributes, patriarchs or angels. Thus, the Christ hymn went one step ahead of them by giving Christ such a cosmic leadership that is above and beyond all other figures. As already said ‘every knee should bow and every tongue should acknowledge tat Jess is the Lord ’. According to R. P Martin, it is this need that made the composers of the hymn switch from the monotheistic God of Isaiah to Jesus. Another explanation is that the hymn was very vital for the early Christians to stay firm on their belief under the raw power of the Roman empires. In order to show how tolerant Jesus was, the hymn introduced a Jesus who decided to take the nature of a servant and humbled him by being

Inventory Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Inventory Management - Essay Example that idle stock that is held by an entity for fulfilling future transactions, then considering planes as inventory at London’s Heathrow Airport, then, the head of operations have various ways of improving the inventory flow into the airport. Reducing the time spent by the planes in the run way is such one option. Through the reduction of the time spent by individual plane on the runway, an opportunity is created to increase the number of planes landing and taking off, consequently improving the rate of passenger arrival and departure, which goes a long way in increasing the cash flow into the airport and consequently the revenues earned (Tempelmeier, 24). Scheduling planes for arrival and departure is yet another aspect of inventory management for planes, which serves to ensure that the planes does not compete for available resources such as runways or the passengers, when all of them arrives or wants to depart at the same time. Having a system, which clearly indentifies the w hereabouts of the planes, is another aspect of inventory management, which helps in communicating with the plane, reducing the chances of delays (Tempelmeier, 29). Considering the passengers as a unit of inventory, then, managing them becomes necessary to ensure there is effective arrival and departure from the airport, without having any delays or time wastage. The management of passengers as inventory requires the scheduling of arrival and departure time differently, to ensure that there is no congestion of passengers in the airport, which is likely to cause confusions and delays in clearances (Tempelmeier, 16). Designing different entry and exit routes for the passengers to and from the airport will serve to ensure that the arriving passengers and the boarding ones do not meet at any point within the airport, effectively improving the efficiency of traffic flow. Scheduling the earliest and the latest time that passengers should arrive in the airport is another aspect of inventory

Economic Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Theory - Essay Example The Keynesian economic theory involves stimulation of the economy to encourage people to spend. This is achievable either through government investment in infrastructure or a decrease in interest rates. An increase in income results in more spending, which results in more production and spending. The cycle continues, as there is more income and the ability to spend more money. In consequence, the original government investment results in a ripple reaction that involves economic activity. Obama is largely a Keynesian economist because of his strategies in economy stimulation. The move by the government to increase money supply, or purchase products in the market by itself is beneficial because it increase spending. The concept of equilibrium in unregulated markets creates a capitalist economy that has several flaws. There is a need to leverage assets by real creation of wealth, which increases economic productivity, instead of through debt. It is evident, following the recent bubble, that reliance on equilibrium is detrimental to economic growth and productivity. The Keynesian economic theory is the best because the government is the only economic actor than can favorably supply credit and demand for economic

Managing peple in practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing peple in practice - Essay Example The increasing level of competition and the continuous exposure of the businesses to the different dynamics of the external global business environment have made it more necessary to concentrate on managing, guiding, developing and supporting the most valuable resource of a company which is the human resources base. This essay discusses that performance and efficiency of employees and their dedication towards organizational goals are driven by effective HRM practices at workplace. The essay also evaluates and discusses the major impact of effectiveness of good or bad leadership on the sustainable growth of failure of the organization within an industry. Google Inc. is an American multinational specialized in computer and internet related products and services like search engines, cloud computing, software systems, online advertising technologies etc. This company is chosen as the selected company for discussing the management of people resource because Google inc. is one of the most renowned companies in the world from the perspective of employee management. The ways in which Google inc. has managed and motivated its diverse employee group and work culture to build on sustainability, innovation and success are discussed in the following sections of the essay. The essay is concluded by documenti ng the findings from the analysis as well as by highlighting the significant points of human resource management as identified from the discussion. Google Inc. was ranked as the best company to work for in the Fortune magazine’s list of best employers in 2007, 2008 and 2012. The company was listed as the fourth best company to work for in the same magazine’s list in 2009 and 2010. Also, Google Inc. has been nominated as the most attractive employing company for the graduate students as per the index prepared and presented by the Universum Communications talent attraction index. The corporate philosophy of Google Inc. itself is representative

Ethics in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Ethics in Criminal Justice - Essay Example When one thinks of ethics and the attorney, it is nearly always theorized that the defense attorney bends/breaks the most ethical/moral rules. However, this could not be further from the truth. In effect, the defense attorney has a very clear function; to represent the accused and seek to have the accused acquitted or at the very least to have his/her sentence diminished. What is more, the moral and ethical responsibility in performing this job lies in the fact that regardless of the guilt or the nature of the crime, it is the attorney’s role to defend the client in all matters. Therefore, in order to perform such a function in an ethical and moral way, the attorney must actively engage to work for the benefit of those he/she represents. A complicating ethical/moral factor for the defense attorney lies in the fact that he/she may be working to set free a criminal that should be forced to serve a sentence for the crime they have perpetrated. Furthermore, the defense attorney faces a moral/ethical dilemma with regards to the victim and their friends/family/representatives. In attempting to lessen the sentence or acquit the accused, the defense attorney is understood to disrespect whatever loss that the victim’s family/friends may have experienced. Therefore, actively working to undermine the sense of closure that effective justice might bring these parties further complicates the roles and responsibilities of the defense attorney. Similarly, the prosecuting attorney has the much more ethically/morally complicated job. This is due to the fact that the prosecuting attorney is tasked with seeking to indemnify all those cases that come before him/her. Secondly, the ethical/moral responsibility and conviction of the prosecutor is further blurred by the fact that the state/entity that they represent may likely be willing to lessen or reduce a given sentence regardless

Persuasive memo Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persuasive memo - Coursework Example rse was specifically created to cater the needs of the busy individuals such as myself as the courses are designed for weekend class attendance and internet correspondence between the professor and the student during weekdays. As such, I do not expect any scheduling conflicts to arise between my work schedule and class hours. Upon my completion of the course, I plan to offer myself up to the company as a trainer for incoming agents who will be answering the email inquiries of the Cignal clients. I will be able to transfer my knowledge of proper writing habits and presenting oneself through the written word which is a skill that most of our agents still need to perfect. The company will be able to save thousands of dollars in hiring outside trainers once I complete the course. We will be able to create our own in house training system using the knowledge I will be gaining and therefore, offer the company continuous savings in terms of agent training. I have been a part of Cignal for the past 5 years and I have always taken every opportunity to help advance the business of our company. It is my greatest hope that you will find me worthy of financial support in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) so that I can continue to further hone my skills for the benefit of our

Personal Statement and Additional Information Essay

Personal Statement and Additional Information - Essay Example My inquisitive mind, I believe, is the reason for my inclination towards sciences, especially engineering and research in particular, which has immensely shaped my career. I have been involved directly with chemical engineering over the last four years and have been greatly motivated to pursue a career in chemical engineering research. The chemical engineering coursework which I did for my undergraduate studies gave impetus to my strong desire in me towards research in engineering. The core courses in chemical engineering such as Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Chemical Reaction Engineering and transport phenomena along with the course on Unit Operations have given me a basic foundation of knowledge in chemical engineering. I have worked on various research projects and have come to conclude that the effort and resources spent in conducting research on product development is worthwhile only if there is benefit to the consumers. It is against this background that I seek to embark on studies to improve my research skills in a bid to contribute meaningfully to the society and economy. I therefore decided to integrate my research in chemical engineering with many business related courses as much as possible especially with a bias towards economics to develop a sound understanding of economic impacts on conducting research on product development. Thus, I was motivated to complete courses like Economics, Managerial Economics as well as Financing Economic Development. I have experience in conducting research and my first major project was at Unilever Research India Limited, one of India’s most respected companies in the FMCG sector. I was among one of the privileged top five students in the chemical engineering department selected to participate in the project. Their Department of Corporate Research focuses on developing existing commercial products currently on the market or developing new ones. My

Working With Groups of Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Working With Groups of Children - Essay Example The deductions from the study revealed that children develop excellent communication skills from the group interactions with regard to the level of development of the children (Wilson, 2008, 87). These children have an easy time in conceptualizing ideas of their colleagues hence this makes the learning of various communication skills through interaction with their fellow colleagues smooth. This is because they have already grasped communication styles and techniques necessary for communication. This shows that the children can gain more from an objective and resourceful interaction from mature persons and their fellow colleagues too (Grossman, 2005, 39). However, the children peg their friendship on the physique and the closeness of their friends. The environment in which the children are operating, and the people the child interacts with are vital in gauging the progress in the development of communication skills through small group interactions. For instance if a child is subjected to harsh people and bad environmental conditions while learning, the child will retreat hence no learning will occur. On the other hand, when a child interacts with a charismatic and friendly pe ople, he or she is likely to open up and will learn ideas presented to him or her. It was found that the environment also a determining factor in the development of a child’s communication skills (Machado, 2012, 97). Another aspect of interaction among children is that same sex children are more likely to learn from each other more easily than children of the opposite sex. This improves their social life because they socialize with less difficulty and losing such attachment slows a child’s social development and communication skill development. Moreover, this may lead to self-centeredness in a child .At this age, children learn from each other through imitation and they agitate to show their psychosocial, emotional and cognitive skills.

Make Educating Girls a Priority Essay Example for Free

Make Educating Girls a Priority Essay The article emphasizes on providing education to every eligible girl in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It highlights that a girl who takes birth in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa has to undergo desperate hardships such as poverty, disease, war or famine. Apart from that, she will also have to confront the disadvantage of being a girl. There is no culture, country and continent that are destitute of inequality. The root cause of girls not getting education is the cultural norms and economic hardships, which parents face. There is a norm of single-sex schooling in poor Muslim countries like Pakistan, Yemen, and Morocco and in the problem is that rural areas of those countries can afford only one public school that can be set for girls only. The inequality between girls and boys exist heavily in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and almost all of those countries come under the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). One way for these countries to head towards economic development is by making educating girls a priority. Making separate schools in places where girls and boys are educated separately is one solution. It is believed that by building girls schools, the education gap can be eliminated to a great extent. Policymakers can strengthen the incentives for parents to send their daughters to school by setting the no-fee policy. However, in economics, nothing is for free. There is always someone or something that pays for it. A no-fee policy may be brought about by taking a portion of the peoples taxes. Another thing the policymakers can do is provide stipend for girls who enroll in girls school. This would surely increase the girls enrolment rate as the graph below indicates that the fall in fees from f to f1 will lead to an increase in the enrolment rate from e to e1. Providing every eligible girl in South Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa would contribute towards the countrys development because major studies of growth conclude that improved knowledge, higher efficiency, and better education play a vital role in the functioning and productivity of an economy. The World Bank has pointed towards human development which they believe better education, and family planning can promote development as effectively as capital investment in physical plant. As the article states that 99% of the 529,000 women who die annually from pregnancy related hurdles come from developing countries and the reason for that is the lack of education for women in those countries. Uneducated women do not know the severe malnutrition and prenatal care during pregnancy which puts both the child and the mother at serious risk. Expenditure on human capital better educated, health, and nutrition tends to reduce birth-rates and infant mortality. The women will be educated and will be able to effectively take part in family planning as she will be aware of the consequences. Having a controlled population means a positive result in the GNP per capita which is the result of subtracting the population growth rate from the GNP growth rate. Educating the girls will privilege them to be able to raise their child effectively in a civilized manner. Educated women will be aware of dangers such as HIV/AIDS, poor sanitary habits and poor dietary habits. So basically they will be aware of the environment around them and above all they will know their rights and therefore fully stand up for themselves. So, educating the girls would not only benefit themselves but the society as a whole as well. So education helps the overall population and on a larger scales the whole world. Apart from giving a country an efficient work force, education makes the individual able to read, write, and communicate. When the people in a society are capable to bring forth their views, opinions and debates, it brings a social change and the changing attitudes of people may achieve a number of developmental aims. Providing education to the girls would also add to the countrys labor force which would definitely lead to an increase in economic growth. Therefore an economic development would shift the countrys Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) curve to the right as shown in the graphs below. In my opinion, I would say that providing education to girls in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa by building single-sex schools is a much appreciated step because of the numerous benefits it will contribute to the world. However it has to be taken into consideration that in some parts of the world providing co-education is unacceptable for example the northern areas of Pakistan. Therefore single-sex education will be a much better choice as it will be acceptable and also appreciated. However, single sex education is said to be not as beneficial as the co-education because in co-education pupils of both gender get to interact with each other and learn much more than they can in single education. But single sex education will be the only choice that can be perused in areas where co-education is not allowed. Although building single-sex schools will have an opportunity cost as the government will have to sacrifice something in order to afford the cost of building schools, but I would say it is all worth it. When the girls of a country are educated they will definitely add to the countrys work force and educating girls means educated women in the country which means that they will know how to properly raise their children and nurture them. There are many benefits which the country will have from providing education to the girl. There are short term benefits as well as long term benefits. More emphasis will be on the long term benefits as you know that it will take time before the women of the country will all be educated and it will take time to have an impact of providing education to girls on countrys women literacy rate. I also found the idea proposed in the article by the policymakers about handing the money to the mother of the school-going girl, instead the men. Handing the money to the women is a very effective and well-thought idea as mothers are more concerned about their childrens health and nutrition.

Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher

Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher The poem Poet, lover, birdwatcher displays Ezekiels views on poets problems. Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher is one of the better known poems of Ezekiel and has received considerable critical attention. The message of them poem is clear, The best poets wait for words: the best poets began to write poetry only when they are truly inspired. It epitomizes the poets search for a poetics which would help him redeem himself in his eyes and in the eyes of god. Parallelism is drawn between the poet, the lover and the birdwatcher. All the three have to wait patiently in their respective pursuits, indeed their waiting is a sort of strategy. Ezekiel attempts to define the poem in terms of a lover and the birdwatcher. There is a close resemblance among them in search for love, bird and word. All the three became one in spirit, and Ezekiel expresses this in imagery noted for its precision and decorum: The hunts is not an exercise of will But patient love relaxing on a hill To note the movement of a timid wing There is no action, no exercise of will in the three cases, but patient waiting is itself strategy, a kind of planned action to reach the goal. The hunt is search for birds or the desire to win a womens heart. Patient love relaxing on hill is to assume an attitude of patience and relaxation while watching birds or women. A timid wing is a transferred epithet where the idea of a bird being timid is suggested. Until the one who knows that she is loved is for the man to wait for the woman to respond to his love out of her own accord, and should not force him upon her. In this poem poet finds his moral proved, who never spoke before his spirit moved. The first section opens with a reference to pace which is taken up in the second section by slow movement. The lines weave in and out of the three fields and emerge as single morals learnt. The first stanza refers to physical love and suggests how to win women. Women are treated as birds of prey. Making love is like the experience of hunting. Right weapons are to be chosen like appropriate words used by the poet. The lover manipulates the situation in such a manner that the women cannot resist but surrender at the cost of being blamed. The second stanza stresses the fact that slow movement is good. One has to go to remote place just as one has to discover love in a remote place like the hearts dark floor. It is there, that women look something more than their body, and that they appear like myths of light. And the poet, in zigzag movements, yet with a sense of musical gladness, manages to combine sense and sound. At the end of his wait, the poetic word appears in the concrete and sensuous form of a woman, who knows that she is loved and who surrenders to her lover at once. In this process, poetry and love, word and woman become intertwined. But this slow movement of love and poetry which shows no irritable haste to arrive at meaning does not come by easily. In order to possess the vision of the rarer birds of his psyche, the poet has to go through the deserted lanes of his solitary, private life; he has to walk along the primal rivers of his consciousness in silence, or travel to a far off shore which is like the hearts dark floor. The poet, then, gloats on the slow curving movements of the women, both for the sake of their sensuousness and the insight they bring. All three are hunters, we are told: ironically none are going to devour what they succeed to hunt. The poem conducts a lesson through comparisons between the three poets, lover and birdwatcher. Poet is placed first in the title and in the poem he comes last. The differentiated placement is suggestive of who is learning and who becomes a lesson. Lover and birdwatcher are illustrative cases for the poet to learn the craft of poetry. The last two lines of both the sections indicate that the moral to be learnt is for the poet. The poem is well-structured poem in two regular stanzas having the rhyme pattern a b b a a c d c d d in each of them. It has a casual, conversational opening with a direct address to the poets, urging them to patiently wait for words as does a birdwatcher for birds and a lover for his ladylove. The idea of labour and hard-work is implied here with regard to a bird watcher in search of rare birds and to a poet in search of the right words. And there the women slowly turn around, not only flesh and bone but myths of light: Only after undergoing an arduous journey may the lover get some response from the woman. The woman then becomes for him not just a being of flesh and blood, but appears as a radiant spirit which is not so much real, but mythical and imaginary. She is no longer a mere physical presence. The poet has thus glorified love as well as the woman who eventually responds to a mans love.

The chemistry of drug metabolism

The chemistry of drug metabolism Introduction To describe and explain the chemistry of drug metabolism a basic foundation of knowledge is needed to understand the concepts. Metabolism is one of the methods for analysing the effect of drugs or xenobiotics on the body. It is basically a process of converting lipophilic drugs into more hydrophilic drugs to decrease pharmacological effect and increase subsequent hepatic or renal elimination. So it is essentially a process of inactivation and detoxification of a drug and subsequent elimination of the metabolite formed. The basic knowledge involves the all time classical reactions such as oxidation and reduction and those more advanced reactions including glucuronidation and sulfation. Despite energy being needed to drive such reactions to be in favour, metabolism cannot occur without the complex nature of enzymes catalysing the process. However, metabolism of drugs in human is not solely dependent on the enzymes alone it can be affected by natural micro flora in the small intestines. In an in vitro experiment conducted on ranitidine, it was found that N-oxide was cleaved and is therefore a source of drug metabolism. An alteration in the population of micro flora can affect the of drugs efficacy this is a source of interaction between antibiotics and Microgynon ®. Furthermore, some drugs are bioactivated by metabolism to form active metabolites with a desirable pharmacological function i.e. prodrugs. Unfortunately metabolism can transform an inactive drug or xenobiotic into a biologically active compound which can be carcinogenic to humans. Phenol is a readily formed metabolite of benzene metabolism before catechol and hydroquinone 3,6 which poses a major health concern for humans because it can cause acute myelogenous leukaemia 6 As the great founding father of medicine Paracelsus once said â€Å"all drugs are poison†. Therefore humans and animals have adapted many mechanisms for detoxifying xenobiotics, and these processes are divided into two phases phase I and phase II. It is important to bear in mind that some phase II reactions can occur without phase I metabolism, but phase I and phase II reactions are complimentary and not mutually exclusive. This report describes the chemical reactions of drug metabolism and explains how they occur in vivo. 3.0 Phase 1 Phase 1 metabolism involves the direct enzyme activity on drugs P450 isoform enzymes and esterases are responsible for reduction and hydrolysis of drugs respectively. Each P450 isoenzymes genetic expression varies and can either be inhibited or induced. Knowledge of these drivers of metabolism is essential not only to optimise the use of drugs, reduce harm, maximise benefits in poly pharmacy but also to serve as a template for novel drug development10. P450 and esterase enzymes are mainly found in the liver. Phase I metabolism consists of 3 main reactions: oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis. 3.1 Oxidation 3.1.1 P450 mono oxygenase system 3.1.2 Other oxidation reactions 3.2 Reduction reactions Reduction reactions are mainly interconversion reactions that occur in azo, nitro and epoxide groups and conversion of carbonyl to its corresponding alcohol. Reduction reactions are carried out in the body by P450 isoenzymes, NADH/NADPH reduction systems, carbonyl reductase or aldo-ketone reductase. Azo compounds are generally used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Reduction of an azo group is a classical example of a reduction metabolic reaction. This reaction occurs in the presence of other enzymes and is inhibited in the presence of molecular oxygen. Mechanism of Azo reduction Azo reduction can also occur in the presence of NADH/NADPH system alone within the pH range 3.5-6.08. An azo group can either be reduced by 2 hydrogens to form hydrozo compounds or 4 hydrogens to form two aromatic amines which usually results in a colour loss10 Mechanism of Nitro reduction Nitro groups also undergo reduction reactions and these are catalysed by the same NADP systems. 6 e- are donated to the NO2 to form amine functional groups as in chloramphenicol. This then undergoes acetylation conjugation in phase II metabolism. Conversion of carbonyl to corresponding alcohols Many different enzymes have been identified that catalyse carbonyl reduction of xenobiotics, but most of them catalyse other endogenous substances including sugars and prostaglandins7 Oracin, an anticancer drug with a pro-chiral carbon is metabolised by 11 ÃŽ ²-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I in the microsomes. These metabolites are stereo specific to form DHO7 as shown below in figure 3.2.4. Much of what is known about Oracin metabolism is from phase II clinical trials as its not licensed for use in chemotherapy yet. Mechanism of epoxide reduction This reaction is catalysed by microsomal epoxide hydrolase, a catalytic triad that consists of His 431, Asp226 and Glu 404. Their activity is limited because of a narrow hydrophobic tunnel in the active site and water. A water molecule ionises to form a OH and H+ OH attacks the oxirane ring and thus opens it resulting in formation of vicinal dihydrodiol. This reaction is slow in vitro without acid but in this case epoxide hydrolase catalyses the reaction. Vicinal diols formed are more water soluble thereby terminating genotoxic potential. Hydrolysis Most hydrolysis reactions occur at the ester and amide functional groups, with ester more prone to hydrolysis than amide. Amides are more stable than esters because nitrogen is similar to carbon in size, but less electronegative than oxygen so electrons are pulled into the carbonyl Ï€ electron systems which stabilise its structure. The ease of hydrolysis of esters is used in the development of prodrugs to avoid first pass metabolism, a major problem in orally administered drugs. In vivo hydrolytic metabolism of drugs occurs in the presence of enzymes present in various parts of the body. Hydrolysis of drugs and xenobiotics is generally carried out by esterases mainly in the plasma and intestine and not by P450 systems. The blood, GI tract and liver have the highest hydrolysing capacity. The most significant hydrolysing enzymes are carboxylesterases, cholinesterases, arylesterases and serine endopeptidases. Carboxylesterase is one of the major esterases involved in drug metabolism and xenobiotic biotransformation of drugs with esters, amide and thioester functional groups. In figure 3.0 hydrolysis of ester bond results in benzoylecgonine, a carboxylic acid metabolite. But this is not the only ester group present in the structure. The group present next to the benzene can also undergo metabolism to form benzoic acid. Cocaine in the presence of heroine can generate the toxic metabolite cocaethylene in the presence of alcohol, from concomitant cocaine abuse. Carboxylesterase exists in two different forms hCE1 and hCE2. hCE1 is a more effective metabolic enzyme which transports protein to the endoplasmic reticulum and processes fatty acids and cholesterol in the liver alongside other cholesterol enzymes. The general mechanism of drug hydrolysis in esters and amides is by nucleophilic acyl substitution reactions as shown in figure 3.2.6. Minor structural differences exist between heroine and its metabolites, but their activity differs. Heroin (diamorphine) is converted by hydrolysis to 6-acetylmorphine and morphine. hCE1 mainly cleaves the 3-acetyl linkage to form 6-acetylmorphine. The 6-acetyl linkage is cleaved which later forms morphine with a phenolic -OH and secondary allylic -OH. Diloxanide furorate is a drug of choice and an antiparasitic agent for treating asymptomatic patients with E. histolytica cysts in the faeces and cryptosporidiosis, an acute intestinal amoebiaosis in HIV patients. The drug is orally administered and extensively metabolised by gastro intestinal esterase to form diloxanide and furoic acid, thereby diminishing its effectiveness. This problem is modified by using cyclodextrin that prevents excessive hydrolysis of the drug. Carboxylesterases ability to form a stable complex enhances its presence in the blood and makes it ideal for treating cocaine overdose. It is also considered that as an active site for drugs, this would make it ideal for drug discovery e.g. sarin and VX gas. 4. Phase II Conjugation pathway The phase II conjugation pathway is often a detoxification mechanism. It terminates drug pharmacological activity by changing or masking functional groups in the parent drug or phase I metabolite into a more ionic polar product which aids excretion. The processes that commonly occur in phase II metabolism can be fundamentally divided into 3 groups which are glucuronidation, sulfation and acetylation. The nature and functional group of a drug molecule will determine which one of these processes be in favour e.g. acetaminophen undergoes both glucuronidation and sulfation, however at high doses glucuronidation predominates and at low doses sulfation predominate (Airpine Choonara, 2009). 4.1. Conjugation with sugars Conjugation with various sugars is possible in nature, and novel pathways for xenobiotic metabolism are discovered frequently (Ikenakaa, Ishizakab, Miyabaraa, 2007). However the most important reaction in humans is glucuronidation. 4.1.1 Glucuronidation Glucuronidation is essentially conjugation of a substrate with ÃŽ ±-D-glucuronic acid, shown in figure 4.1.1.1. As the name suggests, glucuronic acid is a derivative of glucose with the 6th carbon being oxidised to a carboxylic acid group. This in combination with the many hydroxyl groups gives glucuronic acid a solubility of 1g/10mL in cold water, which the British Pharmacopeia would class as â€Å"freely soluble† (British Pharmacopeia Commission, 2009) Glucuronic acid is present in vivo as the co-factor uridine 5-diphosphate-glucuronic acid (UDP-glucuronic acid). The reaction of UDP-glucuronic acid with a xenobiotic substrate is catalysed by the enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) (Kaeferstein, 2009), and an example of a glucuronidation reaction is shown in figure 4.1.1.2 Figure 4.1.1.2 demonstrates how glucuronidation can occur with a xenobiotic containing an acceptor nucleophilic group (for example COOH, SH or NH2, but in this case OH) (Kaeferstein, 2009) (Sakaguchi, Green, Stock, Reger, King, 2004). The lone pair of electrons on the hydroxyl group attacks at the 1st carbon of the pyranose ring, which is activated because of the adjacent electron-withdrawing oxygens, in an SN2 nucleophilic substitution reaction. The UDP glycosidic bond is cleaved off owing to the good leaving group properties of the phosphate group, and the xenobiotic has reacted with the glucuronic acid to form a ÃŽ ²-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid conjugate. Note that the reaction is known to be SN2 because the formation of an intermediate leads to an inversion of stereochemistry at the anomeric carbon. The resulting glucuronide conjugate has improved solubility due to the hydroxyl and carboxylate groups, and is usually excreted in the urine, although there is evidence to suggest that conjugates with a high molecular weight are eliminated in the bile. However the glucuronides undergo some important reactions within the body which affects their metabolism. A spontaneous intramolecular reaction can lead to esterification of the glucuronide, as shown in figure 4.1.1.4. The newly formed ester carbonyl is capable of reacting with the N-terminal of a protein residue to form a stable imine, i.e. this can lead to irreversible protein binding. Alternatively, depending on which species the glucuronic acid is bound to, nucleophilic substitution can again occur and the xenobiotic will react with the N-terminal of the protein and regenerate free glucuronic acid (Zamek-Gliszczynski, Hoffmaster, Nezasa, Brouwer, 2006). Pharmaceutical companies may therefore try to avoid designing drugs which are predicted to be metabolised by the glucuronidation pathway, not just to increase the half-life of the drug by avoiding conjugation and excretion but also to avoid the potential side-effects that can occur as a result of protein binding, such as cirrhosis of the liver. Interestingly, glucuronidation can also lead not just to metabolites that lose their therapeutic use and are toxic, but some glucuronides can continue to be pharmacologically active and may even be more potent than their parent drug. Morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) is one such example. M6G and morphine are both potent analgesics M6G, despite having been conjugated with a large polar molecule, still binds strongly to ÃŽ ¼ opioid receptors to provide pain relief to the same extent as morphine. Morphine-3-glucuronide, another metabolite, binds preferentially to NMDA receptors instead, and causes allodynia, myoclonus and seizures (the side-effects associated with opiate usage). Morphine and codeine are so far the only known examples of glucuronides with high activity (Kaeferstein, 2009). 4.2. Glutathione conjugation Glutathione serves as a substrate for electrophilic drugs because of the nucleophilic thiol moiety on the cysteine residue (thus glutathione can be referred to in reaction pathways as simply GSH). GSH conjugation therefore involves a nucleophilic attack of the sulphur atom onto drugs with electrophilic carbon atoms, i.e. those bound to good leaving groups such as halogens, sulphate and nitro, as well as activated carbon atoms in ring strained systems such as epoxides and ß-lactones (Zamek-Gliszczynski, Hoffmaster, Nezasa, Brouwer, 2006). Conjugation leads to a thioether bond being formed between GSH and the drug molecule. Following this reaction, conjugates are typically metabolised further to yield more polar molecules which are better excreted in the urine and bile (Zamek-Gliszczynski, Hoffmaster, Nezasa, Brouwer, 2006). Figure 4.2.4 shows the possible biotransformation reactions of a glutathione conjugate. Transpeptidase and peptidase convert glutamate to NH2 and remove glycine, respectively. NH2 is then a target for N-acetylation (mentioned in section 4.4). Alternatively, two molecules of glutathione can react together to form a disulfide bridge, in the process donating hydrogen atoms to reduce another molecule. This is usually utilised in vivo when glutathione acts as an antioxidant (Forman, Zhang, Rinna, 2009), but also plays a part in drug metabolism as seen in the denitrification of the antianginal drug, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) in figure 4.2.5 (Ji, Anderson, Bennett, 2009). To reiterate, GSH reacts with highly electrophilic species in the body. This prevents drugs with electrophilic groups from attacking important nucleophilic centres in biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, which could lead to toxicity. This is explored further in section 5 where the consequences of insufficient glutathione conjugation of paracetamol metabolites are looked at. 4.3. Sulfation Sulfation is one of the classical processes of phase II metabolism. It allows the biotransformation of numerous xenobiotics and metabolites from phase 1 (shown in figure 4.3.1) to be sulphate conjugates. This gives protection against toxicity or the potential toxic effects from the numerous xenobiotics and metabolites not being conjugated. It also produces more polar, more water soluble metabolites, which means they are more easily and readily excreted in urine or bile. The sulphate conjugate possesses such advantageous properties by having a low pKa, allowing an increased aqueous solubility and excretion. It is an important reaction for drugs and hormones that contain the phenolic functional group to be metabolised by conjugation to a sulphate group examples include steroid hormones, catecholamines, neurotransmitters, thyroxine, bile acids and phenolic drugs. Examples of drugs and xenobiotics with a phenolic group attached: The chemistry behind the sulfation conjugation reaction emphasizes the important key features of the system. This includes the two enzymes sulfatase and sulfotransferase, alongside the co factor 3†²-phosphoadenosine 5†²-phosphosulfate (3†²-phosphoadenylylsulfate, PAPS) which plays an important role in sulfation conjugation. The availability of PAPS and its precursor inorganic sulphate determines the reaction rate as the total amount of sulphate is limited and can be readily used up. PAPS is formed enzymatically by ATP and inorganic sulphate. The enzyme sulfotransferase transfers the active sulphate from PAPS to the xenobiotic or a phase 1 metabolite forming the sulphate conjugate (VL Verdugo D, 2004). Sulphate conjugation is a reaction principally of phenols and to a lesser extent alcohols to form highly ionic polar sulphates. Sulphate conjugation is also important for steroids because steroid sulphates are not capable of binding to their receptor and so this reduces its biological activity. Sulfation of alcohol generates a good leaving group and can be an activation process for alcohols to produce a reactive electrophilic species. Mechanism of sulfation conjugation an electrophilic substitution reaction: The oxygen of the OH has a negative inductive effect on the benzene ring so it withdraws electrons towards it making it a more reactive nucleophile It attacks the electrophilic sulphur of the sulphate group of PAPS The hydrogen of the OH bond leaves in exchange for the sulphate group and UDP acts as a good leaving group This forms the sulphate conjugate which is soluble and readily excreted via the kidneys 4.4. Acetylation Conjugation Acetylation is also an important reaction in phase II metabolism as the majority of drugs contain a primary amine functional group. It is a major route for the biotransformation of hydrazine and aromatic amines. This means that acetylation of the arylamine or phase 1 metabolites can occur more easily to reduce their biological activity (Garcia-Galan Diaz-Cruz, 2008). The limitation of acetylation is that it produces conjugates that are less water soluble (Zamek-Gliszczynski, Hoffmaster, Nezasa, Brouwer, 2006) as well as it does not work for drugs containing secondary amine groups. The aim of acetylation is to convert the primary amine moiety into an amide because amides are more stable as peptide bonds are more resistant to hydrolysis. Like glucuronidation and sulfation this reaction is highly specific because of the nature of the enzyme involved. The main players of acetylation conjugation are N-acetyltransferase and the co factor acetyl Coenzyme which is a thioester . The reactio n undergoes electrophilic substitution similar to Friedal-Craft acylation. The NH2 attached to the aromatic ring makes it much more reactive and electron donating. NAT helps to transfer the acetyl group (CH3CO) obtained from Co enzyme A (CH3COSCoA) to conjugate with the drug at the amine site forming the amide bond. H-SCo-enzyme acts as a good leaving group. Mechanism of acetylation conjugation: The lone pairs of the nitrogen of the primary amine of sulphonamide attack the carbonyl carbon of the acetyl group of the acetyl coenzyme A. In this reaction nitrogen acts as a nucleophile, donating the pair of electrons to the electrophilic carbonyl carbon. The carbonyl carbon (ÃŽ ´+) is activated by the electron withdrawing oxygen (ÃŽ ´-) making it more susceptible to nucleophilic attack. This forms a temporary tetrahedral intermediate, which falls back to form an amide bond and SH-CoA acts as a leaving group. As a result the acetyl conjugation of sulphonamide is formed, and this is readily excreted via the kidneys. 4.5 Stereo selectivity Stereo selectivity is classed as a fundamental aspect of drug metabolism ever since the tragic case of the drug thalidomide. This has provided a broader knowledge on the understanding of drugs and xenobiotics and also the importance of their stereochemistry properties. As mentioned in section 4.1.1 (glucuronidation), drug metabolism may lead to stereochemistry inversion of substrates during the various reactions that occur. An example of how the understanding of stereochemistry in xenobiotic metabolism has practical applications can be seen with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen. It has been found that in vitro, only the S-isomer is pharmacologically active in inhibiting cyclooxygenase enzymes. However in vivo the metabolism of ibuprofen is complex, involving glucuronidation at the acyl group and hydroxylation at the 2 and 3 positions, but most importantly the metabolism of the 2 enantiomers differs because there is a unidirectional enzymatic conversion of the R-isomer to the active S-isomer. (Chang, et al., 2008). The metabolism of ibuprofen is summarised in figure 4.5.2. For this reason drug manufacturers typically produce a racemic mixture of ibuprofen for administration to patients, since the R-isomer will be converted within the body, and producing an enantiomerically pure sample would be needlessly expensive. 5. Micellaneous Amino acid conjugation is important for metabolising, solubilising and eliminating carboxylic acids through the urine because it produces very soluble conjugates. Amino acid conjugation mechanism e.g. benzoic acid (Xu, et al., 2007): The carboxylic group of the benzoic acid is first activated by ATP to the AMP ester This is then converted to the corresponding coenzyme A thioester with CoASH. These first two steps are catalysed by acyl Coenzyme A synthase enzyme The appropriate amino acid N-acyltransferase then catalyses the condensation of amino acid and Coenzyme A thioester to form the amino acid conjugate. Methylation conjugation: Even though it is not a common reaction for most drugs and xenobiotics, it is worth mentioning methylation because it is the most common biochemical reaction for endogenous compounds such as catecholamines (Strous, et al., 2009). Methylation plays a key role in the inactivation of amines such as norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine and histamine, and is also involved in the biosynthesis of epinephrine and melatonin. A source of methyl comes from the high energy nucleotide S- adenosylmethionine (SAM) which is transported by cathecol-O- methyltransferase. However, it has been reported that methylated conjugates do not have improved water solubility (a similar disadvantage to acetylation). Methylation mechanism the nucleophilic substitution of norepinephrine: The lone pair on the electronegative oxygen of norepinephrine (R-OH) attacks the CH3 of SAM The bond between the sulphur and carbon breaks (S-C) Drug Toxicity The toxicity associated with acute paracetamol overdose is due to its metabolism processes. In the human body, paracetamol is mostly metabolised 30% by the sulfation pathway, 60% via glucuronidation and the remaining 10% being either excreted unchanged in the urine or undergoing CYP450-dependent oxidation as shown in figure 5.3 to form N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI) (Airpine Choonara, 2009). NAPQI contains an electronically activated ring system, capable of attacking nucleophilic molecules such as N atoms in cellular macromolecules and causing cell damage. However NAPQI will preferably attack the more nucleophilic sulphur atom of glutathione and therefore will also undergo phase II metabolism to form inactive conjugates a schematic summary of the metabolism of paracetamo In overdose situations, the glutathione supply is used up as it is conjugated with the excessive NAPQI in the system. This leaves the rest of the NAPQI free to bind irreversibly to proteins in hepatic liver cells (since P450 metabolism occurs predominantly in the liver) and this cause liver necrosis. Without the detoxification capacity of the liver, the human body will typically die within 2 weeks (Airpine Choonara, 2009). With the chemistry of paracetamol metabolism in mind, it is easier to understand why some patients are classed as â€Å"high-risk† and thus more susceptible to paracetamol overdose: Recent alcohol (ethanol) consumption causes induction of the P450 enzyme involved in the formation of the NAPQI molecule; this leads to an increased quantity of NAPQI being produced and therefore the bodys supply of glutathione for conjugation is more rapidly used up leading to toxicity. Other drugs which induce the same P450 enzymes will have the same effect. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa lead to a poor diet and therefore decreased synthesis of glutathione in vivo, so NAPQI detoxification conjugation can be overwhelmed at lower concentrations of paracetamol consumption.

Real Heroes in our Society Essay -- Hero heroes Heroic Essays

Real Heroes in our Society The Lone Ranger, Zorro, Batman, Superman are some of the characters that we stereotypically constitute as heroes. They are known to fight with courage without fear of death. They destroy the enemy within a blink of an eye. They fight using their own body strength, superpower, or some kind of weapon. They come to the rescue miraculously and leave without a trace. They are mysterious. We are unable to identify who they are underneath the masks and disguises. Yet, we praise them and ignore the real heroes that surround us regularly, ordinarily. â€Å"All of us †¦like to believe that in a moral emergency we will behave like the heroes of our youth, bravely and forthrightly, without thought of personal loss or discredit† (O’Brien 39). In other words, we are quite oblivious to the ordinary people of the world that are, in fact, the true heroes. These heroes are not the equivalents to the Lone Ranger or Superman; they might even flee instead of fight a dangerous situation. However, when they do fight, they fight with flesh and bone. They fight with emotions and tears. They fight with anger and fears. They fight with confusion. They fight for their country. They fight to avoid the shame and embarrassment. They fight because of obligations to the family, to the country, and to themselves. The heroes that come to mind through these descriptions are the ones fighting in uniforms. They are fighting in lands unknown. They are captured and tortured. They are young and naà ¯ve but they are obligated to perform their patriotic duties. They are the soldiers of my country, your country, and our country. They are the protagonists and characters of The Things They Carried, The Sorrow of War, and Crossing ... ...nd embarrassed with their true desires not to fight. There is no freewill at this point because they feel obligated to be the patriotic men. They are confused not knowing the reason for this war but that it is â€Å"to stop the Communists, plain and simple† (O’Brien 45). Unfortunately is it not plain and simple, even a million words would not be able to express the experiences that these young men endure. Unlike the Lone Ranger, the soldiers would rather flee due to the natural human instincts toward a dangerous situation. Yet, they suppress their true feelings and fight with all they have. As we can see, the ones that fight to help people that they hardly know are indeed the regular, normal, and everyday human beings. With this in mind, we cannot count on the Lone Ranger to come to the rescue; rather, the heroes are right before our eyes. They are an â€Å"everyman.†

Atomic Bomb In World War 2 :: essays research papers

Atomic Bomb in World War 2 During World War II the United States government launched a $2 billion project. This project, known as the Manhattan Project, was an effort to produce an atomic bomb. This project was taken on by a group atomic scientists from all over the world. The first atomic bomb was not tested at all. It was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 killing over 80,000 people and almost completely leveling the entire city. It destroyed more than 4 square miles, or 60% of the city. The flash of the blast was so intense it discolored the pavement and left imprints on the ground cast by the shadows of building and people. By studying these shadows scientists pinpointed the exact detonation point of the bomb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second atomic bomb was dropped just three days later on Nagasaki, Japan. 1/3 of the city was destroyed and 66,000 people were reported killed or injured. A memorial now marks the spot where the bomb exploded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the initial blast the A-bomb released about 85% of its energy as intense heat followed by a supersonic shock wave that is felt as a highly destructive high pressure air blast, which can easily demolish tall buildings, not to mention people. After the initial blast radiation covers the area, causing people, animals, and structures to practically disintegrate. Even years afterwards people were still dying and having health problems related to the radiation they were exposed to long before.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were many people that were strongly opposed to the using of nuclear weapons on Japan. But invading the is land instead of bombing would have taken perhaps 1 million us soldiers lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After 1945 the US made thousand of atomic bombs and a wide range of small size nuclear weapons like, land mines, missiles, and grenades. By 1965 the larger countries of the world had also developed atomic weapons.

The Impact of Divorce on a Teenager :: Impact of Divorce on Children

All over the world, parents decide to divorce and this leaves children hurt and confused. The children may lose contact with one parent or they might decide to makes some bad decisions in their life due to the feeling of neglect. Some of the bad choices could be mental health disorders and struggling in academics. There are impacts on teens that could be short term but there are also long term effects too, because most of them look up to their parents as role models. (decent statement of theme) Family clearly impacts teenagers, especially a divorce. [Why this last sentence? This is a â€Å"no duh† comment=you knew it before you started. Maybe it works as a 1st sentence, but not a last one.] In the book The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, the main character, Esperanza, was affected by many external forces, including family. Esperanza is a young teen who just moved to Mango Street, and she doesn’t like her house because it’s ugly, and she dreams of another house that her family has promised one day. â€Å"I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window (Cisneros 11). This was in reference to her great grandmother who didn’t want to marry, but Esperanza’s great grandfather kidnapped her and forced her to marry, where Esperanza’s great grandmother never forgave him and looked out a window for the rest of her life. Esperanza didn’t chose her name, her family did, and she didn’t chose who her family is either. The external force of family is an issue in real life just as it is in this novel, and the teens learn to either love it or hate it. [Whoa! Where’s the divorce here? Why not use the mothers who are single parents? Isn’t that closer to divorce?] Adolescents tend to find ways to let out their emotions and try to escape their problems, and this unfortunately leads them to make poor decisions that hurt them more than they know that it would be. Alcohol actually is a depressant because it slows down the function of the central nervous system and it cause people to lose coordination and not be able to think straight. [Again, whoa! Where’s the divorce here? Why start with drinking? Suggestion: if this is what some teens do when faced with divorce, then maybe this should go as your 2nd or 3rd comment, not your 1st.

Barilla JITD Program Essay

1. Diagnose the underlying causes of the difficulties that the JITD program was created to solve. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this program? Just In Time Distribution is a unique idea that the logistics director wanted to implement at Barilla. It was in response to the significant fluctuations in sales demand that Barilla was experiencing from their distribution centers. Exhibit 12 in the case shows how volatile the ordering could be. It looks very unpredictable using their current method of distribution, which is causing excess inventory and stockouts. By nature, their pasta products experience waves of high and low demand. Seasonal and promotional fluctuation was making it hard for Barilla to correctly forecast demand from their distributors. Furthermore, distributors did not have effective forecasting methods. They simply ordered their shipments when their stock was getting low. Barilla had no minimum order quantity nor did they have standing orders with distributors. Es sentially, JITD was created to better supply distributors with their product to eliminate stockouts and excess inventory. Stockouts cost the company valuable sales revenue when demand cannot be met and excess inventory results in additional holding costs. The major benefit to JITD is a steady revenue stream after demand fluctuation is mitigated. 2. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla does the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? As Giorgio Maggiali, how would you deal with these? Support organizations within Barilla met the JITD proposal with resistance. Marketing and Sales departments each had separate concerns. If Barilla had an internal disruption in production such as a strike, distributors would have no excess inventory and stockouts would be likely. The Sales team pointed out that promotional periods would not have a place in this new supply chain model. Also, with a lack of inventory in the distributors holding area, there was a concern that competitors would move in to take the space, eventually pushing out Barilla. Because of the highly specialized manufacturing parameters that were required to produce Barilla products, inflexible production lines did not allow for meeting demand that changes often. Support organizations such as Sales and Marketing also had selfish concerns. With JITD, the need for sales representatives decreased to virtually nothing. After all, the forecast data that Barilla would in theory have, would essentially sell the products themselves. As the  director of logistics, Maggiali must present a favorable business case along with his Just In Time Distribution proposal. He must show the benefits that his plan would have on each of the supporting organizations to gain their support. His proposed JITD is a complete shift in Barilla’s business model. For this reason, I would present this method as a case that will increase sales revenue, lower manufacturing cost, and increase quality operations. Selling his management on these three aspects will allow them to see the increased profitability that will come as a result of JITD. 3. As one of Barilla’s customers, what would your response to JITD be? Why? As a customer of Barilla and distributor of their product, I would greatly appreciate the service that Barilla has offered to provide because I would see the opportunity that this proposed plan has the potential to offer. From saving floor space to cutting down on my lead times I would be a willing partner in their plan. I would, however, force them to sign a third-party proprietary agreement before handing over my demand and sales data. It is important that competitors not know the specifics of our operations as to keep my competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Assessment and Development Essay

1. What is a office? What atomic number 18 its characteristics? How is it distinguishable from speculate Description? cogency Competencies refer to skills or k straight offledge that racecourses to master act. These argon formed by means of an case-by-case/organizations knowledge, skills and abilities and provide a frame name for distinguishing amid scant(p) execution of instruments through to exceptional performance. Competencies can harbour at organisational, some superstar, team, and occupational and in operation(p) directs.Competencies argon one-on-one abilities or characteristics that are key to say-so in work. Some examples of competencies needed by the employees are 1. Adaptability 2. Commitment 3. Creativity 4. motivating 5. Foresight 6. Leadership 7. Independence 8. stimulated Stability 9. Analytical Reasoning and 10. conversation Skills Characteristics of Competencies ? ? ? ? ? ? Competencies are the characteristics of a manager that lead to the demo nstration of skills and abilities, which result in hard-hitting performance inwardly an organizational area.The better way to understand performance is to go on what battalion actually do to be succeederful rather than relying on assumptions pertaining to distinction and intelligence. The best way to measure and omen performance is to assess whether quite a little energize key competencies. Competencies can be learnt and developed. They should be made visible/accessible. They should be associate to meaningful life outcomes that describe how people should perform in the real field 3P a ge Common difference Competencies & Job Description.Competencies cardinal characteristic of a mortals inputs. Clusters of knowledge, attitudes and skills. Generic knowledge motive, trait, social fictitious character or a skill. Personal characteristics. prepare of skills, related knowledge and attri exactlyes. On the different hand, Job Description Superior performance in a bemusen furrow, piece or a situation. Individuals ability to perform. Linked to lord performance on the melodic phrase. Contribute to effective managerial performance. Success unspoiledy perform a labor movement or an activity within a specific government agency or play.4P a ge 2. What are the different types of competencies? What is their relevance? 1. Behavioral energy Behaviors, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that contribute to exclusive success in the organization ? ? ? Can apply to all (or most) furrows in an organization or be specific to a job family, career level or carriage For example- teamwork and cooperation, communication Focus on the person 2. Technical or functional Competency Specific knowledge and skills requisite to be able to perform ones job effectively ? ? ?Job specific and relate to success in a overstepn job or job family For example- knowledge of write up principles, knowledge of human resource legality and practice Foc us on the job A trainer requires a different set of competencies than an accountant, and a teller requires a different set than a sustainment worker. If there are different levels within the same position, then each job level might also apply its own set of vertically derived competencies 3. fondness Competency ? ? A core competency is square upd as an internal capacity that is critical to the success of business.These are organizational competencies that all individuals are expected to possess. These competencies define what the organization determine the most in people. For example- an organization might command each individual to possess teamwork, flexibleness and communication skills. 5P a ge 4. Thresh grey competency ? ? The characteristics required by a jobholder to perform a job effectively are called limen competencies. For the position of a typist it is necessary to cast primary knowledge about typing, which is a threshold competency.5. Differentiating competency ? ? The characteristics, which differentiate premium performers from average performers, come under this fellowship such characteristics are non form in average performers. Knowledge of format is a competency that makes a typist to superior to others in performance, which is a differentiating competency. 6P a ge 3. What is the difference between appraisal sum of money and Development fondness? Differences between sagacity and Development centers Assessment centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Have a pass along/ snap criteria are pitch towards file a job vacancy place an immediate organizational need nurture fewer assessors and more histrions withdraw railroad logical argument managers as assessors reserve less tension placed on self- perspicacity stress on what the medical prognosis can do now are geared to meet the call for of the organization usurp the region of judge to assessors place emphasis on alternative with miniscule or no developmental feedback and follow up give feedback at a later date involve the organization having control over the tuition obtained mystify very little pre-centre apprize be to be used with international candidates.Development centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? do not have a pass/fail criteria are geared towards ontogenesis the individual address a longer name need have a 11 ratio of assessor to participant do not have line managers as assessors have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment focus on electric potential are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organization assign the role of facilitator to assessors place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function 7P a ge ? ? ? ?give feedback immediately involve the individual having control over the information obtained have a substantial pre-centre briefing tend to be used with internal candidates 8P a ge 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Assessment Centre and Developm ent Centre? Assessment Centers Assessment centers consist of a number of serves designed to assess the full range of skills and personal attributes required for the job. Advantages ? Assessment centers map the next level challenges and take for granted them in exercises. This raises the validity of the assessment tool.The old way of evaluating the person based on past performance does not work many times, as the challenges of the next level are different from the challenges in the actual position. Assessment centers not scarce divine service the organization in placing the right candidate for the right job/assignment but also help in developing the participants. When participants see others handling the same exercise differently, it gives them an insight into their own performance thereby raises the credibility of the selection procedure. It appeals to the lay persons logic and therefore is regarded as a reasonably means of assessment by the participants.Assessment Centers can be customized for different kinds of jobs, competencies and organizational requirements. They are outlying(prenominal) more accurate than a timeworn recruitment process as they throw overboard a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process. They enable interviewers to assess alive performance as well as predict future job performance. They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar in terms of quality on paper. They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises, which are typical for the role they have applied for.They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who find out assessment centers which genuinely reflect the job and the organization are often impress by that company, even if they are rejected. The address of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential toll of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors. 9P a ge ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? They are a fair process they complement an organizations diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone. Disadvantages ? ? ? ? ? Assessment Centers are very dearly-won and time consuming.Assessment Centers requires highly masterly observers as the observers may bring in their own perceptions and biases while evaluating. Those who receive poor assessment might become de-motivated and might lose confidence in their abilities. raw(a) recruits with high expectations can feel queer if the assessment centre has encouraged them to intend the job or organization fits their values if, in fact, it does not. If you havent specify the key competencies prior to the event and a way to measure these competencies you will only be able to compare candidates on anecdotal details.