Law Enforcement Research Design and Analysis Assignment 1

Law Enforcement Research Design and Analysis 1 - Assignment Example er the ‘the best of both worlds.’ This is because it marries the less rich but more-efficient or compelling predictive power with the contextualized, in-depth, and natural but more time-consuming insights  of quantitative research (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie et al., 2007). These methods mold seamlessly into each other to produce the best format and attacking procedure that will make the tackling of problems more effective and conclusive. These steps are best because they make the establishment of the truth easier for lawyer. However, the most effective step s that should be used are the assessment of the relative weight and implementation strategy for each method that would be used, use of a visual model and the evaluation criteria (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie et al., 2007). This is valuable in the study because despite their position in the hierarchy of the steps, these are the backbones of the research method and can be used in the cracking of a case. In law, it is paramount that the lawyer be able to assess the situation and pick a strategy that would be best for the case presentation. In conclusion, in the tackling of a legal case and the enforcement of the law, one is required to take a step back and view the case from more than one standpoint and use the mixed method research scheme to determine the facts from the

Analysis on Quality Improvement in Federal Prison Essay Example for Free

Analysis on Quality Improvement in Federal Prison Essay Introduction In the light of establishing a furnished description of the subject tackled on this paper quality improvement (QI) is an organized approach to planning and implementing continuous improvement in performance. Although QI holds promise for improving quality of care and patient safety, federal prisons that adopt QI often struggle with its implementation. This article examines the role of organizational infrastructure in implementation of quality improvement practices and structures in the federal prison.   The author gives more attention specifically on four elements of organizational support and infrastructure for QI-integrated data systems, financial support for QI, organizational integration, and information system capability. Further, these macrolevel factors provide consistent, ongoing support for the QI efforts of clinical teams engaging in direct patient care, thus promoting institutionalization of QI. Results from the multivariate analysis of 1997 survey data on 2,350 federal prisons provide strong support for the hypotheses. Results signal that organizations intent upon improving quality must attend to the context in which QI efforts are practiced, and that such efforts are unlikely to be effective unless appropriate support systems are in place to ensure full implementation. This paper addresses these gaps by examining the role of multiple elements of organizational infrastructure in implementation of QI practices and structures in the federal prison. Our results are intended to provide managers with information about the kinds of resource commitments and structural changes that enhance the value of their investment in QI, and to help policy makers identify policies or incentives that would help the federal prison management reach its utmost desire in the sagacity of Time Quality Management and other sort. Analysis This section consists of a continuous improvement model and the tools of improvement arranged in a logical flow to get the desired results. The emphasis is on all employees. This model and the basic tools utilized can be learned and effectively applied by everyone. There are many statistically based programs that are helpful for driving improvements on very technical problems. These programs are good for what they are designed to do. The limitation is that often they only engage a small percentage of the workforce. Typically, a few managers and a few technologists or engineers will be involved. There are also some good problem-solving techniques available that, all too often, are applied only after a customer-upsetting incident has occurred. Most organizations have, literally, tons of data, and yet very few of them are using it effectively. Within this continuous improvement teaming, you will learn how to convert data into information. The tools that will be used to do this are Pareto diagrams, histograms, scatter diagrams, and charting. Where more information is required, you will learn how to design and implement check sheets to gather the data required to provide the sought-for information. In the beginning of a continuous improvement program, one only needs to have the visibility with regard to the effect of things which are not being performed well in the provision of high quality product or service to the subjects.   With the use of this certain flow of organizational improvement, it shall be easier to make us of a diagram which illustrates the essence of conjunction and brainstorming, hence, not undermining the other external and internal functions bereft the subjects under study.   The poor effects of the organizational strategies which has been utilized may give light on the sagacity of improving the organization’s standards and the elimination of the unnecessary ideas for that instance. Aside from that, if the certain causes are found to be that which is isolated to specific are, person, or time period within the operation, the it will most likely be easier to get a through glimpse of the operation thus learning an echelon of stratification techniques and other unique case which shall be pondered on by the launchers of the study. The factors which have been stated may be that which are implicitly defining the crucial state of improvement and other sort of the like.   However, such does not dente weakness, but rather an innate sense of quality analysis as shown in the diagram below[1].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the diagram is that which is not focused on the federal prison arena, still, the idea is the same.   The improvement process is a cyclical form hence, having internal and external collaborations.   As stressed by Lewis and Clark in the improvement process, it is important to bear in mind that improvement itself does not stop in a certain peak.   Nevertheless, all state should be equally given consideration and in order to achieve the summit of total satisfaction, it must not only dwell on the ability of the tangibility of entities, but behavioral realms as well. Conclusion Reflecting the growing emphasis on organizational systems of care, QI is an organized approach to planning and implementing continuous improvement in performance. QI emphasizes continuous examination and improvement of work processes by teams of organizational members trained in basic statistical techniques and problem-solving tools who are empowered to make decisions based on their analyses of the data. Like other systems-based approaches, QI stresses that quality depends foremost on the processes by which services are designed and delivered. The systemic focus of QI complements a growing recognition in the field that the quality of the care delivered by clinicians depends substantially on the performance capability of the organizational systems in which they work. While individual clinician competence remains important, many increasingly see the capability of organizational systems to prevent errors, coordinate care among settings and practitioners, and ensure that relevant, accurate information is available when needed as critical elements in providing high-quality care. We argue that implementation of QI in federal prison settings can be facilitated by organizational structures, resources, and operational systems that provide a supportive context for enhancing both the scope and intensity of clinical QI efforts. Scope refers to the extent or range of application of QI philosophy and methods, and, as such, it indicates the pervasiveness with which QI practices permeate organizational structures and routines. QI emphasizes organization-wide commitment and involvement because most-if not all-vital work processes span many individuals, disciplines, and departments (Berwick, Godfrey, and Roessner 1990; James 1989). Intensity refers to the strength of application or degree of focus on QI philosophy and methods and therefore, indicates the degree of development of the QI effort. In a well-developed QI effort, continuous improvement becomes an integral part of the daily work life of organizational members, as opposed to an intermittent or circumscribed activity (Berwick 1990; Deming 1986; Ishikawa 1985). While quality control remains important, continuous improvement becomes the primary goal (Berwick).    References:   Creech, B. (1995). The Five Pillars of TQM: How to Make Total Quality Management Work for You. New York: Plume. Foss, N. (1996). Towards a Competence Theory of the Firm (1 ed.). New York: Routledge. Schwab, D. P. (2004). Research Methods for Organizational Studies (Second ed.). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum. Williamson, O. E. (1995). Organization Theory: From Chester Barnard to the Present and Beyond (Expanded ed.). New York: Oxford University Press, USA. [1] Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI); Lewis and Clark Model.

Effect of Work Motivation on Job Satisfaction

Effect of Work Motivation on Job Satisfaction This study attempts to develop the effect of work motivation on job satisfaction on two big mobile telecom organizations zong and ufone. The questionnaire was developed to measure the correlation of work motivation and job satisfaction. Total number of observations was sixty and the mean for JS and WK was 3.53 and 3.99 respectively. ANOVA result was 0.042 that was not a significant level for the model that was selected. It can be concluded that, there must be some other variables that are intervening in our model and making contribution at a significant level. Thus the model has not attained the favorable level of significant and could not be used for further research. As p-value was less then .05 so it can be said that the variables chosen for the study was not highly significant. Researcher also found that overall the employees were quiet satisfied with their jobs and have their interest in their job. More than average employees were motivated to work for the organization. Some of employees think that they are not on their actual path and often feel over worked. There are many studies on job satisfaction, and work motivation around the globe but there is scarcity of this work in the local environment. Many researchers are agreed on the influences that job satisfaction is dependent on the work motivation. In past papers, researchers defined each variable and to some extent about the relationship between, work motivation, and job satisfaction. While putting a glance on the organizations around us, we can find that the main challenge for the companies is to enhance the employee performance by implementing different strategies. These strategies include compensation to employees, motivation, rewards and bonuses or team empowerment. Job satisfaction makes the employees more attentive and concerned for the organization. The private organizations also take necessary actions to improve the employees performance with the passage of time therefore the human resource management departments in organizations play a vital role to drive the organization in a certain way. If an organization have a good HRM system, therefore its possible to produce more loyalty, commitment, and motivation to spend additional effort for the organizations objectives (Pfeffer, J, 1994). Considering all the points, job satisfaction will be achieved, when the employee will be motivated to do work, and there are certain factors which influence on work motivation such as efficiency, productivity, absenteeism, turnover rates, and intention to quit (Baron, 1986; Maghradi, 1999). Motivation could be described as a driving force that makes people willingly want to put in their best in what they do. The concept of motivation is that there is no need to force or threaten people to work harder, as any such force or threat is likely to be ineffective in the long run. Rather, it is better that people should be motivated as it is believed that the driving force which results from motivation will compel people to put in their best out of willingness and not out of force or threat. Motivation is believed to lead to an increase in employees work performance. That in turn leads to an increase in overall organizational productivity levels. Furthermore, motivation is said to improve employee job satisfaction. Rationale for the study The rationale for this study was the basic psychology of the human mind about job satisfaction that a person motivated to do a task or a job will be having more satisfaction from that task or work. Secondly, the query to solve that what makes an employee a satisfied employee in an organization. The more the satisfied employees, the higher would be the organizational performance. Problem statement Researchers have analyzed that there are many factors that can effect the job satisfaction of the employees; work motivation is one of the factors. Our study will cover the impact of motivation on the job satisfaction. Objectives of research study The main purpose of this study is to identify the relationship among the work motivation and job satisfaction. The classification of objectives will be as under: Determine the level of motivation of employees. Determine the level of job satisfaction of employees. Analyze the effect of work motivation on job satisfaction. Significance of Study The research is based on the human resource management practice that is motivation. It is a deliberated fact that in our country, very few researchers are working in this area, so we have chooses this area for our research that would be helpful for further research and exploration of new ideas in this field. It will also provide an insight into the fact that how job satisfaction can be enhances within the organizations. In developing countries like Pakistan, it is required to work on such areas that can be developed to increase the productivity of employees and thus of the organizations as well. Delimitations The study will be delimited to telecommunication service organizations in Islamabad. Review of Literature Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction has remained a remarkable area of discussion in the field of management, psychology and especially in organizational behavior and human resource management, for a long period. Many economists have paid attention and inclination towards this subject in recent years (Kosteas, 2009). According to Ramayah, Jantan, and Tadisina (2001), Job satisfaction explains how employees are buoyant to come to work and how they get enforced to perform their jobs. What are the things who make happy an employee on doing work and not to leave the job? Other researchers narrate job satisfaction as being the outcome of the workers appraisal of extent to which the work environment fulfillment the individuals needs (Dawis Lofquist 1984). According to Locke (1969), job satisfaction is a state of emotional gladness, results from the achievement of the goals that one get through performing his part of contribution inside an organization. Rao (2005) in his study discussed that satisfaction at the job for a person acts as a motivation to work. It is not the self satisfaction, happiness or self-contentment but the satisfaction of the job. It is the combination of psychological environmental circumstances that affect the person for his satisfaction with the job (Khan 2006). Thus Aswathappa (2003) discussed about the determinants of job satisfaction as it said that the wage payment and monetary rewards are the two determinants. Different organizations employ different wage system and other rewards. The organizations pay wages and salaries along with incentives, perquisites, and non-monetary benefits. Velnampy (2008), in his study on job attitude and employees performance concluded that job satisfaction contains positive influence on the performance of the employees as it enhances job involvement and the higher performance also makes people feel more satisfied and committed to the organization. The satisfaction and performance of the employee works in a cycle and are interdependent. Job satisfaction and involvement of the employee leads him to have high levels of performance. Shahu Gole (2008), in his empirical study of effect of Job satisfaction on Performance, they concluded that the job satisfaction factor is not been taken under consideration by the companies and companies need to develop plans so that their employees can show superior performance. Performance level lowers with lower level satisfaction scores. There should be some awareness programs, pertaining to the stress satisfaction level in the industries. It will help organizations to understand the benefits of stress knowledge in relation to satisfaction and goal achievement in the industry. Shah Shah (2008), in his study of job satisfaction and fatigue variables found the negative relationship between the fatigue and satisfaction from the job. The fatigue has found as negative predictor of Job Satisfaction. The study clearly indicates the different issues for Call Centre employees in the context of Indian economy in which the researcher said that there are various factors leading to dissatisfaction that are on the job and off the job. Its also been discussed in the study that if fatigue get minimized, job satisfaction can be improved by various innovative and encouraging strategies. Work Motivation Luthans (1998) asserts that motivation is the process that arouses, energizes, directs, and sustains behavior and performance. That is, it is the process of stimulating people to action and to achieve a desired task. One way of stimulating people is to employ effective motivation, which makes workers more satisfied with and committed to their jobs. Intrinsic motivation, however, can be defined as the motivation to perform an activity for it, in order to experience the pleasure and satisfaction inherent in the activity (Deci, Connell, Ryan, 1989). According to cognitive evaluation theory and self-determination theory (Gagne Deci, 2005), rewards that are interpreted as information about ones competence and satisfy individuals need for autonomy, will enhance intrinsic motivation. Simon (1997, p.276) argued in his research work, why does the motivation required? The fundamental challenge of all companies is to encourage their employees to work for the organizational goals, whereas Pfeffer (1998) has argued in his research that in the long run, the success can be achieved by those companies that use to manage their employees; creating significant work and having satisfied employees, taking both side by side is the way to organizational effectiveness. Frey (1997) showed that extrinsic rewards, like monetary benefits may interact negatively with the intrinsic work motivation. It has just seen that there is crucially dependence of intrinsic motivation on the extrinsic incentives. Wright and Pandey (2005) described in their work that emotional attachment and loyalty is one of the most important factors of employee motivation that binds the employee to stick to the organization, many other benefits associated with the organization are also part of motivation. Allen Meyer (1990) have tried to answer the question that is; how an organization can analyze that whether it is keeping its employees happy, motivated and loyal to the organization? There is no pet answer as the work motivation is a counter effect of many factors linked to employees; how they interact with organization and what views they have about the organization. Work motivation can be evaluated by the degree of feeling attachment, obligations, and rewards in working in organization. Horwitz et al (2003) predicted that employees get high motivation through challenging work environment and support of the top management. If the employees are competitive and want to do work with full efficiency as it will utilize all their capabilities, then challenging work is the best motivator. Many of the employees like to make relationships and thus need to contact more and more to the higher authorities, so making more regular contacts make them feel that they are been observed and work with more motivation. Locke and Latham (2004, p.388) defined the work motivation as outcome of both internal and external factors that force the employee to work more excitedly. Bacon et al (1996), Deshpande and Golhar (1994), and Julien (1998) have stressed upon the fact that employees have the key position in maintaining a competitive edge over the competitive market by a business. Relation between Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction Gupta Joshi (2008) discussed about the relationship between the Job satisfaction and motivation for the employees. Productivity in the work of an employee is outcome of satisfaction and productivity can be taken as indicator of satisfaction. Employees have to spend most of their time at workplace and need satisfaction at that place. Herzberg et al.s (1959) has described a relationship between two variables as Job Satisfaction is the result of two kinds of factors, intrinsic and extrinsic factor; intrinsic factors appraised the job satisfaction and extrinsic factors cause dissatisfaction and reduce the level of job satisfaction. The extrinsic factors were also called as hygiene factors. According to Herzberg, the hygiene factors results in the form of dissatisfaction and these were external or environmental features e.g. company policy and administration, supervision, work conditions, salary and benefits. The intrinsic factors are also called satisfiers and motivators, included creative or challenging work, responsibility and advancement opportunities. Kovach (1987) also tried to identify the relationship; the need to provide the basic necessities of life motivates most people which in return make the employees satisfied from their jobs. Whereas Brown (1996) examines that when an organization is having some satisfied or delighted employees, it is likely to have satisfied or delighted customers. Brown said the employee satisfied and delightedness as a prerequisite of customer satisfaction. Thus Wagar (1998) explained that in the global market, one can be successful when it has highly motivated, skilled, and satisfied workforce that can produce quality goods at low costs. Hypothesis This study was conducted to test the following hypothesis: H1: Employee Work Motivation has direct positive effect on Job Satisfaction Research Methodology Keeping in mind what researchers have discussed in their work with relation to the effect of work motivation on job satisfaction of employee, this paper is been designed and the research is been conducted to have a clear view of the relationship. In this paper, job satisfaction is been analyzed through the change in work motivation. A questionnaire was designed to collect the required data for motivation and satisfaction. Data will be analysed using descriptive statistics including mean, median and standard deviation. Regression Analysis will be carried out to study the effect of work motivation on job satisfaction of employees. Population The population of the study will be mobile telecom organizations and their employees in Islamabad. There are five mobile telecom companies that are providing services of telecommunication to their customers. Sample and Response Rate The sample for this study was drawn from two organizations in the telecom sector. The sample will include 30 employees; thirty questionnaires will be distributed in both the organizations. Description of the Instrumentation Questionnaire to find the response of employees regarding Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction Work Motivation the Independent Variable Job Satisfaction the Dependent Variable Case Employees Construction A modified questionnaire tagged Work Motivation, and Job Satisfaction Scale (WMJSS) was used for the collection of data on the study. The questionnaire was specifically designed to accomplish the objectives of the study. The first section collected information such as age, sex, qualification and, professional status. The second section contained the items, and was divided into two parts. Part1. This measures job satisfaction, which included 7 questions. The item was adopted from Job satisfaction, Cook et al. (1981). Part2. This measures work motivation, which included 8 questions. The item was adopted from http://jinnahprojects.com, time: 3.26am and date: 19th dec, 2009. Both parts using a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree= SA; Agree = A; Somewhat agree = SWD; Somewhat Disagree = SWD; and Strongly Disagree = SD. Pilot Testing We have distributed our questionnaire to five employees of Zong and get the response from them. We have modified the questionnaire accordingly and consulted other people for assistance. Finalization After getting feedback and the amendments in the questionnaire, we consulted a senior teacher and got his satisfactory remarks about that. Thus the questionnaire is valid and reliable. Theoretical Model Job Satisfaction Work Motivation Independent Variable Dependent Variable Data Collection Convenient sampling was used to get data and two departments in Zong and two departments of Ufone were visited. In Zong, IT department and customer relationship department were been under observation and in Ufone, marketing and customer relation department. Sample of thirty was been distributed and got feedback from both the organization. Also verbal conversations were made to have conformity of the data collected. All the data collected is been edited by the researchers. There was very high response rate as it was a convenient sampling and getting feedback was quiet different from other sampling methods. Data Analysis The following statistical tools were implemented to get the findings: SPSS Inc 17.0 MS-Excel 2003 The following measures have been used to identify the relationship: Means and Standard Deviations will be calculated, that will provide us a broader view of the data, how much people are satisfied and up to what extend the psychology of employees differ in a work environment. Regression Analysis will be carried out to determine the effect of independent variables on dependent variables. Research findings Data Representation The frequency table of job satisfaction and work motivation is showing the scattered data in a group form. The standard deviations are showing the diversity of data which is indicating that there is a variety of opinions between the employees. Analysis of variance shows that how much the model is valid and what is the significance of the model. In this research work, significance level is 0.042 that is not a significant level for the model that was selected. It can be concluded that there must be some other variables that are intervening in our model and making contribution at a significant level. Thus the model has not attained the favorable level of significant and could not be used for further research. The p-value shows the significance of variable. As p-value is less then .05 so it can be said that the variables chosen for the study are not highly significant. These results are outcome of the wrong model selected. This study has made us know that there should be a check for the variables that one use in a model. The value of R square is too low that can be used for the relationship analysis of the variables. The value of beta is showing the positive relationship between the dependent and independent variables but not a strong relationship. If there is some relation, that would be positive direct relation. The table shows the correlation between job satisfaction and work motivation Findings Overall the employees are quiet satisfied with their jobs and have their interest in their job. More than average employees are motivated to work for the organization. Some of employees think that they are not on their actual path. Many employees think that the organization hasnt fulfilled their promises, what they do in beginning especially regarding Promotion. There is positive relationship between the motivation and job satisfaction. Employees often feel overworked. Conclusions and Discussion Suggestions To increase the job satisfaction level of the employees the company should concentrate mainly on the incentive and reward structure rather than the motivational session. Ideal employees should concentrate on their job. Educational qualification can be the factor of not an effective job. Company should give promotion to those employees who deserve it. For the researchers who want to do research on such variables, must see the validity of the model and intervening variables that may affect the relationship strongly. Limitations of Study However data is collected with full level of our efforts, yet there remain some flaws in our study. While doing research, many problems are there to be faced by the researcher. The prime difficulties which are been faced in collection of data in this study are discussed below: Short time period: The time period for carrying out the research was short as a result of which many facts have been left unexplored. Lack of resources: Lack of time and other resources as it was not possible to conduct survey at large level. Small no. of respondents: Only sixty employees have been chosen that was a small number, to represent whole of the population. Unwillingness of respondents: While collection of the data many consumers were unwilling to fill the questionnaire due to lack of time. Respondents were having a feeling of wastage of time for them. Small area for research: The area for study was limited to specific organizations that are quite a small area to judge job satisfaction level.

Essay --

1. The 4 most important technological developments were round-hulled sailing ships, the compass, and improved map-making innovations, and knowledge of explosives/gunpowder weapons. These round-hulled ships allowed for further voyages into the Atlantic Ocean and for being able to carry large amounts of goods to trade in other places. The compass gave European’s the navigation tool they always needed to insure the y were going the correct way, allowing for more daring voyages to take place. Improved map making innovations also gave the Europeans a better idea of where they were and gave more confidence for more exploring and traveling to trade in distant lands. Finally gunpowder weapons gave Europeans the military advantages they needed over all the other civilizations in the world and allowed them to come and take port cities or entire civilizations. 2. Hongwu made notable reforms to the scholar-gentry influence and developed ways to check the abuses of other factions. He also tried to get more loyal bureaucrats by adding public beatings for disloyal or corrupted officials. In the first few years of the Ming dynasty, an economic boom happened as China began to contact other civilizations overseas. Population boom also occurred due to introduced crops from the Americas such as maize and potatoes. The merchant class became very wealthy off the economic boom and used their wealth to purchase land, increasing their social status. Chinese expansion occurred at a rate that a never been seen before. The Chinese began to push further out of Central Asia. The main motives for this were to explore other lands and to spread the glory of the Ming Empire. 3. Europeans Americas Cows Potatoes Horses Maize Diseases Sweet potatoes Onions Peanut... ...n put Confucian Scholars at the top and tried to cast aside anything other than Confucian thinking. Hindus became under attack by Mughal leaders that wanted to convert more to Islam. As he Mughals kept pushing deeper into India, tensions heated up as more people converted from Hinduism to Islam. After Newton published his book, it showed of a universe with simple laws and rules. It used rational hypothesis and generalization. It relied less on blind traditions of religious faith. Soon writers affected by the new science, although not scientist, began to attack traditional religious ideas such as miracles. Political change was complicated due to the absolute monarchy that arose in France vs the parliamentary monarchy that arose in England and Holland. These more effective central governments helped Europeans catch up in political forms that had been developed before

Afterschool program Essay

The combined efforts of the Washington, DC School system and the Woodson Foundation in the development of an Afterschool program to help increase and improve student outcomes. They have identified amply room for improvement. Three of the primary problems in the Washington, DC School systems are truancy, low student performance, and crime. They have also identified new staff (teachers) are quickly burnet out due to their initial enthusiasm in to want to help the students. This has caused a high turnover rate in new teachers, causing the school system to lose some of the best and brightest teachers to other school system in the area. The first stage in building a coalition is to select a representative from each of the organizations which will be involved in the program. This will give equal representation across the team. It has been identified that an Executive Development team should be established. This team will span across a multifunctional area to establish an operating plan for improving school performance. Participation from the Woodson Foundation and Washington, DC School system is the key element of a successful Executive Development team. However, representation from the National Coalition for Parental Involvement in education (NCPIE) should be considered, because they represent for the parent on the behalf of the PTA. The Coalition is in the forming stage of group development. A representative from each of the organizations will need to be assigned to the group. Then the group will need to figure out the groups purpose, structure, and the leadership of the group. In order for the Woodson Foundation to create this cohesive group, the stages of group development will need to be followed. The next step in the group development is storming. The representatives of the different organizations accept that the Executive Development team is needed, however each organization has their own principles they feel is important to the development. The leader is also established in this stage and there is a clear hierarchy of leadership. The third phase is Norming: In this stage, the Executive Development team has a solid group structure and a set of common expectations. Roles are established within this cohesive group.  The fourth stage is Performing: The structure of the Executive Development team is functional and all members accept it. The team is performing the tasks at hand and successfully completing them. The fifth stage is Adjourning. Even though the team is adjourning, they will collect the detailed analysis and put together a presentation of the Operational plan for improving the student’s performance in the After School program. Their findings will give clear direction of how to get the ASP going. One of the primary problems the Woodson Foundation is facing is what organization will lead the Executive Development team. In order for the leaders to lead this primary team, strong leadership and management is needed for top effectiveness. Today’s leaders should challenge themselves to identify status quo, create visions for the future, and inspire organizational members to want to achieve organizational goals and visions. The representatives from each organization of the Executive Development team, has their own vision as to why their organization should take the lead in building the team. The secondary problem the Woodson Foundation is to identify goals and objectives. The Woodson Foundation primary objective is outsider involvement to get a bigger and clearer picture of the program. NCPIE primary objective is having parent imput. They feel the Woodson Foundation can come in and do all they want, however if the parents do not participate the program will not work. Washington, DC School system primary objective is to let the professionals get the job done. The administrators feel they have the background, education, and expertise to spear head the program. These various backgrounds will enable the Executive Development team members, to have an understanding of the needs of the children participating in the ASP. One solution to the problem is building trust between coalition members and parents. The leadership will need to create an environment of trust that is conducive to all. Trust facilitates information sharing, encourages taking risks. However, trust builds a more effect team and enhances productivity (Robbins, pg 315). My second solution would be to identify and define clear responsibilities within the group. Each individual must be responsible and successfully complete research, presentations, and analysis for their areas of focus. This can clearly be accomplished by soliciting input from other team members (Robbins, pg 316). Each member of the group should have some type of training in managing diversity, conflict resolution, team building, and team cohesiveness. All members should have a clear understanding of their roles within the group and promote a climate of trust. Having a clear understanding of the leadership and its structure would better serve the Executive Development team’s primary function. Work Cited Robbins, Judge, Stephen P., Timothy A. Organizational Behavior. 15th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2012. VitalBook file. Bookshelf.

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay

buy custom Red Crescent Movement essay The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a non-making profit organization that operates in 186 countries. This organization kicks back its root in 1919, and its major goal is to provide aid to the victims of technological and natural disasters, and health emergencies as well as the refugees. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement act as the main representative for its members in the international arena. In addition, it enhances the cooperation among the national societies, and assists in promoting their ability to perform disaster, health, social programmes and preparedness effectively. This organization has several substitutes that operate under the basic objectives, principles, statues, symbols and governing organs of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These movements are; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The funds for supporting the ongoing activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement come from surplus revenues, donation from donors, and the governments. Although this non-making profit has existed for a long time, it faces many setbacks, which have been deeply analyzed in this paper. This paper will also scrutinize the internal and external factors that hinder this organization as well as its strength and opportunities. In addition, the paper will look at the current positions and select the one the fits my career. 1.0 Background The non-profit organizations are those that are aimed at enhancing all of the humanity aspects (Koteen 1997). Their objectives and goals are not aimed at attaining a return on investment, but rather promoting the goodwill and bettering the lives of others (Hartigan 2006). The profits earned by such organizations are not shared as dividends, but are rather reinvested into the organization (Koteen, 1997). They operate within various public beneficial aspects like, environmental protection, caring for the old and the disabled, community development, and the protection of animal rights among many others (Alvarado 2000). One good example of the non-profit organizations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is considered to be the largest global humanitarian network, with a mission of alleviating humanitarian suffering, upholding human dignity, as well as protecting health and life of the people, particularly during emergencies such as floods, armed conflicts, ear thquakes and epidemics (Neville 2002). This movement consists of about 97 million members, staff and volunteers globally, with three distinct organizations (Jean-Claude, 1999). The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial organization that is charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and dignity of people affected by war or internal violence (Hans 1993). The second organization is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is charged with the responsibility of organizing and leading relief aid missions that deal with large-scale emergencies (Neville 2002). The third organization is the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that has been established in almost every country in the world. The National Societies work in their own countries depending on their capacities and specific circumstances. Most of their activities are closely associated with the provision of emergency medical services to the affecte d people during times of emergencies (Neville 2002). All of the three components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are guided by the same seven fundamental principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, voluntary service, unity, independence, and universality (Hans 1993). To achieve its mission of assisting without discrimination that is aimed at promoting peace around the world, the Movement has an important management strategy that gives it a clear strategic direction directed towards reconciling the diverse cultures and priorities of the National Societies, with the aim of being a global network for humanitarian action that works together as a Movement (ICRC Report, 1997). Furthermore, the Movement is guided by the Seville Agreement was adopted by the Movement through the 1997 Council of Delegates in Seville (Angela, 2005). This paper will basically offer an overview of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, analyzing its competitors through the Porter 5 forces, and trends through the force fi eld analysis. The paper will also look at the job opportunities available in this organization, along with the skills I posses and consider if I can qualify for the any of the advertised vacancies. 2.0 Competitors of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement through porter 5 forces The non-for profit organizations have become one of the most significant driving forces behind the national economic and social development. However, considering the fact that these organizations are most of the time faced by scarcity of resources, it is viewed that competition is the major means and ways through which these organizations can attain their goals and objective (Porter 2008). Therefore, these organizations have to ensure that they will be able to continue providing for the community for the intended period of operation. 2.1 The threat of new entrants into the non-for profit organization Allowing new entrants into the non-for profit sector may imply increased competition for donations and memberships, thus decreasing the funds raised by the organization. For the case of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, having new entrants into this sector may provide a wider choice for the health insurance providers and government tenders , and thus the Movement may be forced to provide extra services for the same amount of funding. 2.2 The Threat of Substitutes he availability of a substitute in the market can lower the amount of potential profits within the industry (Porter, 2008). For instance, enrolment into the schooling programme supported by a non for profit organization such as the American Red Cross may limit membership into the capacity-building programme supported by this Movement (Eugene Brown, 2011). 2.3 Buyer power For the non-for profit organizations, buyers include donors, philanthropic and government funders, and consumers (Porter, 1980). Therefore, buyers can exert pressure on the non-profit organization creating a situation where there is stiff competition for the same source of funding. 2.4 Supplier power Suppliers in this case refer to the government organizations, and other service providers. An analysis of the supplier power impact on the non-for profit organization demands an understanding of the pressures within the suppliers industry. The movement is required for instance to have an understanding of the medicine industry, as this can have power over this Movement. 2.5 Degree of rivalry Competition exists within the non-for profit sector for corporate sponsorship, consumers, donors and government grants (Porter 2008). An analysis of the number of organizations offering the same services compared to the number of individuals requiring such services can be used as a measure of the rivalry in the industry. For instance, the American Red Cross is also a humanitarian organization just like this Movement, and thus can used to determine how concentrated the sector is with regard to attracting donors. 3.0 Analyzing trends through Force Field analysis The concept of force field analysis was introduced by Kurt Lewin, and is still applied by most managers today to help understand the factors or rather forces influencing a situation or behaviour within the organization. Basically, the force field analysis looks at the forces that help in either driving or hindering the movement towards a certain goal (Lewin 1943). Therefore, conducting a force field analysis helps the organization to plan to build up on the forces that support a specific decision, and minimize the opposing factors. For instance, the Internal Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can apply the force filed analysis to manage and understand the behaviour of its employees. The driving forces propel behaviour towards the desired direction. Such forces can either be extrinsic or intrinsic, or a combination of both, for instance, the desire to achieve the approval of co-workers and bosses, organizational rewards, and motivation (David 2005). However, the restraining forces of ten prevent the attainment of the desired behaviour, and incorporate such factors as lack of training, lack of motivation, and personal issues. Therefore, the understanding of both the restraining and the driving forces provides an understanding of the factors affecting the behaviour of the employees. For instance, if one employee is known to misappropriate the organizations resources, the organization can identify both the driving and the restraining forces in order to help change the behaviour of that employee. It is worth noting that to attain the behaviour change the organization should consider minimizing the restraining force and increase the driving force. In addition, it is worth noting that this Movement is often bound to encounter conflicts with other non for profit organizations that have similar objectives with this Movement. The Movement can therefore apply the force field analysis to analyze the driving forces and the factors that have made it difficult to attain coope ration with other non for profit organizations. There always certain misconception about such social trends and thus the force field analysis to determine the main elemental constructs (Lewin 1943). The Movement will therefore have to identify its strengths, for instance, the basic interest within the community it serves, as well as the challenges, such as competition for the limited space, that prevent it from cooperating with the other organizations. This will allow it to work on the identified challenges in order to increase on the strengths towards attaining cooperation. 4.0 Why I suit to work for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: My key strength is my interest in IT and business management: I would like to transform this strength into visible and viable performance for an organization that will utilize and nurture my capabilities for our mutual benefit. We realize that the contemporary world is a competitive world where innovation is the major driving force towards attaining a competitive advantage. However, this is not only confined to the profit making industry, but also applies to the not-for-profit industry. For instance, technology is required to enable the organization track new developments, as well as to maintaining the collaborative networking. I believe that I will be able to apply my strengths to help the organization help move forward. Besides, I am a team leader and player and thus will be able to interact with different people from different backgrounds considering the fact that this is an organization whose main activities revolve around serving and interacting with different communities. I can also manage tasks without having to be supervised and I believe this is fitting for the organization considering the fact that most of its activities are not centralized and thus people are required to work without supervision. I also believe that my creativity will allow me to explore new opportunities for the organization, and my ability to solve problems will be of great benefit especially considering the fact that conflicts are often bound to happen at the community level, from individuals competing for the emergency aids. I believe the skills and abilities that I have make me fit to work for this organization. I have conducted a deeper analysis of the International Red Cross movement along with the targets the organization intends to attain during its period of operation, and this has given me the urge to work with it. I am basically interested in serving and helping the most vulnerable people in the society considering the fact that Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an organization that is concerned with initiating emergency responses in challenging environments, then offering me an opportunity to work with the organization will help me explore my career objective. I have chosen to apply for a job in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement because this is an organization that has gained a worldwide reputation for its exceptional services in serving the most vulnerable people in the society (Hans 1993). 5.0 The Graduate Job I could apply for The organization advertises all its vacancies publicly on its job prospects site and they are open to both the external and internal applicants. The Movement only allows applications for the advertised vacancies and this can only be done online. The organization acknowledges any placed application immediately via an automatic email and provides the on line monitoring of the status of the vacancy. However, it is worth noting that the organization aims at to attract a qualified workforce and to create a performance-driven work culture by rewarding its staff on a merit-based and non-discriminatory manner (Koteen, 1997). The job that I am interested in is the Deputy Programme Coordinator (Grade 4). This vacancy is available in the Pakistan office, which seeks to offer continued implementation, and finalize on the Integrated Recovery Program that basically seeks to help the victims of the monsoon floods that occurred in 2010. Some of the specific tasks and responsibilities include acting as the managerial focal point when it comes to the running of the daily operations of the Integrated Recovery Program, with the specific focus on the integration and coordination of activities carried out by the different programs. This is aimed at ensuring that the goals of the program are attained. This job position requires a professional in social sciences, for instance in humanitarian or development affairs, or management. In addition, the post requires an individual who has worked in disaster management for five years. Some experience is also required in managing and supporting staff, working for the International Federation and National Societies or a humanitarian organization in one of the developing countries. The individual has to have worked at a local level with the communities and developing partnerships at the national, state of the local level. Besides, the applicant is required to be self-supporting in computers, particularly, in windows, word-processing and spreadsheets. Strong skills are also required in supporting, developing and training staff. In addition, the applicant is also required to have a valid driving licence. Besides, the applicants are required to have strong communication skills, and be able to work within a multi-cultural environment. Trust-building and teamwork are also some of the most important skills the interested applicants of this post should have. Also worth noting is the fact that applicants should be able to effectively network and influence others. Some competence is also required in management of resources, supervision and control, management of budgets, planning, leadership, monitoring, and self-management. 6.0 Comparative analysis Looking at the job specifications, some of the skills required match with the skills that I possess. For instance, the organization requires that the applicant should have good communication skills and the ability to head strategic meetings. I believe I have good communication skills for example my ability to speak in five different languages (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, Arabic) fluently and I can as well chair meetings within the organization. The organization also requires an individual who can team work. I have worked as a sales assistant at AFZAL Carpet and I was able to relate with the members of staff, as well as the customers effectively, and thus I am sure that I will be able to work with this team effectively. Besides, part of my course entailed working on team projects and I got the opportunity to head my group, a task I managed successfully considering the fact that I was able to influence my tem members to work on time and complete the tasks we had been allocated. Bes ides, the post requires a professional in management and considering the fact that I have pursued a degree in International Business Management, I believe I will be able to fit in this post. I am also proficient in computer programmes, such as windows installation, word-processing, spreadsheets, internet, web designing, which are some of the skills required to qualify for this post. Furthermore, my ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds will be an important asset considering the fact that the organization requires an individual who can work with teams within a multi-cultural environment. The fact that the post is available in the Pakistan office makes it appropriate for me as this is my home country. It is worth noting that, there are various skills and experiences that I am lacking, which are required by the organization for the applicants. The organization requires some experience in working for the International Federation and the National Societies, but I have not had such an experience since I have not worked for this organization before. In addition, the post requires and individual with five years experience in disaster management, an experience that I also lack. However, with some training I believe I will be able to acquire some skills that will help me function effectively in this position. However, despite the gaps I believe I can apply for the job because I posses most of the skills required by the organization. With some training and gaining a master degree in project management in 2013, I will improve and add on the skills I am lacking. 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Definition and Examples of Modality in Grammar

Definition and Examples of Modality in Grammar In grammar and semantics, modality refers to linguistic devices that indicate the degree to which an observation is possible, probable, likely, certain, permitted, or prohibited. In English, these notions are commonly (though not exclusively) expressed by modal auxiliaries, such as can, might, should, and will. They are sometimes combined with not. Martin J. Endley suggests that the simplest way to explain  modality  is  to say that it has to do with the stance the speaker adopts toward some situation expressed in an utterance...[M]odality reflects the speakers attitude toward the situation being described (Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar, 2010). Deborah Cameron illustrates with an example: [Modality] is what makes the difference between a factual assertion like  unicorns never existed, and a more guarded view, such as  it seems unlikely that unicorns could ever have existed- or a bolder claim like  the existence of unicorns must always have been a myth.  Modality, then, is a resource  speakers  and writers use when they are staking claims to knowledge: it allows them to formulate different kinds of claims (e.g., assertions, opinions, hypotheses, speculations) and indicate how committed they are to those claims. (The Teachers Guide to Grammar, Oxford University Press, 2007) Indicating Modality Grammatically Just as tense indicates a time aspect of a verb, words that are used to show modality indicate the mood of the sentence- that is, how factual or assertive the statement is- and it can be done in any number of ways, including with adjectives. Martin J. Endley in Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar  explains: Thus, a situation might be described as  possible, probable, necessary, or  certain. The  noun  counterparts of these adjectives also express modality so that a situation can be described as a  possibility, a  probability, a  necessity, or a  certainty. Moreover, it is possible to use ordinary  lexical verbs  to convey modality....And think  about the difference between saying that you  know  something and saying that you  believe  something. Such differences are essentially a matter of modality. Finally, English also contains certain semi-fixed lexical phrases (e.g.,  rumor has it) that are, basically, modal expressions.  (IAP, 2010) Other terms that express modality are marginal modals, such as need, ought to, dare, or used to. In Depth: Types of Modality The range of possibilities expressed when using modality is a broad spectrum, ranging from not very likely to very likely; to express these different levels, modality comes with named gradations, as explained by authors  Gà ¼nter Radden and Renà © Dirven, in Cognitive English Grammar:   Modality is concerned with the speakers assessment of, or attitude towards, the potentiality of a state of affairs. Modality, therefore, relates to different worlds. Assessments of potentiality, as in You must be right, relate to the world of knowledge and reasoning. This type of modality is known as epistemic modality. Modal attitudes apply to the world of things and social interaction. This type of modality is known as root modality. Root modality comprises three subtypes: deontic modality, intrinsic modality and disposition modality. Deontic modality is concerned with the speakers directive attitude towards an action to be carried out, as in the obligation You must go now. Intrinsic modality is concerned with potentialities arising from intrinsic qualities of a thing or circumstances, as in The meeting can be canceled, i.e. it is possible for the meeting to be canceled. Disposition modality is concerned with a things or a persons intrinsic potential of being actualised; in particu lar abilities. Thus, when you have the ability to play the guitar you will potentially do so....Modal verbs have a special status among modal expressions: they ground a situation in potential reality. (John Benjamins, 2007)

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Study Example Every year Pat Waller needed to recruit sales representatives. The turnover of the employees and new recruitments did not increase the sales volume. Despite the recruitment of new sales representative employees, the sales volume remained constant. There was problem in the channel of distribution related to the retention of sales representatives, which was under the control of Valley Winery. When Valley Winery took over the distributor, old sales representative did not stay back and Pat Waller needed to recruit fresh sales representative for that particular distribution channel. With the recruitment of new sales representatives, there were costs associated with it. It also included cost of hiring the employees, consultancy fees for new candidates and training cost. The recruitment cost had to be incurred by the organization every year and the training cost also increased. The problem perceived by Pat Waller was related to the hiring process. Pat Waller thought that the hiring process was not appropriate as it was a lengthy process and was also complicated in nature. This lowered the level of recruitment of potential sales representatives. Cause of the Problems Faced by Pat Waller The cause behind high sales representative turnover was due to multifarious factors. The basic reason for the turnover was inefficient management of sales forces. Pat Waller was not able to manage the sales personnel efficiently which led to huge turnover. Sales persons remain in the organization only when they are rewarded appropriately based upon their performance. Most of them accept monetary reward, but there are also many who accept non-monetary rewards such as reorganization, promotion and other related activities of rewarding system. There was absence of such rewarding system in Valley Winery. There were three groups of sales personnel and they had different kinds of system of pay and incentives. The direct sales personnel were not rewarded, only 6% commissions were paid on sales . Sales personnel who generated highest sales were also provided the same facility of commission pay. This is the reason they shifted to another company or another sector. The unethical practice of Valley Winery in the matter of visual merchandise displayed techniques that were not suitable to the sales personnel or they did not accept it. In addition, it was either against their ethics or there was contradiction between the company and sales personnel ethics. The spray technique on competitors merchandise to decrease their sales was unethical practice. The sales representatives required to perform such activities that might not be ethical to that particular sales representative. The recruitment did not assist in increasing the sales volume because there was more turnover and the recruitment had just replaced the personnel. There was actually no increase in the workforce capacity and it was not expected that there would be huge increase in volumes of sales with the fresh sales repre sentative. The decision of forward integration was not appropriate as the sales representative did not remain in the company. This also affected the control related to the distribution channel. These aspects increased the burden of new recruitment and also training them for that particular distribution channel. The cost of hiring and training the employees for sales was more. The hiring cost was part of the budget every year. This increased the cost and to minimize the

Critique Program Development Models-Adult Education Essay

Critique Program Development Models-Adult Education - Essay Example g and implementing educational strategies should culminate in behavioural change in individual learners and within learner groups and systems (Boone et al, 2002). The purpose of adult education programs is to enhance adults’ capacity to participate in society and improve their lives. An adult education program development model should have a clear statement of mission, philosophy, and goals that guides all aspects of program services. Further, it has to meet the needs of the program’s community, as well as the policies of its state and national funding agencies (Comings et al, 2006). The two theorists of adult education selected are: Stephen Brookfield (1986) and Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1988). The program development models conceptualized by the above theorists are compared and contrasted below. According to Brookfield (1986), facilitators of adult learning should not adopt formulaic responses to widely varying situations. Avoiding orthodoxy, creative application of theory to the unique circumstances of the practice setting is advocated. The institutional model comprises of basic tenets of instructor-learner relationship, in whch the learner is in a submissive position, and is completely dependent on the instructor for achieving learning outcomes. In Knowles’ (1988) andragogical model of program development, there is shift in research and practice from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. Thus a new emphasis on education was introduced, as a process of facilitating self-directed learning. Another principle is that life-long learning is considered as the organising principle for all education. Institutional culture, politics and technology will all play a part in impacting the program development process (Brookfield, 1986). Brookfield’s (1985) liberal model of adult education is institution-bound because it emphasizes principles of program design and the best use of available delivery systems, to plan a program to meet everyone’s needs.

Project Analysis St. Mary Shopping Centre Thornbury Assignment

Project Analysis St. Mary Shopping Centre Thornbury - Assignment Example This essay describes a proposal, that was made to demolish the existing Thornbury library building at St. Mary Street, Thornbury BRISTOL, South Gloucestershire, to facilitate the erection of a three storey building to form a new library. The new library was also proposed to provide retail space, office space, and associated car parking in the form of a town centre. The proposal was considered by the Development Control Committee. After due consideration of the opinions and views of all interested parties and after a full deliberation the Committee refused the proposal of the development planning. This essay examines the circumstances under which compulsory purchase of land can be ordered by the city council or other local authorities and also the policies of the government with respect to local planning and development. The researcher of this essay also aims to present an alternative development plan for the land under question. Since the proposal for redevelopment of the site is not accepted by the Thornbury Town Council, it is proposed to demolish the building and construct a shopping centre in the place for renting out office space. The details of the project are listed elsewhere in this paper. However, the researcher concludes that before examining the commercial viability of the proposed shopping complex, it would be of interest to study the details of the provisions, that are related to the compulsory acquisition of land and also about the local planning policies of the government.... Thornbury Library St. Mary Street - a Background The proposed site is located in St. Mary Street, Thornbury Town in South Gloucestershire County and the proposal was to make the shopping centre with the name and style of St. Mary /shopping Centre. The town is situated about 14.5 miles north of Bristol city centre. The site is in the ownership of South Gloucestershire Council and can be leased on a long term basis. The Town centre in Thornbury is dominated by the High Street. St. Mary Street where the site is located is full of remnants of old and historic Thornbury building blocks. Since the proposal for redevelopment of the site is not accepted by the Thornbury Town Council, it is proposed to demolish the building and construct a shopping centre in the place for renting out office space. The details of the project are listed elsewhere in this paper. However, before examining the commercial viability of the proposed shopping complex it would be of interest to study the details of the provisions relating to the compulsory acquisitio n of land and also about the local planning policies of the government. Compulsory Purchase of Land Compulsory acquisition is the process by which local and national governments obtain land and premises for development purposes which they consider is to be done in the best interests of the community. The law relating to compulsory purchase is far too complex in that it includes a provision to allow an owner of an interest in land to make a request to the local authority concerned to take possession of the land if that land is affected by a planning decision of the local authority. The basic principle behind the law is that the land suitable for development which will benefit the community may be

Fuel Price Increase in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fuel Price Increase in US - Essay Example The thrust at accomplishing set goals in pursuing the 'green world' philosophy and theory much based on the need to curtail the towering global climate upheavals has seen the emphasised shift in policy in various industry and agriculture fronts. The soaring fuel prices owing to the volatility of the oil prices have spurred government and energy as well as food industry stakeholders to consider alternative means of curtailing the predicament of escalating fuel prices. President George W. Bush has had the production of corn-based ethanol as part of the core of his energy policy. Hayashi Fumio (2007) notes, "This has brought in some merits on board. The resonating perspective is based on that the emphasis on corn based ethanol production has acute implications on the success of the attempts at throwing a holistic approach to the whole global 'green world' initiative". The scholar further notes that the emphasis of green solution even to the fuel predicament has thus put America society back in the lead in the efforts of making the world a better place. Despite the impact on the entirety of the national and international agriculture sectors the production of corn-based ethanol which has also been the part of the roo... Hayashi, Fumio (2008) notes that, '"This is a welcome policy reorientation given that this year alone over a million jobs were lost. The move will precipitate in the expansion of employment base for the American society". It is notable that the pressure from escalating fuel prices has necessitated the invention of feasible means of striking the balance between demand and consumption for fuel. Fig. 1 Ethanol Production Projections Source: national Agricultural Statistical Service [http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Agricultural_Prices/pricecn.asp] Fig 2 Corn Price Trends Source: Shurson G.C. (2008) It is evident from the two direct-relationship graphs that the growth of the ethanol production industry has a direct impact on the price of corn. What is particularly notable from the statistics is that during the 2002-2005 periods when 4 billon gallons of corn-based ethanol were produced the price of corn was peaking from below $2 a bushel to about $3. Although the price took a lunge in the 2004-2006 phases the rise afterwards has been significant with corn price escalating from just about $2 a bushel to over $5. This is the period when corn-based ethanol production capacity was at an average over 5 billion gallons. Statistical interferences drawn from the trends and patterns illustrated on the graph show that holding everything equal, the production of corn-based ethanol will hit phenomenal figures of over 11 billion gallons by the end of the 2009 which may propel the price of corn way over $9 a bushel. "The growth of corn-based ethanol industry in tandem with demand in the US wil l lead to the expansion of the export GDP and thus help boost the strained US economy

Joint Venture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Joint Venture - Assignment Example In doing so, it provides an insight into trade between UK and China, with a focus on joint ventures. The importance of trade between UK and China cannot be underestimated as Dr Kegang Wu, (director of Chinalink, an arm of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce which offers expert help to companies across UK looking to trade with China and Chinese companies seeking an entry into UK), points out : There are still only around 300 UK companies doing business with China. In Cologne in Germany there are already more than 1,000. The numbers in France and Spain are also in the thousands. ....Relationships between Europe and China are being forged across many sectors. ....It is also estimated that in a few years China will control a 25% share of the worldwide textiles market. At the moment the focus is very much on British firms doing business over there but that will change rapidly as more and more Chinese companies look to expand into Europe. (MC Donough, 2005) Joint ventures have been used as entry vehicles as well as modes of sustaining operations in China. To understand the benefits and losses of a joint venture between Tots bots and V-Baby, one needs a basic understanding of the definition of a joint venture, at least a brief acquaintance with the background of each company, and an idea of what other modes are available for a foreign investor like Tots bots to gain a foothold in the Chinese market. 1.1 Company backgrounds Established in 1991, V-Baby is a hundred per cent export-oriented enterprise located in Ningbo, very close to Shanghai. It is a brand owned by V-Baby LLC, an American company located in New York, and is a limited company. It deals in babywear from 0-24 months. All its styles are designed by designers in New York, while the sales and production are carried on by the Ningbo V-Baby. It employs between 100 to 500 people for its sales and production and 40 to 50 people for its research and development, and operates from well established production premises. It has an online presence, and its products can be purchased over the internet. It emphasises on quality, protection of children, and is environment-friendly. It seeks to make sales worldwide by adding to its current client base, increase its present revenue, and build a stable brand reputation. On the other hand, Tots bots was born in 2000 in Glasgow, and is the brainchild of a Scottish mother who decided to provide an effective, easy, environment-friendly and cost-saving alternative to disposable nappies. With a staff of merely 20 people and counting, this company has recorded phenomenal growth in sales, and a great brand reputation in UK and other European countries. Its products are also available for sale online, and it caters to the 0-24 months segment of babies, just like V-Baby and it similarly prioritises baby welfare by using chemical-free soft terry fabric for its nappies, perfect for better baby health. It is a nascent company with great growth potential that currently seeks to lower the cost of raw materials and manufacture without compromising on quality and possibly enter different markets as well as further segments of baby products. 1.3. What exactly is a joint venture and why this is the best option for both companies Joint ventures can be defined as legally and economically

Fishbowl Inventory Control Solution Research Paper - 1

Fishbowl Inventory Control Solution - Research Paper Example Additionally, it requires setting up the users, customizing the reports, and integrating the QuickBooks with the other applications used by the third parties to align the industry with its particular needs. During the testing process, there will be a utilization of use cases to ensure that there exists maximal functionality of the system. Such cases include the Log on and the Shut down among others. The purpose of the cases is to facilitate communication among the users, understand various requirements, and provide the prototype test cases. User involvement is vital to the testing and implementation of the technology into the company. For maximum participation among the users, it is paramount to involve them as early as the development of the cases starts. The situation will enhance their understanding and minimize time wastage when dealing with the clients. In this case, the immediate program manager will sign off to ascertain the testing of this novel technology. The company needs a development and a production environment since it is an emerging business. However, with time, there is a need to involve such an environment. In this context, the company employees are few, meaning that all of them require training to maximize the available resources. Further, training all the employees will ensure that they acquire the much-needed skills to help one another in the delivery of the company services. However, there will be an emphasis on those that interact with the technology on a daily basis. The training will commence mid the next week on Wednesday the 24 2015 at the company’s boardroom. During the training, special applications will be of help to guarantee an adequate training the acquisition of the technical skills that require an emphasis (Sun-Mee & Munoz, 2014). For instance, the distinct applications intended for use include; customized videos and consultant training sessions.

Fuel Price Increase in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fuel Price Increase in US - Essay Example The thrust at accomplishing set goals in pursuing the 'green world' philosophy and theory much based on the need to curtail the towering global climate upheavals has seen the emphasised shift in policy in various industry and agriculture fronts. The soaring fuel prices owing to the volatility of the oil prices have spurred government and energy as well as food industry stakeholders to consider alternative means of curtailing the predicament of escalating fuel prices. President George W. Bush has had the production of corn-based ethanol as part of the core of his energy policy. Hayashi Fumio (2007) notes, "This has brought in some merits on board. The resonating perspective is based on that the emphasis on corn based ethanol production has acute implications on the success of the attempts at throwing a holistic approach to the whole global 'green world' initiative". The scholar further notes that the emphasis of green solution even to the fuel predicament has thus put America society back in the lead in the efforts of making the world a better place. Despite the impact on the entirety of the national and international agriculture sectors the production of corn-based ethanol which has also been the part of the roo... Hayashi, Fumio (2008) notes that, '"This is a welcome policy reorientation given that this year alone over a million jobs were lost. The move will precipitate in the expansion of employment base for the American society". It is notable that the pressure from escalating fuel prices has necessitated the invention of feasible means of striking the balance between demand and consumption for fuel. Fig. 1 Ethanol Production Projections Source: national Agricultural Statistical Service [http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Agricultural_Prices/pricecn.asp] Fig 2 Corn Price Trends Source: Shurson G.C. (2008) It is evident from the two direct-relationship graphs that the growth of the ethanol production industry has a direct impact on the price of corn. What is particularly notable from the statistics is that during the 2002-2005 periods when 4 billon gallons of corn-based ethanol were produced the price of corn was peaking from below $2 a bushel to about $3. Although the price took a lunge in the 2004-2006 phases the rise afterwards has been significant with corn price escalating from just about $2 a bushel to over $5. This is the period when corn-based ethanol production capacity was at an average over 5 billion gallons. Statistical interferences drawn from the trends and patterns illustrated on the graph show that holding everything equal, the production of corn-based ethanol will hit phenomenal figures of over 11 billion gallons by the end of the 2009 which may propel the price of corn way over $9 a bushel. "The growth of corn-based ethanol industry in tandem with demand in the US wil l lead to the expansion of the export GDP and thus help boost the strained US economy

Fishbowl Inventory Control Solution Research Paper - 1

Fishbowl Inventory Control Solution - Research Paper Example Additionally, it requires setting up the users, customizing the reports, and integrating the QuickBooks with the other applications used by the third parties to align the industry with its particular needs. During the testing process, there will be a utilization of use cases to ensure that there exists maximal functionality of the system. Such cases include the Log on and the Shut down among others. The purpose of the cases is to facilitate communication among the users, understand various requirements, and provide the prototype test cases. User involvement is vital to the testing and implementation of the technology into the company. For maximum participation among the users, it is paramount to involve them as early as the development of the cases starts. The situation will enhance their understanding and minimize time wastage when dealing with the clients. In this case, the immediate program manager will sign off to ascertain the testing of this novel technology. The company needs a development and a production environment since it is an emerging business. However, with time, there is a need to involve such an environment. In this context, the company employees are few, meaning that all of them require training to maximize the available resources. Further, training all the employees will ensure that they acquire the much-needed skills to help one another in the delivery of the company services. However, there will be an emphasis on those that interact with the technology on a daily basis. The training will commence mid the next week on Wednesday the 24 2015 at the company’s boardroom. During the training, special applications will be of help to guarantee an adequate training the acquisition of the technical skills that require an emphasis (Sun-Mee & Munoz, 2014). For instance, the distinct applications intended for use include; customized videos and consultant training sessions.

Medieval Universities Essay Example for Free

Medieval Universities Essay The English universities were one of the most significant creations of Medieval England. The scholars who attended eitherOxford or Cambridge Universities set an intellectual standard that contrasted markedly with the norm of Medieval England. Oxford University came into being some 20 years before Cambridge University. The church had a major impact at Oxford. The town came within the diocese of Lincoln, yet Oxford had its own archdeaconry. It was the input of the church that led to the first recorded student/university authority clash at Oxford. The universities led to major growth in both Oxford and Cambridge as towns and both became important centres. No-one is quite sure why Oxford was chosen as the town for England’s first university – however, the town had a number of distinct advantages. Oxford was the centre of communications within its region and both royalty and foreign scholars frequently visited the town. There were also many religious houses/centres around the town and the agricultural land was rich and farming did well at this time. Oxford was considered to be in a civilised part of England – it was near to London and getting to Europe was not necessarily a major journey. Oxford also held strategic importance, which led to the building of a castle there. In 1167, a quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket led to a temporary ban on English scholars going to study in France. For whatever reason, scholars and academics gathered in Oxford to continue with their work – fifty of them. As journeying to the university in Paris was not allowed, more scholars and academics arrived in Oxford. Sometime after 1167 Giraldus Cambrensis visited Oxford and started teaching there. He taught three times a day. He took poor students for lectures; he then taught academics from different faculties, and lastly he taught knights and the likes. His clientele became larger than the ‘normal’ monastic or cathedral school. In 1180, Prior Philip of St. Frieswade, Oxford, recorded that a scholar had left his family in York to study at Oxford. Within twelve years, the importance of a good education was clearly having an impact. In 1192, Richard of Devizes wrote â€Å"Oxonia vix suos clericos, non dico satiat, sed sustenat.†| Richard was basically stating that there were so many scholars in Oxford that the town could barely feed them. By 1209, it was estimated that there were 3,000 students in Oxford. It was also in 1209 that students in Oxford started to migrate to Cambridge. This occurred after some students killed a woman in Oxford. At this time, King John and Pope Innocent III were quarrelling over a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Innocent put England under an interdict. With such worries, John had few thoughts for students in Oxford. He gave his permission for the execution of three students in Oxford involved in the woman’s death. However, in the delay that took pace, the students fled to Reading, Cambridge of Paris. Others followed to Cambridge and by 1284, Peterhouse College was founded. Unlike the great university of its time – the university in Paris – Oxford was not connected to either a cathedral or a religious house. The Sorbonne was supervised by ecclesiastical men while Oxford was supervised by masters, though these were usually in holy orders. Regardless of this, Oxford developed with a degree of practical independence. By the end of what is considered to be Medieval England, the following colleges had been created at Oxford – University College, Balliol, Merton and Exeter. In Cambridge, Peterhouse College was created. Student life in both towns was to transform Oxford and Cambridge. The lifestyle of the students was to frequently bring both universities into conflict with the church.

Apoptosis And Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins Family: A

Apoptosis And Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins Family: A   Background Apoptosis is an orchestrated biological cellular process that occurs in physiological and pathological conditions(1). It is essential for regulating development, homeostasis, and immune-system function in organisms(2). In mammalian cells, apoptosis is mediated by a family of cysteine proteases named caspases which are initially expressed in cells as inactive procaspase precursors and are activated by two pathways, the extrinsic ( or death receptor) and intrinsic (or mitochondrial) apoptotic pathways(1). The extrinsic pathway is activated by the binding of ligands such as Fas ligand (FasL) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) to death receptors on the cell surface, FAS and the TNF receptor (TNFR), respectively, which leads to the formation of the death-induced signalling complex (DISC)(3)(4). DISC recruits caspase-8 and promotes the cascade of procaspase activation that follows(5). The intrinsic pathway is triggered by extracellular and intracellular stresses, such as high cytosolic [ca+2 ], hypoxia, severe oxidative stress, DNA damage(5), which results in the permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, the release of pro-apoptotic molecules such as cytochrome C and others into the cytoplasm(6), the formation of the apoptosome- a large protein complex that is made up of cytochrome C, apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) and caspase-9 and caspase activation(7). On the other hand, cell death is also modified by other mitochondrial proteins such as apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF), second mitochondria- derived activator of caspase (Smac), direct IAP Binding protein with low PI (DIABLO)   and Omi/high temperature requirement protein A (Htr A2)(7). Smac/ DIABLO or Omi/HtrA2 induces cell death independently of caspase activation by counteracting inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP)- mediated caspase inhibition(7)(8)( Fig. 1). The upstream caspase for the intrinsic pathway is caspase 9, while that of the extrinsic pathway is caspase 8. The intrinsic and extrinsic pathways cleave the precursor forms of effector caspases, such ascaspase-3, caspase-6 and caspase-7(9). Activated effector caspases cleave many vital cellular proteins such as protein kinases, cytoskeletal proteins, DNA repair proteins and inhibitory subunits of endonucleases family and break up the nuclear scaffold and cytoskeleton(9). They also activate DNAase, that further degrade nuclear DNA(10), which together contribute to the typical morphological changes in apoptosis. Dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in numerous pathological conditions, including cancer(1). Besides, targeting the apoptotic pathways for cancer treatment is supported by several findings emphasizing the role of aberrant apoptosis in tumorigenesis and also resistance to anticancer treatment. Evasion from apoptosis is critical for tumor growth and a hallmark of cancer(11). One of the mechanisms by which evasion of apoptosis occurs is   disrupted balance of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins(1). A delicate balance between pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms determines whether a cell death signal can activate the apoptotic program. It is not the absolute quantity but rather the ratio of these pro-and anti-apoptotic proteins that controls the regulation of cell death. In this balance, pro-apoptotic proteins activate apoptosis and anti-apoptotic proteins inhibit apoptosis(12)(13). Inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAPs)   are important members of the anti-ap optotic family of proteins that can inhibit   caspase activation and play a key role in regulating of apoptosis in many species(1). Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs): The inhibitor of apoptosis proteins are a group of structurally and functionally similar proteins that regulate programmed cell death, cytokinesis and signal transduction(14). The   IAP gene is 1.6 kb in size encoding a 31 kDa protein with a zinc finger-like motif. Many IAP family members have been identified in almost all species from viruses to mammals(15). They are characterized by the baculovirus IAP repeats (BIR) domain at the N- terminus, the name of which derives from the original discovery of these apoptosis suppressors in the genome of baculoviruses(16). The BIR domain contains approximately 70 amino acids. Although the number of BIR domains varies among IAP members, each BIR domain is made up of cysteine and histidine residues in a well-defined pattern (CX2CX16HX6C)(15). IAP acts as endogenous inhibitor of caspases by binding of their conserved BIR domains to the active sites of caspases in vitro and   vivo. IAPs inhibit caspases by promoting the degradation of active caspases, or by sequestering the caspases away from their substrates(17). When IAP family members are overexpressed, cancer cells no longer proceed to apoptosis and become increasingly resistant to standard chemo- and radiation therapies(18)(19). Many studies have established a circumstantial association between IAPs and cancer. Pathological overexpression of several IAP family members has been detected in several classes of human cancers(20)(21)(22). The eight IAPs identified in humans are cIAP1, cIAP2, NAIP, Survivin, XIAP, apollon, ILP-2 and livin(23). Interestingly, many data have shown that c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and XIAP are   broadly expressed in normal cells(24)(22). In normal tissues, IAPs could have some potential physiological roles, such as the regulation of the immune system(25), the response to cell damage(25), cell survival and differentiation(26). On the other hand, it has been proven in many studies that survivin, unlike other IAPs, is prominently expressed in vast majority of neoplasms but not in differentiated normal tissues(27). Survivin has been reported to be overexpressed in various cancers including breast and lung cancer, prostate, gastric, colon, bladder and esophageal carcinomas, osteosarcomas and lymphomas(28)(29). Overexpression of survivin was also found to be significantly associated with poor prognosis and decreased survivial rates in many cancers(30)(31). Survivin: Survivin (also Called IAP 4) is a protein with a crucial role in regulating both cell division and apoptosis. It is the smallest member of the IAP family(29). Survivin, a 16.5 kDa intracellular   protein of 142 amino acid, was discovered in 1997 by Ambrosini and colleagues(32). Structurally, survivin contains a single BIR domain. This domain is essential for its anti-apoptotic activity(33). However, instead of a ring finger domain (RING) near the C-terminus shared by others members of the IAPs, survivin contains a C-terminus alpha-helical coiled-coil (CC) domain which is thought to be important for its interaction with microtubules, hence its roles in cell cycle(34)(35) In normal tissues, survivin shows cell -cycle dependent expression during cell division. Its expression increases in G2/M phase and decreases rapidly in G1(29). The regulation of survivn expression and function is complex and can occur at various levels, including transcriptional regulation, post-translational modification, and protein stability regulation(27). it is regulated by a number of factors such as: NF-nB(36), insulin-like growth factor I/mTOR(37), Ras oncogene family(38), E2F, Sp1, TCF, and heat shock protein (Hsp) 90(39)(40).   Survivin is also regulated by p53 wild type. Additionally, post-transcriptional phosphorylation has been proven to play a   regulatory role in survivin activation(41). Biologic function of survivin Survivin as an inhibitor of apoptosis The mechanism by which survivin inhibits apoptosis is still controversial. Initially, survivin and other IAPs were postulated to inhibit apoptosis directly by interfering with the function of caspase-3, caspase- 7, and caspase-9(42).   In support of this model, it was shown that survivin can interact with Smac/DIABLO physically, thus placing survivin in a central position in the dynamic balance of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors(43). However, Structural analyses of survivin indicated later that any effect on caspase should be indirect, as it lacks the amino acid sequence that is essential in other IAPs for caspase binding. Also, the survivin gene is highly conserved in a wide range of organisms, and all of its orthologues are involved in mitotic regulation but not in cytoprotection(44).   Studies of cells from survivin-knockout mice have cast further doubt on the existence of a direct link between survivin and apoptosis(45). Later experiments indicated that Survivin inhibits active caspase-9 but not active caspase-3 and caspase-7. And, survivin mediated inhibition of caspase-9 requires interaction and cooperation with other molecules such as   HBXIP (hepatitis B X-interacting protein)(46) and   XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) which also known as inhibitor of apoptosis protein 3 (IAP3)(47) (Fig. 3). Survivin also provides cytoprotection to cells through the inhibition of the AIF pathway, which is known to induce caspase-independent DNA fragmentation(48). Survivin as a promotor of mitosis The cell- cycle dependent expression of survivin in normal tissues   supports strongly its role in cell division. During mitosis, survivin acts in a narrow time window at metaphase and anaphase. It is acting as an interphase between the centromere/central spindle and the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC)(49). CPC is a hetero-tetrameric complex which localizes to different sites at different times during mitosis, and   is composed of four components:   Aurora-B Kinase (enzymatic component), Borealin/Dasra, Survivin and inner centromere protein (INCENP)(50)(51). CPC is essential for proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis(52). Inactivation of mammalian survivin -or its orthologues in lower organisms results in cytokinesis abnormalities, particularly spindle defects(53)(54) (Fig. 3)(55). Survivin facilitating angiogenesis In addition to its roles in apoptosis and mitosis, survivin   promotes angiogenesis. it is strongly expressed in endothelial cells (EC) during   the proliferative phase of angiogenesis(56)(57) and the antisense-mediated suppression of survivin   during angiogenesis stimulates vascular regression in vitro(58). Besides, exposure of cultured vascular EC to angiogenic factors such as VEGF and bFGF result in increasing survivin expression (both mRNA and protein)(59)(60). Survivin expression In normal physiological conditions, survivin is usually expressed in   embryonic lung and fetal organs in the developmental Stages(61). The protein is also detected in mature tissues with high proliferation potential such as thymus, placenta, CD34+ stem cells and basal colonic epithelial cells(61)(62)(63). However survivin seems to be selectively expressed in transformed cells and in most human cancers. Many studies have shown that survivin, unlike other IAPs, is prominently expressed in the vast majority of neoplasms but not in the differentiated normal tissue(27). Based on detection of protein by immunohistochemistry and mRNA by polymerase chain reaction techniques, overexpression of survivin has been reported in various human malignancies including lung cancer(64), breast cancer(65)(66); stomach(67)(68), esophagus(69), liver(70)(71), ovary cancers(72), brain(73) and hematological cancers(74). Additionally, the immunological responses which detected against survivin supports its specific up-regulation in malignant cells(75)(76). Survivin protein has also been shown to induce cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) response in   breast cancer, melanoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia patients(76). Survivin expression can be deregulated in cancer by several mechanisms, including amplification of the survivin locus on chromosome 17q25 (77), demethylation of survivin exons(78), increased promoter activity(79), and increased upstream signaling in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or mitogen activated protein kinase pathways(80). Overall, increased survivin expression in several malignancies is associated with cancer survival or disease recurrence, and resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In a study of 275 patients with breast cancer demonstrated that survivin was a significant prognostic factor and predicted the outcome independent of patients age, tumor size and histologic grade(81). In the case of ovarian cancers, survivin expression was correlated with poor prognostic factors such as: high histologic  grade, mutant p53, and poor histologic type(81)(82). Also, previous studies demonstrated that survivin was expressed in benign brain and pituitary tumors. Although survivin   was also present in normal pituitary tissue,   the level of the gene expression was 6-fold higher in tumors than in normal pituitary tissue(83). In a study of 222   patients who underwent radical cystectomy, survivin was expressed in 64% of bladder tumors and 94% of malignant lymph nodes, but not in normal bladder specime ns and its expression correlated with disease recurrence and disease-specific mortality(84).   Also, increased survivin expression has been associated with an unfavorable survival or disease recurrence in colorectal cancer(85), particularly in stage II disease in esophageal cancer(86), hepatocellular carcinoma(87), lung cancer(88), glioma(89), leukemia(90), and other cancer types. A   study in oral cancer demonstrated that the extent of survivin expression was negatively correlated with the degree of differentiation(91). Additionally, survivin overexpression may be a predictive factor to determine response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with bladder cancer(92), breast cancer(93), multiple myeloma(94), lung cancer(95) and lymphoma(96)(97). On other hand, patients with lower survivin expression were more responsive to preoperative chemotherapy with 5-flourouracil and cisplatin in esophageal cancer(98). It is also reported that patients with lower survivin expression in pretreatment biopsies were more responsive to radiotherapies in rectal cancer(99). While Overexpression of survivin was associated with   resistance to a taxol-based   therapy for ovarian carcinomas(100). In addition to full-length transcript (survivin (wild type)), five splice variants, which result from splicing of survivin BIRC5 gene pre-messenger RNA (mRNA), have been described: survivin-ΔEx3, survivin-3B, survivin-2ß, survivin2ÃŽ ± and survivin 3ÃŽ ± with different structure and function(101)(102)(103). Previous studies showed that an imbalance in the alternative transcript ratios may affect the cell to be resistant or sensitive to apoptosis(104). This alternative splicing of Survivin has been shown to have correlation with disease activity in various patient studies. For example, studies showed that Survivin-ΔEx3 and survivin-3B were found to be highest in tumors with advanced histological grade and were associated with poor prognosis(105)(106). On other hand, the expression of survivin-2ß was significantly higher in small tumor size and was inversely associated with axillary node positive carcinomas(106). Besides different splicing forms, immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated that survivin also localized   in distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic subcellular pools. Cytosolic Survivin is believed to act as apoptotic suppressor while nuclear Survivin is postulated to regulate cell division(29). There are conflicting data of pathological significance of nuclear Survivin.   Some Splicing studies showed that nuclear staining of survivin is associated with favorable prognosis(107), while others showed Its expression in the nuclei of tumor cells appears to be associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes(108)(109). Also, the cellular localization of Survivin isoforms   differs. while survivin-2ß   and Survivin 2a are localized in both nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, survivin-ΔEx3 is localized in both mitochondria and nucleus(110). Additionally, Methylation and Phosphorylation are critical requirements for survivin function. Several observations show that survivin is unmethylated in cancer but may be selectively methylate  d in normal tissues with individual variations(111)(112). Methylation may play an important role in the p53 mediated suppression of survivin(113). Another critical requirement for survivin function is the phosphorylation on Thr34(114) Treatment approaches: Due to important role of Survivin in tumor cell division, apoptosis, chemo resistance and survival, survivin represents a unique target for biologic therapy in many human malignancies. Several novel experimental therapeutic strategies have been developed to block the expression or function of Survivin in tumour cells. These include immunotherapeutic approaches to induce immune response against Survivin, small molecule inhibitors/antagonists of   survivin function, and nucleic acid based approaches which interfere with Survivin gene expression(115)   such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), ribozymes and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)(116). Also, Vaccine approaches such as dendritic cell based (DC) vaccines, DNA vaccines(117), peptide vaccines for Survivin have also been evaluated in preclinical or clinical studies. Survivin ASOs were first used against malignant melanoma cell lines. Transfection with the ASOs triggered spontaneous apoptosis linked to decreased endogenous survivin expression(118) . Treatment with LY2181308, a specific inhibitor of Survivin mRNA which has already entered the phase 1 trial(119). YM-155 is a novel small-molecule survivin suppressant which inhibits survivin mRNA transcription and protein expression in p53-deficient cancer cells in vitro(120). YM155 has also shown to be effective in vivo models of prostate, pancreatic, and lung cancer(120)(121). Ribozyme mediated approaches have also been evaluated for inhibition of Survivin expression. Down-regulation of human Survivin gene expression and increased apoptosis was achieved by using two hammerhead ribozymes (RZ-1, RZ-2) targeting human Survivin mRNA (122) PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud Advanced Topics in Foundations of Databases PIQL: Success-Tolerant Query Processing in the Cloud Stavros Anastasios Iakovou Introduction In our days it is widely know that modern web applications are directly linked with databases. In addition, the number of the users is highly increas- ing through the time and as result the related databases start overloading. Furthermore, despite the fact that data indepence would be ideal for im- plemeting lithe applications developers abandoned this idea in order to avoid expensive queries. Hence, Michael Armbrust et al.[1] implemented a new declarative language called PIQL, a scale independent language. A large number of frameworks have already appeared in order to assist developers to create modern web applications. However, this plethora of websites with millions of users led to database failures due to lack of request managing. As a result, there was a demand on implementation of a new system that will control all these requests and provide efficient results to users. A few methods have introduced and one of the most popular is NoSQL. Despite the fact that NoSQL provided a high level interface, data indepen- dence created scalability problems since a large number of queries took a lot of time. This led to to several issues like performance failing and user disatisfaction as well. In order to avoid this bad situation scientists hand coded key/value implementations. On the one hand, this provided the de- sirable scalability but, on the other hand is was not easy enough for the developers to write that kind of code to parallelize their queries so as to fi achieve high scalability. Another significant issue is time consuming functions rewrites. Now, once we talked about several problems occured by queries in the next section we will discuss about PIQL. More specifically, we will present this method and give a brief summary of the implementation. In the rest of the document we will discuss about the performance of the previous imple- mentation. What is PIQL? In this section we will discuss and analyze the PIQL (PerformanceInsightful Query Language) model. One important advantage of PIQL is that intro- duced the notion of scale independency. More specifically, the model pre- serves the logical data independence. The most significant about data this technique is that performace maintains not only on small datasets but also in large as well. For this reason this is called success-tolerant since the success is for every large dataset. But why PIQL is successful? The answer is on the limitation on key/value store operations. As we previously mentioned, one goal of PIQL is to avoid issues when the database gets larger. PIQL uses static analysis in order to fi the correct number of operation in every step of the execution. Before we move to the next step of the analysis of the methodology we should mention the four queries classes. The fi one is called constant since the processing time is constant. The second one is the bounded class. More specifically this class refers to bounded data when the site becomes more popular. For instance, in case of Facebook every user has a limit of 5000 friends. The third class is called sub-linear or linear and is referring to queries that become more successfull when the data increase linearly. The last one is Super-linear where intermediate calculations are necessary for the queries. Now, once we mentioned all the necessary theoritical parts of PIQL we will discuss on its structure. Every server is directly connected with a Distributed Key/Value Store. Hence, this methodology maintains the scalability and the response time is now predictable. A significant drawback of this technique is that a specific key/value store is required so as to maintain data locality. On the other hand, this method is non-blocking and according to Chen et al.[2] can reduce memory latency. Another important benefit of PIQL is that extends the cardinality con- straint of regular direction to diff ent directions as well. More specifi , these cardinalities provide several information on its relationships. For in- stance, a Facebook user should have no more than 5000 friends. This is a very significant information since selecting the wrong number for limita- tions can lead back to the previous problems. Thinking again the Facebook limitations for the maximum number of friends on Facebook, according to Brandtzg et al.[3] a significant issue that occurs is the lack of privacy. Hence, the limitations are not only important for the performance but also for the user protection as well. In addition, the same person can create a new profit for free and add his new friends there. As a result, 5000 friends is not actually a limitation for a user and is provided in terms of privacy and performance. According to Michael Armbrust et al.[1] their algorithm for scale inde- pendent optim ization contains two phases. The fi one is reffering to stop operator insertion. In order to maintain scalability, the algorithm starts by fi a linear join ordering on the query parser. Depsite the fact that stop operator is already contained due to LIMIT which in contained in the reg- ular query, scientists have introduced data-stop operators which are pushed in lower levels in order to preserve the initial rules without the demand of  restart the whole system. Next, after fiphase 1 the second step which is called remote op- erator matching. As we previously mentioned we should ensure scalabiliy. Hence, the intermediate results are bounded. But how all these logical op- erators are mapped on remote operators? For Index Scan, that means that maximum one attribute can be affected by predicates. As for Index Foreign Key join the number of tuples after the join is less than or than the tuples of the initial plan. References [1] Armbrust, Michael, et al. PIQL: Success-tolerant query processing in the cloud. Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment 5.3 (2011): 181-192. [2] Chen, Tien-Fu, and Jean-Loup Baer. Reducing memory latency via non- blocking and prefetching caches. Vol. 27. No. 9. ACM, 1992. [3] Brandtzg, Petter Bae, Marika Lders, and Jan Hvard Skjetne. Too many Facebook friends? Content sharing and sociability versus the need for pri- vacy in social network sites. Intl. Journal of HumanComputer Interaction 26.11-12 (2010): 1006-1030.