Interest Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interest Group - Essay Example n the media and popular culture, PETA has contributed directly and indirectly to the enactment of more comprehensive legislations concerned with animal rights. It has also played a central role – directly or indirectly – in the amendment of existing animal rights laws to create better, more holistic legislations that suit the animal rights agenda. The organization was formed in 1980 and has always been dedicated to protecting animals from abuse and suffering, especially at the hands of humans. PETA’s slogan is based on the notion that â€Å"animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment† (Singer 41). This message features prominently in the organization’s website, merchandise, and marketing material (Del Mar 26). The group trains members of the public and policymakers on animal abuse and advocates humane treatment of animals. Its headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia, but it has international divisions to further its cause abroad. The organization believes that just like humans, animals have rights, and their best interests should always be considered, irrespective of their value to humans. Animals also experience pain and suffering and thrive when they are left to lead their lives in the way that fits their nature and environments. All of PETA’s activities are guided by the belief that all human and nonhuman beings have a right to be free from all forms of harm. According to the group’s mission statement, animal cruelty is one of the problems plaguing the world, and that deserves sufficient attention. The organization believes that everybody has a responsibility to prevent and oppose animal abuse at every opportunity (Singer 34). For 35 years, PETA has worked to create a global society in which people contemplate the needs of, according to Henry Beston, â€Å"the other nations† (Singer 57). In this regard, the group considers itself to be a protector of the rights of individual animals; this informs its belief that animals

Critique two research propsals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique two research propsals - Essay Example This logical, sequential review enables the reader to follow the historical progress of this line of investigation. In discussing the study by Jonson-Reid, Fuller reports on the results that are relevant to his own study. This previous study indicated that children who were in care for less than three months before being returned to their families had increased risk of substantiated maltreatment recurrence. It is clearly stated that the purpose of this research is to â€Å"examine the factors that might predict short-term maltreatment recurrence following reunification exits from substitute care.† Fuller does this by combining administrative data with detailed information collected from case record reviews. However, no hypothesis is provided other than an assumption that the Jonson-Reid study was correct in reporting the increased risk to children in short-term care. The purpose of the study is reported, though, as providing an assistive guide to caseworkers’ decision-making at the reunification milestone while making their safety assessment. The method for this research is described as being a case-control study. It is described as selecting two groups of participants: one group is selected based on their experience of the outcome of interest – in this case maltreatment recurrence within 60 days of reunification – and the comparison group selected who have not experienced the outcome. This type of study was appropriate for the element being researched because it is particularly useful to examine the effects of a given agent in relation to an occurrence, such as maltreatment following reunification. In addition, case-control studies can match cases with controls by such things as age (children under age 5 have been shown to suffer maltreatment recurrence more often than children ages 5-10), family income levels (low income families have shown greater recurrence than

The Methodology Of Biopsychology: Substance Abuse

The Methodology Of Biopsychology: Substance Abuse To understand addictive behavior, one must understand the brain; the pursuit of this understanding is a challenge with great rewards. Analyzing human behavior requires subjectivity, while the brain contains objective realities; this requires holistic approach for full comprehension. Three general types of methodological issues are prominent in research involving assessment of addiction: (1) the reliability and validity of self-report, collateral, and biological methods of assessing substance use, (2) the variability and episodic course of substance use disorders, and (3) the heterogeneity of individuals with substance use disorders. The history, explanation, pathways and methodologies of addiction are all complex and need to be studied in the scope of biopsychology in order to advance the understanding and treatment of all addictions. History Chemical dependency has been part of every society and each millennium has treated the problems that addiction brings with a methodology unique to the times. Historically, society has attempted to deal with addiction in a certain way (Scheier, 2009). Based in fear of all the unknowns associated with substance abuse, the legal system sent addicts to prison, society in general shunned them and treated them as misfits, and the mental health community confined them to mental health institutions. Today the current modality of treatment for those afflicted with substance abuse is to attempt some way to get them help in whatever area they need it. Basic research on substance abuse has been a public science since the 1930s, funded almost entirely by the U.S. federal government (Scheier). The popular experimentation with drugs in the mid-to-late 1960s raised many questions for which the traditional focus of Addiction Research Center had no answers (Smith, 2010). As a consequence, the field began to diversify and decentralize such that researchers had more pathways from which to choose. Research pathways emerged in behavioral and neuro- or psychopharmacology (Scheier, 2009). Meanwhile, substance abuse also took to the street, bringing researchers into the community. This brought about the emergence of four significant research areas: qualitative social research, epidemiology, treatment research, and research based on self-reports (Scheier). Definition of Addiction There are several definitions of addiction. All addictions have common denominators of being a complex illness characterized by intense, uncontrollable craving, along with compulsive behavior even in light of devastating consequences. (Pinel, 2009). These commonalities also include: symptoms of withdrawal, tolerance, a desire to cut down or stop use/behavior, the inability to stop or decrease usage, loss of employment, estranged families, and social contacts are lost due to the addiction. Addiction has many dimensions that disrupt several if not every aspect of an individuals life. In order to understand what addiction is a definition needs to be cleanly stated. Current neuroscientific research on substance abuse seeks to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the transition from occasional, controlled drug use to the loss of behavioral control over drug seeking and drug-taking that defines chronic addiction (Edwards, 2005). Treatment Modalities Every individual is unique and each person can respond differently to treatment modalities. Professionals that work in the field of addiction and treatment should be trained in current trends in alternative treatments and especially those that have proven effective. In the study by Castel, Rush, Urbanoski and Toneatto, (2006) their results show how complex addictions are and the overlap with mental health issues or other biological disorders. This study was strong in their methodology, but the use of a screening tool might have increased the rate of reported symptoms. Their study did not indicate this to be of significance. Their study has opened the pathway for future research in biopsychology that will illuminate some pivotal points in the biological nature of cross addictions with psychiatric issues and substance abuse indicators. Medication and behavioral therapy, especially when combined, are important elements of an overall therapeutic process that often begins with detoxification, followed by treatment and relapse prevention. Easing withdrawal symptoms can be important in the initiation of treatment; preventing relapse is necessary for maintaining its effects (Fitzgerald McCarty, 2009). Sometimes, as with other chronic conditions, episodes of relapse may require a return to prior treatment components. A continuum of care that includes a holistic treatment program that addresses all aspects of an individuals life, including medical and mental health services and follow-up options can be crucial to a persons success in achieving and maintaining a drug-free lifestyle (Scheier, 2009). Methodologies for Study Research in this field has produced a host of differing theories and models to describe the factors influencing drug use. The enormous amount of literature is impressive, yet overwhelming and often contradictory (Edwards Cobb, 2010). The focus of this bibliography has been to assess the current state of substance abuse with respect to the focus of current research attention, and to identify knowledge gaps. Despite the limitations of the existing material, this view provides a useful platform to deepen and broaden the scope of biopsychological research. This section will describe the studies in general and then will provide synopsis of the common theories that are present throughout each study as well as how each study stands alone. Each individual study will be described and the conclusions presented, this will be brief and to the point. There will be a more detailed discussion that will take into consideration all of the studies presented. The discussion will include the strengths and limitations of current methodologies, biology, similarities and differences with regard to the general theory of addiction and how the addiction pathways are formed as well as possible treatments. Finally, this section will address what needs to be considered in the future and what the studies brought up that needs to be examined in order to better understand and offer some solutions for future studies as well as to offer the reader options for future study and research. The history, explanation, pathways and methodologies of addiction are all complex and need to be studied in the scope of biopsychology in order to advance the understanding and treatment of all addictions. Addiction has been a part of every society, socio-economic class, race, and gender and discriminates against none. There are a variety of theories of addiction as well as treatments; some founded in theory and others founded self-reports. The ability to treat and understand addiction rests in the hands of competent clinicians willing to examine possibilities that are not commonly thought of to be related to addiction. Understanding the biopsychology of addiction will aid in eliminating addiction for future generations to come. Annotated Bibliography Castel, S., Rush, B., Urbanoski, K., Toneatto, T. (2006). Overlap of clusters of psychiatric symptoms among clients of a comprehensive addiction treatment service. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 20(1), 28-35. doi:10.1037/0893-164X.20.1.28. This article describes the prevalence and overlap of psychiatric symptoms among 2,784 clients of the outpatient programs at a comprehensive addictions treatment facility. The psychiatric symptoms were assessed by a computer-based questionnaire, and the analysis focused on the overlap of symptom clusters (multimorbidity) and their relation to selected intake variables known to be predictors of treatment outcome. This study will help emphasize the need for a detailed customized treatment approach. Fitzgerald, J., McCarty, D. (2009). Understanding attitudes toward use of medication in substance abuse treatment: A multilevel approach. Psychological Services, 6(1), 74-84. doi:10.1037/a0013420 This study used a treatment unit survey for individual and organizational variables that influence attitudes toward use of naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine for the treatment of alcohol and drug disorders. Previous research has not considered both sets of influences simultaneously. Hierarchical linear modeling tested the contribution of individual and organizational variables with data from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network treatment unit and workforce surveys (n = 2,269 staff nested within 247 treatment units). Individual-level variables consistently had more influence on attitudes, but a unique blend of variables existed for each medication. One predictor, support for psychiatric medications, influenced attitudes across all medications. Staff attitudes toward addiction medications varied significantly between treatment units. This study can be a strong research variable to establish the need for psychobiology to be an active participant for addiction treatment. The appropriate use of addiction medications was evidenced by their results. Ducci, F., Goldman, D. (2008). Genetic approaches to addiction: Genes and alcohol. Addiction, 103(9), 1414-1428. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02203.x. This study examines the genetic basis for addiction, alcoholism in particular. The study is a literature review that focused on the genetic basis of alcoholism. The results of the review show that alcoholic genes are acting at the pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic levels. There has been major progress in gene identification in recent years, using intermediate phenotypes such as task-related brain activation, whole genome association studies, gene environment studies, gene effects studies and the genome wide analysis. This study finds that the genetic basis for alcoholism and other addictions is unknown, as further studies are conducted; they are likely to find a link. This study will be used to demonstrate that addiction can be tied to genes and that biopsychology will play an important part in the future of addiction. Edwards, G. (2005). Addiction Biology goes fast forward. Addiction, 100(1), doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01109.x. This article examines the new leadership established at the Society for the Study of Addiction. Included are a variety of new appointments, as well as newly created ones. This article will be used to demonstrate the preparing of the addiction community to prepare for studied in biopsychology and their acceptance and increased understanding of the matter. This article will further show that addiction study is needed and that infrastructure is being created in order to provide for this new understanding of addiction. Edwards, S. Koob G. (2010). Neurobiology of deregulated motivational systems in drug addiction Future Neurology, 5(3), 393-410. doi: 2034674321. This study examines Neurobiological mechanisms for negative reinforcement, which mean that participating in an addiction, in this study drug addiction, and it alleviates a negative emotional state, and this involves changes in the brain and leads to forebrain stress. This stress may contribute to changes in the reinforcement mechanisms in the brain that are associated with addiction. The points of the intersection between the positive and negative motivational areas in the brain may drive addiction and may provide an increased understanding of the neurobiological substrate for therapeutic intervention. This article will be used to further examine that addiction is related to biopsychology and that determining the reinforcement centers in the brain will aid in understanding the behavior associated with addiction. Fitzgerald, J., McCarty, D. (2009). Understanding attitudes toward use of medication in substance abuse treatment: A multilevel approach. Psychological Services, 6(1), 74-84. doi:10.1037/a0013420. This study used a treatment unit survey for individual and organizational variables that influence attitudes toward use of naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine for the treatment of alcohol and drug disorders. Previous research has not considered both sets of influences simultaneously. Hierarchical linear modeling tested the contribution of individual and organizational variables with data from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network treatment unit and workforce surveys (n = 2,269 staff nested within 247 treatment units). Individual-level variables consistently had more influence on attitudes, but a unique blend of variables existed for each medication. One predictor, support for psychiatric medications, influenced attitudes across all medications. Staff attitudes toward addiction medications varied significantly between treatment units. This study can be a strong research variable to establish the need for psychobiology to be an active participant for addiction treatment. The appropriate use of addiction medications was evidenced by their results. Fortuna, J. (2010). Sweet preference, sugar addiction and the familial history of alcohol dependence: Shared neural pathways and genes. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2), 147-51. This study examines the fact that many people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol also have a sweet preference, particularly those with a high sucrose concentration. This study further examines that some people who have a high consumption of sugar rich foods and drinks demonstrates the release of euphoric endorphins and dopamine in the same way that alcohol and drugs do. This study asserts that the neurobiological pathways are the same for sugar and drug addiction. Craving, tolerance, withdrawal and sensitization have been documented in both human and animal studies. This study goes on to show that there is a cross sensitization between sugar addiction and narcotic dependence. This study also demonstrates that the biological children of alcoholic parents, particularly fathers, have a strong sweet preference and that may show up in eating disorders in later life. This study will be used to demonstrate that addiction can be determined through genes and can manifest in different addiction choices. Gillman, A., Kosobud, A., Timberlake, W. (2010). Effects of multiple daily nicotine administrations on pre- and post-nicotine circadian activity episodes in rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(4), 520-531. doi:10.1037/a0020272. This study has shown that nicotine that is administered with an entertaining activity and that it affected food intake and that throughout the pre and post dose that there was a relation to the increase in the desire for the activity and as well as the nicotine. This study will be used to demonstrate that cross addiction and transference can happen in addiction resulting in the way the brain synthesizes entertainment and addiction. It will be used to demonstrate that there are addiction areas in the brain and that stimulation of one can increase other areas. Haber, J. R., Bucholz, K. K., Jacob, T., Grant, J. D., Scherrer, J. F., Sartor, C. E., Duncan, A. R. Heath, A. (2010, September). Effect of paternal alcohol and drug dependence on offspring conducts disorder: Gene-Environment interplay. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 71 (5); 652-663. ISSN: 1937-1888 This article discussed current research on substance-use disorders and externalizing disorders that frequently present simultaneously, as well as in families across generations. Researchers examined the role of genetic and environmental influences in the relationship between paternal histories of drug dependence or alcohol dependence and offspring conduct disorder using an offspring-of-twins design. The methodology used male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, their offspring, and mothers of the offspring. The study was difficult to follow, but yielded results that indicated genetic risk associated with both paternal drug-dependence and paternal alcohol-dependence histories predicted offspring conduct-disorder risk, but only risk associated with paternal drug-dependence history was mitigated by having a low-risk environment. This study will be used to demonstrate a significant gene-environment interaction, indicating a strong need for further biopsychological research in this area. Lee, P., Lee, D., Lee, P.. (2010). 2010: U.S. Drug and Alcohol Policy, Looking Back and Moving Forward. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2), 99-114. This article demonstrates the different perspectives in the usage of the disease model of addiction indicating the influence of The United States drug policy. This article spans various areas of substance abuse research with the focus on new perspectives for future research and changes to the drug policy of the United States. This article will be used to show where the future of biopsychology and substance abuse research is headed. Pinel, J. P. J. (2009). Biopsychology (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-205-54892-7. This book covers a variety of biopsychology topics in depth as well as anatomy of the brain. This book will be used as a reference to explain the tests used for the determination of behavior and brain connectivity. It will be used to describe the parts of the brain that are related to addiction. It will also be used to explain how addiction works in the brain. Scheier, L. M. (ed) (2009). Multiple paths to partial truths: A history of drug etiology. The Handbook of Drug Etiology: Theory, Methods, and Empirical Findings. American Psychological Association. Washington, DC. ISBN: 978-1-4338-0446-5 This handbook covers the complexities of personality, genetic, environmental, and cultural influences on behavior that are difficult to dissect or treat as independent forces. This volume covers this dynamic field comprehensively. A team of researchers presents dissimilar theoretical perspectives and viewpoints on complex issues ranging from causation to consequences and including a rich discussion of prevention practices and how they influence policy. The editor and contributors show the origins of the field of drug use etiology in clinical work with addicts, detail the history of the field and examine the interaction of epidemiology and etiology. This book will be used to examine substance abuse causations such as peer pressure, community, genetics, race, and age. This will help determine the ways in which drug use etiology links with biopsychology. Smith, D. (2010).The evolution of addiction medicine and its San Francisco roots. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2), 199-201. This article examines how addiction has evolved from its roots in San Francisco. It examines a variety of problems that are caused from drug addiction and the problems that it causes to society. This article will be used as a historical reference and as a general reference to the history of drugs in general. Addiction research has attempted to keep up with the rapid progression. Sofuoglu, M., Sugarman, D., Carroll, K. (2010). Cognitive function as an emerging treatment target for marijuana addiction. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 18(2), 109-119. doi:10.1037/a0019295. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in the world, and demand for effective treatment is increasing. However, abstinence rates following behavioral therapies have been modest, and there are no effective pharmacotherapies for the treatment of cannabis addiction. We propose a novel research agenda and a potential treatment strategy, based on observations that both acute and chronic exposure to cannabis are associated with dose-related cognitive impairments, most consistently in attention, working memory, verbal learning, and memory functions. These impairments are not completely reversible upon cessation of marijuana use, and moreover may interfere with the treatment of marijuana addiction. Therefore, targeting cognitive impairment associated with chronic marijuana use may be a promising novel strategy for the treatment of marijuana addiction. Preclinical studies suggest that medications enhancing the cholinergic transmission may attenuate cannabis-induced cognitive impai rments, but these cognitive enhancing medications have not been examined in controlled human studies. Preliminary evidence from individuals addicted to other drugs suggests that computerized cognitive rehabilitation may also have utility to improve cognitive function in marijuana users. Future clinical studies optimally designed to measure cognitive function as well as drug use behavior would be needed to test the efficacy of these treatments for marijuana addiction.

Music Censorship Essay -- social issues

Music Censorship Healthy debates have been caused by today's music. Generally, foul language has rapidly increased within modern popular song lyrics, especially among rap and heavy metal artists' songs. An increase in explicit violence and misogyny in popular music lyrics has been recorded. These lyrics have been judged to be inspirations for violent, suicidal, and criminal acts. For example, Mr. Raymond Kuntz referred to his son's incident. ''When his wife went to wake their son for school, they found him dead of a gunshot wound, still wearing his headphones with Marilyn Manson's Anti-Christ Superstar CD still in the player. The boy's favorite song was ''The Reflecting God (Nina Crowley, ''Senate Hearings on Music, Newsgroup at page 2, November 15, 1997).'' However, the artists and producers defend the musical lyrics, and claim that these acts come purely from self-inspiration, not extrinsic influence such as their music. If this were true, then why would 59 % of substance abusers name heavy metal a s their favorite type of music? ( Javier Martin, ''Separating Fact from Fiction: Rock Music and Violence'' November 28, 1997, page 2). Most teenagers listen to popular music, and learn from the words of the artists. Therefore, if an artist sets an example of being ''cool'' and performing harmful acts, a listener may reproduce his learned actions. ''Rappers call on their fans to kill, dismember, and smash the heads of teachers, and dumb cops (Peter Viles, ''Bulgaria's racist rap.'' World Press Review June 1996: Page 41).'' The entire world is affected by this reoccurring theme, since adolescents are influenced by music on a daily basis. Although almost everyone is directly affected, some people do not admit to profane music having a personal influence. ''People perceive media content to have greater impact on others than on themselves.'' (Douglas M. McLeod, ''Support for Censorship of Violent and Misogynic Rap Lyrics.'' Communication Research, April 1997: page 153). Naturally, the ma jority of youth is heavily influenced by music, and needs to be protected from the harm of obscene artists. Due to its negative affects upon society, I believe the government should further restrict music that has been specified as dangerous to the well being of the listeners. Contrary to many assumptions, modern youth is not protected enough from harmful music, even though ther... ... new laws to help harmful media reach younger listeners and viewers. New laws would essentially create a better future for society's youth. They would help prevent children from learning violent acts through example, and keep innocent people from being offended by foul language. The lyrical content of modern music has had a noticeable affect on the actions of all society. Few limitations have been applied to the availability of these horrid songs, so the ears of young children are still exposed to them. These children do not realize the affect it has upon them. ''People perceive media content to have a greater impact on others than on themselves (McLeod 1).'' Because the nation's youth is being subjected to these types of songs, children and teenagers are committing crimes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and forming racist or sexist opinions. These actions are learned actions, and are based upon the words written for obscene music. Our country needs to evaluate this music carefully, which can protect our youth from further harm. ''Understanding the nature and extent of the influence of music violence may well be the first step for ensuring a more civil society (Crowley 2).''

Objective And Impressionistic Description

Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionThere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like to imply certain feelings, or set a mood, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family, Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nes ts high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionThere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like  to imply certain feelings, or set a moo d, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family, Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nests high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionTh ere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like to imply certain feelings, or set a mood, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family,Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked  beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nests high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.

Diabetes and Nutrition

Diabetes mellitus is a continual disorder of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in which blood levels of glucose and lipids are elevated. This abnormal metabolism results from a relative lack of insulin, either too little insulin is secreted or the insulin that is secreted is not effective. In addition, diabetes is associated with chronic systemic complications, which, over time, can affect the retina, kidneys, nerves, and cardiovascular system. The most common classifications of diabetes mellitus include type I, or insulin-dependent, diabetes mellitus (IDDM); type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM); and gestational diabetes (GD).How it is DevelopedThe problems of diabetes originate in an organ located behind the stomach about the length of a human hand called the pancreas. The pancreas is necessary for both digesting food and regulating energy. It is the regulation of energy for the body that is important in the development of diabetes. The pancreas produces hormones that metabolize food. These hormones regulate the use of glucose, a simple sugar, which is used for most of the activities in our bodies. The pancreas regulates energy in a variety of behaviors in which humans engage such as exercise and movement, responding to trauma and stress, and infections.The pancreas emits three different types of hormones. Insulin is the first hormone that is produced when glucose rises in the blood. Insulin usually rises after eating a meal, and excess glucose that is not used is stimulated by insulin to be stored in muscles and fat cells so that energy can be used later. The liver also stores excess glucose in the form of a carbohydrate called glycogen. The second type of pancreatic hormone is glucagon. Glucagon breaks down glycogen stored in the liver so that it can be used as energy when blood glucose supplies are down. The third type of pancreatic hormone is called somatostatin, thought to be important in regulating both insulin and glucagon.When diabe tes develops, this balanced control system does not operate properly. The glucose in the bloodstream increases, and the cells are not able to utilize it. The individual develops hyperglycemia (excess glucose in the blood). This can be detected by measuring the glucose in the blood from a blood sample, or if the glucose is elevated enough, it can be detected in the urine as spillover. This sort of situation occurs when there is not enough insulin to permit the cells to utilize the glucose, or there is resistance most likely at the cellular level to the presence of insulin. Both cases produce diabetes.Symptoms of DiabetesSome of the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus are increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss even though the individual is eating more, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, skin infections, vaginitis, blurred vision, bladder infections, and impotence in men and cessation of menses in women.One severe symptom of diabetes is diabetic ketoacidosis. This symptom sometimes p roduces slightly sweet-smelling breath that is caused by acetone, a metabolic byproduct, when the body is forced to burn fatty acids rather than glucose. This process becomes more and more toxic to the body as it continues; the individual may develop diabetic coma and die. Ketoacidosis occurs when individuals are either not getting enough insulin or the insulin is not adequate to allow cells of the body to utilize the glucose.Effects of DiabetesDiabetes has two types of long-term effects. One type is associated with blood vessel involvement. Damage to the large vessels puts the diabetic at greater risk of stroke, heart attack, and gangrene of the feet. When small blood vessels are damaged, eyes, kidneys, and nerves become damaged. The other long-term effect is nerve damage usually in the feet, but also occasionally in the hands. This nerve damage is called diabetic neuropathy. This damage may cause a painful burning sensation with loss of sensation over time, making the body part mo re subject to injury and infection. Foot ulcers and gangrene can develop, with further damage in the extremities. In men, diabetic neuropathy may cause erectile impotence.Nutrition for DiabetesConsultation with a dietitian familiar with children and with type 2 diabetes is important for all patients. The dietitian should assess the nutritional status and practices of the patient and then counsel them to provide a meal plan which, at least initially, does not deviate in a major way from their usual eating practices. Changes made gradually, through subsequent appointments and interviews, frequently achieve compliance more successfully than does radical and rapid change.Individuals providing counseling must be clear about the differences in the management of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Because obesity is a typical finding in type 2 diabetes and caloric restriction results in improved glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, modest caloric restriction and weight loss or m aintenance are important goals: so is correction of the dyslipidemia, which frequently accompanies the metabolic syndrome or IRS.In general, calories from dietary fat should not exceed 30% of energy intake, and calories from saturated fat should not exceed 10%. An effort is also made to limit cholesterol in the diet to

Ancient Roman Water Systems

Ancient Roman Water Systems Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, a Brandeis classicist who has studied the Roman latrine, says, There are no ancient sources where you can really learn about daily life[...] You have to come upon information almost by chance. That means its hard to answer all the questions or to say with any confidence that this bit of information about the bathroom habits of the Roman Empire applies to the Republic as well. With that caution, here is some of what we think we know about the water system of ancient Rome. Roman Aqueducts The Romans are renowned for engineering marvels, among which is the aqueduct that carried water for many miles in order to provide a crowded urban population with relatively safe, potable water, as well as less essential but very Roman aquatic uses. Rome had nine aqueducts by the time of the engineer Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 35–105), appointed curator aquarum in 97, our main ancient source for the water supply. The first of these was built in the fourth century B.C. and the last in the first century A.D. Aqueducts were built because the springs, wells, and Tiber River were no longer providing the safe water that was needed for the swelling urban population. Aqueducts Listed by Frontinus: In 312 B.C., the Appia Aqueduct was built 16,445 meters long.Next was the Anio Verus, built between 272-269, and 63,705 meters.Next was the Marcia, built between 144-140 and 91,424 meters.The next aqueduct was the Tepula, built in 125, and 17,745 meters.The Julia was built in 33 B.C. at 22,854 meters.The Virgo was built in 19 B.C., at 20,697 meters.The next aqueduct is the Alsientina, whose date is unknown. Its length is 32,848.The last two aqueducts were built between 38 and 52 A.D. Claudia was 68,751 meters.The Anio Novus was 86,964 meters. The Drinking Water Supply Water did not go to all residents of Rome. Only the rich had private service and the rich were as likely to divert and hence, steal, the water from the aqueducts as anyone. Water in residences only reached the lowest floors. Most Romans got their water from a constantly running public fountain. Baths and Latrines Aqueducts also supplied water to public latrines and baths. Latrines served 12-60 people at once with no dividers for privacy or toilet paper only a sponge on a stick in the water to pass around. Fortunately, water ran through the latrines constantly. Some latrines were elaborate and may have been amusing. Baths were more clearly a form of entertainment as well as hygiene. Sewers and The Cloaca Maxima When you live on the 6th floor of a walk-up with no latrine for blocks, the chances are youll use a chamber pot. What do you do with its content? That was the question that faced many an insula dweller in Rome, and many answered in the most obvious way. They dumped the pot out the window onto any stray passerby. Laws were written to deal with this, but it still went on. The preferred act was to dump solids into sewers and urine into vats where it was eagerly collected and even bought by fullers who needed the ammonia in their toga cleaning business. The main sewer of Rome was the Cloaca Maxima. It emptied into the Tiber River. It was probably built by one of the Etruscan kings of Rome to drain the marshes in the valleys between the hills. Sources By Donna Desrochers,  Classicist digs deep for truth about latrines, hygiene habits of ancient Romans, Roger D. Hansen, Water and Wastewater Systems in Imperial Rome Lanciani, Rodolfo, The Ruins of Ancient Rome. Benjamin Blom, New York.

Power of the Presidency essays

Power of the Presidency essays During the twentieth century, the power of the presidency would grow very much. This came as a result of the actions of a few men that were some of the best leaders in the history of the United States. They were men that knew what they wanted to accomplish and how they wanted to do it. Their drive to enhance the power of the presidency would become very evident during and after their terms as president of the U.S. One of the men that were instrumental in advancing the power of the presidency during the twentieth century was Mr. Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt held the ideal that the Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor. Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a "trust buster" by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Mr. Roosevelt steered the United States more actively into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". His corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States. Some of Mr. Theodore Roosevelt's most effective achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects. As President, Roosevelt saw himself a representative of all the people, including farmers, laborers, white collar workers, and businessmen. He wanted to make things better for the common man and he was successful. Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt was another president who had a lot to do with the strengthening of the presidency. He became president at the height of the depression and used his New Deal program to help the economy. Finance and banking were regulated by new laws that loosened credit and insured deposits. A series of government agencie...

Do You Need a Teaching Degree to Be a Teacher

Do You Need a Teaching Degree to Be a Teacher SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you have a goal of becoming a K-12 teacher, there are a number of ways to become licensed. Depending on where and what you want to teach, you can pursue a degree from an approved teacher education program or a means of alternative certification. In this article, we’ll cover how and where you can get a teaching degree, as well as which type of certification is best for your situation. Do You Need a Teaching Degree to Become a Teacher? Bottom line: do you need a teaching degree to become a teacher? Well, it’s complicated. Speaking from personal experience, I’m a licensed teacher in the state of Tennessee with endorsements in three subject areas. However, I never got a teaching degree; I received an alternative license through Teach for America. What you need to become a teacher will be dependent on the state you want to teach in and what you want to teach. Some states will allow alternative certifications; some will not. Some will require specialized coursework if you want to teach certain subjects (e.g., upper grades math); some will not. You can find information on your state’s requirements by visiting your state’s department of education website. How to Get a Teaching License If you want to become a teacher at a public school in the United States, you need to obtain a teacher’s license. Each of the 50 states has its own process and requirements for obtaining a teacher’s license. Most states require that you complete some sort of teacher training program (e.g., obtaining a bachelor’s degree in education) and pass standardized tests that prove your mastery of the content you’re teaching. You might also need to have supervised teaching experience, such as working for a year as a student-teacher. Once you obtain your teacher’s license, you’ll likely need to keep your license in good standing by participating in continuing education programs or taking other tests. Types of Teaching Degrees There are a number of different types of teaching degrees. Depending on what you want to teach, you might choose to pursue one of these paths. Associate’s Teaching Degree An associate’s teaching degree is one that you get by completing your associate’s program. An associate’s program usually takes two years and you can complete it at a community college. If you receive an associate’s degree in education, you probably won’t be able to be a full, lead classroom teacher. The vast majority of states require at least a bachelor’s degree for you to be the head teacher. Associate’s degrees qualify you to work as an assistant teacher or to work in pre-K. You’ll take classes on basic principles of education and pedagogy. You might complete an internship in a school, but probably won’t do a full student-teaching semester, as associate’s degree programs are already quite short. Bachelor’s Teaching Degree A bachelor’s teaching degree requires you to complete a four or five year program at a traditional college or university. In a four-year program, you’ll take classes on basic principles of education and pedagogy. You’ll likely also choose to specialize in a specific teaching area, like elementary or high school education. If you decide to be an elementary school teacher, you’ll take more classes on foundational learning objectives. If you decide to be a middle or high school grades teacher, you’ll take classes on how to teach specific subject areas. Most bachelor’s programs require you to do at least one semester of student teaching, if not a full year. They’ll also prepare you to take teacher licensing exams, like the Praxis exams. In most states, obtaining a four-year bachelor’s teaching degree will qualify you to be an apprentice teacher leading your own classroom. Master’s Teaching Degree A master’s teaching degree gives you more specialized training in your field. Most master’s programs are one or two years long. Obtaining a master’s degree can open you to more options in your teaching career. Some teaching fields, like special education, require more training in certain states. Most school districts also offer higher salary levels for teachers with master’s degrees. As part of your master’s degree program, you’ll likely have to do field work. This field work will be different than regular student teaching. You might be conducting research for a capstone project or observing specific programs. Obtaining a master’s degree will qualify you to be a lead teacher in your subject area. Alternative Paths to Teaching If you don’t have a college degree in teaching, you might still be able to be a K-12 teacher. Here are some alternative paths to teaching. Working at a Non-Traditional School If you want to be a teacher but don’t have a teaching degree, you might be able to work at a non-traditional school. While public schools managed by state and local departments of education have strict licensing requirements, schools that manage themselves set their own requirements for hiring teachers. Charter schools and private schools, for instance, often allow candidates with certain skills or experiences to become teachers, even without teaching experience. For instance, if you worked as a biology researcher, you might be allowed to become a science teacher, even if you don’t have any teaching experience. Going Through an Alternative Certification Program Alternative certification programs like Teach for America provide candidates with a nontraditional path to become a teacher. These certification programs work with specific school districts to become a licensing body, just like a college or university. Alternative certification programs have their own requirements and you’ll have to apply to be accepted. Depending on where you are and what program you’re in, you’ll need to complete different types of training. Teach for America, for instance, requires its corps members to complete an intensive summer program. Alternative certification programs work with school districts to help you obtain your license by fulfilling their requirements. Obtaining Subject Matter Expertise Depending on your state and what you’d like to teach, you might be able to get a teaching license by demonstrating subject matter expertise. This path to your teacher’s license is typically for people who want to teach upper-level subjects, like AP biology or calculus. You can demonstrate subject matter expertise through a combination of work experience and education. You’ll need to research your district’s requirements to see if this path is an option for where you want to teach. Teaching Degrees: The Bottom Line The type of teaching degree you’ll need depends on where and what you want to teach. Each state has its own requirements. You can pursue a teaching degree through a traditional program, like a bachelor’s degree at a college or university, or through an alternative means of certification. What’s Next? Getting ready to take the GED?Read our complete guide on GEDs for everything you need to know about this important exam. If you're hoping to attend college but are unsure howto begin the search process, check out this step by step guide for doing college research. If you're looking to get a teaching degree, you may choose to attend community college for a year or two and then transfer to a four-year college. Read our complete guide to transferring colleges to learn more about this process.

Personal statement for college admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal statement for college admission - Essay Example A few years since that pivotal day, I can now proudly confess that I am part of the strongest naval force in the world. I have come to the realization that I have matured more than I could ever imagine, and that my journey has just begun. Before I decided to join the military, I was neither ready for college nor the discipline it would take to reach my professional goal of becoming a doctor. I was naive and overconfident. My lack of responsibility proved to me that in life, nothing comes easy, and I blew my chance of having an education. After four years of attending college, I was dismissed and had no one to blame other than myself. However, something in me kept telling me that I was not destined for failure. I embarked on a new road in search of whatever I was missing. I soon realized that once I set my mind to it, I would be able to find my true capabilities and myself. As I now come to the end of my military career, I am ready for a new challenge. As I considered what my next achievement would be, I realized that a long time ago when I was a young boy in high school, I had made up my mind. I knew that in order to succeed, I had to take on the toughest challenge – to succeed in the best educational environment.There was only one place I could see myself pursuing that challenge: the University of Miami. Once again, I have decided to ride on a bus towards a brighter future, but this time, I am the only passenger. I now understand that the responsibility and discipline required to be successful in anything lies in my hands. I am confident that I will always rise up to face even the toughest challenge. I proved this when I was in the Navy where I was attending college, going on deployments, which had separated me from my children. I succeeded against all odds. There are many paths to our dreams, but I failed once before. I have learned the hard way that we fall so that we may rise

Chinese and Comparative Company Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinese and Comparative Company Law - Case Study Example Nowadays, globalization has become a trend. If we want to develop our economy, we'd better cooperate with others and adjust ourselves to the environment. In such a situation, more and more foreign companies have swarmed into China and become one of the strong strength to support the development of the economy. In our country, there are also many aspects of company law in order to protect people's legal profit. For instance, there is an established system of the company, the capital system of the company and the restructuring system of the company. Company law is concentrated on the management of the companies. It is helpful for all of the stuff to get equal chances and gain equal treatment. For the head of the companies, it is good for them to organize and manage the whole company much better. "The company law is just like a pair of glasses for the shortsighted. Putting on it, you can see much clearer and strengthen your judgment. Without it, you shall not have sharp insight. "2 It is a good metaphor. If there is no law for a company, we have no way to protect people's legal right and the equal computation will get nowhere. Besides, it also can limit some people's right who are in high position. "If a member of a liquidation group is found to have abused his or her power to seek personal g ains by resorting to deception, or speculated the company's property, he or her shall be ordered to return the property to the company, have the illegal proceeds confiscated and be imposed a fine one time to five times the amount of the illegal proceeds. If the case is serious enough to constitute a crime, criminal responsibility shall be affixed according to law."3 Aim at not abusing the right, the law has made out the punishment. If anyone confirms it, they will be punished undoubtedly. Although the company law is just one part of Chinese law, it also promotes Chinese law's development. In worldwide, merger&acquisition companies have become one of the most popular forms. However, the complicated work model must be under the control of sound law. Merger&Acquisition Company is considered as a kind of system to welcome winners and eliminate losers in nowadays economical condition.  

Vietnam War and American Pop Music Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vietnam War and American Pop Music - Term Paper Example Feminism, African-American Civil Rights Movement, Anti-Vietnam War Protests and even Sexual Revolution occurred in the Sixties. But there is no revolution in that era that has had the profound effect like the one the Vietnam War had. The Vietnam War has left a huge mark in America’s social psyche, and subsequently made an impact in the collective consciousness of the American people. Many films have been made, songs, books and even TV shows that echoed the sentiments of the people during that time. This era changed the people’s view on media, politics, the government and other institutions. If the people in the other eras before trusted the government with its actions, this era saw that the people did not trust the government as much because it deployed their sons to another country, in what the Americans viewed as a futile war. The Vietnam War actually started in 1955. As an offshoot of the Cold War between the Communist Russia and the Democratic United States, the Vie tnam war is also about the battle of communism and democracy. It was between the communist Vietnam (North), controlled by the Viet Congs and the democratic Vietnam (South). The US, as a protector of liberty, tried to protect the democratic Vietnam from the communists who were trying to unite Vietnam by making the country a wholly communist one. Because of this threat to democracy, America rounded up its troops, mostly composed of young men. In 1960, the first massive recruits occurred, doubling up in numbers in 1962, and in 1963, the world saw that the American troops have tripled in number. These young troops were to be deployed in Vietnam. This happening, along with other socio-cultural movements in the 60s, spurred a massive protest movement. It has to be noted that this era saw the African-Americans being granted equal rights, the women equality with men, the environment being taken importance, etc. This war added to the agenda that the people were so keen to push. The people di d not want to wage war, unlike the government. The people pushed for peace and focusing on the environment, not having their sons, brothers and husbands killed. This conflict between the people and the government spurred the people’s disillusionment on the American government. This event, the Vietnam War, challenged their views pertaining to their leaders and their heads of state. It was inevitable anyway, the troops were sent to fight in the war. For nineteen years the United States has been deploying troops over at the Asian country. They lost the war. This fueled the masses’ discontent for the government. This discontent permeated through the pop culture. It has made its way in the people’s everyday lives, especially with the movies and music. Art is a reflection of reality. Music and movies are art forms and they do reflect reality in whatever form they can, intentionally or not, since the creators’ consciousness also reflects the events that happen a round him, through the art he has been making. This is especially true in protest music that made its way into the lives of the Americans in the 60s. Protest music is a result of a musician’s conscious effort to be heard. The rise of protest music in the United States was seen during the time of the Vietnam War. True, protest music existed way before, ever since man started to sing, but the Vietnam War, with the

Technology Management and Collaboration Assignment

Technology Management and Collaboration - Assignment Example People still inhabit a world where an individual’s technical ability and instinct determines the worth of technology. Gaining knowledge of technology management is a human work and requires experienced and qualified individuals to examine this (Dauda 2009). Human intelligence produces ideas for new products and/or services, which produces the requirement to ‘identify’ technology. Hence (Moehrle 2013, p. 17):  Identification of technologies that are not currently part of the firm’s technology base,   but may be important in the future (for example, by attending a conference, reading journals, visiting trade fairs, questioning suppliers and conducting pure research.   Each time a technology is ‘selected’, the company has to always remember who will manage and operate such technology. Human resources are an important determinant for this ‘selection’, for they should possess the eagerness, knowledge, and capability to sustain thi s technology (Treat 2011).  Selection of those technologies that the firm needs for its future products and technologies (for example, by using portfolio-type methods, expert judgment, pilot studies, and financial methods). Likewise, HR participation is a crucial component in all the phases of IT acquisition programme So as to guarantee an effective and efficient application of the acquired IT, HR participation is needed the most in the process of pre-acquisition so as to successfully deal with later phases.

Anthropological theories on the common property Term Paper

Anthropological theories on the common property - Term Paper Example In this regard, the theory can be used to describe the behavior individual in the use of common property to meet their needs for more satisfaction. Moreover, people tend to focus on the utilization of utilities which are as cost effective as possible. In this regard the propensity for the use of common property is justified. The human nature which makes them to seek cost effectiveness in their actions and behavior is described within the instrumental rationality which lies in the spectrum of the rational choice theory (Kim and Mahoney 223). In the illustration of rational choice theory, it is observable that people for example tend to use public parks because of the cost effectiveness associated with them. In this regard, the society makes choices based on instrumental rationality to ensure that they enjoy better than bad at the most cost effective manner (McLellan 13). In this regard, the justification which people give for the use of common property is likely to include the fact th at they are cost effective even though they may not reveal this apparently because of the social attitudes associated with the common property. ... Rationality within the rational choice theory is used to signify the sanity which people employ in the use of common property. This means that people are left with no choice but to make realistic and hence sane choices in the utilization of common property (Dowding and Andrew 455). For example it makes sense for sane choices of utilization of common property because of the cost effectiveness associated with them. This can be exemplified by an individual who makes sane choices of using common property swimming pools instead of installing his or her own which would be impractical due to limitations in space, costly and time consuming. The rational choice theory further is used to exemplify the thoughtful nature of human beings in the use of common property. This means that the use of common property is often evaluated or assessed by the users with an aim of determining its usefulness or benefits in relation to the possible advantages (Hechter and Satoshi 194). The rational choice is th us conclusively based on the ability of people to weigh between benefits and disadvantages of utilization of specific common services or property under a thoughtful process before a choice is eventually reached. The motive of rational choice as postulated by the rational choice theory is the maximization of the advantages that can be accrued from personal utilization of common property (Yalman 388). Therefore, there is a rational process which drives the use of common property. The rational process and the cognition of a person therefore define the attitudes and behaviors which are demonstrated during the use or conversation about common property (Roberts 32). More importantly, the rational choice theory is postulated within the concept of preference (Nehring 205). For example

Case Study and Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

And Analysis - Case Study Example As per the open system model, the organization along with the sub system which includes groups, individuals and departments often share a number of similar features which explains how the organizations functions and are organized (Cummings & Worley, p.89). The organization, in the given case study, seems to lack coordination among the members and also with the top level management. There are no specific goals attached with the organization and employees often sends query about what the specific goal is and how to achieve it. By looking at the open system model of the organization, it can be assumed that the major problem lies with the group level. Although the other two levels that is organizational level and individual level are far away from perfection but the major issue lies with the group level. Group Level Diagnosis The group level diagnosis consists of inputs under which organizational design plays an important role in group design. Structure of the organization, technology, H R system, measurement system and organizational culture are the components of the organizational design. It mainly specifies the work done tighter in a group which is the main issue in the present organization. As per the survey or questions asked, the response revealed that the organization did not have a so called team. The organization does not function as a team whenever group decisions are required. As commented by Don, the national sales manager, the members do not listen to each other and tends to talk much without listening much to each other. The members are effective in sharing information but not much as a team. The core factors of team functioning was missing such as appraisals and reward system. The next factor is design components which consist of five major components. In task structure, the main idea is to see how the group work is designed. It varies along two dimensions which are regulation of task behavior and coordination of member’s effort. In the respect ive case, there is no group work, no interaction among the group members regarding the work. When meeting are conducted the members do not know what to discuss on such meetings. Meetings are thought to be wastage of time and rather talking as a team the members address it to Joe the division president. The next components talks about the clarity of goal. The members do not know the objective of the organization, what kind of goal is the organization thriving for and so on. Group composition is concerned with the membership of the groups .The members have the ability to differ on dimensions which are relevant to group behavior. But group work does not take a stand in the particular organization, members tends to work on their own, their own way. Group functioning is also important to group life. It takes into consideration how members of an organization relate to each other as quality of relationship does affect the task performance. The relationship among the members is quite effect ive, which is expressed on the last page of the case study. Since there is a lack of team spirit and team work, members needs to work on their own and discuss issues with Joe instead of team members. Lastly, the performance norms which talks about the group should perform task and include performance which are acceptable. The members in the organization want Joe to take care of the needs and

Anthropological theories on the common property Term Paper

Anthropological theories on the common property - Term Paper Example In this regard, the theory can be used to describe the behavior individual in the use of common property to meet their needs for more satisfaction. Moreover, people tend to focus on the utilization of utilities which are as cost effective as possible. In this regard the propensity for the use of common property is justified. The human nature which makes them to seek cost effectiveness in their actions and behavior is described within the instrumental rationality which lies in the spectrum of the rational choice theory (Kim and Mahoney 223). In the illustration of rational choice theory, it is observable that people for example tend to use public parks because of the cost effectiveness associated with them. In this regard, the society makes choices based on instrumental rationality to ensure that they enjoy better than bad at the most cost effective manner (McLellan 13). In this regard, the justification which people give for the use of common property is likely to include the fact th at they are cost effective even though they may not reveal this apparently because of the social attitudes associated with the common property. ... Rationality within the rational choice theory is used to signify the sanity which people employ in the use of common property. This means that people are left with no choice but to make realistic and hence sane choices in the utilization of common property (Dowding and Andrew 455). For example it makes sense for sane choices of utilization of common property because of the cost effectiveness associated with them. This can be exemplified by an individual who makes sane choices of using common property swimming pools instead of installing his or her own which would be impractical due to limitations in space, costly and time consuming. The rational choice theory further is used to exemplify the thoughtful nature of human beings in the use of common property. This means that the use of common property is often evaluated or assessed by the users with an aim of determining its usefulness or benefits in relation to the possible advantages (Hechter and Satoshi 194). The rational choice is th us conclusively based on the ability of people to weigh between benefits and disadvantages of utilization of specific common services or property under a thoughtful process before a choice is eventually reached. The motive of rational choice as postulated by the rational choice theory is the maximization of the advantages that can be accrued from personal utilization of common property (Yalman 388). Therefore, there is a rational process which drives the use of common property. The rational process and the cognition of a person therefore define the attitudes and behaviors which are demonstrated during the use or conversation about common property (Roberts 32). More importantly, the rational choice theory is postulated within the concept of preference (Nehring 205). For example

Mix Map Model Essay Example for Free

Mix Map Model Essay Mixmap model provides information that helps the company to determine the factors that effectively analyse the present tactics and based on the analysis it can determine future tactics. Mixmap model includes 4P’s, Product life cycle, BCG matrix and Ansoff matrix. * Product life cycle Product life cycles (PLC) are the stages that a product goes through during its life cycle in the market. Product life cycle is used in order to show current stage of the product or the company at present which including four stages, Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline. PLC is useful for determining the current market position and it is significant for the company to adapt their product or brands marketing strategy to the changing condition of the market environment. Introduction – is first introduced. It offers something new in terms of its design or performance, with few competitors offering the same product. Growth – as volume grows, competitors may enter the growing market. Keeping up with demand could prove to be the main operations.. Maturity Demand starts to level off. Operations will be expected to get the costs down in order to maintain profits or to allow price cutting. Decline After time, sales will decline with more competitors dropping out of the market. Eg. MS is in a high fashion industry and its product offering is the latest trends and designs with a life of maximum 2 weeks so its product life cycle cure becomes like the above diagram. * Boston Group Matrix – Uses market share and market growth criteria for determining the attractiveness and balance of a business portfolio. Star – is a business unit within a portfolio, which has a high market share in a growing market. It is well- established and fantastic opportunities. Question mark – is a business unit within a portfolio that is in a growing market, but does not yet have high market share. Cash cow – is a business unit within a portfolio that has a high market share in mature market. Dogs – are business units within a portfolio that have low share in static or declining markets. Example MS in terms of BCG matrix is either ‘dogs’ (cash in balance) or question marks (cash cow). The portfolio of MSs products is good in clothing having star position and in food MS has occupied the position of question mark relative market shares is low with low industry growth and in financial services industry growth is high but MSs market share is low and will require substantial capital investment to turn them into stars. * McKinsey Matrix – Highlights the importance of fit between strategy, structure, sytems, staff, style, skills and superordinate goals. Three aspects of organizing. First, organizing involves a lot more than just getting the organizational structure right; there are many other elements to attend to. Second, the 7-s framework emphasizes fit between all these elements everything from structure to skills needs to be connected together. Third, if managers change one element of the 7-s, the concept of fit suggests they are likely to have to change all the other elements as well in order to keep them all appropriately aligned to each other. Strategy are plans an organization formulates to reach identified goals, and a set of decisions and actions aimed at gaining a sustainable advantage over the competition Structure – is the key ingredient of organizing for success. But structure can only work if they are supported by formal and informal organizational system System – can be subdivided in two ways. First, systems tend to emphasis either control over inputs or control over output. The second is between direct and indirect control. Style – refers to the leadership style of top managers in an organization and how key managers behave to achieving the organization goals. Staff – is about the kinds of people in the organization and how they are developed. Skills – relates to staff. It raises not only staff skills but also issues to do with how these skills are embedded in and captured by the organization as a whole. Superordinate goals – refers to the overarching goals or purpose of the organization as a whole. Superordinate goals are placed at the center of the 7-s framework: all other elements should support these. Example MS are fully exercising the 7s model and coordinating at all levels to generate maximum output. Structure is well defined since it is old player in this industry so they have learnt a lot from their experience curve and now have developed an outstanding structure. In the initial phase MS got experience through hit and trial method and now have developed good strategies and system. MS also has got excellent skills and is full getting benefit of these skills. They are well known figures in clothing industry and have gained professional and productive staff. MS have shared values which are widely spread in its all 7s and are reflected by their strategic moves * Ansoff’s Matrix – Is a very useful tool and can be used in nearly every scenario. It neatly summarizes many of the strategic options facing organizations. Market penetration – existing markets and products This is a strategy by which a company seeks to increase the sales of its present products in its existing markets. Product development – existing markets and new product This strategy has the aim of increasing sales by developing products for a company’s existing market. Market development – existing products and new markets This strategy has the aim of increasing sales by repositioning present products to new markets Diversification – develop new products in new markets This could be related to what we do at the moment. Diversification is a high risk strategy as the business is unfamiliar with the product and the target market. Example We can see from the Ansoffs Matrix, MS’s lunch of Financial services products will have involved a diversification strategy. As MS did not already sells financial products, so new market and new product. Both capability and market consideration has driven MS into development of new markets and products. 4Ps * Price – The price of a product or service is the important influencers in the decision on whether to buy. Eg. Marks and Spencer vary in price. However most of the products seem to be fairly cheap affordable prices. This is good because the clothes are of good quality; however the pricing isn’t too expensive. * Promotion – represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product. The promotion mix consists of four elements: advertising, sales promotion, public relations and personal selling. Eg. Marks and Spencer tend to promote ladies fashion mainly on Television and on their website. They also advertise on billboards etc. * Place – refers to providing the product at a place, which is convenient for consumers to access.eg. For MS all ladies fashion is placed on a certain floor in the store, so it is easily found and is easy to locate, and find particular product. * Product – Product covers both the usefulness and demand for an item in general and also any specific features and benefits. In general, when buying the fast fashion clothes, style and quality are the key requirements for customer. If it is to stand out from rivals products. It can be done by changing this brand name, quality, and packaging. Eg. MS offers many different clothing concepts for man, woman and children, and also sell accessary and cosmetic.

Differences between male and female leadership

Differences between male and female leadership There are a variety of conflicting views regarding the differences between male and female leadership styles across the world. The researchers have come up with conflicting results and therefore there are two clubs now that project two opposite views. I will go on now to describe the research associated with the topic. Gender Differences are Significant: The first groups of people under discussion are those who believe that gender differences in leadership styles are very significant and obvious. According to Judy B. Rosener, (1995), A professor in the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, the male and female leadership styles are different, as in, the male leaders generally believe in command and control form of leadership where they dictate orders whereas women believe in participative leadership where they are interactive and want to involve all the people around them in their vision and plans. According to Professor Judy, males are usually very keen about status distinctions, competition and hierarchy in general, whereas women are more interested in focusing on proper communication and breaking down hierarchy. Sally Helgesen (1995) in her book the Female Advantage observes that women in general have a behavior pattern that encourages equality among peers. Not letting their role get in the way. Helgesen continues, they seek to empower those around them by being direct and natural in a way that minimizes their own ego and strips them of the trappings of power which emphasizes boundaries and divisions (p.144). Similarly Nancy Badore, Executive Director of Ford Motor Companys Executive Development Center does not mind admitting that she doesnt mind showing that she doesnt know something or being herself. Mostly, men believe that they need to maintain an aura of control and knowledge to seem superior. She on the other hand has no issues admitting that she is human and does not believe that it makes a difference to her perceived respect as and executive. This highlights a key difference in the way men and women think. (Helgesen,1995, p. 151). Diane Lewis (1998) claims women are different as if it were a fact in her book Equal to the Challenge. In her book she claims that women are very different from men in not just the way they look, they are different as people and have entirely different personality traits. They have different attitudes, behaviors and beliefs and these have come into play because of the vast differences in which men and women are raised in society. She says in her book that These internal differences add up to one big external difference. We women often behave in ways contrary to our success, even to our survival, in the world of work because men are naturally competitive and put winning ahead of harmony and are generally comfortable with rules and structure, where as women are naturally inclined to put harmony above all and sometimes will break rules for the purpose of protecting their loved ones. According to (Powell. 1999) Women network; men do not. Women share information; men do not. Women place cooperation above competition; men do not. Women are more concerned with how things are done, with process, than with merely getting things done; they are more concerned with means than with ends. Unlike men, women do not have an instrumental view of work or of the workers. For women leaders, workers are ends in themselves, not means to an end. This, according to Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli in The female leadership advantage: An evaluation of the evidence is an advantage as females are more transformational leaders where as men in general are transactional leaders (based on their personality traits) Thus, these researches make the point that women and men are essentially different from one another and therefore have varying leadership styles that in turn effect their advancement up the corporate ladder. No Visible Differences: Then, another group that counters these researchers is the group that claims that there are no significant differences in the way men and women lead people. Epstein (1990) argues that even if women do bring a different set of qualities to the workplace its myopic to say that its only women who possess those set of qualities. It may be true that men in general are lower on levels of empathy as compared to the average woman; however it does not mean that men who are leaders have lesser empathy as compared to women leaders. Similarly, Gary N. Powell (1999) concludes in his research that sex differences are absent in task-oriented behavior, people-oriented behavior, effectiveness ratings of actual managers, and subordinates responses to actual managers (p.165). he also goes on to say that most of the studies conducted about differences in leadership styles among the sexes are basically biased in themselves as they were not conducted in the actual workplace or among people who were actually leaders (after all, gender differences among ordinary people do not necessarily reflect differences in personality traits of actual leaders) Another later research done by Jane Mansbridge (1991), the differences in between the gender leadership styles are just 1/5th of a standard deviation and are small enough to be ignored. She writes in her book that the difference between men and women styles may be much smaller than the differences between managers of small and large companies, of old and new companies, or old and young managers (pp.154-155). These people therefore argue that the claimed differences in male and female leadership styles are basically stereotypical and severe oversimplification of reality based on our own perceived biases. In actuality men and women are not so different in leading styles as they are projected to be. So what is the conclusion of all this research? Unfortunately, the research is inconclusive. It depends according to Captain Willie L. Parker, Jr. on which particular woman and which particular man we are talking about. This is because women and men are extremely broad classifications. They include people from different ages, education backgrounds, social settings they were raised in and different values. There is no one way that we can use a description that fits all the women all across the world. Therefore its when asking ourselves about qualities that define women, its important to ask ourselves which particular woman and which particular man we are talking about.

The Wealth of Nations Essay examples -- Economics Economy Politics Ess

The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith’s famous attempt to explain the nature and causes of the wealth of nations rests on several crucial assumptions about human nature which in turn rely on false universalism and questionable dichotomies. To begin with, Smith makes roughly three claims about human nature. Primarily, Smith assumes that self-interest is inherent in all human beings. As opposed to animals which rely on benevolence, in opposition to natural pity (Rousseau p. 53), the human â€Å"will be more likely to prevail if he can interest [others’] self-love in his favour, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them† (Smith, p. 18). Smith later relies on this â€Å"self-love† to ground his arguments on the steady base of human nature. More subtly, the â€Å"faculties of reason and speech† play a crucial role in Smith’s treatment of human behavior. Although he never openly lists these â€Å"faculties† as essential to human nature, his argument relies on this assumption. The step from having some goods and needing others to trading with those who have the needed goods and want the overabundant ones cannot be warranted without a presumption of a rational actor. Similarly, every development towards improved efficiency, if these are anything more guided than random evolutionary steps, require such an actor to instigate it. In the case of the arrowmaker, Smith must assume some force driving the arrow maker to save time and maximize profits. Of course, the concepts of barter, trade, and the rest require speech, or some kind of communication. Finally, Smith instills â€Å"a certain propensity in human nature; the propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another.† (Smith p. 17). This, he sugg... ...to the commonness of rationality. Far from all cultures were capitalistic, nor is it possible to prove any would have become capitalistic in the future. Thus Smith’s description of human nature is applicable primarily to Western European coastal trading humans, rather than to the supposed universal and original human specimen. WORKS CITED Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Ed. Cannan, Edwin. Chicago, IL: U of Chicago Press, 1976. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. â€Å"Discourse on the Origin of Inequality.† The Basic Political Writings. Trans. Cress, Donald A. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1987. Visvanathan, Shiv. â€Å"The Laboratory State.† Science, Violence, and Hegemony: A Requiem for Modernity. Oxford University Press, 1988. October 11, 2001.

Analysis of The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf Essay -- The Beauty Myth Fem

Analysis of The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf The Beauty Myth, published by Doubleday in New York City, hit the shelves in 1992. Naomi Wolf wrote this 348-page book. Wolf attended Yale University and New College, Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. Her essays have been printed in many well-known magazines and newspapers, including Esquire and the New York Times. The Beauty Myth was Wolf’s first book. She has also written two other books, Fire With Fire and Promiscuities. Wolf is a recognized feminist. She has done a lot of writing and has spoken to many audiences about issues involving feminism. In The Beauty Myth, Wolf’s basic thesis states that there is a connection between female liberation and female beauty. She writes: The more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us†¦.During the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing medical specialty†¦.Recent research consistently shows that inside the majority of the†¦attractive, successful working women, there is a †¦dark vein of self-hatred, physical obsessions, terror of aging, and dread of lost control. (Wolf 10) Wolf’s research shows that there is an attack against feminism that uses images of female beauty to keep women â€Å"in their place†. Women tod...

Is Prejudice and Discrimination a Myth or a Real Life Situation Essay

Prejudice is a cultural attitude that rests on negative stereotypes about individuals or groups because of their cultural, religious, racial, or ethnic background. Discrimination is the active denial of desired goals from a category of persons. A category can be based on sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, language, or class. More recently, disadvantaged groups now also include those based on gender, age, and physical disabilities. Prejudice and discrimination are deeply imbedded at both the individual and societal levels. Attempts to eradicate prejudice and discrimination must thus deal with prevailing beliefs or ideologies, and social structure. Although there is no wide agreement as to the â€Å"cause† of prejudice and discrimination, there is a consensus that they constitute a learned behaviour. The internalization of prejudice starts with parents and, later, teachers–the groups primary in the formation of attitudes within children. The media and social institutions solidify prejudicial attitudes, giving them social legitimacy. In a sense, it is incorrect to speak of â€Å"eradicating† prejudice, since prejudice is learned. At best, one can reduce prejudice and discrimination. Society looks most often to education and legislation to alleviate prejudice and discrimination–for reasons still not clearly known, inter-group contact alone is not enough to reduce prejudice. On one hand, multicultural education, whether direct or indirect, constitute the mainstay of educational efforts to eliminate prejudice. On the other hand, the emphasis on civil rights, enlightened immigration policies, and mandates for quota hiring are the cornerstone of legal approaches to alleviating the effects of prejudice and discrimination. The most overlooked area in resolving the problems of prejudice and discrimination lies in the web of close relationships where genuine feelings of love can be fostered and strengthened. The private sphere may indeed be the last frontier where a solution to the problems of prejudice may have to be found.

Changmai Corporation Essay

1. What reasoning should McLeod apply to try and handle the dilemmas he is facing? Due to McLeod is a highly qualified engineer and had a wide experience gained in some of the most sophisticated pulp mills in the world, he believed that using Western standards is always only correct way. However, it seems not suitable in every country. The based ask from McLeod is to protect safety for employees, which is good, but by announced human right and ensured into contract don’t work in this area. People working in Asia are more respect strong sense of family not individual right. Based on this culture sense, McLeod could start on building relationship and imposing how important to execute safety process such as employees are property, if they get hurt, the construction will be delay. According to cultural difference, word by word in contract is not good way to enforce Asia contractors to follow. McLeod should be flexible about how to balance western standards and eastern standards. 2. How do you think Bailey’s CEO, Mr. Hartford, should respond to Bailey’s predicament? Since American is obviously not allow bribe and corruption and Mr. Hartford has always been in the press about the decline of moral values in business, he might reply Bailey it is unaccepted for special budget. However, when you work in different country, it is possible to follow their standards. In this case, if Bailey wants to make sure it is not behind schedule and the mill can be finished as soon as possible, this special reliable service tax should be paid. This is a challenge for multinational corporations to keep their own standard value or adjust to host country’s standard value. 3. What is your reaction to the debate presented in the final paragraphs? I totally agree with the Frenchman, Thierry Dupont, said that â€Å"With 13 per cent unemployment in France, anyone who creates jobs is a hero.† Corruption is everywhere but present in different form and meaning. There is no one standard for every country. Western people are announced human right and they do what they want. It spreads social problems such as dug and violence. Eastern people are hierarchical oriented and they value relationship with group not individual performance. On the other hand, their corruption and pressure from good relationship around are more than western. Everything has two sides; I would like to say it is all right for each country’s standards.

Ethics in Environmental Conservation and Research Essay

Serious ethical challenges have confronted stakeholders in environmental conservation and research. The bulk of the challenges gravitates around the relationship between human beings and the non-human environment, and the impact of human activities on the continued existence of human beings and other elements of the non-human environment (Swart, 2008). Researchers have viewed these challenges through several ethical lenses to come up with different perspectives on the place of mankind in the system, and how human beings should interact with the environment. Ecological ethics originated from environmental ethics which, just like the Blackstone’s ethic of environmental rights and the utilitarian ethic of pollution control, focuses on the complex issue of human-nature relationship and the resultant environmental problems which include loss of biodiversity, pollution and scarcity of resources (Minteer & Collins, 2008). Ecological researchers emphasize that although human beings arevery important in the human-environment relationship, they must evaluate the benefits of their actions vis-a-vis the negative impact of such actions. Human beings must not harm the environment knowingly, particularly if the action leading to such harm is not necessary. According to Minteer & Collins, ecological conservationists must ask themselves whether â€Å"the expected value of an ecological study outweigh possible harm to research animals in the target population. † Because it allows a comprehensive view of the forces at play in ecological conservation and research, ecological ethics gives a better understanding of the ethical issues in conservation and research. Ecological ethics holds that the non-human environment is valuable and mankind must protect it. Blackstone viewed access to a clean and safe environment as a fundamental human right, meaning that no one should take away or compromise another’s right to a livable environment (Valezquez, n. d). At the core of Blackstone’s ethic is the argument that human beings must gauge and anticipate the impact of their actions to ensure that such actions do not threaten other people’s access to their environmental rights. Although Blackstone failed to give a clear guide on how it should be done, he argued that polluters should be held responsible for their actions. Non-human life is useful to human life as humankind depends heavily on the former to satisfy their needs. As such, human beings should protect the non-human environment and only assault the non-human environment to meet essential needs. According to the utilitarian ethic of pollution control, environmental problems are pointers to defects in the market. Utilitarians argue that human beings should invest in reducing pollution to the minimum possible, as it is harmful to the welfare of society. This implies that resources should be used when necessary and they should be allocated and used efficiently. According to Valezquez (n. d), utilitarians draw a line to separate the costs firms incur to produce a product (private costs), and the costs incurred during the production process but which the firms do not pay directly (social costs). These include the costs of pollution and health-care costs for pollution victims, and biodiversity loss. When firms consider only the private costs and overlook the social costs, resources are not utilized efficiently as firms do not invest in efficient production systems. The result of inefficient use of resources is wastages and pollution which contravene the very utilitarian principles on which the market system stands. Producers should therefore consider both social and private costs to arrive at the real prices for products. A prominent problem with setting the real price is that many firms are responsible for pollution and it is not easy to determine which firm is harming who and which is not. The most adequate of the three views is the ecological ethic. Ecological ethicists view mankind as part of a larger system which involves continuous interactions with the non-human environment. Mankind therefore stands to lose from environmental degradation and scarcity of resources. The utilitarian and Blackstone’s views may imply that mankind can justify environmental destruction by paying for the same and compensating those who are affected. According to the ecological view however, human beings have the important role of, not simply paying for harm occasioned by their actions but of, protecting the environment from harm and ensuring that harm is tolerated only when the benefits outweigh the adverse effects. References Minteer, B. & Collins, J. (2008). From Environmental to Ecological Ethics: Toward a Practical Ethics for Ecologists and Conservationists. Sci Eng Ethics 14: pp 483-501. Swart, J. (2008). The Ecological Ethics Framework: Finding our Way in the Ethical Labyrinth of Nature Conservation. Sci Eng Ethics 14: pp 523-526.

What are the strategies of Apple Incorporated Essay

What are the strategies of Apple Incorporated - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is Apple as a very unique company because it dominated a market segment which is not its core business. Apple was launched in 1976 in a garage with Steve Wozniak and was able to revolutionize the computing industry with the introduction of its product line Macintosh (Mac) that â€Å"dramatically changed personal computing through its user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), which allowed users to interact with screen images rather than merely typing text commands†. Apple’s success is not solely attributed to the creativity and functionality of its product line but also to its pricing strategy which has been a big change from the 1990s when consumers regarded Apple as a producer of overpriced tech baubles that cannot effectively compete against the far cheaper Windows PCs. This change was a result of a succesful implementation of its value chain activities that has significantly lowered its price. It became very pronounced with the launching of Ipad which price was far lower than what they expected. Its introductory price last year of $499 stunned everyone, which led John Gallaugher, an associate professor of information systems at Boston College to comment â€Å"It was a very competitively priced device†. The same is true in the notebook product line. When Macbook Air was introduced in 2008, it was priced at an exorbitant $1,799. This became possible by the briliant management of Apple’s supply chain due to capitalizing its organizational capability of having huge cash reserves. It made its supply chain a strategic weapon to lower price in order to capture the market. It tapped into its huge war chest of $82 billion in cash and marketable securities to lock up supplies of parts for years to enable it push down cost by the scale of its purchase (Wingfield, 2011). It also bought manufacturing capacity ahead of its time and made its components scarce that, in turn, made its competitors scrambling for any parts that are left and drove the cost of its products up while Apple had lowered its own (Wingfield, 2011). To date, Apple has been recorded as the biggest buyer of flash memory chips in the world according to the research firm iSuppli (Wingfield, 2011). The effect of using value chain management as a strategic weapon proved to be a nemesis among its competitors. When this effective value chain management was reflected in retail prices, competitors had to slash their prices where Motorola’s Xoom tablet was pushed to lower its price at $379 at Best Buy (for a limited time) and virtually won the competition with Hewlett-Packard’s TouchPad line of tablets which were pushed to be sold at $99 to clean the inventories. III. What is the core of Apple from a product point of view? The core product of Apple was its desktop computer Macintosh. Its main revenue source however comes from its other product line such as Ipad, Iphone and Ipod. IV. Are all products and servic es equal to Apple? If not what are the key pieces? Use your entire toolkit, especially the financials, to support your decision.   Apple Incorporated made itself distinct by making its hardware and software work in synergy that enabled its products and services unequalled by its competitors. The best example that we can show for this is the synergy that its operating system iOS5 that provide synergy among the different product lines of Apple. It powers the iPad, iPod and iPod touch which allows the three products to interact and complement each other. Its new computer operating system Lion also has an Air-drop feature that has made sharing of information between Mac computers very convenient. Air-drops peer