E-Business Paddy Power

Paddy Power, Web Division, Online Gambling Service. Version 1. 0 7th April 2010 Prepared by: Christopher Cadwell (x08795240) eCommerce Operation Evaluation Operation or service overview Paddy Power is the largest provider of fixed-odds sports betting in Ireland. Paddy Power's retail division operates a chain of licensed betting offices located throughout Ireland and in the UK. There online division operates one of Ireland's largest online businesses which consists of the online sportsbook, mobile sportsbook,  casino, games, poker, bingo, and financial spread betting (its latest addition). Paddy Power was founded in 1988 by the merger of three existing Irish high street bookmakers who have an unconventional approach to betting and gaming believing them to be firmly rooted in the leisure and entertainment space. As such its mission is to make ‘risk-based entertainment' more accessible and fun. It offers customers an unparalleled betting experience that is great value, great fun and has the best service. Through this strategy the company has developed a strong reputation as â€Å"The Punter Friendly Bookmaker† and has become renowned for its unique â€Å"Money Back Specials. Thanks to this customer-centric approach, it is now generally accepted that a bet with Paddy Power has three possible outcomes – Win, Lose or Money Back. Marketplace Target market Paddy Power’s target market is everyone over the legal age to gamble. They attract customers of all ages ranging from late teens to pensioners as it is part of human nature to take risks and have a gamble. Paddy Power attracts so many people with its wide variety of different areas on its website including a sportsbook, casino, games and bingo so there is something there for everybody. Major clients I don’t think Paddy Power have major clients as they target everyone from the average everyday punter to the high society people and if they did have major clients im sure their identity’s remain private. Geographic or vertical clustering Paddy Power has 212 shops in Ireland (including 3 shops at race courses) and 86 shops in the UK which are dispersed throughout either country. Recent News and Press Releases Bookmaker Paddy Power has announced it will create up to 250 new jobs at its headquarters in Tallaght in Dublin over the next three years. Paddy Power, which already employs 640 people in Dublin, is recruiting as part of its strategy of international expansion into the online sports betting market. The company is to recruit 50 people with skills in technology and risk management by the summer, with the remainder generated over three subsequent years. Tiger Woods  has snubbed a $75m (â‚ ¬55m) sponsorship offer from bookmaker  Paddy Power. The golfing legend bade farewell to several of his big-name sponsors but the disgraced world number one still won't be tempted by the offer, which could be worth an astonishing $75m over five years. With a down payment of $5m (â‚ ¬3. m) for the use of Tiger's likeness annually, the proposal provides performance incentives including $1m (â‚ ¬736,000) for each Major he wins in the  US  and $2m (â‚ ¬1. 5m) for victory at the  British Open. â€Å"We're in negotiations with IMG to sponsor Tiger,† Paddy Power told US magazine website ‘Golfweek'. â€Å"It's still in the early stage of the negotiations, really, to be honest with you. But if it all comes off, it'll be the biggest sponsorship deal we've done by quite some way. † However,  Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at IMG, indicated that Paddy Power’s proposal is not being given serious consideration. We're not involved in any discussions to add to his sponsorship portfolio at this time,† he said. Paddy Power lost â‚ ¬1. 5m last August when it paid out on Tiger as he led after 54 holes of the  US PGA Championship  at Hazeltine only to be eclipsed by  Korean YE Yang. Now Paddy Power is potentially taking a much bigger gamble on Woods, who has been out of golf since his November 27 car crash precipitated revelations of marital infidelity and a stunningly swift fall in public-opinion surveys. His marketability is under pressure after  Accenture, AT&T and  Gatorade all  pulled their support. At this stage, when other sponsors seem to be ditching him, ther e's an opportunity there to step in,† the bookmaker said of the proposal. â€Å"He's still somebody we would very much like to align ourselves to. † Competitive positioning International and national competitors Paddy Powers international and national competitors would consist of Ladbrokes, Victor Chandler, William Hill, Stan James, Coral, Boylesports, Bet365, SkyBet and Betfair. All these fellow bookmakers have online gambling sites so would be Paddy Powers biggest rivals. Regional competitors Paddy Powers regional competitors would be Celtic Bookmakers, Terry Rodgers Bookmakers and Hackett’s Bookmakers these competitors have rival shops around the country but don’t have the capacity to compete online. Local competitors Paddy Power’s local competitors would be one off independent betting shops set up in local towns the only example I can give is Vernon Racing which is my local bookmakers in Clontarf, as it is not a franchise it is a independently run bookmakers and they only have one establishment. Business value Market demand Paddy Power’s market demand is strong even through the recession I would say it is the market leader as their â€Å"money back specials† apply added insurance to bets made, so therefore more people would place their bets with them instead of a competitor. They would also be the most well known of the brands which lure’s more people to their shops. Expected revenue stream Paddy Power are constantly going head to head with their competitors by saying they will match a better price if you can find it and with their money back specials as well. They are also opening more new stores each year to increase their market share. Market growth potential Online activities are by some distance the largest and fastest growing part of Paddy Power. Their online operating profit increased by â‚ ¬2. 9m to â‚ ¬45. 7m last year, despite a significantly worse run of sporting results and a net negative impact from foreign currency fluctuations of approximately â‚ ¬2. 1m. Their operating profit as a percentage of gross win at 42% remained amongst the highest in the industry, benefiting from the strength of their brand, synergies with Retail, scale and operational expertise. This profitability enables Paddy Power to continue to invest in product, value and brand to drive future success in what is a highly competitive industry. Risk evaluation Evaluation Tools used and why. I would use the SWOT analysis tool in my evaluation of Paddy Power. I think it is the right tool to use because it would help them evaluate what their strengths, weaknesses, possible opportunities and possible threats are in their running of their organisation. Evaluation Tools not used and why I would not use a PEST analysis tool in my evaluation as don’t feel it benefit Paddy Power as much as a SWOT analysis would. It wouldn’t allow them to recognise the area of possible expansion opportunities. Evaluation SWOT analysis: Strengths: * Entrepreneurial and focused management * Focus on small stakes fixed odds betting and entertainment betting designed to add value to a sporting or other event * Strong financial position (no gearing and cash generative) * brand is established and widely recognized Weaknesses: * Threat of new entrants Limited experience of UK betting market * Exposed to rental increases on leased properties * Margins intra-year vulnerable to performance of favourites * Dominant market position in Ireland (33% off-course betting in Ireland) Opportunities: * Scope for further shop openings in Ireland and to roll-out business model in the UK * Extend leadership of on-line and telephone betting business in Ireland into the UK * Enhance organic growth profile with opportunistic bolt on acquisitions in a fragmented UK industry * Expand product range, particularly in the online business Threats: * Risk of more aggressive price based competition in Ireland and the UK * Potential decline in consumer spending due to a severe economic downturn in Ireland and the UK * Susceptible to adverse changes in tax and regulation * Online business vulnerable to threat of software virus attacks * New technology increases disintermediation and pricing transparency, resulting in lower margins Evaluation summary Expected return Paddy Power expects their customers to be happy with the way their website is laid out and the deals and services it provides, as they feel their service is the best in their market. Strategic value Paddy Power has a strategic advantage on their competitor’s websites as they offer better deals then most of their competitors. Ability to deliver success Paddy Power is the largest provider of fixed-odds sports betting in Ireland and they hope this will continue for years to come and for their business to continue to expand.

Accounting for leases Essay

Abstract This paper will provide an overview of lease accounting. It will present the history, current status, and future implications of the latest proposed standard, as jointly issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Furthermore, the paper will take into account relevant observations made by various proponents who are concerned about the standard, and conclude with a personal opinion on the standard and why it’s better than the current standard. Existing accounting standards between the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) have allowed corporations to avoid reporting assets and liabilities via â€Å"operating leases.† Thus, it has become common practice for corporations to utilize these operating leases as a source of deceptive financing—by being able to materially mislead creditors and investors due to off balance sheet accounting. Lease accounting is a classic example (or phenomenon) that shows how people tend to exploit accounting standards in order to violate the â€Å"substance over form† accounting principle (where the economic reality can be distorted from the legal reality). The history of lease accounting is an interesting one. In 1976, FASB released Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 13 – Accounting for leases. Since then, the accounting standard allowed companies to report some leases as an asset and a liability (i.e. capital/finance leases), and other leases as a non-asset and non-liability (i.e. operating leases). However, since the FASB-IASB convergence project began (from the 2002 Norwalk Agreement), they have reached a general consensus with investors that in many instances, operating leases can be misleading and could cover up material amounts of credit risk of a given company. It is interesting to note that such an issue had already been acknowledged by the late 70s, shortly after FASB released SFAS 13 (Kieso, Warfield, & Weygandt, 2004, p.1119). The issue was momentarily brought up again during the early 90’s for resolution, but was sharply protested by corporate interests and subsequently dismissed (Norris, 2013). Only now, has there been serious reconsideration of the standard; and can demonstrate how long it can take for accounting standards to respond back to the needs of financial statement users. On June 16, 2005, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in response to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002, publically released â€Å"On Arrangements with Off-Balance Sheet Implications, Special Purpose Entities, and Transparency of Filings by Issuers.† This public statement proposed several important goals and recommendations, among them a proposal to improve accounting for leases. By July 2006, the FASB and IASB established a Work Plan, in order to improve the standard for lease accounting (â€Å"Work Plan for IFRS – Leases,† 2013). The project has yet to be completed. Details about its current status will be described next. On May 16, 2013, FASB-IASB has released their latest exposure draft on accounting for leases. Based on user feedback, this draft arose from earlier draft iterations that were released in March 2009 and August 2010 (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 1). If approved, the draft would supersede IFRS IAS 17 and FASB Topic 840 (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). As a result of this draft, FASB-IASB will also attempt to concurrently update revenue recognition standards accordingly, as the latest proposal intends to make sure the  accounting for revenues and expenses for both the lessor and lessee will be consistent with each other (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, there are still some minor differences that exist between the FASB and IASB drafts, among them being: revaluations, cash flow, disclosure, non-public entities, and measurement issues (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, pp. 4-5). The feedback deadline for this draft is September 13, 2013 (â₠¬Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013). As it turns out, this draft decided to take a much more prudent approach (compared to earlier proposals) towards lease accounting, allowing standards similar to SFAS 13 to remain applicable in practice for any leases that have terms of 12 months or less†¦ or if it is a â€Å"Type B† lease (which will all be further explained below) (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 3). In effect, this would allow lessors to continue to structure their lease terms accordingly, which allows lessees the ability to renew these short-term leases in order to continue to practice off balance sheet financing. So what’s the current proposal to account for lease terms that are more than 12 months? First, the exposure draft would require entities that enter such a leasing contract to recognize the â€Å"right of use† asset and its associated liability (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). Second, the draft requires the entities to recognize the underlying â€Å"nature† of the asset as being either: Type A (non-property) or Type B (property) (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). Third, the draft requires the lessee to assess how much economic benefit it reasonably expects to derive from the â€Å"right of use† asset (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). Furthermore, the draft has guidelines for both the lessee and the lessor. These accounting guidelines will be described next—first for the lessee, then for the lessor. For the lessee, if the lease is Type A, the lessee is required to recognize the associated Leased Asset and Lease Obligation on the Balance Sheet (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). The asset could be depreciated, and the respective portions of the Lease Obligation are to be listed under the Liability and Debt sections of the balance sheet, respectively. The asset and associated liability is to be initially measured by using the â€Å"present  value† method (where the initial account balances reflects the present value of the future amount) in order to account properly for Interest Expense payments made during the whole course of the Lease Obligation (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). The lessor is required to de-recognize the Leased Asset from the Balance Sheet. In its place, the lessor must recognize the Lease Receivable and Residual Asset (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 3). The assets are also initially measured using the same present value method , in order to account properly for the interest earned apart from the Lease Revenue throughout the whole term of the lease (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 3). If the lease is Type B, the exposure draft proposes that both the lessee and the lessor should account for the lease as an operating lease if the lessee is NOT â€Å"expected to consume more than an insignificant portion of the economic benefits embedded in the underlying asset† (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 3). Thus, the lessor would continue to recognize the underlying asset, while the lessee simply account for the annual lease expense (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 3). Again, this accounting treatment is the same for any leases that have terms of 12 months or less. Keep in mind however, that if the lessee were to consume a significant portion of the economic benefits under a Type B lease, the accounting treatment for both the lessee and lessor would be similar to a Type A lease (â€Å"Exposure Draft,† 2013, p. 2). In this case, the lessee would be required to recognize an asset and liability from the property lease. I believe such proposal was intended, as it allows companies to gradually adjust to the new treatment standards, whereby future amendments could someday require all short-term leases (and Type B leases) to be capitalized to better reflect the economic reality of â€Å"short-term† lessees. So, what do the proponents of the exposure draft think of the new standard and its impact on the future? As expected, there are some who agree with the draft and others who think otherwise. Dhaliwal, Lee, and Neamtiu (2011) did a quantitative and qualitative empirical study—of which evidence suggests â€Å"that lessees bear insufficient risk to treat the leasehold as an asset† (p. 193). This implies that the new proposal would not significantly increase the cost of capital for any firms that would have to start capitalizing  their operational leases. Cotton, McCarthy, and Schneider (2012) found that most firms under current lease accounting are able to combine associated obligations from their capitalized leases with other obligations (p. 118). This would not be allowed under the new proposal, thus improving transparency and quality of information to investors. Middelberg and Villiers (2013) did a similar study, of 40 JSE-listed (South Africa) companies. Interestingly, their findings within this study suggest that the cost of financing would increase for firms that would have to capitalize operating leases. Their findings suggest that companies should expect to experience the following changes to their financial ratios: Debt-to-equity to increase by 9%, Debt ratio to increase by 8%, and the Interest cover ratio to decrease by 8% (Middelberg & Villiers, 2013, p. 663). This implies that the new proposal would cause investors to see such companies as higher investment risks, thus increasing borrowing costs. Burton (2013) doesn’t believe in the new proposal, instead suggesting that the current standards be amended to address the areas that are vulnerable to exploitation. He thinks the FASB should consider revising the four criteria provided in SFAS 13 that determines if a lease should be capitalized. In particular, he encourages the FASB to change the 90% present value rule—which currently impose no such requirements for lessors to reveal the actual discount rate to the lessee. As a result, lessors are able to keep the leased asset on their books as a capital lease by using a low discount rate, while the lessee can use a higher, in-house discount rate in order to avoid the need for capitalizing the lease. Quah (2013) reasoned that the proposed changes could have a more significant effect on retailers, as they are known to have major property leases. In particular, she notes that as the liabilities increase from capitalizing such leases, it would have negative effects on debt, employee compensation, and tax balances. This could cause major implications, as retailers (department stores, discount chains, convenience stores) are key economic players in the economy. Similarly, it would effect other major industries—such as real-estate, major airlines, and shipping firms. Norris (2013) made a point that the new proposal could cause some revenue (income statement) challenges, as the present valuation methods would cause lessees to incur higher interest payments during the earlier years of the leased assets. This could especially be disappointing for early  business startups (that typically need to take out more loans) and for any firms needing to maintain a lower cost of capital (that they would have otherwise been able to receive under operational lease accounting). Taken all together, the aforementioned observations basically imply that the future impact of the new proposal on lease accounting would effect all the major players within the economy, especially the retail, real-estate, and tran sportation industries. Furthermore, there is likelihood that higher borrowing costs would result for some of these businesses, forcing them to possibly reduce employee benefits and/or compensation in order to better align their financials to changing budget forecasts. On the other hand, investors will have access to higher quality, transparent information—reducing uncertainty and risk to maintain lower interest rates. And as I mentioned earlier, the proposal still gives lessors and lessees the opportunity to restructure their lease terms for annual renewal, avoiding the need to capitalize such leases and to keep them â€Å"off the books.† But by doing so, it would imply higher legal costs for some of these lessors and lessees, and thus, act as a deterrent in support of the new standard for capitalizing leases. I feel the FASB-IASB is wise to have taken a more balanced approach for changing the requirements of lease accounting. By doing so, it allows the majority of companies to readjust their accounting policies to better reflect economic reality (instead of legal reality). Also, the more transparent and specific requirements stated in the proposal for reporting liabilities and debt in the financial statements will have a long-run, positive impact—as it ultimately helps reduce uncertainty between investors and management. I feel these benefits will outweigh the costs (including the transitional-related costs that entities would have to pay in order to update their accounting policies and methods). Besides, these new accounting costs will be reduced over time anyway, as firms become accustomed to the new standard. In summary, by forcing companies to report more honestly to investors, it induces management to better utilize their resources in order to maintain healthy margins, instead of resorting to fraudulent activities. Thus, I believe that the standard is a win-win for both internal and external parties, as it better forces them to manage their resources more responsibly, and prevents management from supporting an exploitative culture that had been taking place during the past 25+ years  with the old standard. References Burton, D. (2013, May 22). Lease-Accounting Rules: Tinker, Don’t Trash [News Article]. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from LexisNexis Academic database. Cotton, B., McCarthy, M.G., & Schneider, D.K. (2012). A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR EXAMINING INFORMATION CONTENT OF PROPOSED LEASE ACCOUNTING RULE. Journal of Theoretical Accounting Research, Fall 2012, Vol. 8 Issue 1, 113-127. Dhaliwal, D., Lee, H.S., & Neamtiu, M. (2011, April). The Impact of Operating Leases on Firm Financial and Operating Risk. Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Vol. 26 Issue 2, 151-197. Financial Accounting Standards Board. (2013, May 16). Exposure Draft Leases (Topic 842) [PDF Document]. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from http://www.fasb.org/cs/BlobServer?blobkey=id&blobnocache=true&blobwhere=1175826935767&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs Kieso, D.E., Warfield, T.D., & Weygandt, J.J. (2004). Intermediate Accounting 11e. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Middelberg, S.L., & Villiers, R.R. (2013, June). Determining The Impact Of Capitalising Long-Term Operating Leases On The Financial Ratios Of The Top 40 JSE-Listed Companies. International Business & Economics Research Journal. Jun2013, Vol. 12 Issue 6, 655-670. Norris, F. (2013, May 17). Accounting boards try again on leases; Revamped proposal for valuing assets would still be a radical change [News Article]. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from LexisNexis Academic database. Norris, F. (2013, May 17). New Accounting Proposal on Leasing Portends Big Change [News Article]. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from LexisNexis Academic database. Quah, M. (2013, May 18). New proposals on lease accounting under fire; Some say they are a compromise, while others feel they will raise costs for firms [News Article]. Retrieved August 24, 2013, from LexisNexis Academic database.

Assessment of the Dell Multinational Company

Assessment of the Dell Multinational Company Dell Inc. is a multinational company that deals with the production of products and services for computers ad is rated among the largest computer manufacturers in the world. It was established by Michael Dell in November 1984 in Austin Texas. The Turbo PC was first produced in 1985 after Michael Dell dropped out of school in order to concentrate in his business. His belief was that by selling the computer products directly he would have a better understanding on the needs of his customers. The company changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation in 1988 and that marked the beginning of its worldwide expansion. The headquarters of Dell are located in Round Rock in Texas. As of 2010 it currently employs over sixteen thousand people. Dell Company has a global market share of more than 15%. The direct model has been the main core success strategy for Dell Company. Company name: Dell Computer Corporation Mission statement Dell’s mission is to be the leading and the most successfu l computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in the world that we serve. This is achieved through its products that target different people such as the consumer class and the corporate class. Products, goods and services Among the products produced by Dell Computer Company include: Adamo Laptops. These range from high end product laptops and come fitted with extra luxury. Power-connect- a high end switch product by Dell Company for high performance in switching. It is mainly used by middle enterprises. N series- this is a computer that is shipped without having the installation of Microsoft windows. Instead, open source operating system or the Linux is installed. Precision- this is a workstation that is rated very high by the dell computer. It is mainly targeted by graphic professions such as engineering, animation, imaging and product design. EMC/Dell- this is a Dell and EMC product that is mainly created for backup. It consolidates the storage and the reby creates a seamless automated storage. This goes a long way in catering for data storage. Studio- this comprises of a given range of desktops and also laptops and include studio 15, studio 17and also studio hybrid. Vostro- this is a range of affordable computers from the Dell Company though the support hours from the technicians is very little. Power-vault- these are products from Dell that are usually have storages and networks that are directly connected. However these products are in partnership with EMC Corporation. Competitors In the information and technology industry, there is a lot of competition. Among the rated competitors of Dell Company include the Hewlett Packard and the IBM. Others include Apple, Toshiba, Acer, Gateway, Sony, Lenovo, Samsung, Asus and Sun Microsystems. This is a generalized category of competitors as the Dell Company is a manufacture of different kinds of products. Other products that Dell produces include peripherals such as LCD televisions, USB d rives, monitors and also projectors. Lenovo, Acer, Apple, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard and the IBM are in competition with Dell Company in the production of computers both on laptops and desktops though with differing aspects. This is due to different needs of the customers. Sony and Samsung are in competition with Dell in the production of LCD televisions, USB drives, monitors and also projectors

Lesson Plan for Language Arts on The Great Gatsby for grade 9th Coursework

Lesson Plan for Language Arts on The Great Gatsby for grade 9th - Coursework Example language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non print texts. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. The literature selection should be independent per group but each group member should research on an area in the group’s selected topic. Each group should coordinate with each other to come up with an appropriate topic and determine on the areas to be researched by each student. Students are free to use online resources like journals, eBooks and online articles to research on the decided topic. The institution library can also be used as a source of information for student research. Students should also know the symbols used in the text such as the characters embedded in the novel. The time when the novel was set as well as the meaning of the great Gatsby should also be comprehended. Students are supposed to do a thorough research on the chosen topic with different areas of research to come up with a clear and a complete perspective of an issue. Use all appropriate resources to do the research such as the academic journals on the internet or library materials. After performing individual research on the topic, the students should then discuss the subject from a general point of view in which all students compare and contrast their work. All the research outcomes should address an issue in

Chinese Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chinese Film - Essay Example ng the transition from the 1950s to 1960s.This essay will focus on the movie, Forever Fever (That is The Way I like it,) and the main character, Hock. The discourse will examine in detail how the identity of Hock is transformed in many ways by being a fan of Bruce Lee and John Travolta. The film, Forever Fever, was produced in 1998. It features Hock (Adrian Pang), a fan of Bruce Lee, working in a local supermarket. The initial scenes of the film show Hock’s friends trying to entice him to accompany them to the cinema show that features Bruce Lee. Hock is a big fan of Bruce Lee’s actions following the many films he has acted in. Bruce was regarded as the best martial artist and a pop culture figure in the 20th century. Besides, he was a role model for many actors. Through his actions, many actors have adopted his style of acting and acquired his characters. Based on these facts no one can deny the role and the influence Bruce Lee has had on the film industry. Hock is surprised when he finds that the movie shown is not the one he expected. Initially, he gets bored with the movie but is later inspired by the dancing styles he sees from John. At the same time, an advert is made about a dancing competition where the winner was to win five thousand dollars. Hock develops an interest to participate in the contest, but the problem is that he has no dancing skills necessary to win the competition. Hock knows that if he wins the competition he will have more money enough to buy a motorcycle. The inspiration makes Hock enroll for a dancing class in one of the local schools. He is inspired with the works of John Travolta in the film Saturday Night Fever (directed by John Badham in 1977). The scenes in the movie portray how the lifestyle of Hock conforms to his role models (Bruce Lee and John Traolta). The way he leads his life and the kind of activities that he does clearly show a determined personality who wants to achieve his goals. This is depicted in the type of

The Life of Langston Hughes and his use of Religion, Rite of Passage, Research Paper

The Life of Langston Hughes and his use of Religion, Rite of Passage, and Family in his short stories - Research Paper Example Because of racism, he provided a remarkable authority on the black all through the US in the era referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. He was among the most inexhaustible and most recognized black poets of the renaissance. He was among the few that broke the barriers that several artists had achieved before. His articulation not only endorsed African American civilization, but also endeavoured to bring notice the predicament of African American anguishing from injustice and oppression (Baraceros, 118). In his book essay, salvation Hughes retells an experience concerning religion. He narrates that, he was salvaged from sin, when he was turning thirteen, but was not truly saved. This experience affected how he dealt with situations in religion in the future. The start of the story has a tone that excites the reader and makes them inquisitive and hopeful. However, eventually the tone disappoints the readers making them culpable and non-believers. A restoration that gains thrust for day s is a climatic flat line for Langston leaving him an agnostic. His aunt tells a curious Langston that, grand things will occur at revitalization, at the cathedral of his Auntie Reed. He is told that he will experience an incredible feeling within and will be delivered. Had this before from others and does not deem it right to question his aunt. He is hopeful that, at the revival, Jesus will call children. The children are called up, and he takes a pew on the bench waiting for Jesus to reveal himself. He waits for a long time, but Jesus never appears. There are only two children left on the bench and the other child decides he will meet Jesus to end things but a hopeful Langston waits (Baraceros, 234). Langston is disillusioned that Jesus did not come to assist him when all eyes were focused on him. This made to lie to his aunt that he had seen when he cried that night out of disappointment. He has heard several people older people discuss what happens when one goes to Jesus. This m ade to be hopeful, curios and excited, but at the end, the complete opposite is the outcome. These two extremes lead to Langston to be a non-believer. Another Hughes’ significant story is â€Å"Thank you Ma’m.† This story is about an elderly woman walking alone in the dark when suddenly a boy attempts to grab her purse. Nonetheless, during the effort, he loses his steadiness and slides on the pavement and the annoyed woman picks him up and teaches him a thorough lesson. She takes the boy to her home so that he could wash his face and have a pleasant e meal, before she hands him some money to buy blue suede shoes he has always wished for a long time. This story appears to be written around the 1930s when racism was a prodigious topic in the southern states, during those times numerous African Americans had problems looking for a job. During this period, many blacks had to fight for their freedom. From Rogers' perception, children went through a rough period as we ll during that era. He is dirty and frail and a street rogue. He depicts the life of many children of that time. Mrs Washington Jones, the elderly woman sympathises with Roger even though he tries to steal from her. She depicts a different side of the poor neighbourhood; a sturdy woman who depicts kindness to a stranger one would not expect her to be bothered. Many children in poor neighbourhoods had little to go home to,

Galileo's Stardom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Galileo's Stardom - Essay Example Hence, when the highly acclaimed Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle proposed that Earth is the center of the universe, Catholic theologians readily validated as such perspective coincided with the relevant passages of the Holy Scripture. According to Aristotle, the heavens were made of 55 concentric crystalline spheres to which were attached celestial bodies orbiting the Earth at different measures of velocity. Aristotle further claimed herein that an outermost sphere existed being the domain of the ‘Prime Mover’ which brought its constant motion to be distributed among the inner spheres, including the sun. This notion was acceptable to the church on the grounds that it could be affirmed by certain passages in the Bible. As such, the biblical verses of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, particularly Gen. 19:23 and Gen. 28:11, indicate in phrases â€Å"The sun had risen on the earth ...† and â€Å"... because the sun had set† (ESV), respectivel y, that the sun exhibits movement, as of rising and of setting. Then since the interpretation hereafter had been widely acknowledged in the literal sense of the text, the moving sun was thought of by the church to be the one rotating as all the rest of the cosmic spheres do about a core where the Earth’s spot was. ... xpressed inclination to his science and philosophy inasmuch as it seemed unlikely to question the inseparability between the church and its determination to keep the Aristotelian geocentric model. By the time that Renaissance or the Age of Enlightenment (14th – 17th c.) came and the enlightened thinkers prevailed to introduce reforms to the old system of thinking and living in several aspects, Galileo Galilei was born to challenge the traditional geocentric belief scheme. As one of the prominent figures who made ‘Scientific Revolution’ possible to soar to heights of radical vision and discoveries, Galileo studied astronomy, mathematics, physics, and natural philosophy that he found a great deal of significance in applying the scientific method. Through the inductive means of conducting his endeavor in astronomy which involved thorough use of math and physics for accurate computations, he managed to prove the Copernican findings that the sun is the center of the un iverse. The Roman Catholic Church, nevertheless, could not afford to permit the promotion of this concept since it had already perceived certainty in the gradual reconciliation of science and religion via the Earth- centered approach of Aristotle. It infuriated some theologians and church leaders to the point of severe opposition and accusation, charging the Italian astronomer of heresy upon examining Galileo’s heliocentric insights. His Copernican-based ideas appear contrary to the biblical statements concerning the movement of the sun or scriptural portions that reflected the Earth in fixed position while the Sun keeps not a single location, just as is depicted in Ecclesiastes 1:5 – â€Å"The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises† (NIV). Galileo, however, responded by

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

Kanz - Essay Example It is the welfare of economic security, physical health, and emotional comfort of the people residing in the society. People have become very much concerned about the environmental impact and social responsibilities. They prefer taking services from those organisations that plays a significant role in the development of the society. Therefore in the present time it has become mandatory for the organization to experience and deliver various social welfare services. Kanz plays an important role in performing different social welfare activities for the society. The company puts immense effort in helping its organizational members to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in their work. Kanz is a leading brand of kids wear in Germany. The organization was founded in 1949. It is present in more than 35 countries of the world. The company sells designer collections of fashionable clothes for children of 0-12 years. Kanz is famous for its different style of clothes characterised with various themes, patterns and colours. This fashion company maintain a separate story for each style of clothes. The company considers the need of both mother and child in its product. The company manufactures products which are easy to wear, easy to use and compatible. Kanz does many other charitable programs for helping the poor children. Its charitable efforts contribute a lot in the welfare of the society. The organization takes a huge initiative in developing t he health care issues of the children. The company provides different types of training to its employees who help in enhancing the skills of the employees (Boxall, Purcell and Wright 2007). This type of social welfare has a huge contribution in developing the society. Kanz takes part in different types of social awareness program. Social collaborative service of the firm wider its welfare activities. The company makes donations in different child care centres. Kanz is involved in the business of children clothing. Therefore

Kindergarten Cop and Daddy Daycare movies analysis Essay

Kindergarten Cop and Daddy Daycare movies analysis - Essay Example Two films that depict such deviation from traditional gender roles are â€Å"Kindergarten Cop† and â€Å"Daddy Daycare†. Kindergarten Cop stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a police officer tasked with a mission to catch a dangerous criminal. Posing as a kindergarten teacher, John Kimble, he initially struggles with his newfound role as a carer and educator of very young children. Daddy Daycare, on the other hand, stars Eddie Murphy as a former executive, Charlie Hinton, who was laid off from his job together with his best friend, Phil. Left in the house, unemployed, with their wives going to work, they take care of their children until the idea of putting up a daycare sprung to their minds. The local preschool, Chapman Academy, is a plush school that offers a sophisticated curriculum for the young ones at a very steep price. The people around the neighbourhood did not have any other choice for a quality preschool/daycare for their children, so Hinton (Eddie Murphy) and his friend, Paul set up one at his home. At first, people expressed surprise and suspicion about men taking over the jobs of teachers of young children, which were traditionally associated with women due to their nurturing nature. The movies showed how they initially fit in so well in their original jobs as a police officer and a corporate executive and were awkward in their new jobs as child minders. The social repercussions showed a â€Å"demotion† in status, and this was clearly manifested by a colleague of Hinton when he scoffed at him being a daycare teacher, coming from a privileged position in the company, and then labelled him a â€Å"loser†. Part of adjusting to their new role is the use of skills they used in their old jobs. For John Kimble (Schwarzenneger), it was the use of police tactics and military training to instill discipline in the children while for Charlie Hinton (Murphy), it was the use of presentation skills, including furnishing the pre-schoolers w ith a copy of the mission and vision of Daddy Daycare, which of course, failed miserably. Kimble was more successful because of the element of fear that came with his disciplinary measures. The children were too scared of the â€Å"giant† teacher not to obey. Later on, he modified his strategy to playing a game appointing the children as â€Å"trainees† in a police school. On the other hand, Hinton used a more child-centered approach, which is engaging in fun activities and consulting the children of what they would like to do and learn at Daddy Daycare. As the movies progressed, so did the characters’ competencies in handling young children. Their softer sides surfaced, showing tender scenes with the children. Although their machismo remained, the movies portrayed that it is alright for real men to be nurturing to children, and if that takes doing women’s roles, then it is acceptable too. Lynn Trodd, head of the Children’s Workforce Development Co uncil contends that research shows that men perceive working in an early years environment is not as prestigious as corporate jobs, have fewer career opportunities, has a vague career structure, the pension system is not in place and there is less in-service training. To top it all, it does not pay well. Being so, it is seen as a far less professional area of work (Men in Primary- Early Years). However, men can be a great resource to the children’s workforce as they bring with them their own special skills and

D.L.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

D.L.S - Essay Example So they don’t think there’s any way to extract information regarding this period Now I will mostly be interested in stating Smail’s ideas and supporting them with the excerpts from his book called ‘On Deep History and the Brain’. Before actually explaining the above mentioned points, one thing that must be clarified is that Smail is against the typical psychological treatment to the history. In fact, he prescribes a rather neurophysiological treatment to this case. The reason to support this sort of view is that such an approach will bring interdisciplinarity to the study of history which in turn will help in exploring history from different perspectives. Moreover, this will also tackle the presentism brought in by psychological treatment of the subject. In his words, ‘What do we gain from a deep history centered on the neurophysiological legacy of our deep past? Well, one bene?t is a new kind of interdisciplinarity that joins the humanities an d social sciences with the physical and life sciences. This is, I hope, something we would all like to aim for. This kind of interdisciplinarity, in turn, provides an opportunity for escaping the sterile presentism that grips the historical community.’ (Smail 1) According to Smail, the first and the most important of the facts that kept historians from including the prehistory to history is their dependence on the Sacred Scripts for the point of origin and the different marks of the history. Historians believed that the history started from the Garden of Eden. This point of view can be for any reason including religious, racial or political. This is how historians neglected the Paleolithic Era and in doing so they alienated a large number of audiences who were keen to know the happenings of this remote past. Smail pinpointed this loss in these words: ‘Historians risk alienating this audience if they continue to ignore that part of our history which consists of the deep past.’ (1) Smail suggests that in order to peek at the remotest past we have to move from ‘Sacred’ to ‘Human’ – our history must be centered on brain and biology rather than religion. Although Sacred History plays a major role in giving a historical account of the events that were of religious importance but it must not be the base on which the history building is to be erected. The most important reason is that it has only three major marks to go back to the past viz. Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Universal Deluge and the Destruction of the Tower of Babel. So it does not offer much. Latin and Greek historians generally worked in this genre as their emperors were influenced by Christianity. For those historians who were influenced by this Judeo-Christian style of history writing, history began at Eden or from Genesis. So they don’t know what happened before Expulsion from Eden. Secondly, their scope is limited to religious trea tment of the events so all they were available with for help were religious scripts or scholars who molded every aspect of history to religious mold. Not only this religious treatment but also any other treatment whether it is philosophical or

Hinduism Paper Essay Example for Free

Hinduism Paper Essay Hinduism began in India and is one of the oldest religions known to man and as such does not have a prominent founder that anyone can remember. In India, the land lying on the southern side of the Hindu-Kush Mountains was considered the land of the Hindus or Hindustan and the religion followed by the people there was known as Hinduism. It is a religion that is based upon Aryan settlers. The Hindu people believe that their religion has no beginning and no end. It consists of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE. Because of the wide variety of Hindu traditions, freedom of belief and practice are notable features of Hinduism. In Hinduism, Buddha is the last avatar of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. The word Buddha was not used to describe the last avatar of Vishnu, the description, time and place of his arrival is well chronicled in scriptures prior to the advent of the Buddha. Buddhism and Jainism are outside the Hindu tradition but are regarded as related religions. Hinduism is different than Christianity and other monotheistic religions in that it doesn’t have a single holy text that the people follow or a single system of morality and or a central religious authority. This individual freedom to meditate and act according to one’s own conscious seems to give the followers more personal responsibility in their own actions. By this I mean they are not consciously breaking rules set down by doctrine; when they feel they have done wrong, it is because their conscious is telling them they have done wrong. Hinduism has grown to become the worlds third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It claims about 950 million followers about 14% of the worlds population. It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Hinduism provides a freedom of belief system based in meditation and peaceful resolution to one’s problems. This belief of and by itself is an extremely beneficial factor in aiding the people of India and other densely populated areas maintain an ordered and peaceful society. In many areas of India, resources such clean water and food are limited and sometimes scarce and in the struggle for such limited commodities, tensions may run high. The precepts of Hinduism help the people share and take what they need without hoarding. With the spread of Hinduism throughout the countries of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka there has been a positive impact on the people not only in the accepting the scarcity of basic needs but in the tolerance of others not of the Hindu faith. Hindus, unlike Catholics or most other religions do not believe in judging others but instead are focused on self-perfection; this focus, done correctly would make judgment of others counterproductive to their underlying goal. It is meditation that helps them find there center to calm and relax, resulting in a more holistic perspecti ve to their problems. These attributes of Hinduism help the culture to be more relaxed and tolerant providing a greater chance for success in their democracy. A significant negative aspect in the society which is not entirely caused by the religion, but is also not helped by the religion is the apparent denigration of women including high levels of domestic violence. The desire for liberation from earthly existence is a basic premise of Hinduism and involves the perfection of oneself while being true to one’s individualism. The freedom to express themselves this is one reason people practice Hinduism. The primary teaching of Hindu is self-realization in that the people don’t follow a certain book or person to tell them what to do. True liberation means liberation of the individual soul from the constant cycle of births and deaths. Hindus understand that perfection might involve multiple lives and reincarnations to get it right and become a perfected being. Liberation is known in Hinduism as mukti, kaivalya, moksha or nirvana. When your soul becomes aware of the true nature of understanding and transcends into the sky to gain freedom and become one with the divine. As one of the oldest of all religions Hinduism has stood the test of time; partly perhaps due to the lack of a founding father or the lack of a dogmatic scripture which often becomes dated and irrelevant over time. Hinduism puts the responsibility for correct behavior on the follower personally, we all know when we have done wrong, and Hindus must be shamed by themselves alone. The religion helps followers deal with incredible hardships when it comes to meeting the basic needs of their families and avoid wasting time on jealousy of others who have more. They are more tolerant of others while focusing on self-perfection to achieve their ultimate goal of Nirvana; while Hinduism may not be for everyone, all of us could benefit from accepting some of these precepts. Reference Page 1.http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm 2.http://www.answers.com/topic/hinduism

Successfully Raise A Defence Of Necessity

Successfully Raise A Defence Of Necessity Necessity and Private Defence are closely linked therefore; many of the requirements of private defence are also requirements for necessity. The difference between these two grounds of justification is that private defence stems from and is directed at, an unlawful human attack while in necessity a person finds him/herself in a situation in which he/she must between two evils: either suffer personal harm or break the law. The act of defence in private defence is always directed at an unlawful human attack whereas; in cases of necessity it is directed at either the interests of another innocent party or a mere legal provision. (Snyman, 2008, p. 115) Necessity There must be an urgent and immediate threat to life which creates a situation in which the defendant reasonably believes that a fair response to that threat is to break the law. This reflects the distinction between the defenses of necessity and duress in that the former is pressure of circumstances arising naturally, whereas the latter is a threat from an entirely human agency that overpowers the will of the defendant. The subjective frame of mind of the person who is relying on necessity the courts will not consider this but rather whether the act of necessity was in accordance with the legal conviction of society. The courts will also weight the option of whether a reasonable would have acted in the same way as a person that claims to have acted in necessity. They are using the concept of the reasonable person to practically embody the legal convictions of society and not to determining negligence. (Joubert, 2001, p. 61) REQUIREMENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISE A DEFENCE OF NECESSITY The author will no discuss five (5) requirements that must be met in order for a person to successfully raise a defence of necessity: A legal interest must be endangered The danger must have begun or be imminent The defensive act must be necessary to avert the danger The defensive act must be reasonable The endangered person must know he/she is acting in necessity A legal interest must be endangered The purpose of the specific conduct must be clearly to protect a legal interest. Although the law recognizes many interests the most obvious are a persons life, limb, personal safety and integrity. A person may act in a situation of necessity to protect property but cannot relay on necessity to protect his/her job. If a person is not able to perform his job without breaking the law he must find another way to earn a living. For example a person cannot operate an illegal shebeen and claim it is to sustain his family when apprehended. The person must rather apply legally for a shebeens license. A person may also act in necessity in defence of some else. (S v Pretorius, 1975) The danger must have begun or be imminent When danger has already passed or will possibly occur in the distant feature a person cannot rely on necessity. Therefore, the danger must already have begun or the situation must be immediately threatening. In the trail Regina v. Dudley Stephens four stranded sailors were adrift in a small boat without supplies. The three strongest decided to eat the fourth, a seventeen (17) year old cabin boy to save themselves. There was some degree of necessity arising from the threat of starvation, even though the cabin boy would almost certainly have died of natural causes the sailors killed the boy intentionally and the court ruled that cannibalizing the boy was not urgently necessary and found them guilty of murder. (Regina v. Dudley Stephens, 1884) The defensive act must be necessary to avert the danger When a person relies on necessity the action taken should have to avert the danger. When there is less drastic measure to avert the danger a person a person should take this option. If it was not taken a person cannot rely on necessity. For instance when a man are awake by a noise in the middle of the night and found a person at his fridge busy eating food and killed the person by shooting him he thus cannot relay on necessity. If there is a possibility that a person can flee from the immediate or imminent danger he should do so. (S v Pretorius, 1975). The danger does not take the form of an unlawful attack and removing oneself from the danger in most cases of necessity. The defensive act must be reasonable A person must act reasonable if he wants to rely on necessity as ground of justification. The interest that is being protected must not be disproportionate of the defence act. Not more harm than is necessary to avert the attack must be inflicted by the person who wants to rely on necessity. According to Snyman this proportionality requirement is sometimes explained by requiring that the protected interest should be of greater value than the interest that is infringed upon. (Snyman, 2008, p. 119). The protected and infringed interests are a totally different nature, but if the infringed interest is a legal provision only, the defence of necessity would most probably succeed. For example a correctional exceeding the speed limit because he is rushing to the Prison where inmates are in the process of escaping, he will most probably be allowed to justify his actions by relying on necessity as a defence, since he infringed a legal provision only. The endangered person must know he/she is acting in necessity If a person is conscious of the fact that an emergency exists and knowingly acted in necessity than he can rely on necessity as a defence. A person cannot thus rely on necessity as a ground of justification if he throws a brick through a window in an attempt to break into a house but his action saves the occupants lives who are sleeping in a room filled with poisonous gas. PRIVATE DEFENCE The onus is on the state to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused action cannot be justified, if private defence is raised as a ground of justification. Private defence involves a person who takes the law into his own hands. Therefore, it is a drastic measure that should not be used for corrective purposes. Snyman alleged that this ground of justification has no history, but exist from the beginning of time. (Snyman, 2008, p. 103). Every person has a right to defend himself against an unlawful attack a right that is recognised in section 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. The two theories for the existence of private defence are protection theory, which emphasises each persons right to defend oneself or another against an unlawful attack whereas in upholding-of justice theory is where people acting in private defence perform acts assist in upholding the legal order. (Snyman, Criminal Law, 2004, p. 178). It is the primary duty of the state to protect the life and property of individuals but no state no matter how big its recourses can afford it. Therefore, this right has been given by the state to every citizen to take the law into his own hands for their safety. REQUIREMENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY RELIANCE ON PRIVATE DEFENCE The requirements of private defence can be divided into two groups for the purpose of classification namely: the requirements with which the attack must comply and the requirements with which the defence must comply. Requirements of the attack It must be unlawful A legal interest deserves protection. It must be imminent, but not yet completed The attack must be unlawful When the attack on a person is unlawful only than can a defender rely on private defence. A suspect who was lawfully arrested by a police official cannot rely on private defence in resisting the arrest. On the other hand, when a police official exceeds his powers by arresting a person he is not allowed to arrest the person may resist and can rely on private defence to justify his resistance. A legal interest deserves protection. Normally a person acts in private defence to protect his life, limb, bodily integrity and property. These are not the only interest worth of protection as the courts also recognized a persons right to defend personal freedom, sexual integrity, self-respect and chastity. To protect the interest of other persons is also an act of private defence but than the third party should want the defender to act on his behalf. However, the defender will not be able to rely on private defence if the victim does not want the help of the defender. (Joubert, 2001, p. 52) The attack must be imminent, but not yet completed If it is clear that an attack is about to happen than a person can rely on private defence. The defender doesnt have to wait for the attacker to attack first if the attack is imminent he can avert the attack by defending himself before the attack actually arise. But if the attack have been already completed the defender no longer defend him but get even. In the case of S v Moghlwane it was find that if the attack formed part of one and the same immediate and continued act of resistance, the defender can rely on private defence even if he left the scene temporarily. (S v Mogohlwane, 1982) The defence requirements Before private defence can succeed the defensive action have to comply with certain standards. The defence must be directed at the attacker It must be necessary It must be reasonable The defence must be directed at the attacker When the defence is directed at anyone else than private defence as a ground of justification will not succeed therefore, it may only be directed at the attacker. (Snyman, Criminal Law, 2004) The defence must be necessary If there is another way that the attack can be averted in a less serious way than that option should be used. The law must not be taken into their own hands if the defender can rely on another remedy. Therefore, the defence should be absolutely necessary in order to protect the interest threatened. The question arises than should a person rather flee an attack than resort to private defence? But than once there is a duty to flee it will imply that justice will have to give up to injustice. Therefore, it is not expected of a police official on duty to flee if he is being attacked while lawfully performing his duties. The defence must be reasonable There should be a balance between the attack and the defence. The defence act may not be more harmful than necessary to ward of the attack. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to kill a person who attempts to steal bread. Proportionality also plays a very important role in determining whether the defence was reasonable or not. The proportionality requirement will be met if the defence act is reasonably proportionate to the attack. The right of private defence is a good weapon in the hand of citizens to defend themselves but it is not revenge rather towards the threat and imminent danger of an attack. The courts find it difficult whether this right had been exercised in good faith or not. Conclusion It can be said that the confusion arise between Necessity and private defence are that they are closely related to each other. The difference are than is that private defence is an act of defence directed at an unlawful human attack while necessity is directed at either the interests of another innocent party or a simple legal provision.

Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on Bilharziasis

Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on Bilharziasis Abstract Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) gained a great attention in biomedical researches and become more applicable in nanomedicine in recent years because they have distinctive physicochemical properties. The current study was planned to assess the effect of the AuNPs with three doses levels on genes expressions, histology and oxidative stress status of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice liver. Inoculation of mice with 100 ÃŽÂ ¼l AuNPs at different doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg mice body weight) twice per week on day 46 and day 49 post infection reduced the total worm burden. Meanwhile, it reduced egg load in the liver and reduce the granuloma size. Also, AuNPs were able to significantly decrease the activities of malondialdhyde and nitric oxide as compared to infected untreated group. However, they increased the level of glutathione as compared toinfected untreated group. Concomitantly, AuNPs ameliorate the inflammatory response through decreasing the mRNA expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFʽ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³, and iNOS. In consistence with molecular, histopathological and biochemical data, AuNPs could ameliorate the infection induced damage in the liver of mice .Our results indicated that, AuNPs are effective anti-schistosomal and anti-oxidantagent.to confirm the role of nanogold as an antischistosomal agent and its mechanism of action, more studies are required to be done in the future. Keywords: Nanogold, Schistosoma mansoni, liver, gene expressions, histopathology, oxidative stress, mice. Introduction Bilharziasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases, which mostly affect the liver causing granuloma formation and hepatic fibrosis. Since, severe morbidity can result of schistosomal infection; the disease is still an important helminthic infection. Schistosomasis excessively affects people who have limited access to potable water and sanitation lived in the tropics and subtropics, approximately 240 million people infected with over 700 million people at risk of getting infected.1 Praziquantel (PZQ) is the known effective anti-schistosomal drug but the reinfection occurs rapidly after massive drug administration, thus, an efficient therapy used is the optimal way, especially in Schistosoma mansoni endemic areas. From a long time, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was have been used for drug delivery into cells.2,3,4Moreover, AuNPs have a strong potential role in cancer treatment and apoptosisinduction.5Accumulation of nanosystems at the targeted site I soften higher than normal drugs and usually leads to reduced systemic toxicity. However, chrysotherapy; gold was used in some diseases treatment smallpox, skin ulcers, syphilis and measles in ancient cultures in Egypt, India and China.2 Gold complexes showed potential antileishmanial and antimalarial activity, which have interesting role against Leishmania promastigotes in culture medium, becoming promising for using as band-aids to treat skin lesions. In addition, the effects of AuNPs as larvicidal for a mosquito vector of malaria have been reported. Thus, the impact of researches on gold for human tropical diseases therapy is considerable.6 The recent interest in using AuNPs in medicine has altered the methods of diagnosis and treatment.2For example, employing AuNPs in PCR has optimized the specificity of this diagnostic method.7Also some researchers have took advantage of AuNPsin transferring drugs into the biological cells, which provided a good basic for nuclear targeted delivery.8 Additional in vivo investigations are wished for the antihelminthic efficacy of AuNPs.9 Therefore, the present work aims to determine the cure rate of three doses of AuNPs against hepatic injury induced by schistosomasis in CD-1 mice . Materials and methods Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) AuNPs have been prepared by chemical reduction method as reported by Turkevich10. A solution of HAuCl4 has been used as Au3+ ions precursor. Sodium citrate has been used as both of mild reducing and stabilizing agent. The color of the solution slowly turned into faint pink color, indicating the reduction of the Au3+ ions to Au nanoparticles. The fabrication of AuNPs were performed with the colloidal reduction process of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4.3H2O) with salt of trisodium citrate (N3C6H5O7) purchased from Aldrich (99% pure) Chemical Co. Ltd and used without further purification. In a typical experiment: 2 mM of HAuCl4.3H2O was dissolved in 100 mL of double distilled water. To this solution, 1% N3C6H5O7 (~3 mM) was mixed. The pH of this solution was measured via pH meter (Cole parmer U.SA.), which was reached to 7.88. The obtained pinkish colored solution was stirred vigorously and refluxed the solution at boiling temperature for 15-20 min. pinkish color was changed to deep red color ed solution of AuNPs. The obtained colloidal solution was stored for the further morphological and other elemental analysis. Characterization Size and morphology of AuNPs were done by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Samples for TEM were prepared using the colloidal solution of nanoparticles. The colloidal sample solution was sonicated for 10 min in a bath sonicator before the observation and dipped in carbon coated copper grid (400 mesh) and dried at room temperature for the morphological analysis.A TEM picture was taken by a JOEL JEM 2000 EX 200 microscope at 200kv. Animals Sixty male CD-1 mice weighing 18-20 g were used in all experiments. The animals were obtained from a closed random bred colony at the Schistosome Biological Supply Center (SBSC) at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt. Animals were housed in polycarbonate boxes with steel-wire tops (not more than six animals per cage) and bedded with wood shavings. Ambient temperature was controlled at 22  ± 3  °C with a relative humidity of 50 ± 15% and a 12-h light/dark photoperiod. Food and water were provided ad libitum. This study was conducted in accordance with legal ethical guidelines of the Medical Ethics Committee of the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt (Approval No. 4018/2011). Mice Infection S. mansoni cercariae (Egyptian strain) were obtained from infected intermediate host snails (Biomphalaria alexandrina) maintained at the SBSC. Mice were infected subcutaneously with freshly shed 100 ± 10 cercariae/mouse according to Liang et al.11method. Experimental design Animals were divided into six groups of ten mice each. Group I served as a control (non-infected); the animals were received saline (100 ÃŽÂ ¼l saline water/mouse) by intraperitoneal (ip) injection for 10 days. Group II and Groups III, IV, V and VI were infected with 100 ±10 S. mansoni cercariae. The animals of groups III, IV and V were intrapretonially inoculated with 100 ÃŽÂ ¼l AuNPs at different doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg mice body weight) twice per week on day 46 and day 49 post infection respectively. Finally, infected animals of Group VI were orally administered 100  µl of PZQ (600 mg/kg mice body weight) on day 46 post infection at an interval of 24 h for 2 days.12 Study of parasitological criteria Immediately after mice killed by cervical decapitation, hepatic and portomesenteric vessels were perfuse for worms recovery and subsequent counting.13 After perfusion, a piece of liver was used for the determination of the number of ova in liver and the percentage change in egg density was determined. The percentage of eggs at various developmental stages was examined in three samples from each mouse and the mean number of eggs at each stage/animal was determined.14 Sample preparation After dissection, the liver of all groups were immediately removed and divided into three parts, the first part for RNA extraction, the second one for histopathological studies and the third part was homogenized (10% w/v) in ice-cold 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The homogenate was centrifuged at 2000 ÃÆ'-g for 15 min. at 4  °C and the resultant supernatant was used for biochemical analysis. Histopathological investigations and granuloma size Tissue samples of the liver of all groups were immediately fixed after animal dissection in 10% neutral buffered formalin dehydrated and processed for paraffin sectioning. Sections were then deparaffinized, stained with hematoxylin and eosin stains. To assess the size of tissue granuloma, the mean diameter (ÃŽÂ ¼m) was measured. For each group, 30 granulomas were chosen from different hematoxylin-eosin stained liver sections from different mice. Assessment of oxidative stress markers Estimation of the reduced glutathione (GSH) level GSH level in liver was determined by the methods of Ellman.15 The method based on the reduction of Ellmans reagent with GSH to produce a yellow compound; the reduced chromogen directly proportional to GSH concentration and its absorbance can be measured at 405 nm. Determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were assayed through colorimetric tests of the liver homogenates according to the method of Ohkawa et al.16 In this method, TBARS was determined by using 1 ml of trichloroacetic acid 10% and 1 ml of thiobarbituric acid 0.67% which were then heated together in a boiling water bath for 30 min. TBARS which react with the amount of malondialdehyde found in liver homogenate to give a red color were then measured at 535 nm. Determination of nitric oxide level Nitric oxide (NO) level was assayed colorimetrically in liver homogenate according to the method of Green et al.17 The nitrite/nitrate level was determined where in an acid medium and in the presence of nitrite the formed nitrous acid diazotisesulphanilamide is coupled with N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine. The resulting azo dye has a bright reddish-purple color which can be measured at 540 nm. Quantitative PCR Tissues frozen at -80oC were thoroughly grounded with a mortar under liquid nitrogen and total RNA was isolated with Trizol (Sigma-Aldrich). Quality and integrity of RNA were determined using the Agilent RNA 6000 Nano Kit on the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies). RNA was quantified by measuring A260nm on the ND-1000 Spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies).18 Real time PCR was performed as detailed previously.19, 20 In brief, total RNA freed from DNA using the DNA free kit (Applied Biosystem, Darmstadt, Germany) was used to synthesize cDNA using QuantiTectTM Reverse QuantiTectTM SYBR ® Green PCR kit (Qiagen) was applied for amplifications in the ABI Prism ® 7500HT Sequence Detection System (AppliedBiosystems, Darmstadt, Germany) with gene-specific QuantiTectTM primers delivered by Qiagen (Hilden, Germany). We investigated the genes encoding the mRNAs for the following proteins: interleukin-1ÃŽÂ ² (IL-1ÃŽÂ ²), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFÃŽÂ ± ), interferone-à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § (IFNà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). PCR reactions were performed and evaluated as detailed elsewhere.18 Statistical analysis The obtained data were presented as means  ± standard error. One-way ANOVA was carried out, and the statistical comparisons among the groups were performed with Duncans test using a statistical package program (SPSS version 17.0). Pà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤0.05 was considered as significant for all statistical analysis in this study. Results Morphological analysis of colloidal AuNPs The structural morphology and crystalline character of AuNPs were examined via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The obtained images shows the corresponding TEM results, which are shown in figure (1), the low magnified image (Fig. 1A) shows that, AuNPs are spherical in shape within the range of 10-15 nm in diameter. From the observation, its depicted that all the NPs are in definite spherical shape with rough surface and free from agglomeration behavior. Another obtained image represents the high resolution TEM (HR-TEM) image of AuNPs (figure 1B), which shows the lattice difference fringes between two adjacent planes are about 0.235 nm. The obtained lattice difference clearly corresponds to the lattice constant of face centered cubic (FCC) of AuNPs and are analogues with the previously reported information.21, 22 The crystal lattice fringes of HRTEM observation (Fig. 1B), again shows a confirmation of good crystalline nature of synthesized AuNPs and it is consistent with the low magnified image of AuNPs. 21, 22 AuNPs treatment induced a significant reduction in hepatic worm burden at all examined doses (0.25, 0.5 and1 mg/kg) as compared to infected group. The worm burden reduction rate was approximately, 32%, 49% and 64%, respectively (Table 1). Similarly, figure 2 shows that, the three dose levels of AuNPs caused a highly significant reduction on egg density in liver tissues of infected mice, and the highest reduction (69.8 %) was recorded at 1mg AuNPs dose level . Table 2 and figure 3 show the alternation on the liver histology from S. mansoni infected animals, compared with that from control animals. Figure 3A displays a histological section of liver from a control mouse. The center-lobe vein has normal morphological characteristics while figure 3B shows a histological section of liver after 56 days of S. mansoni infection in mice. Cellular alteration was verified on liver. There are leukocyte aggregations near blood vessels and evident vascular congestion. Histological investigation of hepatic tissue sections reveals that S. mansoni infection caused a severe inflammatory response of the liver, as indicated by inflammatory cellular infiltration as well as cytoplasmic vacuolation and degeneration of hepatocytes. In addition, the hepatic sinusoids were dilated and apparently contained more Kupffer cells. Treated livers of S. mansoni infected mice with the three dose levels (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) of AuNPs as shown in figures 3C, 3D and 3E, resp ectively appeared with moderate inflammatory cellular infiltration. Figure4 showed that, the granuloma size in hepatic tissue showed a marked and a significant reduction in the granuloma diameter at Pas a result of AuNPs treatment to schistosome infected mice at all investigated doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) as compared to untreated schistosome infected mice. Likewise, PZQ gavage induced a significant decrease in hepatic granuloma size infected of S. mansoni versus infected group. Schistosomiasis induced a significant elevation in hepatic levels of MDA and NO (table 3). In the same manner, injection of 3 different doses of AuNPs and PZQ to infected mice increased the levels of MDA and NO significantly as compared to non-infected group. Oppositely, a significant reduction was observed in hepatic MDA and NO levels as a result of AuNPs (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) and PZQ injection versus infected group. Finally, GSH which involved in the down-regulation of substances formed during oxidative stress has been determined (Table 3). It was striking that GSH was significantly down-regulated by S. mansoni infection but that this effect was largely ameliorated by AuNPs treatment. Moreover, the S. mansoni infected mice revealed a significant up-regulation in mRNA of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³ and iNOs in hepatic tissue; likewise, injection of different doses of AuNPs and PZQ induced significant up-regulation versus control group. On the other hand, treatment with AuNPs as well as, PZQ to infected mice decreased the expression of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³ and iNOs-mRNA significantly as compared to infected group (Fig. 5). 4. Discussion Newly in several fields of nanomedicine; AuNPs have been actively used for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. It has been debated that nanoparticles of gold could be used in nearly all medical purposes.23 Abraham and Himmel24proved the successful usage of colloidal gold in rheumatoid arthritispatients. In addition, AuNPs caused cestode paralysis, which is followed by death; the authors attributed to alterations in cestode enzymatic activity of the parasite.9 Our results revealed that schistosomiasis caused marked and significant histopathological impairments in liver sections, and granulomatous inflammation was recorded. Ameret al.25 reported that S. mansoni induced granulomas which were characterized by concentric fibrosis Ù†¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ° the trapped eggs surrounded by many fibroblasts. In addition, Toussonet al.26observed main histopathological injuries in schistosomiasis mansoni such as granulomas, diffuse infiltration of inflammatory cells eosinophils and small mononuclear cells and fibrosis of portal areas and interlobular septa. In the same manner, El- Banhawey et al. 27 cleared that schistosomiasis causes necrotic changes in the liver tissues. On contrary, our treatment with different doses of AuNPs appeared moderate inflammatory cellular infiltration, decreased the granuloma diameter. Moreover, AuNPs reduced the hepatic worm burden as compared the infected group. Dkhilet al.28 deduced that gold nanoparticles treatment to infected schistosome mice improved the histological disturbances of infected brain mice. Schistosomiasis mansoni imbalanced the hepatocellular antioxidant system and liberated the free radicals which are evidenced by decrement in GSH level and increased levels of both nitrite/nitrate and MDA in hepatic tissue. Meanwhile, AuNPs increased hepatic GSH level and decreased the levels of nitrite/nitrate and MDA. It was reported that, schistosomiasis disturbed the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants which impaired liver GSH content of mice and decreased hepatic antioxidant capacity inducing lipid peroxides generation which may act a main role in the pathology associated with bilharziasis.25, 29 Furthermore, S. mansoni caused oxidative stress in different mice organs such as brain. Neuroschistosomiasis induced reduction of GSH level and increased nitrite/nitrate and MDA levels. Otherwise, gold nanoparticles (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) injection to schistosome infected mice ameliorated GSH level and reduced levels of nitrite/nitrate and MDA in brain.28 In the present study, AuNPs injection (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) to schistosome infected mice showed a significant down-regulation of IL-1ÃŽÂ ², IL-6, TNFÃŽÂ ±, IFNÃŽÂ ³and iNOs-mRNA expressions in hepatic tissue versus infected mice. IL-1 and TNF-ÃŽÂ ± are the major pro-inflammatory cytokine, they considered as alarm cytokines which secreted by macrophages. IL-1 plays a role in initiation and propagation of the inflammation by stimulating the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and leukocytes. In addition, TNF-ÃŽÂ ± may aggravate fibrosis and ameliorate the granulomatous reaction results from presence of schistosome eggs. So, in mice lacking of IL-1ÃŽÂ ² gene, characterized by delayed disease development and declined systemic inflammatory responses.30, 31 Moreover, lower expression of IL-6 and IL-1ÃŽÂ ² (pro-inflammatory cytokines) cause a down modulation of granulomatous inflammation and hepatocyte necrosis.32Also, Macrophages could be activate to produce NO and other inflammatory mediators by IFNÃŽÂ ³ is which considered as an important inducer of iNOs. In addition, Abdallahi et al.33detectediNOs mRNA in the liver at the onset of parasite egg laying; the authors cleared that the levels then increased as the eggs accumulated liver.34 However, Mwatha et al.35 reported that increased TNFÃŽÂ ³ is correlated with the development of severe hepatosplenic disease. Khan et al.36 concluded that gold nanoparticles (50 nm) showed a normal level of IL-6 gene expression in hepatic tissue of rat on day 5 of injection meanwhile, IL-1ÃŽÂ ², TNFÃŽÂ ± m-RNA expression was down regulated significantly on day 5. Moreover, nanoparticles of gold have no cytotoxic effect as they decrease the production of reactive oxygen species and do not stimulate secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFà °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¼and IL1-à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½) making them suitable candidates for nanomedicine.37, 38Gold nanoparticles are not induced apoptosis, moreover, not activated gene expression related to oxidative stress and inflammatory response (TNFà °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¼) while their low reactivity with biomolecules and cells provides a promising medical platform.39 Conclusion Collectively, our investigations suggest that the way in which AuNPs exert their ameliorating effects on Schistosomiasis mansoni promoted oxidative stress may be attributed to its ability to scavenging free radicals , and that this action could find a clinical use in the treatment of hepatic dysfunction in schistosomiasis. Additional studies are still necessary, however, with a view to clarify the exact mechanism of this modulatory effect, and to examine its potential therapeutic effects in more detail.

Njoyable Workouts :: essays research papers

Enjoyable Fitness Workouts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a recent article found in Women’s Sports & Fitness, there was a lengthy display of outdoor and indoor fitness exercises nation wide that were actually enjoyable. The first of these energizing activities is called Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga uses the technique of heat to maximize its effects. Taking place in a 107-degree studio the participants work on their yoga postures (the tree to name one), along with trying out many types of tension-relieving stretches to enhance flexibility. Such strong levels of heat are used because the hotter one is, the more pliable their muscles will become. Another type of excercise included is called the Denver winter Sports Conditioning. This includes the participants wearing/carrying weights and bands as they make their ways up the mountain. This technique is good for those who enjoy the act of mountain climbing and to improve their strength and mobility for future more difficult climbs. In Chicago there is the Athletic Total Conditioning group. This is a team taught group that is packed with military-style drills including things like running in small squares, throwing medicine balls and jumping over low hurdles. The class cultivates coordination, endurance, and strength. On the other side of the country there is the New York Urban Rebounding group. This class is for those sick of the usual workout scene. This class includes doing jumping lacks, kicks and tuck jumps on the trampoline, which all do wonders for the quads, calves, and abs. Rebounding is working against gravity and helps to detox the body by flushing out the wastes. In Washington, D.C. boxing is used to not only work out the body, but to de-stress also. These 90-minute are broken down into sections. The first section is devoted to the basic things like throwing punches, ducking imaginary blows, and doing some fancy footwork. Then 30-minutes on the punching bag with a partner, and finally ab work outs on the floor. In Atlanta there is a group called the Atlanta Trekkers. This group goes through an hour long treadmill class. It’s focus is on intense hill-training where the treadmills are elevated to a 15 percent incline. This group is good for those interested in prepping for springtime hiking. Finally, for a workout a little closer to home there is the Boston Kickboxing group. This high intensity hour is a great way to vent your anger as well as improve your fitness. This workout consists of jumping rope, fast sit-ups, pushups, lunges, and squats. Then it moves over to punching and kicking your partner (with the gloves on).

My Antonia Essay: The Character of Lena Lingard -- My Antonia Essays

The Character of Lena Lingard in My Antonia  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lena Lingard is the best example of a non-domestic central character which appears amidst the domesticity of My à ntonia. Often the sections which feature Lena instead of à ntonia are seen as confusing divergences from the plot line of a novel that purports to be about the woman named in the title. However, since Lena appears in the novel almost as often as à ntonia, and more often than any other character except Jim, she is a central character. Lena is a working woman who refuses to accept the constraints society places upon her. Even when society predicts that by becoming a dressmaker instead of marrying she will fail and become a "loose" woman, she disrupts their expectations and succeeds.    The first image of Lena in the novel is as newly arrived, pseudo-sophisticated country girl who has come to town to learn the trade of dressmaking. However, from the beginning of our knowledge of Lena she is anti-domestic. Lena recognizes that marriage is difficult-- she is never caught up in the "idea" of romance which leads à ntonia to a disastrous relationship and unwed motherhood. à ntonia takes the dances and socializing much more seriously and ends up in trouble, whereas Lena enjoys dancing and kissing but is merely having fun. When asked about her mother, Lena responds, "Oh, mother's never very well; she has too much to do. She'd get away from the farm, too, if she could" (Cather, 104). When Frances Harling teases Lena about a suitor who the town thinks Lena will marry, she responds, "I don't want to marry Nick, or any other man, . . . I've seen a good deal of married life, and I don't care for it" (105). It seems impossible for the town to believe that a beautiful gir... ...c plot" limits and ignores the non-traditional female experience which is just as important to analyze. The Nan Princes, Lena Lingards and Tiny Solderalls of the fictional world deserve and demand critical attention not for what they don't do (the dishes) but for what they are-- working women.    Works Cited Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1995. Gelfant, Blanche H. "The Forgotten Reaping Hook: Sex in My Antonia." Bloom's Modern Critical Views, 103-123. Jewett, Sarah Orne. A Country Doctor. New York: The Penguin Group. 1986. Romines, Ann. The Home Plot: Women, Writing & Domestic Ritual. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press. 1992. Weiner, Lynn Y. From Working Girl to Working Mother: The Female Labor Force in the United States, 1820-1980. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. 1985.   

The Tragedy of Dr. Faustus - Analysis of Doctor Faustus Final Soliloqu

The Tragedy of Dr. Faustus - Analysis of Doctor Faustus' Final Soliloquy Dr. Turk’s comments: This is a good example of close analysis. The writer pays attention not only to what the character says, but also to his actions, or non-action, to make his conclusions about the character of Dr. Faustus. Â   Doctor Faustus' final soliloquy takes place during his last hour to live before his deal with the devil expires and he is carried off to spend eternity in hell. At this point, he has turned down every opportunity to repent of his sins and call on God to save him from eternal damnation. Faustus spends his last hour in wishful thoughts of ways to escape his impending doom. There is no repentance, though, and in the end, he is carried off to hell to spend eternity separated from God. Faustus' soliloquy begins as the clock strikes eleven, pronouncing to Faustus that he has only one hour before his eternal punishment begins. Faustus knows his fate is at hand and begins his soliloquy by wishing that time would stand still so that midnight would never come or that the sun, "Fair Nature's eye," would rise again and make the day everlasting (XIII, 62). Faustus then moves from wishing that midnight wouldn't come altogether to merely wishing that his last hour would be stretched out to "A year, a month, a week, a natural day/ That Faustus may repent and save his soul" (XIII, 64-65). He spends his last hour wishing for more time to repent instead of using the time he already has to repent. After giving up on the notion of obtaining more time, he then decides that he will look to God and acknowledges that one drop of Christ's blood can save him. Instead of calling on God to save him, though, he turns his attention back to the devi... ...d for an escape when all he really needs to do is look upward. Lucifer does not send Faustus to hell, Faustus sends himself by not accepting the gift of salvation that God freely offers him right up until the end. In his final hour, Faustus comes to the realization that he is getting the short end of the deal he has made with the devil and how even all the power he had possessed is fleeting in the face of eternity. Faustus' final soliloquy is a realistic look inside the mind of someone who stands on the threshold of forever and knows his destination. After reading this, one should either rejoice that he or she will not have to face the same fate as Faustus, or recognize that he or she is walking the same road and repent. Â   Work Cited: Marlowe, Christopher Dr Faustus in ed. WB Worthen The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama, 2nd edn., Texas: Harcourt Brace 1996.

Evaluation Essay of “Saving Private Ryan”

Title World-renowned director Steven Spielberg creates what arguably could be considered one of the greatest war movies of all time, with his directing of Academy award winning film Saving Private Ryan starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon as Captain Miller and Private James Ryan. Saving Private Ryan opens with an old man at a graveyard when the movie flashes back to 1944 during the Allied invasion of Normandy, where two brothers are killed during the fighting.Later the viewer learns that earlier a third brother died fighting in New Guinea, and that the news of all three brothers deaths will be delivered to their mother on the same day. The government learns that a fourth son (Private Ryan) is alive in the French countryside, and detaches a squad to retrieve him led by Captain Miller. Along the way, the group of soldiers begin to question their assigned mission and its costs. Teaming up with writer Robert Rodat, Spielberg is able to create a movie with top-notch special effects, amazing storytelling, and brilliant acting.Multiple movie critics and historians have praised Saving Private Ryan's opening beach scene as â€Å"The most realistic portrayal of World War II† compared to other works of cinematography. The movie achieves excellence through its astounding special effects making the viewing of this movie as close to war one can get without fighting, winning the Academy award for achievement in special effects. From the beginning scene where Tom Hanks, in a shell-shocked state, is witnessing all the havoc occurring around him to the final battle scene on the bridge, Saving Private Ryan has everything a good war movie needs in regards to special effects.The use of all of the special effects in the movie however, does not take away from any of the storytelling or progression of the film. Instead, the use of these effects enhances the overall greatness of the film by allowing the viewer to get the best possible visual experience of the events that occurred d uring that time. With Steven Spielberg at the helm of the film as both the director and a producer, the story aspect was bound to be incredible.Spielberg puts together this story of a group of soldiers sent on a mission to bring home the last remaining son of a mother, only to have doubts about the mission and if all of the loss and fighting is worth this one man. By combining different aspects such as relationships, death, and inner turmoil, Spielberg is able to create a masterpiece. The way Spielberg shows the inner workings and behaviors of the soldiers in the group is just one of the many ways that he is able to make the story relatable and a cinematic wonder.During the movie, the group meets a family, when they arrive at a small town bombarded by artillery. The father tries to give his daughter to the soldiers thinking that she will be safer with them. While the commanding officer at first refuses, one of the soldiers takes the girl saying that she â€Å"reminded [him] of his niece back home. † letting the viewer connect with the characters on a more personal level. Saving Private Ryan is as close as one can get to perfecting a war movie.Having all of the criteria for its genre, from story, to effects, to great performances, Saving Private Ryan is one of the all-time greatest movies. What stands out about this movie is how well plot and effects go hand in hand, complementing one another without over doing anything. I would strongly urge anyone who has yet to see the movie to do so, as it is one of the greatest cinematic works ever created. In the end, Saving Private Ryan is a movie that I feel will stand the test of time, and forever be watched and enjoyed by future generations.

Tourism Impacts Of Resort Operations In Talisay, Batangas

In this tropical country, resort is one of the most leading establishments preferred by the emerging number of tourists in the Philippines for it offers a pleasant environment and ambiance that is conducive to comfort and healthful relaxation and rest. It is a very convenient destination for the tourists since it also provides food and dining, reception, accommodation, lodging, business facilities and other services. It is almost an all-in-one destination that can suffice the need and wants of the tourists. Stress and pressure that was brought by the monotony of everyday life have become a great factor in the trend of the tourism industry and they both laid the foundation for so many establishment and recreational facilities for the tourists’ enjoyment and sensual experience.In Region 4-A, particularly in Batangas, many resorts are already established and known. This province is recently emerging as one of the top providers of class resorts. Talisay, bounded on the north by Ta gaytay City, Laurel on the west, Tanauan on the east, and Taal Lake on the south is one great contributor to the tourism of the province. Of all the caldera towns, Talisay is the most direct access from Manila to the Volcano Island via Santa Rosa – Tagaytay. A slightly longer route, but equally good road condition, is via South Expressway – Tanauan.Tourism has been considered by Talisay as their economic focus. The natural attributes of the town as well as the very limited availability of land for  other economic ventures such as agriculture and other land based activities influence the focus of economic activity for the town. The advantage of tourism as a conceivable direction for the town lies in its natural beauty, engaging landform and favorable climate. Comparable developments have been proven that tourism thrives primarily because of varied activities and interesting culture with natural endowments serving as the initial lure.Because these elements are present in Talisay, it would be in a favorable position to explore its possibilities. It has recently reinvented itself into a resort town, making use of the outstanding view and access that they have to Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. The said lake and volcano is one of the major tourist destinations in the country that is why many investors have been interested to venture into operating resorts within the municipality of Talisay.As the arrival of international and domestic tourists in the area grows, number of resorts in Talisay also increased. Rise of the tourists’ need for satisfaction and quality made competitions among these resorts become tighter. Because of the tourists’ preference in choosing a resort, many resorts raised their own standards and different themes have been made. Such actions and innovations must be clearly monitored as well as its impacts to the tourism industry of Talisay, Batangas. Sustainability of the resorts and its operations must also be given adequ ate attention. Problems rising from these operations must be significantly studied and essential research must be done to arrive at possible solutions and feasible recommendations.Conceptual FrameworkThis study aimed to delve the tourism impacts of the resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. This was based on the data gathered from the resorts in Talisay as well as information congregated from the local government of the said municipality.Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the relationship of the research variables.The paradigm shows the factors that must be thoroughly researched and studied to achieve the understanding of tourism impacts of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas.Statement of the ProblemThe primary purpose of this study is to state the tourism impacts of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. Specifically, this research study will answer the following questions: 1.) What are the profile of the respondents in terms of: 1.1 years of residency 1.2 family income? 2.) What are the benefits of the community of Talisay from resort operations in terms of: 2.1 employment opportunities 2.2 infrastructure development 2.3 safety and security 2.4 recreation opportunities 2.5 environmental protection? 3.) What are the corporate social responsibilities of all resort owners to help sustain a healthy environment for the residents? 4.) Is there a significant difference on the benefits of the community of Talisay from resort operations when grouped according to their profile? HypothesisAfter conducting surveys, interviews and research, the proponents of the study realized that the resort operations in Talisay, Batangas do not have an impact on the tourism of the said municipality.Scope and LimitationThe study is limited only to the population of Talisay, Batangas. The information that will be needed for the research will be acquired through the local government of the municipality and from the resorts that are operating in the area. The proponents will conduc t an interview to the resort owners or operators as well as to the residents in the local community. The data that will be gathered through these sources will serve as the basis of this study.The study covers the marketing, management, financial, social, economic and  environmental aspects. The study will help the researchers respond accurately and appropriately in the burdens the resort owners should face in the future. It intends to provide information regarding the tourism impacts and how the resort operations will be sustained through time. It will also provide additional knowledge to the Talisay’s local government in developing the sustainable tourism in their locality.Significance of the StudyThis study was significant in understanding the tourism impact of resort operations in Talisay, Batangas. Furthermore, it will be beneficial to the following:Academe; With the aid of results that can obtain in this study, different techniques and strategies can develop in underst anding tourism impact of resort owners and its sustainability, particularly in Talisay, Batangas.Resort owners; The results that will be taken in this study can provide resort owners information and assistance in case they are in the same line of industry.Tourists; The contents of the study will give every tourist insights and knowledge about Talisay as tourist destination.Local government; The accomplishment of the study will endow supplementary information that can contribute in the improvement of their locality.Lastly, to Future researchers; This study will provide useful information that can be used as a basis to their would-be researches particularly those that will focus on topics related to sustainability of tourism industry.Definition of TermsFor the meaningful interpretation of this research study, the following terms were defined operationally and conceptually with basis from authorized sources. Resort. It is one of the most leading establishments preferred by the emerging number of tourists in the Philippines for it offers a pleasant environment and ambiance that is conducive to comfort and healthful relaxation and rest. Tourism. This comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not  more than that one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. Tourism Impact. It is the effect of tourist destinations, including resorts, to the community where tourism occurs.