Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications

Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications An Air Force (AF) military treatment facility (MTF) will normally have two or more group practice managers (GPM). The facility where this interview takes place has three; they are co-located at LakenheathHospital with duties equally divided between in and outpatient care areas. The duties of a GPM consist of assessing clinical business practices, forecasting demands on medical services, and determine how well the MTF is meeting the business plan. They are responsible for the evaluation of each provider regarding relative value unit (RVU) and relative weighted unit (RWU). Additionally, they are evolved in budgeting, marketing, strategic planning and lead facility initiatives addressing patient satisfaction of in and outpatient medical services (AFMS Kx, n. d. ). The GPMs interact with numerous administrative applications to achievesuccess at their job. This paper will discuss three key applications; Management Analysis and Reporting Tool (M2), United States Armed Forces Europe (USAFE) Decision Support System (DSS) and Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look (SG EGL) utilized by the GPM in assess data. M2 is a Business Objects query tool GPMs use to aid decision makers in overseeing military health system(MHS) operations. The benefits of M2, provides a detailed summary of population, clinical and financial data from all MHSworldwide. Data includes, purchased care, eligibility and enrollment data (Executive Information Decision Support, n. . ). GPMs use M2 to evaluate encounters, business practices, perform trend analyses, conduct patient, and provider profiling studies. This application also identifies areas of healthcare services paid to the private sector that are available at the MTF and transfers those services back to MTF. Disadvantages of this system identified by the GPM include, complicated excel spreadsheet s requiring extensive data cleanup and performing multiple pivots to present reportable data. Data lag time is forty to sixty days, so today the GPM can only assess data as recent as the end of February. This system is preferred to the Composite Health Care System (CHCS I), a Virtual Memory System (VMS) where ad-hoc reports are built, requiring clean up, then pasted in to Excel for more data clean-up and pivoting (Beyster & Economy, 2007). Another administrative application favored by GPMs is the Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look (SG EGL). SG EGL assesses MTF effectiveness of meeting measures in customer satisfaction, provider availability, appointment booking, business plan and the command’s overall performance. One innovation all three GPMs agree upon is SG EGL, this administrative application provides â€Å"Push Report,† which pre-builds graphics of the aforementioned data that they do not have to pivot down. The SG EGL website allows requested reports to be sent directly to e-mail inbox monthly (Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look, n. d. ). Reports received have the same information contained on the website, so the user receives information in a dashboard format that is easily copied into PowerPoint for presentation tothe hospital leadership. One limitations of SG EGL noted by the GPM is the same data lag time as M2. Another problem with this application is the website frequently is inoperative and if updates are implemented you may not be able to see data until the Pentagon figures out the issue. One of the strengths of the website regardless up or down the â€Å"Push Reports† are always sent and contain viable data. Another tool for analyzing data used by the GPM is DSS. DSS is located in Ramstein, Germany and supports USAFESG on data regarding medical services provided throughout USAFE. DSS is a team of informatics specialists that generate custom reports, create and manage web-based applications (USAFE DSS, n. d. ). GPMs find DSS a favorite place to request custom built reports not covered in other applications such as M2 or SG EGL. Additionally, the informatics experts have the ability to mined data and perform clean-up, the GPM would normally have to accomplish. The report is still received in excel format,but data is specific to the request. The negatives of DSS, if a requested report needs additional data fields added, the report has to be rebuilt to include the new fields. Furthermore, extensive directions must be given to guide the informatics section on building the report. Once the report is built to specifications the potential for assessment of data is tremendous. The administrative application discussed in this paper address just a few currently used by GPMs. There are additional unique databases at major commands (MAJCOM), developed to assess unique data requiring evaluation by the command. The development of unique databases occurs due tothe demand for quick acquisition of data â€Å"in real time. Unfortunately, development at the DoD level takes years for implementation and the user want current data, not data forty to sixty days out of date. GPMs at this facility greatly desire one administrative application to obtain tables, graphs and reports, but such an application is years in the making. References Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) Knowledge Exchange (Kx). (n. d). Group practice manager’s position description. Retrieved from https ://kx. afms. mil/kxweb/home. doAFAF (Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look n. d. SG EGL)Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look. (n. d. . SG EGL. Retrieved from https://egl. afms. mil/ (Beyster R J Economy P 2007 SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Comapny)Beyster, R. J. , & Economy, P. (2007). The SAIC solution: How we built an $8 billion employee-owned technology company. John Wiley & Sons, 88. (Executive Information Decision Support n. d. EIDS)Executive Information Decision Support. (n. d. ). EIDS. Retrieved from http://www. ha. osd. mil/peo/59810_Axiom_Bro_EIDS. pdf United States Armed Forces Europe (USAFE) Decision Support System (DSS). (n. d. ). Retrieved from https://sg2. usafe. af. mil/DSS/

Best Buy Case Study Essay

Best Buy is a multinational corporation with over 4,000 locations nationwide. Circuit City was Best Buy’s only main competition for some years until it took over and ran Circuit City out of business. Best Buy’s market share increased after that however, other large retailers as well as e-tailers entered into the market. Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart and Apple became Best Buy’s new competition that caused a decrease in market sales in 2010. They all had the same thing in common after the Circuit City collapse and that was to increase electronics. They all had their own strategies to out-beat Best Buy. Although Best Buy acquired some more competition in a 2010 survey consumers still said Best Buy is the first to come to mind when they think about buying electronics. However, even though Best Buy is the first that comes to mind against the other competitors, depending on what the product is they will go to Amazon to buy it instead. Due to their strategy which focuses on three areas; customer-centricity, employment policies and exclusive branding, they are keeping up with the competition. Best Buy’s strategies may help them a majority of the time but they could change their strategies just a little bit. They should try what Wal-Mart does and price match ads with other stores so that way they are still getting the profits and keeping customers. In my opinion, Best Buy could improve their strategy when it comes to prices because they are on the higher end of prices. As a consumer myself, I do look at Best Buy first for my electronics but I usually go somewhere else because the prices are usually cheaper. Other than their prices I actually think their strategies are working out good for them and it shows in their rankings amongst other competitors. Consumer electronics is considered a mature industry because of the new trends. This industry hits record sales during the holiday seasons but still says rather well throughout the year as well. All companies associated with this industry try to keep up so they make their own products. However, due to manufactures cannibalizing their products their product life cycle has decreased. Manufactures started doing this to try to keep their consumers  loyalty. When prices start to fall for technology products this opens a bigger demographic; however by time the prices fall for the products they have come up with better products. In order to recapture the growth of Best Buy they should try to fix the prices to fit a bigger demographic. I think if they at least try to work with the consumers with the prices they would gain more customers. The problem is the fact that consumers go elsewhere when they see the prices and do a price match. Amazon became popular with electronics because people f ound out that they could get electronics of all kinds online. Also Amazon has an advantage over Best Buy because with Amazon there is free shipping on products, well on most products. I think if Best Buy tried to adapt some of Amazon’s strategy they can out beat them in the electronics department. If they could be like Amazon and have a limitless inventory online rather than just have their amount of availability on the showroom. If they did this I think they would see growth in their company. They pride their selves in having the most respected name brands in the consumer electronics industry so if they matched the prices with their pride in their brands I see a definite growth in their company. With Best Buy being a well-known company and is the first that comes to mind when talking about electronics, if they had a bigger choice when it came to the products than they might gain some more growth as well to go along with their already loyal customer base. At Best Buy, they offer a selection of energy-efficient products. These products were designed to help their customers around the world save some more money by using less energy. I think with Best Buy becoming more sustainable they are more able to maintain the interest of the stakeholders. With these products the shareholders play a big role in influencing their overall sustainability strategy. The stakeholders help with modeling Best Buy’s annual sustainability reports. So with them adding this strategy and allowing the stakeholders to get the chance to have a part in the strategy they are gaining their interest. Best Buy actually takes the recommendations from their stakeholders and they try to communicate with them in efforts to keep their interest in their decision to incorporate a sustainability strategy. I think this was a good move on their part because it states they were uncertain about Mr. Dunn’s five year growth strategy. The stakeholders  were worried abo ut Best Buy’s cash position and about if these strategies would work or not. Anytime when stakeholders have the opportunity to have a so in a company is a good thing. In conclusion, I believe Best Buy is a great company but can become a better one if they were to do some modifications with their strategies. With the constantly changing economy they need to adapt their strategies to the changes. I’m not saying they would have to always change their strategies but I think they should always try their best to make their strategies fit the customers as well as help the success of the company. With that being said I believe they will receive even better results for the company as well as the consumers.

The Ritz-Carlton Does Not Sell Hotel Rooms

The Ritz Carlton runs in a way that makes every single detail about the consumer and the consumer’s needs, wants, and expectations. Every decision that they make they make with the consumer in mind. They essentially are selling unsurpassed service to their patrons. The Ritz Carlton is very well-known for providing consistent service to its patrons in each of its locations throughout the world. They provide guests with high quality customer service, utilizing their Gold Standards for customer service, which include its credo, motto, employee promise, three steps of service, and the twelve service values. The three steps of service are fairly basic, however many companies overlook them, losing that opportunity to create a long lasting relationship with the guest. The first is to deliver a warm and sincere greeting and to use the guest's name; the second is to anticipate and fulfill the needs of each guest; and the third is to give a warm good-bye, again using the guest's name. The Ritz Carlton believes that guest recognition is a top priority. If employees recognize the guest, then they can give personalized service, have fast access to knowledge, and interactions that are largely hassle free. These Gold Standards continue to lead the company to outperform its competition and increase its customer loyalty. They also have programs designed to meet specific customer needs that include their Service Quality Indicators (SQIs). The Ritz Carlton continually improves its processes and programs in order to give its guests the exceptional service that they have come to be well known for giving in the hotel industry. In essence, they are selling service to consumers. The Ritz Carlton has applied for and won the Baldridge Award in 1992 and 1999, which confirmed that quality is not a short term approach to doing business. The Ritz Carlton works hard to achieve the highest customer and employee satisfaction in the industry. They believe it is critical to continually improve day after day. As a consumer, I would be willing to pay for a stay at the Ritz Carlton. I believe that the methods that they use are fantastic. They treat everyone, including their employees, with respect. That is something that many companies fail to even consider when they are building their business. There are many people who choose products and services from companies by looking at factors such as how they treat their employees, where their products are made, etc. rather than looking only at the price tag and looking for a place or item that is â€Å"cheap†. As a consumer, I would rather patronize a place that was more expensive and treated its employees like gold, than patronize a place that was cheap and treated its employees poorly. I believe that the Ritz Carlton offers an excellent service to their guests and I’m fairly certain that the majority of consumers would be willing to pay for it. However, the price of a hotel room at the Ritz Carlton is on the pricier side so I’m sure that there are plenty of people that would love to take advantage of staying there but would be unable to do so since they could not afford it. Do you think it’s possible for Ritz Carlton to create â€Å"ladies and gentlemen† in just 7 days? It most likely is possible for Ritz Carlton to do so because their employee selection process is highly refined and they are able to higher excellent candidates who understand this concept of â€Å"ladies and gentlemen†. The Ritz Carlton looks for individuals who understand their culture and will engage with other employees, managers and guests. They look for individuals who exhibit certain personality traits and hiring managers seek those individuals when they recruit and interview candidates. In order to ensure that interviewees are sincere and positive people, the hiring managers use two-part questions that will eliminate interviewees who are insincere. According to the article, Inside the Ritz Carlton’s Revolutionary Service, a prospective employee may be asked, â€Å"Are you a habitual smiler? †. If the candidate responds with a â€Å"yes†, then the hiring manager will proceed to ask, â€Å"Why do you smile? †. It is clear to see that the Ritz Carlton selects its employees very carefully in order to find employees that will understand the culture and be able to learn quickly how to be a lady or a gentleman. By looking for people that have the necessary talent to do the job, they feel they can teach the other skills necessary to get them to lady or gentleman status. The Ritz Carlton has a very slow orientation process that they feel can best prepare the new employee with the mission of the company. They feel that when an individual starts a new job, it is a significant emotional experience. During this time, that individual will be attentive and receptive to emotional changes. The Ritz Carlton uses this time to focus on their values and to instill those values into that employee. The employee than goes though their week of orientation and afterwards, they are expected to have adapted the company culture. It seems to me that between their vigorous selection process and the week of orientation, many of these individuals would be able to adapt to their culture as â€Å"a lady or gentlemen†. Also, it is important to point out that the company is well known for treating their employees very well. I would believe that their employees know this and would want to treat the company well in return. The employees must have a high level of employee morale. They have every reason to want to continue on as a â€Å"lady or a gentlemen† as their time continues on with the company. They will also have the chance for promotions in the future. The Ritz Carlton sets employees up for success starting by selecting the right employees for the right position within the company. They are then able to mold these individuals into the employees that they want them to be. They also treat them very well and give them room for growth. I believe that doing this ensures that these individuals will become â€Å"ladies and gentlemen† within the 7 days.

The Greatest American President Ever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Greatest American President Ever - Essay Example Gains in the stock market produced numerous millionaires who advanced the Reagan reign because several people adopted Reagan’s communication styles. The nonviolent downfall of the global communalist union that Reagan formerly condemned as an Evil Empire was a monumental victory in the foreign policy of the U.S. Diplomatic and economic accomplishments notwithstanding, the presidency of Reagan also had its imperfections characterized by the broadening gulf between the ordinary working and rich Americans especially when it came to matters that Reagan could not sufficiently address. Others included certain grave foreign policy bloopers and poor relations amidst races. Regardless of these precincts, Reagan retired with superior approval ratings and numerous Americans consider him amongst the greatest presidents because of his ability to transfer the right information to the citizenr . Perhaps, most significantly is that the powerful ideologies of Reagan continue shaping the contour s of politics in America to the current day. Looking back at the last six decades, Reagan is the influential and important president. Loved by the Republicans and detested by the liberals, Reagan transformed five decade of economic and political orthodoxy on its crown, consequently transforming numerous Americans from Roosevelt Democrats into conservatives by communicating his ideals in a comprehensible manner. Reagan is responsible for the growth and participation of conservatives in American politics (Dunn 93). Reagan’ huge influence on the history of America was partly attributable to proper timing and communication. Similar to Frank Roosevelt, Reagan secured the presidency at a period when a considerable American population felt a profound discontent regarding the state of economy, social order, and politics in the U.S. The economy of the country that had taken pleasure in the great and long periods of sustained prosperity, stalled. Real wages became stationary, stock val ues along with corporate gains reduced. Furthermore, inflation and unemployment soared. Ordinary Americans who expected constant increase of their living standards instead encountered rising unemployment, higher prices, and falling wages. The American population had to stomach the painful end of the Vietnam War that eventually ended with the defeat of the U.S. Additionally, underlying cultural conflicts unchecked by the counter-cultural social revolutions became manifest. As such, bitter racial animosity propelled by the policies of the government on affirmative action and school desegregation spread in the South affecting the nation (Dunn 136). The challenges in the social arena, military, and economic impediments affected the country making it seem that the United States was facing several difficulties. At the conclusion of the 1970 period, profound dissatisfaction with life in the U.S. led to transformation. The foundation principles that had regulated the politics of the United States following the establishment of Roosevelt’s New Deal Order appeared unsuccessful. American citizens were prepared to attempt something fundamentally different. Consequently, that marked an opportune ascent of Reagan who preached an optimistic conservative populism doctrine that essentially realigned the politics of U.S. The subsequent Reagan Revolution enhanced a conservative domination period of the social order and American politics that would precede a generation (Dunn

The Most Revolutionary Part of the Industrial Revolution Essay

The Most Revolutionary Part of the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example People could now travel in deep sea and explore further marine resources through steam-powered ships. To compound the importance of the steam engine in the industrial revolution, other later inventions were founded on the steam engine. This implies that the steam engine formed the basis of future research in steam-powered technology that we enjoy up to date. I believe that throughout the history of mankind, the industrial revolution resulted in rising in the standard of living. As Jake put it, the steam engine invention resulted in other new technologies. New technologies come with opportunities for people to get employment, hence more income. In addition, new technologies make work easier, thus easing human beings from tiresome tasks. For illustration, the steam engine helped in the movement of people and goods from one place to another. I believe that throughout the history of mankind, the industrial revolution resulted in rising in the standard of living. As Jake put it, the steam engine invention resulted in other new technologies. New technologies come with opportunities for people to get employment, hence more income. In addition, new technologies make work easier, thus easing human beings from tiresome tasks. For illustration, the steam engine helped in the movement of people and goods from one place to another. People were able t o travel to places that initially could not travel. The role played by the steam engine invention in increasing the standard of living is thus indispensable.

Different Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different Perspective - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that diversity means difference. Human diversity sets to explain the differences among people. The trends of diversity in the society have made the topic very imperative. Diversity has made the global market a competitive one. It has also encouraged the vivid change of the population believes. Diversity has enabled people to celebrate their different uniqueness because, in the society, there is reduced effort to fit in. People vary from one another. The subject of how people differ is unclear, and that is the reason why studies that involve individual differences are carried out. Such studies scrutinize variance, the difference between people and their central tendencies. The main aim of diversity awareness is to reveal the similarity and difference of people across varying situations. The researchers that study individual differences use genetic codes to determine the ethnic, social, sexual, and cultural differences. The methods that colle ct information for the studies range. Such methods are field studies, laboratory experiments, Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis and procedures of structural or multilevel modeling. The researchers identified that gender/sex and ethnicity are traits that are complex. These traits are useful because they include the social magnitude of diversity consciousness. Sexual orientation is the pattern of sexual attraction to opposite sexes or both.

Annie Hall movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Annie Hall movie - Essay Example While the film presents some beautiful and tender moments between the couple, these are set against a contextual backdrop that suggests a breakup. The film commences on a nostalgic note, where Alvy is thinking about his relationship with Annie, the relationship that almost was. He muses, â€Å"I keep sifting through the pieces of the relationship through my mind, and examining my life and trying to figure out where did the screw up come?† (Annie Hall). Yet, this nostalgia is also intertwined with an underlying element of cynicism, because we know at the outset what the outcome of the relationship was – it ended in a break-up. Revealing the outcome at the very beginning of the film helps to set the foreground of the narrative and direct the conception of the audience towards the meaning of the film. It sets up the central question to be addressed in the film – why did the relationship between Annie and Alvy end? The nostalgic question posed by Alvy at the very beg inning of the film is followed by a stand up comedy routine, adopting an ironic, self reflexive tone that successfully reflects a combination of nostalgia and cynicism. One of the means employed in the film to distinguish the relationship of Alvy and Annie from the rest of the events occurring in the film is through the use of contrasts. An associative, metaphorical sequencing through stand up comedy segments is used at the beginning of the film, whereas a conventional, sequential narrative structure is used for the scenes dealing with Annie and Alvy’s meeting and courtship.

Critical assessment, Case Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 352750 words

Critical assessment, Case Law - Essay Example Critical assessment, Case Law Local or domestic authorities involved can assume parental obligations via an administrative protocol. Children, folks and other siblings were not able to pose a challenge to local authority choices on contact with the children during care, say in scarce scenarios which presented themselves. There were unfair accesses to the jurisdiction of the courts. Most of these issues and injustices became handled by the Children Act in a way to attain a better comprehension between the requirements of the children for safeguarding and the rights of folks to be involved wholly in the proceedings, even though certain new issues did emerge (Brayne & Cart 2008, p.12). Therefore, under section 31(1), only the domestic authority or a mandated individual, or any of its offices can draft an application for a care or supervising order and the domestic authority can no longer apply or follow the apparent jurisdiction from the High Court for such motives. Folks are able to challenge the domestic authority choices, children can be independently represented, the guardian may review the task undertaken by the domestic authority with the children and folks and hence makes a recommendation in regards to the sole welfare of the children, and where relatives of the extended household have a unique interest in the proceeding, they can make an application to the court to be adjoined in the proceedings (Dorothy 1991, p.20).

Information and computer security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Information and computer security - Assignment Example e biometric user authentication system whereby the system is able to undertake automated authentication of users based on the biometric traits of their iris. The system particularly combines with use of cryptographic keys with the distinctive biometric traits of iris to develop authentication algorithms that can be used to provide individuals with access permission to an information system or data. As opposed to the use of the traditional passwords and PINs, crypto-biometric systems such as the iris based cryptographic keys are significantly more stable and less susceptible to attacks. For example, the public key infrastructure (PKI) method of generation may use the iris biometric features to enhance the security of Private Key and protect the user authentication systems against potential intruders (Bowyer, Hollingsworth, and Flynn, 2006). This is a significant improvement on the traditional cryptosystems where user authentication primarily relies on the possession of secrete keys wh ich may easily be forgotten, stolen or lost, and thus do not often provide nonrepudiation. Generally, the use of iris may provide a number of advantages and solutions to some of these challenges facing the traditional cryptosystems. For example, iris based key generation method for cryptography together with generation algorithms can be used to effectively bind cryptographic keys with the biometric template of a user in such a way that makes it significantly impossible to reveal the key without a successful biometric authentication. The process of using iris based key generation method for cryptography to develop a user authentication system usually involves a number of steps. Firstly, the biometric data of the iris of an individual is acquired using sensors and then the distinctive features are extracted before enrolling the user for biometric authentication. Next, the data is then used to generate cryptographic keys which can be released whenever an authorized user key presents

Hamlet cigar Essay Example for Free

Hamlet cigar Essay The well known brand for cigars Hamlet is produced by Japanese Company. It was initially launched in the year 1964 in United Kingdoms. Their tagline spread a little happiness is well described in their art work. Art Work for Hamlet Cigar Art work for Hamlet Miniature Cigar’s urinal advertisement is very interesting. It has the background of a men’s washroom. A tall man’s back is placed on the extreme left who is urinating, while in the 80% of the remaining art work three vertically challenged people are standing. Being short heighten they can’t reach up to pee in the urinal. One standing in the right has his knees bent and the one standing in left has his knees crossed. They both have flinching expressions on their faces and they holding their stomach. Where as the third vertically challenged person standing in the middle looks content and is smoking and offering Hamlet Cigar from the packet to the person standing left to him. Though his legs are a little bent too which mean he also wants to take a leak but his expression are very cool and calm. The moral of the advertisement is Hamlet Miniatures Cigar can satisfy you even in the dire of situations. Top right of the green tiled bathroom wall has cigar’s cover pasted. Their tagline ‘Spread a little happiness’ is placed right next to hamlet miniature cigar cover. The fonts are big and in white making it prominent on green background due to the color contrast. This advertisement received 19 complaints. It was considered offensive and vulgar. It was more of a mockery to short people. The company in its defense claimed that it was portray of problems these people face in their daily lives (BBC, 2002). Never the less, the art work conveys the message very clearly to its target audiences.

Biotransformation And Elimination Of Drugs Biology Essay

Biotransformation And Elimination Of Drugs Biology Essay Liver plays a significant role in the metabolism of a large number of drugs and toxins. Hepatic drug metabolism involves various processes, broadly classified as Phase 1 (functionalisation) and Phase 2 (conjugation). Glucuronidation catalysed by UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGTs) plays a key role in the Phase 2 metabolism of a large number of drugs as well as many endogenous substrates, like bilirubin, steroids etc., by increasing the hydrophilicity and clearance. UGTs are versatile enzymes, in terms of broad, yet overlapping substrate specificity, presence of numerous isoforms, genetic polymorphisms etc. Biological systems are recognised to be stereoselective in nature. A large number of drugs, nearly 50% of all marketed drugs exist as either single enantiomers or racemates. Therefore stereoselective behaviour of drugs plays an important role in drug action as well as disposition (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Elimination). The aim of this project is to identify the enantio-selectivity of drugs towards glucuronidation by UGT and also to identify whether enantio-selectivity is linked to specific isoforms of UGT. Furthermore, predicting the enantiomeric behaviour of drugs may also aid in rationalising in-sillico modelling of drug metabolism and thereby predicting metabolism of new chemical entities (NCEs) 1. INTRODUCTION Biotransformation and elimination of drugs from the body involves several different metabolic routes. These metabolic pathways are broadly classified into Phase 1 (functionalisation) and Phase 2 (conjugation) drug metabolism. Phase 1 metabolic pathway involves transforming the drug into a more polar functionality, through various reactions like, oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, isomerisation and so on depending on the chemical nature of the drug. These reactions are catalysed by enzymes such as: Cytochrome P450, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, acetlycholineestrase etc. Product of Phase 1 drug metabolism may then act as a substrate for Phase 2 metabolism. This phase consists of conjugation of the drug substrate with endogenous ligands leading to increased polarity, hydrophilicity and thereby elimination of the drug from body through bile or urine. Conjugation reactions include glucuronidation, glycosidation, sulfation, methylation etc. These reactions are catalysed by UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase, UDP-Glycosyltransferase, Sulfotransferase, Methyltransferase respectively. Among these, glucuronidation is the most prevalent conjugation reaction in the body. [1] 2. GLUCURONIDATION Glucuronidation is the most common reaction in Phase 2 drug metabolism. This conjugation reaction which is catalysed by UDP- glucuronosyl transferase, forms about 35% of all drugs metabolised by conjugation. This is primarily due to the abundance in living systems of UDP-glucuronic acid, the co-factor for the reaction, as well as due to the pervasive nature of the enzyme, UDP-glucuronosyl transferases (UGTs). [1] [2] The process of glucuronidation involves: I. Formation of co-factor (UDP-glucuronic acid) II. Conjugation of UDP-glucuronic acid with substrate The formation of co-factor (UDP-glucuronic acid) This consists of a two step process: 1. Formation of UDP-glucose Glucose-1-phosphate is present in high concentrations in almost all cells of the body. The first stage of glucuronidation is related to glycogen synthesis through the common intermediate, UDP-glucose. The formation of UDP-glucose occurs by addition of a Uridine 5- diphosphate (UDP), a pyrophosphate nucleotide in cells, to a molecule of Glucose-1-phosphate. The reaction is catalysed by UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme. [1] [3] 2. Dehydrogenation of UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid The above step is followed by dehydrogenation of UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, catalysed by the enzyme UDP-glucose dehydrogenase, in the presence of NAD+ co-factor. [3] Conjugation of the substrate with UDP-glucuronic acid Conjugation reaction involves transfer of one ÃŽÂ ±-D-glucuronic acid moiety from the co-substrate UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA), which act as an energy rich intermediate, to form the glucuronide conjugate of the drug molecule. The reaction is catalysed by UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) enzyme. The reaction is found to be a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2), whereby the C1 carbon of glucuronic acid, which is in ÃŽÂ ±-configuration, during its reaction with the substrate inverts to form a ÃŽÂ ²-D-glucuronide. [3] [4]. The glucuronide formed is excreted via urine or bile, depending on the chemical nature and molecular weight of the conjugate. [1] [2] The entire reaction is summarised below: Figure: 1: Glucuronidation Pathway leading to formation of ether glucuronide. [3] 2.1 PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Based on the functional group of the substrate molecule, the following types of glucuronide conjugates may be formed; [1] O-Glucuronide They are formed from Phenols, alcohols, carboxylic acids. O-gulcuronides are chiefly excreted in to bile and may undergo entero-hepatic circulation. Examples of drugs: Morphine, Chloramphenicol, Salicylic acid, Clofibrate. Figure: 2 O- Glucuronidation of Morphine [5] [6] UGT Enzyme UDPGA N-glucuronide They are formed by the reaction of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) with amines, amides etc. E.g. Sulfanilamide, Cyproheptidine, Dapsone S-Glucuronide Reaction of thiol groups with UDPGA in presence of UDP-gucuronosyl transferase results in S-glucuronides. E.g.Disulfiram, 2-Mercapto benzothiazole C-glucuronide It is an uncommon metabolic pathway that occurs due to the direct attachment of UDPGA to the carbon skeleton of drugs. E.g. Sulfinpyrazone [1] [3] 3. UDP-GLUCURONOSYL TRANSFERASE (UGT) ENZYMES 3.1 SITE UGT enzymes are present in human beings and most other mammals. The enzyme is located in many tissues of the body, mostly in liver but also in kidney, lungs, small intestine, spleen, adrenals and skin, to a lesser extend. Inside the cell, UGTs are bound to the membranes of endoplasmic reticulum. Most of the Phase 1 metabolic enzymes, including cytochrome P450s, are located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore endoplasmic reticulum is regarded as an ideal site for UGT enzymes, as it facilitates glucuronide conjugation of Phase 1 substrates. [1] 3.2 STRUCTURAL ASPECTS UDP-glucuronosyl transferase enzyme does not contain a prosthetic group. The monomeric molecular weight of the enzyme if found to be between 50- 60 kilo Daltons. The protein sequence of the enzyme shows slight variations between each individual form. A full length crystal structure of UGTs is yet to be resolved, although crystal structure of the binding domain for UDP-glucuronic acid in human UGT2B7 has been published (by Miley et.al. 2007) [1] [2] 3.3 PHYSIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE In addition to being a major enzyme involved in Phase 2 drug metabolism, UGT enzymes play a number of other roles in the body. Many endogenous compounds such as bilirubin, steroid hormones (e.g. thyroxine, triiodothyronine) and catechols (derived from catecholamine metabolism), act as substrates for UGT enzymes. All these compounds are potentially hazardous if accumulated in the body. Deficiency of UGT enzyme results in hyperbilirubinaemia. Hereditary diseases like Gilberts syndrome and Cringler-Najjars syndrome are associated with genetic polymorphisms of UGT gene [7]. Apart from disposition of endogenous toxins, the enzyme also catalyses glucuronidation of various exogenous chemicals and helps in bodys defence against toxic principles [1] [8] 3.4 MULTIPLE FORMS Various forms of UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) enzymes have been identified with the help of studies based on purification, characterization of enzymes, molecular cloning, DNA sequencing etc. About 50 vertebrate UGTs have been identified among which 19 are found in humans. UGT enzymes are divided in to families and sub-families based on similarity of their amino acid sequences. Two enzymes are in the same family if the similarity of their amino acid sequences is more than 50% and will be grouped into the same subfamily is similarity is greater than 60%. [1] [2] Nomenclature Divergent evolution and sequence similarity forms the basis of nomenclature of UGT enzymes. Name of the enzyme consists of 4 parts: [1] Root Symbol The root symbol UGT stands for UDP- glucuronosyl transferase. Family It is denoted by Arabic number. E.g. 1, 2 etc Sub-family Designated by an upper-case alphabet Individual Form An Arabic numeral is used for unique identification of the individual form of the enzyme. E.g. UGT2B4, UGT1A6 [1] Mammalian UGTs are divided in to four families: UGT1, UGT2, UGT3 and UGT8. Among these, only UGT1 and UGT2 catalyses conjugation of glucuronide and hence are discussed further. UGT1A family of enzymes are found to contain 9 functional proteins and are coded for by a single gene complex located at chromosome 2q37. The genes coding for this enzyme have common exons 2-5 (region of gene which codes for the carboxyl terminus of the enzyme) and a variable exon 1. The first exon is responsible for coding the N-terminal domain of the protein and this explains why the enzymes are substrate specific in spite of have a common C-terminal [1] [2] UGT2 enzyme family, especially UGT2B plays a vital role in the metabolism of xenobiotics and endogenous ligands. Genes coding for UGT2 family enzymes are situated on chromosome 4q13. In the case of UGT2B sub family, protein sequences at the C-terminal, gives rise to the UDP-glucuronic acid binding domain as well as helps in anchoring of the protein to membrane of endoplasmic reticulum. UGT2A subfamily is less studied and do not play a significant role in systemic metabolism. UGT2A1 is present in olfactory epithelia and to a lesser extend in cells of brain and lungs. UGT2A2 in liver and small intestine, while UGT2A3 in small intestine, liver and adipose tissue. [2] Figure: 3: Shows the Phylogenetic tree of different UGT isoenzymes. %values indicate the homology between two groups or single isoenzymes at the amino-acid level. [9] 3.5 TISSUE SPECIFICITY The various forms of UGT enzymes show tissue specificity in man. Majority of these enzymes occur predominantly in the liver, (E.g. UGT 1A1, 1A4, 1A6, 2B7 etc) while some others are found in various extrahepatic sites. An example is UGT1A10, which is present in the cells of all areas of gastrointestinal tract and hence accounts for its wide range of substrate specificity, from phenol molecules to steroids. [1] 3.6 SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY UGTs show a wide, yet overlapping, range of specificity towards drugs and endogenous ligands. For example, glucuronidation of bilirubin is preferred by UGT1A1 and that of morphine by UGT2B7. [1] [6] Table: 1: Showing Substrate Specificity of UGT enzyme isoforms. [6] Sl.No Substrate Max. Specific enzyme activity / pmol.min-1.mg protein-1 1A1 1A3 1A4 1A6 1A8 2A1 2B4 2B7 2B15 2B17 1. Phenols 1900 239 30 2400 5300 735 0.4 5 167 38 2. Amines 1 84 540 10600 1800 22 3 0 3 Opioids 0 130 0 0 0 73 0 3462 0 4. Carboxylic acids 0 121 0 170 68 0 2 0 5. Bilirubin 400 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.7 INTERINDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS Several genetic polymorphisms in UGTs may lead to variations between individuals in the ability to glucuronidate drugs and endogenous substrates. Mutations in genes coding for UGT1 enzyme family has been identified as the cause for hereditary hyperbilirubinaemia, characterized by jaundice due to high levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the body. Further, several genetic diseases- Gilberts syndrome and Cringler-Najjars syndrome, may occur due to mutations in genes coding for UGT1A1 isoform. [1] 4. ENZYME KINETICS: Study of enzyme kinetics helps to understand the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme; role played by the enzyme in metabolism as well the rate and activity of enzyme. Michaelis Menten equation is used to describe enzyme substrate interaction and is given by: [2] k1 k 2 E + S ES E + P k-1 Where E = Enzyme, S = Substrate, P = Product Michaelis Constant Km is given by: Km = (k 2 + k -1) / k 1 Michaelis Constant Km is an indicator of affinity of substrate for the enzyme as well as the rate of enzyme activity. The kinetics of drug metabolism can also be defined using Michaelis Menten equation and may be plotted in a graph of Rate of reaction (Velocity) vs. Concentration of Substrate. Although not all enzyme substrate reactions are best described by this equation, a typical model of Michaelis Menten plot is shown below: [2] Figure: 3 Michaelis Menten hyperbolic kinetic profile. [10] Here Vmax is the maximum velocity of enzyme action. Vmax / Km is an indicator of the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. 5. STEREOISOMERISM Molecules having the same constitution of atoms and sequence of covalent bond, but differ in their three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in space are known as stereoisomers. Stereoisomers are classified in to geometrical (cis/trans) isomers, enantiomers and diastereoisomers. Stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other and hence are not superimpossible are called enantiomers. They differ from each other only by one chiral centre. Isomers that are not mirror images are diastereoisomers. They may contain more than one chiral centre. [2] [11] While geometrical and diastereoisomers are chemically different molecules, enantiomers have identical chemical and physical properties, except for the way in which they rotate plane polarized light. Enantiomers are of great significance in therapeutics as all biological systems represent a chiral environment. Hence drug action as well as disposition (absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination) may differ between enantiomers. [2] 5.1 DRUGS AS ENANTIOMERS As discussed above, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties may vary for each individual enantiomer. In 1992, United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) published a policy for development of new stereoisomeric drugs. Approximately 50% of all marketed drugs are found to be racemates. Although many drugs can be safely administered as racemates, some others show better efficacy and fewer side effects when administered as a single enantiomer. For example, cardiac toxicity of the local anaesthetic agent, Levobupivacaine is chiefly associated with R-enantiomer. Further, some drugs undergo chiral inversion inside the body to the other enantiomer (e.g. Ibuprofen: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent) and some others undergo racemisation after administration. This is of particular concern, especially if one of the enantiomers is toxic. Hence evaluating drugs for their stereochemistry is gaining importance. [2] [12] Some examples of some single enantiomeric drugs which have gained importance, compared to their racemate counterparts are given below, due to their improved pharmacodynamic- pharmacokinetic profiles: L-DOPA: The use of levo dopa instead of racemic dopa has resulted in reduction in dose and adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, anorexia, granulocytopenia) Figure: 4: Levodopa [13] ESOMEPRAZOLE: This proton-pump inhibitor, which is the S-enantiomer of Omeprazle has shown lower first pass effect and higher plasma half life compared to the R-enantiomer, thus maintaining the intra-gastric pH above 4 for a longer duration. S-enantiomer also showed reduction in variability of response between patients. Figure: 5: Esomeprazole [14] LEVOFLOXACIN: It is a Quinolone antibiotic. As there are slight differences in disposition between enantiomers of this drug, a single S-enantiomer is preferred. Figure: 6: Levofloxacin [15] R-SALBUTAMOL (LEVALBUTEROL): S-enantiomer has shown increased hyper responsiveness of airway, sensitivity to allergens and some decrease in bronchodilator potency. While R-Salbutamol gives significantly higher bronchodilator effect and lesser side effects Figure: 7: R-Salbutamol [16] R, R-METHYLPHENIDATE: This drug is found to be ten-fold more potent than its S-enantiomer when used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity. The presystemic metabolism and disposition of the drug is enantioselective in nature. Further, the R-enantiomer shows rapid onset of action and reduced adverse effects Figure: 8 R, R-Methylphenidate [17] 6. AIM OF THE PROJECT This project aims to determine the rates of glucuronidation of enantiomeric pairs, of a wide range of drugs, to identify differences in metabolism between enantiomers of a drug and also to find out whether enantioselectivity is related to a particular family of UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) enzyme. Experiment may be done by in-vitro incubations of human recombinant UGTs or human liver microsomes with the selected substrates, followed by analysis using liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a mass spectrometer for detection. [14] Laboratory analysis of enantiomers is usually done using any one of the following two methods: Chiral Chromatography, which make use of a chiral column or chiral mobile phase to separate the enantiomers. Derivatisation, of the analyte using a chiral derivative followed by separation of the resulting diastereoisomers using standard, achiral chromatographic method. But in the case of separation of drug conjugates, the analytical process is relatively simple, as the glucuronide conjugates behave just like derivatised diastereomers and hence may be separated by conventional liquid chromatography. 7. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Many late stage failures in drug development process are due to inability to predict the pharmacokinetic properties of new chemical entities (NCE) before obtaining data from clinical trials. Hence in-vitro approaches like computational (in-sillico) modelling of drug metabolism is gaining acceptance in the recent times. Many approaches such as 2D-Quantitative Structure Metabolism Relationship (2D- QSMR), 3D-Quantitative Structure Metabolism Relationship (3D- QSMR), Pharmacophore Identification as well as Non-linear pattern recognition techniques are being studied to model drug metabolising enzymes. Although predictive models for metabolism of drugs by the Phase 1 metabolising enzyme, Cytochrome P450 are widely accepted, development of effective models for UDP-glucuronosyl transferases (UGTs) catalyzed Phase 2 metabolism has received much less attention. [15] Versatility of these group of metabolic enzymes, in terms of broad but overlapping substrate specificity, drug-drug interactions, genetic polymorphisms as well as presence of a large number of isoforms are some of the challenges facing the development of predictable models for UGTs. Furthermore, apart from a few catalytically relevant amino acids, the full X-ray crystal structure of UGT enzyme is not yet elucidated. [15] [18] Depending on the parameters being modelled (e.g. Km, Vmax etc.) a number of physico-chemical and molecular descriptors, such as molecular size, shape, lipophilicity, hydrogen bonding etc., are required to model molecular recognition of substrates and catalysis by UGTs. Apart from this, study of electronic nature of the nucleophile and pKa is also significant. Since chirality plays an important role in determining metabolic behaviour of drugs, design tools may be developed that address the issue of chirality. While 2D-descriptors will only predict molecular connectivity, 3-D models predicting the enantiomeric properties of enzyme-substrate interactions might significantly improve the future of drug development process. [16] [17] 8. CONCLUSION In conclusion, many biological systems represent a chiral environment. Therefore assessing the enantioselectivity of drug metabolising enzymes plays a significant role in predicting pharmacokinetic behaviour of drugs. The present project aims at identifying the enantio-selectivity of drugs in UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) metabolism, which is an important Phase 2 (conjugation) process of drug metabolism. Furthermore, knowing the enantiomeric behaviour may help in the development of 3D-Quantitative Structure Metabolism Relationship (3D-QSMR) models for predicting drug metabolism.

Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environment problem

Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environment problem Explain in your own words the difference between a Coasean and a Pigouvian solution to an environmental problem? Which type of solution do you prefer, and why? The Explanation of the Difference between Coasean and Pigouvian Solution to an environmental problem. In a very simple way, Pigouvian solution prefer to use government intervention to solve externality while Coasean solution prefer to use market method to solve externality. In detail: Pigouvian theory is based on the method of modern economics especially based on welfare economics; and Pigouvian theory provides a perspective systematic study of the externality problems. According to Pigouvian theory the marginal private net output and marginal social net output has following relationships: Besides the increasing of marginal private benefits, if other people can still get benefit from the private activities, then the marginal social net benefit is greater than the marginal private net benefits; on the other hand, if other peoples benefit is decreasing due to the private activities, then the marginal social net output is less than the marginal private net output. In the first situation the society will get the Marginal social benefit; in the second situation the will face the Marginal social cost. Actually, Externality is caused by the inconsistency between marginal private cost and marginal social cost. .Without externality, the marginal private cost of production or consumption of an item is equal to the cost of itself. When there are negative externalities, there will cost to compensate these externalities. By adding marginal private cost with the marginal external cost we will get the marginal social cost. On the other hand, when there are positive externalities, the benefits which generated by business activities are not fully occupied by the company, but will also become some external social benefits. Through economic model, Pigou shows that because of the presence of external economic effects, the Pareto optimal allocation of social resource can not be achieved by purely individualistic mechanism. Since there is a deviation among the marginal private benefit and marginal social benefit, marginal private cost and marginal social cost; therefore the maximization of social welfare can not be achieved only through free competition. The Government should take appropriate economic policies to reduce this deviation as much as possible. The proper policy is that: when the marginal private cost is less than marginal social cost ( negative externality ), government should impose taxes; when the marginal private benefit is less than marginal social benefits (positive externality) then the government should provide incentives and subsidies. Pigou believes that by using such taxes and subsidies, the externality problem could be internalized. And such policy is known as Pigovian solution, and the tax is called Pigouvian tax. Pigovian solution has been widely used. In the field of infrastructure, the policy is who invest who benefits; in the environmental protection, the policy is who pollute who pay(a.k.a Polluter Pays Principle PPP). Over the years, the problem of how to internalizeof external effects is dominated by Pigouvian theory. To some extent, Coase theory is developed through the criticizing of Pigouvian theory. Coases critique of the Pigovian solution are focused on the following three aspects. First, the externality is very complex; it is not as simple as one side damages the other side. For example, in the case of chemical factory vs. residents, it is unfair to tax the factory without discussing whether the factory has the right to emission or not. Because, it maybe the case that the factory is established years before any resident areas was setup, and in this case, the factory may have the emission rights(The example of factory vs resident is from Ronald CoaseThe problem of Social Cost, Journal of Law and Economics Vol 3:1(1960)). In order to reduce the emission, perhaps the government should encourage residents purchase the redemption instead of just posing tax on the factory. Second, in the case of zero transaction costs, the Pigouvian tax is absolutely unnecessary. Because in this case, through voluntary negotiation of parties, the optimal allocation of resources can be reached. In th is case, with the help of clearly defined property rights, voluntary negotiation can also achieve the optimal level of allocation just as the same effect through the Pigovian solution, then why should the government intervene? Third, even in the case of non-zero transaction costs scenario, we still need to balance the cost of using government and using voluntary negotiation. Pigouvian solution may be an effective institutional arrangements, it also maybe an inefficient institutional arrangements. According to Coase theorem: If the transaction cost is zero, no matter how the initial definition of property rights is, optimal allocation of resources can be achieved through market; if there is non-zero transaction costs situation, then maybe the institutional arrangements and choice is important, however people still need to do a cost-benefit-analysis of about the government intervention. In order to solve the problem of externality, Coasians market solution could just be as useful as Pigovian solution. Coasian solution shows that even there is a market failure it doesnt automatically means we should use government intervention. Which type of solution do you prefer, and why? I dont prefer either one, I think a mix use of both solutions will be more helpful. ThePigovian theory/solution has some limitations. First, the Pigou theory presupposes there is a function of the existence of the so-called social welfare, and the government is the natural representative of public interest, and the government can perceive the public interest and then choose the right policy to reduce the externalities in economic activity through intervention. However, the fact is that public policy itself maybe flawed. Second, the use of Pigovian solution is based on the premise that the government knows the cause of externalities can calculate all marginal costs or benefits, however it is impossible for any government to obtain all information to make a Pareto optimal allocation of resources. In theory, Pigouvian solution is perfect, but the actual implementation maybe largely constrained. Third, government intervention also makes costs. If the cost of Government intervention is more than the losses caused by externalities, then there is no reason for use to use g overnment intervention .Fourth, the Pigovian solution may cause the rent-seeking activities, which will lead to waste of resources and distortions of resource allocation. On the other hand, the Coasian solution is also limited. The fist problem is that in order to make the Coasian solution work, the market should be developed, however, for many developing countries, the whole economy system is still in transforming, I dont think Coasian solution can work very well without a certain protection level toward property right. Second, the costs of voluntary negotiation transaction need to be considered. The feasibility of voluntary consultation is depending on the size of transaction costs. If the transaction costs are higher than the social benefits, then why should we have such negotiation. Third, the voluntary negotiation is based on the premise that property rights are clearly defined. In fact, some property rights of environmental resources such as property rights are often difficult to define or very costly to define. For the environmental pollution problems, policy makers should consider the characteristics of pollution sources, the different costs of regulatory management and institutional arrangement; they should also consider the degree of maturity of the market and many other conditions. Only through a comprehensive consideration can we achieve a better solution.

Essay --

Sigmund Freud was born May 6, 1856 in the Moravian town of Přà ­bor in the Austrian Empire, which is now part of the Czech Republic. His parents’ names were Jacob and Amaila Freud; they both were Jewish. Despite their poverty, Sigmund Freud’s parents supported his education. The Panic of 1857 was the world's first world-wide economic crisis causing the family to relocate to Leipzig and eventually settle in Vienna. In 1865 Freud entered high school at the age of nine. He was a very intelligent student and graduated from the Matura, a high school exit exam with honors. Freud was accepted into the University of Vienna at age seventeen studying within the medical field. In 1882 Freud began his medical career in the psychiatric clinic at the Vienna General Hospital. He decided to enter a private practice in 1886 and specialize in nervous disorders. Sigmund Freud was one of the most influential and interesting men in the field of psychology. He was one of the first majo r social scientists to develop a theory to help explain and understand human behavior. Freud established ideas about how the human mind works and how unconscious desires control behavior. Though his work was great, others were uncertain about how unusual his ideas were. Freud’s work was based on personal perceptions. Freud is best known as the father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious characteristics of behavior. Freud believed that the conscious level of the mind was comparable to the tip of the iceberg which could be seen, but the unconscious mind was hidden. The unconscious mind contains aspects of the personality of which a person is unaware. When conscious the being is fully aware. One of Freud’s earliest works was Die Traumdeutung, German f... ...culine and feminine characteristics." During Sigmund Freud’s greatest years of scientific discovery, he endured thirty-three operations to his mouth due to a cancerous growth. Throughout this short, sixteen year period in his life he had published the importance of sexual motivations in Beyond the Pleasure Principle in 1920; organized data concerning the structure of the mind in The Ego and the Id in 1923 and other great works as well. Sigmund Freud died on September 23, 1939. His discoveries in the field of psychology have influenced the modern culture we live in today. Freud is most known for his theories about his theories of the libido, dreams, the mind and the unconscious. Freud’s work recognized the first efficient way of explaining the internal forces that determine human behavior. Psychoanalysis has become a dominant theory in how modern psychology works.

Their Eyes Were Watching God: Personal Relationships Essay -- essays r

Zora Neale Hurston, in keeping with themes dealing with personal relationships and the female search for self-awareness in Their Eyes Were Watching God , has created a heroine in Janie Crawford. In fact, the female perspective is introduced immediately. "Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly" (Their Eyes 1). On the very first page of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the contrast is made between men and women, thus initiating Janie's search for her own dreams and foreshadowing the "female quest" theme of the rest of the novel. "Detailing her quest for self-discovery and self-definition, it [Their Eyes] celebrates her [Janie] as an artist who enriches Eatonville by communicating her understanding" (Kubitschek 22). Janie is a Black woman who asserts herself beyond expectation, with a persistence that characterizes her search for the love that she dreamed of as a girl. She understands the societal status that her life has handed her, yet she is determined to overcome this, and she is resentful toward anyone or anything that interferes with her quest for happiness. "So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don't tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see," opines Janie's gr...

Marketing techniques which leads to increase sales

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable assistance and support from our company’s entire stakeholder they include various investors, proprietors, clients, and the government. Our company (The Shop Body) has done pretty well this year having had an increase of profits; our company specializes in boutique products. Employees of our esteemed company have also been very instrumental in the company’s success. However the increases of our profits were not up to our expectations, this does not mean we are to stop here but rather we will continue to rise as time flies. ABSTRACT Many companies have collapsed due to poor marketing techniques. These bad marketing techniques include poor promotion of products, recruitment employees who do not have marketing skills, poor placing, and poor packaging among others. The purpose of this study is to find the impact of these poor marketing techniques, on the overall performance of the organization as a whole. The research found out that a number of organizations use traditional ways of marketing which led to collapse or near collapse.   The research therefore concluded that modern marketing techniques to be used for any business to succeed. Introduction Our esteemed company has come a long way. The future is still bright. To achieve a prosperous tomorrow the company has to employ various techniques. Since we are a profit making company we are to focus on increase of sales hence increase in profits. To be able to maximize sales marketing techniques have to be used. The techniques are used to increase demand for our products. Methodology There are several marketing techniques that can be used to be able to attain maximum profits for our prestigious company and this will include the 4ps (Price, promotion, place, product). Price For any company to succeed in any business, pricing is a very important element especially those customers who are price sensitive, Marketing segmentation is also very important in that the organization divides its market into segments according to there buying capability based on their level of income.   The product should price at a lower price if the consumers’ income is low unlike those consumers who have a high income which the pricing will be relatively higher. Promotion The term   promotion   means those marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising and publicity, that stimulate consumer purchasing and dealers effectiveness, such as displays, shows, and exhibitions, demonstrations and various non-recurrent selling efforts not in the ordinary routine. Product The term product means anything that is offered to the customers for acquisition or purchase. since we deal with   boutique shop our products are of a very high standards since we sell the products which go with the fashion, We highly insist on quality of our products which is the selling point of our products, also our company is very innovative   to make products which fit the different segments of our customers. Distribution This is the route followed by the product as it moves from the producer to the user, our distribution channels are very efficient so that the product is brought near the consumer so that it is available to the consume whenever the need arises. There are factors to be considered when selecting channels of distribution, customer characteristics, product characteristics, company characteristics, middlemen characteristics, competitive characteristics and environmental characteristics. Other techniques which increase the sales and profits are; Warfare based This is the use of warlike techniques in marketing so as to be able to achieve success in sales. Binding A brand is a type of a product made by a particular company. Binding is pad zing and presenting of a product distinctively from other products of some category. Consumer Centered This is whereby a company’s promotional efforts of its goods are focused on the consumers. It focuses on their needs and their satisfaction. Marketing positioning Whereby an organization strategically places itself in a market where it is totally accessible by client. Who may be looking for the same products? Findings The techniques are crucial in helping The   Body shop to achieve its main objective which is to maximize sales, it was found that   by proper pricing , promotion, and efficient distribution channels, the sales will increase and then company   will increase its profits more that what it is making at present Market segmentation; ensures the market of is divided into parts so as to easily access them, mainly done by splitting peoples’ ages’ gender and their income. Warfare based: techniques will ensure the company applies military tactics which yield success. However, this does not mean that employees have to undergo strenuous labor but rather being able to counter rival techniques knowing their weak areas. Also meaning striking when least expected. For example launching a new product from The Body Shop all over a sudden to capture the market unwares. Innovation: ensure that The Body Shop comes up with new improved ways of maximizing sales. This is meant to put a boost on the company’s profit since weakness of previous strategies will be stumped out. Discussion A  Ã‚   carrying out the survey and analyzing the findings we found that for any business to succeed and to maintain continuous growth of the business organization   it was found that marketing techniques are very necessary ,Through marketing techniques   our organization has been able to maintain its growth, Recommendations For our organization to increase its market share employees should be trained on marketing techniques so that there can have skills on how to handle their customers, this will enable the organization maximize its profits and explore new markets for its products Conclusions Marketing techniques are used to help a company to serve and satisfy its customers and eventually lead to increase in profits through sales maximization, and by improving of techniques. References 1)Francis.N.K, Fundamental of marketing (1988)   

Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, Chapter 1 Questions

PROC 5850 Week 1 Homework: Ch1 Question 1,2,6 1. Consider the supply chain for a domestic automobile. a. What are the components of the supply chain for an automobile? The components of the supply chain for an automobile are as follows: First you have the supplying industries. These include components such as steel and other metals, rubber, electronics, plastic, glass, and textiles. These raw components are fabricated into car bodies, mechanical and electrical subcomponents as well as engines and transmissions.These subassemblies are assembled during final assembly and then distributed to dealership for the consumer market. b. What are the different firms involved in the supply chain? The following are a selection of firms involved in the supply chain: Suppliers, Manufactures, Transportation companies, Warehouses and distributions centers, sub-contractors, dealerships, and customers. c. What are the objectives of these firms? The simple objective of these firms is to maximize market share and make a profit. Socratic Seminar QuestionsEvery challenge to operate the supply chain supports these two primary goals. d. Provide examples of conflicting objectives in this supply chain? The supplying industries would like the automobile manufacture to commit themselves to purchasing large quantities with stable volumes with flexible (long-lead) dates. On the manufacture’s side, they need to be flexible to their customers’ need and the change in demands. So what we have is a direct conflict of interest between the suppliers’ and manufactures’ desire for flexibility.The ability to optimally match supply and demand is just as much an art and it is a science. Other conflicts arise with transportation of smaller batches versus larger batches of supplies. Usually the smaller and faster a batch of supply is required, the cost of transportation increase; another conflicting objective. e. What are the risks that rare or unexpected events pose to this supply chain? An unexpected risk such as a natural disaster can bring the supply chain to a stand still. However, such events can almost never be managed.There are some challenges such as matching supply and demand risks, lead times, forecasts, transportation times and costs, which can be â€Å"managed† or operational risk management used to minimize risks. 2. Consider a consumer mortgage offered by a bank. f. What are the components of the supply chain for a mortgage? There are several components of the supply chain for a consumer mortgage offered by a bank. First, there are marketing companies that solicit to prospective customers. Secondly, the bank needs to be able to evaluate potential customers by using credit-reporting companies.Thirdly, usually a third party bank that extends the mortgage loans. Lastly, the bank requires mortgage brokers that distribute the loans. g. Is there more than one firm involved in the supply chain? What are the objectives of the firm or firms? Marketing companies try to increase the responses from prospective homebuyers to maximize their returns. The banks try to find customers that are a relatively low risk, on-time payments, and low average maturity date; i. e. , maximize profits. The mortgage broker is all about maximizing his commission of the sell of the property. . What are the similarities between product and service supply chains, what are the differences? Both product and service supply chains provide a need. The difference is the type of service, instead of the physical product†¦ faster, better, cheaper all apply. Some of the differences between the two types of supply chains are as follows: * With the product supply chain there is both the flow of physical and informational products. However, in the service supply chain, the product is mostly information. Unlike the service supply chain, inventory and transportation of goods are a major costs of product supply chains. * Since service supply chains usually don’t carry invento ry, coordinating capacity with demand is usually more important. * The cost of information is more often higher than in a product supply chain. Consider the cost of a credit report or hiring a consultant. 6. Consider the supply chain for canned peaches sold by a major food-processing company. What are the sources of uncertainty in this supply chain? Some of the sources of uncertainty are as follows: The first factor to consider is the peach crop and the factors that effect it†¦ weather, disease, and disasters. * Number if migrant workers available to harvest the crop†¦ spoilage. * Lead times from field to processing plant†¦ spoilage. * Processing time, storage, and transportation times and costs. * Demand is not know beforehand. CASE: Meditech Surgical 1. What are Meditech’s problems in introducing new products? In manufacturing ALL products? Meditech has two major issues with introducing new products. * It has poor service levels for new products The inventory levels are higher than necessary for all of its products 2. What is diving these problems, both systematically and organizationally? There are seven major areas in which Meditech is driving these problems: * In the planning system, there are too many built-in delays and monthly buckets. This leads to inefficacies, unneeded delays, and high inventory levels. * There is no tracking of forecasting errors. * Product demand is poorly studied. * The Info Systems used to record and monitor & inventory are not integrated and inadequately designed. Because Meditech does not normally see the end-customer, it has to overcome failures of communications with them†¦ hording/panic orders is one example of this failure to communicate with end-customers. * The poor planning system is use magnifies variations in demand. * Panic ordering. 3. Why is the customer service manager the first person to recognize the major issues? He was the person who directly received customer complaints. In his posi tion he was able to determine the scope of the problems. Other managers were not in positions to be aware of customer satisfaction. 4. How would you fix these problems?There are several ways to fix the problems Meditech is facing. The first and most important is improving communications with customers†¦ Five â€Å"Y†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s. Another way to improve their SCM is to develop better demand forecasting systems and accountability for their forecasts. Furthermore, Meditech needs to integrate, implement, and improve their information systems. They could easily eliminate bulk inventory by putting assembly within the pull system; i. e. , get rid of the â€Å"push-pull† system. Lastly, they could implement a planning system to decrease planning delays (or just use M. S. Project) and reduce system time buckets.

Education was only for young people Essay

In the past people thought that education was only for young people. Now, it is believed that education is for a person’s whole life. Do you agree? State with you own experience and specific details. Education is an indispensable part in a person’s life. It illuminates human knowledge and culture, improving the development of science and technology. Education is not only for young people, it should be proceeding in people’s whole life. Children begin to receive education at an early age in the kindergarten, where they could learn some basic knowledge about our nature and acquire some living skills. When they go to primary schools and secondary schools, they study mathematics, language, physics and other subjects, which are fundamental and essential for their further study and education. When they go to university, they can study the subjects which they are interested in, making preparation for their future career. University is a place where most learned people carry out research and study. There students have seas of knowledge and skills to learn. But university education is not the terminal of a person’s study life. For one reason, our society is developing at an amazing speed along with the improvement of science and technology. If people stop studying after graduation from university, they can not keep abreast with the steps of social development and easy to be eliminated in the fierce competition. Take the development of IT as an example. The dazzling information technologies come to the fore every day. If a person does not learn the latest knowledge, they would not be able to develop new technology and products. Therefore, a person should learn new knowledge for the whole life. As the saying goes, â€Å"Never too late to learn†. To fit in with the development of society, a person must study during his or her whole life. Otherwise, he or she will lag far behind the others.

Terrorism Essay

Many people regard war as the only solution to coo interact terrorism, but there are others that disagree. In this essay I will be discussing and comparing the o option of war to alternative options that can replace it. The first two options both involved the military. Option one involved using nit elegance to locate and bomb terrorist training camps, and option two was to take over or destabilize governments that are sympathetic to the terrorist by sending in trained troop s. In comparing this to war noticed that these options are actually quite similar.By bombing the terrorist camps this would cause them to retaliate, and the end result would be a war. Option TV&'0 would also end up as a war because after your troops have invaded the count rye the country would fight back causing you to have to train more troops to send into battle. Options 3 and 4 are focused on inward focus meaning not getting involved in any issues abroad and focusing on why terrorists would attack you? These tw o pop actions are much better because there would be no war unless the terrorists attacked first.Wit h no war there would be no dead soldiers which would in turn boost the economy because t here would be more workers. Options 5 and 6 involve outreach, meaning that instead of going to war we wow old contact and find out what the terrorists want. This outreach would also involve e developing relationships with different communities in our own country and elsewhere. B lid inning these relationships with other countries would help us form stronger bonds with to hers. Thus we would become less of a target for terrorists.

The choice of toy(s) is up to you (except for Barbie). You can analyze Research Paper

The choice of toy(s) is up to you (except for Barbie). You can analyze gender-neutral toys. To what extent, if any, is gender-sp - Research Paper Example These gender norms define what acceptable masculine and feminine behaviors are in a given culture. Likewise the way in which a person becomes a part of society in the form of a male or female is the gender identity. It defines who we really are and becomes an integral part of our inner selves (Ryle, 2011). We may say that the process of gender socialization begins right at the time of our birth, when parents name their kids and we are assigned either a boy or a girl attribute. Then as a child grows he/she begins to understand the distinct specifics of both genders through, for example the surrounding events, interactions, education and entertainment. Family conditions and norms also shape up the gender role. This may include different treatments for siblings of other genders, like a boy may be allowed to go out more often than his sister, and perhaps the sister being scolded less harshly than her brother. The surrounding environment also play a great role, for example the color room, either blue or pink, may define the gender roles for children at an early stage. Then there is a wide variety of gender-specific toys and there preference for kids, like Barbie dolls versus Power Rangers. Gender-specific role is also emphasized in boys and girls through their gatherings and there topic of conversations. Boys often meet and play in larger groups as compared to girls’ preference for small groups and they often exchange information that is completely different. Through these differences we gradually collect information throughout our lives that define distinct gender roles. Hence interaction through the process of gender-socialization is important in defining the gender-specific roles. The above discussion is a brief reflection on what most of the social constructionists believe. They believe that the gender-specific roles are indeed learned through society and experience. They believe that certain behaviors such as ferocity and aggressiveness are more characte ristic of masculine than feminine gender, so boys often prefer to go with toys like cars, guns that fire fake bullets, robots and action figures etc. Conversely feminine gender is more characteristic of beauty, spontaneity, emotionality and like emotions hence they prefer toys like Barbie dolls, kitchen sets etc. However, Deborah Blum argues that the biology does play an important role in defining gender roles and establishing gender role identities. This is discussed in the following part of the paper. It has been experimentally shown that even very little kids respond different to the gender-specific toys. While this might be a great hint that some of the gender differences are biological and in-born, we cannot deny that socialization plays a major role in distinguishing gender roles after the birth. So it is rarely just one thing that accounts for the cumulative effect. We may view it as an interaction of genes with the environment. So to think that gender is entirely dependent o n socialization may be misleading because some of the differences are natural and in-born (Ridley, 2004). How Toys Promote Traditional Gender Roles There are rich and obvious sex differences in children toys and these are same across majority of cultures. Girls are heightened to play with dolls

Pricing Strategies and their impact on Revenue Research Paper

Pricing Strategies and their impact on Revenue - Research Paper Example Revenue management has been a practice in the hotel industry for approximately 20 years (Anderson et al., 1994). Good revenue management results from a correlation of pricing and hotel occupancy. The study came to the conclusion that the hotels which maximized their revenue tended to have relatively higher prices and did not engage in price undercutting (Enz & Canina, 2008). Another study found that Asian market consumers did not seem to be influenced by discounts (Lomano, 2008). It may be argued that since these studies were conducted in varying Geographical regions and in different economic circumstances, they may offer practical insights that may be used to determine pricing in the hotel and hospitality industry (Varki & Colgate, 2001). There is however a shortage of research as regards the impact of pricing on individual hotel revenues. Markets have had relatively stable occupancy and a steady growth in revenue since the beginning of the century (O’Neil et al., 2006). The changing dynamics of the market through the provision of advertising through the internet and an increase in supply is certain to lead to increased competition. It is thus important that the hotel industry reevaluate their pricing models to reflect their changing dynamics if they are to maximize their revenue (O’Neil et al, 2006). This paper will study the impact of these changing dynamics on the hotel industry with specific focus on individual hotel case studies and other strategies and economic models. Purpose The defining purpose of this literature review is an analysis of available literature concerning pricing in a market context and how it affects hotel revenue and its management. The review studied the correlation between hotels charging relatively lower prices and client demand for rooms. The review further goes on to analyze literature with regard to the behavior of demand when a particular hotel decides to set higher prices than the competition. The review evaluates the influence of contextual pricing approaches on financial performance of the hotel; whether it is advantageous to charge higher or lower prices than rivals. The review additionally analyzed the response of clients concerning price strategies through the study of relative ADR. The literature review recommendations are made basing on the views of data studied from various journals and from the opinions of experts in the hospitality industry. The significance of customer satisfaction, loyalty, resulting from quality provision of service is linked to pricing and subsequently revenue management. Discussion The concept of revenue management has its roots in the mid 1980s airline industry (Belobaba, 2002). Due to its success in the airline industry it was subsequently adopted by the hospitality industry. Pricing remains an elemental part of revenue management as can be shown by a variety of literature on the subject. Since the concept was adopted from other service industries, its defin ition may tend to be different in each of the perspectives used (Stanford, 2003). Price Elasticity of Demand The price elasticity of demand is defined as the quantity of a good or service demanded relative to its price. When Price Elasticity of demand is greater than 1 it means that demand is influenced by prices and vice versa. Strobl et al. (2012) found that the hotel industry’s prices are influenced by demand. During periods of low demand, rooms are discounted and available to all. During periods of high demand, administration would apply revenue management and avail rooms only to customers who would maximize revenue. Revenue

Kennedy Administrations Successful Handling of the Cuban Crisis Essay - 7

Kennedy Administrations Successful Handling of the Cuban Crisis - Essay Example The involvement of the USSR forced the USA to contemplate attacking Cuba through air and water strikes, but for legal reasons, decide to blockade further supply of the missiles by the USSR to Cuba. In response, the USSR argued that the blockade amounted to an act of aggression against another country, which would propel a nuclear war. This resulted to a negotiation talk being held between President John F. Kennedy and the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 1999). Thus, these are the reasons that indicate that the negotiations by John Kennedy’s administration were successful: The negotiations in Cuban crisis were perceived as successful since they ended up creating a scenario where the USA was the winner. This is because; the USSR removed its missiles from Cuba, while the prestige of the USA military was preserved (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 1999). This occurred because; the world finally saw the USSR back down and withdraw its missiles from Cuba, while the removal of the USA missiles from Turkey was not made a publicly accepted demand, but was rather agreed upon silently between the Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the USSR ambassador (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 1999). This served to preserve the image of the military might of the USA. The negotiations reached a deal, where the USA was to stop any attempt to attack Cuba and remove its missiles from Turkey, in return for having the USSR remove its missiles from Cuba (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 1999). This was an act of mutual agreement that established equal treatment of all parties, through having both the USA and the USSR return all offensive weapons to their countries, and thus avoid involving other countries in their contest for supremacy, which would have ended up destroying the whole world through, a nuclear war. The negotiations are also considered successful since they helped the USA to adopt a safer option; that of a blockade, as opposed to the highly championed  military action that would have left the world devastated (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 1999).  

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Answer questions - Assignment Example Starting a project requires definition of what the project is required to accomplish. A project starts with an idea them the vision that must be associated with the vision of the business. Project charter acts as the starting point where it established the foundation of the project. This must include the business needs and the deliverables to be executed. All the stipulations must be tied up to roles and responsibilities of the project development team. Human and material resources must be well defined (Goldratt, 1997). Often, an organization must put more efforts in estimation of the cost of the project in the chartering stage. The risks affecting the projects are also considered and their effects to the duration and cost of the project evaluated. The benefits and cost estimates must be supported using consistent approaches which provide realistic estimates for both costs and benefits. The establishment of the vision of a project in accordance with the project charter facilitates the success of the project. The project charter must corresponds to the business case put across to demonstrate that the project is viable and will assist in achieving the financial, employee and customer goals. The project chartering phase allows for establishment of an effective process that identifies and resolves various issues and actions that arise during the project development process. The chartering process forms the first step in execution of Lean project (Leach & Lawrence, 2005). Getting the sponsors and management to sign is normally difficult. Only one person is required in championing the project and passing it around. A good charter must be in a position to offer a written documentation that efficiently approves the launch and the requests of the efforts in project planning. Furthermore, the documentation of the project charter allows for collaboration of the major stakeholders and improves the deliverables. This must fairly represent the views of major

Dessertation proposal (Impact of Strategic HR Management on Business Essay

Dessertation proposal (Impact of Strategic HR Management on Business Performance) - Essay Example This is in recognition of the fact that different countries have different national cultures and physical and socio-cultural environments. Much research has been conducted on the effectiveness of strategic human resource management in the United States, Britain and other European countries while very little has been done to establish its effectiveness in companies that are based in the Middle East. This research study seeks to fill this gap and will use xxxx Company that is based in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Since the Middle East is so wide, this research will use one company (xxxx Company) as a case study. This is also done in consideration of the huge resources that may be needed to conduct the research in several organizations. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is concerned with the establishment and development of collection of policies and programs that are consistent with an aim of facilitating the achievement of a company’s strategic objectives according to Armstrong and Baron (2002). SHRM is designed to help organizations meet best the needs of their workers or employees while at the same time promoting the company’s strategic goals. According to Boxall and Purcell (2003), human resource management practices are those actions and decisions that are concerned with the management of employees and that are related to the strategic implementation of measures that are aimed at sustaining the business’ competitive advantage. These practices cut across all levels and play a great role in the development of a working culture. SHRM practices include staff appraisal systems, recruitment and firing practices, work flexibility arrangements, training, and remuneration systems. Other experts have defined SHRM as the practice of proactively managing people. This therefore means that it involves thinking ahead and making plans that will enable the company to meet in a better

Essay about the values of Enlightenment and Romanticism through

About the values of Enlightenment and Romanticism through painting - Essay Example History has shown us that man moves in pendulous ways. From nature to divine, from reason to feelings, from private to public, from objective to subjective. Art is the ideal illustration for these movements, and this essay will discuss the contrasting values manifested in two paintings belonging to the historical movements of the Enlightenment and Romanticism: William Blake's Newton (1795), and Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich. Although Blake is considered usually a romantic precursor in art, in this particular painting, he depicts precisely the most characteristic values of the Enlightenment era. I will also include a typically enlightenment-era painting, Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough (1748-49), in order to directly contrast the different movements.The Enlightenment era, which belonged to the Age of Reason, describes a historical intellectual movement of the 18th century, which advocated rationality as a means to establish an authoritative system o f ethics, aesthetics, and knowledge. "The intellectual leaders of this movement regarded themselves as courageous and elite, and regarded their purpose as leading the world toward progress and out of a long period of doubtful tradition, full of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny now denominated as the Dark Age". (Cassirer, 1992).The Enlightenment believed in a rational, orderly and comprehensible universe. It extolled the ideals of liberty, property and rationality which are still recognizable as the basis for most political philosophies even in the present era. Science came to be the new man's religion, and based on the revolutionary ideas like Newton's, it was thought that all the truths of the world could be known by a systematic way of applying uniform laws. William Blake, an English poet and painter, made a series of pictures of Newton as a divine geometer while living in Lambeth in the late 1790s. Newton is portrayed here as a scientist, but at the same time as a divine figure, a creator. He is deciphering the laws of the world with his compass. The compass symbolizes the creation. We can clearly understand that rationality becomes the highest quality of human beings, and it challenges the existence of a divine being responsible for the creation. The enlightenment was a rebellion to the Middle Ages where faith wasn't to be questioned. Likewise, Romanticism was a rebellion to this age of reason. The Romantics found the Enlightenment worldview excessively dispassionate. With reason being the base for humanity's progress, the emotional side of man was set aside. Romanticism stressed strong emotion-which might include trepidation, awe and horror as aesthetic experiences-"the individual imagination as a critical authority, which permitted freedom within or even from classical notions of form in art, and overturning of previous social conventions, particularly the position of the aristocracy". (Romanticism, article by Wikepedia) Here is a painting of this artistic movement, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th century German painter. His paintings portray the untamed power of nature; this is in sharp contrast to Enlightenment-era painters who used nature to bring out qualities in their human subjects. Mr and Mrs Andrews Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog What we can appreciate in the left painting is the power of nature versus the vulnerability of a man, a man who is alone against the world, a wanderer. The romantic worldview is charged with emotions such as fragility, drama, passion, and fate. The character here depicted seems to be at the edge of an abyss. In the second painting, nature is used on the opposite way, to bring out the qualities in the human subjects, the aristocrats. The colors of Friedrich's painting express the feelings of uncertainty, loneliness and vulnerability. While in, Gainsborough's Mr and Mrs Andrew, there is more a sense of confidence and stability. Nature is definitely more

Tension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tension - Essay Example Stressors are the external stimuli that evoke physiological or behavioral change in people.† (Everly and Smith, 80) Coping with anxiety and tension was one of the most essential challenges I faced in my young life and, I swear, it was a meticulous task altogether to control tension and stress in my life. Being a very sensitive gentleman with great potential for personal achievements, I realized the need for making intensive efforts to deal with the issues concerning tension when it began to delay several personal glories. Therefore, I began to learn more about tension, stress and anxiety and the reasons for human tensions. I also made it a point that I practice some of the tension management methods which could be useful in dealing with the issue of tension and stress in personal life, and the ultimate result of all these efforts has been convincing to me as I noticed enormous changes in my attitudes as well as actions. Therefore, I hold the view that tension and stress managem ent is most valuable to human beings who are prone to suffer from the consequences of tension in life. As mentioned before, my first reaction to an understanding of the threats of tension in my life was to recognize or learn the factors which contribute to tension in human life, followed by an intense and determined decision to adopt measures to fight tension in my life. As I started analyzing the theories and literature on tension and stress, I came to realize that negative thoughts as well as undesirable feelings contribute greatly toward the mood of tense-tiredness. It was obvious to me that reducing tension in life was the essential answer to the problems I encountered in my personal achievements and it can also help one in getting away from the negative state of tense-tiredness. From the various case analyses available in the literature on