Monday, September 30, 2019

Justice look

When you look up synonyms for the word Justice, or ask someone what they think the word meaner, they will spew out nouns such as: neutrality, fairness, impartiality's, etc. I believe Justice in terms of the criminal system is the collaboration of three different entities, police, court, and corrections. That have to work together to form an illusion of one single entity; and in doing this, they have to still maintain a check and balance system amongst themselves. So, no one system should be able to have full authority.For only by this can it strive for the ability to bring about a system that can observe eternally, Judge fairly, and the ability to weigh each investigation and case with a sense of impartiality. The main components of the criminal system are the police, court, and correction unit. They have to interact with one another by a collective meaner. You have the law enforcement in the forefront; they are the ones that have to enter the â€Å"crime scene,† take into con sideration all the evidence, collects the evidence, and they have to arrest the suspect.Once they have apprehended the suspect perceived to be the doer of the crime. The suspect at this time is taken to the rout; the evidence collected by the police is then presented at the court. Case is made by both prosecution and defense team. You have the unbiased Jury and Judge that view the case, evidence, and testimony; they deliberate and come back with a sentence. Once the suspect is sentenced, if found guilty, they are sent to a correctional institute. The correctional unit officers have to supervise the convicted felons.They have to ensure that their facility is well situated and capable of holding the convicted felons, so that both the inmates and the public can co-exist in a safe environment. The two models of the criminal Justice system are: The crime control model and the due process model. The two models differ from each other through which part of the Justice system they put their emphasis on. The Crime control model put their importance on reducing crime and criminal activities in society through implication of the Law enforcement officers, I. E. Alice/detective, taking control and in theory get to the solution and conviction as soon as possible. The Crime control model Judges the person for what they did, their role in the crime. It is more cut and dry. They believe the severity of the punishment should correlate with the crime. This theory allows for capital punishment, they don't believe one can change, or give too much importance for mental status, ethnicity, age, race, etc. The Due process model is quite the contrary, it stress the importance of taking into consideration ones race, age, demographics, etc.The Due process model put importance on respecting ones rights and following all the responsibilities of the law. While still protecting ones freedom. I think the fact that the main components of the Justice system sometimes inflict with each other are the reason why some cases get thrown out. A case, that I remember, is the clear epitome of when the Justice system failed; it took place in the 1993 â€Å"West Memphis Murders. † Three boys were killed in a horrific manner. Why were the murders not solved?Lack of poor evidence collected, rash decisions making, jumping to conclusion, media hype, and the police not following up on hints that were called in. They arrested three boys because they portrayed eccentric behaviors. They went on hearsay; they let the pressure of the media and public convict three caked proper detective tactics, and they pressured one of the suspects into admitting guilt. The Jury wasn't unbiased, everyone felt these boys were guilty and thus found them guilty.Had the law enforcement officers done their Jobs properly they would have followed up on the clue where there was a man completely bloody and delusional, in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant. The cops never showed up there to talk to him, the y went the next day to the restaurant took samples a sample of DNA, blood smear from the wall, and they lost that only sample of evidence. That case went unsolved, a case of three eight or nine year old boys. That shouldn't have happened. The system will fail if the three different entities of the Justice system don't act as one.Technically, I believe the crime control model is more useful because you get a verdict, action is taken, a suspect guilty of a crime pays for that crime accordingly to the severity of the crime; without technicality changing the sentence, or race, demographics, age playing a rule in how severe or lack of severity of the punishment. More criminal activities would be accounted for; people would fear law enforcement officers more. The due process model is more efficient and accurate. They enforce the rules and regulations of the law; they make sure any suspect is treated with the respect they deserve in accordance with the law.I believe both systems need to in teract with one another for it to be fair and Just. One system may come to a conclusion too quickly, while the other may allow someone guilty to get out of crime do solely to a technicality, so no one system is perfect on its own. However, I do believe the crime control model should be more prevalent in the Justice system. I think too much consideration is given to suspects, and why call someone suspect when their guilt is so evident, that really it's a point one percent chance for them not to have committed the crime.I think the severity of the crime should matter; a pedophilia serial killer should not be turned to life in prison where our tax money pays for their living. I don't think capital punishment should be banned; there are some out there that honestly don't deserve the â€Å"luxury' of a prison. An example of this would be, the Jodi Arias case, she stabbed her ex-boyfriend twenty-nine times, shot him, slit his throat, and left him to rot. Is it fair to say that it was an act of assign, when she stole the gun, made sure she had enough gas so that she didn't have to stop anywhere, and took pictures.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Marriage and Fundamental Constitutional Right

Anti-nepotism rules in the United States date back to the turn of the century: however, since the early 1970s, there have been numerous legal challenges to such policies and regulations. Often, the plaintiffs are professionals who have been denied employment, transferred or even dismissed because their spouses already worked for the same organization or because their spouses were promoted to supervisory positions over them. These plaintiffs contend that they have a legal right to work with their spouses, that anti-nepotism rules are discriminatory against them and that such rules violate their constitutional right to marry. What are the legal liabilities of governmental agencies and officials in this emerging area of public personnel law? An analysis of recent federal and state court decisions revealed that most judges do not interpret anti-nepotism rules to be either discriminatory or a direct violation of a fundamental constitutional right. The kind of rule at issue does not appear to be a factor in judicial opinions. For example, federal constitutional right to marry cases cover a variety of situations, including rules against one spouse supervising the other, and policies against married couples working in the same governmental department. Federal judges have subjected all anti-nepotism rules to only minimal scrutiny, deferring to management in virtually every instance. (1) Management Rationales for Anti-Nepotism Rules Both anti-nepotism rules and merit system regulations seek to protect the competency of the workforce, yet, paradoxically, qualified job applicants are often turned away, and valuable employees are frequently transferred or even fired because of anti-nepotism policies. Poor performance is rarely the issue in such cases. (2) Rather, most organizations restrict married co-workers to some degree because of an assumption that the family is a potentially disruptive influence In the workplace. (3) According to Kanter, the main reason for having anti-nepotism rules is to minimize the influence of traditional familial authority structures, such as that of husband over wife, on the development and management of rational bureaucracies. 4) While such attitudes are changing among some managers, the belief persists that married individuals will bring their quarrels to work, form coalitions to advance their own interests, and in other ways undermine organizational productivity and morale. (5) One survey of university department chairs revealed a deep ambivalence about hiring faculty couples. (6) Despite criticisms by some commentators that anti-nepotism rules are anachronistic, especially for professional couples, most organizations continue to prohibit close wo rking relationships between family members. (7)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Project planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project planning - Essay Example Feasibility study is considered as the disciplined study based on three levels. The first level is related to the operational feasibility. The second level includes the technical feasibility. The economic feasibility is identified in the third level. Economic level brings operative and mechanical levels together into a common unit. These three levels of feasibility study are important for the success of a project. The project has earned an important contract from the local health authority to organize and deliver the conferences based on the health issues in the workplace. For the success of the contract, feasibility study is important to determine the economic, technical and operational viability of a project (PMI, 2012; Overton, 2007). The aim of the project is to provide the quality education in terms of health issues in a workplace, which is important for every people (Zilicus Solutions, 2012). The milestones stages of the project have been segregated into set up stage, research and development stage, activation stage and review stage. Based on the milestones stages, the documentations of the objectives as well as goals are to be ensured that they are aligned with the desired project goals. In addition, the significance of the marketing and communication plan should be ascertained. The progress of the different activities should be scrutinised for determining the success rate of the project. The project manager should review the project on a timely basis. In this respect, the project manager would be able to have a better knowledge about the progress of the project. The deliverables or the outcome of the project can be improvement in the several health issues in the workplace. Other outcome can be increased awareness of the local business as well as the agencies of the government of the European Directives regarding such health issues. In

Friday, September 27, 2019

Reading Interaction Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reading Interaction Journal - Essay Example He refers to this feeling as the ‘delusion of reprieve’. According to Victor it becomes easy for an outsider to get the wrong conception of the prison life, a conception that is mingled with sentiment and pity (Pg. 4). A constant danger of death threatened the life of prisoners, and the closeness of death affect the hopelessly borne individual to be affected psychologically. The first group of the prisoners did not few the threat of death or the fume chambers. Being in the prison the thought to commit suicide of the threat of death lost meaning and the mention of chambers lost their horrors (Pg.36-37. The quotes from this book can tell you how traumatic the life in prison must have been. The use of transport to move prisoners to another camp was just a simple guess that the final destination of that transport was the chambers. A selection of the sick and weak prisoners would be done and sent to one of the big central camp which was fitted with gas chambers and crematoriu ms (Pg. 4). I believed these prisoners went through a lot of traumatic experience that it is difficult and stressful to talk about. Like for the case of transport a definite of prisoners had to be taken, it didn’t matter since each of them was nothing but numbers. With the thought of coming trip there was no time to behave morally, the only thought that crossed the prisoners mind was to find another number to replace him for the sake of family waiting for him back at home. The food that the prisoners were being fed was horrible bits of small amounts of bread and watery soup. The water that they used for bathing was not good and without nourishment, their bodies started to crack and that made even harder for the prisoners to survive the camp. The prisoner’s life is described to be in two faces. The fear of death and chamber being the first face of their stay. Victor goes ahead and narrates about the second face of prisoner’s life. The second face is where the pri soners were assigned jobs according your number. Some worked as doctors while others did the hard labour like digging the tunnels, trenches and laying trucks for railway line. The works done by the prisoners did not go unrewarded, Frankl, says that they were presented with ‘premium coupons’, which were issued by the construction firms to which the prisoners were practically sold as slaves in exchange of pay to the prison authorities a fixed price per day, per prisoner. After the initial shock of tortured had subsidized, numbness overcome prisoners, where they can be beaten to death and they don’t even bat an eye. Frankl recalls his time while taking care of a typhoid patients, he would watch people die horrible death hour after hour and he would not experience any emotional problems or upset. Prisoners used the emotional control as their form of self-defence which channelled all their emotions to one objective, survive. He categorises the stay in prison in three phases, the period of admission, period when he is well entrenched in camp routine, and the period following his release and liberation. Shock is feature that happens during the phase of admission and sometimes it precedes the admission phase. During admission phase the transportation system is always the poor one and nearly everyone in the transport were delusional that the situation will change and everything will be well. The never realise to find the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Influence of Age on the Perception of Decriminalizing Marijuana Research Paper

The Influence of Age on the Perception of Decriminalizing Marijuana - Research Paper Example Cannabis refers to products which may be obtained from the hemp plant, which is scientifically known as cannabis. Marijuana is obtained from cannabis(Jenkins, 2006). Pacula, et al. (2005) defined the term decriminalization almost literally as the â€Å"removal in the criminal status of cannabis possession offenses† (P. 348). However, Pacula, et al. (2005) observed that decriminalization remained undefined in the field of international policy. It is also worth mentioning at this point that a number of countries and sub-jurisdictions who were publicized to have decriminalized marijuana actually just reduced the penalties for offenses pertaining to possession of marijuana or cannabis for amounts specified by law (Pacula, 2005). The following studies were reviewed either for their direct or indirect bearing on the topic of this study: McCoun et al. (2009) suggested that the effect of the law on decriminalization of marijuana varies among age groups. In adult populations, the law h as a significant effect on marijuana use. Inversely, youth populations appear to be unfazed by regulations and sanctions (as cited in McCoun, et al. 2009). McCoun, et al. (2009) also argued that the impact of legal sanctions differs significantly depending on the age group being studied. Results of their analysis of Australian cannabis consumption show that the youth have a lower tendency to be swayed by legal sanctions. In contrast, adult subjects are largely influenced by government policies.   The authors expressed concern about immediately concluding that the youth are less sensitive to marijuana-related arrests because young people are more impulsive and prone to risky behavior. The McCoun, et al. (2009) study has the most bearing on the current study in the sense that the study tackled decriminalization of marijuana and that the effect of age was studies as a predictor variable. However, the McCoun (2009) work is different from the present study since the effect of age on pr ohibition was studied, instead of the effect of age on perceptions about decriminalizing marijuana as proposed in this study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reyda and Farley (2006) supports the popular notion about young people and marijuana use. The authors cited evidence revealed in their study that vulnerability of adolescents to be influenced to use marijuana is lessened as they grow older. In addition, it is shown that adolescents are prone to miscalculating risks and developing biases in terms of decision making and judgment than when they grow older. Reyda and Farley’s work has indirect bearing on the study, but nonetheless, their findings bolster this researcher’s position that college students as young people would be supportive of decriminalizing marijuana since marijuana use is tagged to younger people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, Fetherston and Lenton (2005) investigated public perception on the legalization of cannabis by conducting randomized ph one surveys on 809 residents of Western Australia. The respondents were asked regarding their views on cannabis legalization, attitudes towards a proposed legislative model, and their opinion of its perceived effects. Initial participant responses show that majority of respondents share a negative view regarding cannabis. However, most participants consider criminal sanctions against cannabis use as inappropriate and ineffective.

The start of the parole system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The start of the parole system - Research Paper Example His release is conditional, contingent upon satisfactory behavior. He is under supervision and treatment by a person trained in parole work. Englands contribution to what later metamorphosed into parole was its program of transportation to the American colonies, a program motivated, not by humanitarian considerations, but by economic pressures. In the sixteenth century, Englands economy was in a decline. There was much unemployment. The labor market was overcrowded. In the colonies, on the other hand, there was need for cheap labor. The British government decided to grant reprieves and stays of execution to convicted felons physically able to work so that they might be shipped abroad and impressed into service. This system of deportation is part of the history of parole in that it involved mitigation of penal sentence and placement of the erstwhile prisoner in the free community. As in parole, the individual was not an altogether free person. The first English transportation law was proclaimed in 1597, authorizing deportation of rogues. In 1619 one hundred "dissolute persons" were ordered to Virginia. The government paid a contractor, usually the shipmaster, about five pounds for each prisoner so shipped. In Virginia, the offenders were put up at auction, the highest bidder winning them as indentured servants. The British government thereafter exercised no further responsibility for the welfare or control of the former prisoners, so long as they did not return to England. If they returned without authorization, they were subject to death. Boatloads of felons came over, but were not sufficient to meet the demand. Virginia thereupon began to import Negro slaves. The labor shortage eased, but the white exiles, despising their lot, fomented unrest among the blacks. This caused consternation among their masters, who could now get along without the transported convicts. Minus the white trouble-makers, they could keep the slaves

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Multi-faceted role of the teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Multi-faceted role of the teacher - Essay Example Educators design curriculum to help them set learning paths for their students. This noble task has been attempted repeatedly and in various contexts in the hopes of improving curriculum. It can be said that educators always work towards a curriculum that empowers the learner. It would greatly benefit him and future generations to come. Curriculum comprises the whole school programme. It covers a broad spectrum - from how the physical environment is designed, which skills are targeted to be developed in the children, which concepts and activities are appropriate for the age group, what are the routines to be included and how one transitions from one activity to another. Marsh (2004) defines curriculum as a variety of learning experiences where students gain general skills and obtain knowledge in different learning sites. This definition concentrates more on learning and learning skills rather than teaching. It also values the practical skills gained from other learning sites other than from school alone. Grundy (1987) in his definition describes curriculum as ‘A programme of activities (by teachers and pupils) designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives’ (Grundy, 1987, p.11). It is evident that any curriculum definition one way or another puts emphasis on the learning process, gained knowledge and skills, subject content and students’ comprehensive learning experience. In designing an appropriate course curriculum, an essential process needs to be considered including which curriculum model is most suitable for the needs of the learner. The process of learning is as important as the content learned (Newby 2005). Constructivist theory is gaining more attention, recognition and acceptance in many educational institutions. Its curriculum premises on the belief that learners â€Å"construct† their own

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Strategic Management Fuel business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management Fuel business - Essay Example The key strategic issues for GM are its organizational efficiency, its production processes, and market responsiveness. GM can improve its situation by altering its organizational structure to promote a lean management process. It should change its production processes to reflect higher efficiencies in supply chain and platform distribution, and increase its market responsiveness by shortening its time from design development to rollout. General Motors (GM) is one of the world's largest companies, with manufacturing operations in over 30 countries and product sales of nine million units in more than 200 nations over the world.1 In spite of its rich history of rising from humble beginnings in 1908 to its apex of controlling 65% of domestic car sales in the mid-1970's, GM today is one of the least profitable vehicle manufacturers in the world. In fact, as of the date of this case study, GM's return on invested capital is only 1/6th that of one of its major competitors. This represents a significant dilemma that must be addressed and resolved if the company is to maintain its viability. The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical strategic issues facing GM and offer recommendations on specific steps that can be taken to address the deficiencies. The analysis of critical strategic... First, the external environment is reviewed to identify those opportunities and threats which may be present. These include industry issue, competitor actions, and customer trends. Further external considerations may include supplier and supply chain management as well as environmental factors. Second, the internal environment is analyzed to determine both strengths and weaknesses so that the former can be maximized and the latter attenuated. Finally, the results of the SWOT analysis are synthesized into identifiable, key strategic issues that can be prioritized for management's focus. Once identified in terms of their urgency, the issues can be addressed in such a manner as to bring about the most positive result in the most efficient and timely way. External. In terms of industry-wide strategic management considerations over the past 25 years, GM has not done a good job responding to the changes facing the industry. Like most American car manufacturers, the company was unprepared for the 1973 energy crisis and the subsequent revelation of its product's fuel inefficiency. As the market demand changed to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, GM was not positioned to make the necessary adjustments and thus lost market share to the new competition; the Japanese. The foothold gained by the competition in that era has been expanded in recent years and although GM has restructured several times, it has never regained the market share necessary for profitability. From a competitor standpoint, the Japanese automakers were particularly well situated to threaten GM's market share. They were already proficient at manufacturing smaller vehicles, had a tighter management structure, a better cost efficiency, and out-performed GM and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Admission letter for Maryland University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Admission letter for Maryland University - Essay Example Also, working as a Finance Analyst is promising in China because of the support of the government, the society, and all other factors, which is enabling the Chinese finance market to develop in an incredibly fast rate. This is substantiated as many companies involved in Finance have succeeded and captured great profits. With all these said, this is just the beginning of how the finance in China will grow, benefit the economy, and foresee the booming of companies in the future. Thus, I would really like to take this opportunity to hone my passion and skill for Finance as it is a career path that would not only open a lot of opportunities for workers with financial background like me but at the same time provide fulfillment and success to society. To be able to achieve my life-long goal, I have set specific plans to get to it. First, I want to complete the CFA program after I finish my master science degree. I think this would be best for me to be well-equipped and be an asset in schoo l and society. Second, I want to find a job in the U.S in the finance related area not only because the United States has the best finance market in the world but more importantly because work experience in such a perfect market will strengthen my ability to do the finance jobs in a very lucrative market. After gaining some work experience, I will then go to an MBA program which could help improve to serve my countrymen. As for my long term goal, I want to set up my own finance company in China in the future. Knowing the finance market.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Consider the development Essay Example for Free

Consider the development Essay The word sonnet is the English translation of the Italian word sonetto, a little sound or song. A sonnet is a poem consisting of fourteen lines, ten syllables in English and Italian and generally twelve in French. There are three basic sonnet forms, the Petrarchan, which is an eight lined and a six lined (octave and sestet) sonnet with no rhyming couplet; the Spenserian, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet; finally the Shakespearian, consisting of three quatrains (four lines) and a couplet. There are different styles of sonnets all over the world. For example, France has its own unique structure that their sonneteers write in and the same with other countries. With all these different countries having different styles of writing that also means there are also different rhyming schemes. Reading sonnets is a great way of learning about different cultural aspects of life; for example during the seventeenth century the central theme of most sonnets was religion. During this time it gave people a great opportunity to learn about many different religions. The use of enjambment occurs in many sonnets. Enjambment is the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a syntactical break The first sonneteer was Italian, his name was Francesco Petrarch. He was famous for a collection of Italian lyrics which include a long series of love poems. Petrarch wrote his poems about a lady called Laura, whom he met in a church. Laura became the central theme of his poetry. In total Petrarch wrote three hundred and sixty five sonnets. Petrarchs poems were meant to convey his love and devotion to the love of his life Laura. Sonnets moved to England in the sixteenth century. The seventeenth century saw the theme of sonnets change from love to religion. Donne is a good example of a sonneteer of religion. For two-hundred years a minute amount of sonnets were written. This was because they fell out of fashion. However during the nineteenth century sonneteers began to write about the theme of the natural world. William Wordsworth wrote poems such as Composed upon Westminster Bridge. War poetry became popular during the time of 1914-1918. This was because The First World War was happening at the time. War was on everybodys mind. The Poetry was read to the soldiers going off to war to motivate and encourage the soldiers to fight for their families and country. The poem Shall I Compare Thee written by William Shakespeare is about an unknown woman that Shakespeare compares to a summers day as summer is a picturesque time of year. The poem is written in the Shakespearian form. In the second line Shakespeare writes Thou art more lovely and more temperate This quotation informs the reader that although she cannot be compared to a summers day as she is more than the beauty of summer. Shakespeare writes Rough winds do shake the darling buds of Mai, this quotation is about the winds of summer; Shakespeare describes them as a type of rage. The woman could never be like summer as she is kind and caring. At the conclusion of the poem, (the rhyming couplet) Shakespeare writes So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. This quotation informs the reader that she may die. However she will stay alive through the poem. The poem Composed Upon Westminster Bridge written in 1802 by William Wordsworth is about Wordsworth love of natural world and the city of London. The first line of the sonnet reads Earth has not anything to show more fair. In this quotation Wordsworth is sitting on Westminster Bridge looking across the beautiful city of London and is besotted with the picturesque view and feels the world has nothing to compare to it. William Wordsworth writes All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. This quotation informs the reader of the beautiful sunrise and how it glitters across the city. Wordsworth writes The river glideth at his own sweet will. This quotation means that the Thames has many bends on its path through the city of London and has not got a straight journey like other rivers. Wordsworth metaphorically states that the river glides freely. This sonnet is very popular and was voted 24th most popular poem in 1998. The mood of the sonnet is uplifting. The poem Death be not proud written by John Donne is about Donnes personal interpretation of death. John Donne does not fear death; he does not see it as a bad aspect in life. Donne writes Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. This quotation informs the reader that some people may find death an awful, petrifying experience; however it is not, death is a new beginning. Donne writes Thourt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, and dost with poison, war and sickness dwell. This quotation informs the reader that in life bad things will happen such as diseases and devastation. The mood of this poem is low key and dark. Donne writes One short sleep past, we wake eternally. This quotation informs the reader that after death our souls go to heaven and we awake eternally. John Donne was born in 1572 and died in 1631 at the age of 59. During Donnes lifetime this would have been considered an old age to die. There was a short life expectancy during this period because of all the disease and drug taking. The poem Peace written by Rupert Brooke is a war poem and it appealed to readers in the First World War as it informs them why their loved ones died in battle. Brooke was a very popular sonneteer as his poems would get the soldiers pumped up and ready for the gruesome activity that is war. Brooke encouraged people to be patriotic, to fight for their country and beliefs. Brook writes Leave the sick hearts that honour could move. This quotation conveys the fact that there are masses of casualties in a war just as there were in World War One. The sonnet The Vanity of his Passion written by Petrarch is addressed to his love, Laura. However he feels unreciprocated love. This could be for two reasons. Laura only exists in his mind or she is out of his league and could never fall in love with him. The sonnet is written in the first person; this is because Petrarch is expressing his love to Laura (There is a direct address to the lady). Petrarch uses many abstract nouns in his writing; he uses two in the title, vanity and passion. The reason for Petrarch using several abstract nouns is that it reflects the abstract nature of his love. Petrarch writes Throughout my song, by hopes and vain griefs bed; this quotation means that Petrarch recognises that he was vain ever to believe that she might ever love him. When Petrarch was younger he thought he was in love; he now realises what it means to be in passion drowned; Petrarch writes That worldly pleasure is a passing dream. This quotation informs that the love is short and cant last. His love is like a dream. The mood of the poem is very desolate as Petrarch wants something he is unable to achieve. In conclusion the central sonnet theme has not changed in hundreds of years, many are still written today. As time has progressed different forms have been introduced such as the Spenserian and the Shakespearian. My favourite sonnet is Shall I compare thee because Shakespeare uses many descriptive language associated with summer and his mysterious woman, this shows the depth of his love for her.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Human African Trypanosomiasis Treatment

Human African Trypanosomiasis Treatment THE synthesis of novel hydrazone compounds to determine the potential anti-parasitic properties and efficacy in the treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis. ABSTRACT Human African Trypanosomiasis is caused by two sub-species of trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodeisense. The protozoan parasite has complex mechanisms to evade immune destruction and hence survives in the host, leading to eventual death without treatment. Treatment such as Suramin and Melarsoprol are limited and have high toxicity, often leading to further complications. Alternative therapies are drastically needed to combat trypanosomal infection, with novel hydrazone compounds currently in development promoting trypanocidal activity. The aims and objectives of this research project include the synthesis of novel hydrazone compounds, with aims of high efficacy and low toxicity, namely against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. This was achieved through a series of reactions, with proton NMR spectra used to confirm the structures of novel hydrazone compounds, and biological screening analysis used to assess the trypanocidal activity in vitro. IC50 valu es were obtained for all hydrazones synthesized, the best results coming from HD1, 9.29 ÂÂ µM, and HD6, 16.18 ÂÂ µM. Overall, the presence of chlorine in the compound typically lowered trypanocidal activity when compared to HD1, which lacked chlorine atoms. Despite other compounds in literature having much lower IC50 values, the results remain promising, demonstrating trypanocidal activity against T. brucei brucei, the infective form of trypanosome that affects animals. Trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei suggests potential activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, signifying the IC50 values obtained from novel hydrazones. Furthermore, the biological properties of hydrazone structures demonstrate the potential to develop additional analogues and derivatives, which could contribute to combatting Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infection. Likewise, alternative therapies that can cross the blood-brain-barrier are another interest regarding research i n the field. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense proceeds rapidly once an individual has been exposed to the parasite, with severe side effects and high mortality rates. This reinforces the need for better and more effective treatment and management of the disease. Key words: Trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, hydrazone, Suramin, Melarsoprol, proton NMR, IC50 values 1.1. Background of Human African Trypanosomiasis Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), or African sleeping sickness, is a disease affecting a large proportion of Africa, with a suspected 60 million people at risk (Kennedy, 2013).It is caused by two subspecies of trypanosome, a unicellular and flagellated protozoan parasite, with Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T.b.r) causing East- African sleeping sickness, and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (T.b.g) causing West-African sleeping sickness. West African sleeping sickness is much more prevalent in terms of the whole continent, with 6228 cases reported in 2013. Incidence has decreased massively since 2000, with 25,865 reported cases, although this figure is suspected to be higher due to unreported disease incidence. It is the causative sub-species in 98% of cases. The other 2% of cases are classified as East-African sleeping sickness, with 86 cases reported in 2013, approximately 88% lower than in 2000 (709 cases reported) (Franco et al., 2014). Despite the low incidence of T.b.r infectio n, symptoms are severe and death occurs in almost all patients without treatment. Treatment for suchinfections are limited and have high toxicity, signifying the need for development. Transmission of the protozoan parasite is via the vector, the tsetse fly. Infections with T.b.r proceed rapidly, with entry of infectious metacyclic trypomastigotes into the human bloodstream, lymphatic system and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following the initial bite, where proliferation occurs. The tsetse fly ingests a blood meal from an infected animal, with cattle and ungulates acting as reservoirs (Palmer Wells, 2012), and hence ingests trypomastigotes. Various cell divisions and binary fission occur in the mid-gut of the fly to form procyclic trypomastigotes, and conformational changes occur to allow the trypomastigotes to bind to the salivary epithelia. Once attached, the parasite can once again replicate via asymmetric division (Pepin, 2014) to form metacyclic trypanosomes. It is in this way that a person becomes infected with T.b.r (Langousis Hill, 2014). 1.2. Immunology The causative parasite manifests in hosts due to the evasion of the immune system through antigenic variation, delaying the immune response and therefore allowing the parasite to complete its complex lifecycle (Stijlemans et al., 2016). The parasite expresses variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) on its cell membrane via a glycophosphatidylinositol anchor to serve as a protective barrier. While the immune response induces antibody development against the VSG being expressed, the parasite can switch VSG due to the large amount of VSG genes the genome possesses. This causes new antibodies to form against the newly expressed VSG, and the parasite continues to change VSGs to avoid destruction. Furthermore, the parasites alter their energy metabolism and internal structure, presenting further issues for the immune system (Stijlemans et al., 2016). T.b.r. is resistant to human trypanosome lytic factors (TLFs) containing apolipoprotein L1 (ApoL1), and this is due to the existence of the seru m resistance protein (SRP) coded for by the SRA gene. This binds to TLF-1 and therefore prevents ApoL1-mediated lysis of the infected parasitic cells (Kennedy, 2013; Bart et al., 2015). Kato et al. noted the upregulation of certain cytokines following T.b.r infection, namely IFN-ÃŽÂ ³, IL-10, IL-6 and TGF-ÃŽÂ ² (Kato et al. 2015). Furthermore, these cytokines may play a key role in the inflammatory immune response. IL-6 and IL-10 were upregulated upon CSF examination of late stage patients, and those with CSF trypanosomes had higher levels of WBCs, positively correlating with IL-6 CSF levels. Despite this, no significant changes in levels of cytokines at different stages in HAT were noted. Both subspecies of trypanosome cause non-specific inflammatory responses, resulting in non-specific symptoms. This demonstrates the difficulty in diagnosis and staging of T.b.r infection, and therefore poses a hindrance in regards to timely treatment (Lamour et al. 2015). 1.3. Symptoms Symptoms, typically manifesting 1-3 weeks after bite, include myalgia, hyperplasia of the lymph nodes and spleen, and weight loss in the haemolymphatic stage, and there is clear central nervous system (CNS) involvement in later stages (Pepin, 2014; Kennedy, 2013). It is in this meningoencephalitic stage where patients often exhibit behavioural and motor disturbances including tremors, speech complications, anxiety, confusion, personality changes and others. Further complications may manifest, including ocular difficulties, acute renal failure, multi-organ failure and chronic lymphocytic meningoencephalitis. Death is highly likely to occur in those who do not receive treatment. Trypanosoma brucei produces an aromatic compound called tryptophol, and this induces sleep in humans. Other complications with sleep include irregular patterns of sleep or interrupted sleep, insomnia during the night and sleepiness during the daytime. 1.4. Current problem Current pharmaceutical treatment including intravenous Suramin or Melarsoprol is ineffective and potentially toxic, with patients suffering with neurological dysfunction and post- treatment reactive encephalopathy. Co-administration with eflornithine and nifurtimox has been used to treat T.b.r infection also, but remains somewhat ineffective. Suramin is provided intravenously as the first line treatment for the haemolymphatic stage of T.b.r infection, however this treatment can lead to side effects such as renal failure, peripheral neuropathy and anaphylactic shock, amongst others. It acts by binding to enzymes in the glycosome and disrupts glycolysis within the trypanosome (Babokhov et al., 2013). Should the parasite cross the blood-brain barrier in the later stages of the disease, the treatment options are toxic and limited to the arsenic compound, Melarsoprol, which acts by disrupting trypanosomal redox mechanisms. Treatment with this can lead to further complications such as post-treatment reactive encephalopathy seen in 10% of patients (Palmer Wells, 2012), subsequently causing comas, seizures and cerebral oedema for example. Co-administration of eflornithine with nifurtimox, a hydrazone of 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde, has been shown to demonstrate trypanocidal activity, and is routinely used to treat T.b.g. It has shown trypanocidal activity against T.b.b in mice, however has been relatively ineffective against T.b.r. Furthermore, although eflourthrine abides Lipinskis rule of five in theory, in practice it is a highly hydrophobic compound, and is therefore unlikely to cross inner membranes once administered (Gilbert, 2014). It is therefore administered intravenously. Due to there being no self-cure for T.b.r, treatment is required for a recovery to be made. Furthermore, many of the drugs developed are only applicable to bloodstream trypomastigotes, rather than those that have crossed the blood-brain barrier (Palmer Wells, 2012). Factors such as this demonstrate the problematic nature of the disease, as well as the need for alternative therapies to combat the infection. 1.5. Current research Currently, novel treatments are in development with the hope that toxicity is reduced and efficacy is increased against trypanosomal parasites, namely T.b.r and T.b.b. To determine whether a proposed therapeutic compound is likely to be membrane permeable and therefore orally bioavailable, the Lipinskis rule of 5 is applied. To be within the limits of the rule means that the compound is orally bioavailable and easily absorbed by the body (Leeson, P. 2012). The rules state that the molecular weight of the compound must be less than 500 Daltons, the lipophilicity value is less than 5, represented as a LogP value, the number of hydrogen bond acceptors must be less than 10, and the number of hydrogen donators must be less than 5. Hydrogen bond acceptors include highly electronegative atoms not bound to a hydrogen atom and with free electrons on its outer shell, including oxygen and nitrogen. In newer literature, fluorine may be considered and counted as a hydrogen acceptor. This contrasts with a hydrogen bond donor, any atom that donates a hydrogen atom that it is bound to break or form a bond. All novel compounds are assessed under these rules to dete rmine properties involved in pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion). Oral administration is non-invasive, more bioavailable and simpler for patient use, all of which is desirable for a new treatment for T.b.r infection. Furthermore, a compound designed may still be orally bioavailable if a single rule is not adhered to. Benzoxaborole compounds have recently been suggested as a new, novel treatment for Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.r and T.b.g) in vitro, namely SCYX-7158 oxaborole(Jacobs et al., 2011). The orally-active treatment is suggested to have high efficacy for both acute and chronic stages of the disease due to the treatment being permeable to the CNS, and properties such as distribution, metabolism, elimination, absorption and toxicology are apparent in vitro. A viability assay combined different whole cell T. brucei spp.and the novel compound to gain positive results of anti-parasitic activity. This treatment demonstrated concentration-dependency, and most trypanocidal activity came from the first 8 hours of a 24-hour exposure. Furthermore, the irreversibility of trypanocidal activity was noted during a short exposure. In vivo, SCYX-7158 was examined against an infection with T.b.b to monitor passage across the blood-brain barrier, with mice models providing an 80% cure rate over a 7 day-treatmen t. Benzoxaboroles, like hydrazones, have demonstrated anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti- bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic properties with a low intrinsic toxicity similar to table salt when decomposed (Liu et al., 2014). This is due to the metabolites of benzoxaboroles being found to be boric acid and oxidative deboronation products, both with very low toxicity. Per Lipinskis law, it is an orally bioavailable drug with very low IC50 values ranging from 0.19 to 1.008 ÂÂ µM, demonstrating high trypanocidal activity in vitro. An IC50 value is value is the inhibitory concentration value at which 50% inhibition of target cells has occurred. It is important when comparing the difference in the potency of compounds. A higher value represents less efficacy, with smaller values representing good trypanocidal activity in this case. It is a pharmacokinetic parameter, measuring the relationship between drug target and drug. Other research at the forefront include the development of hydrazone compounds of 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde and adamantine alkanohydrazine (Foscolos et al., 2016). Adamantine and derivatives have been previously shown to have trypanocidal activity, increasing for the more hydrophobic, phenyl and cyclohexyl substituents. These compounds and derivatives demonstrated good trypanocidal activity, approximately 20 times greater than nifurtimox. The lowest IC50 value obtained was 0.386 ÂÂ µM. Following the same study, it was found that in the absence of the nitro group, no trypanocidal activity was demonstrated, highlighting the trypanosomal nitro reductase mechanism these novel compounds work by. In terms of the structure-activity relationship, it was seen that the selectivity of compounds against T. brucei species increased when the distance between the carbonyl group and the adamantine skeleton was increased, with derivatives containing 3-cyclopentyl and 3-phenyl being more biologically active than other compounds. In conjunction, the lipophilicity and conformational structure contributed to the efficacy of these novel compounds, with increased lipophilicity and conformational flexibility promoting trypanocidal activity. 1.6. Aims of research Better pharmaceutical treatments with high efficacy and less lethal side-effects are drastically needed for T.b.r infection. Current research demonstrates the potential use of hydrazone compounds and derivatives in combatting parasitic infections, amongst others. Guidance from project supervisor Dr A Bhambra was given throughout the project regarding the structures of compounds. Hydrazones are defined as having the structure R1R2C = NNH2, the N=H bond is conjugated with a lone pair of electrons on the functional nitrogen atom (Verma et al. 2014). Research suggests hydrazone compounds also demonstrate anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV properties, signifying biological variety and the potential to treat other diseases (Verma et al., 2014). It is because of these properties that new hydrazone compounds are in development, with the aim of synthesising novel compounds which demonstrate similar properties when applied against Trypanosoma brucei infection, and hence a potential the rapeutic for T.b.r. 2.1. Chemistry/ experimental synthesis The synthesis of four novel hydrazone compounds of reactants A-D and Pentafluorophenyl hydrazine (PFH) (Figure 3) was performed. All solvents and reactants were commercially available. Reflux condensation reactions with relevant reactant (3 mmol) and PFH (3 mmol) were performed, with continuous heating (oil bath) and stirring of compounds at 100-150 ÂÂ °C approximately. Compounds were separated with ethyl acetate (60 ml) and distilled water (50 ml). Excess magnesium sulphate was added to remove any excess water and products were vacuum filtered. Recrystallization reactions with boiling ethanol (10 ml approximately) not in excess were performed, and compounds were vacuumed down to give final compounds. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analysis was performed for all compounds throughout the stages of experiment to monitor the constituents of the final product. Prior to NMR analysis, compounds were dissolved in chloroform (800 ÂÂ µL) with exception of HD6 (with reactant D), dis solved in DMSO (400 ÂÂ µL). 2.2. Biological Screening Analysis Further viability tests were carried out to assess the trypanocidal activity of each compound. Compounds were sent to the London School of Tropical Medicine for biological screening analysis against T.b.b. Stock drug solutions were prepared in DMSO at 20 mg/ml and further diluted appropriately. All assays were performed with use of 96-well microtiter plates, each well containing 100 ÂÂ µL of parasite culture, and serial dilutions of the compound in triplicate. Wells were incubated at 37ÂÂ °C for 72 hrs in 5% CO2. Control wells contained no compound, and blanks consisted of medium only. Following this, the MIC was determined and assurance of growth in control wells. 20 ÂÂ µL of Alamar Blue was added to wells, and plates were incubated for 2-4 hrs more. Plates were read on Gemini Plate Reader with an excitation wavelength of 530 nm and emission wavelength of 580 nm. Following this, IC50 values were obtained. Four novel hydrazone compounds were synthesised, shown in table 1. The electrophilic carbonyl group of appropriate reactants A-D reacted with the nucleophilic nitrogen (hydrazine portion) of PFH by nucleophilic addition. IC50 values gained demonstrated potential, especially HD1 and HD6. Proton NMR analytical results from spectra obtained are demonstrated below, showing the amount of hydrogens (or protons) in each compound as well as their corresponding intensities. Throughout synthesis, TLC was performed for each compound to visualize the two reactants, the formed product and any other substance that may be present. Rf values and appropriate TLC analysis results are illustrated in alongside compounds in table 1. 3.1. HD1 Beige crystals (50% yield); ÃŽÂ ´H (CDCl3) 7.28 (1H, s), 7.32-7.42 (3H, m), 7.64 (2H, dd), 7.82 (1H, s). 3.2. HD4 Pink crystals (50% yield) ÃŽÂ ´H (CDCl3) 7.30 (2H, s), 7.35 (1H, s), 7.45-7.50 (1H, m), 7.62 (1H, s), 7.73 (1H, s). 3.3. HD5 Beige crystals (H (CDCl3) 7.32-7.38 (3H, s), 7.54-7.60 (2H, d), 7.78 (1H, m). 3.4. HD6 Red crystals (H (CDCl3) 7.37 (1H, s), 7.45 (2H, s), 7.70 (2H, s). 3.5. Biological screening analysis Results obtained from the London School of Tropical Medicine included IC50 values for all hydrazones synthesised. These are listed alongside appropriate compounds in table 1. HD1 had an IC50 value of 9.29 ÂÂ µM; HD4 34.37 ÂÂ µM; HD5 34.09 ÂÂ µM and HD6 16.18 ÂÂ µM. Formation of all compounds HD1, HD4, HD5 and HD6 (table 1) followed the general mechanism illustrated in appendix 1. R1 should be substituted with relevant reactant (A-D) benzene rings. Electrophilic reactants accept free pairs of electrons from the nucleophilic nitrogen atom of PFH by nucleophilic addition. The formation of a biologically active centre was documented (Verma, 2014). All compounds synthesised contain phenyl groups, which has been suggested in literature to promote trypanocidal activity (Foscolos et al., 2016). Hydrazones synthesised are also non-polar and hydrophobic compounds, meaning that they carry no net charge and are not soluble in water. Furthermore, an increase in hydrophobicity also promotes trypanocidal activity, however has been suggested to make the compound less bioavailable (Gilbert et al., 2014). Proton NMR spectra demonstrate relative intensities in parts per million (ppm) of protons or hydrogens in the compound. Despite only hydrogens being of interest, it is important to consider the other electronegative groups that exist within the compound such as phenyl groups or -OH groups, which produce different peaks. The solvent peak demonstrates as a sharp, well distinguished peak to exclude it from the compound results. Singlet, doublet and Name Reactant Structure IC50 value (ÂÂ µM) TLC (illustrated- not to scale) Rf value (cm) HD1 Benzaldehyde (reactant A) 9.29 0.73 HD4 3-chlorobenzaldehyde (reactant B) 34.37 0.48 HD5 4-chlorobenzaldehyde (reactant C) 34.09 0.43 HD6 3,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde (reactant D) 16.42 0.57 multiplet peaks were all demonstrated on the spectra. NMR analysis reflects the structures synthesised, confirming the number and positioning of hydrogens. The spectra observed demonstrated some sharp peaks and others more broad. Furthermore, some peaks were somewhat distorted due to the presence of chlorine on the aromatic benzene ring. Limitations of the experimental synthesis included low yields obtained from synthesised hydrazones. This could have been possibly due to the recrystallization step or some of the reactants not converting into product. Factors such as this could have been improved to gain better results. In addition, yields were estimated due to not weighing compounds beforehand, therefore weighing the compounds when they were initially synthesised would improve the data. 4.1. HD1 From the NMR spectra, HD1 contained 7 hydrogen atoms, one at 7.28 ppm as a singlet peak, three at 7.32 7.42 ppm as a mutliplet peak, two at 7.64 ppm as a doublet peak and one hydrogen at 7.82 ppm as a singlet peak. All novel compounds synthesised differ in terms of the aromatic benzene ring on the relevant reactants, therefore the positioning and amount of chlorine attached to this aromatic ring demonstrates the difference in IC50 values. This coincides with the biological activity against T.b.b. HD1 is formed of benzaldehyde and PFH, and therefore does not possess any chlorine atoms. The IC50 values were the lowest for HD1 at 9.29ÂÂ µM, which suggests that the presence of chlorine in the compound may decrease trypanocidal activity. 4.2. HD4 HD4 contained six hydrogen atoms, two at 7.30 ppm as a singlet peak, one hydrogen at 7.35 ppm as a singlet peak, one hydrogen at 7.45-7.50 ppm as a multiplet peak and a one hydrogen as a singlet peak at 7.73 ppm. HD4 contained a chlorine group on the 3rd carbon of the reactant benzene ring, with displacement of chlorine by (bio)nucleophiles, facilitated by the electrophilic carbon centre determining biological properties observed. However, it has been suggested that the presence of a chlorine atom at a non-reactive aromatic double bond diminishes reactivity (Naumann, 2003). The IC50 value for HD4 was 34.37 ÂÂ µM, the highest value from all the compounds synthesised. This supports the notion that chlorine atoms present in the compound reduces trypanocidal activity rather than improving it. 4.3. HD5 HD5 also contained six hydrogens, with three hydrogens at 7.32 7.38 ppm in a singlet peak, 2 hydrogens at 7.54 7.60 ppm in a doublet peak, and one hydrogen at 7.78 ppm in a multiplet peak. HD5 also contained a chlorine atom but on the forth carbon of the benzene ring, as opposed to the third. Altering the position of the chlorine atom did allow for an improved IC50 value to be obtained, which was 34.09 ÂÂ µM. This however remains much less effective than HD1. 4.4. HD6 HD6 contained five hydrogen atoms, one at 7.37 ppm as a singlet peak, one at 7.35 ppm as a singlet peak, two at 7.45 ppm in a singlet peak, and 2 hydrogens at 7.70 ppm in a singlet peak. Despite the presence of chlorine in both HD4 and HD5 causing less effective activity against T.b.b, HD6 contained two chlorine atoms attached to the benzene ring, and the IC50 value obtained was nearly half that of HD4 and HD5 at 16.18 ÂÂ µM. This suggests that the presence of one chlorine atom existing at any carbon on the benzene ring does not promote trypanocidal activity, however the presence of 2 attached chlorine atoms did aid activity. 4.5. Oral bioavailability Per Lipinskis rule of 5, all novel compounds fall within the laws except from HD1, which contains 6 hydrogen bond donors. HD1 therefore would be more bioavailable if administered intravenously, however may still be orally bioavailable as only one rule has been violated, with the rest all being adhered to. Despite this, the other novel compounds alone demonstrate progression in seeking an orally bioavailable treatment for HAT, linked with reducing toxicity amongst being easier and more accessible for those who require it. Furthermore, the use of PFH incorporates many fluorine atoms, which increases lipophilicity (Citation), increasing activity in vivo, as well as increasing fat solubility and therefore allowing the compounds to easily pass through membranes in the body. Retaining fluorine is a desirable property due to the improvement of metabolic stability as a result of the high strength C-F bond. It is a relatively small molecule, with a high electronegativity value. All properties such as this contribute to biological responses within the body. 4.6. Comparison to literature IC50 values HD1 and HD6 demonstrated the most promising results of 9.29 and 16.18 ÂÂ µM. For comparison intentions, alternative novel therapies at the forefront of science such as adamantine alkanohydrazine hydrazones and benzoxaborole SCYX-7158 have IC50 values of 0.386ÂÂ µM and 0.19 to 1.008ÂÂ µM respectively (Foscolos et al., 2016; Jacobs et al., 2011). Although the results from the synthesised compounds are promising and suggest trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma brucei, both SCYX-7158 and the adamantine alkanohydrazine hydrazones have much lower IC50 values, suggesting that the structures of novel compounds could be improved and altered to gain better trypanocidal activity. Furthermore, current treatment Melarsoprol and Suramin have IC50 values of 0.046 and 0.004-0.009 ÂÂ µM, much lower than the compounds synthesised (Torreele et al., 2010). However, as stated above, these treatments offer high toxicity and high mortality rates following administration, and the fa ct that the novel compounds synthesised (HD1 especially) have low IC50 values remains promising. Furthermore, both Suramin and Melarsoprol are administered intravenously, posing more problems in terms of accessibility as developing countries where the disease is endemic possibly do not possess the facilities to administer treatment. This is unlike the synthesised hydrazone compounds, which all theoretically can be administered orally, therefore moving towards better treatment and management of T.b.r infection. HD4 and HD5 demonstrate lower trypanocidal activity than HD1 and HD6, therefore further progression on HD1 especially would allow for potentially more effective trypanocidal compounds, represented by lower IC50 values upon testing. Furthermore, new compounds in other literature with the highest trypanocidal activity, namely 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde and adamantine alkanohydrazine hydrazones and benzoxaboroles, provide a platform for future work and development of structural analogues of hydrazones to promote trypanocidal activity. To confirm that the novel compounds synthesised are in fact effective against T.b.r, further testing is required in a controlled level 3 laboratory where the p

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

People relate to landscapes through tactile and visual experience of surfaces around them, beneath their feet and in their hands. Textures are most immediate and close physical contact with the landscape. Ploughing, grazing, clearance – create distinctive textures of surface, some of them deliberately created for the properties of the texture itself. Textures incorporate time; they are result of a slow but constant change of the very texture of surface. Mundane practices which might have a minimum impact on the surface can in a long term combine to form a distinctive textures. Aerial photographs and high resolution topographic data is full of textures. We tend to ignore them and focus solely on "features", traces. What can we do with textures? How can they be harnessed for deciphering the biography of surfaces and the way people interacted with the land in close physical contact? In the modern, Western, world the visual sense has primacy over the other senses. Since sixteenth century, vision has become increasingly important in how we engage with and understand our world, with the other senses marginalised. The visual became considered the most reliable form of representation. Archaeology, and especially aerial archaeology, has come to rely almost solely on vision for both the collection of data and the dissemination of information. Visual sense turns us into spectators, detached and distanced from the object of study. Landscape becomes a particular way of seeing and representing the world from an elevated, detached and even ‘objective’ vantage point, --- as an artistic genre and a culturally conditioned habit of visual perception, unique to European, Western societies. In this way visual technologies (photographs,... ...worth exploring. Textures offer access into the richness and immediacy of the perceivable world and allow us to enmesh with it. When we turn the eye in the organ of touch, we are able to see the â€Å"stuff† of landscape rather than its â€Å"things.† It is highly subjective, embodied view of the world, but one that helps us to "understands materiality" of the landscape. Dwelling in the landscape is about the rich intimate, ongoing â€Å"togetherness† of beings and things which make up textures and which, over time, bind together nature and culture. Textures blur the nature/culture divide and emphasise the material and temporal nature of landscape. In this way, landscape is a never finished process of weaving, â€Å"entanglement", of materials and activities. And they can perhaps to help us to reflect what we really see when we interpret aerophotos and lidar imagery.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Forgotten Prejudice :: social issues

The Forgotten Prejudice Prejudice is defined surely as the mistreatment of a person or people due to a preconceived bias. In Britain today there is an obsession with not being racist, and to a lesser extent, not being sexist. However rampant homophobia still exists and noone sees fit to criticise. So here we go..... Homophobia; the word itself is a simbol of the difference between the opinions of society on the mistreatment of gay people compared to the mistreatment of women or ethnic minority groups. The word suggests an irrational fear, rather than a crime or prejudice as racism sexism and ageism do. Being gay is a natural thing. Having observed the disgusting prejudices that seem to go hand in hand with homosexuality in our society, i imagine that noone would CHOOSE to be gay. You cannot choose who you fall in love with. When you hit puberty, you find yourself attracted to people. You do not consciously decide to be straight. Therefore i conclude that you do not consciously decide to be gay. Finally, many species of wild animals (including giraffes, monkeys and birds) have displayed homosexual behaviour. Therefore homosexuality does occur in nature.Some people claim that being gay is unnatural. Clearly they are wrong. Many people base their assertions that being gay is wrong or in some way deviant on their religious beliefs. This i find incredable. God makes man in his image, he has a purpose for each of us etc. Why then would he make some people gay if being gay is intolerable to him. If homosexuality is a sin, and God makes some people gay, what kind of mean trick is that? (i know that that is a very simplistic way of saying it). God supposedly loves everyone. Would he want the ostracision of some of his children because of their sexual preferance? Some people claim that there is something 'wrong' with the minds of gay people, in other words suggesting that they are mentally disturbed or abnormal. If this was true, would it be an excuse for their mistreatment? It may be true that the brain of a gay person may be different in some way from the mind of a straight person (i dont know) But the mind of a man is different to that of a woman. As i hope we all see, different does not mean inferior. And wouldnt it be God that is responsible for those differences?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A Comparison of A Modest Proposal, Tartuffe, and Candide Essay

Writers use personality traits and events to change the classical ideals. Majority of the writer's focus is to change people's attitude's. Jonathan Swift, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere, Francois-Marie Arquet de Voltaire use characterization and plot to challenge the themes of the Neo-Classical period. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift challenges the Neo-classical period by creating a sense of instability in their way of thinking. He attacks the society by carelessly endorsing cannibalism in hopes to help Ireland through their economic crisis. He demonstrates this by humbly proposing and assuring "that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food." (Swift, 485) Implying that society should eat children shows that the individual (the child) is seen as an unimportant individual to society; therefore, is not valued when considering an effective resolution to their situation. This provides criticism to the Neo-Classical beliefs that society is more important than the individual. The Neo-Classic's logic and reasoning aspect is attacked by Swift's persuasion that eating a child is a valid response to help fix their oppression. His introduction clearly states that his purpose is" for Preventing the Children of poor People in Ireland, from being a Burden to their Parents or Country, and for making them beneficial to the Publick." (Swift 483) His reasoning for the proposal is ultimately satisfied through his sound thinking that evidently has nothing to do with his feelings about the matter. The narrator than proceeds to give the audience justification of his statement, and therefore attempting to challenge the Neo-Classic's fact that logic a... ...s. Dr. Pangloss's blind optimistic approach allows him to forget about the fighting that is occurring amongst people and he only sees love. Satirical approaches to writing were used to change the captivated way of thinking during the late 17th and 18th centuries. The Neo-Classic time period contributed in the expansion of people's view of life. Works Cited Swift, Jonathan. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." A Modest Proposal. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 483-489. Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." Tartuffe. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 313-361. Voltaire, Francois-Marie Arquet de Voltaire. "The Norton Anthology of World Literature." Candide. W.W> Norton & Company: New York and London, 2002. 520-580.

Laramie Project

The fact that they were decline on Action†. A case that literally the world was watching, I would only Imagine that they would not want to be a part of the process that could condemn or free the two who killed an Icon of the LIGHT community. 29. Someone can only contain their guilt over doing something for so long. Henderson probably was at his Max. Taking the life of someone causes a lot of psychological and emotional stress to the one who does It, and Henderson probably finally met his wits end. 30. He is excommunicated. Though his home teacher does not desert him entirely. 31 .They aren't affected, hey remain firm that homosexuality is a sin. But after his comment of them remaining uncaring as he played a murderer onstage, they see the difference. 32. After the incident, however Debaser's ideals change. Believing that no one in America should live in fear, as no one has the right to live in fear in America. Due to his standing as an officer of the law, seeing the terror of t he people who he swore to protect made him see the horror of fear that they lived in on a daily basis. 33. Personally I don't think the death penalty would be the correct means to act.An eye or an eye makes the world blind, and this would only cause what Sheppard martyred for to be destroyed. 34. Kind of sort of. She seems very nonchalant even after the trial, so I don't really know. And I don't know, no one but himself, Sheppard, and Henderson knows what really happened that night so I can't come up with a conclusive answer to that. 35. Kind of. It seems more of a curse/burden then a gift In my opinion. Condemning him to suffer for the loss of his son seems kind of harsh but that's not in my opinion to say so. So I don't know whether or not to agree with this. 36.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Project Management Process Groups and the Six Questions in Pmlc

Mapping the six (6) questions to basic Process Groups of the PMBOK methodology. According to Wysocki (2012, p. 25) ‘Project management is a set of tools, templates, and processes designed to answer the following six questions: What business situation is being addressed by this project? What do you need to do? What will you do? How will you do it? How will you know you did it? How well did you do it? ’ Wysocki (2012, p. 4) also added that; ‘In addition to answering the six questions that a valid project management methodology must answer, whatever project management life cycle model you use must contain all of the following Process Groups; Scoping (PMI calls the Initiation), Planning, Launching (PMI calls the Execution), Monitoring & Controlling and Closing. The process groups will each be completed and in sequence, some or all of them may be repeated a number of times’.PMI recognized the five process groups and nine knowledge areas to make up the Project man agement Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). PMI also identified the five process groups as building blocks of every project management life cycle. Scoping is identified by PMBOK as Initiation. Projects brainstorming, client need analysis, resource requirements, documentations and management approval are handled at this stage. This stage clearly answers questions like; â€Å"what business situation is being addressed? † and â€Å"what needs to be done? †.Key inputs at this stage can include contracts from the clients, deliverables from a company’s annual business plan, policy, procedure and other social factors where the project will be cited. The outputs of scoping process group are Project Charter and Preliminary Project Scope Statement. Scoping is aimed at addressing the business situation at hand by indicating what needs to be done. For example, IT projects scoping in NLNG activities are handled by a multi-disciplinary team of subject-matter experts (SMEs) – in cluding IT eams from Strategy and Planning. The whole team reports to IT projects review team of senior management positions to secure management approval on the project. Planning follows Project Charter and Preliminary Project Scope Statement produced by the scoping activity to establish project objectives and how to go about achieving such objectives within the project scope. Planning will answer the questions; â€Å"what to do? † and â€Å"how to do it? by setting clear objectives for the project, allocating resources, identifying the best-fit model, setting milestone/targets throughout the project lifespan, etc. A Project Management Plan is drawn up at the end of the planning process. For example; in NLNG a three-year IT projects plan document is updated with latest approvals, milestones and closeouts to produce what is called â€Å"IT Master plan for the year† which various project managers use throughout the year in implementing IT projects.Launching/execution w orks with the Project Management Plan to deploy human and material resources to ensure all deliverables are achieved as planned. The question of; ‘how will you do it? † gets answered here. Project management plan is the only input here and it must be strict to objectives, targets and specifications. The output at this stage a performance according to plan. In NLNG, IT project teams work across company locations in line with IT Master plan all through the year.Monitoring and Controlling process group ensures projects are run in line with targets by identifying KPIs for periodic monitoring – based on client’s requirements in the project plan. Changes to project scope, budget performance, maintenance/repairs to project equipment, etc, are all represented here in an attempt to answer the question; ‘how will you know you did it†? Project deliverables are only recognized at this stage. Key inputs to this process group are KPIs of the launching/executi on group while their output is the project delivery/milestone status.In NLNG, various teams are involved in monitoring and controlling projects. Ranging from the Cost Controller who monitors budget and reports cost (work-in-progress), through quality assurances and process auditors who ensure compliance with procedure, risk management and corporate governance. Closing process group collates all deliverables and closes all sub-process when a project is adjudged completed. Contracts and procurements, manpower engaged, work-in-progress close out and so many other project administrative supports are rounded up here.At this stage, the final product derived from the project is presented to the client according to specifications. The question of â€Å"how well did you do? † will be answered when client approves of the output, asset/output gets installed, audit tests post-implementation status and a final report submitted. In NLNG for example, IT projects are closed with a report and a â€Å"go-live† activity. In conclusion, the questions of what business situation to address and what needs to be done are critical success factors to any project.The Project Charter and Preliminary statements derive from such questions and are therefore essential to how a project plan is developed with achievable objectives, what resources are required to launch/execute the project, how to monitor and control parameters and when to identify project ending and close out. Wysocki (2012, p. 9) aptly captures this in his definition of project as; ‘a sequence of finite dependent activities whose successful completion results in the delivery of the expected business value that validated doing the business’.Therefore, until a business need is identified, there cannot be a project. Reference: 1. Project Management Institute (undated). Available online at; http://www. pmi. org/pmief/learningzone/KCMA_Curricula_Documents/Lesson_1-Five_Processes_Definitions. pdf (Accesse d 23rd March, 2013) 2. White, D. (undated) ‘The 5 project management process groups’. Articles Dashboard, Available online at; http://www. articledashboard. com/Article/The-5-Project-Management-Process-Groups/484871 (Accessed 23rd March, 2013)

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. OVERVIEW 2. DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD 3. CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE 4. DEFENSE OR PROMOTION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY 5. DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE 6. CASE STUDY OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE 7. 1. Coca cola company _an example in cultural diversity 7. 2. Statement from the coca coal company 7. WORKPLACE ISSUES AND INTERVENTIONS 8. 3. Miscommunication 8. 4. Cultural bias 8. 5. Assimilation . BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE 9. 6. Better decision making and improved problem solving, greater creativity and innovation 9. 7. Ability to compete in global markets 9. MAKING DIVERSITY A BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 10. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIVERSE WORKPLACE SUCCESS 11. 8. Managing diversity tools 11. 9. Creating the Multicultural Organization 11. 10. On the Interpersonal Level 11. IMPLEMENTATION LEGAL FRAMEWORKS 12. CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING DIVERSITY 13. CONCLUSIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY AND SIMILARITY 14. RECOMMENDATION 15. REFERENCES OVERVIEW Managing diversity is defined as â€Å"planning and implementing organizational systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized while its potential disadvantages are minimized,† according to Taylor Cox in â€Å"Cultural Diversity in Organizations. † Cultural diversity is the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole. The term is also sometimes used to refer to multiculturalism within an organization. This article does not currently cover that alternative meaning. ) There is a general consensus among mainstream anthropologists that humans first emerged in Africa about two million years ago. Since then they have spread throughout the world, successfully adapting to widely differing conditions and to periodic cataclysmic changes in local and global climate. The many separate societies that emerged around the globe differed markedly from each other, and many of these differences persist to this day. As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between people, such as language, dress and traditions, there are also significant variations in the way societies organize themselves, in their shared conception of morality, and in the ways they interact with their environment. DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD By analogy with biodiversity, which is thought to be essential to the long-term survival of life on earth, it can be argued that cultural diversity may be vital for the long-term survival of humanity; and that the conservation of indigenous cultures may be as important to humankind as the conservation of species and ecosystems is to life in general. The General Conference of UNESCO took this position in 2001, asserting in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity that â€Å"†¦ cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature] This position is rejected by some people, however, on several grounds. Firstly, like most evolutionary accounts of human nature, the importance of cultural diversity for survival may be an un-testable hypothesis, which can neither be proved nor disproved. Secondly, it can be argued that it is unethical deliberately to conserve â€Å"less developed† societies, because this will deny people within those societies the benefits of technological and medical advances enjoyed by those of us in the â€Å"developed† world. In the same way it is unethical to promote poverty in underdeveloped nations as cultural diversity it is also unethical to promote all religious practices simply because they contribute to cultural diversity. Particularly, there are some practices that are recognized by the WHO and UN as unethical: Female Genital Mutilation, Sati (burning the widow on the husbands burial pyre), polygamy, child brides, human sacrifice, etc. Cultural diversity is tricky to quantify, but a good indication is thought to be a count of the number of languages spoken in a region or in the world as a whole. By this measure, there are signs that we may be going through a period of precipitous decline in the world's cultural diversity. Research carried out in the 1990s by David Crystal (Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor) suggested that at that time, on average, one language was falling into disuse every two weeks. He calculated that if that rate of language death were to continue, then by the year 2100 more than 90% of the languages currently spoken in the world will have gone extinct. Overpopulation, immigration and imperialism (of both the militaristic and cultural kind) are reasons that have been suggested to explain any such decline. CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE The Universal Declaration of UNESCO on Cultural Diversity of 2001 is regarded as a legal instrument recognizing for the first time, cultural diversity as â€Å"common heritage of humanity† and considers its safeguarding to be a concrete and ethical imperative inseparable from respect for human dignity. There is also the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ratified in June 20, 2007 by 78 States which said: â€Å"The intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and ives them a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. † Cultural diversity was also promoted by the Montreal Declaration of 2007, and by the European Union. The idea of a global multi-cultural heritage covers several ideas, which are not exclusive. See multicultur alism. In addition to language, diversity can also include religious or traditional practice. DEFENSE OR PROMOTION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY The â€Å"defense of cultural diversity† can take several meanings: * A balance to be achieved: thus, the idea of defense of cultural diversity through the promotion of actions in favor of â€Å"cultural minorities† said to be disadvantaged; * Preservation of â€Å"cultural minorities† thought to be endangered; * In other cases, one speaks of â€Å"cultural protection†, which refers to the concept of â€Å"cultural exception†, which is mainly used in France under the title â€Å"French exception†. This makes the link between the social vision of culture and the vision inherent in its commercialization. The cultural exception highlights the specificity of cultural products and services, including special recognition by the European Union in its Declaration on Cultural Diversity. In this context, the objective is to defend against what is seen as a â€Å"commodification† – considered harmful to a â€Å"disadvantaged† culture – supporting its development through grants, promotion operations, etc. , also known as â€Å"cultural protectionism†. * This defense may also refer to incorporating â€Å"cultural rights† provisions, conducted unsuccessfully in the early 1990s in Europe, into a layer of human rights. DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Diversity is a reality in today’s workforce. Diversity is a difference between people, for example, in race, age, gender, disability, geographic origin, family status, education, or personality that can affect workplace relationships and achievement. Diversity management aims to value these differences and encourage each person to fulfill his or her potential in terms of organizational objectives. The approach goes beyond equal opportunities, which stresses the rights of particular disadvantaged groups rather than those of the individual. Cultural diversity in the workplace provides strengths as well as challenges to businesses today. The United States is often thought of as the great melting pot where anyone from any background can assimilate into a single society. A more realistic and appropriate â€Å"Ideal† is one of multi-culturalism (cultural diversity). Multi-culturalism is based on the idea that cultural identities should not be discarded or ignored, but instead, should be maintained and valued. The importance of cultural diversity in the workplace has been, for the most part, accepted in international business. The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is a United Nations–sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of diversity issues. It is currently held on May 21. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this holiday due to UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in November 2001. It was proclaimed by UN Resolution 57/249. Diversity Day, officially known as â€Å"The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development†, is an opportunity to help communities understand the value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony. It was adopted in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. CASE STUDY OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE COCA COLA COMPANY _AN EXAMPLE IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY â€Å"The Coca-Cola Company is a model employer for diversity and inclusion within its own work force and as a member of the larger business community. Its leadership on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in the workplace is not only reflected in its long-standing achievement of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index, but in its principled support of anti-discrimination legislation that would protect every worker in the United States from being judged on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Joe Solmonese President, Human Rights Campaign STATEMENT FROM THE COCA COAL COMPANY We believe that associates who are inspired and valued create superior results. We strive to be a great place to work for all of our 92,400 associates globally by fostering safe, open, inclusive and healthy work. We want to ensure that our Company is as diverse and inclusive as our brands and our business. Our inclusive cult ure is defined by our seven core values: leadership, passion, integrity, collaboration, diversity, quality, and accountability. Our 2020 Vision is the roadmap that guides every aspect of our business. An unwavering focus on people is essential to our achieving sustainable, quality growth. Our People goal is to â€Å"Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. † This is supported by our efforts to create a winning culture that defines the attitudes and behaviors that will be required of us to make our 2020 Vision a reality. WORKPLACE ISSUES AND INTERVENTIONS Diversity issues change over time, depending on local historical and dynamic conditions. Diversity issues relate to race, gender, age, disabilities, religion, job title, physical appearance, sexual orientation, nationality, multiculturism, competency, training, experience, and personal habits are explored here, the bias is toward valuing diversity. There are challenges to managing a diverse work population. Managing diversity is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. Many organizational theorists have suggested reasons that work-teams highly diverse in work-relevant characteristics can be difficult to motivate and manage. Miscommunication There are many challenges which face culturally diverse workplaces, and a major challenge is miscommunication within an organization. In an article entitled Developing Receiver-Centered Communication in Diverse Organizations, written by Judi Brownell, she explains that meanings of messages can never be completely shared because no two individuals experience events in exactly the same way. Even when native and non-native speakers are exposed to the same messages, they may interpret the information differently. It is necessary for employees who are less familiar with the primary language spoken within the organization to receive special attention in meeting their communication requirements. â€Å"In high context cultures, communicators share an experiential base that can be used to assign meanings to messages. Low context cultures, on the other hand, provide little information on which to base common understandings and so communicators must be explicit†. Because of this fact, it is better to view all diverse organizational environments as low-context cultures. Cultural bias Cultural bias is an additional factor which challenges culturally diverse work environments. Cultural bias includes both prejudice and discrimination. â€Å"Prejudice refers to negative attitudes toward an organization member based on his/her culture group identity, and discrimination refers to observable adverse behavior for the same reason†. Assimilation Another challenge faced by culturally diverse organizational environments is assimilation. According to the journal Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: The State of the Field, Marlene G. Fine explains that â€Å"Assimilation into the dominant organizational culture is a strategy that has had serious negative consequences for individuals in organizations and the organizations themselves. Those who assimilate are denied the ability to express their genuine selves in the workplace; they are forced to repress significant parts of their lives within a social context that frames a large part of their daily encounters with other people. † She goes on to mention that â€Å"People who spend significant amounts of energy coping with an alien environment have less energy left to do their jobs. Assimilation does not just create a situation in which people who are different are likely to fail, it also decreases the productivity of organizations†. BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Diversity is beneficial to both the organization and the members and brings substantial potential benefits: Managing diversity well provides a distinct advantage in an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness. An organization needs to be flexible and adaptable to meet new customer needs. Heterogeneity promotes creativity and heterogeneous groups have been shown to produce better solutions to problems and a higher level of critical analysis. This can be a vital asset at a time when the campus is undergoing tremendous change and self-examination to find new and more effective ways to operate. With effective management of diversity, the corporate develops a reputation as an employer of choice. Not only will you have the ability to attract the best talent from a shrinking labor pool, you can save time and money in recruitment and turnover costs. Better decision making and improved problem solving, greater creativity and innovation This leads to enhanced product development, and more successful marketing to different types of customers. Simply recognizing diversity in a corporation helps link the variety of talents within the organization. The act of recognizing diversity also allows for those employees with these talents to feel needed and have a sense of belonging, which in turn increases their commitment to the company and allows each of them to contribute in a unique way. Ability to compete in global markets Diversity also provides organizations with the ability to compete in global markets. Diverse organizations will be successful as long as there is a sufficient amount of communication within them. Because people from different cultures perceive messages in different ways, communication is vital to the performance of an organization. Miscommunication within a diverse workplace will lead to a great deal of challenges. Diversity is not only about preventing unfair discrimination and improving equality but also valuing differences and inclusion, spanning such areas as ethnicity, age, race, culture, sexual orientation, physical disability and religious belief. Scott Page’s (2007) mathematical modeling research of team work supports this view. He demonstrated that heterogeneous teams consistently out-performed homogeneous teams on a variety of tasks. Page points out that diversity in teamwork is not so simple in the messy real world. Too often the cultural differences create problems. The goal is to manage diversity to take full advantage of it. MAKING DIVERSITY A BUSINESS ADVANTAGE Diversity is being touted as the most important source of competitive strength in the global markets. Rather than merely observing minority representations within a rank, companies are now dwelling into their employee's backgrounds, perspectives, styles to gain better understanding and using them to leverage business advantages. Companies are attaching importance to diversity and how it could benefit the bottom-line. By adopting a few practices, companies can create a diversity strategy. Ask relevant questions such as which diverse populations is your company serving, how can the diversity of your company reach them, how can your company better leverage diversity. Answering these questions will give you an insight into your diversity strategy. Building a strong infrastructure is also an important practice while creating diversity strategy. Merely appointing a diversity officer is not enough, involvement of all senior management is important. By doing so, your diversity strategy isn't isolated. Create different groups that will focus on different identity groups. These teams will help to spot market opportunities upon which companies can act and gain profit. Like in any other corporate initiatives, involve every employee in diversity efforts and hold them accountable. Inclusion of different employees will boost them to put greater efforts in diversity strategy. Diversity strategies are being viewed as the latest effort to gain competitive edge over rival companies and to grow and strive in the global market. Serving are the three main steps that can be followed to generate higher leadership qualities. If we want to develop effective working relationships with diverse people at work, we need to start with similarities, not differences, among people when you build relationships. Diversity in the workplace adds a special richness, but also special challenges. As a human resources professional, manager, supervisor, coworker, staff member or business owner, effective diverse work relationships are critical for your success. Emphasis is on honoring and appreciating the diverse needs, skills, talents, and contributions of people in recent years. While this is critical, don't let the pendulum swing too far in this direction. We are in danger of forgetting to honor and appreciate our similarities. By acknowledging the similarities and likenesses, we create a starting point for understanding and appreciating diversity in the work place. A strong example emerges in The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value (Compare Prices), by Bruce N. Pfau and Ira T. Kay, executives with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. In Watson Wyatt's Work USA research, they asked 7500 workers at all job levels across diverse industries to respond to 130 statements about their workplaces. Watson Wyatt broke down the responses to look for diversity patterns across demographics including whites versus minorities, men versus women, and people over and under 30 years old. They found more similarities than differences, especially in the categories respondents rated as most important to them. People agreed about what inspires their commitment to a particular employer. People cited the following factors as important. * They supported their company's business plan, * They had a chance to use their skills on the job, * Their reward package was competitive, and The company acted on employee suggestions. People also agreed on what organizations need to improve: employee input and promoting the best performers while helping the worst performers get better. Additionally, the employees want to know how their job affects internal and external customers. They want to understand how their job contributes to the accomplishment of company business goals. They want a safe work environmen t and highly rated products and services. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIVERSE WORKPLACE SUCCESS Managing diversity tools Managing diversity goes far beyond the limits of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. High performing diversity managers recognize that specialized skills are necessary for creating a productive, diverse workforce. They seek out continuous learning opportunities and some go as far as acquiring certification. Managers must be willing to work towards changing the organization in order to create a culture of diversity and inclusion. Assessment skills and diversity education are key elements of culture change. However, the leadership’s support of the change cannot be understated. Creating the Multicultural Organization â€Å"The key to managing a diverse workforce is increasing individual awareness of and sensitivity to differences of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, and age†. There are several ways to go about creating the multicultural organization that performs extremely well. The â€Å"business case for diversity†, theorizes that in a global marketplace, a company that employs a diverse workforce (both men and women, people of many generations, people from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds etc. is better able to understand the demographics of the marketplace it serves and is thus better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company that has a more limited range of employee demographics. An additional corollary suggests that a company that supports the diversity of its workforce can also improve employee satisfaction, productivity and retention. This portion of the business case, often referr ed to as inclusion, relates to how an organization utilizes its various relevant diversities. If a workforce is diverse, but the employer takes little or no advantage of that breadth of that experience, then it cannot monetize whatever benefits background diversity might offer. In most cases, US employers are prohibited by federal and state laws from giving race or ethnicity any consideration in hiring or assigning employees. However, the US Supreme Court has upheld the use of limited preferences based on race, ethnicity, and sex, when there is a â€Å"manifest imbalance† in a â€Å"traditionally segregated job category. † In response to the research, Pfau and Key recommend that organizations concentrate on four areas with their employees. * Keep your company effective, winning, and on the right track. * Help people, supplied with needed resources; use their talents and skills to contribute to the overall accomplishment of organization objectives. * Respect and value people and recognize and act on their contributions. * Create an environment in which people have interesting work and enjoy their coworkers. On the Interpersonal Level Take a look at your coworkers or reporting staff with new eyes. Think about the factors that you share in common with them. You'll find: * You're all human beings with complex emotions, needs, interests, outlooks, viewpoints and dreams. Share something about yourself to create an environment in which your coworker wants to share information with you. Listen and don't pry. Polite and continuing interest in your coworkers contributes to workplace harmony. * You have family and other interests outside of work. Hear what your coworkers tell you about their personal lives. Remember the highlights to demonstrate respect and interest. You have similar needs from work as demonstrated above in The Human Capital Edge. Acknowledge this and note the commonalities. Work is more exciting when you feel as if you are accomplishing mutual goals. Act as if you are part of a winning team. Emphasize, with coworkers, your common interest in your success and the success of the organization. You'll get to know people as people if you participate in any fun or team buil ding events your organization sponsors. Better yet, join the team that plans them. Implementation Diversity issues change over time, depending on local historical and dynamic conditions. Overt â€Å"diversity programs† are usually limited to large employers, government agencies and businesses facing rapid demographic changes in their local labor pool and help people work and understand each other. The implementation of diversity is often limited to the Human resources department] when there is also a good economic case for UK companies to use it as a tool to reach new market shares. Legal frameworks US anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers giving any consideration to customers’ preferences for being served by employees of a given gender, ethnic group, or color. In general, the laws also prevent consideration based on religion, although the law allows major exceptions of this provision for religious organizations. Many countries are also introducing anti-discrimination laws (for example the DDA in the UK) forcing companies to be more aware of diversity. The law student organization Building a Better Legal Profession generated significant controversy in October 2007 for reporting data suggesting that most private law firms themselves lacked demographic diversity. CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING DIVERSITY Ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency. Some of the consequences can include unhealthy tensions; loss of productivity because of increased conflict; inability to attract and retain talented people of all kinds; complaints and legal actions; and inability to retain valuable employees, resulting in lost investments in recruitment and training. CONCLUSIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY AND SIMILARITY If you start by recognizing the ways in which you are similar to your coworkers, you'll build a base of understanding and acceptance that will withstand the sometimes stormy times when your differences come to the forefront. REFERENCES 1. Cultural diversity in the workplace : issues and strategies / George Henderson by Henderson, George, 1932- Westport, Conn. : Quorum Books, 1994 2. www. unep. org 3. www. unesco. org 4. The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value Bruce N. Pfau and Ira T. Kay, executives with Watson Wyatt Worldwide 5. Cross-cultural management / edited by Gordon Redding and Bruce W. Stening Cheltenham : Edward Elgar, c2003 6. Cross-cultural management : case studies development and delivery : report and case studies /CCM Research Team ; Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific, University of Sydney Sydney : Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific, University of Sydney, 1997 7. Multinational cross-cultural management : an integrative context-specific process / Robert J. Mockler, Dorothy G. Dologite by Mockler, Robert J Westport, Conn. : Quorum Books, 1997 8. International management : a cross cultural and functional perspective / Kamal Fatehi by Fatehi, Kamal Englewood Cliffs, NJ. : Prentice Hall, 1996