Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Malaysias National Snack essays

Malaysias National Snack essays " Malaysia's National Snack" I went to a Malaysian restaurant with my family last weekend to try some new Asian dishes we never tasted before. The name of the restaurant is Yazmin Malaysian Restaurant. That restaurant is located on Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. We ordered the curry noodles, the spicy chicken wings, the curry squids, and the satay. Among the foods we ordered, I would like to describe a dish that is called "Satay." It is so delicious, and it is a new Asian dish that I never tasted before. There are many interesting Malaysian traditional things in that Malaysia restaurant. The restaurant was decorated by hanging the Malaysian traditional kites and posters with Malaysia famous places. Besides the kites and the posters, there also has some traditional clothes on the walls. The boss called that is the "Batik" clothes. Thus, I felt that I was like that I was eating in Malaysia in that time. We ordered some Malaysia traditional foods, and one of those dishes that I like it very much. That is "Satay." Satay is a barbecued meat on a skewer. There are five skewers on a plate accompany with some bite-size cubes of cold, cook rice and the cool slices of cucumber, and uncook red onion. Along with it, there is a smaller plate filled with spicy peanut gravy. By using the same skewer, I dipped the meat into the spicy peanut gravy before I tasted it. Then, I speared a cube of cold, cook rice, and dipped into the gravy. Besides the bite-size of rice, I also speared a slice of cucumber and a slice of red onion, and dipped them into the gravy. It is so delicious until I had eaten up all the satay. Satay's meat is marinated and threaded through thin bamboo skewers before grilled. When it is grilled, it is basted with margarine by using a lemon grass as brush. I believe this made the smell better. However, the satay gravy has more complicated ingredients. It contains of peanuts, onion, garlic, chilie...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Siege of Leningrad in World War II

Siege of Leningrad in World War II The Siege of Leningrad took place from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, during World War II. With the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, German forces, aided by the Finns, sought to capture the city of Leningrad. Fierce Soviet resistance prevented the city from falling, but the last road connection was severed that September. Though supplies could be brought across Lake Ladoga, Leningrad was effectively under siege. Subsequent German efforts to take the city failed and in early 1943 the Soviets were able to open a land route into Leningrad. Further Soviet operations finally relieved the city on January 27, 1944. The 827-day siege was one of the longest and costliest in history. Fast Facts: Siege of Leningrad Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)Dates: September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944Commanders:AxisField Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von LeebField Marshal Georg von KÃ ¼chlerMarshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheimapprox. 725,000Soviet UnionMarshal Georgy ZhukovMarshal Kliment VoroshilovMarshal Leonid Govorovapprox. 930,000Casualties:Soviet Union: 1,017,881 killed, captured, or missing as well as 2,418,185 woundedAxis: 579,985 Background In planning for Operation Barbarossa, a key objective for German forces was the capture of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Strategically situated at the head of the Gulf of Finland, the city possessed immense symbolic and industrial importance. Surging forward on June 22, 1941, Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leebs Army Group North anticipated a relatively easy campaign to secure Leningrad. In this mission, they were aided by Finnish forces, under Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, which crossed the border with the goal of recovering territory recently lost in the Winter War. Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. Â  Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L08126 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 The Germans Approach Anticipating a German thrust towards Leningrad, Soviet leaders began fortifying the region around the city days after the invasion commenced. Creating the Leningrad Fortified Region, they built lines of defenses, anti-tank ditches, and barricades. Rolling through the Baltic states, 4th Panzer Group, followed by 18th Army, captured Ostrov and Pskov on July 10. Driving on, they soon took Narva and began planning for a thrust against Leningrad. Resuming the advance, Army Group North reached the Neva River on August 30 and severed the last railway into Leningrad (Map). Finnish Operations In support of the German operations, Finnish troops attacked down the Karelian Isthmus toward Leningrad, as well as advanced around the east side of Lake Ladoga. Directed by Mannerheim, they halted at the pre-Winter War border and dug in. To the east, Finnish forces halted at a line along the Svir River between Lakes Ladoga and Onega in East Karelia. Despite German pleas to renew their attacks, the Finns remained in these positions for the next three years and largely played a passive role in the Siege of Leningrad. Cutting Off the City On September 8, the Germans succeeding in cutting land access to Leningrad by capturing Shlisselburg. With the loss of this town, all supplies for Leningrad had to be transported across Lake Ladoga. Seeking to fully isolate the city, von Leeb drove east and captured Tikhvin on November 8. Halted by the Soviets, he was not able to link up with the Finns along the Svir River. A month later, Soviet counterattacks compelled von Leeb to abandon Tikhvin and retreat behind the River Volkhov. Unable to take Leningrad by assault, German forces elected to conduct a siege. The Population Suffers Enduring frequent bombardment, the population of Leningrad soon began to suffer as food and fuel supplies dwindled. With the onset of winter, supplies for the city crossed the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga on the Road of Life but these proved insufficient to prevent widespread starvation. Through the winter of 1941-1942, hundreds died daily and some in Leningrad resorted to cannibalism. In an effort to alleviate the situation, attempts were made to evacuate civilians. While this did help, the trip across the lake proved extremely hazardous and saw many lose their lives en route. Trying to Relieve the City In January 1942, von Leeb departed as commander of Army Group North and was replaced by Field Marshal Georg von KÃ ¼chler. Shortly after taking command, he defeated an offensive by the Soviet 2nd Shock Army near Lyuban. Beginning in April 1942, von KÃ ¼chler was opposed by Marshal Leonid Govorov who oversaw the Leningrad Front. Seeking to end the stalemate, he began planning Operation Nordlicht, utilizing troops recently made available after the capture of Sevastopol. Unaware of the German build-up, Govorov and Volkhov Front commander Marshal Kirill Meretskov commenced the Sinyavino Offensive in August 1942. Marshal Leonid Govorov. Public Domain Though the Soviets initially made gains, they were halted as von KÃ ¼chler shifted troops intended for Nordlicht into the fight. Counterattacking in late September, the Germans succeeded in cutting off and destroying parts of the 8th Army and 2nd Shock Army. The fighting also saw the debut of the new Tiger tank. As the city continued to suffer, the two Soviet commanders planned Operation Iskra. Launched on January 12, 1943, it continued through the end of the month and saw the 67th Army and 2nd Shock Army open a narrow land corridor to Leningrad along the south shore of Lake Ladoga. Relief at Last Though a tenuous connection, a railroad was quickly built through the area to aid in supplying the city. Through the remainder of 1943, the Soviets conducted minor operations in an effort to improve access to the city. In an effort to end the siege and fully relieve the city, the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive was launched on January 14, 1944. Operating in conjunction with the First and Second Baltic Fronts, the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts overwhelmed the Germans and drove them back. Advancing, the Soviets recaptured the Moscow-Leningrad Railroad on January 26. On January 27, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin declared an official end to the siege. The citys safety was fully secured that summer, when an offensive began against the Finns. Dubbed the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, the attack pushed the Finns back towards the border before stalling. Aftermath Lasting 827 days, the Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest in history. It also proved one of the costliest, with Soviet forces incurring around 1,017,881 killed, captured, or missing as well as 2,418,185 wounded. Civilian deaths are estimated at between 670,000 and 1.5 million. Ravaged by the siege, Leningrad had a pre-war population in excess of 3 million. By January 1944, only around 700,000 remained in the city. For its heroism during World War II, Stalin designed Leningrad a Hero City on May 1, 1945. This was reaffirmed in 1965 and the city was given the Order of Lenin.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Leadership Issues - Empowerment of Employees Essay

Leadership Issues - Empowerment of Employees - Essay Example Internal commitment is developed when workers or employees remain committed towards a person, program or project for their own personal motives. Since the complete decision making authority and responsibilities of a work rests with the worker or employee empowered, the question arises as to whether in that case the position and role of a manager becomes irrelevant or not (Dubrin, 2008, p.204). Extensive research has been conducted on the subject and different researchers have brought forth different perspectives. It is important to discuss whether employee empowerment calls for the complete removal of position of managers in organizations or they still stand to have their position and responsibility in directing group activities towards the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. In this study, a critical analysis is provided on the subject with particular reference to the management and leadership literature. The various views of researchers on the subject are complied an d brought to the fore to arrive at a comprehensive conclusion. ‘Empowered employees’ negates the need for managers- Critical Analysis The debate between employee empowerment and the role of managers can be most prominently viewed with regards to the hotel industry. Most employees in this sector are trained by managers to handle the guest incidents happening at the spot along with good judgement which includes being promptly, professional and courteous. This is aimed at improving services delivered to guests and consequently their satisfaction level, creating a better working environment for employees and creating time for managers to focus on other tasks and managerial activities. According to Brymer (2002) this is not only unusual and unnatural approach towards managing hotel activities but also surprising as the decision making authority accounts for the most important task that managers long for. At the first place the task for managing guests is quite a challenging task which could be difficult for workers or employees to manage. Researchers have regarded this as an indulgence in the way that employees would be inclined towards giving away too much without taking into consideration the costs or its impacts on the bottom line (Brymer, 2002, p.58). The argument has been countered by the fact that decentralization of decision making has been particularly successful in the quest services oriented organizations which includes hotels, restaurants and the like. This success has gradually created a step by step framework which has been used by the hospitality sector for the implementation of employee empowerment programs. These programs have been implemented for long in the hospitality sector and have achieved considerable success also (Brymer, 2002, p.58). Researchers have emphasized on the existence of trust on the part of the supervisors and managers on their subordinates to empower them which determines whether empowering employees would be succes sful or not. However, empowering employees to the desired organization responsibilities and decision making authority does not completely rule out the requirement or need for managers or the requirement of managerial activities though (Straiter, 2005, p.87). It is the managers’ responsibility to determine the competency, reliability and responsibility of the subordinates. Researchers like McAllister (1995), argues that this can be a complicated and uncertain process which

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Comparison and contrast of 2 composers of the Boroque period Essay

Comparison and contrast of 2 composers of the Boroque period. (instructor has 5 composers to chose from - Essay Example In Rome, George Frederic Handel is believed to have survived Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) music career who was the bestselling Baroque musician in Rome. Henry Purcell from England at the same time was the bestselling baroque musician in England. Although he did not live for long before he met his death, Purcell made the very best from the flowering music career. Many prolific composers of the baroque period traced their roots from Rome and Handel was no exception. Most of their compositions was purely based on the roots, and tried to connect their current happenings with their past lifestyles. This approach made their works unique, because it was not an imaginary composition, but they composed on real life situations which made a lot of difference in their lives. His predecessor Corelli was highly appreciated and his influence was to later extend to the entire Europe continent. Corelli’s influence, which could not have been ignored by anyone interested in becoming a composer in the entire Europe. This is because he had a good grasp of happenings and his approach to lifestyle music was capturing big audiences. Handel is later reported to have partnered with young Scarlatti whom they performed together before Cardinal Pietro Ottoborni in Venice. This was a huge milestone for Handel and his blend with Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas was unmatched. The 1600s was a period of political upheavals in England where they were changing from autocratic to parliamentary monarchy. During this change in leadership, a musical leader was born, and a history would have it, the born leader would later carry the music mantle and end up being one of the finest at his time. Henry Purcell was born in the year 1969 and didn’t live for long. However, his years on earth were of great impact to the music industry. Much of his time was accorded to writing operas which were musical dramas and incidental stage music. His passion for music

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Intro to Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Intro to Philosophy Essay The word philosophy itself means â€Å"the love of wisdom. † Philosophy stands for doing the right thing or being a â€Å"just† person. Philosophy also means to see things for what they truly are and not what they may seem to be. A philosopher’s life is a lifelong quest to find the meaning of things beyond their physical appearance. The Ring of Gyges is a ring that a man puts on and becomes invisible. When he does wrong he is not blamed, he gets away with it. Once a man puts this ring on he can be unjust without punishment. In the second book of The Republic Adimantus argued that the unjust life is happier than the unjust. His argument was that a just man can go without now and enjoy heaven in the afterlife while an unjust man will go without nothing and still enjoy the benefits of the after life. Through the eyes of a philosopher there are two worlds, the visible world and the intelligible world. In the visible you can see things and judge them from what you actually see. If a person sees a flower one could judge that it is a beautiful flower. However, the person is judging this flowers beauty on its physical appearance and their claim is merely an opinion rather than true knowledge. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† men are chained inside of a cave. All they can see is the shadows that are formed on the wall in front of them. The people inside of the cave believe that the shadows that are being cast on the wall is reality. When one of the men is unchained and brought to the outside world at first he is blinded by the sun and cannot see clearly. The man can only see the shadows of the objects in front of him, this can be perceived as the images of physical objects. When his eyes adjust he can see more than the shadows, he can see the physical objects themselves. When the man goes back inside of the cave to tell the others what he has seen he again cannot see clearly because his eyes have not adjusted. The others in the cave laugh claiming that the sun has ruined his eyes. For a period of time he cannot decipher what the shadows on the wall are imitating. They don’t believe what the man is telling them. In Plato’s Analogy of the Divided Line the four stages of cognition, which represent the levels of existence, are explained. The first two stages, the good and the sun, represent the visible world. The third and fourth stages, knowledge and opinion, represent the intelligible world. These stages are represented in â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave. † Without the sun’s light we would not be able to see anything at all. The sun allows us to see the flower that we perceived as beautiful. Without the suns light we would not be able to see or perceive any of the physical objects that exist. The sun is perceived as the things that we see. The sun also allows for all living life on earth. Without the sun all life on Earth would diminish. Without the sun we could not perceive anything at all. 1. A person can only understand something once they have reached the highest level of cognitive activity. One must acquire the Form of Good before they can truly understand something. Images and assumptions are not enough support to truly understand the meaning of something. The images the prisoners in the cave saw and the assumptions they made about what they thought they could be are only their opinions. Although they were able to identify the shadows on the wall as what they thought they were it is not enough to truly know what they are, the identities given to the shadows by the prisoners is merely their opinion. In â€Å"Phaedo† Socrates claims that our soul is attached to our body. Our body acts as a vessel only operating because of the soul inside. According to Socrates our body holds us back from perceiving things for what they truly are and therefore a philosopher should desire death because it enables them to continue their quest of reality. 2. Socrates viewed death as a purification of the body that allows us find pure wisdom. Socrates explained how our souls are glued to our bodies and only when they are unfastened by death is a person able to experience wisdom in its purest state. The body distracts us from finding the truth because it requires maintenance. The body allows us to feel pain and emotions like love, fear and hunger. Socrates admits that philosophers are more or less practicing for death and should embrace it when it comes for them. â€Å"And will he who is a true lover of wisdom, and is persuaded in like manner that only in the world below he can worthily enjoy her, still repine death? Will he not depart with joy? Surely, he will, my friend, if he be a true philosopher. For he will have a firm conviction that there only, and nowhere else, he can find wisdom in her purity. † (Phaedo pg. 65) Socrates believes that philosophy is good because it enlightens us to what things actually are rather than what they’re perceived to be. Philosophy is what brings the unchained man outside of the cave. It pushes us to go into the unknown, which we at one point we thought we knew. Once we realize what things actually are we also realize that we had no idea what they really were before. The man in the cave that once thought that the only reality was the shadows on the wall now realizes that the shadows weren’t reality at all. Socrates was formally charged because he didn’t worship the gods recognized by the states and for corrupting the youth of Athens. The informal charges against Socrates was asking questions that were unusual, or outside of the box. â€Å"Socrates is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others† p. 21 Apology The oracle of Delphi told Socrates that he was the wisest man. Socrates refused to accept this statement and went searching for a wiser man than himself. In search of a wiser man than himself, Socrates talked with many people including politicians, poets and craftsmen who claimed to be wise. Socrates found them to not be wise because they thought they knew things that they did not. Socrates proclaimed himself as wise because he knew that he did not know. Socrates exposed the false wisdom of the men who were thought to be wise. Naturally these men held much resistance and hostility towards Socrates. These negative feelings contributed to Socrates’ trial. Socrates refutes Meletus’ statement that he doesn’t believe in any god, that he is an atheist. Socrates does this by confirming that he does in fact believe in supernatural activities, such as his inner voice that told him he was the wisest man, and therefore is not an atheist. Socrates states that wealthy young men, enjoy following him around and listening to him question people. It’s entertaining for them. These men, who think they are wise but aren’t, then go out and try to do this on their own. When the people they question get angry instead of being angry with themselves, become angry with Socrates. They accuse Socrates of filling the young men’s head with nonsense. When asked about what Socrates teaches they don’t know and then use claims already made against philosophers against Socrates. Socrates then asks Meletus who he thinks an improver of the youth is. Meletus claims that the law is an improver of the youth, such as judges and senators. Socrates then proclaims that everyone in the state is an improver of the youth except himself. Meletus agrees to this statement. Socrates states that he must either not corrupt the youth or unintentionally corrupt the youth because good do their neighbors good, and evil do them evil. If he had corrupted someone, in theory, they should have harmed him by now. In Socrates’ last defense he says, â€Å"For if you kill me you will not easily find another like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by God; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. † (31-32) Socrates is attempting to demonstrate to the people of the city that there is more to their life than what meets the eye. Without philosophers such as himself they will continue to live the life they’re living with no desire to search for more. They will continue to accept the shadows on the wall as their reality. There are three parts to the soul. These three parts consist of the rational, high spirit and the appetitive. The rational portion of the soul is the part of us that seeks knowledge of wisdom. According to Plato the rational should rule the soul. The high spirit consists of the angry and prideful part of the soul that defends and aids the rational. The high spirit avoids shame. The final part of the soul, the appetitive, is the part of the soul that desires. While some desires are necessary, others are not. If not restrained by the rational, the appetitive portion of the soul can over rule all other parts. In addition to the three parts of the soul there are also three parts of the city. These three parts are the gold, silver and the bronze. The golds are the guardians, the silvers are the enforcers of the laws (helpers), and the bronzes are the merchants and tradesmen. The city virtue of wisdom resides within the gold’s, the guardians. In order to posses civic wisdom one must know how the city operates and how all parts of the city are connected. The knowledge of how the city runs and operates allows the city to operate at the highest level. The city virtue of bravery and justice resides with the silvers, the enforcers of laws. Civic bravery is the defined as the Silvers upholding their education about what things are and are not to be feared and in what order as ordered to them by the Golds. Civic justice refers to sticking to your own work whether you are a moneymaker, helper, or guardian. It’s considered unjust to work outside of your boundaries. The city virtue of temperance exists within the bronze citizens, the merchants and tradesmen, of the city. The civic temperance is the agreement (harmony) between the three sections (gold, silver and bronze) as to who should rule and who should obey. The personal virtue of wisdom is housed by ones rational portion of the soul. Personal wisdom consists of knowing all parts of the soul and how they are connected to one another. The ultimate goal of personal wisdom is keeping the soul as healthy and as balanced as possible. Personal bravery and justice is contained within the high-spirit part of the soul. The High-Spirit of the soul is to preserve the education of what is and is not to be feared. The Rational tells the High-Spirit in which order things are to be feared or not feared. The personal virtue of justice minds it’s own within each part of the soul. The appetitive portion of the soul houses the personal temperance virtue. The personal temperance works in agreement between the three portions of the soul as to who should rule and who should obey. The advantage of philosophy with respect to the state is the efficiency. Everyone has jobs that relate well to their attributes. You cannot be a gold (guardian) without first experiencing being a bronze and then a silver. In order to be a gold one must possess knowledge of all three parts of the city. This ultimately leaves the best most knowledgeable citizens in charge of the city. The advantage of philosophy in regards to the individual is the balance between all parts of the soul. All parts of the soul are important to understand and the rational helps us inherit the wisdom needed to understand these aspects of the soul. One who constantly indulges in the appetitive portion of the soul will be overcome by it. When a person posses wisdom they know when a desire is necessary rather than unnecessary. Students and states that pursue philosophy are better off than the ones who don’t because of the level of intelligence they hold. When a student or state has the knowledge of all the levels of either the civic or individual level they’re more likely to excel in their job. Without philosophy there would be no need to extend one’s boundaries and explore the unkown. Socrates was the man in the cave who managed to break free from his chains and see the world beyond the cave. His accusers, the men still chained inside of the cave, refused to accept what Socrates was trying to show them. If they accepted what Socrates was trying to prove it would be a harsh reality for all they ever knew would diminish. Life outside of the cave is unknown. It’s far less scary to continue their life believing that the shadows on the wall are all that there is. Works Cited Plato, and Benjamin Jowett. The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print. Plato, H. D. P. Lee, and M. S. Lane. The Republic. London: Penguin, 2007. Print.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Test Bias Essay -- Bias in Mental Testing

In the helping professions such as psychology, counseling, social work and education, it is imperative that we as professionals understand tests and be able to administer them properly to our clients or students. Tests should be carefully selected, as each has a purpose and as we are aware, there are biases within various tests. A biased test is one in which there are methodical distinctions in the meaning of test scores correlated to different groups. Most tests are well-formulated; however none are absolute. Tests are often administered to make substantial conclusions that will affect the lives of the test-taker. The test-taker is unaware of these biases that are in favor of or in opposition of specific groups of people and the results could have a major effect on the test-taker. Testing has become a major aspect of the American society. In academic settings, tests scores are used in determining if a student will graduate high school, selecting students for admission to college, placing students into special education, and various other reasons. Within the corporate arena, businesses may use testing to select individuals for job placement. In the United States, testing is inescapable, and test results could have an extensive influence on individuals. Despite the commonality of testing there is a large discrepancy of results between individuals of certain races, social class, and geographical locations. It was previously suggested that the generous gap in test scores were due to differing educational systems, however researchers now seek other justifications. Is it possible that these tests are erroneous? Did they measure what they were intended to measure? Individuals in the field of education, who agree that individua... ...ork: Free Press. Hilliard, A.G., III (1995), ed. Testing African American students: special reissue of the Negro Educational Review. Chicago: Third World Press. Jencks, C. and Phillips, M. (1998), eds. The black-white test score gap. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. Jenson, A.R. (1980). Bias in mental testing. New York: Free Press. Matarazzo, J. (1972) Wechsler’s measurement and appraisal of adult intelligence. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. Reynolds, C.R. and Brown, Robert T. (1984), eds. Perspectives on bias in mental testing. New York: Plenum Press. Thorndike, R. (1971). Concepts of cultural-fairness.Journal of Educational Measurement,  8(2), 63-70. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/1433959 Whiston, S. (2009).  Principles and applications of assessment in counseling. (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Propolis

Introduction : Propolis is a glue-like resinous material that collected and processed by the bees (honeybees) from various sources of flowers, leaves, and other plants. It is a heterogeneous mixture consist of many compounds which is taken and converted then utilized by bees in sealing their honeycombs holes, smoothing the internal parts of the combs, and providing protection to their residence against invaders. Recent studies which have been conducted on the propolis, showed that the propolis is a mixture of phenolic compounds (phenolic acid), polyphenols , flavonoids , Easters and various types of fatty acids, amino acids, alcohol, steroids, Caffeic acid, CAPE, quercitin , carbohydrates and many other substances that forms the propolis. Its composition may differ due to the difference of the source which is collected from. The differences in their chemical composition may affect the biological activities and may also cause some diversity although the properties are almost similar in all of it. Propolis has an interest according to its properties which make it unique. It might be used in therapeutic aspects such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, antiviral and antibacterial activities and also radioprotective properties. Propolis has anti-cancer or anti-tumor factors. It has been reported by many studies which noticed that propolis inhibits cancer cells growth and metastasis by stimulating the apoptosis and the immune system. Apoptosis is the mechanism of destroying and eliminating the Abnormal cells that includes cancer cells. This attribute may prevent the side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used in the treating cancer but in the same time they damage other organs and may cause other diseases or undesired effects. The only disadvantage of natural anti-cancer is the rate of activity which is faster in chemo and radiotherapy . Also, it has Anti-oxidant activity due to the presence of flavonoids which inhibits the lipid peroxidation and the oxidation of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and quercetin which is the most potent radical scavenger. Free radical scavengers may prevent the free radicals reactive species from being formed, or remove them before they can harmfully affect the components of the cell. In addition to these properties, it also has antibacterial, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aggregatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects that make propolis the focus of attention of many scientists. Cancer (malignant tumor) is an abnormal growth of cells due to either presence of mutation in DNA or inhibiting in the tumor suppressors ( one of the checkpoints on the cell cycle ) which leads to fast growth of cancer cells, invading the organs, and destroying the adjacent cells to get the nutrition. Cancer may occur in any part of the lungs and causes damage to the lung and may lead to death . Lung cancer may be hereditary or acquired by many factors, for example, smoking cigarettes, asbestos and breathing carcinogens chemicals. However, the main causes of other types of cancers are still unknown yet.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Bright Light Innovations: the Starlight Stove

Opportunity analysis and critical issues hidden in this case As the increasing pace of globalization, more and more companies seek opportunities to involve in the international trade. Expanding the market share and maximize the profits is the purpose of those companies. However, it is unlike the education. Most universities especially public universities are non-profit organization. Their purpose is not to earn enough money; on the contrary, the purpose of universities is to provide training and knowledge for students in order to benefit the society.In return, students pay appropriate fees and government provide monetary support to the university so that university can gain the ability to do the research and develop its hardware and software. In this way, university can have a sustainable development. So university can benefit from seeking opportunities in international expansion. First, students from different countries and cultural background can share their experience. It is a goo d chance for students and universities to participate in international market.Secondly, international universities can share resource with local universities. On the one hand, it can help develop the universities from developing countries; on the other hand, international universities can also gain advanced experience they are lack of. Thirdly, international universities can maximize their influence by cooperating with local government or some research institutions. In this case, Bright Light Innovations aims to opening its market in Nepal. In order to explore this market, the company considers a series of criteria.The first one is the â€Å"total population† and â€Å"population growth†. This factor established the foundation of consumption power. Jianfa Shen points out that the population is one of the factors to affect the market demand (Jianfa Shen, 1998). The more people live in the country, the larger potential market exists. The second one is the â€Å"natural climate†. Climate change determines the consumer’s consumption behavior to some extent (Seljom, 2011). Considering that the temperature of Nepal is very low, the Bright Light Innovation provides stove to local people who are in the need of warm.The third one is the â€Å"living habit of local people†. According to Jaime Alonso-Carrera’s study, â€Å"individual preferences are subject to both habit formation and consumption spillovers† (Jaime Alonso-Carrera, 2004). The case shows that most people in Nepal uses firewood as the main source of the energy. Due to this reason, the products of stoves meet the needs of local people. What’s more, the company also considers â€Å"political policy†. Whether the local government support or against the kind of products is the factor to affect the entering in the international market.The fourth hidden critical issue in this case is the â€Å"infrastructure† in Nepal. Well infrastructure contr ibutes to the potential growth of the company (Weiland, Scott J. 2012). If the company needs to set up a factory in the local place, infrastructure including electric, water, traffic and others should be considered. Finally, â€Å"income† determines the purchasing power in the local market. More income means more potential consumption to some extent. Alternatives and product lunch in foreign marketThe reason why Bright Light selects Nepal as its target market is that the market and the company can benefit from each other. Following factors can be contributed to the access of the products to Nepal. First, the local government can benefit from the company. Bright Light decides to set up a plant in local place; it helps the government solve the problem of employment. More people can be employed as the factory setting up; besides, the company can reduce much cost by setting up a factory in local place. Second, Bright Light helps protect the environment to some extent.As its stove is more efficient than traditional one, people will use less firewood. In this case, the forests can be protected and the environmental problem can be solved. Thirdly, family productivity increased 20 percent or more per day. People can have more free time to do other jobs rather than logging. Fourthly, Bright Lights contributes revenue to the government. The government can gain revenue from the tax. Finally, the stove can produce electric and the generated electric can be widely used in the home or in the school.The new products bring benefits to the government and the local people and the company gain revenues and profits from selling the products to the local people. The relationship between the company and the customers and government seems very important. Without permission, the company cannot enter this new market. In regard of the government (Nepal) that will not provide permission to try the new product, the company can consider other ways to enter this market. The Bright L ight can follow other companies which have been in Nepal and familiar with the local policy and culture.In this way, the Bright Light can build a partnership with that company; besides, the Bright Light also need to know the export or import policy of the Nepal so that it can fits the regulation by doing some changes. These two ways help the company meet the requirement of the government and have the right to enter the new market. Product promotion and advertising recommendations In rural areas, adult literacy rate is low in developing countries. A study shows that high literacy rate has significant positive effect on foreign direct investment inflow (CHEE-KEONG CHOONG, 2010).People in this area don’t know the words. So they don’t know the brand and the instructions of the products. It will lead to the low brand loyalty and cause a series of problems of products recognition. Some people may don’t understand how to use it and some people may don’t know how to solve the problems when something wrong with the stove. In other words, it directly affects the marketing strategy plan of the company. Schmitt, Natalie M. points out that the advertisement of the brand or label should be easy to recognize for customers so that it helps build up the brand-loyalty (Schmitt, Natalie M. 007). Following ways with advertisement can solve the problem. Focusing on verbal and audio can be a way of advertisements. In this way, people can better understand how the products functions and gradually set up the brand-loyalty to the products; besides, newspapers and videos also an efficient measure to send information to final customers. The usage and instruction of the products can be advertised on the newspaper in the form of pictures so that local people can easily understand. Other forms of advertising may also function well.The Bright Light can exhibit its products on the local trade fair or other expos. In this way, people can not only know the products, but also can try the new products. Although the goal of the company is to maximize its profits, it should devote itself in the social charity. It is not only a kind of social responsibility, but also is a kind of advertisement. The report of such philanthropy is an efficient way to improve the image of the company and it helps to build up a brand-loyalty to customers. Furthermore, becoming the sponsor of special event is another way to make a promotion.Special event always attract large number of audience and media. In this situation, it can be advertised on the display boards. It is a useful way to expanded publicity. Pricing strategy and competitive situation analysis In order to price the product, Bright Light should consider the costs and profits when selling to the customers. As customer feel that the product is worth of the money, then the product or the brand will impress the customers. The cost of a stove manufactured is $60. The company decides to sell the stove at $80 but worries about the margin profits.If the company set the price at higher level, fewer consumers are willing to buy. Customers may choose substitute instead of the new product (stove). In this way, the Bright Light may lose the market share; however, sometimes consumers are willing to afford the high price because of the special features added to the product. Draganska illustrates his point in his study that customer are willing to pay the comparatively high price when the product has special characteristics and satisfy the consumer’s preference (Draganska, 2006). The new stove has such feature that it can generate electric as well as heat.In consider of the purchasing power of Nepal, the company decides to find a micro financing organization to provide loan for local people who are willing to purchase the stove. It is a way not only help the poor people afford the stove, but also stimulates the consumption on stoves. Pricing strategy should also put the competitive situation into consideration such as the â€Å"threat a price war†, â€Å"channel conflict†, or â€Å"legal or ethical considerations†. If Bright Light set its price for the stove, other competitors may follow tis price and even set the lower price to compete with Bright Light.In this situation, Bright Light may lose its customers. Direct competitors also can imitate the products designed by Bright Light; however, if Bright Light has better quality with cheaper price, the product can be competitive. Because the target market could be low-income family, low price strategy and loan strategy can meet their requirements. Substitute products of the starlight stove from other competitors should also be considered to the pricing strategy. It is a kind of indirect competition. Substitutes can quickly dominate the low income market share; however, Starlight stove has its core competence.The new product (stove) is more efficient and it needs less firewood, what the most important i s that it can generate electric. Core competition plays a significant role in improving the barriers for other competitors and R&D capability is regarded as the most important source for core competence. Due to this reason, it is obvious that the company makes innovation on the new product and the starlight stove is a competitive product. The company needs to pay attention on constantly innovation to make sure the company stays ahead of potential rivals (Yu-fen Chen, 2007).In order to keep its core competence, the company needs to apply for the patent from the Nepal government so that the company can raise barriers to imitation. In general, by analyzing the strength and weakness of the competitors and figuring out the opportunities and threats of its own, the starlight stove can be outstanding with competitive price and accepted by the local people. References Chee-Keong Choong and Siew-Yong Lam. (2010). The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Malaysia: A Revisit. Global Ec onomic Review, 39(2), 175-195. Draganska and Michaela. (2006).Consumer Preferences and Product-Line Pricing Strategies: An Empirical Analysis. Marketing Science, 25(2), 164-174. Jaime Alonso-Carrera. , Jordi Caballe and Xavier Raurich. (2004). Consumption Externalities, Habit Formation and Equilibrium Efficiency. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 106(2), 231-251. Jianfa Shen. (1998). China's Future Population and Development Challenges. The Geographical Journal, 164(1), 32-40. Marywood U. , and Weiland, Scott J. (2012). An examination of the relationship among perceived infrastructure, perceived business climate, perceived workforce, and business growth in Northeastern Pennsylvania.Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72(7), 2489. Pernille and Seljom. (2011). Modelling the effects of climate change on the energy system–A case study of Norway. Energy Policy, 39(11), 7310-7321. Schmitt, Natalie M. (2007). Consumers' freedom of cho ice–Advertising aimed at children, product placement, and food labeling. Journal of Public Health, 15(1), 57-62. Yu-fen Chen. (2007). An empirical analysis of core competence for high-tech firms and traditional manufacturers. Journal of Management Development, 26(2), 159-168.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The development of Rousseau and Raskolnikov in Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment and Camus The Outsider

The development of Rousseau and Raskolnikov in Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment and Camus The Outsider In every society, it is important for individuals to adhere to a set of principles inorder to maintain order. In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and Camus' TheOutsider , however, both protagonists ignored the values of their society. Raskolnikovand Meursault felt their own beliefs were significant, and through their actions they wereable to express them. As a result, one man was judged as a social deviant, while the otherman suffered psychologically. Through dealing with this strife, Raskolnikov andMeursault gained a better understanding of their values and personal worth.In the beginning both men rejected the fundamental values of society and formedtheir own ideologies. Raskolnikov, for instance, believed that "we have to correct anddirect nature. But for that, there would never had been a single great man"1. In fact, hehad written an article titled "The psychology of a criminal before and after the crime".Poster for Czech first production of Raskolnikov (...Itstated that 'ordina ry' men live according to the law and exist only to reproduce thehuman race, yet 'extraordinary' men may break laws "if in his own conscience it isnecessary to do so in order to better mankind"2. Raskolnikov believed that indeed, hewas an "extraordinary man"3, but like Meursault, his beliefs were untested. As a result,he murdered an old pawnbroker women in order to prove himself. Meursault, as well,acted against the social norm. For example, even though it was expected of a son, he didnot show sorrow at his mother's funeral4. He did not think this was shallow, however, hejust refused to falsely show emotion when he did not feel any; "I realized that I'dmanaged to get through another Sunday, that mother was now buried, that I was goingback to work and that, after all, nothing had...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

An Early History of Forensic Entomology, 1300-1900

An Early History of Forensic Entomology, 1300-1900 In recent decades, the use of entomology as a tool in forensic investigations has become fairly routine. The field of forensic entomology has a much longer history than you might suspect, dating all the way back to the 13th century. The First Crime Solved by Forensic Entomology The earliest known case of a crime being solved using insect evidence comes from medieval China. In 1247, the Chinese lawyer Sung Tsu wrote a textbook on criminal investigations called The Washing Away of Wrongs. In his book, Tsu recounts the story of a murder near a rice field. The victim had been slashed repeatedly, and investigators suspected the weapon used was a sickle, a common tool used in the rice harvest. How could the murderer be identified, when so many workers carried these tools? The local magistrate brought all the workers together  and told them to lay down their sickles. Though all the tools looked clean, one quickly attracted hordes of flies. The flies could sense the residue of blood and tissue invisible to the human eye. When confronted by this jury of flies, the murderer confessed to the crime. Dispelling the Myth of Spontaneous Generation of Maggots Just as people once thought the world was flat and the Sun revolved around the Earth, people used to think maggots would arise spontaneously out of rotting meat. Italian physician Francesco Redi finally proved the connection between flies and maggots in 1668. Redi compared two groups of meat: the first left exposed to insects, and the second group covered by a barrier of gauze. In the exposed meat, flies laid eggs, which quickly hatched into maggots. On the gauze-covered meat, no maggots appeared, but Redi observed fly eggs on the outer surface of the gauze. Establishing a Relationship Between Cadavers and Arthropods In the 1700 and 1800s, physicians in both France and Germany observed mass exhumations of corpses. The French doctors M. Orfila and C. Lesueur published two handbooks on exhumations, in which they noted the presence of insects on the exhumed cadavers. Some of these arthropods were identified to species in their 1831 publication. This work established a relationship between specific insects and decomposing bodies. Fifty years later, the German doctor Reinhard used a systematic approach to study this relationship. Reinhard exhumed bodies to collect and identify the insects present with the bodies. He specifically noted the presence of phorid flies, which he left to an entomology colleague to identify. Using the Succession of Insects to Determine a Postmortem Interval By the 1800s, scientists knew that certain insects would inhabit decomposing bodies. Interest now turned to the matter of succession. Physicians and legal investigators began questioning which insects would appear first on a cadaver, and what their life cycles could reveal about a crime. In 1855, French doctor Bergeret dArbois was the first to use insect succession to determine the postmortem interval of human remains. A couple remodeling their Paris home uncovered the mummified remains of a child behind the mantelpiece. Suspicion immediately fell on the couple, though they had only recently moved into the house. Bergeret, who autopsied the victim, noted evidence of insect populations on the corpse. Using methods similar to those employed by forensic entomologists today, he concluded that the body had been placed behind the wall years earlier, in 1849. Bergeret used what was known about insect life cycles and successive colonization of a corpse to arrive at this date. His report convinced police to charge the previous tenants of the home, who were subsequently convicted of the murder. French veterinarian Jean Pierre Megnin spent years studying and documenting the predictability of insect colonization in cadavers. In 1894, he published La Faune des Cadavres, the culmination of his medico-legal experience. In it, he outlined eight waves of insect succession that could be applied during investigations of suspicious deaths. Megnin also noted that buried corpses were not susceptible to this same series of colonization. Just two stages of colonization invaded these cadavers. Modern forensic entomology draws on the observations and studies of all these pioneers.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Will upload documents about the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Will upload documents about the topic - Essay Example orld outward stock of FDI was estimated to be $10,672 billion in 2005 (EC, 2015).This huge amount was due to the increasing activities of multinationals. These activities of Multinational enterprises have a direct impact on rising amount of world GDP. The overall global foreign direct investments have been fluctuating over the last few years. One of the reasons for this was the economic and financial crisis that has affected the world economy. Economic crisis of 2008 has changed the behavior of the international investors and they have become more cautious before making investment in other countries. If the Foreign direct investment flow for the last few years has been analyzed; then a fluctuating trend can be identified. FDI flows had declined in the year 2012. However this flow had increased again in the year 2013. This increase in the FDI Flows was caused in the era of 2010 and 2013 because FDI flows during this period were less influenced by the global financial and economic crisis. Total FDI outflows increased approximately by 57Â  % in the year 2011. From this, the equity capital and reinvested earnings were the main cause of this increment as reported by EC (2015). However, in the year 2012, outward flows of FDI dropped a gain. This decline in FDI was caused due to reduced FDI activity with some traditional partners. Then in the year 2013, the FDI flow rose again up to 12Â  %. The main source of improving FDI was The United States and its direct investment into the European Union that rose approximately three times more than the year 2013 (EC, 2015). At the present time, Multinationals have become an integral part of life. Today, a local citizen can drive a BMW or Toyota. He can work at the IBM office while staying in his own country, eat at McDonalds, use an Apple cell phone, etc. All of these luxuries and facilities have been possible due to the existence of Multinationals Enterprises. It is due to these Multinational outlets that citizen of one country can