Discuss the potential role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of Essay

Discuss the potential role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of inflammatory diseases - Essay Example Interestingly, the human body cannot produce these acids, however, once in the body, they are transformed into more complex structures. These structures have been noted to perform numerous important biological functions. ALA is, in fact, a predecessor to EPA and DHA (Gura et al. 2008). This is because when ALA is taken by humans, it is transformed to EPA and DHA. This is due to the fact that EPA and DHA are easily transformed to complex polyunsaturated fatty acids. The greatest supplies of ALA originate from fish such as salmonherring, halibut, sardines and Chinook (Racco 2009). As a result, many people consume fish oil in order to acquire the omega-3 fatty acid, rather than taking itself, for a number of reasons. ALA, furthermore, can be obtained from foods such as seeds, oils, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and beans among many others. As said by Gura et al. (2008), dietary fish oil supplementation exists documented to enhance inflammatory illnesses, for example, irritable bowel, asthma as well as rheumatoid arthritis. Various impacts of omega-3 PUFA are as a result of modulation of the quantity depending on the types of eicosanoids that are produced. This is because other impacts are expressed by eicosanoid-independent means, which include the behaviour following transcription factor activity, intracellular indicating routes as well as gene expression (Cheung et al. 2009). It is worth noting that animal experiments coupled with clinical intervention studies highlight the anti-inflammatory characteristics that omega-3 fatty acids poses. Therefore, these strengthen its worth in the running of inflammatory and autoimmune illnesses. Numerous clinical studies on the impact on different inflammatory diseases following the use of food supplements enriched with fish oils are coming up on a day-to-day basis. This is because of the increased knowledge in the causative agents of the diseases, which include rheumatoid arthritis, irritable

Robert Brownings Poetry | Analysis

Robert Brownings Poetry | Analysis Compare the examination of abnormal psychology in Robert Brownings poetry, and in Iain Banks novel, The Wasp Factory. Make illuminating connections with the work of Edgar Allan Poe.   The abnormal mental state of the narrators in both Brownings poetry and in Banks novel, The Wasp Factory, is intrinsic in achieving the gothic style. Whilst the protagonists insanity is more implicit in Brownings poetry, the narrators, nevertheless, display similar characteristics of psychosis and delusion. Indeed, this madness disconnects the characters from the rest of society, and this element of monstrosity is vital in creating the intrigue and terror that ensues. Inclusion of such monstrous figures destabilises the natural order: it challenges the fixed social structures and ideology, and becomes inconsistent with what the majority considers both acceptable and intelligible. Yet, whilst on the surface gothic works may appear to reinforce these seemingly grotesque characteristics, in many respects, through exposing the unnatural, they deconstruct the illogical, and thereby attempt to create a set of social norms. The first chapter of The Wasp Factory, The Sacrifice Poles, serves as a warning to the reader that they are entering into the domain of Franks psyche. The unconventional behaviour she displays is evident through her intentional replacement of common nouns with proper nouns: for instance, the capitalisation of words such as Factory and Poles. Essentially this represents the objects which Frank views as significant in the private world that she has constructed for herself. Franks tendency to fantasise is further demonstrated through the naming of her catapult- The Black Destroyer. In fact, Frank goes beyond symbolism- for instance she assigns the house with humanistic attributes through personification: powerful body buried in the rock. Of course, this description may well be representative of the dark life she lives, in regards to both her social isolation and the sinister lifestyle that she leads. The conflicting behaviour that Frank exhibits, that is her seemingly child-like behavio ur and her meticulosity with rituals, underlines her highly unusual mental state. The initial lines of Porphyrias Lover similarly imply the protagonists unusual frame of mind. The use of pathetic fallacy and personification, for instance, the sullen wind is not only effective in creating a cold and melancholy atmosphere, but may be representative of the narrators mind; consequently, there is a strong sense of foreboding. The abnormal psychology of the narrator is further exemplified through the description of how the wind did its worst to vex the lake. Likewise, the wind is awake and tears down the elm-tops for spite. Thus, the wind is perhaps an emblem of the narrators destructive capacity: it could be argued that the lake is representative of Porphyria, and the wind is representative of the narrators anger towards Porphyria. In this sense, the narrators anger is possibly a consequence of his inability to possess the femininity that Porphyria exudes. The Laboratory also reveals a narrator that exhibits an unstable mental state. The anapaestic meter of the poem po ssibly reflects her enthusiasm and engagement in producing the poison. Additionally, the tricolon Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste is representative of her increasing exhilaration as the poison approaches completion, whilst active verbs such as grind and pound convey violent connotations, which present us with an ambience of foreboding. The exquisite blue and the gold oozings of the poison, however, are possibly an allusion to the opulence of the French court. There is a stark contrast between the murky laboratory, which is arguably representative of the decadent aristocrats, and the affluence of the court; this is perhaps symbolic of the widespread corruption that encompassed the French aristocracy. During the emergence of the gothic literary movement, history was characterised by widespread political unrest often resulting in revolution. Subsequently, the genre became very popular with writers as it enabled them to express sympathy and moral concern over such movements. I n The Fall of the House of Usher, Poes imagery describing the attrition of the house is perhaps an attempt to symbolise the narrators degenerating mental state. Also, the Haunted Palace that is occupied by evil things (that) assailed the monarchs high estate is possibly an allusion to how his mind is being possessed by the malevolent forces that ostensibly surround the house. In The Wasp Factory, Franks father also displays an abnormal state of mind, which is demonstrated through his efforts to exert constant authority over his daughter. Mr Cauldhame has ultimately left Frank excluded from society through his decision to conceal his identity and home educate him. More sinisterly, however, Angus, through experimentation, has essentially created a contemporary Frankenstein. Fundamentally, Angus has suppressed Franks innate feminine characteristics through experimental hormone therapy and has indoctrinated her with misogynistic views. This enables Mr Cauldhame to think that he is in control of what he views as the correct father- son relationship. Of course, normality has no association with Franks life: the child-like mentality that she exhibits through her fantasy, perhaps signifies that, in reality, Frank is scared of the real world in a multitude of ways. Alternatively, this fantasy world may keep Frank at least partially sane: Eric shows the stark conse quences that may result from the real world. Moreover, their use of imperial measurements is not only indicative of Mr Cauldhames compulsive disorder, but accentuates the concept that the island does not progress with time. In this respect, the Cauldhame family is a microcosm of the demise of the empire and the island is a last remnant of it. Accordingly, it can be argued that it was the demise of Angus position as a patriarch that has ultimately brought about his decision to devise an all male enclave. Angus obsession with control, therefore, stems from his fear of being replaced as the monarch of the empire because of the emergence of the new feminist movement. Thus, Angus Cauldhames behaviour is synonymous to the description found in Jerrold Hodges gothic textbook: Angus has created a patriarchal enclosure designed to contain and even bury a potentially unruly female principle'. The way in which Banks presents the reader with a typical boys story whose protagonist is, in truth, a girl is perhaps a critique of the way in which society devises fixed binary gender stereotypes, and thus is an attempt to undermine these traditional gender expectations. Frank, however, conforms to the typical gothic female character, who is suppressed by a domineering male; the irony is that Frank is both the subjugated female and the tyrannical male. A similar desire for control is displayed by the narrator in Brownings My last Duchess. This element of control, that the narrator wishes to possess over his wife, is exemplified through the poems iambic pentameter. With twenty-eight rhyming couplets, the very tight structure of the poem is possibly representative of the level of authority and control that he expects to exert over his wife. The curtain that he has drawn over his late wifes picture is again perhaps symbolic of the level of authority that he desires to exercise over his female partners. Indeed, he gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. The underlying sense of threat signifies his expectations of how his wife should behave. Ironically, however, the Duke can only, when his wife is dead, counteract what he perceives as her earnest glance. Fundamentally, his wife has been objectified from subject to object; she is simply one of his possessions. Similarly, the narrator in Porphyrias Lover demonstrates a notion of control. The sibilance in the sentence, she shut the cold out stresses how she is able to alleviate the narrators mental anguish. However, it also stresses the narrators dependency on Porphyria and this concept is reiterated through the way she was mine, mine. The use of repetition thus highlights the possessive nature of the protagonist. Certainly, it is possible that the narrator is resentful of both her social superiority and of her more commanding presence. In the nineteenth century, society was characterised by patriarchal codes, which women had to adhere to; men typically exerted absolute control over their female partners. Thus, Porphrias gay social life may also be a source of the protagonists bitterness and the only way to free himself of such powerlessness is to kill her. Browning may be attempting to indicate a reversal of gender roles; the male is the weak character through his inability to keep control of himself- let alone Porphyria. In this sense, the protagonists obs ession with maintaining control is similar to that displayed by Mr Cauldhame in The Wasp Factory. Franks aggressive behaviour also illuminates her abnormal psychology. In many ways, the buck, which Frank encounters, is symbolic of all the things that she wishes to possess: that is, ironically, an alpha-male persona. This concept of masculinity is maintained through the way that Frank hissed. This animalistic imagery, once again, highlights Franks aggressive and territorial nature, which reveals her very apparent abnormal mindset. In essence, though, this encounter is an externalisation of Franks internal battle. This externalisation of an internal conflict is perhaps representative of Franks struggle with her dual gender identity. Additionally, this attack of revenge on the buck reinforces that Frank has the capability to kill and in fact clarifies her monstrosity. More disturbing, however, is Franks admittance that it felt good; this compounds her mental disposition. This scene provides the reader with a very clear image of Franks ability to inflict suffering and destruction whi lst chillingly deriving pleasure out of it. The externalisation of internal conflicts is equally manifested in Poes work. For instance, in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat the narrators attempt to bury the corpse symbolises their attempts to conceal the problem. In The Black Cat, the narrators attempt to hide the corpse under the wall is ultimately representative of his desire to contain his problems within. Alas, for the narrators, their failure to deal with their problems effectively, leads to the resurfacing of the initial problem, and, inevitably, their downfall. However, despite Franks seemingly grotesque and in many ways nauseating behaviour, the reader can, nevertheless, sympathise with her. Franks manipulative nature may well be an attempt to expose her abnormal mind further. However, an encounter with this element of monstrosity is sometimes known to provoke paradoxical emotions. This notion of abjection as Julia Kristeva describes is the in-between, the ambiguous, the composite. Thus, the monstrous element has the ability to induce sentiments of horror and desire, disgust and fascination. Indeed, Franks mix of monstrosity and humanity possibly provide us with a forewarning of the transgression of which we may all be capable of; this, of course, presents a poignant and unsettling dimension. The Inclusion of animals is evident in Franks encounter with the buck, and in Poes The Black Cat. Poes story, like Banks novel, perhaps includes these animalistic aspects to reiterate that by undertaking such vicious acts the narrators are in complete deficiency of a logical human psyche, and are more comparable to animals who ultimately do not work within such moral frameworks. The authors are perhaps attempting to demonstrate that the narrators are deficient in human ethics: as philosopher Daniel Dennett states, many regard human ethical knowledge as a marvellous perspective that no other creatures have. The unconventional behaviour displayed by the narrator in Porphrias Lover, is implied further through the way he debated what to do. This uncertainty accentuates that when he kills Porphyria, it is a conscious decision and not an impulsive act. The composure, which the narrator exhibits is also shown through the very orderly ABABB rhyme scheme which is ultimately suggestive of the attitude, albeit this makes him appear all the more dangerous. However, alliteration in the sentence Blushes beneath my burning kiss presents a degree of desire for Porphyria. The paradox may nonetheless simply epitomise his psychosis. In The Wasp Factor, Franks casual admittance that his killings were Just a stage (he) was going through, stress his lack of remorse; in fact, like the narrator in Porphrias Lover, Frank is essentially justifying his actions. Hence, it reveals the very apparent psychosis of both narrators. In addition, despite Brownings clues towards the protagonists madness, it is never evide nt through the tone or diction of the poem. Instead of being presented with a stereotypical mad character, like Eric in The Wasp Factory, it is more implicitly implied. Alternatively, his madness is suggested through what the narrator does not say and the fact that he perceives Porphyria as being happy and at peace: The smiling rosy little head; the narrators portrayal of events can simply not accord with reality. Undoubtedly, the narrative of Porphrias Lover could well be a figment of the protagonists imagination; if this is the case, then it clearly reinforces that the narrator exhibits an element of abnormal psychology. The concept of the narrator justifying their actions is illuminated in The Tell-Tale Heart. The narrator is essentially justifying the murder of the old man through the notion that he had an evil eye: I think it was his eye!- yes, it was this! In essence, the narrators uncertainty alludes to the concept that it is simply an attempt to justify the sinister and irra tional behaviour that the reader is about to witness. A parallel can be drawn between the way in which the narrators justify their behaviour and the notion of self-deception. In The Wasp Factory, Franks self-deception is exemplified through the way in which she has essentially created her own fantasy. Franks propensity to self-deceit is apparent through the final chapter: the factory was my attempt to construct life, to replace the involvement which otherwise I did not want. Moreover, the level of deception is explicitly expressed through her engagement in rituals, which is an attempt to affirm her position as man. Franks repetition of the secret catechisms thus helps her to create the illusion of her male persona. Ultimately, though, her attempts are futile: the juxtaposition of the bowie knife and comb that Frank carries around presents the reader with a subtle intrusion of Franks real gender identity. These two contrasting objects possibly symbolise Franks conflicting personality: the knife is representative of the destructive behavi our that she asserts to conform to her male persona, whilst the comb is representative of her inherent, albeit more restrained, feminine character. This lingering uncertainty regarding sexual identity, as Boris Kà ¼hne argues, is a source of the uncanny and presents us with a pervasive gothic feeling; this ostracises Frank from societal norms and is inevitably the major source of her monstrosity. This is also evident in Brownings Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister. Essentially, the narrator soliloquises his own inadequacies and attributes them to Brother Lawrence. Stanza four illustrates the narrators perception of his own self-righteousness, and indeed his dedication to denouncing Brother Lawrences commitment to his faith. The narrator describes Brother Lawrences ostensible lusting over the two nuns, Dolores and Sanchicha. Yet he goes on to explain that that is, if hed let it show; crucially, there is no evidence that Brother Lawrence has been looking at the nuns lecherously. Rather, the detailed account of the nuns activities must be a product of the narrators own impure thoughts, and his attempts to attribute these unchastely thoughts to Brother Lawrence can only serve to accentuate his self-deceptive and manipulative personality. The monks attempt to describe himself as the epitome of morality continues with his comment regarding the symbolic divide between their table eti quette. The crossing of his silverware, the narrator argues, symbolises his remembrance of Christs death on the cross; Brother Lawrence displays no such gesture. Additionally, the narrators absurd suggestion that Brother Lawrences drinking of the watered orange pulp in three sips supposedly denies the Arian doctrine again provides us with an illustration of his attempt to reaffirm his moral superiority. Ironically, despite the narrators belief, his attempt to condemn Brother Lawrence into eternal damnation reiterates his spiritual inferiority; this irrational behaviour provides an indication that Brownings narrator also exhibits an elementary characteristic of abnormal psychology. The quasi-religion that Frank constructs evidences the depth of her delusion and, correspondingly, her abnormal psychology. However, Franks religion has not stemmed from an intrinsic religious belief, but arguably out of a necessity to harbour some control, whilst denying any element of responsibility. Frank, in light of the failure of familial relationships, relies on The Wasp Factory to guide and ironically protect her. Frank creates a polytheistic religion: water, fire and death are all pseudo-Gods and perhaps compose Franks trinity. Indeed, Franks monstrosity is a result of her moral indifference. Since sea has destroyed what (she has) built wiping clean the marks (she) made Frank perhaps deduces that this permits her to inflict suffering on animals, which are below the pseudo-hierarchical order that she has constructed. However, the contrast to the sea destroying her dams and the sadistic killing of the rabbit is not apparent to Frank. Franks quasi-religion naturally has many Ch ristian elements: the lighting of the candles in Franks religions, nevertheless, contrastingly symbolises a destructive power. Banks notes that this was an attempt to satirise religion, and expose the ways in which we are all deceived, misled and harking back to something that never existed. Consequently, Banks ridicules all religions perhaps in a bid to create a society that is free from religious doctrine, and one that advocates logic and equality. Poes work also contains religious undertones. For instance, in The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator essentially ascribes himself the role of God; this is reinforced by the way he describes the extent of my powers- of my sagacity. The delusion of grandeur ultimately reveals his damaged psychological state. Religious overtones are similarly apparent in Porphyrias Love. The imagery arguably possibly portrays Porphyria as an angelic entity. The way she glided in and her ability to make the cottage warm suggest a supernatural quality, with her yellow hair and bare white shoulder possibly alluding to her angelic purity; even when Porphyria is dead, the narrator describes her blue eyes without a stain. The presentation of Porphyrias purity and innocence may well be an attempt by Browning to accentuate a feeling of anguish after Porphyrias death. Conversely, the magical element that the narrator has ascribed to her may ultimately be a result of the magic in his head. In this respect, the reference to her eyes, which were without a stain, is perhaps his warped perception that Porphyria worshipped him; after all, the eyes are a window to the soul. Certainly, the notion that she worshipped him is reinforced by his absurd insistence that she is happy and at peace in his arms: the smiling rosy lit tle head. The fact that God has not said a word, however, is perhaps a direct attack on God: a sin has been committed yet no justice has been obtained. Indeed, Brownings poem was written during the Age of Enlightenment, a time where the legitimacy of the Bible was challenged and an emphasis of rationalism over religion occurred. In a rather different perspective, the God which is referenced may simply be a rhetorical God, which the narrator uses to convey his perception of how any God across all religious spectrums would view the strangulation of Porphyria as morally correct; this would clearly reinforce that the narrator exhibits an abnormal mental state. To conclude, all the texts examined contain quintessential characteristics of gothic mode and symbolism, which disclose the abnormal psychology of the narrators. The monstrous aspect pervades us with a feeling of uneasiness and revulsion. Yet, through including the seemingly grotesque and disconnected narrators, the gothic is able to defuse the transgressive, and challenge the conventional expectations of society. In The Wasp Factory, Banks perhaps attempts to satirise the way in which society constructs binary gender stereotypes and, in doing so, challenges what appears to be an illogical social norm. Similarly, Brownings Porphyrias Lover and My Last Duchess, through including subjugated female characters, possibly battles to expose the patriarchy that characterised Victorian society. Poes narrator in The Fall of the House of Usher, perhaps similar to Frank in The Wasp Factory, possesses a dual persona, or doppelganger, which accentuates the transgressions of which all humans may be capable of. In this way, through exposing the unnatural, the gothic advocates rationality and, as Kà ¼hne argues, acts as final safeguarding device against the invasion of the monstrous in the readers actual life.

Medication Compliance in Elderly :: essays research papers

Running Head: Enhancing Medication Compliance in Elderly Individuals Research Utilization Paper An Intervention Study to Enhance Medication Compliance in Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals Chris Elmer HSCI 401 Fall 2001 My research study was to determine whether daily videotelephone or regular telephone reminders would increase the quantity of prescribed cardiac medication taken in a sample of elderly individuals who have congestive heart failure (CHF) (Peteva, 2001). Within this research I would disseminate the new scientific knowledge with the help of the pharmaceutical company that makes the congestive heart failure medication. With the help and support of the pharmaceutical maker, I would provide a full in-service to the nursing staff of hospitals and doctor’s offices alike. In doing this, this would provide a friendly and educational atmosphere in a nursing practice setting to get complete understanding of the research findings and how they as nurses can make a difference in the consumption of prescribed medication. Secondly, I would write a journal article and have it published in the pharmaceutical’s bulletin to include a well-known nursing journal. These journal articles would contain the findings of the research and suggestions on how the nursing staff can help the patients improve the compliance of taking prescribed medication. Once the information is disseminated into the medical public, the nurses will apply the learned knowledge to their practice for the elderly patients who are taking congestive heart failure medication. First, the nurse will collect all the patients that are currently taking congestive heart failure medication and explain to them on a one-on-one basis the benefits of having reminders to comply with taking prescribed medications. Then nurse would also explain the pros and cons of the reminders and that the videotelephone reminders would be provided at no cost to the patient. If the patient agrees to utilize the videotelephone reminder, the patient would sign a patient confidentiality agreement and liability agreement for legal reasons. What the agreements would stand for is a â€Å"need to know basis,† meaning that the patients information is strictly confidential and those who are on a need to know basis would have access to the patients information. The liability agreement is s o that the patient could not sue the pharmaceutical company or the medical facility where they are being treated if a complaint involved only the videotelephone reminder program. Once the videotelephone reminder program is implemented the pharmaceutical company and myself would provide quarterly visits to the medical site to collect data on the progress of the program.

Factors affecting the english proficiency of fourth year students Essay

The English language, which is the closest thing to a lingua franca around the world, is another means for us to join the stream of world culture. This is where English proficiency becomes vital in today’s world and country. English proficiency is the ability to speak, read and/or write in English. In Philippine education system, high school students with ages ranging from 12 to 17 are expected to have already basic knowledge of English and the four communication skills which will enable them to function satisfactorily in certain English communication situations. The basic goal of high school English is to enhance the students’ knowledge and skills so that they can function effectively in any situation which requires the use of English particularly in a classroom setting that challenges their academic performance . They need to be able to express their ideas and opinions in speech and in writing. They need to think independently, critically, and creatively. Hence, they should be given opportunities to enhance higher order thinking skills like analysis and evaluation (Proficiency in English 1, 2010). In the secondary English curriculum, it aims to address the communication needs of Filipino students for English, which is emerging as the international lingua franca. These communication needs are interpersonal, informative and aesthetics. In consonance with the government’s thrusts and globalization, this English curriculum adopts a communicative-interactive-collaborative approach to learning as well as reflection and introspection with the aim in view of developing autonomous language learners aware of and able to cope with global trends. As secondary English teachers, we can see how essential it is for the Filipino students to become proficient in English language both in written and oral. Aside from being the medium of instruction in the Philippines, learning the English language also provides the Filipino people with all the advantages that champions of English say – it does access to the vast fund of culture expressed in it, mobility in various spheres of the international scene, especially those dominated by the English speaking people, participation in a quality of modern life of which some features may be assimilated by us with great advantage. Knowledge in foreign language such as English will allow us to participate in intellectual discourses during engagement in social, political and economic issues in a wider global and scientific community. As we communicate our thoughts and understand others, we can further develop our potentials and enhance our capacity in learning life skills, as well as cognitive and affective competencies required of us to connect to the world (Luistro, 2011). To realize English proficiency among the students, they should take some advice under the four (4) learning skills which are reading, listening, speaking and writing. The most important thing that they should bear in mind is that reading and listening are inputs whereas speaking and writing are outputs. Since English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, gaining English proficiency can be an important aspect of education in many fields from business to aviation to science. Another aspect of attaining the goal of English proficiency is speaking or using it regularly. Improving the proficiency in English language is something that somebody could work on the entirety of his/her life. The best way to improve the person’s proficiency is to make sure the foundation and understanding in all grammar concepts is more or less secure and then to work on using the language as much as possible. The more proficient someone’s English is the more doors that can open for his/her career and life. While it is possible to increase proficiency in English through other means, taking formal classes can accelerate learning. Classes can help increase motivation and keep the student on a normal schedule of study which is important for learning any language. These realities will be faced by the students later on especially after their college graduation. Therefore we need to prepare our students to become ready and independent in facing the world of competition. They should instill in their minds the value of English proficiency especially when they immerse in the wider professional community. Unfortunately, apart from the lack of job opportunities in the country, what is more disheartening is that most of our graduates do not qualify. Simply stated most of these graduates particularly the ones coming from the provinces and the ones coning from low-quality schools in the metropolis have a weak command of the English language, poor analytical and thinking skills. Furthermore, they cannot effectively communicate their observations and reflections. In other words, they are not competent. They do not possess the qualification and proficiency to meet the standards of employment (www.philstar.com/article, 2009). What are companies looking for in an applicant? Today where technology is as important as having excellent communication skill, companies are looking for people who are attuned to the times, can communicate well their ideas, can discuss issues, problems, and concerns in detail (Soliven-De Guzman, 2011). Once you have graduated from college, you are expected to have learned the basic skills. It is sad, but nowadays employers end up going back to teaching the ABC’s of communication. Shouldn’t these have already ingrained in all our students early on? Where did we go wrong here? This fact causes a significant decline in English proficiency in the Philippines particuarly in Magpet National High School. For almost sixteen (16) years of being an English teacher in the school, it was observed that the deteriorating English proficiency of the students – even those fourth year students – are still the predicament of the teachers. Hence, this study was conceived to look for the possible factors that affect the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of the Fourth Year students in Magpet National High School. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the socio-economic profile of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyze by: 1.1 Gender 1.2 Age 1.3 Religion 1.4 Parents’ Educational Attainment 1.5 Parent’s Occupation 1.6 Sources of Family Income 1.7 Annual Family Gross Income 1.8 Allowance Received Per Day 1.9 Number of Members in the Family 2. What are the factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyze in terms of: 2.1 Personal – Related 2.2 Family – Related 2.3 School – Related 2.4 Community – Related 3. What are the levels of English proficiency of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School? 4. What are the levels of the different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School? 5. Is there a significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School? Objectives of the Study This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Specifically, the objectives of the study are the following: 1. To know the socio-economic profile of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. To determine the level of English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 3. To identify the factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyzed in terms of personal, family, school , and community. 4. To distinguish the levels of the different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 5. To identify the significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Basic Assumptions The following assumptions were the bases for the study: 1. There is a variation in the socio-economic profile of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. There are factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyzed in terms of personal, family, school and community. 3. The level of English proficiency performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School is declining. 4. The levels of different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School are realistic . 5. There exists a relationship between the factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Hypotheses The following hypotheses were formulated: 1. There are significant factors affecting the English proficiency of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. There is a significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Theoritical Framework According to Professor J. Cummins, one of the world’s leading authorities on bilingual education and second language acquisition, there are distinctions between the two differing kinds of language proficiency. First, the BICS or Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. These are the â€Å"surface† skills of listening and speaking which are typically acquired quickly by many students; particularly by those from language backgrounds similar to English who spend a lot of their school time interacting with native speakers. Second is the CALP or Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency which suggests for a child’s ability to cope with the academic demands placed upon coming from various subjects. Cummins states that while many children develop fluency within two years of immersion in the target language, it takes 5-7 years for a child to be working on a level with native speakers as far as academic language is concerned. Cummins believes that in the course of learning one language, a child acquires a set of skills and implicit metalinguistic knowledge that can be drawn upon when working in another language. This common underlying proficiency (CUP) provides the base for the development of both the first language (L1) and the second language (L2). It follows that any expansion of CUP that takes place in one language will have a beneficial effect on the other language(s). This theory also serves to explain why it becomes easier and easier to learn additional languages. As Cummins (2000) states: â€Å"Conceptual knowledge developed in one language helps to make input in the other language comprehensible.† If a child already understands the concepts of â€Å"justice† or â€Å"honesty† in her own language, all she has to do is acquire the label for these terms in English. She has a far more difficult task, however, if she has to acquire both the label and the concept in her second language According to Jean Piaget, proficiency in certain skills, including language skills, depends on a combination of developmental readiness, social interaction and the student’s own interpretations. His experiments have been implemented with adults as well as children, and educators have applied many of his theories in the realm of language learning. Hence, many ESL classrooms have discussion groups, pair work interactions and class presentations. Many ESL instructors rely heavily on these peer-to-peer interactions because students are more likely to experiment with each other than they are with the instructor. Conceptual Framework How imperative it is to make English part of people’s lives. The need to learn and master the English language is recognized by other countries as well. No one desires to be left behind simply for lacking the English proficiency. Philippine education does not take this need for granted. This view is supported by former President Arroyo’s promulgation on May 17, 2003 of Executive Order No. 210 entitled Establishing the Policy to Strengthen English as a Second Language in the Educational System. Positive views towards mastery of the English language should lead to favorable self-identity changes. One of these shifts is the early encounter of the students on English proficiency. What better consequences can we expect to hear our students conclude, after being proficient in English, that they have become more sensitive to changes in the outside world and that they have more understanding now and can better communicate using the English language (Mojica, 2009). It is widely accepted by educationalists and linguists that many Filipino children begin formal schooling with zero English proficiency. Studies have shown that the struggle to English proficiency is primarily caused through the lack of supportive home, peer group and community environment as well as formative language-based opportunities. These deficiencies impact not only on their ability to learn the English language but also deprive them of personal empowerment and a capacity to facilitate verbal and written communication thus affected their academic performance. Modern wisdom advocates that classrooms and school communities should become the learner’s missing ‘supportive’ environments and that teachers are best positioned to respond to English language deficiency. While it is accepted that learners may come from unsupportive environments and be disadvantaged, teachers can make the difference and readily reverse the negative resulting from such environments (Study and Teaching, 2009). Much depends on the awareness, discernment and response of teachers at the coalface – in the classroom, from the environment, as well as of those in support-service roles. Moreover, much depends on the ability of a school system to create an alternative, positive supportive environment that addresses the deficiencies brought by the learner into the classroom. To achieve this ‘environmental shift’, teachers need to recognize the importance of English proficiency. The English language programs taught must take into account the difficulties inherent in a teacher’s language of instruction from the learner’s aspect be it spoken or written, appreciating the learner’s often misunderstood that English language is just a ‘teacher language’. To achieve these outcomes, learners need to be exposed to a range of English language skill varieties and encouraged to use them. They need opportunities to experience with different English proficiency genres and registers in both oral and written codes. In implementing the above strategies, teachers should acknowledge the effect English language may have on their students especially those who come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds (Studyard Teaching, 2009) While there is a plethora of teaching methods and approaches from which teachers may choose, there are some considerations to be looked into and these are the factors which influence the student’s academic performance in their English proficiency. Gender can influence while teaching resources are applied in the learning process and can even affect the physical layout and seating arrangement of a teaching environment. A simple factor such as age can determine the ‘sophistication’ of the teaching methodology adopted especially when members of a teaching group vary greatly in age and maturity. Learners of English who come from different cultures often have to contend with learner-related issues that primary English speakers never have to think about. Beginning with English sounds that do not exist in their native language and English words and concepts for which there is no native language equivalent, to particular religious inhibitions, teachers who carry the responsibility of teaching English to speakers of other languages must be totally ‘culturally conscious’ – even to the point of ‘researching’ ethnic diversity and difference if they are to perform their task professionally and successfully. The specific language needs of each individual learner are of paramount importance in the planning of any English course, thus the selection of the teaching method to be used. The availability or lack of technology and tools will immediately decide whether many appropriate and proven e-learning programs can be used by both teachers and learners alike. The absence of computers, audio systems, CD players and more advanced equipment such as LCD-power point projectors can lower the quality of teaching outcomes and can hinder accelerated learning. The social and economic status plays a great role also in providing the needs of the learners. Some students are deprived with technological advances that will help them improve their English proficiency (Keith W. Wright, 2010). One of the most important aspects of gaining proficiency in any language is speaking it regularly. For students, the appropriate venue for them to use the language is inside the classroom where they feel the freedom and need to say it. Self-study can improve reading and comprehension skills, but interacting with other English speakers is essential for boosting real world comprehension and practical use of the English language. The community where the students grow and feel the belongingness has a great factor in shaping them as well. Their performance in the school can also be influenced by their peers and the kind of environment they are raised. The prevailing fad of computer games and internet could rob the child of the time to study his lessons /Sunstar, 2005/. As seen in Figure 1, there are factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students. The independent variables consist of the factors such as personal-related, family-related, school-related, and community-related. The dependent variable is the academic performance of fourth year students based on their English proficiency. Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing the relationship of the variables under study. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study confined its research to the fourth year students of Magpet National High School enrolled in School Year 2013-2014. The researcher chose them as the respondents in her study because of her desire to identify the factors that affect the English proficiency of the fourth year students and how these factors affect their academic performance. This study was limited to the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. The respondents are to be evaluated through their socio-economic profile such as their gender, age, religion, parents’ educational attainment, parents’ occupation, family income, allowance per day, and number of members in the household. Other factors are to be considered also such as personal-related, family-related, school-related and community-related. Significance of the Study The study is significant to both teachers and students on the following reasons: 1. It determines the students’ progress in all fields of learning which use English as medium of instruction. 2. It helps the students to gain proficiency in English particularly in their communicative competence. 3. It ascertains the factors to consider as contributory to students’ English proficiency. 4. It helps to assess the students’ academic performance as reflected in their achievement and participation. Definition of Terms The following terms are being defined to give the readers further clarity and understanding on this study. 1. English –It refers to the second language used in the Philippines and as a medium of instruction in Philippine education. 2. English Proficiency – It is the ability of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School to speak, read and/or write in English. To be considered truly proficient, one should have advanced abilities in all skills of communication (http://wiki.answers.com., 2011). 3. Language – It refers to the English words used by the respondents both in oral and written communication. 4. Respondents – It refers to the fourth year students in Magpet National High School who are officially enrolled in academic year 2013-2014. 5. Factors – It is about the facts or circumstances which constitute a result or situation. It refers to something that contributes to the performance of the fourth year students in MNHS based on their English proficiency. 6. Teachers – The academically qualified individuals assigned to teach and handle the fourth year students of MNHS specifically those who are teaching subjects using English as the medium of instruction.

Leadership Style Essay

Background of CEO According to Xerox. com (2013) Ursula Burns joined Xerox in 1980 as a Mechanical Engineering summer intern. In the company pivotal point, Burns led several business teams to include the color and office network printing business. In 2000, Burns was named senior vice president corporate strategic Services heading up manufacturing and supply chain operations. And in 2009, Burns was named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in July 2009 and made the largest acquisition in Xerox history with the 6. 4 billion dollar purchase of Affiliated Computer Services. Ursula Burns was the first African-American women CEO to head a fortune 500 company. Burns also was the first to succeed another woman CEO. Analyze the CEO Leadership Style Burns climbed the corporate ladder to the mountain top of Xerox. Burns employee’s claims that Burns is open, grounded, and down to earth. Edmondson-Bell (2010) stated regardless of her race and gender, Burns is an example of the new breed of authentic, self-aware corporate leadership (Edmondson-Bell, 2010). In most organizations the CEO is considered to be stiff and unapproachable. According to Schermerhorn (2012) leadership appears in two forms formal and informal leadership. Formal leadership exerted by persons appointed or elected to a position. Informal leadership exerted persons who become influential because of special skills that meet the needs of others (Schermerhorn, 2012). Burns is a true leader who earned the support of her stall and employees of Xerox. Burn’s remaining grounded and being transparent in the business matters of Xerox keeps her leadership style sort after in the marketplace. In business, part of your success in your career is having a mentor. Burns utilize her very own mother as her mentor. According to Tseng (2011) Burns admired her mother for raising her and two siblings as a single parent and in a not so good area in Lower Manhattan, New York. One of the most important lessons Burns learned is do what you love (Tseng, 2011). This type of mindset is what carried Burns up to the top of her organization. Burns took over a company that was struggling to complete with Ricoh and Cannon. The worker of Xerox found that their future was uncertain. Burns change the uncertainty to certainty in the work environment. According to Colvin (2010) Burns speaks boldly and bluntly in a famously and overly genteel culture (Colvin, 2010). Burns made needed and dramatic action to turn Xerox around to become a profitable and striving company. Personal and Organizational Values Burns personal and organization value is reputation. According to Sellers (2012) Burns knows that personal experience how reputation can make or break a corporation (Sellers, 2012). Having a good reputation is essential to business success. When success in a corporate setting is sometime measured by the amount of money made a bad reputation could affect the organizations financially. A reputation can be destroyed in a matter of minutes. Burns focus on what she is facing. According to Schermerhorn (2012) power-oriented behavior is action directed primarily at developing or using relationships in which other people are willing to defer to one’s wishes (Schermerhorn, 2012). Burns uses here unique relationship to give the organization an upfront approach. Schermerhorn (2012) stated that empowerment is the process by which management help others to acquire and use the power needed to make decisions affecting themselves and their work (Schermerhorn, 2012). Burns empowers her employees, which will cause a since of belonging. Burns focuses on personal fulfillment rather than on things. Ethical Behavior Burns values are likely to influence ethical behavior within the organization. According to Xerox. com (2013) Burns started that this is a time to be at our most vigilant and even more aware of the importance of ethical behavior and uphold the organization’s core values (Xerox. com, 2013). Burns values were instilled in her by her mother. Burns direct approach will influence others to hold ethical behavior to high regards. Burns has been the organization leader when comes to ethical practices. Seidman (2010) stated that there is a high demand for ethical leadership, yet there is short supply (Seidman, 2010). Burns will be considered the one that is in that short supply category. Seidman (2010) also stated that ethical leadership extend trust to their workers, creating the conditions necessary to empower employees, suppliers and even customers to take risks necessary to create game changing innovations (Seidman, 2010). Burns believes in empowerment of her employees. Burns lead with impatience while still maintaining focus. Burns is a woman from a low income family in New York to one of the most powerful women, according to several publications. Gaete (2012) mentioned that Burns keys to lead with impatience are education, impatience to push change, focus, move towards the future, transform, be direct to achieve, empower your people, and don’t take short-cut (Gaete, 2012). Burns value will definitely influence others to be ethical. Schermerhorn (2012) wrote that ethical leadership is characterized by caring, honest, principled, fair, and balanced choices by individuals who act ethically, set clear ethical standards, communicate about ethics with followers and reward as well as punish others based on ethical or unethical conduct (Schermerhorn, 2012). Greatest Strength and Weaknesses Burns is a very successful CEO and a powerful corporate leader. Burns has took advantage of a changing industry and made to correct adjustments to be successful. Schermerhorn (2012) stated that leaders deal with mastering challenges of change while creating a satisfying healthy and effective workplace for its employees (Schermerhorn, 2012). Every human or individual has strength and weaknesses. Burns greatest strengths are impatience, hard work and value based leadership. According to Basu (2013) leader strengths are when leaders communicate direction to the organization, clearly, organize groups for particular tasks and define roles and have a structured work environment (Basu, 2013). Burns strengths are connected to professional behavior and ethical practices. Burns impatience’s is translated into boldness action for the higher purpose of Xerox to be led and to take risks. Xerox acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services transformed Xerox to be one of the leaders in business services and technology. Burns works hard, focus and deliver results. Burns came from being a summer intern to being a CEO of the same Company. Burns articulate her values to the organization often and loudly. Burns lives by her beliefs and make daily business decisions on personal and professional values. Every leader has weaknesses and Burns is no exception. Basu (2013) stated that weaknesses of a tasks oriented style of leader fear of breaking the rules among employees which may cause a lack of creativity. Low morale, and high turnover (Basu, 2013), Burns has a deep industry knowledge, but Burns also has frankness, sharp humor and willingness to take risks. These traits can be a display as weakness. These traits can be misconstrued as a brash individual who only thinks of oneself. Contributes to Leader’s Success The quality that contributed to Burns success is her drive to affect change and do it ethically. According to Mehta (2012) all executives walk a fine line between being collaborative and being the boss (Mehta, 2012). Burns has many great qualities that made her successful in the industry. Burns was the first black female CEO of a major corporation. Burns story of her rise from low income family to CEO of Xerox is contributed to her drive to be successful. According to Peck (2011) Burns recommended six keys to leadership; be authentic, listen, recognize the you can’t do everything yourself, take a stand, measure, and have fun (Peck, 2011). Burns is very successful, but has a contagious drive in which her exuded. Burns worked hard at every level and the opportunity presented itself for CEO. Burns believes in education and working hard no matter where you are in your career. Assess Dynamics Burns has made it a priority to use communication, collaboration, empowerment and politics to influence the dynamics of Xerox. According to Bryant (2010) Burns grew up in the organization and is well known by many of the employees of the company (Bryant, 2010). Burns has changed the culture to a family oriented environment. Burns operates by having an executive team to assist in making business decisions for the organizations. Burns also have panels of employees to get their prospective on a particular business issue. Schermerhorn (2012) stated that collaborative environments are characterized by boundary less information flows more open and transparent communication, and more supportive communication dynamics (Schermerhorn, 2012). Burns describes her approach to the culture as terminal niceness. Bryant (2010) stated that Burns wants all 130,000 employees to get over the past, take initiative, be fearless, frank and impatient with one another (Bryant, 2010). The politics of being the first African American female CEO is something that comes with the position. According to Bryant (2010) Burns misread the public reaction when she was named CEO. Burns started receiving phone calls from people of the caliber of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton and Magic Johnson (Bryant, 2010). The appointment to CEO put Burns in the public eye due to the historical meaning of her appointment. Burns was also named by President Obama to help lead the White House national program on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Burns was appointed vice chair of the President’s Export Council as well. Conclusion Burns was the right person for the CEO position at Xerox. Burns’ style of leadership is what the company needed during a difficult time. Burns straight forward and blunt approach proved to be the style that bring conformation of stability. Burns achieved in many way and made history in the process. A person who stayed focus and work hard to achieve her goal. This is why Xerox is one of the computer services giant in the computer software industry. Schermerhorn (2012) stated that it is important to remember that people still drive organizational systems and performance (Schermerhorn, 2012).

Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello

Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now.... Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now....

s Health Care Environment

China’s Health Care Environment China health care system is divided into two main components The Rural Health Protection System and the Urban Health Protection System which differ according to the need of the populations located in each category. China was the first major country in the world to create community financing programs that covered the rural population nationwide. This system is called the Rural Cooperative Medical System or CMS which primarily served to fund and organize prevention, primary care, and secondary health care for the rural population. The system developed in the 1950’s established access to basic drugs and primary health care by paying doctors to deliver care, provide drugs, and partially reimbursed patients for services received at township and county facilities. The Urban Health Protection System for China’s urban workers was established in the early 1950’s and contains two primary divisions. The two divisions are the Government Insurance Scheme or GIS and the Labor insurance Scheme or LIS. The Government Insurance Scheme covers government employees, retirees, disabled veterans, and university teachers and students. The Labor Insurance Scheme covers state enterprise employees, retirees and their dependents. Only enterprises owned and managed by central or provincial governments with less than 100 employees have the option not to participate in the health plan. The Smaller state enterprises and industries owned by county or town governments can provide LIS on a voluntary basis. Each year each participating state-owned enterprises contributes approximately 11-14% of total wages as a welfare fund to finance health expenditures incurred by beneficiaries for the LIS. Currently, health care is free to citizens in this category whenever they see a doctor, however they are actually paying for doctors in the form of taxes and not on a as needed basis. Additionally, registration fees, nutrien... 's Health Care Environment Free Essays on China\'s Health Care Environment China’s Health Care Environment China health care system is divided into two main components The Rural Health Protection System and the Urban Health Protection System which differ according to the need of the populations located in each category. China was the first major country in the world to create community financing programs that covered the rural population nationwide. This system is called the Rural Cooperative Medical System or CMS which primarily served to fund and organize prevention, primary care, and secondary health care for the rural population. The system developed in the 1950’s established access to basic drugs and primary health care by paying doctors to deliver care, provide drugs, and partially reimbursed patients for services received at township and county facilities. The Urban Health Protection System for China’s urban workers was established in the early 1950’s and contains two primary divisions. The two divisions are the Government Insurance Scheme or GIS and the Labor insurance Scheme or LIS. The Government Insurance Scheme covers government employees, retirees, disabled veterans, and university teachers and students. The Labor Insurance Scheme covers state enterprise employees, retirees and their dependents. Only enterprises owned and managed by central or provincial governments with less than 100 employees have the option not to participate in the health plan. The Smaller state enterprises and industries owned by county or town governments can provide LIS on a voluntary basis. Each year each participating state-owned enterprises contributes approximately 11-14% of total wages as a welfare fund to finance health expenditures incurred by beneficiaries for the LIS. Currently, health care is free to citizens in this category whenever they see a doctor, however they are actually paying for doctors in the form of taxes and not on a as needed basis. Additionally, registration fees, nutrien...

Artist vs. Artisan

Artist vs. Artisan Artist vs. Artisan Artist vs. Artisan By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between an artist and an artisan? This unnecessarily sensitive question is equivalent to the issue of what constitutes art and what is designated as craft. In both cases, the former word essentially refers to the making of tangible or intangible products as an expression of creativity and imagination for purely aesthetic reasons. An artisan, meanwhile, though spurred by the same impulses, produces crafts, which, though they may be acquired only for decoration, are designed to be practical. Therefore, though some tension between artist and artisan between producers of art and designers of crafts may exist because of a perceived differential in their relative cultural status, the technical definitions are just that: precise distinctions not in quality or artistic achievement but in function. The word for the creator of art is the gender-neutral term artist. (The French form of the word, artiste, came to apply more broadly to creative professionals, especially performers, though it also has a pejorative sense of â€Å"pretentious artist.†) By extension, one talented in any endeavor even a con artist may earn the term. By contrast, makers of crafts have gender-specific labels craftsman and craftswoman but though craftsperson is the natural neutral term, many such practitioners prefer to be called artisans. (The Latin ancestor of this term is artire, which means â€Å"to instruct in the arts.†) Other words that ultimately derive from the Latin word ars (â€Å"art†) include artifact, which comes from the Italian word artifatto and ultimately from the Latin terms arte and factum (meaning â€Å"thing made†), originally having primarily an archaeological sense but now referring to anything left behind or remaining, and artifice, which originally meant workmanship but, from a secondary sense of â€Å"cunning,† came to refer to deceit or trickery. (However, artificer remains a synonym for artisan, although it can also refer to one who contrives or makes things or ideas.) Artificial, the adjectival form of artifice, broadly refers to anything not produced in nature. Artful once referred exclusively to artistic skill but later primarily came to mean â€Å"dexterous, wily†; in that sense, the term is best known in the moniker of the Artful Dodger, an adroit young pickpocket in Charles Dickens’s novel Oliver Twist. The antonym, artless, likewise was originally a reference to a lack of talent but now usually refers to clumsiness in word or deed. Arty and artsy both describe artists, but the terms have developed a pejorative sense of pretension, and artsy is hyphenated in combination with craftsy and, worse, fartsy, to refer to someone with such airs, or a creation of theirs. Art is used in combination with other terms to denote subgenres with serious artistic ambitions (â€Å"art film,† â€Å"art rock†) as well as artistic movements, as in â€Å"art deco,† a truncation of the French phrase art dà ©coratif (â€Å"decorative art†), and art nouveau (â€Å"new art†); the first letter of each word in these phrases is often capitalized, especially when associated with other initial-capped designations. Another movement, named arts and crafts, is usually initial-capped to distinguish it from generic references. The liberal arts are the academic subjects also known as the humanities. The term liberal stems from the idea that knowledge of these subjects and the attendant skills are necessary for free people to know in order to be productive members of society. From the phrase â€Å"liberal arts† comes the designations for mastery of coursework known as the bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees (truncated, alternatively as â€Å"bachelor’s degree,† or bachelor’s, and â€Å"master’s degree,† or master’s). These terms have no specific relation to art itself, though study and/or practice of art may be a component of the coursework. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowRunning Amok or Running Amuck?10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

FROM MODERNISM TO POSTMODERNISM IN ARTS EDUCATION Essay

FROM MODERNISM TO POSTMODERNISM IN ARTS EDUCATION - Essay Example Many modernist artists have mentioned that since 1980 they have been taught, with huge compromising problems and acute tensions, more and more inside a new paradigm based on a different set of premises, practices and expectations, related to but different from the parallel shift into postmodernism. Abbs (2003) has referred this paradigm to the shift that is related to thinking in the Education Institutes of British universities and is not to be identified with the atomistic and politically constructed National Curriculum, though many of the elements dislocated from their original meaning are reflected there (Abbs, 2003, p. 46). Modernist arts provides us reasons to believe that while something of value has been achieved under the shaping energies of the new paradigm, the literal and mechanical way it was instituted betrayed the broad sweep of the philosophy, ignored vital principles of creative pedagogy and maimed the holistic perception which lay at the heart of the thinking (Abbs, 2003, p. 46). Among major modernists names like Theodor Adorno, a major figure in the Frankfurt School of Critical Theorists, tells us that art and literature, and particularly Modernist art, could function as a kind of negative or contradictory criticism of society, in thought-provoking experimental texts. Adorno argued that difficult texts provoked new, unfamiliar, estranged conceptions of life that the dissonances and fractures of Modernist art expressed the individual's loss of control, centeredness and harmony in the contemporary world. For Walter Benjamin, modernist education has created a world of printing, duplication and photography, where artistic works have lost the 'aura' that their uniqueness once gave (Childs, 2000, p. 34). The rising technologies of artistic reproduction dispensed with the idea of a work's authenticity; for example, the idea of an authentic photographic or film print makes no sense. Benjamin thought this moved art's function from the realm of ritual, where it is magical and revered, into that of politics, where it is mass produced for purposes of marketing and propaganda, with dire consequences for a politically polarised Europe after World War I. To understand the paradigm which defines art in context with postmodernist education, it is first necessary to know what formalist modernism was not. It was not connective, inclusive, transactional, associative, referential, interactive, changeable, discontinuous, multilayered, impure, and ambiguous ignoring the autobiographical data and questions of personality. Postmodernist art, when encompass these qualities, presents a connective paradigm, which in turn demands a connective criticism to which we call "postmodern" recognizes time and periodicity, but, rather than being tied to one-way time series, it can move back and forth in time and can be associated in its reversibility with the new physics (Ascott & Shanken, 2003, p. 178). Walling (2001) while criticising postmodernism suggests that the way postmodernist education have abused and altered art curriculum is absurd. It does not make any sense for the national standards to be imaginative with reference to some particular standard. Postmodernist reforms in education at every level and field of interest has damped the curriculum rather than reform (Walling, 2001). Postmodern art when merged with the capabilities of visual art presents before us natural art, which

Kantian Sincerity and Professional Ethics Assignment

Kantian Sincerity and Professional Ethics - Assignment Example Sincerity makes him weigh his acts according to ethics. Kantian sincerity explains the aspects of sincerity based on good will. This paper intends to explain the essence of Kantian sincerity, and how it can relate to professional ethics and good will. The importance of professional ethics in the life of an organization is discussed, in correlation with Kantian sincerity. The characteristics of a sincere and ethical leader have been described, so as to give the reader an idea as to what is expected of a person who follows Kantian sincerity and ethical guidelines. Kantian sincerity is based on good will. â€Å"†¦the sincere will is both good and autonomous†, according to Palmquist (2010:635). Palmquist writes in his book that Kantian’s good will considers acts to be virtuous, good, and sincere, by associating them with the moral law coming from within the person, rather than weighing the acts on some external principle, lying outside the person. Similarly, profession al sincerity cannot be measured by a parameter defined by the external world; instead, sincerity will be measured by the person’s own good nature. The Kantian model helps us understand how professionals can generate professional sincerity or good will.... Professional sincerity has also got the same philosophy. When Kantian sincerity works with professional ethics, it becomes a part and parcel for the progress of an organization. Also, when this sincerity, which is valued by a person’s internal good will, is also recognized as a precious asset by the outside world, this is the point when sincerity achieves its milestone in the chain of human progress. This sincerity also plays an important role in Confucian process of moralization. Palmquist (2010:633) states that: The centrality of sincerity can be seen even more clearly when we take it to be primarily a quality of the will and when we compare the sincere will with the Kantian good will. As Kant says (4:392-3): â€Å"Nothing in the world- indeed nothing even beyond the world- can possibly be conceived which could be called good without qualification except a good will. Hence, Kantian sincere will brings the self in agreement with the dao; and since dao is good without qualifi cation, in the same way, sincerity is also good without qualification. Kantian model also states that sincerity is the Way of Heaven; and to achieve this sincerity is the way of man. And whosoever is easily walking on the Way of Heaven led by sincerity, is the one who can be called a sage. Kantian model describes a sage as a person who has got a perfectly manufactured good will. A Sage’s good will is absolutely sincere, and thus, it can also be related to holy will, guided by sincerity on the Way of Heaven (Palmquist 2010:636). 3. Professional Ethics Kantian ethics describe that those acts should be considered as right which seek our good will. We know that the accomplishment of an organization depends mainly on value-based actions and decisions. Value-based actions and

Leadership Personal Issues and the Rules of Law Assignment

Leadership Personal Issues and the Rules of Law - Assignment Example Consequently, they made obligatory that the recruits ought to have two years college credits merits or two years in the military. Nonetheless, there has never been consensus over the issues. Those arguing against the postsecondary education prerequisite hold that the requirement the unreasonably limits the current thin applicant pool by not including the otherwise other qualified applicants. In addition, they argue against the requirement as discriminatory in nature and therefore have a disproportionate negative blow on minorities because it provides unequal opportunities for secondary schooling. They also view that higher education does not entirely provide all the skills looked-for to execute the job since those skills come exclusively because of experience in the policing career. On the contrary, those who support the requirement also have stern reasons for their stand. They believe that policing is a complex career, where knowledge and skills indispensable to do the job effectively can only be scholarly acquired in a classroom, and not exclusively through on-the-job experience. The society has become progressively more well-informed, and it is indispensable for polic e to keep tempo with the larger civic. According to proponents, postsecondary recruits are more mature and more-rounded and are likely to interact easily with the public to offer solutions with understanding rather than authoritarian approach. Consequently, they hold that those who learn criminal justice at higher institutions will bring a more in-depth acquaintance of the system, its diverse components, how it works, as well as the established hypotheses on the causes of crime.  

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Cover letter - Essay Example petencies comprise of Complaints Management Premises Security, Confidentiality Maintenance Quality Assurance, Data Protection Act Compliance, Difficult People Handling and Continued Professional Development Conflict Resolution .In addition, over the course of my career, I have recorded several achievements such as reorganizing the reception area and effectively increased overall efficiency by 30%.I also achieved Medical Records Management, Patient Share Governance, received Greeter Awards 2004 ,Customer Care Ordinance Counselor together with Adult Care Advisor-Ombudsmen of Forsyth County. I am a time conscious and keen individual who always executes her duties with unmatched precision and within the given time frame. I am a firm believer in team work and tries as much as possible to collaborate and partner with my colleagues through sharing and building workable relationships. I am always keen on learning the latest industry trends and normally seek to adopt and incorporate them in m y work whenever possible. Finally I have excellent oral and written communication skills in addition to being equipped with exceptional presentation skills. Above all, I am a God fearing person and my integrity is above par. It’s my hope that you will kindly consider my application and invite me for an interview. I am very sure that I can make a big difference in your valuable team. Looking forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and kind

Economic principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic principles - Essay Example The shift in supply curve upwards as shown in the diagram below will results to increase in price of tomatoes from P1 to P0. On the other hand, the quantity supplied will reduce from Q1 to Q0. The equilibrium price and quantity shifts to P0 and Q0 as a result of shift in supply curve upwards. Henderson (2008) claims that the equilibrium price and quantity of tomato is determined by the interactions between demand and supply. There are several factors, which determine changes in equilibrium position. They include shift in the supply and shift in demand curve, which may shift the demand curve either upwards or downwards. Figure 1: the diagram shows the new equilibrium price and quantity as a result of upward shift in the supply curve which is caused by reduction in supply of tomatoes Question 2 (a) According to Johnsen (2002), price elasticity refers to the degree of responsiveness of the demand for a particular good or services to the changes in the price of goods or services in quest ion. Moreover, determinants of price elasticity refer to the factors that cause price elasticity. There is a host of factors, which affects the price elasticity. The factors include the presence of substitute, expected changes in price, amount of income, necessity, duration, and brand loyalty. Availability of substitute implies that increases the price elasticity because a slight difference in price would result into consumers shifting base to a rival product, which are cheaper. However, the same condition does not apply if the goods are not close substitute. Tomatoes have close substitutes such as onions and green paper. As such, if the prices of tomatoes increase due to reduction in supply, the consumers will shift to the close substitutes. The other determinant of price elasticity is level of income. Kiley (2011) assert that when the consumers have a considerably high level of income then it implies that they are less sensitive to changes in price. On the other hand, if the level of income is low then the consumers are very sensitive to changes in prices hence any slight change in price would result to consumers buying less of the product. This situation implies that despite the fact that the prices are expected to rise because of the eminent shortage, some consumers with high income will still buy tomatoes because they have low price elasticity. Necessity is yet another determinant of price elasticity; products such as food staff are basic good hence they have low price elasticity. On the hand, luxury products have high price elasticity hence consumers will buy less of the product if the price increases. Tomato is a basic good hence; it does not have high price elasticity (Klein, 2003). The other factor that affects the price elasticity of goods is duration. In the short term, the price elasticity is low while the reverse is true in the long run. The justification for this trend emanates because in the short term, the consumers have not adequately adjusted to the changes in the market. However, in the long run, the consumers have had adequate time to adjust to changes in the market and as such, they are in a position to exhibit high price elasticity. The fact that the issue of shortages of tomatoes in the market has lasted for quite some time, it means that price elasticity is also high since the consumers are responding adequately to high tomato prices, which is occasioned by the shortage of tomatoes in the

Not a paper 4 questions in statistics Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Not a 4 questions in statistics - Research Paper Example According to the sample data. It will not be correct to say featured crimes are likely to be cleared by arrests. One might confuse that many featured crimes are cleared by simple arrests if he or she literary looks at the ps ratios. However, it is pertinent that one looks at the denominator through which the ratios get obtained. According to those statistics, as much as the featured crimes may portray a great figure, the denominator through which they get obtained is not the same as that of non-crime line crimes. Therefore it is not likely that featured crimes will get cleared through arrests. According the five step model, the level of interactivity between the liberal arts students and that of the other students is inverse, although the average figures may suggest otherwise. The liberal Arts major students interact more with the information in the books given that they are just bus a fraction of the students, yet able to achieve an average close to that of other

Economic principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic principles - Essay Example The shift in supply curve upwards as shown in the diagram below will results to increase in price of tomatoes from P1 to P0. On the other hand, the quantity supplied will reduce from Q1 to Q0. The equilibrium price and quantity shifts to P0 and Q0 as a result of shift in supply curve upwards. Henderson (2008) claims that the equilibrium price and quantity of tomato is determined by the interactions between demand and supply. There are several factors, which determine changes in equilibrium position. They include shift in the supply and shift in demand curve, which may shift the demand curve either upwards or downwards. Figure 1: the diagram shows the new equilibrium price and quantity as a result of upward shift in the supply curve which is caused by reduction in supply of tomatoes Question 2 (a) According to Johnsen (2002), price elasticity refers to the degree of responsiveness of the demand for a particular good or services to the changes in the price of goods or services in quest ion. Moreover, determinants of price elasticity refer to the factors that cause price elasticity. There is a host of factors, which affects the price elasticity. The factors include the presence of substitute, expected changes in price, amount of income, necessity, duration, and brand loyalty. Availability of substitute implies that increases the price elasticity because a slight difference in price would result into consumers shifting base to a rival product, which are cheaper. However, the same condition does not apply if the goods are not close substitute. Tomatoes have close substitutes such as onions and green paper. As such, if the prices of tomatoes increase due to reduction in supply, the consumers will shift to the close substitutes. The other determinant of price elasticity is level of income. Kiley (2011) assert that when the consumers have a considerably high level of income then it implies that they are less sensitive to changes in price. On the other hand, if the level of income is low then the consumers are very sensitive to changes in prices hence any slight change in price would result to consumers buying less of the product. This situation implies that despite the fact that the prices are expected to rise because of the eminent shortage, some consumers with high income will still buy tomatoes because they have low price elasticity. Necessity is yet another determinant of price elasticity; products such as food staff are basic good hence they have low price elasticity. On the hand, luxury products have high price elasticity hence consumers will buy less of the product if the price increases. Tomato is a basic good hence; it does not have high price elasticity (Klein, 2003). The other factor that affects the price elasticity of goods is duration. In the short term, the price elasticity is low while the reverse is true in the long run. The justification for this trend emanates because in the short term, the consumers have not adequately adjusted to the changes in the market. However, in the long run, the consumers have had adequate time to adjust to changes in the market and as such, they are in a position to exhibit high price elasticity. The fact that the issue of shortages of tomatoes in the market has lasted for quite some time, it means that price elasticity is also high since the consumers are responding adequately to high tomato prices, which is occasioned by the shortage of tomatoes in the

The experiment safe Essay Example for Free

The experiment safe Essay In every day lives we come across a number of different objects that are bouncing, colliding and in motion. All these are attributable to the energy changes involved in the process thus obeying the law of conservation of energy. The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and that the sum total of energy in this universe remains constant. This scientific method of looking at energy changes can be associated and implemented on a variety of simple things and one among them being observation of bouncing objects. This motivation has lead me to investigate, understand and analyse bouncing of a ball on a surface. However, understanding the bouncing mechanism is not as simple as it appears, because there are several factors involved during the bouncing action. For example, the material of the ball, the type and nature of surface over which it freely falls, frictional factors due to air resistance, temperature affecting the surrounding air molecules as well as during the ball-surface interactions. Preliminary Investigation Looking around practically made me notice a variety of different types and sizes of balls. There were golf balls, tennis balls, footballs, sponge balls, cricket balls, bouncy balls, etc. I observed them carefully and noticed that none were similar in any way. The cricket balls were the only ones made out of leather, the bouncy balls were made out of dense rubber, and the golf balls were made of plastic. I tried to test the bounce of these balls on different surfaces like carpeted flooring and wooden flooring. I found that each ball when dropped on these flooring was bouncing to different heights. I felt that each of these balls when dropped on a given flooring surface had different factors that influenced their bounce. Also I noticed that the ball being dropped constantly bounced almost at the same height. This made me feel that I could use this as my chosen experiment for further investigations. As mentioned earlier, the bouncing of balls may look simple, but the energy conversions are quite complex. In simple terms, the work done during a bouncing ball system involves three possible energy sources, 1) Gravitational potential energy (energy due to its position) 2) Kinetic energy (energy due to its motion) 3) frictional energy (lost due to production of heat and sound). The ball acquires Gravitational Potential Energy because of its position and also the ball is working against the gravity to acquire this position. Kinetic energy is gained during the motion of the ball. The frictional energy is lost due to the production of heat and sound. In fact, the conversion of the potential energy results in the kinetic energy of motion until the bounce is over and this potential energy is regained as ball acquires the next position or height. However, on each bounce over a given surface energy of impact is transferred to the surface on which it bounces. Also energy is used up in over coming the air resistance. The energy of impact can be split into sound energy, heat energy or light energy (spark) in the case of very heavy balls (for ex. Iron balls striking iron plate surfaces). This can be totally called as frictional energy loss. The process of bouncing continues with frictional loss occurring on each bounce and this effect could be known as damping. Damping means the loss of height on each bounce on a given surface. The damping effect decreases until the ball attains the minimum potential energy. The damping effect influences the speed and so it tends to slow down the ball each time it impacts the surface. To observe this effect experiments were planned to drop large bouncy balls on different surfaces and to note the rebound heights. Preliminary Results Bounce Quality Number Balls used Carpet flooring Wooden flooring 1 Golf Ball Low Medium 2 Tennis Ball Medium Medium 3 Football Low Low 4 Sponge Ball Low Low 5 Cricket Ball Low Low 6 Bouncy Ball Medium High Below are the formulae of different types of energy and work done: Potential Energy: PE = mgh 1) Where, m= mass of the ball (kg) g= acceleration due to gravity () h= height of the bounce(m) Work Done: Wd = F x d -(2) Where,F= Force (N) d = bounce height (m) Also as part of my preliminary work I did some work using a CD Called Science Investigations. This was very useful as I could see how the ball rebound height would differ if I changed the temperature of the ball. The ball being used was a squash ball. The results I gained were as follows (assuming that the drop height was kept the same-1metre): Temperature(i C) Rebound height(cm)Â   (The rebound height was measured from the bottom of the ball. ) As you can see, these results seem fairly realistic and accurate. As the temperature inside the squash ball increased, the rebound height increased. This was the case in all of the tests. Also using this CD I could investigate the different amounts of energy bring used up when a ball bounces. A ball has 100% gravitational potential energy when it is in your hand. As soon as you release it the amount of gravitational potential energy decreases and instead, 100% Kinetic energy is formed. However, when the ball hits the ground there is no kinetic energy or gravitational potential energy. Instead, there is only elastic potential energy and heat/sound energy. After the ball hits the ground, kinetic energy is regained again, but it is not a full 100%, it is only 80%. 20% of the energy was used up as heat/sound energy. So when the ball is caught in your hand again, the gravitational potential energy returns, but there is only 20% of what there previously was, so the ball does not reach its drop height. Safety: To make the experiment safe, I will have to make sure of the following: That the nail that supports the ball is tightly secured in its position. That the balls are used in a proper manner in all situations. The equipment like the clamp and stand are fixed to the workbench securely. To make this test fair I will have to make sure of the following: That the metre rule is straight and not at an angle. That I release the ball from the given point. E. g. Place the bottom of the bouncy ball in line with the one metre mark, the 0. 8 metre mark etc. Just release the ball without adding any extra force. Keep the temperature in the room constant. Make sure that there is very little air movement. Make sure that you have the same experimental conditions for all the three trials. The factor I will be investigating is the height I drop the ball.

Value Chain At Siemens Wind Power Commerce Essay

Value Chain At Siemens Wind Power Commerce Essay Siemens is a world-class service provider with over 30 years of experience in providing high quality services with superior safety principles. Based on this significant knowledge, a flexible range of service solutions have been designed for both onshore and offshore projects, to optimize the output of wind turbines throughout their lifetime. The purpose of the Service Department is to repair damaged main shafts of the wind mills. The range of operations in the service department can be divided into two main categories: On-site repairmen and substitutions of the damaged or broken main shafts. At Siemens Wind Power the service department in many cases is prioritized down in the organization because it is costing the company money, and not really generating any money. The service department it just building up inventory, and havent run since January 2009. So we decided to take a look and make a analysis of their value chain to have a overview of the current situation and to see if there are any problems which need solving. A value chain is a chain of activities for a firm operating in a specific industry. A value chain typically consists of inbound distribution or logistics, manufacturing operations, outbound distribution or logistics, marketing and selling, and after-sales service. These activities are supported by purchasing or procurement, research and development, human resource development, and corporate infrastructure. We used the Value Chain framework of Michael Porter from the strategic management book because it breaks down the activities of the organisation into its many parts. Contribution of each part can be analysed for its contribution to the total value added by the organisation. Afterwards this can be used to see where to put in the effort and make improvements. The goal of these activities is to offer the customer a level of value that exceeds the cost of the activities, thereby resulting in a profit margin. Primary Activities: Inbound Logistics : Includes receiving, storing , inventory control , transportation scheduling They have a safety stock in Denmark in Tinglev that consist 5 pieces of each component and in USA they have the safety stock in Huston and consists 10 pieces of each component. The safety stocks are enough to cover demand of 35 days according to their forecast. Production capacity is 30 turbines a week of the 2.3 and 4 a week of 3.6 and they have 60.000 components. Process when a part is broken: Demounting the defect shaft and then can be transported directly to Brande, or through the regional Headquarter and then mount it. Then it is send back to Fabriksvej and repaired and then to Tinglev, where it fills up a container, which consists of 2 main shafts. Lead time of one year of main bearings from the assembly department. Operations: Includes machining, assembly, equipment maintenance. The Costumers have to make the foundation, electricity and have the infrastructure. They are only buying turbines, costumers has to know for themselves the weather conditions etc. A wind mill costs approx. 18 mio. DKK for turbine without SLA. Siemens promises in the SLA that the windmill is running 95 % of the time. But it is actually running 97% of the time. Siemens fulfill the customers service contracts through the SLA (service level agreements) which is made in corporation with the customers. They have a Monitoring department that can see if the main bearing gets too hot and then switch it off and in the UK have their own monitoring departments but sometimes it brakes when it is turned on again. Siemens can monitor the costumer without the SLA, but dont, because they didnt pay for the service. Only if the customers want it later, they can start monitoring them. Outbound Logistics The activities required to get the finished product to the customers: warehousing, order fulfillment, transportation, distribution management In the past Siemens faced a problems with higher demand than expected and couldnt deliver spare parts to the customer because of low safety stock levels there were a demand for 10 in UK because they were broken down, but Siemens only have the safety stock of 5, which is not sufficient but also keeping a high level of safety stock is also not good because it takes lots of money to keep components in the stock. Siemens is not prioritizing the service department regarding the suppliers when they need to share capacity on old components, broken components or new components. When it is new components, the service department forecast a year ahead, to meet the demand. Siemens in order to reduce variability in demand and increase flexibility in order to meet the demand they try to build a corporation with the service regions; USA, Germany Uk to get a forecast from them at least 4 months ahead. Further they ask the regions to have service materials on stock, so they dont get to many urgent orders. There is also a safety-stock in USA, which covers the demand for 35 days. From this they are making forecasts to their suppliers, for them to be able to plan their capacity, they use Delta forecasting and using Delphi method compared with failure rates. The forecasts are updated every month by the demand management department. Marketing and Sales: The activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product. The Siemens service headquarters is located in Brande, Denmark for both onshore and offshore services. In order to optimize knowledge transfer and customer value globally,  regional service centers have been established. These  main offices are  located in: The United States of America Singapore and Germany. In an effort to stay close to the customer in the  complex European region, the heart of the wind industry, smaller offices  are also  set up  in: The United Kingdom Spain, Germany and Denmark. They get the most revenue of selling turbines .The markets are Europe, USA and Asia Pacific . Onshore is not growing in Europe, but in the USA and New Zealand it is expanding. Siemens are the best wind turbine manufacturers they offer high quality and good service for the ones who are willing to pay for it. Their windmills are running 97% of the time, compared with Vestas ´ windmills, which are running under 95 % of the time. Brand name Siemens and with the history of bonus they are adding value to their product. The service department crew is adding value when there is a problem with the customers windmills. The service department has a monitoring department which monitors the windmills all the time. Service The activities that maintain and enhance the products value, including customer support, repair services, installation, training, spare parts management. The Costumers have to make the foundation, electricity and have the infrastructure. They are only buying turbines, costumers has to know for themselves the weather conditions etc. A wind mill costs approx. 18 mio. DKK, for turbine without SLA. Siemens promises in the SLA that the windmill is running 95 % of the time. But it is actually running 97% of the time. Siemens fulfill the customers service contracts through the SLA (service level agreements) which is made in corporation with the customers. They have different types of SLA ´s to meet the costumers needs. When a windmill breaks down, Siemens takes the part back and replaces it with a new one. Siemens Service department repairs the broken part, and then sell it again to another customer, 40 % of the sights (customers) are buying the long term SLA. Only in the service department; the costumers who pay more for SLA, get service first. 70 % want service, only pays 40 % for the quick lead time. 30 % dont want service, but can buy spare parts. In the service department there are two main categories of operations: The first type of repairment is taking place on-site by service teams, send out by the service department in Brande, or by one of the regional headquarters in Houston, Germany or in the UK. On-site repairmens are taking place when the detected problem is a minor damage that can be fixed without removing the main shaft, and when the repairment can be done within the scope of the service level agreement. This means that the turbine has to be up and running again within one week. The second type of repairment is when Siemens is facing a more serious damage that cannot be fixed on-site then the service department calls for a repaired main shaft from the safety stock, to use as a substitute for the operating and damaged main shaft. The regional headquarters are responsible for planning and execution of the arrangements needed to do a successful changeover of the main shaft. The teams which are send are trained especially for this operation, and the dissembled shafts are then transported to Denmark, where the repairment is taking place. Technicians and monitor regions are responsible for telling if they have the new shafts. They communicate to the service department to supply new parts. When it comes to repairing the wind mills Siemens has to face a seasonality. In the winter is not possible to fix any problems in the field thats why Siemens is trying to fix as much mills as they can before winter in October and November. The second pick period is after the winter when mills not repaired before winter need to be fixes as soon as possible in March and April. Support Activities. Procurement Procurement of raw materials, servicing, spare parts, buildings, machines. When a part breaks down within the 2 years; first it is sent from supplier to Siemens in Tinglev, and sold, then to the suppliers when it is broken, where it is renovated, then back to Tinglev and then to the new costumer who buys it. First when it goes to the supplier it is seen if it is better to scrap or renovate. After two years, you evaluate if it should be send to suppliers or renovate it yourself? They sell them as renovated parts for 80 % of the price.The supplier is out of the corporation with Siemens after 6 months if there are problems with the supplier. They have good suppliers which are flexible. At least 2 suppliers on each part. Suppliers have to pay if the turbine is down, if it is their fault. Many suppliers are owned by Siemens, on the main parts. Blades, gearboxes etc. They have stock in USA and in Tinglev, to supply with a new component, when broken down. Suppliers: Spain for main bearing. Normark are for shafts. Stockgos Germany, bearing houses Most parts from Europe are from suppliers but they dont have that many suppliers in the USA. So have to build up a supplier network. Siemens has the most expensive turbines and best quality. They are selling service in the US and they have a service facility but no repair.If the parts are under guaranty the supplier will supply a new part or a renovated part. The hours the technicians use will be paid by the supplier. For the most parts Siemens are able to renovate themselves. Technology Development Includes technology development to support the value chain activities, such as Research and Development, Process automation, design and redesign. Thanks to process technology developed by Dr. Gerald Hohenbichler (44), steel manufacturers can now save energy by processing metal in continuous strands. Hohenbichlers groundbreaking solution enables molten raw steel to be rolled immediately after casting, reducing a mills energy requirements by as much as 45 percent. Siemens Energy has installed the first prototype of a newly designed direct-drive wind turbine. The new SWT-3.0-101 DD is a gearless turbine with a power rating of three megawatts (MW). Its rotor has a diameter of 101 meters. The prototype was installed near the Danish town of Brande, where Siemens Wind Power headquarters is located. The intelligent, straightforward design of the turbine makes gearboxes unnecessary. The new turbine will officially be launched in 2010. Human Resource Management The activities associated with recruiting, development (education), retention and compensation of employees and managers. They have a new strategy; they are now finding the costumers themselves, because of the financial crisis. Siemens has already fired 400 workers in Brande and 200 in Ã…lborg. Siemens training centers offer thorough training programs to ensure that all service personnel are trained to our stringent safety and quality standards. Training centers are located in: Brande, Denmark Bremen, Germany Newcastle, UK Houston, United States. Firm Infrastructure Includes general management, planning management, legal, finance, accounting, public affairs, quality management, etc. Peter Là ¶scher, President and CEO of Siemens AG. The firms margin or profit then depends on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay for the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain. It is in these activities that a firm has the opportunity to generate superior value. A competitive advantage may be achieved by reconfiguring the value chain to provide lower cost or better differentiation. Now that we have an overview of Siemens Supply chain we observe that they are facing some problems. We have received information regarding the possibility of investing into a new regional service department in the states which in our opinion might prove to be a very good answer to the problems that they are facing now and since the USA market is expanding for Siemens, a local risk hedging service department may indeed benefit the company. A service department who would communicate with the current service regions and the new found production plant in the USA. Having a repair department in the U.S would cut down the transportation and handling lead times and costs. The profitability for the service department and Siemens as a whole would be to reduction of inventory costs, because the inventory will be reduced in the service department of broken shafts, when it starts running again. There would be a reduction in transportation costs; severely if they implement a service department in the US, and namely if they optimize the flow in Denmark. It will also reduce the capital bindings in defect components which are in the service departments inventory. Also a good idea would be built up a supplier network in the USA because most of the parts come from the European suppliers. Choosing the right supply chain strategy Once the production plant and service department are build they need to have a right supply chain strategy which prepares them for the new business challenges and opportunities. A simple but powerful way to characterize a product when seeking to devise the right supply chain strategy are the two key uncertainties faced by the product which are demand and supply. Demand uncertainty is linked to the predictability of the demand for the product. In order for Siemens to choose the right strategy they have to follow some steps in order to understand what is going on with their supply chain. A first step would be to figure out what time of product are they selling functional products or innovative products .Functional products are ones that have long product life cycles and there for stable demand, while innovative products are products that have short life cycles with high innovation and fashion contents as we can see clearly, different supply chain strategies are required for functional versus innovative products. Functional products tend to have less product variety than innovative products, where variety is introduced due to the fashion-oriented nature of the product or the rapid introduction of new product options due to product technology advancements. Demand for functional products is much easier to forecast, while demand for innovative products is highly unpredictable due to the differences in product life cycle and the nature of the product, functional products tend to have lower product profit margins, but the cost of obsolescence is low; whereas innovative pro ducts tend to have higher product profit margins, but the cost of obsolescence is high. A second step would be to choose their supply chain characteristics. A stable supply process is one where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are mature and the supply base is well established. An evolving supply process is where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are still under early development and are rapidly changing, and as a result the supply base may be limited in both size and experience. In a stable supply process, manufacturing complexity tends to be low or manageable. Stable manufacturing processes tend to be highly automated, and long-term supply contracts are prevalent. In an evolving supply process, the manufacturing process requires a lot of fine-tuning and is often subject to breakdowns and uncertain yields. The supply base may not be as reliable, as the suppliers themselves are going through process innovations. While functional products tend to have more mature and stable supply process, that is not always the case. There ar e also innovative products with a stable supply process. Demand Uncertainty Reduction Strategies Only through information sharing and tight coordination can one regain control of supply chain efficiency. Sharing of demand information and synchronized planning across the supply chain are crucial for this purpose. Supply Uncertainty Reduction Strategies Free exchanges of information starting with the product development stage and continuing with the mature and end-of-life phases of the product life cycle has been found to be highly effective in reducing the risks of supplier failure. So a good idea for Siemens would be to form a supplier hub in the USA operated by a third-party logistics company which would manage the replenishment and inbound logistics of the parts and materials to a warehouse (known as the supplier hub) which would be in close proximity to the Siemens plant. The inventory at the hub would be owned by the suppliers. The use of the hub will allow the suppliers to have much better information about Siemens needs and consumption patterns of their parts as well as about the inventory in transit. This will result in a more effective management of inventory replenishment and inbound logistics by the suppliers thereby reducing the supply uncertainties for Siemens. Supply Chain Strategies Some uncertainty characteristics require supply chain strategies with initiatives and innovations that can provide a competitive edge to companies. These strategies can be classified into four types: Efficient Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at creating the highest cost efficiencies in the supply chain. For such efficiencies to be achieved, non-value-added activities should be eliminated, scale economies should be pursued, optimization techniques should be deployed to get the best capacity utilization in production and distribution, and information linkages should be established to ensure the most efficient, accurate, and cost-effective transmission of information across the supply chain. The role of the Internet in this case is that it enables the supply chain to have tight and effortless information integration, as well as enabling production and distribution schedules to be optimized once the demand, inventory, and capacity information throughout the supply chain are made transparent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk-Hedging Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at pooling and sharing resources in a supply chain so that the risks in supply disruption can also be shared. It is therefore a risk-hedging strategy. A single entity in a supply chain can be vulnerable to supply disruptions, but if there is more than one supply source or if alternative supply resources are available, then the risk of disruption would be reduced. A company may want to increase the safety stock of its key component to hedge against the risk of supply disruption, and by sharing the safety stock with other companies who also need this key component, the cost of maintaining this safety stock can be shared. Such inventory pooling strategies are quite common in retailing, where different retail stores or dealerships share inventory. The Internet plays a key role in providing information transparency among the members of the supply chain that are sharing inventory. Having real time information on inventory and demand allows the most cost-effective transshipment of goods from one site (with excess inventory) to another site (in need). Responsive Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at being responsive and flexible to the changing and diverse needs of the customers. To be responsive, companies use build-to-order and mass customization processes as a means to meet the specific requirements of customers. The customization processes are designed to be flexible. Order accuracy (i.e., accurate specification of customer requirements) is the key to the success of mass customization. Again, the Internet has enabled very accurate and timely capturing of highly personalized requirements of customers as well as fast transfer of order information to the factory or customization centers for the final configuration of the product. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agile Supply Chain: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at being responsive and flexible to customer needs, while the risks of supply shortages or disruptions are hedged by pooling inventory or other capacity resources. These supply chains essentially have strategies in place that combine the strengths of hedged and responsive supply chains. They are agile because they have the capability to be responsive to the changing, diverse, and unpredictable demands of customers on the front end, while minimizing the back-end risks of supply disruptions. Given the different nature of demand and supply uncertainties of different products, different supply chain strategies are needed for different products. The Right Supply Chain Strategy Innovative Products with Evolving Supply Processes Companies with innovative products and evolving and unstable supply processes have to utilize the combination of risk-hedging and responsive strategies. The appropriate strategy here is to establish agile supply chains. Demand and supply uncertainties can be used as a framework to devise the right supply chain strategy. Innovative products with unpredictable demand and an evolving supply process face a major challenge. Because of shorter and shorter product life cycles, the pressure for dynamically adjusting and adapting a companys supply chain strategy is mounting. Using the Internet to develop agile supply chains with information sharing, coordination, and postponement has enabled companies to compete successfully in their market places. The challenges are great, but so are the opportunities. To be continued today