The Executive And Founder Of Growing Places - 1344 Words

Background Information History Evan Breyer is the chairman and founder of Growing Places. Growing Places offered on-site childcare and preschool classes for 60 companies in the mid-western U.S. At the early stage of the company, the revenue was not notable. â€Å"Each quarter seemed as though it might be the last,† Evan said. Therefore, they hired Rob Miranda, the CEO of Growing Places. Development Rob Miranda, a little restless, had entrepreneur mind set. He brought some important innovations to the company. His entrepreneurial vision came with an abrasive personality and some disregard for social convention. However, he was not emotional intelligence. His communication style was difficult to be accepted by others. The board of Growing Places came up with an idea of providing scholarships for kids whose families demonstrated financial need, and a corporate sponsor would be a good way to pay for the scholarships. The company came to Thrivand, which was a maker of infant formulas, cereals, and beginners’ foods. Thrivand was very interested in the sponsor idea, its head of PR, Delores Dayton came to Dublin to see Growing Places. During her visited in Growing Places, a local reporter was tagged along for the tour. Delores was very interested in the company asked Rob some questions. However, Rob’s respond was impropriate. â€Å"What gets me, though, is how long some of these kids nurse. If they’re old enough to ask for a Coke, it’s time to move on.† Growth The response gave Rob and theShow MoreRelatedInternal and External Factors952 Words   |  4 Pagesto work for. The management team that is in place for Google is one that is ever growing and changing to better stream line operations within the company worldwide. In 1998, Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin changed people’s lives all over the world by starting Google. As time has gone on the company has expanded to more than 20,000 employees all over the world. With the intentions to keep up with the ever changing market, Google has put in place a management team that represents the best andRead MoreWhat Did Your Organization Do Over The Past Year?1437 Words   |  6 Pageshe or she will always be impacted by business processes, from creating a resume and interviewing for a job to working with executives in the corporate world. As Christians, we believe that our values should be incorporated into everything we do. Christian Business Leaders has been able to help students understand what place their values have in the job search and the work place. Our organization has hosted numerou s business speakers, including high profile leaders, to give talks on how they bring theirRead MorePanera Bread : A Successful Year For Panera Essay859 Words   |  4 PagesPanera’s objectives for 2010 included a target of 17%-20% EPS growth and to increase its gross profit per transaction. Strategies Corporate Strategy Panera is focused on â€Å"growing store profit, increasing transactions and gross profit per transaction, using its capital smartly, and putting in place drivers for concept differentiation and competitive advantage† (Vincelette, 2010). The company has been able to make capital purchases through its cash flow operations. While many restaurantsRead MoreThe Five Dysfunctions Of A Team1141 Words   |  5 Pagesits executive team, also known as â€Å"The Staff,† with very diverse characteristics to explain his five dysfunctions of a team. In addition to how each of the dysfunctions can hurt not only the team but also the company. â€Å"The Staff† consist of: ï  ¶ Kathryn Petersen, the new Chief Executive Officer of DecisionTech, was not a normal CEO of a technology firm. Kathryn a fifty-seven-year-old who had a military and automotive industry background yet she had an extensive history of turning executive teamsRead MoreTale of Lynx Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesand I had to think hard about it †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ , that shows he never really believed in Doug but went ahead with Dough relying on Dougd’s experience with VC. Although Doug was considered a â€Å"veteran entrepreneur† he did not contributed to Lynx as mush as a founder member is expected to do. He was not a technical expert so he couldn’t contribute technically to the company. He had lot of experience with VS but reading the case it doesn’t look like he had a lot fo contribution in getting funding for Lynx and itRead MoreThe Organization And Control System Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesCupcakes-Palooza Organization and Control System Overview: Chris and Pat Anderson are majority shareholders and founders of Cupcakes-Palooza (CP), a privately held corporation located in Janesville, WI. CP’s office hours are Monday thru Friday 8:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. and bakery hours are 4:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. During bakery operations, CP produces and sells roughly 15,000 cupcakes weekly to selective grocery stores in the Janesville area. Despite a weak economy, sales have been steadyRead MoreS. A Building Case Study891 Words   |  4 PagesStudent’s name University Table of Contents I. Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 Mission Management and Staff Marketing and Customer Base II. General Description†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦3 III. Background information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Scope of Operations Emerging and Future Trends Finances and Pricing Our Place within the Industry Sales Strategy Overcoming Barriers to Entry Executive Summary Mission S.A Buildings Company mission is to construct qualityRead MoreEssay about Refresh Organics - Harvard Case719 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Summary – This case looks a decision that George Hausman, the co-founder and CEO of Refresh Organics (RO), makes regarding creating a board of directors. RO is a midsize, steadily growing, privately owned company which is a distributor of organic produce. RO has never had a formal board of directors, but Hausman had several close business advisors who he consulted with regularly and referred to as â€Å"the kitchen cabinet.† Hausman considered putting together a true board of directors or if simply makingRead MoreThe, Young Entrepreneurs, Robert Kalin, By Chris Maguire1553 Words   |  7 Pagesor B2B (business to business). Two years later in 2007, Etsy had nearly 450,000 registered sellers generating $26 million in annual sales and over one million sales. That same year, the company took in over $3 million in venture funding. ETSYà ¢â‚¬â„¢s growing popularity as an online retailer of anything from abstract art to commonplace household curiosities was starting to get out of control. Deeply in need of leadership, Kalin hired Chad Dickerson, senior director of product at Yahoo. Dickerson was broughtRead MoreObama Administration : Presidential Power1585 Words   |  7 Pagesembrace an almost unlimited view of Presidential responsibility and power . Thus, in the wake of a catastrophe, Congress was more than willing to grant emergency power so that the President could better protect the nation from harm. This expansion of executive authority represents the rule rather than the exception in American Politics. As a nation, we expect our president to do nothing less than solve all national problems and unite the country. Anything less is a failure. To match that responsibility

An Analytical Study Of Popular Biometric Tools And...

An Analytical Study of Popular Biometric Tools and Impacting Factors. Biometric tools have adapted and been refined with related research. This paper’s aim is to try to discover any key Biometric tools during a specific time. Content analysis was utilized on scholarly research from the field of Biometrics, trying to discover any patterns within scholarly publications. Specifically, are there any trends in different types of Biometric tools? Another key research question is are there any impacting factors or Biometric tools? Introduction: Biometric identification has long been used by humans for thousands of years. This recognition relies on certain body characteristics such as voice, face and movement. Body identification was first implemented by Alphonse Bertillon, in the Paris Police department in the mid19th century, to identify criminal body measurements (Jain, Ross and Prabhakar 2004). Later, a discovery of the individuality of fingerprints, was a significant discovery. This progressed into Police officers â€Å"booking† criminals fingerprints for identification. From the earlier time of biometric techniques to today’s modern times, due to primarily the rapid development of technology, biometric research has focused on other biometric attributes. Methodology: An analytical tool primarily, content analysis, will be implemented to analysis a data set of scholarly literature from the Scopus database. Content analysis can provide a more summative and broader snapshot of such

Turning Great Strategy Into Great Performance free essay sample

Every year the top management at many companies spend months for developing strategies. Years later the performance of the company is nowhere near what the plan had projected. Often leaders think that the execution failed, but in most cased they need a better strategy to stop their underperformance. To close this so called â€Å"strategy-to-performance-gap† disciplined planning and execution processes are needed. In the fall of 2004 Marakon Associates surveyed companies translating their strategy into performance to analyze the most common causes and actions in closing the strategy-to-performance gap. In less then 15% of the analysed companies business results reached the performance plans, what offers the risk to embed the same disconnect between results and forecast in their future decisions. Companies do multiyear performance projections what creates the venetian blind phenomenon, including 3 problems. First, financial forecasts are unreliable; second, portfolio management gets derailed and the third problem is the communication with the investment community. We will write a custom essay sample on Turning Great Strategy Into Great Performance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because of the poor forecast quality most on average strategies deliver only 63% of their potential financial performance, loosing performance by inadequate resources (7,5%), poorly strategy communication (5,2%) or the missing of clearly defined actions to execute (4,5%). Because of the difficult process to develop plans, allocate resources and track performance the top management doesn’t discern whether the gap is a result of poor planning, poor execution or both. They don’t know whether critical actions were expected, resources deployed on schedule, competitors respond as anticipated, so it’s impossible to take appropriate corrective action. The problem of a company creating unrealistic plans, which will not be fulfilled is a culture of underperformance, because it becomes the norm that performance commitments won’t be kept. As a consequence closing this strategy-to-performance gap is the only way to realize more of the strategical potential, following these seven rules at planning and execution: Rule 1: Keep it simple and make it concrete – use a clear language describing the course of action that everyone is clear about what the strategy is and isn’t, headed in the same direction. Rule 2: Debate assumptions, not forecasts – a fact-based discussion lead to the result, that units can’t hide behind details and corporate centers executives can’t push for unrealistic goals. Rule 3: Use a rigorous framework, speak a common language – each unit assesses what share of profit pool it can realistic capture, given its business model and positioning. The framework establishes a common language that all teams understand and use.

The History of Cars

Introduction It is hard to imagine life without cars. Cars have formed an important part of our lives and the quality and power of the car one drives is used to define his/her standard of living. They have become a status symbol rather than their original intention as a means of transport. Cars provide an individualized and privatized means of transportation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The History of Cars specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The motor vehicles did not just rise in a single day but rather have evolved from the earliest models to the more sophisticated automobiles dominating our roads today. It has been a gradual process starting from when the wheel was first invented and through several other stages. This paper traces the stages through the history that the cars have undergone from the primitive carriages of the 1880s to the fast, complex, and comfortable vehicle that dominate our roads in the 21 st century (Volti 1). The Invention of the Wheel This marked the infancy stage in the development of transportation known to us today. However, it is hard to know who or exactly when the wheel was invented but reports show that this may date back to more than 5000 years. The inspiration for the development of the wheel arose as people sought for easier and better means of moving things around. People had discovered that rounded objects could lessen the amount of effort needed if heavy things were placed over them and pushed along. The sledge was soon later incorporated as a means of moving things, it was recognized that when sledge was pulled on a smooth surface or on logs, the amount of energy needed to push it was reduced. The sledge was further improved by making grooves on the logs on which it was placed thus reducing the amount of friction between the logs and the sledge. This further lessened the amount of the effort needed and when the wood between the two inner grooves were cut, the wood that remained between the grooves now formed the axle. This type of sledge formed the first carts. The next natural thing that the inventors of the wheel did was to design the axle so that it could fit into the hole made in the centre of the wooden wheel. Further improvements on the axle were made to ensure that the axle remained static while the wheel was made to rotate on it. Further improvements on the design of the wheel were made in different parts of the world with an aim of fitting different purposes such as war chariots, racing carts, and freight wagons.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Age of the Horse Drawn Carriages During the first stages, the wheeled vehicles were pulled by people, oxen or horses but later the internal combustion engine were invented to replace ‘horse power’ as it was called then. The use of horses to pull the carriages allowed for the people to wield more power and to expand their territorial borders. The amount of pollution caused by horse wastes in European cities resulted in inventors looking for alternative forms of transportation. The Horseless Carriages and the Steam Engine Steam-powered vehicle came into being in the late 18th century but were only considered more potentially practical in the early 19th century. Nicholas Cugnot (1725-1804) built the first steam powered vehicles that were supposed to haul French army artillery. It is recorded that his first steam vehicle travelled at a steady 3km/hr but run out of the steam power in less than 25 minutes (Volti 2). Cugnot second steam engine also failed prompting the government to drop the project. Development of Locomotives Early 1830s witnessed continued interest in the steam as a source of power and the period continued to experience development in locomotives, steam powered tractors, and other forms of vehicles. In England, automobiles powered b y steam were on the rise but their growth was terminated immaturely as more emphasis was laid on rail locomotives. The Role of the Bicycle in the Development of Cars There was great stride in the development of bicycles during the 1840s. The development of the bicycle is very important in the history of cars as most of the parts found in the early cars owed their origin from them. Such parts as the chain-and-sprocket drive, the tires, bearings, spooked wheels and many other components of the automobile were derived from the bicycle. Steam cars faced limitations in the building technology and lack of good roads and it was only in the 19th century that personal transportation emerged. These cars were very heavy thus meaning that they could only travel on rails to function effectively. The steam engines were therefore used on railroads leading to the great success of the railroad industry. The steam engines operated by burning wood or other fuel and the thus generated heated water in b oilers. The resulting steam was used in driving pistons up and down and in the process turning the crankshaft, which ultimately moved the wheels. These steam engines required numerous stops to replenish its water and also needed long time to start. The Internal Combustion Engines Early attempts The invention of internal combustion engines was influenced by the idea of personal mobility. This venture required that individual vehicles have a source of power to drive them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The History of Cars specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As already seen, steam power was out of question and could not be used in personal cars because of their weight and the fact that they could only use rails. This led to the idea of an internal combustion engine that contained an air-fuel mixture within it. Attempts to make an internal combustion engine dates back to the late 17th century; when efforts to use gunp owder were made but failed. Lenoir’s double acting engine In 1850s, a French engineer, Etienne Lenoir constructed a double acting engine in which an ignited mixture of air and gas was used to push the piston to the far end and of the cylinder creating a power stroke. When this piston was pushed back I the same mechanism, another power stroke was created and the exhausted gas was expelled. Therefore, for each revolution of the crankshaft, two power strokes were produced. This kind of engine had its disadvantage in that the air was not compressed before being burned and therefore the engine produced less power and was inefficient. However, Lenoir’s engine was far much better when compared to the steam engine since it had a higher thermal efficiency. Early development in Germany In Germany, Nicholas Otto also made significant steps in the development of steam engine. Together with his friend Eugen Langen (1833-1895), Otto developed a four-stroke cycle in 1876. This model of engine was however not efficient but was a gap in the building of more improved combustion engines. Daimler’s first ‘car’ In 1885, two of Otto’s workers; Gottlieb Daimler (1834-19000) and Wilhelm Maybach (1847-1929) made improvements on Otto’s four stroke engine by installing a single cylinder engine on a two wheeled frame which came to be referred to as the first motorcycle. The same engine was installed onto a four wheeled wagon to make the first internal combustion engine car (Volti 4). Carl Benz (1844-1902) constructed a three wheeled vehicle that used Otto’s four stroke combustion engine and was better than that constructed by Daimler (Flink 11). Carl’s three wheeled vehicle marked the beginning of personalized road trips when his family made a 200 kilometres journey in it. The progress of the internal combustion engine in France Germany is credited with the manufacture of the first cars but credit also goes to France where con siderable steps in the motor industry. Peugeot, a steel metal company, constructed the first car that used a v-twin engine which was a Daimler engine design. Peugeot later on produced its own design of engine which used independently pivoting wheels.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another French company, Panhard et Levassor also introduced a car that was more sophisticated than the Peugeot. Panhard’s model of engine, termed systeme panhard had its engine mounted on the front and operated by turning the rear wheels via a driveshaft that run underneath the car. The United States of America joins the car industry The united states marked a slow start in the motor vehicle invention and remained stuck in the ‘buggy’ despite making big strides in the manufacture of other industrial products such as watches, typewriters and fire arms at relatively low costs. Its first internal combustion engine automobile was designed by Charles and frank Duryea in Massachusetts in 1893. The car was propelled by an engine with a single-cylinder and contained a spray carburetor and electric ignition. In 1894, the first gasoline car was made by Elmer and Edger Apperson using the Hayne’s design. The Duryea motor wagon company came into existence in 1895 and s pecialized in gasoline cars. Henry Ford first built his two cylinder engine car in Detroit and only registered the Ford Motor Company in 1903. Other important car builders in US during the early stages included; Ransom E. Olds and William C. Durant who founded General Motors in 1908. Electric Cars This mostly came into being in the 1830s but failed due to the fact that early batteries were limited in their capacity to store energy. Because they operated within towns, the cars were relatively advantageous since they did not require to be occasionally replenished with water (Larmine lowry 93). They could also travel longer distance comparatively. However their prominence dwindled in the 1900s as the advantage was taken by the gasoline cars. Other factors that led to the near demise of electric cars were the expansion and betterment of roads between cities thus creating the need for long range cars. Gasoline availability also meant that gasoline cars were easier to maintain than the e lectric cars. Another brow to the electric cars was rendered by the invention of the electric starter by Charles Kettering in 1911. The great success in the evolution of automobiles, prior to this development; vehicles powered by gasoline were started by a hand crank which was more dangerous and difficult to use. Finally, the initiation of mass production of vehicles using internal combustion engine made their availability and affordability possible when compared to electric cars (Mom 98). During the years that followed (1911-1960s), there was an almost complete disappearance of the electric cars. The years between 1960 and 1970 experienced an urge to re-introduce electric cars. This was mainly because of the increase in air pollution caused by the internal combustion engine cars and the rise in the prices of crude oil. There followed many attempts by various companies to come up with electric trucks that would be easy to maintain. Recent developments have been aimed at producing en vironmental friendly vehicles and emphasis has been laid on electric cars. Among some of the modern electric cars in the market include the Toyota RAV4 sport, Honda EV Plus sedan and several models of Chrysler. Manufacturing Methods Early car makers employed similar techniques in the manufacture of cars. This technique were however similar to those used in heavy engineering industries. Early automobile companies were initially bicycle makers such as Peugeot and the Riley in Britain. These motor companies used skilled workers in modest workshops but as volume of production increased, there was change to batch system. In the one-off system, workers and parts moved to the areas of the workshop where the car was positioned. Accessory machines were also grouped in regard to the type of work performed by each. Conveyer belts were first used in Henry Ford’s workshop. Assembly of the car parts was later done in one location. The first moving assembly line was used in Ford’s wo rkshop. The chain driven assembly line replaced the sliding rail system in the ford workshop. Modern manufacturing techniques are highly automated and in some companies, most of the work is done by robots. The final results of modern technology are faster, more comfortable and reliable cars. Modern Internal Combustion Engine Cars There is a great deal of differences in cars we have today and those present in the early years. However, it is worth mentioning that the principles have relatively remained the same and only the outlook and few other aspects have been changing. Internal combustion engines may use diesel or petrol. However, for a long time, diesel powered vehicle were neglected but are now making a comeback because of their high efficiency and long life. Diesel powered vehicle can also burn other types of fuel. These vehicles are more expensive compared to gas cars. There are numerous car manufacturing companies today when compared to the earlier years. The US is today the highest producer of motor vehicles in the world today while Japan is the second. The amount of cars in the world today exceeds 1 billion with the number expected to rise in the near future. This large number of cars continues to cause far reaching effects on the environment due to pollution thus raising the issue of environmental friendly cars (Walsh 4). Conclusion It is true that the invention of cars completely changed the way of life of man. It was a gradual process that took place over a long period and underwent through numerous stages and processes. The history of the car spans back to about 250 year and took place in several countries in Europe and in the US. German is credited with being the place of birth of the motor cars. This important technical invention has helped shape various cultures in the world Glossary Automobile- a wheeled motor vehicle with own engine and used in transport Axle- a small shaft around which a wheel rotates Battery- electrochemical cells designed to convert chemical form of energy into electrical energy Buggy-a light carriage that is pulled by one horse or oxen Carburettor- a component of an internal combustion engine that mixes air and fuel Carriage – horse drawn vehicle. Chariot- a carriage that is drawn by horses and mainly used in ceremonies Combustion-the process of reacting oxygen with a given substance to yield heat and light Conveyer belts- a mobile belt that is used in industries to transport objects Crankshaft-a shaft found in cars that rotates when driven by a crank Crude oil- dark oil containing many hydro carbons Demise- death Diesel- heavy oil Driveshaft- a metal shaft that help transmit rotary power from the point of production (engine) to the point of application. Dwindle- to decline or decrease Gasoline- this is a very volatile mixture of several gases that comes from petroleum and functions as fuel for vehicles Groove- a furrow cut in wood Hayne’s design- an early design in the manufacture of engines in which it was placed in the front and the power transmitted to the rear of the car Ignition- process of making something catch fire Petrol- gasoline Piston- is a part of the internal combustion engines that is found in a cylinder and is used to channel power from the expanding gas to the crankshaft Pollution- contaminating the environment with harmful unwanted substances Propel- use of force to make an object move forward Railroad- metal road on which trains travel Replenish- refill Robot- a device designed to move automatically Sledge-a small vehicle that is pulled by a dog or a horse Spooked- wheel- a wheel with wire or wooden devices that held the axle in place Steam- vapour produced when water is heated. Works Cited Flink, James. The Automobile Age. USA: MIT press, 1998. Larmine and lowry. Electric Vehicle Technology Explained. USA: John Willey and Sons, 2003 Mom, Gijs. The Electric Vehicle: Technology And Expectations In The Automobile Age. USA: John Hopkins Univers ity Press, 2004. Volti, Rudi. Cars and Culture: The Life Story of a Technology. New York: John Hopkins University press. 2004 Walsh, Michael. Moving Toward Clean Vehicles and Fuels: A Global Overview. New York: Air and Waste Management Association, 2004. This essay on The History of Cars was written and submitted by user Ciara Lang to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Cross-Species Virus Transmission Essays

Cross-Species Virus Transmission Essays Cross-Species Virus Transmission Essay Cross-Species Virus Transmission Essay Harmonizing to the article supported by the American Society of Microbiology, viruses have one time once more been doing a splash in footings of giving rise to new diseases through their ability of host shift. SARS, Ebola febrility and Influenza are a few illustrations in which viruses have underwent transmittal from wildlife hosts onto human hosts. Furthermore, it was reported that when the HIV/AIDS virus crossed the species barrier from archpriest to human about 70 old ages ago, a major menace arose for a great sum of people were infected and still go on to be infected today. As outlined by the writers, there are three specific phases in which viral diseases emerge and successfully exchange from giver host into recipient host. Therefore, this article focuses upon and analyze the variables that affect the success rate of emerging viral diseases by the manner they influence the three phases antecedently noted. The diverseness of these variables which affect the mechanism of host exch anging consist of environmental and demographic barriers, host barriers, bing host scopes, and viral development in footings of transmittal, recombination, reassortment and viral intermediates. In order for host shift to be successful, there has to be interaction between the virus and the possible new hosts. However, if contact between the two is either prevented or limited, so the likeliness of transportation is weakened. This barrier is discernible in the HIV virus, which prior to its planetary outgrowth was transferred to worlds several times with small success because of the limited interaction between Primatess and homo. However, one time Primatess were able to come into contact with a big adequate human population, transmittal became successful and the effects can be viewed today for infections still arise. Figure 2 in the article shows the transportation of viruses into human host populations with small or no transmittal along with the occasional viruses that are able to emerge and do epidemics. Based upon findings, assorted demographic factors and human behaviours such as going, endovenous drug usage, sexual patterns and contacts, farming patterns, and agricultural enlargement addition viral host shift and advance the outgrowth of new diseases. As confirmed by the writers, human trade and travel forms were able to distribute insect vectors of viruses and viral pathogens such as SARS while migratory birds transporting the Influenza A virus were able to cross across a broad scope of populations. In add-on, ecological alterations brought upon by human actions have impacted the outgrowth of the Nipah virus in Malaysia. For illustration, chiropterans are considered to be the reservoirs of the Nipah virus, and therefore when people decided to works fruit groves around pig farms, the chiropterans became attracted to the groves and caused a spillover which infected the hogs. In bend, people working with the septic hogs became exposed to the virus and this caused an addition in carnal virus transmittal. Host barriers are the 2nd variable examined in the article and proven to impact the mechanism of host shift. In order for transmittal to be a possibility, a virus has to be able to infect cells of a new host. Yet, this procedure can be delayed at assorted degrees such as receptor binding, entry into the cell, genome reproduction or cistron look. Based on these multiple host barriers, the virus would hold to undergo alterations to be able to get the better of everything therefore increasing the trouble of transmittal. Besides this article states that unconditioned antiviral responses from host cells and apolipoprotein B-editing catalytic polypeptide proteins ( APOBEC ) further impede the hazard of infection by barricading infection to subsequent cells. In analyzing evolutionary relatedness, species that are closely related to one another have an increased likeliness of viral host shift as viewed between Pan troglodytess and worlds, therefore ensuing in the constitution of HIV. On the other manus, due to relatedness, certain restrictions based on cross-immunity to related pathogens and innate immune oppositions to related viral groups arise. Another facet to host barriers is the physical entry of the virus into the cell. Upon entry there are host glycans or lectins which bind to the virus particles to forestall infection. Besides, deficiency of neuraminidase proteins, used in the procedure of emersion, do viral inactivation which farther AIDSs in the bar of transmittal and outgrowth. Because viruses are specific to their appropriate host, they are besides specific to the assorted receptors in which they bind to the host cell. For illustration, the HIV virus binds specifically to CD4 host receptors whereas avian viruses recognize sialic acids found on host cells. Aside from receptor binding, there are besides intracellular limitations which decrease viral transmittal. For illustration, interferon responses are found to be host specific and therefore more likely to protect cells against viruses. This can be observed by alpha and beta interferons which restrict the murine norovirus from come ining the host cell. The writer further examined the host ranges of viruses and whether or non they were a factor in host shift. It was conjectured that preexisting host ranges influence the ability of a virus to be established in a new host. Viruss were classified as either Renaissance man, infecting many different hosts, or specializer, infecting merely a few related hosts. The outlook was that Renaissance man viruses would demo a greater likeliness of switching to extra hosts whereas specialist viruses would be more inclined to limitations of host shift. However, looking at the informations in Table 1, it became evident that both Renaissance man and specializer viruses have transmitted successfully into new hosts therefore decreasing the overall generalisation antecedently made. The last variable under reappraisal for impacting the mechanism of host shift is the viral evolutionary mechanisms which consist of viral fittingness tradeoffs, manners of virus transmittal, recombination and reassortment and viral intermediates. It has been speculated in the article that cross-species transmittal is more common in quickly germinating viruses. This means the greater the rate of fluctuation, the more likely a virus is able to accommodate to a new host and undergo transmittal. Because RNA viruses lack proofreading mechanisms and incorporate big viral populations, they are more likely to undergo development and transmit within a new host. Yet, there is grounds that some RNA viruses have developed host specialisation and that rates of fluctuation of DNA viruses should non be underestimated in comparing to RNA viruses. Because viruses are able to undergo assorted mutants, this increases their ability to infect new hosts but in the long tally reduces their fittingness in t he giver host. By detecting Figures 2 and 3 in the article, this is deemed fitness tradeoff. However, non all mutants cause a decrease in fitness tradeoff for there are a few advantageous 1s that increase fittingness. Besides, when merely a few adaptative mutants are required between giver host and receiver host, transmittal becomes more efficient. Equally far as outgrowth and successful host transportation are concerned, the manners of virus transmittal cause restrictions. For illustration, if viruses are non able to last between giver, receiver and or vector hosts, so outgrowth becomes a challenge. Furthermore, different tracts of transmittal either by droplet spread, sexual vaccination and or fecal-oral represent challenges in suiting assorted hosts. Recombination and reassortment brand viruses more susceptible to familial alterations that are good in the long tally. In comparing RNA and DNA viruses, the possibility of recombination varies but in detecting the retrovirus HIV, the re is a high rate of recombination which may correlate to its effectual outgrowth. Figure 5 examines possible functions of recombination in the HIV virus every bit good as its beginning from other Primatess. Another illustration of a recombination virus can be viewed in SARS CoV which most likely arose from a combination of a CoV virus and another chiropteran virus before infecting human hosts. Once a virus has been able to exchange to a new host, it farther uses recombination and reassortment in the procedure of version. Last, there have been instances in which viral intermediates with lower fittingness were required in the procedure of successful transmittal. Aside from viruses accommodating to their new hosts they besides have to optimise their strength in the host cells at the same clip hedging any immune responses. By being able to observe viruses that do non distribute expeditiously, there would be a greater opportunity of commanding epidemic eruptions. Reading through this scientific diary, the chief intent of the article is to show the audience with information on how viruses are able to traverse species and convey approximately new epidemic diseases. The writers largely define the barriers that a virus has to get the better of in order to obtain successful transmittal and overall outgrowth by forming the information into assorted subheadings. For illustration, in the subdivision Environmental and Demographic Barriers to Host Switching, the writers compare human actions such as travel or trade and associate these to viral host shift and the potency for infection. In the following subdivision, they focus on the host and the barriers that the virus has to get the better of in order to give rise to efficient transmittal. Basically the virus has to be able to come in into possible host cells and in making so has to adhere to receptors and so either blend or undergo endocytosis. However, host cells have assorted mechanisms by which the y are able to halt a virus from distributing and doing farther infections. Following, there is a treatment about the relationship between the host scope of a virus and whether or non it is a factor in finding the likeliness of host shift. The writers province that regardless of the host scope of a virus, both Renaissance man and specializer viruses have been successful in transmittal into a new host. Last, the writers examine mutants and versions of viruses in response to their ability to emerge and do diseases. These last few paragraphs see what occurs one time a virus has entered into a host cell and its ability to keep entry by undergoing advantageous mutants or farther accommodating to the receiver hosts. The article ends with a basic sum-up or overview of all the information presented earlier with the mentality of being able to command future epidemic diseases. Upon reading this diary article, the manner of authorship is instead complex in certain subdivisions which would suppr ess the audience from to the full understanding the stuff. Besides, there look to be no major experiments or trials conducted by the writers for the diary article merely contains basic information and referenced informations. Further, in rather a few subdivisions, the writers use phrases such as, poorly understood and we know comparatively little in discoursing the information. This would most likely make the audience disbelieving as to the writers competency and apprehension of the information being presented. In add-on, while showing their information, the writers chiefly focus on few specific viruses such as HIV, SARS and Influenza. What about the remainder? Are other viruses less prone to host shift or traversing barriers? These facets need to be addressed so that the audience is non able to chew over and do generalisations. Last, no solution is stated as to the bar of future epidemics from the possibility of viral host shift. The lone statements made in the diary consisted of being able to better understand the information presented and the complexnesss that follow this subject. Overall, this article should merely be used as background information in helping old cognition on the subject. The writers accomplish the undertaking of supplying the audience with information, but the manner and the presentation should hold been executed otherwise.

The Philosophy of Avenue Q Lyrics - An Analysis

The Philosophy of Avenue Q Lyrics - An Analysis Avenue Q Lyrics - The Philosophy of Avenue Q Lyrics During a recent visit to London, I wandered through Covent Garden on my way to watch a West End production of Avenue Q. While passing various shops and street performers I spotted a large plaque placed on the walls outside of St. Pauls church. It was here, said the sign, that the famous Punch and Judy Shows were performed during the 1600s. Thats right, Shakespeares plays had to compete with puppet shows. In traditional Punch and Judy shows, the anti-hero Punch insults, pesters, and beats his fellow characters, much to the delight of the audience. The Punch and Judy shows were a glorious display of political incorrectness. Today, the tradition of puppets delivering obnoxiousness and social commentary continues with Avenue Q. The Origin of Avenue Q Avenue Qs music and lyrics were created by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The two young composers met in the late 90s while involved in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. Together they have written songs for Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel. However, they wanted to create a puppet-friendly show that was strictly for adults. With the help of playwright Jeff Whitty and director Jason Moore, Avenue Q was born - and has been a hit Broadway show since 2003. Sesame Street for Grown Ups Avenue Q could not exist without Sesame Street, the long running childrens show that teaches kids letters, numbers, and practical life-lessons. The premise of Avenue Q is that adolescents grow up without learning the truth of adult life. Like the puppet protagonist Princeton, many new grown-ups experience anxiety and confusion when entering the Real World. Here are some of the lessons offered by Avenue Q: School / College Does Not Prepare You for Real Life With songs like What Do You Do with a B. A. in English? and I Wish I Could Go Back to College, Avenue Q lyrics portray higher education as an extended stay in the carefree Land of Adolescence. Princetons main conflict is that he is drifting through life, trying to discover his true purpose. One would hope that college would establish this sense of purpose (or at least a sense of self-sufficiency), but the puppet croons to the contrary: I cant pay the bills yet / Cause I have no skills yet. / The world is a big scary place. The ensemble of characters, both human and monster, wistfully recall the days when they lived in a dormitory with a meal plan, a time when if things got too difficult they could just drop a class or seek an academic advisors guidance. This criticism of the education system is nothing new. Philosopher John Dewey believed that public education should proactively prepare students with useful critical thinking skills rather than just facts from books. Modern day critics such as John Taylor Gatto further explore the failures of compulsory learning; his book Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling explains why many people feel the same social / intellectual impotence expressed within Avenue Qs lyrics. The Freedom to Find Our Own Purpose Princeton decides that he should seek his purpose in life. At first his quest for meaning is guided by superstition. He finds a penny from the year he was born and considers it a supernatural sign. However, after a couple a false-start relationships and a dead-end job or two, he realizes that discovering ones purpose and identity is a difficult, never-ending process (but an invigorating process if one chooses to make it so). Steering away from lucky pennies and mystical signs, he becomes more self-reliant by the musicals conclusion. Princetons resolution to find his own path would be smiled upon by existential philosophers. The main component of existentialism is the assumption that humans are free to determine their own sense of personal fulfillment. They are not bound by Gods, destiny, or biology. When Princeton laments, I dont even know why Im alive, his girlfriend Kate Monster replies, Who does, really? A rather existential response. There Are No Selfless Deeds Perhaps there are good deeds, according to Avenue Q, but there seem to be no purely selfless deeds. When Princeton decides to generate money for Kates School for Monsters, he does so because it feels good to help others†¦ and he also hopes to win her back, thereby rewarding himself. The lyrics from Avenue Qs Money Song explain, Every time you do good deeds / Youre also serving your own needs. / When you help others / You cant help helping yourself. This bit of wisdom would please Ayn Rand, author of controversial classics such as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Rands concept of objectivism which specifies that ones purpose should be the pursuit of happiness and self-interest. Therefore, Princeton and the other characters are morally justified in performing good deeds, so long as they do so for their own benefit. Schadenfreude: Happiness at the Misfortune of Others If youve ever felt better about your life after watching the miserable guests on a Jerry Springer re-run, then youve probably experienced schadenfreude. One of the Avenue Q characters is Gary Coleman, a real-life child star whose millions were squandered by his irresponsible family. In the show, Coleman explains that his personal tragedies make others feel good. Ironically, it becomes a virtue (or at least a public service) to be a wretched failure or a victim of calamity. (This by the way would would be frowned upon by Ayn Rand). Characters such as Coleman and the recently homeless puppet, Nicky, improve the self-esteem of the mediocre masses. Basically, these lyrics make you feel better about being a loser! Tolerance and Racism Avenue Q Heterosexual puppet Nicky tries to help the sexually repressed puppet Rod come out of the closet. He sings, â€Å"If you were queer / I’d still be here / Year after year / Because You’re Dear To Me.† A bit more devious (in a good way) is the song â€Å"Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist.† During this number, the characters proclaim that â€Å"everyone makes judgments based on race,† and that if we accepted this â€Å"sad but true† premise society could â€Å"live in harmony.† The song’s argument might be specious, but the audience’s self-deprecating laughter throughout the musical number is very telling. Everything in Life Is Only For Now Recently, â€Å"spiritual† books such as Eckhart Tolle’s have been asking readers to focus on the present, to embrace â€Å"The Power of Now.† (I wonder†¦ Does this message anger historians?) In any case, this currently popular concept stems from ancient times. Buddhists have long since explained the impermanence of existence. Avenue Q follows the Buddhist path in its final song, â€Å"For Now.† These cheerful Avenue Q lyrics remind the audience that all things must pass: â€Å"Each time you smile / It’ll only last a while.† â€Å"Life may be scary / But it’s only temporary.† In the end, despite its zaniness and crude jokes, Avenue Q delivers a sincere philosophy: We must appreciate the joys and endure the sadness we currently experience, and acknowledge that all is fleeting, a lesson that makes life seem all the more precious. Why Puppets? Why use puppets to deliver the message? Robert Lopez explained in a New York Times interview, â€Å"Theres something about our generation that resists actors bursting into song on the stage. But when puppets do it, we believe it.† Whether it’s Punch and Judy, Kermit the Frog, the cast of Avenue Q, puppets make us laugh. And while we are laughing, we usually wind up learning at the same time. If a regular human were on stage singing a preachy song, many folks would probably ignore the message. But when a muppet talks, people listen. The creators of Mystery Science Theater 3000 once explained that, â€Å"You can say things as a puppet that you can’t get away with as a human.† That was true for MST3K. It was true for the Muppets. It was true for the bombastically cruel Punch, and it is eloquently true for the ever-insightful show Avenue Q.

Martial Arts In Renaissance Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Martial Arts In Renaissance Europe - Essay Example The gathered evidences are either in the form of scriptures of paintings. It is important to mention the event of Gladiator, this event occurred in 260 BC in Rome. The gathered evidences depict the wrestling techniques which were practiced during old ages, and with specific tools for self-defence and offend were designed and used. As per historic record, the groups practiced special martial arts during crucial combats. The pictorial display of historic combats have indicated the compilation of drafts i.e. Bayeux Tapestry and Morgan Bible, which has exclusively listed the details of technique necessary for combat alongside the design of the tools. As per European history, a specific manual has been discovered which depicts the learning of martial arts, "extant dedicated martial arts manual is the MS I.33 (ca. 1300), detailing sword and buckler combat". The book has mentioned that during high and late middle ages, common martial arts included jousting, fencing system. It was unfolded t hat during the period of late Middle Ages, different books on martial arts and fighting i.e. Fechubucher were compiled, regarded as "instructional treatises" (Mangan, 2001). The history of affiliation between the Europe and martial arts is significant and bonded. The literal meaning of Martial means the arts of Mars, which Mars is the reference to the Roman god of battle. It is therefore justifiable to link the history of martial arts with Ancient Greece. The literature of martial arts has been gathered and compiled by the European historians, have originated from the tradition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Europe, the compilation is in the form of treatise which included details of the combat techniques. The Europe has history of political and local struggle against injustice and mutiny, therefore on several accounts the mention of martial arts have been observed, which in actual was intended to communicate the fundamentals of defence to the forces and public (Jane, 1995). The conte mporary martial arts have its origination from the tradition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Europe. Several schools have been identified which have identified specified nature of practices relevant to martial arts, out of these some schools have been categorised as Italian, Spanish, German and English style; however some schools have focused upon weapons combat, mainly related to sword. The important institute linked to the promulgation and promotion of martial arts inside Europe includes the Academy of European Swordsmanship, this school has researched upon traditional swordsmanship. The book has given the details of the classified information relevant to this specific practice of martial arts includes strikes, locks and breaks, throws, wrestling, and disarms. The nature of these martial arts is limited to weapon and self combat, however the nature of martial arts practiced during Renaissance focused much upon hand-to-hand combat. The martial arts practices which originated during pe riod of Renaissance have transformed into boxing and fencing. The core values of the martial arts related to the European period of Renaissance focused primarily upon defensive and combat techniques, specially "learning to defend against knives, empty hand, ground fighting, pole weapons and swords" (Mangan, 2001). Discussion There growing misconception among the public is regarded the origination of martial art