Case Incident 2 Professional Sports: Rewarding?

Case Incident 2 PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: REWARDING AND PUNISHING THE SAME BEHAVIOUR QUESTION: 1. What type of reinforcement schedule does random drug testing represent? Is this type of schedule typically effective or ineffective? Answer: The type of reinforcement schedules that random drug testing represent is the variable interval type. As defined, this type of schedule occurs when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed. In the case, the reinforcement schedule is done randomly and unexpected.It is typically effective because athletes not aware of the test and when these tests will be taken place. Therefore, athletes are unprepared. QUESTION: 2. What are some examples of behaviors in typical organization that supervisors reward that may actually be detrimental to others or to the organization as a whole? As a manager, what might you do to try to avoid quandary? Answer: It’s when the athletes are taking steroids. When athletes take steroids to enhan ce their performance abilities, they are misleading their managers and their fans.At first, they will be rewarded. Like they can earn more profit and increase their popularity, But in the end, when it is discovered that the athlete were taking steroids, he destroys his team’s reputation and of course his own reputation and also the loyalty the fans had for him. If I was a manager, what I might do in order to avoid this quandary, if I was made aware of someone using steroids, I would do a random drug testing as soon as possible instead of having the whole team suffer for that one insubordinate athlete. QUESTION: 3.If you were the commissioner of baseball, what steps would you take to try to reduce the use of steroids in baseball? Is punishment likely to be the most effective deterrent? Why or why not? Answer: Yes, punishment is the most effective deterrent. Because punishment is everyone’s scared of. It’s the only way how can they make their selves responsible. I f I were a baseball commissioner, I will enforce a policy that will monitor athlete’s condition regarding the usage of steroids and enforce heavy punishment for those athletes that will be caught using steroids

Exploring the Relationship Between Cigarette Essay

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between state-specific estimates of youth and adult cigarette smoking prevalences, overall, and after adjusting for cigarette prices and strength of smoke-free air laws. METHODS: Crude relationships were determined using state-specific adolescent and adult smoking estimates from three national surveillance systems conducted during 1997, 1999, or 2000. Weighted leastsquares regression analyses were conducted to assess crude and adjusted relationships between state-specific estimates of adolescent and adult smoking. RESULTS: In each crude analysis conducted, adolescent smoking prevalence was significantly and positively related to adult smoking prevalence. These relationships were attenuated, but generally persisted, after controlling for cigarette prices and strength of smoke-free air laws. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the premise that adult smoking influences adolescent smoking behavior. Funders and policy makers need to consider that an effe ctive youth prevention strategy may be to curb smoking among adults. Introduction Cigarettes are the most common form of tobacco used in the United States, among both youths and adults (1, 2). Interest in preventing adolescent uptake of tobacco use increased substantially during the early and mid-1990’s (3), as adolescent smoking initiation and prevalence increased (1, 4-9). This prompted considerable debate in the public health community about the relative merits of a youth or adult-centered tobacco control approach (10-14). A focus on youth has often been viewed by policy-makers as more politically palatable to the communities they serve; however, many researchers have argued that since the problem of tobacco affects people of all ages, effective solutions must do so as well, thereby favoring a more balanced strategy (10-14). An effective approach would target audiences in every age group, encouraging adults to quit without ignoring the reality that virtually all new tobacco users are children or adolescents. A considerable number of studies have noted relationships between parental and adolescent smoking (15-21). Bauman and colleagues noted that a key distinction in studies of parental and adolescent smoking was to distinguish whether the parents were current, former, or never smokers. When they made such distinctions, they found that the relationship between parental smoking status and adolescent smoking was as strong as that for peer smoking (16-17). Chassin and colleagues found that parental smoking cessation may help to lower the risk for adolescent smoking when the other parent was not a current smoker (20). Farkas and colleagues noted that the earlier parents quit, the less likely their children were to become smokers (21). To test the hypothesis that state-specific smoking prevalence for adolescents and adults would be directly related, we initially studied the relationship using data from the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (22). We documented a direct relationship, a finding also noted by Males (23). To assess this phenomenon more fully, we conducted similar analyses using data from  additional years and another surveillance system (the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). Furthermore, because we recognized that cigarette prices and the strength of smoke-free air laws could influence both adolescent and adult smoking prevalences, we also studied the relationship after controlling for these important policy variables (2426). We hypothesized that the relationship between adolescent and adult smoking would be attenuated, but not eliminated, after controlling for these potential covariates. Methods Data Youth and adult smoking data for this study were taken from three nationallycoordinated surveillance systems: 1) the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS); 2) the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS); and 3) the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The YRBSS provides state-specific adolescent data on public high school students between the approximate ages of 14 to 18 years. For this study, we used the following measures of adolescent smoking from YRBSS: current smoking prevalence, frequent cigarette use, youth ever smoking, and youth ever-daily smoking. The 1997 and 1999 YRBSS define current smoking prevalence (current cigarette use) as having smoked on at least 1 of the 30 days preceding the survey, and frequent cigarette use as having smoked  on at least 20 of the 30 days preceding the survey. The 1997 and 1999 YRBSS define youth ever smoking (i.e. lifetime cigarette use) as having ever tried cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs (6, 27). The 1999 YRBSS defines youth ever-daily smoking as having ever smoked at least 1 cigarette every day for 30 days (27). Weighted YRBSS data were published for 24 states in 1997, and for 22 states in 1999. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) weighted these statespecific estimates to adjust for nonresponse and varying probabilities of selection. The data are considered to be representative of all public high school students (grades 9-12), in  the respective states. In our analyses, we only included data from states with weighted YRBSS data. State-specific sample sizes ranged from 1,325 to 8,636 participants in 1997, and from 1,248 to 7,125 participants in 1999 (6, 27). Standard errors for these weighted 1997 and 1999 YRBSS data were provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and were used to estimate variances for analyses. The BRFSS provides state-specific estimates of major risk behaviors among adults aged 18 years and older. Adult current smoking and adult ever smoking measures were included as independent predictor variables from 1997 and 1999 BRFSS data. In the 1997 and 1999 BRFSS, current smokers were those who had ever smoked at least 100 lifetime cigarettes and who currently smoked every day or some days. Adult ever smoking was defined by the 1997 and 1999 YRBSS as having ever smoked 100 lifetime cigarettes. We used adult BRFSS data from all states for which we also had YRBSS data, which were 24 states in 1997 and 22 states in 1999. State-specific sample sizes ranged from 1,595 to 3,596 participants in 1997, and from 1,633 to 5,011 participants in 1999 (28-29). The NHSDA provides state-specific adolescent and adult data on substance abuse for adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 years, adults between the ages of 18 to 25 years (referred to below as young adults), and adults greater than or equal to 26 years (referred to below as adults). In the 1999-2000 NHSDA, current smokers were those who smoked all or part of a cigarette on at least one of the 30 days preceding the survey. Representative samples were drawn from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with sample sizes ranging from 900 to 1,030 in 42 states and the District of Columbia, and from 3,600 to 4,630 in 8 states. About one-third of each sample represented each age category: 12 to 17 years; 18 to 25 years; and >= 26 years (30). State-specific estimates for price, as of November 1st of each year, were taken from The Tax Burden on Tobacco (31). The average price of a pack of cigarettes was constructed by using weighted averages for a pack of 20 cigarettes based on the prices of single packs, cartons, and vending machine sales, where the weights are the national proportions of each type of sale. These prices are inclusive of state level  sales taxes applied to cigarettes, but are exclusive of local cigarette taxes. Because the price published is as of November 1st, and because the surveys are conducted throughout the year, we created a weighted average annual cigarette price measure by subtracting state and federal excise taxes from the current year’s price and the previous/following year’s price and weighting the pre-tax prices accordingly. Average federal and state excise taxes for the whole year were calculated and added to the weighted average pre-tax price. Data on state-specific smoke-free air legislation were compiled to construct a smoke-free air (SFA) legislation index, using a multi-step process. In itially, these legislative data were taken from the American Lung Association’s ‘State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues’ (SLATI) system, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ‘State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation’ (STATE) system. We then contracted with the MayaTech Corporation to validate initial coding, and expand upon our initial categorization scheme by incorporating legislative information on additional locations, such as schools, recreational facilities, and cultural facilities. The state-specific SFA index values were constructed from ratings given to each state, based upon the levels of restriction provided for the following 10 locations in 1997, 1999, and 2000: private worksites, health facilities, restaurants, recreational facilities, cultural facilities, retail/grocery stores, shopping centers, public transit, public schools, and private schools. SFA ratings were summed for each of these 10 locations, and additional weighting was given to 6 designated youth-oriented locations (restaurants, recreational facilities, cultural facilities, shopping centers, public schools, private schools), which were multiplied by 2 prior to summation. After the ratings were summed, 20% of this total SFA score was then subtracted for the existence of any state preemption clauses. The calculation of the subtracted preemption percentage was based upon the average estimated percentage of states with SFA preemption in relevant youth-oriented categories, as described in a paper by Chriqui et al (2002) (32). Preemption clauses prevent a local area, within a state, from enacting  smoke-free ordinances that are stronger or more protective than state smoke-free air laws. Statistical Analysis Weighted least-squares regression analyses were conducted using SPSS software. Regression analyses of adult smoking measures, as the independent predictor variables, on adolescent smoking measures, as the dependent outcome variables, were conducted  for BRFSS, YRBSS, and NHSDA data. Analyses with YRBSS data were conducted overall and by gender (male, female). All regression analyses were weighted by the reciprocal of the variance of the dependent variables. Average price of a pack of cigarettes and strength of smoke-free air legislation were included as potential covariates in adjusted weighted least squares regression analyses. Crude and adjusted beta coefficients were calculated and reported, along with standard errors, r-squared values, and statistical probabilities (p-values). Additional weighted least-squares regression analyses were conducted to further adjust for income disparity. These analyses did not produce noticeably different results for youth-adult data; therefore, income disparity was not considered relevant for adjustment. Results Table 1 presents crude and adjusted results from the weighted least-squares regression analyses of youth and adult smoking measures. In each crude analysis conducted, adolescent smoking prevalence was significantly and positively related to adult smoking prevalence. These relationships were attenuated, but generally persisted, after controlling for cigarette prices and strength of smoke-free air laws. Adjusted overall relationships for 1997 YRBSS and BRFSS data, between youth-adult current smoking prevalence and frequent use, were attenuated; but remained significant. This attenuated, but significant, relationship persisted among males for current smoking  prevalence (with borderline significance among females), and among both males and females for frequent use. Crude relationships between youth-adult current smoking prevalence and frequent  use were significant for 1999 YRBSS and BRFSS data, and adjusted relationships remained significant among females for current prevalence an d frequent use. Crude relationships for NHSDA data from all states and the District of Columbia were also highly significant for youth, young adult, and adult smoking in 1999-2000 (See also: Figure 1). Adjusted relationships for 1999-2000 NHSDA data also remained significant for all youth, young adult, and adult smoking data. Table 2 presents results from additional weighted least-squares regression analyses that were conducted to explore a possible relationship between youth and adults with respect to measures of smoking initiation. These analyses, using 1997 YRBSS and BRFSS data, showed a significant adjusted relationship between youth ever-smoking and adults ever-smoking at least 100 cigarettes. Analyses using 1999 YRBSS and BRFSS data showed significant crude and adjusted relationships between youth ever-daily smoking and adults ever smoking at least 100 cigarettes. Discussion These analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between statespecific estimates of youth and adult cigarette smoking prevalence, overall, and after adjusting for important policy covariates. In each crude analysis conducted, adolescent smoking prevalence was significantly and positively related to adult smoking prevalence. After adjustment, the adolescent-adult relationship was attenuated, but remained significant, for: 1997 overall and male current prevalence; 1997 overall, male, and female frequent use; 1999 female current prevalence and frequent use; and all age groups tested using 1999/2000 NHSDA data. Therefore, the relationships generally persisted after controlling for two important policy variables, price and strength of smoke-free air  legislation. Adjusted analyses, using 1997 and 1999 YRBSS and BRFSS data, also showed a significant relationship between the following measures of smoking initiation: youth ever smoking and adults ever smoking at least 100 cigar ettes; and youth ever-daily smoking and adults ever smoking at least 100 cigarettes. There are several limitations regarding these analyses. Results for the YRBSS/BRFSS data may be influenced by the relatively small number of states with weighted data used in analyses. There were 24 states with weighted YRBSS data in 1997, and 22 states with weighted YRBSS data in 1999. BRFSS data from 1997 and 1999 were only used for the same number of corresponding states with weighted YRBSS data in both respective years. The ecological fallacy may also be involved, since smoking behavior data were drawn and analyzed from state-specific population data. Other variables, such as relationship quality between adolescents and parents, may mediate the relationship between adolescent and adult smoking prevalence. Further research is needed to explore additional variables, which cannot be ruled out by these analyses, and may affect the state-specific relationship between adolescent and adult cigarette smoking. Results are consistent with the notion that adult smoking influences adolescent smoking. Findings are also consistent with parental literature, suggesting that youth behavior models adult behavior, and other research, suggesting that if adults quit youth may be less likely to smoke (16, 17, 19-21). These data support the belief that efforts to prevent initiation and promote quitting, among both adolescents and adults, would be included as key components of an optimal tobacco control strategy and an effective public health effort to reduce tobacco-related mortality and morbidity. An optimal tobacco control strategy would also include a component to protect non-smokers from  environmental tobacco smoke. Glantz and Jamieson have proposed that tobacco control efforts directed at adolescents and young adults need to also emphasize smoke-free air policies, which encourage smoking cessation among  youth, as well as adults (26). Research suggests that population tobacco control strategies that influence adult smoking, like price and smoke-free air, also influence youth smoking (33-38). Therefore, these strategies have a two-for-one effect. This lends further weight to the contention that reducing adult smoking is an important strategy to reduce the uptake of smoking among youth. Public health researchers have an important role in explaining why an emphasis on adult cessation is necessary, and why it does not imply any neglect of youth smoking. The public health response to curbing the tobacco-related health burden should be evidenced based, rather than simply popular. References 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Tobacco Surveillance, United States, 1998-1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2000;49(SS-10):1-44. 2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women and Smoking: A report of the Surgeon General. Public Health Service. Office of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD. 2001. 3. Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR Part 801, et al. Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents; Final Rule. Federal Registrar; 61(168): August 28, 1996. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1993. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. March 24, 1995/44(SS-1); 1-55. 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1995. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. September 27, 1996/ 45(SS-4); 1-83. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1997. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. August 14, 1998/47(SS3); 1-89. 7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Summary of Findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Office of Applied Studies, NHSDA Series H-13, DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 01-3549. Rockville, MD, 2001. 8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Incidence of Initiation of Cigarette Smoking – United States, 1965-1996. MMWR 1998; 47:837-840. 9. Johnston, LD, O’Malley, PM, Bachman, JG. Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use: 1975-2000. Volume I: Secondary School Students. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIH Publication No. 01-4924; August 2001. 10. Myers ML. Adults Versus Teenagers: A False Dilemma and a Dangerous Choice. Tobacco Control. 1999;8(3):336-338. 11. Glantz SA. Preventing Tobacco Use – The Youth Access Trap. American Journal of Public Health. 1996;86(2):155-156. 13 12. Hill D. Why We Should Tackle Adult Smoking First. Tobacco Control. 1999;8(3):333-335. 13. McNeill A. Why Children Start Smoking: The Need for a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy. British Journal of Addiction. 1992;87(1):24-25. 14. Bayer R, Kiesig V. Is Child-Centered Tobacco Prevention a Trap? American Journal of Public Health. 2003:93(3):369-370. 15. Jacobson PD, Lantz PM, Warner KE, Wasserman J, Pollack HA, Ahlstrom AK. The Social Context of Adolescent Smoking. Combating Teen Smoking Research and Policy Strategies. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press;2001:79114. 16. Bauman KE, Foshee VA, Linzer MA, Koch GG. Effect of Parental Smoking Classification on the Association Between Parental and Adolescent Smoking. Addictive Behaviors. 1990;15(5):413-422. 17. Bauman KE, Carver K, Gleiter K. Trends in Parent and Friend Influence During Adolescence: The Case of Adolescent Cigarette Smoking. Addictive Behaviors. 2001;26(3):349-361. 18. Bailey SL, Ennett ST, Ringwalt CL. Potential Mediators, Moderators, or Independent Effects in the Relationship Between Parents’ Former and Current Cigarette Use and Their Children’s Cigarette Use. Addictive Behaviors. 1993;18(6):601-621. 19. Chassin L, Presson CC, Todd M, Rose JS, Sherman SJ. Maternal Socialization of Adolescent Smoking: The Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting and Smoking. Developmental Psychology. 1998;34(6):1189-1202. 20. Chassin L, Presson C, Rose J, Sherman SJ, Prost J. Parental Smoking Cessation and Adolescent Smoking. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2002;27(6):485-496. 21. Farkas AJ, Distefan JM, Choi WS, Gilpin EA, Pierce JP. Does Parental Smoking Cessation Discourage Adolescent Smoking?. Preventive Medicine. 1999; 28(3): 213-218. 22. Giovino GA. Development of a State Tobacco Database for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s ImpacTeen Study. Presentation at â€Å"Tobacco-Free Future: Shining the Light,† the Fifth Annual National Conference on Tobacco and Health. Kissimmee, Florida; August 24, 1999. http://www.impacteen.org/generalarea_PDFs/giovino0899.pdf. 23. Males MA. Smoked: Why Joe Camel is Still Smiling. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press: 1999. 14 24. Chaloupka FJ and Grossman M. Price, Tobacco Control Policies, and Youth Smoking. NBER Working Paper 5740, 1996. 25. Taurus JA and Chaloupka FJ. Price, Clean Indoor Air Laws, and Cigarette Smoking: Evidence from Longitudinal Data for Young Adults. NBER Working Paper 6937. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1999. 26. Glantz SA, Jamieson P. Attitudes Toward Secondhand Smoke, Smoking, and Quitting Among Young People. Pediatrics. 2000;106(6):E82. 27. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 1999. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. June 9, 2000/49(SS-5); 196. 28. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Surveillance Branch Division of Adult and Community Health. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 1997 BRFSS Summary Prevalence Report. August 21, 1998. pp. viii-xii. 29. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Surveillance Branch Division of Adult and Community Health. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 1997 BRFSS Summary Prevalence Report. June 23, 2000. pp. ix-1. 30. NHSDA. Person-Level Sampling Weight Calibration for the 2000 NHSDA. Chen P, Emrich S, Gordek H, Penne MA, Singh AC, Westlake M. Research Triangle Institute. July 22, 2002. pp. 1-4. 31. Orzechowski and Walker. The Tax Burden on Tobacco. Arlington, VA. Vol. 36, 2001. 32. Chriqui J, Frosh MM, Fues LA, El Arculli R, Stillman FA. State Laws on Youth Access to Tobacco: An Update, 1993-1999. Tobacco Control. 2002;11(2):163164. 33. Chaloupka F, Wakefield M, Czart C. Taxing Tobacco: The Impact of Tobacco Taxes on Cigarette Smoking and Other Tobacco Use. In: Rabin RL Sugarman SD, editors. Regulating Tobacco. New York. Oxford University Press; 2001. p. 39-72. 34. Jacobson PD, Zapawa LM. Clean Indoor Air Restrictions: Progress and Promise. In: Rabin RL Sugarman SD, editors. Regulating Tobacco. New York. Oxford University Press; 2001. p. 207-245. 35. Fichtenberg CM, Glantz SA. Effect of Smoke-Free Workplaces on Smoking Behaviour: Systematic Review. BMJ. 2002;325(7357):174-175. 15 36. Wasserman J, Manning WG, Newhouse JP, Winkler JD. The Effects of Excise Taxes and Regulations on Cigarette Smoking. Journal of Health Economics. 1991;10(1):43-64. 37. Ohsfeldt R, Boyle RG, Capilouto EI. Tobacco Taxes, Smoking Restrictions, and Tobacco Use. NBER Working Paper 6486. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1998. 38. Wakefield MA, Chaloupka FJ, Kaufman NJ, Orleans CT, Barker DC, Ruel EE. Effect of Restrictions on Smoking at Home, at School, and in Public Places on Teenage Smoking: Cross Sectional Study. British Medical Journal. 2000;321:333-337.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Personal Statement Example This becomes one of the major reasons why I am applying for MSC Finance course at the Manchester Business School. To introduce myself, I am Mr. Shawn, a three year student from Bangor University. I studied at the Beijing Institute of Technology for two years. After that, I planned to come to UK for further studies. I achieved an excellent academic result during my second year Bachelor degree study with average score of 75.7. Finance was one of my strongest subjects, in which I scored 86 marks. Strong basic knowledge of math and flexible thinking supported me to get exceptional results in Probability and Optimization and Statistical Methods, with 99 and 94 scores respectively. This proves that I have always been a first-class student. My teachers and professors always considered me a student worthy of reward. I feel that I have enough knowledge and passion to know more about the financial market. Studying finance will not only increase my learning about the financial market, but will also help me achieve a reasonable job. I shall prove to be an excellent professional as I am really interested in solving different financial challenge. To maintain my interest, I keep myself updated with market requirements. I have always thought about bringing my knowledge into use that I gained during my college. I keep on reading related journals, books and magazines, and attend related seminars held in my vicinity. I feel that I possess those special skills needed to fulfill the requirements for this course. I have always come up fresh, innovative and unique ideas. I believe that I have huge potential to improve my academic ability. I always visit the business part of BBC news which enables me to connect what I learnt with the real business world. I am especially interested in the news about Finance and Economics. Now, I shall discuss some of my personal qualities that make me proud of who I am, and which will surely help me in my professional life as well. My best talents incl ude good organization, discipline, carefulness, thoughtfulness, and getting things done in time. I like to put in my best efforts in whatever I do, and I never give up no matter what it takes. I am good at basketball as a point guard. I also have a craze with music, and I love playing piano. I am proud to state that I am a very good learner, and pick up concepts quickly. I keep myself updated with the latest tech information. I have expertise in MS Excel, Word, Power point, Publisher, and Access. I also love working in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw. I am a very kind-hearted person, an example of which is my efforts to help Jiaheng Peng, who was a pilot of American volunteer group (the customer gave me this name) in Second World War. He is suffering from leukemia, and my friends and I raised around 1,000 Yuan by launching a donation campaign in Zhongguancun, China. It is also important to state why I chose MBS. The Manchester Business School is a reputable institute, and the atmosph ere of study is incredible. I realized this after listening to a lecture of Xianping Lang, who is a famous Chinese economist. This proves that MBS enjoys a high reputation in the world. Also, the contents of the courses offered by MSC Finance at MBS are first-rate and basic, and they suit today’s business field. I am still preparing to apply for MSC Finance and Investment, MSC Finance and Econo

Social Performance, Part 1 Social Performance, Part 2 Essay

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According to the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

According to the instruction - Essay Example The Bosman case came about for the reason that of a Belgium player going by the name Jean-Marc Bosman (Rafaeel, 1997). He had a contracted with the RFC liege. However, his contract had expired and opted for a transfer to the French side Dunkerque(Faridah.p78,2001).Due to the systems during the time Liege refused to let Bosman leave without transfer fee being paid in which Dunkerque was not willing to pay. However, Bosman argued that, being a European Union citizen, he was fully entitled to the freedom of movement within the premises of European Union to earn a living. In the contrary the system of transfer prohibited him from exercising his exact right of freedom of movement. Following these disagreements which arose from the transfer saga Bosman argued that changes in system and policy should be effected to allow players whose contract had ended with a certain club could freely move to another club without the payment of the transfer fee (Inuendo, 2003). The European court of justice held the proceedings and it found favour of Bosman and it was against Liege football club, the football association of Belgium and the UEFA. It emerged that two very vital decisions arose from the court declaration: For out of the contract players it was illegal to pay the fees for transfer of players where a player was shifting from one club to another or between one nations of the European Union to the other. Commencing those only players still on service with their club teams is required to pay the transfer fees. Moreover, the prohibitive ration were rendered to be against the law. It was free for the clubs to have as many foreign players in their teams as they wished from other countries within the European union sphere of influence.(Gary.p89,1997) The situation before the Bosman ruling was pathetic with the reference on the transfer of players and the quota systems. Before the ruling, a football player

Murabahah in Islamic Commercial Law Application within Islamic Banking Essay

Murabahah in Islamic Commercial Law Application within Islamic Banking and Finance Industry - Essay Example Now there are more than two hundred Islamic financial establishments all over the world. Actually, Murabahah is a term associated with Islamic Fiqh, which indicates to a particular type of sale, and it has nothing to do with financing. Islamic scholars still argue that, the structuring of  Murabahah  financing is rather different from the overdraft facility prepared along conventional lines as the former one offers numerous benefits to the bank and its customers. In fact, murabahah as a means of finance was permitted by the Sharia scholars with certain conditions. Unless these conditions are fully observed, murabahah is not allowable. According to Sharia, if the conditions are ignored, the transaction becomes void or worthless. â€Å"Murabaha is a sale contract for selling a specified item at a mutually agreed mark-up (profit) added to the purchase price† (Trade Based Financing Murabaha Cost-Plus Sale) n.d.). Issues in  Murabahah 1. Securities against  the Murabahah Pa yments received from sale are called receivables, and for this purpose, the clients are asked to provide a security. 2. Guaranteeing Murabahah The seller can request the client to provide a  third  party guarantee. The guarantee doesn’t have the option to charge fee from the client. The reason is that, a person who is charged with a fee for advancing loan may fall under the definition of riba. . 3.  Penalty of Non-Payment: In case a client fails to make payment of the fee on the due date, the fee should not be increased. â€Å"In Murabahah financing, once the price is fixed, it cannot be increased† (Important Issues Involved in Murabahah n.d.). 4.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Rollover in  the Murabahah† (Roll Over in Murabahah 2011): Once a commodity is sold through Murabahah, its possession transfers from the bank to the client, and therefore the seller may not have any right on the property. The seller can claim only the price agreed. 5.  Rebate on Former Payments: Occa sionally some debtors often like to pay before time to obtain discounts. However within Islam, a large section of Muslim scholars as well as the major schools of thought regard this as un ­Islamic. On the other hand, if the Islamic bank or the financial institution gives somebody a discount on its own, it is not offensive, particularly if the clients are needy. The Significant Issue in Murabahah Financing. The subject of debate among the modern Shariah scholars is that the bank or financier can go for a real sale while the client requests Murabahah financing from the bank, because the obligatory commodity, at this stage is not possessed by the bank, and the person cannot sell goods not possessed by him nor can he facilitate a forward sale. It is also decided that the commodity which is sold is given as a security to the seller. Some scholars have the opinion that this can be done only after the buyer has undertaken its delivery and not prior to that. Critically Discuss and Analyze the Discourse from the Different Legislations and Jurisdictions by Presenting the Islamic Finance Cases that Have Come Before the Courts. Islamic banking denotes a system of banking activity or banking that is reliable with the principles and rules of Islamic law (Sharia), and its practical application in the course of the growth of Islamic economics. â€Å"Sharia forbids† the payment of fees for lending cash (Riba, usury) on specific conditions, in addition to investing in businesses that offer goods or services measured contrary to its principles (Haraam, forbidden). At the same time, as these principles were employed as the support base for a flourishing financial system in earlier times, it is merely in the late 20th century that numerous Islamic banks were created to apply these principles to semi-private

Comparation of the use of fantasy in Tom's Midnight Garden and The Essay

Comparation of the use of fantasy in Tom's Midnight Garden and The Secret Garden - Essay Example Comparation of the use of fantasy in Tom's Midnight Garden and The Secret Garden This not only has to do with the fact that different authors are responsible for these respective works; it also has to do with the differential in time between when these books were penned and the growth and development of the genre in which they fall.1 Whereas an absolute and/or concrete definition of fantasy is somewhat impossible to define with regards to children’s literature, many commonalities are expressed by the genre and help to define it. These are as follows: the utilization of many form and narrative techniques, the heightened use of symbolism, and the focus upon the language to create mystique, setting, and sense of time that other functions or genres might otherwise struggle with. Fantasy within children’s literature, although a similar issue, is in fact somewhat different and more nuanced; due in part to the fact that it can be separated into two distinct time periods – the first and second golden age. The first golden age necessarily refers to th e period of the late 19th and early 20th century; whereas the second golden period refers to the period of time starting in the mid 20th century and extending nearly until the close of the 20th century. Naturally, for the novels in question, The Secret Garden falls into the first golden age; whereas Tom’s Midnight Garden falls into the second.... 99. From a cursory analysis, the inclusion of the word â€Å"secret† in The Secret Garden or â€Å"midnight† in Tom’s Midnight Garden present something of an expectation for the implementation of fantasy as a means of bringing about a particular understanding.2 Once again, a non—nuanced approach is presented partly due to the fact that children’s literature is the focus and intended audience for which these respective novels are intended.3 Whereas this might be considered a cheap literary trick in some circles, the use of such terminology within the titles creates an expectation for fantasy and intrigue to define the subsequent pages and chapters of the novels in question. However, even though such an expectation exists, as the reader might expect, a clear level of differentiation exists between the level and use of fantasy that is leveraged and these two novels which are written nearly 50 years apart.4 With regards to The Secret Garden, a sense of fantasy is immediately conveyed to the reader due to the fact that a fantastical representation of an exotic life is presented to the reader. The protagonist, Mary Lennox, is defined as a girl who grew up in the lap of luxury and far off India.5 The description and definition of the luxuries and carefree lifestyle that she lived while there helps the reader to understand the sense of warning and mystique to which she greets the gray and uninviting steps of northern England. However, of all of the literary approaches that are utilized as a means of affecting a sense of fantasy within The Secret Garden, perhaps the most poignant and powerful is with regards to the religious imagery that is presented. Rather than merely attempting to evoke a sense of fantasy based

Mind and Consciousness Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mind and Consciousness Questions - Essay Example John Searle defines consciousness to consist of inner, qualitative, subjective states and processes of sentience or awareness. The subjectivity of consciousness is one of the issues that John Searle seeks to clarify. He argues out that consciousness is subject to some human or animal. All conscious states according to him have first person ontology and not third person ontology therefore they can only exist when experienced by some human or animal agent and it is therefore subject to the existence of a human or animal. I.e. it is dependent on the existence of an agent (human or animal) (Searle, 1980). Searle also points out that consciousness is purely a biological process in that is exclusively caused by neurobiological progressions and is realized in the brain structures. He however argues that it is different from other biological phenomena due to its qualitativeness, intentionality, subjectivity and unity traits. He likens the way the brain unites all of the variety of our differ ent stimulus inputs into a single unified conscious experience to the way the visual system binds all of the different stimulus inputs into a single unified visual percept (Searle, 1980). Searle’s arguments are sensible in that they show sense on the connection between the state of the mind and consciousness. The fact that consciousness is a biological process explains how conscious states are processed and how they come to be. The explanations give greater insight to what consciousness is. Consciousness cannot occur without the interconnections between various aspects like sight and the mind. Various biological processes involving the brain have to take place for consciousness to be in place. One does not just become aware of their surroundings or environment through sight only. Seeing has to be accompanied by conceptualization of the environment for one to make a judgment on what he/she is seeing. Consciousness is therefore not a one instance thing but a process comprised o f a number of activities and stages. I therefore support the argument that consciousness is a biological process and it is subjective. Semantic knowledge can be defined as established knowledge pertaining objects, facts and word meanings. They bear based on facts and the knowledge is shown by referencing of words. A good example is the statement, ` a snake is not a fast runner, in fact, and it cannot run at all.’ This is a representation of semantic knowledge because it points out a fact that depends on the referent of the word run. Syntactic knowledge on the other hand is basically linguistic knowledge that can be stated without a reference to the words they refer to. An example of syntactic knowledge is the statement `there are rampant cases of food insecurity and illiteracy in third world countries’ (Levy, Bayley, & Squire, 2004). This represents syntactic knowledge because it brings out the intended information or knowledge without having to use references that rel ates to expertise in grammar. The form of knowledge basically entails knowledge by description. The way I can describe a past experience I had is basically a form of knowledge. There are three major forms of knowledge namely intellectual knowledge which entails collection of facts, knowledge of states which entail human emotional feelings and the real knowledge which is basically what is considered as the reality. The content of knowledge on the other hand, is a prior knowledge on an issue one is trying to

A Case Study on a South African Investment Essay

A Case Study on a South African Investment - Essay Example Such a process creates a situation for the decision-maker that he or she has never done before (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2008). On the other hand, business ethics is defined as applied ethics, and is the application of the knowledge of understanding what is good and right in the context of business, transactions and other related situations (Velasquez, 2012). The beliefs, values and goals of a company reflect what the management understands about handling the business through moral perspectives. However, many companies and other businesses have been labeled negatively due to the rise of scandals involving unethical and illegal operations, which challenges the trust ratings of the public (Ferrell et al., 2008). Another is that not only do companies suffer but entities they are associated with also get negative publicity just by being tied to them. Thus is the strong need for the implementation of strong business ethics in large groups and companies. A case study involving a moral and social dilemma that needs well-thought actions but is at the mercy of the government is presented (Velasquez, 2012). In the 1970’s to the 1980’s turmoil has been brewing in South Africa regarding the apartheid system being practiced, as well as the oppression of the majority of the population (blacks) by the minority (whites). US oil companies Texaco, Inc. and Standard Oil Company of California (SoCal), joint owners of Caltex Petroleum Co. were pushed by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, coordinated and lead by project director Tim Smith to pull out and terminate their operations in South Africa due to extreme and unfortunately legal racial discrimination among the black Africans by the whites. Such includes the complete segregation of blacks from whites, the deprivation of basic human rights such as voting rights, the right to claim a parcel of land, being underpaid, among others (ibid). Owners of Caltex insist that they were indeed committed to the improvement of their employees by increasing their wages and narrowing the gap between white and black Africans’ incomes (Nickel, 1968). If they withdraw from operating and expanding in South Africa, the results would greatly affect all employees of Caltex, both black and white South Africans. However there were still constraints that were beyond their control, and were implemented by the South African government. Among these are: the segregation of where the blacks live from the whites, the provision of strategic products to the government as per the law, and other forms of support of the apartheid law (Smith, 1971). The eventual imposition of martial law in South Africa in 1985 caused a severe recession of the economy, civil unrest, and an increase of unemployment by up to 35% (Velasquez, 2012). Western nations sanctioned the government by not allowing the renewal of loans of private companies, but this was met with retaliation by not repaying any of their foreign debt starting September of 1985 (ibid.). The possible utilitarian benefits of the Caltex 1977 expansion is not as important as the possible violations of moral rights and justice that could be involved with it. Yes, the expansion would have been beneficial to the employed citizens, and that it would put food on their tables, but it still does not give them any proper rights at all, and that no matter how much they get promoted, they were still lower-class citizens (Smith, 1971). Also, there would be the eventual unrest due to the people realizing that they are the true owners of their land, and that they have been treated unjustly for so long. There is also almost no

Capital Investment Decision Making Research Paper

Capital Investment Decision Making - Research Paper Example The institution must also decide on a payment and delivery modes of the van that would be cost-effective. Other decisions would include appropriate model of the van and urgency of acquiring the van (Cleverley, Cleverley & Song, 2011). Information for evaluation of the investment on the van shall include the institution’s financial capacity, inventory, and expected trends; a clear record of prospective patient’s physical locations to determine the urgency for acquiring the van; other vehicles available that have the ability to be converted to self-contained ambulances; and the institution’s capacity to maintain such form of capital investment. At the decision making process, there is a likelihood of several challenges (Klonowski, 2010). Conflict of interest among and between stakeholders and shareholders may slow down the decision making process. The participants at the decision-making forums would have divergent views regarding the subject that may make the decision making sluggish (Jackson, Sawyers, & Jenkins, 2009). Moreover, availability of the required information for evaluation of alternatives shall determine the pace of the decision-making process. If the information is not available readily, the process might be tedious and

Health care workforce and health care delivery Essay Example for Free

Health care workforce and health care delivery Essay How are the health care workforce and health care delivery affected by generational differences? Millions of generations have worked so hard to contribute to some of the challenges within the workforce. Every generation has inner deep values formulated by the era in which they were born and some life experiences. The work ethics, perceptions of others and communication styles are the inner deep values that affect experiences at work. According to research, the workforce transitioned from a two generation workforce (Matures and Boomers) to three generations (Matures, Boomers and Generation X). The mature generation’s characteristics developed from experiences in the Great Depression. Responsibility and quality are key expectations of the Matures, as well as structure and respect. The Boomer generation, a larger part of the workforce who experienced an era of growth and prosperity requires praise and recognition, putting company needs before personal needs, while juggling multiple responsibilities with competence. Some nursing leaders have experienced some challenges in generational diversity as well as differences in perceptions, values, attitudes, work ethics and beliefs. It is important to develop the skills to look at generational differences through different perspective to allow the leaders to extend their leadership qualities and productivity, decrease conflicts and increase the contributions of every staff. It is important to resolve conflicts within the nursing team, otherwise if unresolved it can lead to a loss of productive time, errors, staff turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction. References Swenson.C.Human Resource Solutions. NURSING ECONOMIC$/January-February 2008/Vol. 26/No. 1.Retrieved on June 25, 2014 from https://www.nursingeconomics.net/necfiles/hrsolutions/hrs_JF08.pdfMorrison, J.L. (2007). Ideas to consider when Discuss the shortage of health care staff, aside from doctors and nurses. The health care system has been experiencing a shortage of health care workers for a number of years. This is difficult to understand because a number of people struggle to understand how the organization could suffer from worker shortages in the time of economic recession, when many Americans does not have a job and the unemployment rate is high. This is an explanation that points to the different employees that the healthcare organizations need, for the organization to work in an efficient manner. The health care workers at a professional level who provide direct health services such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory technicians or those who offer support services such as financial officers, cooks, drivers and cleaners are integral to the organization. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, a shortage in just one part of that complex web of workers can stop other parts from functioning at their best. A perfect example is at the hospital where I work, there has been a few times when there has been no house keeper to cover the floor because they felt sick and had to leave. On few occasions it has created some problems whereby there was no one to do their work, because housekeeping supervisor could not find any one to cover that shift and it became a problem in a number of ways you could imagine. There was no house keeper to throw the trash that was filled up, no one to mop the dirty floors and clean the toilets. All the nurses and the doctors were busy with the patients and it was difficult to find time to start doing the house keeping work. I believe every job is very important whether professional of or unprofessional, we all do different tasks in the health care field to reach one common goal of impressing our consumers or patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) observed that developed countries, such as America are going through a shortage due to an increasing number of baby boomers in the population and increasingly high-tech healthcare. Research shows that the government and university leaders have underinvested in education for health care workers, with not many new health workers to replace their retiring colleagues. Reference: Internet Article-Why Healthcare is Experiencing Work Shortages. Miracle Workers Retrieved on June 25, 2014 from: http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1806-Healthcare-Why-Healthcare-is-Experiencing-Work-Shortages

Kant Euthanasia Essay Example for Free

Kant Euthanasia Essay Based on Kants theory, I have found suicide morally unjust. This case is about euthanasia and assisted suicide. On September 28, 1991, Dr. Boudewijn Chabot administered a sufficient amount of sleeping pills and a liquid drug mixture to a patient with the intentions of assisting the patient with death. The patient, Hilly Bosscher, was suffering from depression, and psychological pain. She was recently divorced from a 25 year abusive relationship, and her two sons had died. The doctor determined she suffered from unbearable pain, genuinely desired to die, and freely and competently made such a request. On the same day Dr. Chabot administered the medicine, Hilly took the concoction, and died. In Deontology, the term itself leads us to the study of duty. Duty for Kant is the underlying role of morality. Our duty and intentions combine to form our will, and the only one thing in the world that is good is a good will. To act according to duty means we are acting according to principals, not according to the final outcome of our actions. Principals is another important factor in this theory, our actions must be congruent with principals that can be made universal. To be universal, the maxim must apply to absolutely everyone, everywhere, and anytime. Another stipulation in Kants theory is that we should never treat a person solely as a means to our own ends. It is morally wrong to use someone solely to enhance our own self-interest. The idea of universalizability strongly suits this case. To universalize the patients individual maxim, we would see that most if not all will find suicide morally justifiable because everyone at times may feel depressed. At this point, we look at the duty to preserve life at all costs, and find we cannot universalize the patients maxim. Kant was tempted with this maxim, but his will finds it immoral. He once said, I still have strength enough to take my life, but I hold this to be immoral. Whoever deprives himself of life is a beast? The extreme idea of suicide also looks at self-love. She wants to feel better, so she thinks death will accomplish this. The problem here is with death, you dont feel anything anymore. Another angle on this case looks at the patient using the doctor as a means to an end. Her intentions in going to the doctor were solely as a means to self enhancement. She was using him to help herself die, and this is morally unjust. One weakness I find in this theory is that of the doctors duty. A doctor has a duty to minimize suffering. To minimize the patients suffering, he is morally just in assisting her to accomplish death.

Prevention of Enzymatic Browning in Fruits and Vegetables

Prevention of Enzymatic Browning in Fruits and Vegetables Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is known to be a key enzyme in enzymatic browning of fruit, vegetables, beverage and seafood in the food industry. The browning of food causes a great quality loss and economic loss of food products. Inhibition of browning by physical treatments has well been developed and there are a wide range of chemicals can also inhibit enzymatic browning. This article overviews the various chemical inhibitors against enzymatic browning in food. Enzymatic browning is one of the major causes in quality loss of vegetables and fruit, beverage and seafood. It is roughly accounted for over 50 percent losses in fruit [1]. It is very important to control enzymatic browning so as to minimize losses and maintain the economic values of the food products. In animal tissues, melanosis is the process results in the formation of dark pigments. The products of melanosis sometimes cause similar visual perception as spoilage and this would make customers not select these products although they are not harmful and do not influence taste of the food. Browning causes many deleterious changes in the organoleptic and nutritional properties of food products that decrease their market values. However, enzymatic browning is beneficial for some of the food products such as tea, coffee, and cocoa. The consumption of fruits and vegetables has been increased due to the nutritional recommendations for health maintain. As a result, the market values of mi nimally processed fruits and vegetables production increases and this will trigger and encourage research in enzymatic browning. Enzymatic browning definition Cell disruption caused by mechanical injury or temperature changes may lead to physiological disorders or even cell death. This loss of cell integrity results in the decompartmentation of phenolic substrates and enzymes [2]. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a critical enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of endogenous phenolic compounds to form grey or brown colors in the enzymatic browning process. PPO is a term which includes a large number of related copper-containing enzymes, including catechol oxidase, tyrosinase and laccase. In the presence of oxygen, PPO oxidizes mono- and di-phenols to o-quinones. Once the products are formed, they polymerize to form high molecular weight compounds or brown pigments as they are highly reactive. The brownish color could be enhanced when they react with amino acids and proteins [2]. Importance of browning inhibition It is essential to control enzymatic browning in order to reduce the economic loss during fruit and vegetables processing. It is essential to control enzymatic browning for the better development in the food industry. The most common way used for the inhibition of browning is the addition of sulfating agents to inhibit PPO. However, sulfite is a toxic molecule and can react with a variety of humoral and cellular components and can cause toxicity [3]. Due to the adverse health effects caused by sulfites, alternative compounds are investigated for anti-browning properties. The ideal compound would be the one which is effective, does not cause any quality loss (eg. taste, flavor, nutritional values) and toxicity, as well as low cost. Until now, many approaches are available to inhibit enzymatic browning, which include the use of ascorbic acid, sodium chloride, kojic acid, 4-hexylresorcinol etc. Enzyme inhibitors, reducing agents, acidulant agents, chelating agents and complexing agents are the common chemical treatments of antibrowning [4]. In order to have a better control of enzymatic browning, it is important to understand its mechanism of actions, the property of the enzyme, substrates, products and their interactions. Minimizing the negative sides of enzymatic browning can extend the shelf life and increase the market value of the food products. Physical inhibition Physical treatments are one of the common approaches in the control of enzymatic browning in the food industries. Hot-air drying, freeze-drying, canning and bottling are examples of some preventive methods. Browning is enhanced by wounding of plant tissue as it stimulates phenolic biosynthesis, hence minimizing the mechanical damage of fruit and vegetables reduce the degree of browning. Reducing the temperature can slow down the rate of enzymatic browning as enzymes are generally inactive at low temperature. However, color change still occurs at 0oc, hence it is important to allow the crystallization temperature of water to be reached as rapidly as possible [5]. Color change would be blocked during commercial frozen (-18oC). When the temperature rises again, browning starts and the rate will be greater if the cellular structure of the plant tissues is damaged by freezing, peeling and slicing [5]. Heating or blanching is the simplest method to inhibit browning by denaturing the enzyme PPO. Heating temperature and time are crucial to maintain the quality of the food products as heating will affects the texture, taste, flavor and nutritional value of the food. PPO is completely destroyed at 80oC [6], but sufficient time is required for the interior part of the fruit or vegetables to reach such temperature. Blanching the green beans for 3.5 minutes at 82 oC and above, inactivated catalase, lipoxygenase, and polyphenol oxidase activities completely[6]. Protection of the fruit and vegetables from oxygen can prevent enzymatic browning when the plant organs cannot be branched. A variety of methods are used in food industries, including airtight package, partial vacuum and oxygen-poor atmosphere. Chemical inhibition Chemicais are the most commonly used for the control of enzymatic browning, but their use in processed food products is restricted to compounds that are nontoxic, wholesome and that do not adversely affect the quality[7]. Inhibition of enzymatic browning can be achieved by hindering the enzyme or by binding to its active site which lower the PPO activity. Chelating agents which remove the copper prosthetic group from PPO can inhibit enzymatic browning. Removing the substrates is another way to prevent enzymatic browning. Substances which undergo complexation with the phenolic substrate and enzymatic modification of phenols are possible ways to inhibit enzymatic browning. Besides substrate, inhibition targeted toward the products, o-quinones, can also be an approach to control enzymatic browning. Chemical inhibitors of enzymatic browning in food will be discussed in detail in this essay. Polyphenol oxidase Definition PPOs are first discovered in mushrooms by Schoenbein in 1856. They are copper-containing proteins and belong to the group of oxidoreductases. A copper prosthetic group is required for its activity. In the presence of oxygen, polyphenol oxidase catalyses reaction of monophenols to o-diphenols (monophenol oxidase activity). It also oxidises o-diphenols to o-quinones (dipehnol oxidase activity). The enzyme in plants have both mono-and diphenol oxidase activity and the ratio of monophenol to diphenol oxidase activity is usually 1:10 to 1:40. [8]. PPO is present in a wide variety of plants and the activity varies from one organ to another and varies inside an organ, depending on the types of tissues or cells. The role of PPOs in plants is believed to resist the infection of microorganisms and virus and to extreme climatic conditions. PPOs are also in involved the development of dark pigmentation in animals. The biosynthesis of melanin pigments and other polyphenolic compounds which often provide a protective function [1]. Indeed, there are many studies concerning the prevention of melanin formation on the face by inhibiting tyrosinase activity, so as to develop whitening agents for the cosmetic industry. Nomenclature Nomenclature of PPOs is sometimes confusing due to their similarity in nature. Jaenicke and Decker write Probably there is no common tyrosinase: the enzymes found in animals, plants and fungi are different with respect to their sequences, size, glycosylation and activation [9] PPOs must have a dinuclear copper centre, in which type 3 copper is bound to histidine residue in their active sites, and this structure is highly conserved [10]. PPOs are normally classified into three types for the convenient use of the term: Catechol oxidase Catechol oxidase (1,2-benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase, EC1.10.3.1) has both monophenol oxidase and diphenol oxidase activity. It is the most common form of PPOs in plants that when people talked about PPOs in food it normally refers to catechol oxidase. Reports on the molecular weight of plant PPO are very diverse and variable and it is estimated the molecular masses of PPOs ranges from 20 to 180kDa [2]. Most of the studies show PPOs have an optimum activity between pH 4 and 7, but some reports show that pH optima varies with the proportions of isoenzymes as well as phenolic substrates used [2]. The optimum temperature of PPOs ranges from 15 to 40 oC and this also depends on the same factors as pH. Tyrosinase Tyrosinase (EC1.14.18.1, monophenol, L-DOPA: oxygen oxidoreductase) refers to as monophenol monooxygenase and corresponds to the same enzymes as EC1.10.3.1 but which always catalyze the hydroxylation of monophenols. In aminals and fungi, PPOs are refered to tyrosinase as L-tyrosine is the major monophenolic substrate. It is very similar to catechol oxidase and sometimes tyrosinase is referred as PPOs. It catalyze two distinct reactions of melanin synthesis: the hydroxylation of tyrosine and the oxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyphenalanine (L-DOPA) to o-dopaquinone. Tyrosinase has been a great concern in humans in the cosmetic industry as it plays a key role in mammalian melanogenesis, which leads to the formation of dark macromolecular pigments, melanin. Laccases Laccase (p-diphenol oxidase, E.C. 1.10.3.2)(DPO), has the unique ability to oxidase p-diphenols into their corresponding quinones, which allows it to be distinguished from catechol oxidase. The enzyme contains many subunits and there are three types of copper centers in each subunit. They occur mainly in fungi and higher plants while much less frequently in the plant kingdom than PPOs. They are glycoproteins with a carbohydrate content of about 15-41% and they have a molecular weight of about 60 to 80 kDa. Substrate Phenolic compounds are substrates for PPOs. There is a wide variety of phenolic compounds found in plants, but only a small number serves as direct substrates for PPOs. Degree of enzymatic browning varies widely from one plant to another. Not only content of PPOs contributes to the variation, quantitative and qualitative aspects of their phenolic content also affect enzymatic browning in fruit and vegetables. In the studies of enzymatic browning in various fruits such as apples, grapes, and peaches, the effects of phenolic content and polyphenol oxidase on the rate of enzymatic browning have been reported [11-13]. Phenolic compounds contain an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups, together with other substituents. The differences in species, ripening and environmental conditions of growth and storage influence the phenolic composition of plants. Phenolic compounds are essential in fruit and vegetables as they contribute to flavor, color and taste in fruits. Flavonoids are t he major phenolic compounds occurred in plants. Caffeic acid derivatives and monomeric flavan-3-ols often appear to be the best substrates [2]. In some cases, phenolic compounds which are not direct substrates can also take part actively in enzymatic browning by coupled oxidation reaction. Tyrosine, an amino acid, is a monohydroxy phenol and it is an important substrate for PPOs in animals. Caffeic acid derivatives, such as chlorogenic acid, the major diphenolic compounds in plants, act as substrates for polyphenol oxidases. Chlologenic acid is the main substrates for enzymatic browning in apples. On the other hand, some phenolic compounds may also act as inhibitors for PPOs. Apple polyphenol oxidases can be inhibited by various cinnamic acids acting as substrate analogues [1]. Mechanism of action Monophenol oxidase activity for the hydroxylation reaction is normally slower than the oxidation reaction for the production of quinine, which leads to the initiation of the polymerization reaction. Thus it is the rate determining step in the production of brown pigments from monophenols. One mole of oxygen is required for the reaction as shown in Figure 2. When there are only diphenolic substrates, production of the brown pigments will be faster due to their high catalytic rate in the formation of quinines. The primary products, o-quinones, are reactive and unstable compounds, which can undergo further oxidation to brown melanin pigment (figure 3). O-quinones are strong electrophiles which can suffer nucleophilic attack by water, other polyphenols, amino acids and proteins, leading to Michael-type addition products [14-16]. The final products have more intensive color than the o-quinones. Their color depends on the phenol from which they originate. Chemical inhibitors of PPO Plant Polyphenols Polyphenols are a diverse group of compounds having multiple phenolic functionalities [18]. Plants are a rich source of polyphenols which are almost free of harm effects. There are continued investigations of tyrosinase inhibitors from plant extracts, aiming to search what bioactive chemicals in plants have significant inhibitory effect. Flavonoids are one of the most common and best studied groups of plant polyphenols. Flavonoids can be further divided into six subgroups, which are flavanones, isoflavones, flavonols, flavanols, flavones and anthocyanidins. Some flavonoids such as catechin act as substrates for PPO while some of them, eg. quercetin and kaempferol have inhibitory effect on PPO [19, 20]. Isao Kubo studies the inhibition kinetics of kaempferol extracted from saffron flower and it is found that to be a competitive inhibitor, its inhibitory activity presumably comes from its ability to chelate copper in the enzyme [20]. This copper chelation mechanism may be applicable fo r all of the flavonols as long as their 3-hydroxyl group is free [20]. However, 3-o-glycoside derivatives, eg. kaempferol 3-o-glucoside, quercetin 3-o-glucoside, did not inhibit tyrosinase in high concentration [20]. This shows that the free hydroxyl group at C-3 may play an important role in the inhibition. However, some flavones which lack the 3-hydroxyl group, such as luteolin and luteolin-o-glucoside, still have tyrosinase inhibitory effect [21]. (−)-epicatechin 3-O-gallate(ECG), (−)-gallocatechin 3-O-gallate(GCG), and (−)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate(EGCG) in tea, especially green tea, are strong inhibitor of tyrosinase and it is found that GCG may act as a competitive inhibitor for the L-tyrosine binding at the active site of the enzyme [22]. It is believed that the flavon-3-ol skeleton with a galloyl moiety at the 3-position is required to inhibit tyrosinase effectively. When the hydrophobicity of gallates increases, the coumpounds are more resistant to be o xidized by tyrosinase as the tertiary structure of the enzyme is disrupted [23]. Structure-Activity Investigations of stilbenes and related 4-substituted resorcinols, obtained from Artocarpus incisus and other plants suggested that the 4-substituted resorcinol skeleton have potent tyrosinase inhibitory ability [24]. Oxyresveratrol, a stilbene isolated from Morus alba, exhibited 32 times inhibitory effect of kojic acid on tyrosinase and the inhibitors act non-competitively on the enzyme [25]. In the structure analysis of extracts from licorice root, glabridin exerts the strongest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase and the inhibitory effect was more effective against monophenol oxidase activity, the rate-determining step, than diphenol oxidase activity [26]. However, glabridins analog, glabrene, was 100-fold less active than glabridine while glyasperin C, isolated from the same part of the plant, was two times more active than glabridin [26, 27]. 6-hydroxydaidzein (6,7,4-trihydroxyisoflavone), one kind of hydroxyisoflavones isolated from soybean koji fermented with As pergillus oryzae, had 6-fold more than kojic acid acting competitively on the tyrosine binding site of the enzyme [28]. It is found that an isoflavone with hydroxyl groups at both the C6 and C7 positions in the A ring would increase both inhibitory effect and affinity to the enzyme more than 10 times [28]. Chalcones, with two aromatic rings in trans configuration, have strong inhibitory effects on tyrosinase. Licochalcone A isolated from the roots of glycyrrhiza species competitively inhibit tyrosinase and the effect was 5.4 times more active than kojic acid [29]. Kuraridin, isolated from Sophora flavescens, was 34 times of the activity of kojic acid in inhibiting monophenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase [30]. It is believed that the 2,4-dihydroxyl groups in the aromatic ring of chalcone structure was the important substituted group to exert strong tyrosinase inhibitory activity as some simple 4-alkylresorcinols were found to exhibit the strong inhibitory effect [24, 31]. Chelating agents Chelating agents are chemicals that bind to metal ions and remove them from their sphere of action. EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a chemical preservative permitted for food industry use. It is a chelator and it is believed that EDTA inhibits PPO activity by either binding to the active copper site of PPO or reduces the availability of copper for the enzyme [7]. the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Calcium disodium EDTA and disodium EDTA to be used as a food additive [32]. EDTA is usually used with other chemicals such as reducing agents (ascorbic acid) and acidulants (citric acid) to prevent enzymatic browning in food. Polyphosphates are another common chelating agent for anti-browning of fresh-peeled fruits and vegetables, but it has low solubility in cold water [7]. Sporix, containing citric acid, ascorbic acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate and calcium chloride, is a powerful chelator and also an acidulant. Browning prevention in apple juice a nd cut surfaces was obtained by Sporix [33]. However, it is not approved in U.S. for food use. Kojic acid (C6H6O4; 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-pyrone), always being use as a standard to compare and study the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of various chemicals in research, is produced by several species of fungi, especially Aspergillus oryzae. Kojic acid possesses both antibacterial and antifungal activities. It is a good chelator and antioxidant that can prevent browning in both plants and seafood. It is commonly found as a food additive and in cosmetic products due to its tyrosinase inhibitory effect. In the phenolic acids tested (caffeic, chlorogenic, cinnamic, coumalic, ferulic, gallic, kojic) for inhibition on PPO, Son et al. reported that kojic acid showed the highest inhibitory activity on apple slice browning [34]. Kojic acid may inhibit the enzyme acting as a reducing agent. If high dose of kojic acid is given to rodents, the level of tyrosine stimulating hormone increases [35]. However, there is inadequate evidence showing that kojic acid would cause cancer in human . Consumption of kojic acid at levels normally found in food does not present a concern for safety [36]. Reducing agent Reducing agents can act as antibrowning agents by reducing the o-quinones back to o-quinones. Ascorbic acid is a good reducing agent and antioxidant which removes oxygen in polyphenol oxidase reactions. As the reaction resulting in the formation of o-quinones is reversible, in the presence of excess reducing agent, o-quinones are reduced to their original o-diphenols. Ascorbic acid is the most widely used antibrowning agent in food due to its reducing property as well as low pH. Since reducing agents act on o-quinones to prevent browning, the effectiveness of ascorbic acids would be decreased if their use is delayed until after the enzymatic reaction has started. In practice, about 0.1-0.3% of ascorbic acid can have protective effect against enzymatic browning. However, one of the drawbacks of ascorbic acid is that it can be oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid irreversibly during the reaction. As a result, it disappears rapidly and browning would occur again upon its depletion (figure 4 ). To overcome its rapid depletion, some derivatives, such as ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AAP), or ascorbic acid-triphosphate (AATP), are used as substitutes. They are not reducing agents, but when the action of PPO presents they release ascorbic acids. Therefore they will not be oxidized by oxygen rapidly as AAP and AATP can remain stable in the presence of oxygen. Erythorbic acid (EA) has a similar effect and action as Acorbic acid in the inhibiting enzymatic browning. However, it is destroyed at a faster rate than ascorbic acid. Sulphiting agents including sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphite are very popular browning inhibitors used in the food industry. It is one of the most effective chemical inhibitors of browning and it is effective even in low concentration. Also, it is inexpensive and hence many food manufacturers use it to inhibit microorganisms growth and enzymes. Sulphur dioxide has three actions to inhibit browning. The first one is its reducing property to reduce o-quinones to its original o-diphenols. The second mechanism involves the formation of colorless products with o-quinones and the last one is that SO2 denatures PPO, resulting in the loss of functionality of the enzyme. Madero and Finne [37] reported that bisulphite could bind to the sulphydryl group at the active site of the enzyme so as to exert competitively inhibit the enzyme. Ferrer et al. [38] proposed that bisulphate inhibited PPO irreversibly by forming sulphoquinones when sulphites react with intermediate quinines, causing complet e inactivation of the enzyme. In addition, it also inhibits non-enzymatic browning that reduces pigmentation of the fruit and vegetables. Sometimes sulphur dioxide treatment is applied before deep-frozen, drying or freeze-drying of fruit and vegetables. In deep-frozen products of apples and apricots, fruit slices are soaked for 3-4 minutes in 0.4-0.5% sulphur dioxide solution. Sulphites are regulatory restricted in food products as it may cause potentially adverse effects on health. There are many reports showing that sulfites are genotoxic in vitro but not in vivo [39]. In the report of the safety evaluation of sulphites as food additives by World Health Organization (WHO), it concluded that when a suitable alternative method of preservation exists, its use should be encouraged, particularly in the applications in the food industry that the use of sulfites is extensive which may lead to its high intake as high level of sulfites in the body may cause life-threatening adverse reactions [39]. Thiol containing (sulfhydryl) compounds are compounds that an oxygen atom in the compound has been replaced by a sulphur atom. Many studies showed these compounds such as cysteine, N-acetyl-L-cysteine and reduced glutathione are able to inhibit enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables [40]. In this group, cysteine is the most effective anti-browning agent. The proposed mechanism was that it reacted with the quinone intermediates to form stable colorless compounds. The cysteine-quinone adducts are also the competitive inhibitors of PPO. Nicolas et al. showed that cysteine directly inhibits PPO by forming stable complexes with copper [40]. However, use of cysteine is not so encouraged in the food industry because concentration of cysteine used to achieve significant inhibitory effect on PPO would have negative effects on taste. It has also been shown that Maillard reaction products (MRPs) are potential inhibitors enzymatic browning. Amadori rearrangement products, key intermediates in the first states of the Maillard reaction, has chelating, reducing and oxygen-scavenging properties and it might inhibit enzymatic browning [41]. The MRPs derived from glucose with sulfhydryl amino components (cysteine or the tripeptide, glutathione) could be considered as potential natural inhibitors and this was supported by Billuad et al.s study [42]. In a further study conducted by Hesham A. et al., the inhibitory effect of the thiol containing compounds was comparable with 4-hexyl resorcinol and being significantly (p < 0.05) higher than ascorbic acid. The MRPs derived from cysteine/glucose model system were more active than their counterpart derived from cysteine/ribose model system [43]. In a study examining various types of MRPs for their tyrosinese inhibitory effect, monosaccharide-glutathione was more active than glutathione [44]. However, MRPs are unstable and they may negatively affect the sensory quality of the food products as there was unpleasant odor formed from t he apple slices treated with MPRs [44]. Acidulants Most enzymes especially oxidative enzymes activity is very pH-dependent. Extreme pH can denature the enzymes that lead to the loss of the catalytic function. The groups in the active site of the enzymes are ionizable. In the environment of high proton concentration, the structure of the active site may be affected and there may be conformational change that decreases the binding of substrate and catalytic activity. A pH below 3 can effectively inhibit PPO activity [45]. In addition, under extreme pH, substrates may be degraded or change its conformation; as a result, the degraded substrates share the molecular features of the substrates that they may act as enzyme inhibitors [46]. Common acidulants use for PPO inhibition are citric acid, organic acids such as malie, tartaric and malonie acids and inorganic acids such as phosphoric and hydrochloric acids. Citric acid is an acidulants which widely used in the food industry as it is cost effective and highly available. 0.5-2% of it has protective effects against enzymatic browning in fruit and vegetables. The use of 100mmol/L citric acid combined with 10mmol/L glutathione was found to give a great control of browning in litchi fruits and it is recommended this combination can be a good way applied to control litchi fruit quality [47]. Since it is difficult to achieve efficient browning inhibition through pH control solely, citric acid is frequently used in combination with other anti-browning agents, such as ascorbic acid to chelate the copper of the enzyme. However, when the pH is lowered to a level the taste of the food products may be affected and it only can be applied in acidic foods. Complexing agents Complexing agents are able to form complexes with PPO substrates or reaction products, so as to reduce the browning effects. Cyclodextrins and cyclic nonreducing oligosaccharides of six or more D-glucose residues are examples of complexing agents. The hydrophobic central core of cyclodextrins can form inclusion complexes with phenol compounds, leading to the depletion of PPO substrates. Due to the limited space in the core of cyclodextrins, larger guest molecules only partially bind to it and form relatively weak complexes. However, chemical modification of cyclodextrines increases the binding and hence increases the inhibitory effect on PPO. In a study using chlorogenic acid as a substrate to compare ÃŽ ±-, ÃŽ ²- and ÃŽ ³-cyclodextrins in the formation of inclusion complexes, ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrins are more effective in inhibiting browning in apple juice [48]. The internal cavity of ÃŽ ²-Cyclodextrins is non-polar that it induced inclusion complex formation with the phenolic substrates of polyphenol oxidases, preventing them oxidizing to quinones and hence stop the subsequent polymerization to brown pigments. However, complex formation by cyclodextrins is not specific and it may remove the desirable color and flavor compounds of the food product. Cyclodextrins are insoluble in water, so it is better to be used in volatile or insoluble food ingredients in the food industry. The use of cyclodextrins in fruit and vegetable juice are patented, but it have not been approved to use in food by the FDA [49]. Chitosan, a naturally abundant polymer of ÃŽ ²-(1-4)-linked -D-glucosamine, is obtained from the chitin of shellfish. It is widely used in agricultural and horticultural as natural biocontrol and elicitor, water filtration and biomedical. Chitosan is a kind of dietary fibre that have an effect in reducing the absorption of bile salts in the small intestine, hence lowering the blood cholesterol level. It also helps to stop bleeding and has anti-bacterial effects. It is safe and non-toxic, and may even gain health benefits to the body. It has been reported enzymatic browning was inhibited by adding 200 ppm chitosan to Mcintosh apple juice [50]. When 2% of chitosan was treated with shrimp during storage, the incidence of melanosis was reduced [51]. Another study showed that chitosan coating can inhibit enzymatic browning in longan fruits and it can improve shelf life and quality of the fruit [52]. The effect might be due the formation of protective barrier on the surface of the fruit, p reventing the supply of oxygen to PPO. Therefore it is applicable that chitosan can be used in the combination with other agents to control browning and improve quality in fruit and vegetables during post-harvesting and storage. Enzyme inhibitors 4-hexylresorcinol is the one of the most potential PPO inhibitors apply to fresh-cut products. It has obtained the GRAS status for use in the prevention of shrimp melanosis and it proved to be more effective than sulphites in the inhibition of melanosis [7]. Due to its specific mode in the inhibition of enzymatic browning and effectiveness at low concentration, it may be a potential substitute to sulphites. The combination of it with ascorbic acid improved browning control in apple slices [53]. In a study investigating the combination effect of cysteine, kojic acid and 4-hexylresorcinol on the inhibition of enzymatic browning in Amasya apple juice, the interaction of kojic acid and 4-hexylresorcinol was found to have a positive effect on the inhibition of enzymatic browning [54]. Everfresh, a patented product containing 4-hexylresorcinol as the active ingredients and sodium chloride, showed better stability to blackspot formation than sulphites and it is proposed to be use for the in hibition of enzymatic browning in fruit and vegetables [55]. Sodium chloride, or saline water, is widely used in daily life as an anti-browning agent in freshly cut apple. It can also slow the microbial growth in the food products. Its effects on PPO increase when concentration increases. In an experiment examining the effects of salinity on PPO and peroxidase activity, increasing levels of salinity  reduced both oxidases activities immediately after cutting and throughout 7  days of storage [56]. Samples cultivated under high  salinity had also the lowest change in colour and showed the lowest reduction in total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity after 3  days of storage [56]. However, due to its inadequate protective effect at low concentration and unwanted salty flavor at high concentration, its application in the food industry is limited. When it is used with ascorbic acid and acidulants such as citric acid, the inhibitory effect is enhanced and prolonged. However, as the pH is getting higher, the inhibitory effect would dec rease. Its inhibition to PPO might be achieved by interacting with the copper at the active site of the enzyme. Sodium chloride at a concentration of 2-4% is usually used to inhibit browning in the food industry. At 1-2% concentration soaking for less than 1 minute, it can afford temporary protection from surface browning of sliced peeled apples for freezing, or ready-to-use fresh food. Other chemical inhibitors Sodium chlorite is an effective sanitizer inhibiting microbial growth. It can generate chlorine dioxide in acidic environment. Chlorine dioxide is a very powerful oxidizing agent and found to have inhibition in browning reaction. The anti-browning effect of sodium chlorite was gr

Superconductors and Superconductivity :: physics science superconductor

Before Kamerlign Onnes, in 1908, was able to liquefy helium and bring its temperature down to about 1K, it had been known that the resistance of a metal falls when cooled below room temperature. However, it was not known what value the resistance would approach if the temperature was reduced towards 0K until Onnes, while experimenting with platinum, discovered that, its resistance fell when cooled to a very low value that depended on the metal’s purity. As the temperature of mercury was reduced toward 0K, the value of the resistance would fall smoothly until the resistance fell extremely suddenly at about 4K. Below 4K, mercury passed into a new state with electrical properties unlike those previously known: this new state that mercury had entered was called the â€Å"superconducting state.† Superconductivity can be destroyed if a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied. A metal in this state has very unique magnetic properties that are unlike those at normal temperatures. A superconductor is often referred to as the perfect diamagnetic. Diamagnetic, ideally, are a class of materials that do not conserve magnetic flux, but expel it. A superconductor is classified as a perfect diamagnetic because by all measurable standards the magnetic flux within the material is zero. Electrons have a wave-like nature so an electron moving through a metal can be represented by a plane wave progressing in the same direction. A metal has a crystalline structure with the atoms lying on a repetitive lattice; a plane wave can pass through a perfectly periodic structure without being scattered into other directions. An electron is able to pass through a perfect crystal without any loss of momentum of its original direction. That is why it is important for superconductors to have very low impurities; any fault in the periodicity of the crystal will scatter the electron wave and introduce some resistance. This is called the residual resistance and it is independent of the temperature. Thermal vibrations also increase the resistance so when the temperature is lowered, the thermal vibrations of the atoms decrease and so the electrons are less frequently scattered. In short, the resistance of a metal is dependent on the purity of a metal and its temperature: metals with few impurities reach a superconducting state at low temperatures. The superconductivity state of a metal exists only in a certain range of temperature and field strength.

The Effects of Creatine on Athletes Bodies Essay -- Drugs Steroids Sp

The Effects of Creatine on Athletes' Bodies From a very early age sports are introduced upon both young boys and girls. Although it begins with sportsmanship and teamwork, it begins to evolve into new objectives when these young athletes enter high school. In fact, high school sports are vastly different. Your mind is trained to obliterate the opponent and win at all costs. This mentality can often lead many young athletes to turn to supplements to assist in muscle building. The most common supplement in use currently is Creatine. While athletic departments and sports nutrition stores claim that it is harmless, why do so many high school athletes end up with severe muscular and pulmonary damage? The answer has yet to be clearly defined, but we do know of some side effects which can lead to both positive and negative results in the continued use of this supplement. In order to understand what effects could result of creatine use, we must first explore what exactly creatine does in our body. Creatine is an amino acid which acts as a building block in the construction of proteins in the body. Muscle cells take the creatine and store it as energy for future use in the body. During intense exercise, phosphocreatine is broken down to creatine and phosphate, which is used to regenerate ATP. The remaining creatine in storage in the muscle cells may also increase the regeneration rate of energy after intense exercise. This serves as an extra boost of energy for young athletes. Currently, scientific studies indicate that creatine will boost an athletes maximum performance level by 5-8%. There is also evidence that leads sports nutritionists to believe that creatine can boost total energy output by 5-15%. At this point, it seems... ...ct, but I have yet to hear of any drug that can add almost forty pounds of muscle in a month without posing severe health risks. Currently, there are not any proven clinical studies that show side effects as drastic as what I have personally witnessed. According to the American College Of Sports Science, the only proven side effect of creatine is future weight gain of a substantial amount after an athlete has stopped using the supplement. Unfortunately, the true negative effects will not be fully understood until many years on down the road. In the meantime, parents and athletes alike need to take a stance against the use of dietary supplements at the high school level. Sources 1. Kreider, Richard P. (PhD), Creatine, the next ergogenic supplement? www.sportsci.org 2. American College Of Sports Medicine, Summary on Creatine supplement. www.iahsaa.org

Divine Comedy - The Guardians of Dantes Inferno :: Divine Comedy Inferno Essays

The Guardians of Dante's Inferno      Ã‚   Dante's Inferno is one of the best written works of all time because it was written as an allegory inside an excellent story.   A key part of this allegory was how Dante used different guardians in the various circles of hell.   These guardians were used to symbolize the punishments of the sinners.      Ã‚   Minos is the guardian of Circle II, the circle of the Lustful.   He symbolizes an accusing personality because his job is to give punishments to the sinners.   The bodies of the sinners confess the sins automatically, and that shows the sinners know everything about themselves when it is too late to repent.   Minos is important because he is used to stress that none of the sinners can doubt which sins they have committed, and that the crime will receive a matching punishment.   The lustful were carried away by their passions in their previous lives, and therefore they are thrown about by a black wind.   Dante considers lust to be the highest sin because it is mutually committed to the pleasure of both parties.      Ã‚   Cerberus is the guardian of Circle III, the circle of the Gluttons. Cerberus is meant to portray the image of uncontrolled appetite.   In mythology, he was known to devour people who approached hell, and therefore is a glutton himself.   However, being a glutton, he must surrender himself to his appetite.   His appetite just overtakes him when Dante throws dirt in Cerberus' mouth, and the poets are allowed to enter the circle.   Cerberus is an example of how everything must submit to the glutton's appetite, including his soul. This is a dark sin because they now worship food instead of God, and this is reciprocated by the rain, which belies the jolly nature of gluttons and gives them dark temperaments. Gluttony is a sin which involves one person, and it is more of a selfish sin, but the gluttonous are alone because they always ate alone.      Ã‚   Pluto is the guardian of Circle IV, the circle of Misers and Spendthrift.   Pluto is meant to symbolize riches, as he is the god of wealth that springs from soil in ancient mythology. This is appropriate because he guards those who hoarded money and those who spent it foolishly.

Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko Assessment Dashiell Lieberman I would like to answer this question not as the Dashiell we all know and love but as an existential Dashiell. As an existentialist I would want the truth and the facts; that is a lot different than wanting an explanation. An existentialist doesn't believe that everything needs an explanation and a reason. They believe in the cold hard truth and facts like the great existential characters Donnie Darko and Mersault of The Stranger, who died for representing the ultimate truth like Christ.So the truth I seek for my one day outside of reality is the creation of the world, the universe and who or what is the creator. Everything else in this world has been altered and corrupted by man and society but not the beginning; that is true and untouched. I want to know the overall truth of the world, the great mystery that the whole world has wondered. The origin of everything is my biggest wonder as a man just looking for the truth with no explanations o r interpretations.I would travel through time and space searching and observing the creation of everything that has come to be. I would love to talk to the creator, if so, and just ask him some casual questions or learn of our scientific origins and it's amazement. If I had this one day I wouldn't waste it by doing insignificant things to make me happy for an hour; I would go big of course, I mean really big. I want these hours of freedom to change my life forever giving me the ultimate truth of the world so as an existentialist I can be satisfied knowing that there is no meaning or maybe there is.

Somplaint letter Essay

dearest Ms Brennan,I am pen this letter of complaint about a very serious matter and it is not only affecting me further my totally class. I takeed to discuss a matter that has troubled me and my classmates for around 2- 3 months now, as I get hold of seen on that point has been no progress in the state of affairs I thought it would be cleanse if you could see it from a bookmans point of view. I call for learnt that m whatsoever of my raw(a)(prenominal) classmates go as well get along with to you with our situation. I also whop that you whitethorn well know who and what I am talking about, I am piece of writing to you about our maths teacher Mrs Sanderson and how she teaches us.On many occasions Mrs Sanderson has showed us a video of someone drawing constructions etc and therefore very vaguely manifestation or pretty much repeating what the soul has give tongue to and sat down and express I will give you a worksheet about this and do it. On other occasion she has asked a student to list up and practically teach a lesson for her and make the student explain everything. The student is Arin Tofi she is a very smart young woman but I am also sure that she herself wants to sit down, learn and do her work too. Many students have suggested for you to stimulate and supervise in our lessons but as you may know peoples personalities trade when they are around other people, I am not suggesting that Mrs Sanderson is akin this, but I am ordinateing in general people change around their acquaintances, colleagues and bosses etc.I have also realised that our school never really has stable teachers in maths as they are al authoritys employing new teachers all the time. I do know that Mrs Sanderson is either replacing Mrs Abrahams permanently or substituting for her I do not know.At the jump of this Mrs Sanderson said to us at the beginning of the lesson that for the rest of the calendar week she would not teach us mightily and all we would do is sit and do worksheets this did not affect as that is what she by and large gives us to do anyway. What she also said was that she would not teach us because of our doings although we are not quite condition in her classes that is not our fault it is most(prenominal) the likes ofly hers. I am not questioning any way of program line or in any way spread abroading you how she shouldteach but if she mintt control us accordingly that is her lack of putting a veritable amount of discipline on us.We have had another teacher (which of whom I do not remember her name) for once a fortnight and if you ask her she will tell you that in her classes we dont put down concentration and all our work is up to date and I remember what she teaches us more than than I do in Mr Sandersons for the last few months. We have also had supply teachers were we concentrate more and do our work.I also mean that when she came to say this to us at the beginning of the week, she had brought it up because of my classmates also complaining but I think that this goes against the right of liberty of speech as we should have a right to complain, talk and say anything I like without an out go in of me losing my maths lessons for a whole week just because I wanted to speak my mind. As I know teachers have always promote us to speak up and say if anything is wrong and this is my way of doing it.We are in year 9 now and should not have a teacher where we do not learn properly or do work. We are coming up to assessment week where we do mocks and our sits we cannot carry on like this as it is an important year and is a very vital moment in our journeys to getting our GCSEs and getting the grades we want and absolutely need.I am unappeasable if I may have come across rude or bold in this letter in any way but as I said before this is my way of expressing how I feel towards this situation.Yours sincerely,Sanjida ChowdhuryYr 9 HAL strict 1