Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Rainforest essays

Rainforest essays RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION AND THE IMPACT ON SOCIETY Nobody knows exactly how much of the world's Rainforest have already been destroyed and continues to be razed each year. Data is often imprecise and subject to differing interpretations. However, it is obvious that the area of tropical Rainforest is diminishing and the rate of tropical Rainforest destruction is escalating worldwide, despite increased environmental activism and awareness. A. Immediate Causes of Rainforest Destruction Rainforest Destruction and The Impact on Society Rainforests across the world face a desperate last stand against the forces that threaten to destroy them completely. Nobody knows exactly how much of the world's Rainforest have already been destroyed and continues to be razed each year. Data is often imprecise and subject to differing interpretations. However, it is obvious that the area of tropical Rainforest is diminishing and the rate of tropical Rainforest destruction is escalating worldwide, despite increased environmental activism and awareness. In order to determine the solutions to the problem, it is first necessary to identify the causes and because there is disagreement about the causes, there is also disagreement about the solutions. The conventional approaches used by governments, development organizations and aid agencies are based on the assumption that deforestation is caused by poverty and overpopulation. Poor people who have little option but to clear the forests in order to survive are branded as culprits when in actual fact they are the victims of social injustice. Development, which supposedly alleviates poverty, is seen as the solution by these mainstream bodies, but many non-government organizations maintain that development is the basic cause, rather than the cure. The eight major reasons for this ongoing destruction of the worlds Rainforest are as follows: Every year, logging destroys twelve mi...

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Conflicting Attitudes to love in the play Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Conflicting Attitudes to love in the play Romeo and Juliet Essay Example Conflicting Attitudes to love in the play Romeo and Juliet Paper Conflicting Attitudes to love in the play Romeo and Juliet Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet In the play Romeo and Juliet written in the 1600s by William Shakespeare displays conflicting attitudes to love. In his play he demonstrates how there are many more definitions of love which gives the play more complexity and helps add intensity to the audience. In Shakespeares day men and women were expected to flirt with one another, it was a regular and frequent act that would show a man confidence and a womens fun side. The idea of courtly love was a European tradition and there were rules for every flirtatious male and female to follow. These rules applied mainly for men because usually the female is unattainable or married, usually of a much higher class in most cases. Another stage of courtly love is where the lover is consumed by there melancholy because they cannot have theyre man or lady, and they write poems for their chosen one. The lover become possessed by their own constant thoughts about there love and cannot escape from it. There are several couples in the play that fall into the category of courtly love; for example Romeos love for Rosaline at the start of the play or Paris love for Juliet. Shakespeare uses the work of a poet called Petrach in the play. Petrach began his work in the 1300s, he wrote a particular type of poem which portrays all the characteristics of courtly love these were called Petrachian sonnets and Shakespeare uses these sonnets in the play and mainly in the poem Romeo writes to Rosaline confessing his love for her. Courtly love involves a lot of joy and pain and Romeo experiences the painful side in the first few scenes of the play when he is consumed by his love for Rosaline. In act one, scene one, Romeo is talking with Benvolio; Romeo uses oxymorons like O brawling love and O loving hate. These words contradict each other giving the audience a sense of Romeos feelings and emotions. Romeo is possessed by love but is also scared of it. He is controlled by his emotions and shuts himself away by day and only leaves his house at night. His chamber shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out. This was said by Montague to Benvolio as Montague is complaining about how he never sees his own son. In a way, Montague is crying out for help, he knows that Benvolio is wise and he plays the role of peace maker. Romeo speaks to Benvolio and Romeo confesses his love for Rosaline. He tells Benvolio about how it made him so sad, full of sorrow. Courtly love is also a factoring the relationship of Paris and Juliet. In Act one, Scene two, Paris is talking to Capulet and asks his permission to take his daughters hand in marriage. Paris, however, doesnt know Juliet; they havent met, and his love for her may be based on her appearance. Because Paris loves Juliet from a distance Capulet is unsure about handing her over to Paris straight away but he invites Paris to the Capulet ball. At the ball nothing really changes. Paris dances with Juliet and flirts a little however his love for her remains false as he has only known her for a little while. Another type of love portrayed in the play is unromantic love, love that is related to romance such as brotherly love or motherly love. In Shakespeares time period men and women often had a lot of free time on their hands, especially people of an upper class. This time was spent on writing romantic poetry. In the play Capulet and Paris talk about Juliet marrying without consulting her personally, here Shakespeare manages to follow rules and conventions and here it is the conventions of parents. In this situation to Paris love is not an issue. He wants to be married to a beautiful girl and Capulet wants his daughter to be married into a wealthy family. Talking about Juliets age does not matter to Paris because he states in his conversation with Capulet that young girls make mothers and maids. Younger than she are happy mothers maid. In the 17th centaury this was the attitude to marriage and females and sexism seems to be a common thing that happened then. This attitude to love and sexism in the play gives a clue to Shakespeares life and what was common and acceptable then. The Nurses relationship with Juliet is of the Unromantic love variety. Juliet did not get love and affection from her mother at a young age because as the family is wealthy they can pay someone to do this for them. But the Nurse has always been there for Juliet, she speaks in a very different way to Juliet than Lady Capulet does. Lady Capulet speaks to Juliet in a very formal manor and Juliet replies as if she were her mothers mistress. For example Juliet is address by her mother as daughter lady and girl Also when Juliet is discussing her marriage plans with her father, Capulet is extremely forceful, he speaks in a very threatening way to Juliet which let the audience know that marriage in those days was maybe treated as more of a business arrangement. The opening scenes in the play explore a very crude attitude to love. In Act one scene one the servants are joking and bragging about how they are going to take the opposing families women and have sex with them. The servants demonstrate a raw opinion on love. They continue to boast about sex and another servant says how he is going to cut of their heads in other words cut of their maiden heads, take their virginity. Shakespeare reveals the men in the plays obsession with sex very openly, he does this because by creating a crude and rude factor in the play it appeals a lot to the audience, they found it both humorous and exciting. Also in the play Juliet is very the opposite when talking about sex and Romeo. I believe Shakespeare has taken a different approach to females attitudes toward sex to demonstrate how a females thoughts and priorities differ from males. Shakespeare creates a huge contrast when talking about men and women and sex, maybe he does this to let the audience see how different relationships are made and broken. The idea of sex does also bring people together in the play as it provides a social subject for the characters to talk about maids lie on their backs. This proves that sexual love is not the strongest type of love as it is not a part of the Montagues friendships. I believe Shakespeare has deliberately contradicted himself to create a mysterious effect in the play. True love is the final type of love shown in the play. Although violence is a main factor in the play, so is the passionate love between Romeo and Juliet. Juliet does talk alone and does fantasize about her physical desire for Romeo however her feelings are not only controlled by lust but also by true love. The audience can tell how by the way both characters moods change when the two first meet. The way that they talk about each other is different to the way that they have spoken up to this point. Even when Romeo believes that his love for Rosaline is true he speaks as though he is in love but has not found love. The words that Romeo uses to describe Rosaline do not compare to when he is describing Juliet he calls Rosaline rich in beauty and too fair notice that most of the words describing Rosaline mention her beauty and physical attributes but when Romeo is describing Juliet Shakespeare uses very strong imagery and empathy which allows the audience to explore in much more depth Romeos feelings, emotions and this new type of love. My hearts dear love is set on rich Capulets daughter I cannot live without my lady. The created imagery when describing Juliet sometimes links to religious things and is designed to create ceremonial pictures in the audience mind. This differs to the imagery created when Romeo is talking about Rosaline as later in the play Romeo and Juliet marry hence the religious links and imagery. In act two scenes two Romeo speaks in sonnet form and the scene reveals very open and beautiful poetry, it reveals the extent of Romeo and Juliets love for one another. The words that Romeo speaks often rhyme with Juliets this shows their compatibility and how they are a perfect couple in love. Have saints not lips and holy palmers too? O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do: In conclusion I believe that when Shakespeare presents conflicting attitudes to love in different ways. Firstly he does this to create the effect of tension and humour for the audience. He creates this effect in many different ways, a different way for each type of love. I believe this play is so successful and the different attitudes to love come across very well because Shakespeare uses different techniques when writing for example creating heavy imagery linking to later plots when describing a physical appearance or creating humour by using crude comments with a sexual connotation.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Prepare for the PSAT 5-Step Guide to PSAT Prep

How to Prepare for the PSAT 5-Step Guide to PSAT Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many juniors and even sophomores take the PSAT every fall to prepare for the SAT. But the PSAT isn’t a college admission test, so do you actually need to prep for it?The reality is,PSAT prep can strongly benefit you, especially if you're hoping to naba National Merit scholarshipor get a high score on the SAT. In this article, we explain why PSAT prep is important and go over how to prepare for the PSAT using five simple steps. In addition, we discuss what kinds of resources are ultimately unnecessary for quality PSAT preparation as well as how PSAT prep differs from SAT prep. Why You Should Prep for the PSAT Most juniors take the PSAT, but in truth PSAT scores aren't nearly as important as SAT (or ACT) scores.Why? You see, because the PSAT isn't used for college admission, schools won't even so much as glance at your PSAT score. But if that’s the case, then, why bother prepping for the PSAT at all? As it turns out, there are a few reasons PSAT test prep may be worth the effort. For one, the PSAT is essentially a gateway to doing well on the SAT. Because theprimary aim of the PSAT is to prepare you for the SAT (hence its name, "Preliminary SAT"),the two testsshare several similarities. As a result,preppingfor the PSAT can give you an early sense of what SAT content areas you'll need to strengthen and what strategies and approaches work well for you. Even if you're planning ontaking the ACT instead of the SAT, the PSAT can still help you get used to the kinds of questions and content you'll need to know since there are so many similarities between the redesigned SAT and ACT. What's more, your PSAT score can predict your SAT score. Though the PSAT and SAT scoring scales differ (the maximum score is 1520 on the PSAT and 1600 on the SAT), each PSAT score directly corresponds to the same score on the SAT. So a 1300 on the PSAT indicates the same level of ability as a 1300 on the SAT does. The PSAT essentially shows you how well you’d perform on the SAT if you were to take it at that exact moment in time.Without any PSAT prep, however, you’re glimpsing what your SAT score would be without any SAT prep as well. Such a score isn’t particularly helpful, as you’ll most likely want tostudy for the SAT, so to get a more accurate SAT prediction, you'll definitely want to engage in some PSAT prep. Lastly, PSAT test prep is essential if you’re hoping to qualify for National Merit. All juniors who take the PSAT are automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program, which awards annual $2,500 scholarships to top scorers. To qualify as a Semifinalist, you must reach or exceed your state’s PSAT cutoff score. Sothose aiming towin scholarship moneyshould study for the PSAT as diligently as they would for the SAT or ACT. Nonetheless, not everyone needs to prep for the PSAT or even take it.If you're not trying to hit National Merit, don't bother committing to lengthy prep sessions or long-term study plans. Likewise, if you're set on taking the ACT instead of the SAT, the PSAT won't be as helpful or as relevant to your studies, so feel free to forgo PSAT prep (and even the PSAT itself, if not required by your school). How to Prepare for the PSAT: 5-Step Plan Now that we’ve gone over why you should study, let’s look closely at how to prepare for the PSAT. Below are the five major steps you'll need to take in order to get the most out of your PSAT test prep. Step 1: Learn the PSAT Format The easiest and most fundamental way to prepare for the PSAT is to learn the format of the test. This is a great place to start, even for those who aren’t intending to aim for National Merit. As you may remember, the PSAT is very similar to the SAT, so if you’re at all familiar with the SAT format, know that the PSAT is strongly tied to it. The only major differences between the PSAT and SAT are that the PSAT: contains fewer questions lacksan essay component is slightly easier Here is an overview of the PSAT format: Reading Writing and Language Math No Calculator Math Calculator Order 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Time 60 mins 35 mins 25 mins 45 mins # of Questions 47 44 17 31 Question Types Multiple choice Multiple choice Multiple choice, grid-ins Multiple choice, grid-ins Topics/Skills Tested Vocabulary Ability to find evidence for answers in passages Data interpretation Ability to improve flow and style of passages (Writing only) English grammar and punctuation (Writing only) Algebra (linear equations, functions, inequalities, etc.) Nonlinear expressions Data analysis (rates, ratios, percentages, graphs, etc.) Geometry Trigonometry Complex numbers Scoring One Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score on a scale of 160-760 One Math score on a scale of 160-760 In addition, I suggest reading our basic guide to the PSAT for answers to any general questions you might have about the PSAT, such as what it tests, how it’s scored, how much it costs, and how to register for it. Next up, set a goal score! Ideally, one higher than 17. Step 2: Set a PSAT (or SAT) Goal Score A PSAT or SAT goal score can help you determinewhat PSAT score to aim for on test day. If you want to qualify for National Merit,your PSAT goal score should be equal to or higher thanyour state’s cutoff score.(Note that cutoff scores are usually reported as Selection Index scores, but you can find estimated PSAT score conversions in our article on the PSAT score range.) In general, you must score around1400-1480on the PSAT to qualify for National Merit. As previously mentioned, the exact score you'll need varies depending on the state. Regardless, you'll have to aim high! If you plan on eventually taking the SAT, you could also set a combination PSAT/SAT goal score. To do this, you must have a rough idea as to what colleges you want to apply to as a senior. Once you've got your list of schools ready (you can use our handy chart), find the 25th and 75th pecentile SAT scores of admitted students to each of your schools. After, look for the highest 75th percentile score on your chart.This score will be your goal score for both the PSAT and SAT,as it's the score most likely to get you into all of the schools to which you're applying. Ultimately, if you can hit on or around this goal score on the PSAT, you should have little trouble getting the same score on the SAT. And even if you don't hit it on the PSAT, you'll know exactly what to work on during your SAT prep so that you can raise your score by the time you sit for the SAT. Step 3: Take PSAT Practice Tests If you really want to do well on the PSAT, one of the best ways to prepare for it is to take at least one official PSAT practice test. You can download thesefree, full-length tests by going directly to the College Board website. Of all possible PSAT study materials, practice tests are arguably the best resources available. With practice tests, you’re getting authentic PSAT questionswrapped up in a complete test-taking experience. Unfortunately, since the PSAT only recently underwent changes in 2015, there aren’t a ton of practice tests to choose from. Here is what you can currently access: Official PSAT Practice Test #1 - Scoring Your Test - Answer Explanations Official PSAT Practice Test #2 - Scoring Your Test - Answer Explanations Other solid options for PSAT practice includeIvy Global’s PSAT practice test PDF- a high-quality, albeit unofficial, practice test- and official SAT practice tests (which we'll discuss more in Step 5). The Ivy Global practice test is a full-length test that's extremely similar to the official PSAT practice tests.The only downside is that its scoring guide uses the SAT scale (out of 1600) instead of the PSAT scale (out of 1520), making it a slightly less accurate representation of the PSAT. Practice tests are excellent tools for tracking your progress.What you'll want to do is take one practice test at the beginning of your studies to get yourbaseline score (i.e., the score you start with). Then, follow Step 2 above to set a PSAT/SAT goal score.Once you've completed some PSAT prep, take another practice test to see whether you're closer to hitting your goal score. As you take these PSAT practice tests, always simulate real testing conditions as closely as possible.This means taking the test in a quiet room without distractions and timing yourself on each section as you'll be timed on the actual PSAT. Doing all of this ensures you'll have a clearer and more accurate sense of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Step 4 is all about mistakes. My mistake? Following Donkey Kong. Step 4: Analyze Your Mistakes When studying, tryto understand why the incorrect answer choices you’ve chosen are in fact wrong.This means you'll need to go through all practice tests and questions you’ve used for PSAT prep, mark the ones you answered incorrectly, and spend time figuring out where your logic or calculations went wrong. Look to see whether there are any patterns in your mistakes. For example, are you consistently getting tripped up on certain question types? Do you tend to guess randomly instead of strategically? Do you struggle with certain skills or content areas, such as algebra or reading comprehension? Being able to pinpoint your mistakes and understand what you can do to fix them allows you to avoid making these same mistakes on the PSAT and even the SAT or ACT. Step 5: Use SAT Questions Tests for Extra Practice Other than the PSAT practice tests above, there aren’t many resources for PSAT practice questions. That said, there are tons of free SAT resources, with questions nearly identical to (though possibly harder than) those on the PSAT. Therefore, I suggest incorporating SAT materials into your PSAT prep if you're dissatisfied with the breadth of questions in PSAT practice tests. Like the PSAT, the best resource for SAT practice questions is the College Board, which offers dozens of free questions for the three SAT sectionson its website. All in all, there are: 24 Reading questions 22 Writing and Language questions 18 Math No Calculator questions 30 Math Calculator questions For additional practice, take afull-length SAT practice test.These tests are nearly identical to the PSAT practice tests, differing only in length (i.e., number of questions) and difficulty. Each SAT practice test also comes with an Essay section, which you can skip since there are no essays on the PSAT. While SAT questions and practice tests can be helpful for PSAT prep, remember that these resources arethe best free resources for SAT prep as well. Therefore, you may want to reserve some of these questions for future SAT prep (unless, of course, you’ll be taking the ACT- in that case, go ahead and use all SAT resources for your PSAT preparation!). Ready to open up your wallet? Or nah? Should You Hire a PSAT Tutor? Sign Up for Classes? Because the PSAT isn’t as important as the SAT or ACT,you generally shouldn't need to hire a PSAT tutor or sign up for PSAT classes. Remember, thePSAT is essentially just a practice test- it has no effect on your GPA or your chances of admission to college. So throwing a bunch of cash at a PSAT tutor or prep course will likely only waste time and money in the end. The only cases in which PSAT prep courses and tutoring sessions are useful is when you want to qualify for National Merit or get a super high SAT score. In these cases, additional PSAT guidance can shed some much-needed light on critical concepts and skills you need to work on in order to get the score you want. For most students, though,light prep and a self-guided study plan using free, high-quality resources is typically all you need to prepare effectively for the PSAT. Even just knowing the PSAT format can give you a leg up on test day! So try not to feel obligated to spend money on resources you may not actually need in the end. If you do decide to invest in tutoring sessions or prep courses, just make sure the price doesn't bother you and that you can apply what you're learning to the SAT as well. Bonus: Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program around the concepts in this article, because they actually work. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: PSAT vs. SAT: How Is Test Prep Different? There's no denying that the PSAT and SAT are undoubtedly similar- but they're certainly not identical, and thus neither is their test prep. Below, we go over the three key ways in which PSAT prep differs from SAT prep. Intensity PSAT prep is generally far lighter than SAT prep. This is primarily due to the fact that the PSAT is just a practice SAT and therefore a far less important test. Specifically, SAT (and ACT) scores are a significant college admission factor, whereas PSAT scores are not.(That said, being named a National Merit Scholar can certainly give a boost to your college application, especially in regard to financial aid.) Availability of Resources Since the SAT is a more popular and ubiquitous test, you'll find that there aremany more resources available for SAT prep than there are for PSAT prep. This means you’ll have a broader range of materials to choose from when studying for the SAT- from prep books and apps to questions and practice tests- than you will for the PSAT. Essay Section Unlike the SAT, which includes an optional Essay,the PSAT does not include an Essay section.So if you’re taking the SAT with the optional Essay, you’ll need to make sure you adequately hone your writing skills prior to the exam.In other words, without having to practice composition, the PSAT is a slightly easier test to prepare for. Once you finish the PSAT, do a happy dance- ideally, with a frilly umbrella. Key Takeaways: The Importance of PSAT Prep If your goal is to perform well on the PSAT- whether because you hope to qualify for National Merit or simply want a better chance of scoring highly on the SAT- you’ll need to engage in some PSAT test prep.But if you're not aiming for National Merit or don't plan to take the SAT, you don't need to prep for the PSAT (or even take the test at all, if your school allows students to opt out). The best way to get started on PSAT preparation is to learn the format of the test, including what questions it’ll ask and what concepts it'll test you on. Setting a PSAT or SAT goal score, too, can help guide your studies. Finally, it's a good idea to spend some time analyzing your mistakes and practicing with high-quality PSAT practice tests and SAT resources. Most students shouldn't need to hire tutors or enroll in PSAT prep courses to do well on the PSAT. Because the PSAT isn’t a college admission test, scoring highly on it isn’t nearly as important as scoring highly on the SAT or ACT; therefore, there’s no point in spending money on PSAT prep unless you really want to qualify for National Merit and believe the resource will help you eventually get a high score on the SAT, too. As for test prep, PSAT test prep is typically less intense than SAT test prep, as the PSAT isn't as important as the SAT. Moreover, there is no Essay section on the PSAT and only a small number of PSAT resources available, making PSAT prep overall simpler than SAT prep. What’s Next? You now know how to prep for the PSAT- but do you know how to register for it?Our comprehensive guide walks you through the three critical steps you must take to sign up for this year's PSAT! What's a good PSAT score overall? For sophomores? For juniors?Learn what constitutes a good PSAT score in general as well as how the definition of a "good" PSAT score can differ depending on your grade level. Running out of PSAT prep time?Never fear!Follow our10 last-minute tips to help you get the PSAT score you want on test day. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Technology and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology and Society - Essay Example The issue at hand is not the impact that the technology would have on the culture of a society that has yet to reach the evolution level of societies in the developed world, but rather the societies in the least developed world. Information technology is given high importance in the article, with the inference that the modern societies are information driven. This is true of the developed world. However, it becomes diminished in value in the least developed countries, where the culture of the society has not evolved to be in a position to accept a high technology. For instance, in such societies, being literate in terms of the developed world may be a luxury very few can afford, and so the vast majority of the society remains illiterate. For a high technology like the Internet to diffuse and be absorbed in this society would be nigh impossible , because of the complexity involved in the use of the technology. Yes, there is mention complexity of the technological product acting as a b arrier to diffusion in a society, but the complexity suggested there is much higher than the simple ability to read and write. Yet, another aspect missed out in relevance to this issue is that there should be the presence of supportive technologies for a new technology to diffuse in a society. For a technology like the Internet to diffuse in the society, there should be enough diffusion of the supportive telecommunication technologies. The again this article has a greater bearing on markets and diffusion and adoption of technologies into these markets, and the developed world is where the large markets exists, and hence the tailoring of the article to the developed world (1). Do you agree with the concepts suggested in the Nye and Ceruzzi readings? Is technology 'fixing' or is it 'harming'? Is this something we can measure? Why or why not? Technology is both fixing and harming. Looking at the development of the spread of information and technology, the biggest barrier to this was th e inability of one computer to communicate with another and thus impeding the flow of information. A technology fix occurred in the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW). The barrier of flow of information from one computer to another just vanished. The technological fix of the Internet and the World Wide Web demonstrated the potential of their being a medium through which a host of various kinds of activities ranging from information activity sites to commercial activity sites, and social interaction sites and soon the technological fix fell in place like search engines for information, e-commerce sites for commercial activity, and yahoo mail, hotmail, etc., as social ad business activity sites. So technology is fixing providing a host of benefits, but along with it comes the price in the form of the harm it can cause. The activities of hackers and pornography sites may be arguably discounted as the actions with a criminal bend of mind misusing the technology tow ards their objectives. Yet, the harm transcends this with the potential of reducing the very quality of the society we live in. Being students it is easy to see how the technology fixes of the Internet a

Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion Questions - Essay Example s is to assist others in the provision, and management of self-care to improve human functioning at home level of effectiveness (NursingCrib.com, 2008). A nurse by following this theory can help his/her patient perform certain activities on their own so as to maintain their health, life and well being until when a patient is unable to conduct the activities on their own. As a result, a nurse comes in to take wholesome, partial or supportive-educative support for the patient. Concerning wholly compensatory nursing, a nurse provides all necessary care for the client as the patient lacks capacity to do so on their own. On the other hand, for partial, the nurse and patient share the duties of performing self care activities, while in, supportive-educative, the nurse works towards helping the patient. This is in the form of developing their own self care abilities, and is one through imparting knowledge, supporting and encouraging the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Midterm for Business Law Ethics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Midterm for Business Law Ethics - Term Paper Example In the second stage of the cycle, action is seen to occur and regardless of the immediate effects that might have been caused by the action, the monetary cycle is seen to move on an things eventually end up correcting themselves. The third stage of the cycle is the inefficiency stage that is seen to characteristically be marked by the inability of the market to sufficiently create wealth as a result of the actions taken during the more frantic times. The fourth stage of the cycle which is the circumvention stage is seen to involve for a lobbying of the removal of the restrictions seen to be placed in the second stage of the cycle and the development by the firms of activities designed to try and circumvent the established rules and achieve the same effects as the forbidden practices. The regulatory cycle is seen to critically affect management decisions in the automotive industry. This is exemplified that in line with the cycle, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions and the result ant attempts by various governments and organizations to try and limit or curb these emissions essentially helps mark out the first stage of the cycle. The decision making of managers in the automotive industry is seen to have been affected by the cycle as they made various decisions to try and act on the increasing CO2 emissions developing various technologies such as biofuels. Question 2: The value of Corporate Sustainability Corporate sustainability which is commonly defined as being the basic corporate response to sustainable development where the organization engages in a number of practices and strategies that are designed to ensure that the organization is able to address the key issues pertaining to the world’s sustainable development. The value of corporate sustainability can never be exaggerated as is demonstrated by the efforts by various companies to try and quickly respond to any crises that might be seen to be endangering the image of the company’s corpor ate sustainability as was the case seen at KFC when reports emerged of excessive animal cruelty at one of its slaughter houses. In the incident, workers were shown displaying excessive animal cruelty when they were recorded stomping on chicken, flinging them mercilessly against the wall and at times even squeezing them to death. In response to this, the company is seen to have responded quickly by sending inspectors to the plant and implemented measures that saw the contractor fire 11 of the employees and extract pledges from the employees at all the other 25 plants to treat animals in a more humane manner (Trevin?o and Nelson 323-324). Taco Bell, a fast food restaurant, is also seen to have quickly responded to a Mexican tomato pickers workers strike by improving the pay offered to the workers and promising to monitor the company’s suppliers as well as adopt an improved code of conduct that would enable the company to be able to drop any suppliers that were seen to abuse far mworkers (Trevin?o and Nelson 324). Trevin?o and Nelson, point out that by effecting a pragmatic approach to matters relating to corporate social responsibility and sustainability, it is possible for an organization’s manager to be able to effectively scan the environment

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

CRIMINOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CRIMINOLOGY - Essay Example It will be argued that both theories lack a basic explanation of psychology or the human agents involved in criminal behaviour. Thus, while both theories explain crime and deviance on a 'macro-level', they present problems on the micro level by not providing sufficient explanation for individual deviance. It will be argued that functionalism was a useful model in an era where society was less fragmented, while 'social conflict' continues to be a useful model because the material conditions underlying crime have persisted. CONFLICT THEORY The notion of conflict theory, is one which is grounded or established in the basic Marxist principle of the class struggle, p. â€Å"crime as a legal definition of human conduct is created by agents of the dominant class in a politically organized society† [Adler & Adler, Ed., 2000, p. 65]. In Marxist terms, what Quinney argues is that the law essentially exists to serve the interests of the ruling class. Conversely, deviance and the social c onstruction along with the legal constructions of definitions of deviance, has the further agenda of protecting the interests of a particular group of people in society. That is, the interests of those who construct and often enforce the law. ... 65] constructions of any given society. In these terms, it can be maintained that this approach through ‘material’ measures, is also empirical, and as such, this paper is arguing that it provides the most adequate theory in terms of an assimilation of conflict theory, differential association and labeling theory . In this sense, some more comments on the empirical details of conflict theory ought to be raised and examined. A good example of the ‘empirical’ nature of ‘conflict theory’, and by ‘empirical’, it is implied in terms of employing a pronounced consideration of material conditions, is the notion of property. As the author in question argues, the structure of power is also established through wealth, and this represents property. In these terms, property is regarded as one of the most core or central rights within Western industrialized democracies. That is, if it is ‘capital’ and ‘property’ which ar e that which determine wealth and power, and in turn, there is a basic desire to maintain this, it follows that by strictly protecting property class interests or class conflict is perpetuated. Another important component of the theory in question, anticipates how ‘differential theory’ can improve upon this foundation. In conflict theory, one of the cornerstones for explaining law in terms of class structure, and power relations, is the notion of ‘socialization’. To maintain that there is in a sense, a coercive nature to law in the sense that there is a bonding of the educated and class elite along with, on the other hand, an association which occurs similarly among the more impoverished classes. For instance, it is a statistic of the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Industry review of retirement home industry Research Paper

Industry review of retirement home industry - Research Paper Example enture should aim at making profits to the investor, but it must also aim at the provision of quality services to the people in the immediate community (Scaffa and Reitz, 2014). There are two types of retirement industries available to individuals who have attained the age of retirement including the independent and the dependent communities. The independent communities consist of consist of the single family homes, condominiums, duplexes, or townhouses where these individuals live just on their own. This kind of industry may offer a number of services. These include provision of the recreation services, taking care of the lawn among other services. On the other hand, the dependent industry is bestowed with the responsibility of the provision of housing arrangements alongside other health care services. These constantly change with the change in the needs and the tastes of the community (Hillstrom and Hillstrom, 2002). In the retirement industry market, the communities are expected to increase especially in America to over 77 million in the next two years. The retirement group is expected to be shopping for the best option in the market regarding housing and health services in the next 2 decades. The venture into the retirement industry requires some capital to help run the facility in one way or the other. Therefore, this industry seems to be centered onto the senior citizens with some sizeable retirement incomes that are adequate to handle the expenses. For instance, in America, the most expensive retirement scheme requires a capital of between $ 100, 000 to $ 1 million (Scaffa & Reitz, 2014). There has been an escalating trend in the development and the expansion of the retirement industry in the American economy. However, in 2007, there was a recession in the US that spread up to the year 2013. This recession slowed down the growth in the retirement industry. This forced several individuals to delay the retirement due to the dwindling personal assets. There

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A Case Study Of Agriquip Agencies Essay Example for Free

A Case Study Of Agriquip Agencies Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION The report reviews my three months work of attachment at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd which is part of compulsory course work prior to the compliment of a diploma in business management. The report is an overview of experience gained, activities carried out at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd, challenges faced during my attachment period and how I overcame them. In My attachment I was rotated in all the departments of the organization. 1.1 AGRIQUIP AGENCIES (EA) LTD See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd is an organization specialized in Importation, distribution, Wholesale and retailing of a wide variety of Agricultural and industrial machineries and their accessories. The company was established in 1968 and it is based in Nairobi Industrial area along Lusaka road. It has branches in major towns, in Kisumu city, Mombasa city and Eldoret town. It has a number of appointed distribution agents in other towns in order to assist in distribution of their products. The organization draws its major customers in the Sugar factories by providing them with industrial spare parts, in agricultural sector it supplies the tea firms and plantations with various machines and their accessories for ease of their farm work. In industrial sector the firm provides the manufacturing companies with spare parts for their machinery to ensure the production does not halt due to lack of spares. The firm also targets the automobile industry by ensuring that they have spares in hardy in order to continue with their business without interruptions due to lack of spare parts. The firm obtains its products from different parts of the world and ensures they maintain good relationsh ip with their suppliers and maintains the necessary stock levels in order to cope and satisfy the demands of their customers. 1.1.1 Vision of the Organization To be the leading firm to transform Africa into a prime trade and investment destination 1.1.2 Mission Statement To turn Africa risk into opportunity by providing high quality, cost effective Agricultural industrial equipments. 1.1.3 Core values Strive to carry out their business with customer focus approach combined with integrity, creativity, unity of purpose and an attitude of getting it right the first time. 1.1.4 Corporate Objectives To consistently focus on our customer needs and provide them with products of the highest quality and standards that ensure they enjoy value for their money. To transform Africa into a prime trade and investment destination by ensuring steady supply of quality products to our business partners in other sectors To ensure safety of environment and users of our products by providing products which are environmental friendly To invest in research and development in order to design products which are cost effective and satisfy the emerging needs of our customers 1.1.5 SWOT Analysis An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) was carried out to identify the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses (internal analysis) in relation to external opportunities and threats (external analysis). This was undertaken with a view to identify and take action to leverage the strengths and opportunities and transform the weaknesses into strengths and threats to be turned into opportunities. This goes a long way in enabling the organization to achieve its objectives 1.1.6 STRENGTHS The main strengths of Agriquip includes the following;- i.Committed and experienced staff. The staff members are committed and have good skills and experience in their respective units. ii.Proper communication channels: the communication channels are well defined and the management created room for creativity and innovation as well as expressing their opinions freely without fear or intimidation. 1.1.6 WEAKNESSES The firm was noted to have a number of weaknesses which includes:- Little room for growth- The firm does not have well structured policies which provides for promotion and staff growth path. Lacks clear recruitment policies Unequal distribution of work Do not have proper allocation of resources. 1.1.7 OPPORTUNITIES Technological Development These are opportunities which the firm can exploit to reduce cost of its operations Research and development – The firm can invest in RD in order to understand the needs of their customers in order to come up with products that are capable of satisfying their customers and remain competitive. 1.1.8 THREATS Competition Due to the technological change the firm is faced with competition from other suppliers Counterfeit goods flocking the market The firm should invest in campaign against use of counterfeit products. 1.2 DURATION OF ATTACHMENT I was attached at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd for eight weeks from 17th December 2013 to 8th February 2014. During this period I was rotated in all the departments of the firm starting with administration, purchasing, imports, accounts, sales and stores. I was taken through the various operations of the above departments and was able to practice what I learned in class. The attachment was very interesting as I had an opportunity to practice and utilize my technical skills and equipped me with understanding of the various management functions. 1.3 DEPARTMENT ATTACHED 1.3.1 ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT I was attached in this department for one week from 17.12.2013 to 21.12.2013, working for 5 days from Tuesday to Saturday. This department deals with the following activities; -Receiving recording and distributing mail to the  relevant departments for action. -Maintaining staff attendance records -Assigning duties to office assistants, clerks and delivery staff -Allocating resources for use by all the units within the organizations -Issuing local purchase orders for office stationeries -Maintaining fuel consumption records for all the company vehicles -Attending to customer queries and directing them -Filing and maintaining safe custody of the company files -Recording out going mails and dispatching them -Processing leave application forms for the staff members 1.3.2 IMPORTS DEPARTMENT I worked in this department for two weeks starting from 23.12.2013 to 04.01.2014. I was working from Monday to Saturday except during the holidays i.e. 25th, 26th December 2013 and 01st January 2014. The duration that I was attached in this department I was assigned to do the following jobs -Application for import license (IDF) -Filing of all the importation documents -Opening the costing sheets files -Application of marine cover notes -Receiving the shipping documents from the overseas suppliers and coordinating clearance with the clearing agents -Processing customs bonds with KRA -Computation of import duties and customs taxes -Arranging for payments for customs taxes and other levies 1.3.3 PURCHASING DEPARTMENT I was attached in this department for duration of one week from 06.01.2014 to 11.01.2014, working for six days from Monday to Saturday. During this period my duties were:- -Receiving and recording requisition from the stores -Filing requisition and other purchasing documents -Updating order records -Preparing and sending enquiries to the overseas suppliers -Sending purchase orders to the suppliers -Recording purchase orders in the order book -Receiving quotations from the potential suppliers -Follow up with the suppliers to expedite our supplies 1.3.4 STORES I worked in this department for duration of one week during which I was tasked with the following responsibilities. -Issuing requisition for purchase to the purchasing department. -Receiving and verification of goods to ascertain they are in conformance with our order confirmation. -Issuing goods received notes -Filing of documents -Supervising stock taking -Binning of the incoming stock in their respective bins -Retrieving stock from the bins to be sold -Updating the stock issuance forms -Raising stock adjustment slips 1.3.5 SALES I was attached in this department for two weeks from 20.10.2014 to 01.10.2014, working for 6 days per week. During this period my duties were:- -Taking orders from customers and raising sales invoices -Recording daily sales in the sales day book -Assisting the purchasing department to raise enquiries to the suppliers -Keeping track of daily sales documents and ensuring they are properly distributed to the various department for appropriate actions -Assigning enquiries received to the counter salesmen to action -Issuing ETR receipts for the sales made -Receiving customers complaints on the company products and directing them to the responsible persons for appropriate action5 1.3.6 ACCOUNTS I was in this department for one week from 03.02.2014 to 08.02.2014. My assignments were:- -Receiving sales documents for the previous day and checking the calculations -Entering sales in the sales day book -Entering purchases in the purchase day book -Writing receipts for the payments received from the debtors -Writing cash book and petty cash books -Preparing remittance advice notes -Preparing PAYE, VAT returns online -Preparing bank reconciliations -Preparing debtors analysis schedules SECTION TWO 2.0 ATTACHMENT EXPERIENCES 2.1 GENERAL ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN. The general activities undertaken on daily basis were to ensure that all the documents to be used for the day are available as required, depending on the department attached. 2.1.1 Filing of various documents Filing was also classified as an important general activity undertaken in the Organization. I sorted and classified the various documents depending on the required classification methods adopted by the different departments within the organization and putting them in their respective files. 2.1.2 Classification and handling information in the office set up. I classified and handled office information in a confidential and secret manner as files were not to be exposed or left unattended as they contain confidential information which should not be disclosed to everyone. 2.1.3 Planning of daily activities As a general rule and practice of the organization, every employee was expected to prepare a daily work plan for the activities that he was expected to perform in the course of the day. I had to start my days with a plan which entailed arranging my work in the order of priorities as directed by my supervisor 2.1.3 General office administration – I ensured that the duties allocated to me by my manager were promptly executed and maintained conducive environment for daily operations. 2.1.4 Customer Relationship Management I ensured customer’s requests were promptly handled and the responsible managers were informed of the enquiries through the daily reports. I responded to the enquiries through emails, telephone calls and any other appropriate channels of communication. I also directed the enquiries to the right person for assistance. 7 2.1.5 Office tidiness After the office had been cleaned, I ensured that my desk was neatly arranged to facilitate smooth flow of work 2.2 SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN I undertook the following activities in the various departments attached 2.2.1 Records management – this involved receiving incoming documents, recording, classifying, arranging, opening respective files, updating of records, capturing data relevant to the various departments, storing and retrieving files , locking the documents in the cabinets and restricting unauthorized persons from accessing any records under my custody. I performed this work in all the departments attached. 2.2.2 Filing of tax returns – in the accounts department I was tasked with preparing VAT returns, PAYE returns, advance tax returns, Withholding tax returns, NSSF returns, NHIF tax returns 2.2.3 Computation of Customs taxes In the imports department I performed the duties of preparing imports declaration forms using KRA Orbus system, lodging customs entries using TRADEX- SIMBA system and arranging payments for the taxes through the bank. 2.2.4 Processing Customs Clearance documents I was also tasked with processing clearance documents and clearing the import consignments at JKIA. Preparing marine cover notes and ensured all our imports are duly are insured against damages, pilferage or loss in transit. Updating the imports register and ensured that all the imported is up to date 2.2.5 Customer relations – I was tasked with receiving customers’ complaints on the company products and directing them to the responsible persons for appropriate action. I took note of the issues raised and forwarded them to the relevant heads of department and made a follow up to ensure the necessary action has been taken and feedback has been communicated concerned person. I also ensured there was a working co-ordination between the various departments within the organization and the right information was communicated to right person on time. 2.2.6 Stock management – I assisted the stores department to improve on their stock management procedures. This was through improvement of their systems of stock recording, issuance and documentations. Other tasks included Issuance of purchase for requisition forms to the purchasing department, issuing goods received notes, supervising stock taking, binning of the incoming stock in their respective bins, retrieving stock from the bins to be sold, Updating the stock issuance forms Raising stock adjustment slips among others Receiving and verification of goods to ascertain they are in conformance with our order confirmation. 2.2.7 Administrative Duties – I was assigned to perform administrative duties which includes. Maintaining staff attendance records, Assigning duties to office assistants, clerks and delivery staff, Allocating resources for use by all the units within the organizations, Issuing local purchase orders for office stationeries, Maintaining fuel consumption records for all the company vehicles Filing and maintaining safe custody of the company files, Processing leave application forms for the staff members as well as tracing of different types of files and taking them to the required departments. 2.2.8 Purchasing functions – This involves the tasks of receiving and recording requisition from the stores, Preparing and sending enquiries to the overseas supplier, Sending purchase orders to the suppliers, Recording purchase orders in the order book, Receiving quotations from the potential supplier, Follow up with the suppliers to expedite our supplies, Issuing requisition for pur chase to the purchasing department. Receiving and verification of goods to ascertain they are in conformance with our order confirmation. Assisting the purchasing department to raise enquiries to the suppliers 2.2.9 Sales of Company Products – This involves taking orders from customers and raising sales invoices, Raising cash sales in case of cash transactions, Recording daily sales in the sales day book, Keeping track of daily sales documents and ensuring they are properly distributed to the various department for appropriate actions, Assigning enquiries received to the counter salesmen to action, Issuing ETR receipts for the sales made 2.3 AN ANALYSIS OF LEARNT KNOWLEDGE AND APPLIED SKILLS 2.3.1 COMMUNICATION The communication channel in the AGRIQUIP AGENCIES (EA) LTD is vertical. Communication channeled from top management down to the middle level and subsequent to the lower level. Junior officers give feedback through the same channel until the information reaches the senior management for action. I learnt that for smooth and efficient operation in any organization there must be an effective communication system which facilitates the flow of information. 2.3.2 TO EMBRACE TEAM WORK I learnt that it is crucial to have good co-operation between the workers which enables department  activities to be coordinated smoothly and efficiently. Any organization must encourage Team work and coordination within all its departments in order to achieve the overall objectives of the business. I learnt to build team work and to cooperate with both the internal and external customers of the organization. 2.3.3 SOCIAL RELATIONS The staff members are friendly and this in turn creates unity. The senior officers are free and social with the junior staffs thus making them feel recognized, this enable me to adapt to the environment very quickly. I learnt that through creation of social relation there is room to learn and perform work easily as this encourages breaks barriers and leads to efficient communication and accomplishment of tasks. 2.3.4 RECOGNITION/RESPECT Respect is highly observed, Staff members respect each other, their seniors and also the public in general. Staff members who perform their duties well are motivated verbally, through recommendation letters, incentives and sometimes promotion. Staffs are also encouraged to upgrade their education. I learnt that when workers feel appreciated they are able to perform their work with minimum supervision and willingly. 2.3.5 EMPLOYEE FOCUS I learnt that when organization recognizes the contribution of their employees, they see them as important assets and to be invested in and not a cost to be avoided. Employees with personal needs are to be assisted which boosts their morale and increase their out-put. The organization has set clear and explicit standards of service that clients (employees) reasonably expect. They always uphold transparency and accountability in service delivery. They always take corrective action on errors and deficiencies that occur I learned the way the organization should undertake the core mandate. This was by working closely with various departments during my attachment. And i also found out that practical part of management is very interesting. I was allowed to learn the way an organization is supposed to function and  what is expected of every employee with regard to terms and condition of service. I was trained on how to develop work/duty schedules which enhances performing tasks efficientl y; achieving results and solving problems effectively through consultation of other working mates. 10 During my attachment period I ensured that decisions which I made were in line with the organizations policy and in consultation with my superiors. I applied the knowledge learnt in class in addressing issues like complaints from employees and managed the situations effectively. Through interpersonal skills that I acquired both in training and during the attachment period I was able to interact well with the employees of the organization. I also acquired knowledge on how to communicate with senior management staff and how to address the general population with respect and decorum where one subordinate is entitled to one superior type of management. 2.4 A PROFILE OF SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES GAINED/ACQUIRED These eight weeks of my internship at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd enabled me to gain skills, competence and experience in various managerial functions. I interacted with many suppliers both local and international suppliers, Consumers of our products, Government Agencies and other cl ients who required to be attended to. This equipped me with communication skills, negotiation skills and more importantly managerial skills in all sections within the organization as I rotated in all the departments. 2.4.1 COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACQUIRED I acquired communication skills using various communication channels, I learnt how to write official letters, send and receive emails, communicate well with the managers, others employees and the clients who came to seek for our services. I also learned how to communicate with different kinds of people like the clients of the organizations, customers and management staff using the appropriate approaches. I learned how to communicate through memoranda and ensuring that it is addressed specifically to the right group having simple language to be easily understood generally. 2.4.2 SOCIAL SKILLS ACQUIRED.I learned how to interact well with the employees of the organization. This was beneficial because i was able to work with them well due to the social skills applied. I also worked hand in hand with the management team and was also able to interact well with the other trainees. 2.4.3 MULTI-TASKING Exposure to working in different departments and handling clients with different needs enabled me to gain experience in multi-tasking and therefore was equipped with capability of handling different tasks performed in different departments effectively 2.4.4 CONFIDENTIALITY AND BUSINESS ETHICS I gained skills of desertion and business ethics which is vital because most of managerial functions must be kept confidential and I was trained on the need to observe ethics and never to divulge information to any unauthorized person and to keep confidential information about any function in the organization at all times. 2.4.5 ORGANIZING I also learned that managerial role requires high level of organization of the resources, functions and time. Through the attachment I was able to gain this skills as the organization has a very strong focus on how the employees organizes their daily activities and utilizes resources allocated to them. 2.4.6 CORDINATION During my internship, I gained skills on how the employees should coordinate in order to accomplish their assigned tasks. I also learnt that all the functions within the organization in order to achieve the mission and overall objective of the organization. 2.4.7 MANAGEMENT OF RECORDS I learnt the skills on how to properly manage company records during my attachment in all the departments of the organization. How to store files safely and protect them against access by unauthorized persons, arrange the properly in the cabinets Employees are handled in a professional manner embracing dignity and respect. 2.4.8 WORK SKILLS ACQUIRED I learned to prioritize work by organizing my working time table. This enabled me to apply management by objective principal. 2.5 OBSERVATIONS AND CRITIQUE For the duration that I have been attached at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd I was able to make several observations for which I liked some and other I did not like 2.5.1 OBSERVATIONS Open communication The organization has adopted an open communication policy.  During my attachment, I observed that the management encouraged open communication between the managers and their juniors as well as the trainees. This created room for the trainees and junior staff members to express their ideas freely without fear hence created room for creativity and innovation. Good relationship between employer and employee The firm maintains a good employer /employee relationship. All the employees of the organization are given fair treatment irrespective of the positions they hold. The managers were willing to interpret the policies and guide their juniors and trainees in the implementation of the strategies set to achieve the desired results. Management commitment to motivate employees The management had a commitment for motivating their staff members. I observed that all the workers in the organization were very committed to their work and needed minimum supervision. The level of motivation was high and therefore created room for innovation, trust and cohesiveness which leads to efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. Embraced change On the other hand I observed that both management and employees were very accommodative to change this was due to high level of trust and open communication the management was able to communicate to their employees of any planned change before implementing which translated to less resistance. Employee willingness to teach the new trainees – as a result of high commitment by the employees to their tasks and trust between the employees and the employer, the interns were not viewed as threat to the already existing employees and therefore they were willing to train and 13 guide them in their internship. The work I was assigned truly allowed creativity and innovation in that I was expected to come up with new ideas and ways of effectively managing the resources of the organization in order to meet the targets and increase the efficiency of the organization. I liked the way the organization cared for the social needs of their employees. 2.5.2 CRITIQUES/DISLIKES ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Some departments operations are not computerized and therefore it takes long time to acquire information that is necessary for quality decision making. The organization lacks proper progression path which discourages the employees from furthering their training since there is no rewards expected  after undergoing the training. The other deficient area that I found wanting is that of recruitment and employment. The organization does not have employment policies and therefore their employees does not fully understand the criteria used. I observed that organizations do not give much emphasis on the course a student is taking, but they prefer students who have basic education and they proceed to nurture them based on their judgment on how one is performing. There is delay in replenishing some products/stocks which have high demands which causes the organization to lose their customers to their competitors. Some suppliers take too long to supply the products. Lack of co-ordination betwe en the purchasing, imports and stores departments hinders the organization from achieving their objectives. The organization has not fully embraced new technological advancement in several departments. This in itself is a setback as technology is known to improving efficiency and less paper work. As an organization that imports products from many parts of the world, I found that their ICT systems are wanting. The organization has not invested in research and development which is a powerful tool for enhancing their productivity and competitiveness. 2.6 STRATEGY FOR UTILIZING OF CONTACTS ESTABLISHED DURING ATTACHMENT During my attachment period at Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd I established good contacts, and still keep in touch with them and any time I require information pertaining to particular field am assured that I will have someone whom I can consult. I intend to seek employment opportunities for myself and also my fellow students. In today’s market economy job is only allocated and accessed by those who are networked well or known well. These contacts will also be of great help in securing employment opportunities in future in the field of management. I will also use the established contacts as referees to recommend me in getting employment in the future. SECTION THREE 3.1 SUMMARY The industrial attachment was conducted at Agriquip agencies (EA) LTD from 17th December, 2013 to 08th February, 2014. During the attachment I rotated  in all the departments within the organization i.e. Administration, imports, purchasing, sale and stores departments as an imports clerk/ supervisor. I learnt various functions of all the above departments and equipped me with knowledge and skills on how to effectively perform duties of these functions. The theoretical knowledge I learnt in class helped me to have a better understand on how to carry out the relevant functions. Some specific activities undertaken needs to be taken seriously by any person assigned to perform them because they can heavily impact on the performance of the organization. These functions includes, Purchasing of products, these should be done by competent personnel who have thorough knowledge of procurement procedures as well as good negotiation skills. Sales, This function should be done carefully as the p ersonnel assigned should have good marketing skills and able to do proper marketing mix in order to satisfy the needs of the Customers failure to which the organization can be affected negatively by becoming the target for competition. Imports, the personnel allocated this function must be having good analysis skill, should have capabilities to analyze the external environment in order to determine the economic situation , understand the inflation rates, rates of exchange as well as effects of the economies of scale. Accounts, The personnel allocated to this department should be able to produce reports in time and accurately to enable the management to determine the profitability position as well as decide on the course for action. 3.2 CONCLUSION I sincerely wish to appreciate the management of Agriquip Agencies(EA) LTD for the opportunity they gave to me to pursue my industrial attachment in their organization and also for assistance they accorded to me and being always ready to let me learn from them . The experience gained in the course of my attachment is very important in securing me an opportunity in the job market. I highly encourage the idea of industrial attachment and recommend that the students be supported and given maximum guidance to ensure that they are able to exercise their practical skills that are fundamental in building their career. My eight weeks in Agriquip Agencies (EA) LTD have had a great impact to my career development. I thank the management of The  Kenya Institute of Management for creating an opportunity for their students to undergo an industrial attachment that enables them to acquire practical skills in their field of training. The attachment has also enabled me as a management trainee to id entify the areas of weaknesses within the organization and recommended to the management on the best course of actions to improve on their performance. 3.3 RECOMMENDATIONS Agriquip Agencies (EA) Ltd should improve its technological infrastructure by providing more computerized systems enabled with internet to the various departments to facilitate e-commerce. Departments whose operations are not computerized to be computerized in order to improve on the service delivery and enhance their satisfaction to their customers. To find alternative suppliers for their products in order to ensure products are always available for their customers. Since some of the current suppliers take long periods to supply the ordered products they should seek alternative sources of supplies and create good relationships with suppliers to ensure steady supply of goods. Formulate employment policies. The organization to formulate employment policies that will govern their recruitment procedures, staff appraisal, reward systems, growth and development of the employees among others Investing on research and development. The organization should consider investing on research in order to be able to understand the market treads, the customer needs, the level of competition. The need to develop new products that are suitable for satisfaction of their customer desires. The management of the Kenya institute of management to explore ways of partnering with the private sector investors and the Government to ensure that their students are able to secure attachments opportunities and employment placements on completion of their training.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Information Systems Capstone

Information Systems Capstone Richard Lecator   Background information of the Company The company is known for its dominant role in the collection and analysis of data. The firm has been operational for a duration almost equaling two years and has a total of approximate 20 employees, where four have been delegated to the IT department. Due to the rampant growth that has been exhibited by the firm, pundits predict that it is going to experience a staggering 60% growth for the next one and a half year. The organization collects data by the help of the Web analytics and then combines it with the data obtained from the operation systems. Web analytics hold a significant role in the majority of the marketing plans for the business, and it involves measuring, collecting, analyzing and then reporting the data collected from the website for the sake of development and optimization of usage of the web. The firm is a very young one and hence is struggling to adapt to the limited technological infrastructure it has to keep it running. However, regardless of this, the firm still anticipates having the business expanded in the next half a year by having its operational activities moved from its current one floor to a spacious three floors. The company has all the information regarding its operations kept in the form of both hardware and software and stored on-site. Details regarding the Type of Business that the Company is Engaged In. The firm works on web analytics and effective qualitative reportage. The software used by the firm enables it to have high quality, data collection that is very effective that starts in minutes without any necessity of additional programming (Aalst, 2009). Therefore, whether it is a huge document, review or digital sets of data, the organization will be able to provide you with analytical services, which will be of great help for you in acquiring answers that are simpler to ambiguous business queries. Types of Data that the Company Collects The firm is further able to collect native and email data from almost all the electronic sources, with the inclusion of the individual computers, storage devices for mobile media, backup tapes, networks belonging to the companies, and the mobile devices for personal use (Aalst, 2009). This shows that the company is well equipped to manage almost all of the devices. The Current Outsourcing and offshoring activities. Globalization and an increase in the competition on the global standards have pushed the organization to incorporate a wider range of economical transfers and the process of exchanging goods and services, technical know-how, personnel, and numerous other related intermediate activities that are part of the value chains for the global markets. When it comes outsourcing and offshoring, there is always a very close relationship amid the locations, motivational standards and the organizational strategy for the company (Warranty Data Collection and Analysis, 2011). Technological advancements will ultimately play great roles in reshaping this subject more in the organization. The main reason behind the organization resolving to the activities related to outsourcing and offshoring when it comes to knowledge is because the firm has an objective of cementing its competitive advantage. This will only be achieved through exploitation of the locally available talent and proficiency in the host economies. The skilled information personnel in position and their responsibilities The following are the duties and the responsibilities of the team that will ensure the fulfillment of the project. The Senior Project Director  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The individual will be in charge of ensuring that the project is planned, directed and ensures a  smooth running of the project. The individual will also be in charge of ensuring that the project deliverables and their functions are achieved as stated in the Charter of the project (Ward, 2006). He will also be in charge of ensuring that accountability is maintained when it comes to managing the resources for the project. The Quality Manager and the Technical Lead Will ensure that both the proposed product and that the qualities of the process for the project are maintained. Will manage every days activities for the project and that there is a good liaison with the projects technical management. Will ensure that the technical disciples regarding the project are maintained. Will partner with the IT department to ensure that adequate technical assistance is accorded to the project handlers. Will be in charge of advising on the insight regarding the health of the project. Will be available to offer leadership assistance to the technical staff throughout the life cycle of the project. Will provide necessary assistance to the Senior Project Director in establishing the best technical policies, procedures, and processes for the project. Implementation and test lead Will be in-charge of: Managing the implementation phase of the project. Providing leadership when it comes to implementation management by forming, synchronizing, scheduling, and closely overseeing the activities during the implementation phase. Directing the testing process of the newly created structure. Will work with the state and the federal departments to ensure that the test is carried out as provided for by the law. Operation Lead Will be in charge of: Coordinating and supervising how the new system works The particular data collected by the company The information systems that is currently being used by the company: Operational Systems and Databases Below are some of the operating systems and Databases that the organization has been using to help with its day to day activities. Operating System They include: Microsoft.NET 2.0 Framework ASP.NET 2.0 master pages, the gratified pages, and Web Parts. Windows Workflow Foundation. Databases Business Request Data Site custom data InfoPath Forms Services Analytics and Interfaces The most used analytic interface being used by the organization is the graphic interface. Infrastructure and Security To ensure the security of the collected data, the firm has resolved to the use of the combination of both the technologies of the cloud computing and Software-as-as-a-Service (SaaS). Therefore, when the organization thoroughly implements the above-outlined structure, then the structures it will have initiated in place will be able to assist with holding the demand for the expansion that the business requires. References Aalst, W., Joseph, M., Mylopoulos, J., Sadeh, N. M., Shaw, M. J., Szyperski, C., Gotel, O., Meyer-Stabley, B. (2009). Software Engineering Approaches for Offshore and Outsourced Development: Third International Conference, SEAFOOD 2009, Zurich, Switzerland, July 2-3, 2009. Proceedings. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Ward, P., Dafoulas, G. (2006). Database management systems. London: Thomson. Warranty Data Collection and Analysis. (2011). London: Springer-Verlag London Limited. Information Systems Capstone Information Systems Capstone Richard Lecator The organization is proud to be able to review and enter into a partnership with its customers in the goal of overhauling the company visibility. This visibility will be done in hopes to increase brand awareness while increasing the residential customer base and the industrial IT services. Through the improved visual appearance of the company assets the brand will become known for its appearance and with the known presence will make changes within the organization. The graphics will provide information in regards to the company as well as local contacts and the company website. With that, the organization will strive to increase its quality of field service as well as improve the quality of the customer service through face to face interactions as well as online and telephone interactions. To ensure maximum satisfaction of the organizations customers, the following Project Implementation plan has been drafted to assist with ensuring that the project is smoothly and comprehensively carried out. The refurnishing process of the organizations IT department is a huge project that the organization would like to capitalize on greatly. The IT Plan The IT department holds a vital role in the process of realization of the project. The organization understands this with a very strong implication. This is why the firm has taken necessary steps to ensure that the IT plan developed has a close association with its Business Plan. This Organizations IT plan will help in achieving the successes of the project by making sure that the best IT personnel that bear recommended qualifications are brought on board. If put to use according to plan, the plan will prove to be a great tool in assisting with controlling the activities of the IT department throughout the whole process. Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members of the Project The list provided below outlines the duties and the obligations of the Organizations project team. The Senior Project Director In charge of planning directing and overseeing the project, and making that the project deliverables and its functionality are realized. Ensures that there is maintenance of accountability when it comes to managing all of the resources being used in the project. Acts an intermediary with between the project and its sponsors. The Quality Manager In charge of managing the quality of the product and the process involved in the project. Ensures that the traceability matrix of the requirements is maintained. In charge of providing insight into the health of the project. The Roles and the duties of: The Technical Lead have been clearly outlined. The Implementation Lead. The Application Support Lead. The Test Lead have been properly and thoroughly outlined. The Configuration Lead and, The Operations Lead have all been clearly outlined in the Human Resource Plan. Project Organizational Charts The graphic structure below, derived from DMOZ Regional: North America: United States: Tennessee: Guides and Directories. (2016), is a representation of the reporting hierarchy for the project. The chart below, shows the existing association of the tasks for the project and the members of the team. All of the changes that are proposed to the responsibilities of the project must receive a direct approval from the Office of the Project Manager. Proposal of change will only occur with a basis to the control process of change for the project. When the change is made, all of the documents for the project will be updated and then redeployed by the procedures. Roles Infrastructure Preparation Requirements Gathering Design Configuration Development Implementation Software Testing Conduct Training Senior Project Director A A R R C C Quality Manager A R C C Technical Lead A R Implementation Lead I A R C I Application Support Lead A C R I Test Lead A C R C C Configuration Lead R A R C Operation Lead C Key: R Responsible for completing the work A Accountable for ensuring task completion/sign off C Consulted before any decisions are made I Informed of when an action/decision has been made Gantt Chart Staffing Management Plan       The Staffing Management Plan helps with the formalization of the processes that are used in managing the project. This plan positions itself with the available processes like refurbishment, cultural and people policies, the policies for the supply chain, and the collective agreements that have been continuously applied by organization for its staffing. During the resources planning, there is significance in considering the resources that are commonly used in the project and the ones from the external environment. The Staffing Management Plan will aim to provide a solution to the required resources to offer support to the program through the life cycle of the project. However, it is of significance to note that the details contained in the plan will only be for the foreseeable future and will be updated with a continuation of realization of the process. When it comes to the staffing of the project and the resources, the requirements will vary with time as the project progresses. This document will be subjected to continuous updates as deemed necessary for the phases that are to come. Finally, purchased services contracts from the external that includes Amplified Staff, particular, and accomplished task contracts will help greatly in bringing in new staff in the course of realizing the project (Project Management Institute, 2004). When it comes to the management of the organization, the focus has been solemnly put on ensuring that the goals of the process are achieved so that the mission and vision of the organization are achieved.   The quality program is inclusive of the team members who have basic duties of making the processes, ensuring that their effectiveness, and overseeing the actions that will make an improvement in the manner in which the organization manages quality during  and after the project. References    Project Management Institute. (2004). A guide to the project management body of  knowledge (PMBOK guide). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. DMOZ Regional: North America: United States: Tennessee: Guides and Directories. (2016).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Wilsons Disease :: essays research papers

Wilson’s Disease   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilson’s Disease, scientifically known as Hepatolendicular Degeneration, is an inherited dissorder in wich excessive amounts of copper accumalate in the body. Although Wilson’s Disease begins at birth, symtoms ussually occur between the ages of 6 and 40. Symptoms can be serious such as liver disease, or minor such as drooling and trembling. This paper will explain the following about Wilson’s Disease: the symptoms and consequences, treatment and diagnosis, and how it is inheritted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As mentioned before the symptoms can be very serious or minor. Liver disease, the most dangerous symptom occurs in about 40% of patients. While nearly all patients show minor symptoms of nuerogical and psychiatric such as treemor, rigidity, drooling, speech slurs, personality changes, inappropriate behavior, detterioration of school work, and a brownish ring in the margin of the cornea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilson’s disease is easily diagnosed, but must be done very early. Both urine and blood tests are taken from the possible patient, along with liver biospies, to examine the possibly contaminated organ. Treatment involves removing the excess copper found in the body, and preventing reaccumalation of copper. Lifelong therapy is needed to keep copper out of the body. Zinc acetate is the newest drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of Wilson’s Disease. Other drugs used for treatment and prevention are penacillamine and trietine. In severe cases liver transplants are needed for patients. Treatment is extremely important in Wilson’s Disease. Stopping treatment can result in death of a patient in as little as three months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilson’s disease is an inherited disease from both parents. It is not sex linked, occuring equally in both males and females. In order for the disease to occur, both parents must carry and affected gene, which then passes on to the affected child. In the end, the child must have two affected genes. If the child only carries one affected gene, heshe is known as a carrier (they can pass on the disease), and will not be ill. The disease affects chromosome 13 in humans, and is known as ATP7B. Wilson’s Disease genes are affected by spontaneous mutations done to them. Thirty different mutations were so far found among tested patients. The disease is known to be passed on from generation to generation in several cases, yet

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Essay examples -- Renoir Painter Biography Bio E

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in 1841 to Marguerite Merlet and Là ©onard Renoir. In 1844 his family moved to Paris and by 1854, at the young age of thirteen, began painting flowers on porcelain cups and saucers. Through his parents, he began as a painter for the porcelain industry; his parents felt this was the perfect start for the beginnings of an artist. He came from the town of Limoges, where porcelain became almost a symbol of status and wealth. By 1860 he had left the porcelain factory in favor of becoming a full time painter; he was granted permission to copy paintings in the Lourve where he began to admire the eighteenth century masters. In 1862 he entered the studio of Marc-Gabriel-Charles Gleyre, a Swiss teacher who offered instruction to many upcoming artists, where he met such influences as Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley. Along with this, he began attending the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Through this he finally developed his unique brush stroke and style that was to be his own. From there, he became part of the Impressionist Era, which gave birth to a splendid era of painting which changed art forever. This new movement began in France which was what became the cultural center of Europe, and later the world. France was an inviting place for an artist in the nineteenth century. A nation which clearly â€Å"offered the necessary conditions for an art form to flourish that was domestic scale, devoted to sensual pleasure and addressed to the private collector.† This all came about during a time when France was establishing itself as one of the cultural centers of the world. This was a peaceful era, that saw a discernible increase in industrial productivity leading to greater middle-class prosperity and freedom. Through all this, increased activity in the art world began to develop. Through a boom in collecting and dealing art, artwork became a commodity that embodied the most positive and realizable value. These factors, together with many more, helped pave the way for the â€Å"impressionist† movement that we so fondly admire today. The idiom â€Å"impressionism† was originally suggested by a critic reviewing Monet’s Impression, Sunrise (1872), who blasted the painting â€Å"as a prime example of the slapdash appearance of the canvases on view at the first Impressionist exhibition.† This radical movement, born in Paris and parts of northern... ...e match. Renoir himself said, â€Å"Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bibliography Arts Council of Great Britain, , et al. Renoir : Hayward Gallery, London, 30 January-21 April 1985, Galeries nationales du Grand palais, Paris, 14 May-2 September 1985, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 9 October 1985-5 January 1986.. London: Art Council of Great Britain, 1985. Dumas, Ann, and Monique Noone. Impressionism: Paintings Collected by European Museums. London, England: Phaidon P Limited, 1982. Gaunt, William. Renoir. London, England: Phaidon P Limited, 1982. Gimpel, Renà ©. Journal d'un collectionneur (Diary of an Art Dealer). Paris: Marchandde Tableaux, 1963. 27. Jaukovic, Milan. Auguste Renoir paintings gallery. 1997. Alvilim. 19 Apr. 2004. Kane, D. Renoir. 1999. St. Brigid's College. 1 May 2004. Pioch, Nicolas. WebMuseum: Renoir, Pierre-Auguste. 16 July 2002. WebMuseum, Paris. 19 Apr. 2004. Thomson, Belinda. Impressionism: Origins, Practice, Recption. London, England: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2000. WetCanvas: Virtual Museum: Individual Artist Gallery: Pierre Auguste Renoir: Painting Gallery. 1998. WebCanvas!. 29 Apr. 2004.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Non-Proliferation Treaty: Its Establishment, Issues

The Non-Proliferation Treaty: Its establishment, Issues, and Current Status On March 21, 1963, President John Kennedy warned in a press conference, â€Å"I see the possibility in the 1970s of the president of the United States having to face a world in which 15 or 20 or 25 nations may have nuclear weapons. I regard that as the greatest possible danger and hazard. † Kennedy made this statement a month after a secret Department of Defense memorandum assessed that eight countries: Canada, China, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and West Germany would likely have the ability to produce nuclear weapons within the next 10 years after 1963.It was further assessed that beyond those 10 years, the future costs of nuclear weapons programs would decrease and provide way for several more states to pursue nuclear weapons, especially if unrestricted testing continued. Fear of the spread of nuclear weapons to vast nation states and superpowers including their military and ideological alli es is what urged the creation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Signed on July 1, 1968 and actually implemented on March 5, 1970, the NPT is a result of a compilation of efforts at enforcing international non-proliferation.With President Dwight D. Eisenhower calling for a new international agency to share nuclear materials and information for peaceful purposes with other countries in his â€Å"Atoms for Peace† address to the UN General Assembly on December 1953, the way was made for the Non-Proliferation Treaty to come into existence when the UN established The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on July 29, 1957 as result of negotiations sparked from Eisenhower’s proposal.President Dwight Eisenhower proposed to the UN General Assembly the negotiation of a treaty that would seek to control nuclear activities around the world and prevent, if possible, the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries. However, President Eisenhower’s speech to the U N General Assembly came after the failure of earlier U. S. nonproliferation efforts. When the United States stood as the only true nuclear power in the world at the end of World War II, President Harry Truman proposed to destroy the U. S. uclear arsenal if other countries would agree not to acquire nuclear weapons and would permit inspections to verify that agreement. This proposal was presented as the Baruch Plan in 1946 and implied that the United States turn over control of all its enriched uranium, including that in any nuclear weapons it had, to a new UN body over which the United States and the other permanent members of the Security Council would have a veto. In addition to already seeking its own nuclear weapons, the Soviets rejected this plan on the grounds that the United Nations was dominated by the United States and its allies in Western Europe.Therefore, the Soviets argued it could not be trusted to exercise authority over atomic weaponry in a fair manner. They proposed that America eliminate its nuclear weapons before considering proposals for a system of controls and inspections. On the other hand, the United States, would not surrender its weapons to the agency until inspectors were on duty in the Soviet Union and in other countries with nuclear potential (Bellany 1985). With the Baruch Plan not going as planned, the U. S.Congress enacted the 1946 Atomic Energy Act which encompassed provisions designed to keep nuclear technology secret from other countries but then was amended to authorize nuclear assistance to others alike the IAEA which was created to provide both assistance and inspectors for peaceful nuclear activities after Eisenhower proposed providing assistance to other countries in the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The United States, followed by the Soviet Union, France, and others began providing research reactors that used weapons-usable highly enriched uranium to non-nuclear-weapon states around the world.These transfers and the t raining that accompanied the reactors helped scientists in many countries learn about nuclear fission and its potential uses other than in good measure. As these scientists became more versed in the uses of nuclear energy through the resources being provided to them, global support increased for controlling the spread of the new technology in order to prevent its use for weapons. This led to Ireland proposing the first resolution at the United Nations on October 17, 1958 to prohibit the further dissemination of nuclear weapons.On March 21, 1963, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved Resolution 1665, based on the earlier Irish draft resolution, reads that countries already having nuclear weapons would undertake to refrain from relinquishing control of them to others and would refrain from transmitting information for their manufacture to states not possessing them. In addition, countries without nuclear weapons would agree not to receive or manufacture them. These ideas formed the basis of the NPT (Bunn 2008).The United States then took another step toward non-proliferation and submitted a simple draft treaty of the NPT based on the resolution to the Soviet Union when a new eighteen nation Disarmament Conference opened in Geneva in 1962. Adversely, the Soviet response insisted that the treaty prohibit the arrangements between the United States and NATO allies such as West Germany for deployment in their countries of U. S. nuclear weapons under the control of U. S. soldiers.The stated purposes of these weapons were to protect these countries if ever in the event of an attack on them by the Soviet Union and its allies. The U. S. also proposed for implementation of a multilateral force in which would be a fleet of submarines and warships each manned by international NATO crews and armed with multiple nuclear armed Polaris ballistic missiles. The proposal was inspired by the complaints of NATO countries which voiced that the nuclear defense of Europe was beh olden to the Americans, who held the bulk of nuclear capability.Instead of an array of different independent forces ultimately acting under their own domestic banners on the waters, the result would be a fleet of warships manned and operated by general NATO command in broader cooperative efforts but the Soviets opposed to this. Later, a compromise was reached where US eventually gave up on efforts toward the multilateral force and the Soviets gave up on a prohibition against U. S. deployment of nuclear weapons in West Germany and other allied countries under the condition the provided weapons remained under sole control of U.S. personnel (Bellany 1985). On June 12, 1968 The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2373 which endorsed the draft text of the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. The vote was 95 to 4 with 21 abstentions. The four no votes were Albania, Cuba, Tanzania, and Zambia. The treaty was signed by the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States. Article IX of t he treaty established that entry into force would require the treaty’s ratification by those three countries and 40 additional states.It was by this time, five nations had developed a nuclear weapons capability: the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China. On February 13, 1960, France conducted its first nuclear test explosion, establishing it as the the world’s fourth nuclear armed state after the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Then China conducted its first nuclear test explosion on October 16, 1964 placing it as the world’s fifth nuclear armed state and leading to the acceleration of India’s nuclear program ( Bunn 2008).China and France were recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the treaty but did not sign it. China argued the treaty was discriminatory and simply refused to adhere to it. On the other hand, France implied that it would not sign the treaty but would behave in the future in this field exac tly as the states adhering to the Treaty. The treaty distinguishes between obligations of two parties such as nuclear-weapon states who are defined as those states parties which exploded a nuclear device prior to January 1, 1967 and non-nuclear weapon states which are all other states.The treaty called prohibition on non-nuclear-weapon states from having nuclear weapons and called for the IAEA to be permitted to carry out inspections to guarantee that their nuclear programs were limited to peaceful uses. In particular, the resolution asked the countries possessing nuclear weapons to refrain from relinquishing control of nuclear weapons and from transmitting information necessary for their manufacture to nations not possessing nuclear weapons.Second, it recommended that states not possessing nuclear weapons, â€Å"undertake not to manufacture or otherwise acquire control of such weapons. † In addition, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States agreed to provi de assistance to non-nuclear weapon NPT members in their pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and agreed to conduct future negotiations to halt the nuclear arms buildup and reduce their nuclear weapons with a goal of achieving nuclear disarmament.Negotiations then raised aiming efforts towards gaining acceptance of these provisions by important non-nuclear weapon governments and their parliaments along for the allowance of the inspections that would be conducted by the IAEA in accordance to the NPT. India was one of these non-nuclear weapon governments of interest but despite much active participation in the NPT negotiation, it refused to join because it wanted to retain the option to produce its own nuclear weapon as its adversary then, China had. Also, Pakistan which was another adversary of India refused to join because India would not.Israel, which the United States had tried to restrain from acquiring nuclear weapons in separate negotiations during the 1960s, also refused to join. China and France didn’t participate much in the NPT negotiations but had acquired nuclear weapons before its negotiation was completed. The NPT draft permitted them to join the treaty with the same rights and duties as the other nuclear-weapon states when they eventually did accede to the treaty in 1992 (Bunn 2008). The practice of inspections for non-nuclear weapon parties weighed as a major concern in the egotiations at the IAEA for several years and many countries including West European allies of the United States did not ratify the treaty until these negotiations were completed to their satisfaction. Till this day, this concern is still a pressing matter at hand. In its establishment, Article X of the NPT called for a conference of its parties to be held 25 years after the treaty’s entry into force in 1970 to determine whether the treaty would remain in force indefinitely or for other additional periods of time.This conference was held on May 11, 1995 an d began with much uncertainty regarding the nature of any extension. Leading up to this, parties of the treaty enacted review conferences every five years to revise the treaty according to the current state of nuclear arms at the time. During the 1995 review conference, non-nuclear weapon states expressed disappointment with the lack of progress toward nuclear disarmament and feared that extending the treaty indefinitely would enable the nuclear-armed states to hold on to their nuclear arsenals and disregard any accountability in eliminating them.In a different light, Indonesia and South Africa proposed efforts to tying the treaty’s indefinite extension to a decision to strengthen the treaty review process such as establishing of a set of principles and objectives on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament to hold NPT states-parties, particularly the nuclear-weapon states, accountable to their commitments.Indonesia and South Africa’s proposal included completion of th e Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty of 1996 which banned all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes along with negotiations on the cutoff of fissile material production for weapons purposes. The conference also adopted a resolution calling for establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East with the goal to win support for the indefinite NPT extension from Arab states which objected to Israel’s status outside the NPT and its assumed possession of nuclear weapons.During the 1955 revision conference of the NPT, the decision was made to extend the NPT indefinitely and with its last revision conference held in 2010, is still on its mission to global non-proliferation (Gunter 2010). The NPT consists of a preamble and eleven articles and is interpreted as a three part pillar system as non-proliferation being the first, disarmament the second, and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology as the third. Currently there are 189 countries as state parties under rovisions of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The major issues that the Treaty of Nuclear Non Proliferation is facing are loopholes in NPT withdrawal, non-compliance with state parties, particularly Iran, and in a safeguard system. Also, the future utility of the treaty will be dominated by its ability to attract the major non-parties into membership. Another flaw in the Treaty is that if diversion of fissile material is discovered, then no mechanism for sanctions exists other than taking the issue to the UN Security Council.The treaty is silent on how to deal with a situation where a non-nuclear weapon state acquires unsafeguarded weapon material for reasons not permitted under the Treaty (Kaplan 2005). Israel regarded NPT adherence and the IAEA safeguards system as an insufficient guarantee that Iraq would not use nuclear technology it was acquiring to make nuclear weapons and proceed to destroy that technology. This discouraged other Arab states from becoming NPT parties, as this appeared to offer no protection against unilateral Israeli action.With the notion that one state such as Israel could claim the NPT technically meaningless and allowed to act on that belief without sanction, the credibility of the Treaty in the eyes of many non-nuclear weapon states became undermined and brought up for much speculation. The NPT itself is silent on how to assess compliance, how to resolve compliance disputes, and what procedures to follow in the event of non-compliance. Specifically, there is no verification of the obligations in Articles I and II not to transfer or receive nuclear weapons.The treaty contains no language on verification other than to require states to accept nuclear safeguards in Article III. One precedent for handling non-compliance was in the case of North Korea. North Korea announced it would withdraw from the NPT on March 12, 1993 but suspended its withdrawal in June. Ten years later on February 12, 2003, the Board of Governors declared North Korea in non-compliance with its nuclear safeguards obligations, and referred the matter to the Security Council. The Board called upon North Korea to acknowledge its non-compliance, and fully cooperate with the Agency.North Korea stated it would withdraw from the NPT on January 11, 2003, and its official status is still uncertain. The legality of North Korea's withdrawal is debatable but as of 9 October 2006, North Korea clearly possesses the capability to make a nuclear explosive device. However, other states complain of U. S. noncompliance because the United States continues to conduct research and development new types of nuclear weapons and still has yet to accept much deeper reductions in its nuclear forces.Several additional measures have been adopted to strengthen the NPT with attempts to broader the nuclear nonproliferation regime and make it difficult for states to acquire the capability to produce nuclear weapons, including the export controls of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the enhanced verification measures of the IAEA Additional Protocol. However, critics argue that the NPT cannot stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons or the motivation to acquire them.They express disappointment with the limited progress on nuclear disarmament, where the five authorized nuclear weapons states still have 22,000 warheads in their combined stockpile and have shown a reluctance to disarm further. Several high-ranking officials within the United Nations have said that they can do little to stop states using nuclear reactors to produce nuclear weapons (Kaplan 2005). An issue that will require new and better strategic thinking is how best to proceed with efforts to make the Middle East a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) – free zone.This was a controversial issue on the table during the most recent 2010 NPT Review Conference. The final document produced from the conference addressing the matter calls on all state s in the region to participate in a conference in 2012 based on the terms of the 1995 resolution. The United States announced after the conference that it, Russia, and the United Kingdom, along with the UN secretary-general, will co-sponsor the meeting, determine a country to host it, and identify a person to organize it.The issue with this is that Egypt and other states may want to use a conference in part to criticize Israel’s nuclear weapons program. Also, the language of the document calls on all states in the Middle East to participate which includes a number of states that do not recognize Israel and in the past have not been willing to sit with Israeli officials in formal settings. To name a few, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria are some of these states. Therefore, such a conference would pose challenges to Israel. Iran and major Arab states would all have to reach the same satisfying terms and recognize Israeli de facto.If the conference is viewed strategically and handled carefully, it could advance the cause of peace and security in the region. In summation, President Barack Obama in Prague called for the â€Å"peace and security of a world free of nuclear weapons† on April 2, 2009. A Year later on April 8, 2010, President Obama returned to Prague a year later with President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia to sign a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that committed both countries to reduce their deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems in accordance with agreed principles of verification.President Obama also convened a special session of the UN Security Council on September 24, 2009, which adopted Resolution 1887, which focuses on nuclear security and nonproliferation and seeking ways to enhance its means. Though the NPT has its weaknesses, it still has managed to link many countries together and has dodged the predicted amount â€Å"15 or 20 or 25 nations may have nuclear weapons† that President Kennedy warned i n his press conference in 1963.Today, we have nine counting North Korea but not Iran outside of the treaty. As we progress down the road to expanding non-proliferation, it is important for policy makers to keep in mind that for most states the demand for nuclear weapons is likely to derive from security considerations, and security consideration under conditions of uncertainty, especially if the states have lacking faith in the Treaty’s ability to make effective use of the safeguard system as we approach the 2015 NPT Review Conference.