Rooms Division Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Rooms Division - Assignment Example This research focuses on room division operations with reference to Nadler Soho, which is a strategically located hotel off Oxford Street. The Tottenham Court Tube Station is situated 400 meters from the hotel while the British Museum is less than 1 kilometre away. In the neighbourhood are several bars and restaurants. The Nadler Soho offers state of the art accommodation facilities comprising well-designed rooms installed with Wi-Fi for guests, global digital newspapers and an LED television set. The rooms comprise modern shower rooms and a hair drier to ensure maximal convenience. Guests are also provided with a small food cupboard and a laptop computer safe. There are a set of legislation in the UK that directly influence the room operations for hotels in the UK. The law of civil rights requires that disabled people be treated equally as other guests. Access to rooms must be provided equally and ramps must be built for use by people with disabilities. Toilets should also be disability friendly among other aspects of the room division. The equality act is against discrimination of any kind including disability, gender, marital status, race, religion and sexual orientation among other social aspects that are predisposed to discrimination (Clark & Chen, 2007). The fire safety regulations of 1988 require room division to guarantee safety for guests and employees. Fire exits must be clearly marked and adequate information provided to the guest in case of a fire outbreak. All such exists are required to open outwards to maximize efficiency of exit in case of fire. Fire fighting equipment need to be installed and marked clearly. Fire retardant furniture and fittings are a statutory requirement. Fire drills are required regularly to assess the effectiveness of response to fire accidents. Guests should not be exposed to health hazards such as electrocution, falling debris and falls among other health hazards. Gas Safety

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Leadership - Essay Example Reluctant leaders are normally endowed with leadership skills and with proper training and mentorship, reluctant leaders turn out to be very strong and competent leaders; as the author of this article states, reluctant leaders have skills to be excellent managers but can’t imagine themselves succeeding in a leadership role. Arrogant leaders refer to the category of people who, though they have insecurities just like the reluctant leaders, they however believe that they are strong and competent leaders. The arrogant leaders compensate for their insecurities through convincing themvelves that they are competent leaders; unlike the reluctant leaders who manifest low self-esteem, the arrogant leaders manifest strong self-confidence and self-conviction in their capabilities as leaders. The arrogant leaders are normally ambitious self-marketers; for this reason, arrogant leaders are mainly promoted to positions of leadership by many organisations, unlike the reluctant leaders who do not showcase their leadership skills. Unlike the reluctant leaders, the arrogant leaders lack natural leadership skills and for this reason, arrogant leaders can wreak havoc in the groups or the teams that they are leading. This is because arrogant leaders are not humble and they believe that they know all they need to know in le adership and in relating with the people they lead. For this reason, transforming arrogant leaders into competent leaders is a challenging task that requires the arrogant leaders to be helped to recognize their own weaknesses and limitations, so that they can be humble enough to learn more about leadership so as to be able to relate better with the people they lead. Unknown leaders refer to a category of leaders who are quite competent leaders and they are also ambitious, but they have a weakness in forming relationships with other people; unknown leaders are cautious and they form relationships with other people more slowly and tentatively than other

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) in Bank Study

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) in Bank Study The importance of human resource management cannot be undervalued in todays intensely competitive global market place. The reason for this is that there is a very small margin for error from becoming a market leader to becoming a market joke. A lot of emphasizes is now put on good human resource management, as it is the difference between employing a qualified work force and hiring inept workers. Human resource management nowadays is not just about employing people or drafting work policies; it is also about being able to rapidly respond to customers needs and competitors moves. In Abbey Nation Bank human resources is viewed as a source of having a competitive advantage in this competitive market situation. What this means is that human resources is now playing a more vital role than ever in the organizational hierarchy of a company. This is because a carefully implemented human resource policy can obtain a high quality workforce More and more these days the importance of strategic human resource management is coming to the forefront of many businesses. Here the word strategic means keeping in view the long term results or the so called bigger picture. Strategic human resource management focuses is human resource programs that can lead Abbey National Bank to long term on right track In strategic human resource management, an HR manager becomes a very important player in the company, the reason for this being that rather than acting as passive administrators, they play a more proactive role in policy formulation. The HR manager thus becomes a resource manager as he or she will utilize the full potential of their human resources From the above we can thus see that strategic human resource management is now coming to play a very important role in todays business world. Strategic human resource management is all about strategically managing a business. For Abbey National Bank human resources management is important for improve employees skills and competent advantage. (Smallbusinessbible 2008) Assess the impact of strategic human resource management activities in AbbeyNational The impact of strategic human resource management activities in Abbey National Bank as follows: High Skills Employees As impact of SHRM activities in Abbey National Bank is to improve employees skills and provide best customers services to its customers on improve employees learning about their tasks which can helpful for them. Best services to customers. Customers are a base for any organization and we cannot forget this factor. With SHRM we can provide best services to customers and can get feedback from customers that how we serve you. New innovative and reliable organization performance Innovation and reliable performance of Abbey National Bank can possible by using SHRM theories apply on employees and provide best training to employees and give them reward in bounce and other packages to employees. Revise employees performance according to organizational goals. With the help of SHRM, we can measure performance of employees on the basis of settle goals which are settle to achieve these goals and provide best information structure which can improve communication among employees. Provide new skills to employees to get competent advantage over competitors. By using SHRM practices, employees of Abbey National Bank can improve professional skills and provide new ideas that can get competitive advantage over other banks in the market. Evaluate the contribution of Strategic Human  Resource Management to the achievement of Santanders objectives at Abbey National Bank Improve business performance Contribution of SHRM is in Abbey National Bank for the objectives of Santander Bank is first to improve business performance on the basis of mission statement and provide right people for right job in all departments. Develop organizational culture To achieve Santanders objective there should be improve cultural environment of Abbey National Bank so that it can helpful to employees and provide right information with communication channels. Competitive advantage As competitive advantage, there should be hire such people who are more skilful and professional basis are strong and that can participate to achieve objectives of Santander Bank. (2011 EzineArticles.com) Analyse the business factors that underpin the new human resource planning in  Abbey National Government policies: UK Government policies are changing policies for banking industry due to current economic conditions in the world. There should be develop new policies for employees and develop their skills according to requirements of bank.   Because Government has cut HSMP immigration system and no more high skilled people can enter in UK due to current recession and pressure of population.   Business Competition As business competition, Abbey National Bank should be hire such people which are more educational and high skills who can achieve requirements of jobs. There should be made a strategy to develop employees skills according to   Location of operation In UK, in some areas are not more business type, for example in towns there are not more business activities and while in these are there should be opened new branches for customers and provide best services to public. Assess the human resource requirements for next two years In the next two years Human Resource requirements will be as well: Identifying personnel requirements (numbers, skill sets, experience, qualifications) Match personnel to organisational requirements; Internal factors: Employees development For Abbey National Bank, in next two years Human Resource requirements are basis market situation and compete competitors.   While employees development is very important so that we can get competence advantage over competitors. For example, Barclays, HSBC, Nationwide and other banks in UK are use different policies for development of employees. Skill requirements: On the basis of skills for the next two years HR requirements, provide high skills employees to organization and develop different approaches so that employees can achieve objectives of Abbey National Bank. External factors: Government policies: UK Government policies are changing with the passage of time and during for next two years there should be hire highly skilled people who can contribute for success of Abbey National Bank. Education For the HR requirements, there will be need to provide short term and long term courses to employees from different top ranking institutions of UK. So that, employees personal skills and professional development can achieve and there will be more chances of competency advantage over competitors in future.   Training: Training of employees is a base to provide better performance and achieve determine objectives.   In Abbey National Bank, there should be made more plans for employees training and for best results provide different methods for example customer care and customer feedback approaches also helpful for Abbey National Bank. Process of developing a human resources plan for Abbey National First, we should understand demands of HR department and then we can determine a plan for   Abbey National Bank.   In current market situation and economic recession there should be hire high skills people who can understand and can drive Abbey National Bank in right direction and to achieve determine goals by HR policies and practices.   New employees should be hire only in this condition that there will be need more staff and there is no more chances to promote current employees means current employees cannot match job criteria. While there should be also provide best training to current employees and match their performance with determine standard which is defined in objectives of   Abbey National Bank. (2000-2010, 2011 Buzzle.com) Present a critical evaluation on how the human resources plan can contribute to meeting an Abbey Nationals objectives HR contribution to meeting can provide as follows: Employees performance: Human Resource plan can contribute to Abbey Nationals objectives by improve employees performance and evaluate on different scales. Customers feedback: Provide best products and services to customers and consider them as basic and focus on customers satisfaction. Then take feed back from customers and comments of customers about products and services. New ideas for workforce development By using Human Resources plan, Abbey National Bank can drive its employees in right direction and can get its objectives which are determined in mission statement. Explain the purpose of Human Resource Management Policies in organisations Human resource management is playing vital role in Abbey National Bank.   Its purpose not only select people for right job but utilize their competency and develop skills which can compete to other competitors in banking industry.   The skills that are necessary to meet the organizational goals are developed in employees. This point is considered during the planning phase and included in the policies devised for meeting goals. Nowadays, the human resource department does much more than just recruiting employees for the company. Using the human resource effectively in order to give bank a competitive advantage and completing the set targets, are some of the priorities. The mission statements reflect the strategies, goals and the overall approach of companies. The values inherited and the policies redefined   by firms are based on the mission statements; which are the driving force thatmotivatethe employees to move ahead. (2000-2010,2011 Buzzle.com) Analyse the impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in an organisation The effects and impacts of laws and regulations on the plans of businesses cannot be overemphasized as the above indicate. Recent insurance scandal in Britains oldest insurance company, Equitable, nearly caused its demise.   Equitables crisis is alleged to have started as a result of loopholes in regulation governing British insurance industry when it emerged that it did not have sufficient funds to honour guaranteed annuity policies to a large group of policyholders. The immediate impact on the Equitable insurance was that a court ruled that it closes all new businesses meaning a fall in services leading to huge debts and also lost of trust and market position to the insurance community and public as a whole which will inevitably force the mutual company to change its business plans and operations.   In the UK, the recent spate of financial scandals leading to loss of pensions for retired workers has prompted the government to put forward a bill in parliament to avoid future los s of pension funds to retired workers. Analyse the impact of organisational structure Organizational structure refers to the way people are organized Culture The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a workplace are itsculture. The culture and structure of an organization affect one another. A structure appropriate to the organization helps to develop a healthy culture. Communication In companies with rigid structures, communication tends to follow reporting lines. In companies with flatter structures, communication may occur more easily across departments. Job Satisfaction Studies have found arelationshipbetween job satisfaction and organizational structure. Organizations with flatter structures may foster more feelings of self-actualization and create less anxiety in employees. Customer Relations Relationshipswith customers may suffer if departmental relationships cause the customer difficulty in getting problems addressed. Multi-functional teams that can answer a customers questions and resolve issues have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. Projects Organizational structure impacts the success of a companys projects. If project personnel also perform routine operational work, it may be difficult for them to focus on projects and meet schedules. If the flow of information across departments is difficult, it may affect ability to share resources effectively. Analyse the impact of organisational culture Analyzing organizational culture can occur on many different levels. On the theoretical level, one of the foremost individuals on the study and analyzing organizational culture is Dutch sociologist and writer Geert Hofstede. Hofstedes studies of how corporations and companies function most effectively is compared to how a good company had many comparisons to a successfully run nation, and how the culture of a people had an effect on organizational culture, and vice-versa. When a company is not running to its full potential, there are various reasons that a culture may not be working. The CEO may want to chart an aggressive course looking to be willing to take chances and to exploit every little opportunity, while the mid level managers might be prone to avoiding uncertaintyand thus play it way too safe. The organizational culture can be one of the most important factors in whether a large corporation succeeds or fails, but it is also one of the hardest things to change about a company since by its very definition organizational culture is shared throughout the entire company. This is why success tends to breed success while a sinking company is so hard to turn around, even if huge changes are made at the top. On a practical level, especially with a quick turnaround or shift in culture as the eventual goal, there are a few things to keep in mind. One is feedback. Setting up a system of quick feedback means someone at the top can get a quick, if not instant, response to a program or situation. Sometimes if a bad situation, such as a CEO who tended to over micro-manage, gets removed, then that simple action can provide an instant feedback, or in that case an instant response to the removal of bad influence. A good leader will be able to ride this early momentum to at least set the base of a new style of organizational culture. When analyzing organizational culture, you also want to figure out what types of managers and workers you have on every level, and: a) what type of organizational culture can maximize their abilities for the larger good of the company, or b) if the workers and supervisors already in place simply do not have the ability to shift to the organizational culture that is best. Analysing both strengths and weaknesses can help determine where a company is, and what direction it can most effectively head towards. A company with a very strong culture wants to make sure it doesnt go so far that no new ideas are let into the conversation. This would kill innovation. Likewise, in a company with a weak culture, if bureaucracy is a problem, while eliminating the unnecessary layers, your company still has to function. Analysing organizational culture can be difficult, but it is a process that is well worth undertaking. Examine how the effectiveness of human resources management could be monitored in Abbey National Bank An important aspect of Abbey National Banks focus and direction towards achieving high levels of competency and competitiveness would depend very much upon their human resource management practices to contribute effectively towards profitability, quality, and other goals in line with the mission and vision of the bank Staffing, training, compensation and performance management are basically important tools in the human resources practices that shape the organizations role in satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. Stakeholders of an organization comprise mainly of stockholders who will want to reap on their investments, customers whose wants and desires for high quality products or services are met, employees who want their jobs in the organization to be interesting with reasonable compensation and reward system and lastly, the community who would want the company to contribute and participate in activities and projects relating to the environmental issues. A comprehensive Human Resource Strategy plays a vital role in the achievement of Abbey National Banks overall strategic objectives and visibly illustrates that the human resources function fully understands and supports the direction in which the organisation is moving. A comprehensive HR Strategy will also support other specific strategic objectives undertaken by the marketing, financial, operational and technology departments. Right people in right place There should be select right people for right job while there should be select talented people to achieve objectives of bank. Right mix of skills: In Abbey National Bank employees skills should also be evaluate according to achieve competency advantage in market. Employees are developed in the right way: For the development and rise up performance of employees there should also be use different tools and training programmes so that employees can compete and doing their jobs according jobs descriptions. (2011 EzineArticles) (10.4.4) Make justified Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources Management Work of Human resource management is not end on reqruite people and pay them and discharge rather than which people are working in Abbey National Bank they should be utilised them according to objectives of organization. While there should also get competence advantage over competitors in market by provide best customer focus strategy. Employee attitude surveys: For the effectiveness of human resources management in Abbey National Bank there should be surveys about employee that they are satisfied about their jobs and they are working according Abbey National Bank objectives. Benchmarking HR performance: To achieve human resource effectiveness there should be benchmarking system for HR performance and evaluate and redefine all activities which are determined in objectives of Abbey National Bank.

Race and Ethnicity in Social Sciences Essay examples -- Identity Gende

Use of the Terms "Race" and "Ethnicity" in the Social Sciences Defining identity can be complex and therefore we have to investigate the factors involved that make us who we are and how we are seen by others, collectively or individually. Social scientists have to consider the key elements which shape identity, the importance of social structures and agency involved. The differences and/or similarities between us are the focus that categorise and label us in society. Knowing who we are is important for many reasons including, social rights, obtaining a passport, housing, health, employment, marriage, and over all, being able to ascertain who we are, and belong. The terms ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ are central features in the process of categorisation. ‘Racial’ or ‘Ethnic’ identifications are produced as part of a social process, which is dynamic and changing. Therefore we know that identities are not static and terms such as ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ cannot cover the changing categories without being dynamic terms themselves. The use of quotation marks with these terms is adopted to emphasise that the terms are broad terms and aim to avoid discrimination or misrepresentation of groups under the umbrella term. ‘Race’ is commonly used by media and society to portray the physical differences between people, however, social scientists choose to show that the term does not refer to exact biological differences, is stereotypical, and the quotation marks emphasise the concept as ...

Review of the Book: Evangelical Theology Essay

Held in high esteem by many critics as one of the most original Christian thinkers of the modern era, Karl Barth was a Swiss theologian who primarily emphasized on the sovereignty of God. In this regard, his perspectives can be considered as external. This secularism in the study of gods and religion was very inventive in terms of genuineness. Barth’s famous book Evangelical Theology: An Introduction is based on continuity and unity, and looks into the constructs of faith, existence and reason. This essay is going to deal with few of the core ideas Barth introduced in his book. The concepts will be critically analyzed with regards to citations from the original text. According to Barth, the term ‘Theology’ is concerned with a very special domain of science that attempts to understand god. Evangelical Theory of Theology: An Introduction gives a basic idea of Barth’s outlooks on theology. Theology as described by the author is the Word of god. ‘Theo’ popularly alludes to gift of god and ‘logy’ relates to language, logic or Word. According to the author, the word of god is the ultimate soul of theology and it stands and fails with it. â€Å"Theology itself is a word, a human response; yet what makes it theology is not its own word but the word which it hears and which it responds to† [Evangelical Theory of Theology: An Introduction, page 15]. To rephrase it, theology asserts not itself but the word of god and places it above everything. When it comes to the word of god, we need not bear in mind one faulty premise, i. e. , there is only one god. The study of religion has proved it time and again that each person has its own god or gods as ‘the object of his highest desire and trust, or as the basis of his deepest loyalty and commitment. ’ (Barth et al. 3) So Barth discusses theology and divine matters from the perspective of religion and philosophy. His secular approaches in interpreting theology become apparent when he states, â€Å"There is no philosophy that is not to some extent also theology. Not only does this fact apply to philosophers who desire to affirm – or who, at least, are ready to admit – that divinity, in a positive sense, is the essence of truth and power of some kind of highest principle;† (Barth et al. 3) The author alludes into the history of Israel to affirm the concept of community as connected with the history of Jesus Christ. The gospel of god can be interpreted from a humanistic perspective when Christ is realized as a true god and true man. He elucidates the idea of man’s oneness with god by stating, â€Å"The community is confronted and created by the Word of God† (Barth 38) – â€Å"†¦ the God who descends to community with man, gracious in his freedom, and of man who is exalted to community with him, thankful in his freedom†. (Barth 22) The analytical mind of the author makes him ask question about truth in terms of existence of god. The presuppositions of modern theology are questioned and doubted repeatedly as Barth raises some pertinent issues related to the truthfulness of god’s existence, man’s connection with god, the validity of the ‘chosen’ status of Israel, myths surrounding Christ’s death and so on. The acceptance of the Word of god as truth by community is another contentious issue according to the author. It is one thing accepting something as final, and it is another thing understanding what is accepted with a sincere and rational mindset. So it is important for the community to clarify the conceptualizations regarding the Word of god. (Barth 39) Though Barth had been associated with a church as a pastor in his early career, he was not as dogmatic as his peers. He believed that God’s decree was not to prefer Christians over Jews (or any other non Christian) but to be with the people and bear their sufferings. This is why he professed Jesus Christ as the â€Å"medium of divine election†. He believed that theology is a language for the spirit but it does not preach self ascertainment. ‘Service’ is also an important facet of Evangelical Theology. It does not glorify oneself but the person whom it serves. Theology can be interpreted as the servitude towards divinity. From a more practical point of view it may reflect man’s involvement in the service of the society as well as in the service of god. Modesty, as claimed in the book, is considering theology as a selfless service. The realization of our own inner power and capacity to reach our goals is exemplified through the theological concept of remaining faithful to divine knowledge and wisdom. He states, â€Å"Theology will be faithful to its object only and precisely when it allows itself to be tempted by it. † (Barth 160) The believer must leave his salvation to god’s judgment even if he harbors any doubt or solitude. Many other important aspects of theology such as Faith, Prayer and Love have been discussed thoroughly. It not only portrays Theology as a natural science but it also tries to loosen up the orthodox bindings on itself. Karl Barth in his book had tried to uplift theology from its confines in the church to a subject that requires immense academic research and idiosyncratic perspectives. Work Cited Barth, Karl, and Grover Foley. Evangelical Theology: An Introduction. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979.

Ethics and Legal Issue Essay

At the time I worked as a custodian in a department store, I was faced with an ethical dilemma of whether accepting a bribe from a colleague of higher position to manipulate cash transactions in her favor. This was of course an issue for me since I knew manipulating business transactions is unethical and wrong, more so that it involves the company’s resources. However, I realized I really did not have to ‘think it through’. I instantly said no, that I absolutely could not do it because I knew it was an absolutely dishonest act. My colleague just shrugged and I thought maybe he was used to such a reaction. People decide differently. When faced with such situation, it would be just normal that two different persons would come up with different decisions, probably either going with what the ‘boss’ wants or going against it. This may be because of different beliefs, of which is the right thing to do; or different needs, probably experiencing dire need of money; or maybe even a feeling of powerlessness compared to the boss. An ethical issue such as the situation presented above may entail, for some, deep thinking of what is righteous or not; or with regards to what decision to take when faced with such a ‘choice’. Basically, we know that the society decides what is immoral or not. It is the society’s norms, which refer to what is unethical or not. But is it the person himself who determines what is right. Some people believe some things are right, others believe otherwise. It all depends on the person. Even the ‘rightfulness’ of what is right has always been a question between different cultures with different beliefs and principles. Despite the gift of intellect and rationality, sometimes humans still fail to perform a reasoned judgment of ethical issues, instead fall prey to gut reactions or immediate and ignorant decisions. This may be probably due to the person’s attitudes, how gullible he is, or not, to such ethical situations; the environment or society he grew up in; how ‘imbibed’ choosing between right and wrong is on the person; and his personal decisions as well.

Migration Of People With Disabilities Social Work Essays

Migration Of People With Disabilities Social Work Essays Migration Of People With Disabilities Social Work Essay Migration Of People With Disabilities Social Work Essay Procedural jurisprudence is the jurisprudence that prescribes the processs and methods for implementing rights and responsibilities and for obtaining damages. It is distinguished from substantial jurisprudence. Substantial law- the subdivision of jurisprudence which creates, defines and regulates people s rights, responsibilities, powers and liabilities. In another words the procedural jurisprudence is a tool to implement the substantial jurisprudence. If we have a right to migration it is non plenty merely to hold it on a paper. This right should be supported by a particular process through which we can to the full bask this right. Gordon Brown, with his ocular damage, Helen Keller and Stephen Hawking would be denied residence in Australia. Why? Because their disablements are seen as enforcing excessively much of a fiscal load on authorities services and supports. The part that they could do to Australian society is non considered. Disabled people are merely non cost-efficient. One more extremely publicised instance was that of Bernhard Moeller, who worked for two old ages as a physician in a little town in Victoria. Despite Australia holding a clear deficit of state physicians, Moeller was told in 2008 that his boy s Down syndrome meant that his household could non derive lasting residence. The part the household as a whole could do was ignored. Disability was equated with load. Moeller was finally given a lasting visa, but merely after a countrywide community and media run forced Immigration Minister Chris Evans to step in. Those two instances were mentioned by the day-to-day Australian newspaper on February 4, 2010. Unfortunately, there are the worlds which people with disablements or households with kids who have disablements face every twenty-four hours and non merely in Australia. The differences between the rights we have and the rights we can truly bask are immense. Persons with disablements is a vulnerable group in every society which faces jobs in every domain of life: sensible adjustment, migration, employment, wellness attention, instruction, etc.. In this essay I would wish to set a visible radiation on a existent state of affairs which individuals with disablements experience while migrating to other states. I will utilize the illustration of Australia. Particularly I would wish to look at the CRPD which Australia has signed 2 old ages ago and its art 18 Liberty of motion and nationality . Legislation study CRPD Australia has ever been a strong protagonist of CRPD during its drafting. The Convention was signed on 30 March 2007, ratified on 17 July 2008 and entered into force for Australia on 16 August 2008. Australia besides acceded to the CRPD Optional Protocol on 21 August 2009. ( The Optional Protocol allows the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to have communications from or on behalf of persons or groups of persons who claim to be victims of a misdemeanor of the commissariats of the CRPD by that State party ) Harmonizing to Art. 4 of CRPD by subscribing the Convention Australia has committed to follow all appropriate legislative, administrative and other steps for the execution of the rights recognized in the present Convention ; to take all appropriate steps, including statute law, to modify or get rid of bing Torahs, ordinances, imposts and patterns that constitute favoritism against individuals with disablements ; to take into history the protection and publicity of the human rights of individuals with disablements in all policies and programms and so on.. Related to the migration issues there is Article 18.1 Liberty of motion and nationality which proclaims: States Parties shall acknowledge the rights of individuals with disablements to liberty of motion, to freedom to take their abode and to a nationality, on an equal footing with others, including by guaranting that individuals with disablements: ( a ) Have the right to get and alter a nationality and are non deprived of their nationality randomly or on the footing of disablement ; ( B ) Are non deprived, on the footing of disablement, of their ability to obtain, possess and utilize certification of their nationality or other certification of designation, or to use relevant procedures such as in-migration proceedings, that may be needed to ease exercising of the right to liberty of motion ; aˆÂ ¦ Furthermore, Australia has adopted an interpretive declaration to CRPD where it covered the migration issue: Australia recognizes the rights of individuals with disablement to autonomy of motion, to freedom to take their abode and to a nationality, on an equal footing with others. Australia farther declares its apprehension that the Convention does non make a right for a individual to come in or stay in a state of which he or she is non a national, nor impact on Australia s wellness demands for non-nationals seeking to come in or stay in Australia, where these demands are based on legitimate, nonsubjective and sensible standards. In my point of position this portion of the declaration repeats the chief duty of CRPD prohibition of favoritism based on disablement. And these give voicing points on that this sensible standard for migration must be seen in the visible radiation of CRPD and a theoretical account of disablement it creates. That means that the sensible standard does nt make any favoritism for people with disablements while migrating to another state and disablement itself is seen non as a load but as a diverseness. The importance of CRPD Medical and societal theoretical account of disablement Before I will get down analysing the conformity of Australian migration jurisprudence with late adopted CRPD I want to state more about the significance of CRPD in international human rights for people with disablements. CRPD is referred to as a paradigm displacement in international human rights jurisprudence for individuals with disablements. The Convention does non make new rights for handicapped individuals, but it talks about bing international human rights in a disablement context, it elaborates and clarifies bing duties for states within this context. Today, 650 million people, which is 10 per centum of the universe s population, live with a disablement. The statistics says that in developing states, 90 per centum of kids with disablements do nt go to school.A Women and misss with disablements are really frequently capable to deep favoritism. All over the universe individuals with disablements face barriers to their engagement in society and more frequently have lower criterions of life. Why CRPD is a paradigm displacement ? The CRPD helps to alter the perceptual experience that individuals with disablements should alter or conform with social positions of what is normal. Disability, harmonizing to the Convention, consequences from the interaction between individuals with damages and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effectual engagement in society. It replaces the old medical theoretical account of disablement by a societal and human rights theoretical account based on the fact that it is society that disables individuals with disablements from take parting to the full in society and exerting their human rights as citizens. The societal theoretical account of disablement emphasizes the duty of society to level the physical and attitudinal barriers that exclude and stigmatize people on the footing of their physical or mental status. The CRPD changes the attack to disablement, from thought of it as a societal public assistance issue to being a human rights issue. And this human rights attack shows how societies can take the social barriers and biass that lead to the exclusion of individuals with disablements from the society. The CRPD helps to supply counsel on how the provinces can better follow to the human rights duties they have already undertaken in other conventions, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The CRPD is a human rights convention intended to advance, protect and guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by individuals with disablements. It addresses such of import issues as handiness, personal mobility, wellness, instruction, employment, habilitation and rehabilitation, engagement in political life, and equality and non-discrimination. A fact of fall ining CRPD by any state points on a full apprehension of the duties it creates and the significance it brings into society. Unfortunately, in the instance of Australia despite of its strong support of CRPD during the drafting and farther confirmation of the Convention, the bing migration jurisprudence does non reflect the chief rules of CRPD. Problems with the current migration jurisprudence in Australia: The CPRD expressly insures the right to liberty of motion and nationality under Article 18, that specifically states that Parties must see that individuals with disablements have the right to use relevant procedures such as in-migration proceedings that may be needed to ease exercising of the right to liberty of motion. Section 60 of the Migration Act 1958 provinces that: If the wellness or physical or mental status of an applier for a visa is relevant to the grant of a visa, the Minister may necessitate the applier to see, and be examined by, a specified individual, being a individual qualified to find the applier s wellness, physical status or mental status, at a specified sensible clip and specified sensible topographic point. The Migration Act by its Section 65 enables the Minister to allow or decline a visa for the applicant depending on a fact if she or he meets the health-related standards. Schedule 4 of the Migration Regulations 1994 contains Public Interest Criteria ( PIC ) 4005-4007 where the health-related standards for allowing visas is set out. One of the demands is that the applier: ( degree Celsius ) is non a individual who has a disease or status to which the following subparagraphs apply: ( I ) the disease or status is such that a individual who has it would be likely to: ( A ) require wellness attention or community services ; or ( B ) meet the medical standards for the proviso of a community service ; during the period of the applier s proposed stay in Australia ; ( two ) proviso of the wellness attention or community services associating to the disease or status would be likely to: ( A ) consequence in a important cost to the Australian community in the countries of wellness attention and community services ; or ( B ) prejudice the entree of an Australian citizen or lasting occupant to wellness attention or community services ; irrespective of whether the wellness attention or community services will really be used in connexion with the applier ; The of import thing here is that Item 4005 does nt incorporate waiver. Items 4006 and 4007 contain Ministerial release, but the procedure requires cost assessment which makes this release a repetition of the chief standards of those Items. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Fact Sheet 22 on the wellness demand justifies those demands by the purpose to: minimise public wellness and safety hazards to the Australian community ; contain public outgo on wellness and community services, including Australian societal security benefits, allowances and pensions ; and maintain entree of Australian occupants to wellness and other community services. If the applier does nt run into the wellness demands, he or she can non be granted a visa. The other limitation on the manner to be granted a lasting visa is a household unit demand. It requires all members of the migrating household ( those who migrate with the applier ) to set about medical trials. If any members of the household unit fail to run into the Health Requirement no household member will be granted a visa ( including the applier seeking to fulfill the primary standards ) . If the applier ( or member of the household unit ) has an identifiable disease or status, the cost appraisal by the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth ( MOC ) is required. The applier will non be granted a visa ( will neglect the wellness demand ) if the disease he has is likely to be a important cost in the countries of wellness attention and community services and/or prejudice the entree of Australians to those services. There is no definition of the construct of significant cost in either the Act or Regulations. But the Department of Immigration and Citizenship s Procedures Advice Manual 3 gives some counsel as to how the MOC can measure what is considered a important cost under 4005 ( degree Celsius ) ( two ) ( A ) . Harmonizing to the PAC 3, the degree of costs which is already important sums to $ 21000. The Regulations are transporting a clear message that disablement is a load to the society. It is obvious that fiscal factors create a concern for the decision-makers. Current jurisprudence does non take into history the single fortunes of the applier and that the being of a disablement does non needfully intend that individual will be a fiscal load. That this individual may lend in the society much more so the costs are. Decision The Migration Regulations need to be harmonized and updated because they reflect the medical theoretical account of disablement and they do nt follow with the CRPD. Today s Australia s policy of wellness ordinances is a tool of excepting migrators with disablements from come ining the county. Unfortunately the current migration commissariats neer mention that societal and economic parts which an applier with disablement may do to Australia. The jurisprudence is concentrated excessively much on the negative things and possible effects and seems to deny the other sides of appliers personality, his endowments and abilities. The wellness demand has become a manner of excepting migrators from come ining Australia. Furthermore, I would state that the policy behind the wellness demands is non proportionate to the purposes the province seek to accomplish. ( 5 ) For illustration: physician Ten who has a kid with disablement or a female parent who is ill ( because of her age ) buzzword migrate to Australia even if the Australian society is in demand of such a physicians like physician X. A gifted vocalist or a painter in a wheel-chair will non be able to migrate to Australia because while treating his visa cipher will take into consideration his endowment and abilities the jurisprudence is concentrated on the negative side of disablement. What can I say about the kids which have in the row with a disablement besides a great potency in every domain of life such as scientific discipline, art, athletics and so on. Meeting the wellness standard is a status of entry and being granted a lasting visa. The wellness standards lay evidences for automatic favoritism of people with disablements and contradicts the whole construct of CRPD. As a consequence people with disablements are being denied of their rights under Art. 18 Liberty of motion and nationality of CRPD. Harmonizing to the societal theoretical account adopted by the UN, if a deaf individual can non bask the film it is the film s failure to include captions that is at mistake. If a individual in a wheelchair can non entree a edifice it is the designer s inability to imagine a incline that is at mistake. The cost of supplying these services is merely portion of the cost of holding a society that embraces diverseness. Equally good as the harmonisation national statute law with international duties in present instance is a duty of Australia. To go a socially inclusive society demands to take the barriers that reject human difference at the door. Disability is a fact of life. Not merely are physical and rational damages portion of human diverseness, we frequently forget that we will all be disabled by age or unwellness at some phase. Rather than topographic point such a huge psychological and territorial gulf between those with and those without damages, we need to acknowledge the breakability and impermanency of our physical and mental wellness. Even more, we need a province that recognizes the parts people can do in malice of, and frequently because of, their physical or mental difference. Australia should see a displacement from an nonsubjective economic appraisal of a handicapped individual s value to one with a greater focal point on their value and parts to a diverse and progressive society. Some values can non be expressed in economic footings, such as the quality of a individual s life, relationships and their part to Australian society. Australia s committedness to international human rights norms requires the development of appropriate legislative models to back up good pattern. The purpose of the rights-based attack to disablement is to guarantee the active engagement of individuals with disablements in political, economic, societal, and cultural life, and to authorise them in a manner that is respectful and suiting of their difference. While the Convention does non set up new human rights, it does set out with much greater lucidity the duties on States to advance, protect and guarantee the rights of individuals with disablements. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisabilitiesLegalTool.aspx ) In many instances, the MOC cost appraisal is based on the premise that an applier with a disease or status would entree all available wellness and community services. This premise nevertheless ignores the fact that in many instances strong household and cultural ties mean that applier s with a disease or status would be more likely to be cared for by a household member and less likely to be put into attention. In Canada the tantamount statutory trial allows the MOC to find whether the applier will really utilize the wellness attention installations and whether such usage may put an excessive demand on the services. I think this is a just trial, because it takes into consideration the existent person instead than the conjectural individual with a similar disease or status. In my point of position, the Health Requirement promotes negative word pictures and perceptual experiences of people with disablement and it contradicts the societal inclusion policy and Australia s international human rights duties, including the CRPD. In add-on, the procedures by which the Health Requirement is applied are flawed and can take to unfair results.

The History of Laptop Computers

The History of Laptop Computers It is a little hard to determine which was the first portable or laptop computer since the earliest portable computers to arrive did not look anything like the book-sized folding laptops that we are familiar with today. However, they were both portable and can sit on a persons lap and did eventually lead to the development of notebook style laptops.   With that in mind, I have outlined several potential firsts below and how each might qualify for the honor. Many of the off-site links provided below include excellent photos of the computers so that you should be able to see the progression in design.   The First Laptop The Grid Compass was designed in 1979 by a Briton named William Moggridge for Grid Systems Corporation. It was one-fifth the weight of any model equivalent in performance and was used by NASA as part of the space shuttle program in the early 1980s. As far as technical specs, it featured a 340K byte bubble memory laptop computer system with a die-cast magnesium case and folding electroluminescent graphics display screen. Gavilan Computer Manny Fernandez had the idea for a well-designed laptop for executives who were just starting to use a computer. Fernandez, who started Gavilan Computer, promoted his machines as the first laptop computers in May 1983. Many historians have credited the Gavilan as the first fully functional laptop computer. The First True Laptop Computer The Osborne 1. Tomislav Medak/Flickr/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0   The computer considered by most historians to be the first truly portable computer was the Osborne 1. Adam Osborne, an ex-book publisher was the founder of Osborne Computer Corp, which produced the Osborne 1 in 1981. It was a portable computer that weighed 24 pounds and cost $1795. For that, users got a five-inch screen, modem port, two 5 1/4 floppy drives, a large collection of bundled software programs and a battery pack. Unfortunately, the short-lived computer company was never successful.   And The Rest is History Also released in 1981 was the Epson HX-20, a battery powered portable computer with a 20-character by 4 line LCD display and a built-in printer.In January of 1982, Microsofts Kazuhiko Nishi and Bill Gates begin discussions on designing a portable computer that featured a new liquid crystal display or LCD screen. Kazuhiko Nishi later showed the prototype to Radio Shack and the retailer agreed to manufacture the computer.In 1983, Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Model 100, a 4-pound battery-operated portable computer with a design that was flat and looked more like modern laptops of today.In 1984, IBM announced the IBM 5155 Portable Personal Computer.In 1986, Radio Shack released the new, improved and smaller TRS Model 200.In 1988, Compaq Computer introduced its first laptop PC with VGA graphics, the Compaq SLT/286.In 1989, the release of the NEC UltraLite was considered by some to be the first notebook style computer. It was a laptop size computer that weighed under 5-pounds.In Septemb er of 1989, Apple Computer released the first Macintosh Portable that later evolved into the Powerbook.   In 1989, Zenith Data Systems released the Zenith MinisPort, a 6-pound laptop computer.  In October of 1989, Compaq Computer released its first notebook PC, the Compaq LTE.In March of 1991, Microsoft released the Microsoft BallPoint Mouse, which used both mouse and trackball technology in a pointing device designed for laptop computers.In October of 1991, Apple Computers released the Macintosh PowerBook 100, 140 and 170 - all notebook style laptops.In October of 1992, IBM released its ThinkPad 700 laptop computer.In 1992, Intel and Microsoft release APM or the Advanced Power Management specification for laptop computers.In 1993, the first PDAs or Personal Digital Assistants were released. PDAs are pen-based hand-held computers.

Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essays -- Affirmative Action Es

One of the arguments against affirmative action is that it injures white men and violates their rights. If were to take a closer look at the affirmative action laws, we can see why this would be true. For example, let’s take a hypothetical situation of two males, one white and another individual who happens to be a minority, both sending in college applications to Harvard to compete for admission. Unfortunately, the university only has one available spot and must decide between the white individual and the minority. The white male has slightly better grades and quite a few more volunteer hours, while both of them excelled in sports and completed two foreign languages. Under the current affirmative action policies, the minority would probably get the final position because of the perceived need for ethnic diversity in the college atmosphere, despite the fact that he did not have the stronger academic credentials. Would this be considered just? In this case not only would affirm ative action be serving an injustice to the white individual, but it would also help create a loophole by indirectly establishing a legal form of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The counterpoint to this argument is that although affirmative action creates a larger obstacle for white men to achieve, such measures are necessary in order to break the cycle of de facto employment and school discrimination. However, this does not seem to be a valid counterpoint. If we take a look at another hypothetical situation we can see why it is not † However, this argument is not compelling, as the best way to increase productivity and improve the economy is to hire on merit. Hiring based on something other than objective merit may result in economic inefficiency and a less qualified staff. If minorities have a qualified resume and are available, they will meet the criteria of the employer. Once again, it is more effective to treat the disease itself, rather than to stoop down to the same level and discriminate to treat the symptoms. In athletics, for example, in spite of past discrimination blacks have excelled, not because standards were lowered but because barriers were eliminated. Now more than ever blacks comprise the largest ethnic group in professional sports and have come to dominate some of the most lucrative sports such as football and basketball, and are now using their earned social capital to give back to their communities to help others along the way. This is a prime example of how minorities can be helped without lowering the standard by which others are also measured by. To improve our standards as a whole, we must remove the ball and chain on minorities, rather than adding a heavier ball and chain on whites.

E-commerce Web site evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-commerce Web site evaluation - Essay Example The words car and audio do not figure independently within the meta tags for keywords. This site would hardly be picked up by search engines if someone is looking for something as specific as ‘car audio systems in Lancashire’. Google did not. At least not in the first three pages of the search results. The basic point is that the homepage fails to convey instantaneously what it is all about, a major lapse in presentation. Not a good first impression. But let us take things one at a time, and try to evaluate the website from the perspective of the most important features that any worthwhile e-Commerce website should possess. The concept of usability, which is concerned with making software systems easy to learn and easy to use, has recently gained increased attention with the development and wide diffusion of end-user interactive software applications (Dray 1995, p. 18). Navigation, hyperlink positioning, clear demarcation of advertisement area from content area, use of colour codes and continuity in design are some of aspects on which the usability of a website depends. The website under evaluation does not distinguish in anyway between hypertext and ordinary text. Though underlining of the hyperlinks is not necessary as they are placed in the conventional left hand navigation bar, the font and colour of the hyperlinks are exactly the same as other text used in the site resulting in the impression that the address of the firm are also hyperlinks. There is also no difference between visited and unvisited links. This goes against the basics of website navigability: The way the website displays its products looks very much like the advertisements or company logo that it carries. Advertisement area and content areas are not demarcated. The danger in this case lies in how users tend to scan web pages: ‘Most famously, users exhibit incredibly powerful "banner blindness." Eye-tracking studies have recorded microseconds-long

Leading educational change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leading educational change - Essay Example When dealing with school leadership in the Australian context, it is important for the articles by Gurr et al, (2005) and Dinham (2007) to be considered so that a better perspective of the issue under discussion can be achieved. While one would state that there are some areas of agreement between these two articles, especially touching on the various aspects of leadership, how these leadership styles are applied has been found to have some divergence. It is a fact that in Australia, there has developed a vast body of research that has confirmed that the teacher in a classroom has a profound influence on the performance of his or her students. In the abovementioned two articles, there is general agreement that it is important to find out how the quality of teaching and learning can be influenced and improved through the development of good leadership skills among the teachers in the classroom. In both articles, it is stated that educational leadership is of principle importance when d etermining the quality of teaching and learning and as a result has a pertinent influence on the achievement of the students involved. ... It is often essential for the teacher to ensure that they have undergone some kind of leadership training so that they can be better able to handle diverse and unique situations in their classrooms. He further states that it is often necessary for the teacher or school leader to realise that each and every one of their students is unique in many ways and that the behaviour of students should not be categorised in general terms. What one student may be able to understand over a short period of time does not apply to another student who might not be capable of understand over the same time. This means that in order for the teacher to be effective in their classroom, it is often necessary for him to ensure that he treats each of his students in the most flexible way he can in order to cultivate their unique capabilities. Gurr et al (2005) are also of this opinion although they go even further by stating that teachers have to do a self-examination to determine whether they have the neces sary qualities that will enable them to become effective leaders so that they can be able to not only strengthen these qualities, but also work towards ensuring that they have acquired those qualities which are most essential in helping in the academic performance of their students. The two articles adopted different methodologies and these have been manifested in the divergent outcomes that resulted from the studies they conducted. Dinham, for instance, chose to pursue two types of research sites with the aim of studying how leadership had an effect in determining the exceptional student outcomes. The first of these was the conducting of studying on departments, which were responsible for the teaching of subjects in secondary schools for

Evaluation of General Plan (urban planning course) Essay

Evaluation of General Plan (urban planning course) - Essay Example Additionally, the general plan seeks to enhance service delivery to the current residents of the city. The city has a general plan that provides an accurate guideline for ensuring economic development in the city. The authorities plan to improve the workforce, create jobs, maintain local airports, and improve the downtown area. Early this year, the planning and development department of the city of Phoenix developed and updated an elaborative and achievable general plan. The final plan was hugely based on the community suggestion and feedback concerning various economic problems in the city. As a result, the planning commission supported and approved the general plan on January 13, 2015. The city plans to improve on the type of labor force available. According to the article Plan PHX. 2015 General Plan, the economic growth and development sterns from skilled, competent, and qualified workforce in the city (94). Consequently, the expansion and building of more schools and training centers is the foundation for the city’s economic growth. Furthermore, the authorities plan to adequately fund and provide necessary resources in these training facilities. It leads to increase in the number of individuals with recognized credentials and certificates. Such an influx of professionals is a sign of economic gr owth and development. Additionally, the authorities plan to maintain and expand the airports available in the city since it is vital to economic growth and movement of people. The airports in the city are essential and necessary for bringing various businessmen and investors in the city. Furthermore, these airports generate massive revenue for the authorities. The revenues collected from businesses within the airport premises are essential in improving local infrastructure and financial strength of the city. Besides, the presence of businessmen and investors in Phoenix city is a positive and encouraging sign of

MKT Week 3 DB SA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MKT Week 3 DB SA - Case Study Example This is because they will handle nearly everything in regards to the development of the software thereby making the inventor appear as a purchaser of his own software. There is no perfect way to position the product because it is not even clear how it will operate and its functionalities. Additionally, legal implications have not been considered thoroughly as it appears it will be breaching patient’s privacy. The idea of Popchips as a product and even the marketing strategy of this product are well developed. Moreover, the product has been presented in a very innovative manner by even highlighting on the uniqueness of the product as well as its competitive advantages. One of the unique factors that will position the product competitively in the market is the fact that it contains less calories and this will be able to attract many customers because most of the them are nowadays health conscious and they avoid consuming products with high fat content. Popchips can be well positioned in the market if the marketing campaigns emphasize on the fact that it contains low fat content and perhaps the product should solely be focused on the market of health conscious consumers who prefer food items that contain low fat. The legal implications concerning the marketing of this product have been clearly stated and even alternative strategies have been selected to ensure the marketing campaign does not violate any ethical and/ or legal

Research Proposal Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Proposal Draft - Essay Example There are also few studies that indicate the way in which these youngsters can be motivated to adopt a positive lifestyle in terms of being physically active and eating the proper diet that will help them to avoid obesity. There exists a desperate need to identify a connection between the benefits that come with weight loss. There is also a need to make sure that people, especially the young people are not only aware of the health benefits of losing excess weight but that they are motivated to lose the excess weight through positive lifestyle and the proper eating habits. The significance of the current research study is to measure how a quantitative weight loss program will affect those who will be involved in the study. The study will involve 50 participants of ages between 8 and 18, from both the genders. All the participants have to have a body mass index of over the 95th percentile which is a clear indication that they are obese and overweight. The study will be done in a period of twelve weeks. The study will monitor food intake, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels of the participants. Will there be increased positive health benefits such as, improved oxygen circulation, healthy blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels, in the participants who will be children age 8 to 18 with a BMI above the 95th percentile? The hypothesis for this research is that there will be clear indication of the positive health outcomes that will be achieved by the 50 participants who will be involved in this controlled medical study for weight loss. Needles to say, age is an important factor when weight related health issues are being considered. The way an 8 year old child can be affected by overweight may not be the same way s an 18 year old will be affected. At the same time, the way an older patient may be able to stay in course in a controlled weight loss progress is not the same way a young

MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

MRI - Essay Example Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produces detailed images of the body’s internal organs and problems associated with the organs. It is procedure that has typically no side effects and cast images with no fear of pain. The process uses magnetised radio radiations and draws the images when the waves reflect back to the scanner. It is different from the CT scan or CAT scan. An MRI scanner is composed of two donut shaped tubes that are joined by a hollow tunnel that holds a person. The donut shaped tubes produce powerful magnetized radiation. A sliding table holds patients and it slides into the tunnel of the scanner. However, some MRI centres have MRI scanner with larger openings to hold patients that are suffering from claustrophobia. Most hospitals now have MRI scanners; while dedicated MRI centres are also opened for the ease of patients. The MRI scanner generates powerful magnetic waves that interact with the atoms of the patient’s body. During interaction the magnetic waves makes the atoms of body to be in particular pattern. The pattern is observed by the powerful antenna and sent to the computed that draws an image with respect to the observed pattern. Computer converted image both in 2d and 3d formats. The results are viewed by the physician to diagnose the problem. Kindly bring other examination reports like X-ray, Ultra sound, CT scans, Nuclear Medicine Scans or previous MRI scan reports along with you, if you can. This may help the physician to make comparison between the reports. Kindly do not let your child to wear any type of metallic jewellery like chins, hair clips or rings as metals may disrupt the magnetic resonance waves. Check you child carefully before the examination begins. If the child’s physician recommends using dye to clarify the results, be sure that child’s takes nothing by mouth (NBM) several

Research Proposal Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Proposal Draft - Essay Example There are also few studies that indicate the way in which these youngsters can be motivated to adopt a positive lifestyle in terms of being physically active and eating the proper diet that will help them to avoid obesity. There exists a desperate need to identify a connection between the benefits that come with weight loss. There is also a need to make sure that people, especially the young people are not only aware of the health benefits of losing excess weight but that they are motivated to lose the excess weight through positive lifestyle and the proper eating habits. The significance of the current research study is to measure how a quantitative weight loss program will affect those who will be involved in the study. The study will involve 50 participants of ages between 8 and 18, from both the genders. All the participants have to have a body mass index of over the 95th percentile which is a clear indication that they are obese and overweight. The study will be done in a period of twelve weeks. The study will monitor food intake, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels of the participants. Will there be increased positive health benefits such as, improved oxygen circulation, healthy blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels, in the participants who will be children age 8 to 18 with a BMI above the 95th percentile? The hypothesis for this research is that there will be clear indication of the positive health outcomes that will be achieved by the 50 participants who will be involved in this controlled medical study for weight loss. Needles to say, age is an important factor when weight related health issues are being considered. The way an 8 year old child can be affected by overweight may not be the same way s an 18 year old will be affected. At the same time, the way an older patient may be able to stay in course in a controlled weight loss progress is not the same way a young

Science Trivias Essay Example for Free

Science Trivias Essay There are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body – laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times A thimbleful of a neutron star would weigh over 100 million tons A typical hurricane produces the energy equivalent of 8,000 one megaton bombs Blood sucking hookworms inhabit 700 million people worldwide The interstellar gas cloud Sagittarius B contains a billion, billion, billion liters of alcohol Polar Bears can run at 25 miles an hour and jump over 6 feet in the air And they are nearly undetectable by infrared cameras, due to their transparent fur The selfish giant The giant had a beautiful garden. It had lovely green grass, peach trees and rich fruits. Birds sang there and children played. The giant was away staying at his friends place. When he came back he scared the children away from the garden. Now the children had no place to play and were sad. That year spring came all over the country but not in the giant’s garden. It remained covered with snow frost and hail. No flowers bloomed neither did the birds sing. One morning he found flowers in the garden, the birds singing and found children on the branches of the trees. But there was still winter in one corner of the garden. There was a little boy in that corner who could not climb the trees. The giant came out and helped him to climb the tree. He also played with the children. The little child kissed the giant. This melted the giant’s heart. The children played everyday in the garden after school. One afternoon the little child was missing. The giant looked for him daily but couldn’t find him. Years passed. The giant grew old and weak. One winter morning that very child was again seen in the garden. The giant ran to him and found that the child had prints of nails on his palms and feet. The child said that they were the wounds of love. He said he wanted to take him to his garden, which is the Paradise. That afternoon the children found the giant lying dead and covered with flowers in the garden. film review: the sound of music: This classic musical continues to have wide appeal despite, or perhaps even because of, its cringe factor. Like that other widely-popular sing-a-long extravaganza, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Sound Of Music draws loyal and enthusiastic audiences as well as newcomers who wonder what all the fuss is about. The mostly-happy Cinderella tale of nun-turned-governess-turned-wife, however, aims straight for the family market. Maria (a smiley Julie Andrews) does her best as governess to the seven wealthy but unruly von Trapp children. It wont spoil the movie to reveal that she wins over not only the children, but their stern naval-officer father (Christopher Plummer in fine form) with her musical talents and upbeat view on life. For those of us who grew up watching it every year on TV at Christmas, the nostalgia it evokes contributes to a strange bond with people from around the world, so that someone from Canada might find themselves laughing, and yes, even cringing, with a South African who knows all the songs from the film. There is more than nostalgia and family values, however, to this movie. The true story of the von Trapps takes place during the Nazi occupation of Austria, following which the family is forced to make a daring escape through the Alps. Mostly, however, this is a tale about looking on the sunny side of life, accompanied by such classic songs as My Favourite Things and Do-Re-Mi. Anyone who appreciates the power of music cant deny the strange uplifting charm of this admittedly sappy movie.

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization Isolation and Characterization of (PAH) Biodegrading Marine Bacteria Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 ABSTRACT Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are considered to be important and dangerous pollutants which cause serious health problems and/or genetic defects in humans, as well as harming the flora and fauna of affected habitats. In this study, we interested in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as an alternative to physical and chemical methods. The bacteria used in this study were isolated from three PAH polluted sites of Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt. The study is devoted to the isolation of bacteria that can degrade three low molecular weight PAHs and to determine the effect of pH on this process. Nine phenanthrene-degrading, seven-naphthalene-degrading and eight anthracene-degrading bacteria were isolated, by enrichment, from the marine water sample. All of the isolates grew on the PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene) at varying rates and utilized them as sole source of carbon and energy. Key words:   Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), Biodegrading marine bacteria, Environmental contamination, Marine water, Introduction Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems which generated continuously by the inadvertently incomplete combustion of organic matter, for instance in forest fires, home heating, traffic, and waste incineration1. PAHs constitute a large and diverse class of organic compounds and are generally described as molecules which consist of three or more fused aromatic rings in various structural configurations2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are composed of fused, aromatic rings whose biochemical persistence arises from dense clouds of Ï€-electrons on both sides of the ring structures, thereby making them resistant to nucleophilic attack3. Environments contaminated with PAHs are deemed hazardous because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects4,5 and low molecular weight PAHs such as naphthalene (the simplest, containing two benzene rings), anthracene and phenanthrene (both of which contain three benzene rings) are also known to possess potentially hazardous health effects6. A variety of techniques have been applied to the treatment of environments contaminated by PAH containing petroleum hydrocarbons, notably physical treatments using thermal or chemical processes7. However, these treatments are generally time consuming and expensive8,9. Microbial bioremediation however, provides a potentially cheap and effective means of bio-remediating PAH-contaminated environments10. The ability of microorganisms to degrade PAHs is well documented11, 12 and microbial degradation is a major environmental process affecting the fate of PAHs in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems13. Bioremediation using microbes converts toxic or persistent organic molecules into harmless end products, such as carbon dioxide and water 14. Unfortunately PAHs possess physical properties, such as low aqueous solubility and high solid water distribution ratios, which militate against their rapid microbial utilization resulting in their accumulation in the terrestrial and aquatic environments1. It is imperative therefore that the factors which influence the bioavailability and decomposition of PAHs in the environment be studied and optimized7. The aim of the work described here was to screening environmental samples for bacteria that are capable of degrading PAHs and use them a sole carbon and energy source. Materials and Methods Isolation of bacteria: Bacteria were isolated from three PAH-polluted sites of the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released. All isolates were preserved in 750 ÃŽ ¼l LB culture supplemented with 250 ÃŽ ¼l of 60% glycerol and maintained at -80oC. Media used: Bushnell-Haas (BH) medium, Luria-Bertani, Nutrient broth and Blood agar were used for the isolation of bacteria. All media were prepared using distilled water and sterilized by autoclaving at 120oC for 20 min. Medium- pH was adjusted as required before sterilization using   1N NaOH or 1N HCl. Hydrocarbon stock solutions: Stock solutions of each PAH (100 mg/ml) were prepared in ethyl acetate and sterilized by filtration. Isolation of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria: Water samples were collected from three PAH-polluted sites in the Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released into these aquatic environments without any control. Water samples (50ml) were collected from the contaminated sites under aseptic conditions. Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples by spreading onto solid medium; 100  µl of each water sample was spread over the surface Bushnell-Haas agar plates containing (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 mg/l) of either, phenanthrene, anthracene or naphthalene, as the sole carbon and energy source. The plates were then incubated at 30oC for 7 days. Assay of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation: Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation by the bacteria under a variety of concentrations was determined using 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 ml Bushnell-Haas broth supplemented with phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene in the concentration range,10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 130 to 150 mg/l.. The cultures were inoculated by transferring 1 ml of nutrient broth of pre culture medium of the strain under test. The cultures were then incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm; bacterial growth was daily evaluated by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the culture. Determination of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene residues in the culture medium: The concentration of naphthalene and phenanthrene residues in the culture medium was determined by measuring the optical density at a wavelength of 254 nm and 275 nm respectively15. Extraction was carried out in a separator funnel, by mixing for two minutes an aliquot of the culture medium with an equal volume of hexane. The resulting organic phase was then used for the spectrophotometric readings. In some cases the sample was diluted with hexane in order to bring it out within the range of the calibration line (0.01-0.07 mg/ml for naphthalene and 0.001-0.1 mg/ml for phenanthrene). For the determination of anthracene residue, aliquots of the culture medium were mixed for two minutes with an equal volume of ethyl acetate and the optical density of the resulting organic phase was measured at a wavelength of 254 nm using ethyl acetate as a blank. For preparation of standard curve of anthracene, a stock solution of 10 ppm in ethyl acetate was prepared and aliquots in the range of 0.2 to 1 ppm were separately measured at 254 nm16. Utilization of carbon source: All purified isolates were tested for growth on 0.01%, of either, naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene or phenol which were added as sole carbon sources to BH liquid medium. Sterilized BH medium containing the desired amount of hydrocarbon source was inoculated with the test strain and incubated in an orbital shaker at 200 rpm and 30oC for 72 h. Growth was tested by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the cultures. Effect of pH on the degradation of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene: In order to determine the effect of pH on naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene degradation, 50 ml of BH broth cultures were first prepared at the following pH; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. After sterilization, 50 mg/l naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene was added to each flask, separately. 0.5 ml of Nutrient Broth overnight culture of bacterial strains (OD600 1.3-1.5) was added to each flask. The flasks were incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm for 72h. Bacterial growth was estimated using spectrophotometer at OD600nm of the cultures. Results and Discussion Isolation and selection of phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene biodegrading bacteria: Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples.   A range of bacterial colony types were observed on the different carbon source-containing plates, nine isolates were found to utilize phenanthrene, seven   grew on the naphthalene plates and eight isolates grew on anthracene amended media. Isolates Ph1, Ph2, Ph3, Ph4, Ph5 and Ph7 showed the ability to degrade phenanthrene as sole carbon sorce. The optical density (OD600)   for the bacterial isolates respective was was; 0.16, 0.512, 0.17, 0.482, 0.632 and 0.24. Isolates Ph6, Ph8 and Ph9 on the otherhand failed to utilize phenanthrene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.1). Among the tested isolates only Ph5 isolate showed sustantial   growth rate on phenanthrene when compared with other tested isolates. According to the ioslates which showed no degrdation of the tetsed PAH, We assume that these isolates which did not degrade PAH may have lost this ability during preservation, or may have lost genes which control the utilization of this substrate; assumptions mirored in the work of   Zhao, et al., (2009)17, who reported that some phenanthrene degrading isolates lost their ability to degrade phenanthrene after a period of more than three weeks of preservation. Figure 1. Degradation of phenanthrene (20 mgl) by 9 bacterial isolates (named; Ph1-Ph9).       In studies using naphthalene, only two isolates Na6 and Na7 showed dehradation   with the latter being the best naphthalene degrader (Fig.2). The other isolates, Na1, Na2, Na3, Na4 and Na5, in contrast, failed to use naphthalene as a sole carbon and energy source. Regarding the anthracene-degarding isolates, five- An1, An2, An3, An4 and An7 degraded the substrate with ODs respectively oft: 0.174, 0.614, 0.551, 0.482 and 0.164 (Fig.3). Isolate,   An2 isolate was the msot active anthracene degrader,while isolates An5, An6 and An8 were unable   to use anthracene as a sole source carbon and energy source. Figure 2.   Degradation of naphthalene (20 mgl) by 7 bacterial isolates (named; Na1-Na7). Figure 3. Degradation of anthracene (20 mgl) by the bacterial isolates (named; An1-An8). Effect of pH on hydrocarbons degradation by the different bacterial isolates: The effect of pH (2.0, 3.0, 4.0,   up to 11.0) on PAH degradation by the isolated bacteria Ph5, Na7 and An2 was investigated in BH medium containing 50 mgl phenanthrene and 20 mgl naphthalene or anthracene respectively. In the case of phenanthrene, the optimum pH for bacterial growth and phenanthrene degradation was pH 7. At pH 6 and pH 8, bacterial growth and substrate degradation was markedly reduced (Fig.4). Shin et al.,(2008)18 reported that, relatively high mineralization rates of phenanthrene are found over a pH range of 6-8, with maximum mineralization rate occurring at pH 6 in a mineral salt medium. In the present study we found that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium; in agreement with Simarro, et al., (2011)19, our results confirm that the optimal pH value for the degradation of this substrate,   in BH medium, is pH7. Figure 4. The ability of the selected Ph5 isolate to degrade 50 mg/l phenanthrene at different pH. Growth and biodegradation depends on the type of PAHs used and the optimum pH range is very variable20. Some acid resistant Gram-positive bacteria, such as Mycobacterium sp., show better PAH degradation capabilities under acid conditions, largely because low pH seems to render such Mycobacteria more permeable to hydrophobic substrates21. However, other microorganisms belonging to Pseudomonas genus tend to prefer neutral pH conditions. In agreement with previous works19, our results confirm that neutral pH is optimum for the biodegradation of PAHs. Our results are also in agreement with Bisht, et al.(2010)22, who reported the ability of D. radiodurans SBA6 and B. circulans SBA12 to degrade naphthalene and anthracene over in the pH range of 5.0 to 11 (Fig.5). Othman et al.(2009)23 observed that changes in media pH can alter the electrical charge on various chemicals groups in enzymes molecules, thereby probably altering the enzymes ability to bind its substrate and catalyze a given rea ction. Imbalance of the electrical charges in very acidic and alkali conditions can also disrupt hydrogen bonds and other weak forces that maintain enzyme structure. Such disruption of enzyme structure is called denaturation, a phenomenon which leads to poor rates of biodegradation. Figure 5. Determination of the ability of Na7 and An2 isolate to degrade 20 mg/l naphthalene and anthracene respectively, over a range of pH. Utilization of different hydrocarbons by the same bacterium: Phenol (a single ring compound) was also included in this experiment as an example of a low molecular weight PAHs to provide a comparison with the high molecular weights hydrocarbons e.g. naphthalene (two rings), anthracene, and phenanthrene (both three compounds). Isolate Ph5 was shown to use phenol, naphthalene and anthracene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.6). These results are slightly different from those reported by Zhao, et al. (2009)17, who reported that a bacterial isolate (ZP2) was able to degrade phenanthrene and naphthalene but failed to degrade anthracene as sole carbon source. Figure 6. Assimilation of 0.01% of naphthalene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by Ph5 isolate. The same response was seen in the other two isolates Na7 and An2.   Isolate, Na7 rapidly mineralized phenol, phenanthrene and anthracene when added as sole carbon sources (Fig.7). Isolate An2 degraded phenol, naphthalene and phenanthrene as sole sources of energy (Fig.8). An isolate used in a study by Dean-Ross, et al. (2001)24 in contrasts was able to mineralize anthracene and phenanthrene but not naphthalene when grown under identical conditions. Figure 7. Utilization of 0.01% of phenanthrene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by the isolate Na7. Figure 8. Consumption of 0.01% of phenanthrene, naphthalene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by An2 isolate. Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene are the main components of crude oil and ubiquitous in contaminated water and soil. These carbon-sources could be utilized by a range of living in these polluted environments. Hydrocarbon mineralization occurs in a variety of ways depending on the species of bacterium isolated and it use of a preferred pathway. In this study, the wide range carbon-source utilization of tested isolates confirms their ability to use potentially different degradation pathways. Al-Thani, et al.(2009)25, similarly reported that the acclimation of a microbial community to one substrate frequently results in the simultaneous acclimation to some, but not all structurally related molecules. As a result, individual microbial species have the ability to act on several structurally similar substrates and therefore more easily act on their analogues following initial exposure26,27. Conclusion: In this investigation, we fascinated in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as a substitute to physical and chemical methods.In conclusion, some of our isolates grew well on the tested 4 low molecular weight organic aromatic compounds and as also reported28, individual bacterial strains could degrade several PAHs, but tended to prefer a single one and also we establish that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium. Acknowledgements Authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding the work through the research group project No. RGP-VPP-332. References 1Johnsen, A. R., Wick, L. Y. and Harms, H. 2005.Principles of microbial PAH-degradation in soil. Environ. Pollut. 133(1):71-84. 2Blumer, M. 1976. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in nature. Sci. Am. 234:35-45. 3Nnamchi, C. I., Obeta, J. A. N. and Ezeogu, L. I. 2006.Isolation and characterization of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from Nsukka soils in Nigeria. Int. J. Environ. Sci.Tech. 3:181-190. 4Miller, E. C. and Miller, J. A. 1974.Biochemical mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis. Edited by Busch, H. The Molecular Biology of Cancer, New York: Academic Press, pp.377-403. 5Autrup, H. 1990.Carcinogen metabolism in cultured human tissues and cells. Carcinogen. 11: 707-712. 6Klaasen, C. D. 2001. Casarett and Doulls Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp.107-132. 7Piskonen, R. and Itavaara, M. 2004. Evaluation of Chemical Pretreatment of Contaminated Soil for Improved PAH Bioremediation. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 65: 627-634. 8Leahy, J.G. and Colwell, R.R. 1990. Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbons in the Environ. Microbiol. Rev. 54: 305-315. 9Ward, W., Singh, A. and Van Hamme, J. 2003.Accelerated biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon waste. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 30: 260-270. 10Phillips, T.M., Liu, D., Seech, A.G., Lee, H and Trevors, J.T. 2000. Monitoring bioremediation in creosote contaminated soils using chemical analysis and toxicity tests. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 24: 132-139. 11Churchill, S. A., Harper, J. P. and Churchill, P. F. 1999. Isolation and characterization of a Mycobacterium species capable of degrading three-and four ring aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:549-52. 12Weissenfels, W. D., Beyer, M., Klein, J. and Rehm H. J. 1991. Microbial metabolism of fluoranthene: isolation and identification of ring fission products. Appl. Microbiol. 34:528-535. 13Supaka, N., Pinphanichakarn, P., Pattaragulwanit, K., Thaniyavarn, S., Omori, T. and Juntongjin, K.2001. Isolation and characterization of a phenanthrene- degrading Sphingomonas sp. strain P2 and its ability to degrade fluoranthene and pyrene via cometabolism. Sci. Asia. 27: 21-28. 14Lee, S. and Cutright, T. J. 1996. Nutrient medium for the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil. US Patent. 5, 508, 194. 15Marta, I., Alquati, C., Morgia, P., Mansi, A., Scotti, R., Nicolini, L. and Papacchini, M. 2006.Contaminated sites: assessment of the metabolism, growth and genetic characterization of wild-type microbial strains able to degrade naphthalene. Prevention Today. 2: 35-50. 16Kumar, G., Singla, R. and Kumar, R. 2010. Plasmid associated anthracene degradation by Pseudomonas sp. isolated from filling station site. Natur. and Sci. 8: 89-94. 17Zhao, H. P., Wu, Q. S., Wang, L., Zhao, X. T. and Gao, H. W. 2009. Degradation of phenanthrene by bacterial strain isolated from soil in oil refinery fields in Shanghai, China. J. Hazard. Mater. 164: 863-869. 18Shin, K., Kim, J. and Kim, K. 2008.Effect of biosurfactant addition on the biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil-water system. Environ. Eng. Res. 13: 8-13. 19Simarro, R., Gonzalez, N., Bautista, L. F., Sanz, R. and Molina, M. C. 2011. Optimization of key abiotic factors of PAH (naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene) biodegradation process by a bacterial consortium. Water Air Soil Pollut. 217: 365-374. 20Dibble, J.R. and Bartha, R. 1979.Effect of environmental parameters on the biodegradation of oil sludge. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 37: 729-739. 21Kim, Y.H., Freeman, J.P., Moody, J.D., Engesse, K.H. and Cerniglia, C.E. 2005.Effects of pH on the degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 275-285. 22Bisht, S., Pandey, P., Sood, A., Sharma, S. and Bisht, N. S. 2010.Biodegradation of naphthalene and anthracene by chemo-tactically active rhizobacteria of Populus deltoides. Braz. J. Microbiol. 41: 922-930. 23Othman, N., Hussain, N.H., Abd Karim, A.T. and Abdul-Talib, S. 2009.Isolation and optimization of napthalene degradative bacteria. International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure and Built Environment in Developing Countries. Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.101-105. 24Dean-Ross, D., Moody, J. D., Freeman, J. P., Doerge, D. R. and Cerniglia, C. E. 2001.Metabolism of anthracene by Rhodococcus species. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 204: 205-211. 25Al-Thani, R.F., Abd-El-Haleem, D.A.M. and Al-Shammri, M. 2009.Isolation and characterization of polyaromatic hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria from different Qatari soils. African J. of Microbiol. Resear. 3: 761-766. 26Bauer, J. and Capone, D. 1985. Degradation and mineralization of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons anthracene and naphthalene in inter tidal marine sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 50: 81-90. 27Mitchell, J. and Cain, R. 1996. Rapid onset of the accelerated degradation of dicarboximide. Pesticides Sci. 48: 1-11. 28Tadros, M. G. and Hughes, J. B. 1997. Degradation of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by indigenous mixed and pure cultures isolated from coastal sediments. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 63(65): 865-870 Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? The word reconcile means that, to find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile for instance science and religion. When two people are reconciled they become friendly again after they have argued, (Cambridge advanced learners dictionary). In this essay I will dwell much on whether liberty and equality can be reconciled by defining these concepts. Liberty and freedom are often used interchangeably, however they essentially mean the ability to think or act as one wishes. Gerald McCallum: â€Å"Freedom is always of something (an agent or agents) to do or not to do, become or not become something†. Most political theorists assume that people ought to be free unless there are compelling reasons for restricting their freedom. For instance J.S.Mill believes that, to be human is to enjoy a sphere of in which one is able to think, express ideas and lead a lifestyle of one’s own choosing. He went on to say, â€Å"even if a person finds himself in an opinion, he should be free to express that opinion† and â€Å"if all mankind, minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would not be justified to silence that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind† By allowing individuals to be free, society can progress, hence the ideas of mi nimal government and protection of human rights and freedoms. There are two concepts of liberty, these includes negative and positive liberty (Isaiah Berlin, 958). Negative liberty involves response to the question: what is the area within which the subject a person or group of persons is or should be left to do what he is able to do or be, without interference by other people. It implies freedom of choice, therefore, Law and Government should only serve to enlarge and not restrict freedoms, and privacy of the individual must be respected by recognizing a clear distinction between what is public and what is private and finally it advocates individual rationality as the basis for choice. On the other hand, positive liberty is involved in the answer to the question: what or who is the source of control or interference that can determine someone to do or be, also interested in the question ‘By whom am I governed?’ However, as opposed to â€Å"How much am I governed? G.C. Mc Callum, (1972). According to T.H. Green it means personal gr owth and self-development. Liberalism is one of the dominant political ideologies of the contemporary world that favors liberty in terms of equality. It is founded on the traditional notions of individualism: this reflects the belief in the supreme importance of the human individual as opposed to any social group or collective body. The liberal goal is therefore to create a society within which individuals can flourish and prosper with everyone pursing what they consider as good in any way they choose to define it. Therefore, individual freedoms or liberties are given priority over notions of equality, justice and authority. It is thus based on the presumption that freedom is a good thing and that any limitations of the same should be justified. It is strongly against limitation on freedom of individuals to pursue self interest. It however, favors private property and free enterprise, for instance freedom to buy and sell anything. And finally it is against state control and seconds that role of the state limit ed to maintaining law and order, in this respect, it should provide defense and oversee enforcement of contracts. Equality refers to the belief that human beings are born having equal rights. The Declaration of Independence asserts some of these rights to be life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Equality is not about blanket uniformity but rather to establish the legal, political or social conditions in which people will be able to enjoy equally worthwhile and satisfying lives. The principle of equality sometimes contains the assertion that people must have equal access to wealth and property in order for them to more fully realize the principle of equality. According to Oxford English Dictionary, equality implies the condition of having equal dignity, rank or privilege with others, the condition of being equal in power, ability, achievement of excellence, fairness, impartiality, due proportion, and proportionateness. Therefore, this term is defined in the light of equal conditions guaranteed to each for making the best of him. In the words of Barker, it implies that â€Å"whatever conditions are guaranteed to me in the form of rights, shall also, and in the same measure, be guaranteed to others and that whatever rights are given to others shall also be given to me†. So says Laski: undoubtedly, it implies fundamentally a leveling process. It means that no man shall be so placed in society that he can over-reach his neighbor to the extent which constitutes a denial of the latter’s citizenship†, J.J. Rousseau [(1762) 1969]. There are two forms of equality positive and negative. Positive form implies the adequate provision of opportunities for all. Here, the term ‘adequate opportunities’ does not mean ‘equal opportunities’. Since people differ in their needs and capacities and also in their efforts, they need different opportunities for their individual self-development, Friedrich Hayek and Keith Joseph (1979). Negative equality implies the absence of undue privileges. That is to say there should be no artificial grounds of discrimination, such as of religion, color, race, caste, wealth, sex, and many more. The underlying principle being that no talent should suffer from frustration for want of encouragement. It is still a challenge to provide a coherent defense of equality. This however requires separating out the various principles, and explaining what it is that is being equalized or equality is in danger of degenerating into a mere political slogan unless it is possible to a nswer the question ‘equality of what’?: is it income, or well being, the capacity to acquire certain goods, or something else? Socialism is also one of the dominant ideologies of the modern world that favors equality than liberty. Socialists believe in a Common Ownership: this relates to the ownership of property in the community as opposed to individual ownership. The argument here is that by placing property in joint community ownership, the common good is promoted rather than the good of individuals. To them a positive view of freedom must be examined in a social context and therefore in the context of resources of a material kind. The right to read and write, for example, requires the provision of schooling if such a right is to be meaningful. In the Socialist World Order all classes and private property are abolished. The means of production for instance, that is all land, machinery, factories and other productive resources must be under the democratic control of the people. Wage labor is unknown. All worked for the collective good and products are distributed according to the principle of â€Å"From all according to their ability to all according to their need. They however, call this a good society. Liberty and Equality are political concepts that strongly oppose each other, to be specific; between them there is what we call war of principles. For instance, Libertarians believes that Libertaria is the place where humankind should seek its future. This is because it is a society where people are truly free. They have the economic freedom to pursue their own ends in a market society. Indeed Libertaria is run exclusively on market lines. They do not believe in the good society as such, as market choices constantly fluctuate. Individuals must choose their own good life and the market is where they make their key decisions. On the other hand, Egalitarians believes that Egalitaria is the ideal place to which humankind should commit itself. It is the benchmark by which other societies can measure whether they are serving the aims which any good society should fulfill. Individuals believe that market decisions produce what people want. In Libertaria all make market choices and all receive from the market that which is their due. They are free from both the stifling collectivity of Communitarian and from the fear of having to make sacrifices, a fear which haunts Utilitarian. While Egalitaria would be the good society because it would be one in which all citizens are treated as being of equal worth. It would have basic political liberties, equality of opportunity and the rule of law, all of which are constitutionally guaranteed. It would also be dedicated to ensuring that these basic rights are of equal worth to their possessors (Lukes, 1993: 34). Libertaria has freedom of speech, of movement, of thought and of association. The rule of law prevails and there is no torture. They have a minimal state which oversees the system of free exchange, the courts, contractual disputes, the armed forces and the police. They realize that the state can build up its own interests which can conflict with those of private individuals. They therefore, keep its role to an absolute minimum. Freedom is their watchword and freedom to choose is prized above all else. On the other hand, the citizens of Egalitaria would be filled with a basic abhorrence of injustice and would strive to overcome any involuntary disadvantage whether such disadvantages are the result of religion, class, gender, ethnicity or whatever. Egalitaria would not tolerate the gross inequalities which characterize some of the communities within Communitarian. Rights in Egalitaria would be universal, not subject to the dictates of history, culture and tradition. Considering the above argument it seems like each ideology is giving no space to the enjoyment of the other ideology, or in simple terms we can say that it is hard for liberty and equality to go together, however, in practice these terms are mutually reinforcing each other. It is also very hard to find a society that is purely libertarian or that is purely Egalitarian, this means that in libertarian the possibility of finding some element of equality is there, same applies to the egalitarian, there are some sort of liberties though to the slightest degree. Therefore, there are some instances where liberty and equality move together with a common goal for instance the promotion of welfare of the people. It is also of great important that liberty and equality should work hand in hand, just because they act as watch dog to each other, for instance, the relationship that is between them is that like of three arms of government executive, parliamentary and judiciary. The problem with establishing the realm of liberty is that there are a bewildering number of grounds upon which freedom can be upheld. In much liberal political thought freedom is closely related to the notion of rights. However, as many political theorists employ a value-free or social-scientific understanding of such terms, they are quite prepared to accept that certain freedoms such as the freedom to murder should be constrained. In that sense, liberty or license distinction merely begs the question: which freedoms are we willing to approve, and which ones are we justified in curtailing? Alternative means of distinguishing between liberty and license was proposed by J.S. Mill. As libertarian who believed that individual freedom was the basis of moral self-development, Mill proposed that individuals should enjoy the greatest possible realm of liberty. However, Mill also recognized that unrestrained liberty could become oppressive, objectionable, morally corrupt and even tyrannical. In on Liberty (1859) 1972) Mill proposed a clear distinction between self-regarding actions and other-regarding actions, suggesting that each individual should exercise sovereign control over his or her own body or life. The only justification for constraining the individual, Mill argued, was in the event of ‘harm’ being done to others. Mill emphasizes that liberty becomes license not only when the rights of another are violated, or when harm is done to others, but when liberty is unequally shared out. In this sense equality is seen as standing block to the existence of license . Equality is a multi-dimensional concept. Diverse opinions are put forth in locating the exact relationship between these two concepts. Writers like De Tocqueville and Lord Acton hold the view that liberty and equality are opposed to each other as they are antagonistic. The desire to have equality destroys the possibility of having full liberty. Achievement of equality demands positive state action. Equality needs a positive state and liberty needs a Negative State. The Elite theory of Democracy is against the principle of equality. But on the other hand writers like Maitland, Rousseau, Barker, Laski and others, hold the view that they are complementary to each other, in the sense that they both play an important part in human life, fulfilling separate but complementary. Since the principles of liberty and equality are ideals capable of being mutually realizable, one answer to the continuing debate regarding each principles precedence would be the check of each principle on the excesses of the other. A just society might hold itself to the standard that, while difficult to reconcile, it is still most desirable to strive to strike a balance between upholding the belief in the inherent equality of all individuals, and the protecting the right to liberty for all its members. L. T. Hothouse opined that liberty without equality is a high-sounding phrase with squalid results. Liberty lies in equality. Liberty without equality degenerates into license and equality without liberty lapses into uniformity. To Prof. Barker Equality in all its forms, must always be subject and instrumental to the free development of capacity; but if it be pressed to the length of uniformity; if uniformity be made to thwart the free development of capacity, the subject becomes th e master, and the world is turned topsy-turvy. Liberty unites men but equality criticizes the social hierarchy and contributes towards the stability of the community ((1931) 1969) R.H. Tawney. Therefore liberty would be hollow without some measure of equality and equality would be meaningless without liberty. In this age of democracy where voting is a powerful weapon in the hands of the electorate economic equality is most essential condition because the economically powerful person will use his economic resources to gain political power. Political equality will be a mockery in the absence of economic equality. As per above argument it is hard to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not, in the sense that these terms are supported by different ideologies but which are reinforcing each other. So to say that they can be reconciled is forgetting that the terms are founded on different ideologies and on the same point to say that they cannot be reconciled is also forgetting that these terms are mutually reinforcing each other, hence making this question very contested one. Who determine that excessive use of liberties leads into license? What yard stick do they use to determine harm to others? And what is harm? It is good to know that what is harm to me cannot be harm to others and vice-versa. For instance, a society that is comprised of well-off and worse-off, come together and agree that they should be following the principle of â€Å"to each according to ability† can another man from a distance society come and say that the well-off in this particular society are harming the worse-off? This cannot be possible since what he calls it harm cannot be harm to others. In this case the worse-off choose to do what they can manage to, according to the level of their economic status, therefore, it is not harm to them, because they have decided to follow it based on their will and rationality. And again, who determine that excessive use of equality leads to uniformity? What is uniformity? What yard stick do they use to measure uniformity? In every time we talk of equality we must also note that there are some forms of inequality. What is equality to a particular society cannot be equality to the other, since society perceives things in different way all together. The issue of inequality will not come to an end since they were there before, they are here today and possibly they will be there tomorrow. What a just society would do is to come up with measures or initiative to overcome them. For instance legitimate inequality, affirmative action and positive discrimination where the society comprised of well-off and worse-off come to a consensus that they should accept the status of inequality and that they will be following a principle of â€Å"to each according to needy†, but the end result should be greater to the worse-off so that they should little by little cover the gap that is there between them. On the other hand this makes sure that talents, skills and ability are not hindered. Therefore, one cannot come and say, this is uniformity since what is uniformity to him cannot be uniformity to others. It is good to reflect on these questions and acknowledge that what is liberty or equality to the state cannot be liberty or equality to individuals or the collectives group and vice-versa. What was liberty or equality yesterday cannot be liberty or equality today. These things keeps on changing based on circumstances that people as a nation are going through. Therefore, liberty and equality are continuously changing depending on time and who uses them. Finally, based on argument above its very tricky and challenging to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not. However, beauty lies in the hands of the beholder; even though, there are no general examples that can be sighted to show that liberty and equality can be reconciled, but there is a room for reconciliation since they are complementary. Therefore, liberty and equality have a common end, the promotion of the value of the personality and the free development of its capacities. No one of these can be enjoyed in isolation. Bibliography Heywood, A. (2004). Introduction to Political Theory. In A. Heywood, Introduction to Political Theory (p. 252 and 284). china: Palgrave Mc Millan. J.C, J. (2004). Principle of modern politcal science. In J. Johari, Principle of modern politcal science (p. 200). New Dehli: Sterling. Hoffman J. and Graham P (2009) introduction to Political Theory. Professor Wizeman Chijere Chirwa, Dr. Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo and Dr. Edrinnie Kayambazithu. (2004). Building an informed Nation. In Building an informed Nation (p. 58). Lilongwe: Democracy Consolidation Programme.