Chris Evans launching of “The Terry and Gaby Show” on Five in 2003

Chris Evans launched â€Å"The Terry and Gaby Show† on Five in 2003, in an attempt to compete with ITV's â€Å"This Morning†. In less than a year it had been axed. Looking in detail at an episode from each show, identify the codes and conventions of the daytime TV genre, and suggest why â€Å"The Terry and Gaby Show† failed to dent the popularity of â€Å"This Morning†. After looking at each of the episodes I found that the presenters in each one were quite the same. In both of the shows they have a man and a woman presenter and in both of the shows they seem very chatty and friendly. I think that in TAGS the presenters (Terry and Gaby) are better known and also have been in lots of different shows working together in the past. I think this shows that they should be able to work together very well and this should help the show, but as they know each other well it could make them more relaxed and so this could spoil it slightly as they talk to each other rather than the audience. In both of the shows the presenters are smiley and happy which is good because this should help people be more relaxed watching the show. It also makes it more personal to the people watching. For TAGS I think the presenters are more well known and more famous they are well known for some of the shows they have been in and this could make people more likely to watch it. In TM the presenters talk to the audience more rather than talking to each other, which will definitely help the show but the presenters of TM (Fern and Philip) are not as well known and not as famous so people might rather see TAGS. I think that the presenters have nothing to do with TAGS being axed. I feel that the conventions for daytime TV presenters are that they have to be chatty, happy and friendly. Terry and Gaby are well known for being in lots of shows but most of the shows they are in are similar. In all of the shows they are in they are smiley happy and chatty which is the same in TAGS. This is probably why they were chosen for the show in the first place. You haven't really differentiated the presenters in terms of their brand image†¦ they are not identical! PH There are lots of different types of items featured on daytime TV the conventions for daytime TV are Celebrity news and interviews, real life stories, Gossip/News and competitions. In TAGS they had all of this stuff but their celebrities were not as famous as in TM. I think this is mainly because TM had been Going for much longer and so was more known in the celeb world this means more famous celebrities are more likely to agree to be on TM because it was more well known. In the episode of TAGS we watched the celeb they interviewed was mostly just on the show so he could advertise another show which was coming on channel5. In the episode of TM we watched they had a different variety of celeb's interviewed which could be another reason it was more popular than TAGS. In TAGS the competition prize was just a DVD player and the competition was very easy to answer they probably did this so that more people would ring with the answer witch would give them more money and as it was easy it would attract more viewers. This obviously didn't work which is probably because the prize was not as good either. In TM the competition was harder to get but the prize was a holiday, which is much better than TAGS and could have helped them get more viewers. I think that the competitions didn't have much to do with TAGS getting axed. For both of the shows They had someone on who spoke about celeb news and gossip and a bit of normal news. I think that in TM it was much more informative and detailed and in TAGS it was much more comedy rather than real news and information. I think they mainly did this because they were trying to target a younger audience by making it more up beat and new. They tried to do this by putting in things to encourage young student viewers as well as the older generation. TM is more targeted at an older generation because they have things In to appeal to older people. I think that TAGS made a mistake by doing this because it is more likely that people who are older are going to be watching a daytime TV show so this could have been one of the main reasons TAGS got axed. The conventions for the title sequence for a daytime TV show are loud cheery music, colourful and light settings and just some thing happy and jolly. The title sequences for both of the shows are very different; in TAGS it shows Terry and Gaby on their way to work and shows the way they are travelling. It shows that Terry is on a bike and is cycling to work and Gaby is being driven to work in a posh car she goes in the back of the television centre and Terry goes through the back. In TM it has different coloured squares running along the screen some of these have different clips from the show, some have different relaxing objects in them and some just have colour. Both of these are very colourful and bright and both have very happy cheery music in but they both are very different. For TM I think that it has a better title sequence because firstly it has better more catchy music that everybody likes but in TAGS the music is cheery but a bit boring and only some audiences would have liked it. I think that this could have been one of the reasons that TAGS got axed because people might have seen the title sequence and then thought that the show was not for them. I think that the set in TM is much more calm and relaxing which is good because in daytime TV it should be relaxing so they can relax from whatever job they are doing and sit down and not have to watch anything to bright and confusing. For TAGS the set is very bright and up beat and much more colourful. I think it is the convention of daytime TV to have a very bright set and to have it set up like someone's living room with a sofa to make it look more homely. I think that the set for TM is much more relaxing and homely and that in Tags it is a bit too bright and colourful. This could have defiantly put people of watching the show. In TAGS They have a studio audience unlike TM who haven't. I think that TAGS having an audience is good because it includes the viewer more because there are normal everyday people on the TV too but it is also good for TM not to have an audience because it means their wont be any background noises or laughs at the wrong time which could annoy people. Rather vague, little use of media terminology (Mise-en-scene etc). PH By Sam Iles Sam, you have not properly addressed the points I raised from your first draft. Detailed examples are lacking (no mention of specific guests), nor do you make much reference to media concepts or theory (celebrity brands, mise-en-scene). You do identify some of the codes and conventions of the genre and engage in some limited analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each text.

Analysis of Scenes of Atonement Film

Atonement- Analysis of Scenes The scene starts with a long shot of the three characters walking on a path in the reeds towards the camera. The reason a long shot is used is to establish the setting of the characters. It cuts in to a close up of Robbie to show his emotion as he realises they have made it to the sea. It cuts to an medium high angle aerial long shot as the characters are running through the reeds to show the true desperation of the men. While they are running the music playing is low like being played on an organ and picks up pass to build up the tension of the scene.It tracks their movement as they run and cuts into a close u p of Robbie’s shoe then zooms out and moves up at the same time up over Robbie’s head to an extreme long shot of the beach of Dunkirk. The reason an extreme long shot was used was in order for the viewers to really be able to see the whole of the beach, to capture the essence of the War by all the devastation of the beach by seeing i t all. A reverse shot reverse is used between the men and the beach, firstly it is a close up of Robbie’s face to be able to portray the emotion of disappointment in Robbie’s face.The camera then cuts to its continues tracking shot using a handheld steadicam for the duration of 5 minutes. It starts with the camera tracking a medium shot at eye level of the men talking as they walk towards the camera. the captain is tall and walks with precision to show his authority. The camera continues to track the men in a long shot as they walk along the beach, certain objects obscure the view of the men walking as the camera tracks behind things like burning cars which is included in the mise-en-scene as it shows the viewers the true devastation of the scene.Robbie is walking with purpose and determination and the camera follows Robbie to shows his purpose. There is no music just the rattling of the on goings of the soldiers and the soldiers shouting, the sounds of horses are hear d and gun shots. As the horses are being shot in a long shot view with Robbie walking away from them music starts playing to heighten the emotion of the scene. The camera tracks Robbie as he moves through the scene, the camera follows some flying papers in the air into a low angle shot of the broken sails of a ship with a man on top shouting ‘Laddie, I’m coming home! which shows contrast of his hope despite his hopeless situation, it also gives a sense of madness. The camera tracks down into a close up of Robbie to show his emotion through his facial expression. The beach is filled with broken debris and men going about all sorts of things, one man is seen doing exercises on a beam and contrasts with other men getting in a fight or stumbling around drunk. A Ferris wheel is seen in the background surrounded by smoke and devastation, it looks as if it’s almost a dead carnival and the Ferris wheel is a to show the true nature of the devastation of the war.Children a re seen sitting down next to some toys, they are placed sitting down to convey the defeat and hopelessness in their situation. The music begins to swell and men are heard singing as the camera tracks them and moves into a close up as it goes round seeing their faces as they sing, gives a feeling of hope within them. The camera tracks back into a close up of Robbie showing defeated, uncomfortable expression on his face which contrasts as the camera tracks around a group of men shouting and jeering as they are going on a merry-go-round.The camera tracks back as Robbie and the two men walk towards the camera in a medium shot as they walk through the beach, showing all the doings of different men on the beach. The camera tracks the men walking up some stairs as the music heightens, the camera turns to show the beach as it tracks behind men. It shows the devastation the beach has suffered due the terrible war, it tracks behind the men to include them into the shot as they are a part of t he war.The camera tracks along exposing the beach and music is at a very low tempo to compliment the feeling of the shot as well as the men singing are heard as well as the â€Å"Laddie, I’m coming home! † BRIONY IN THE HOSPITAL The scene starts with a long shot of a corridor lighted down the middle, the type writing sound is heard. The music picks up as a group of nurses in a long shot walk down the corridor towards the camera. The music and typewriter is the same as the scene Briony had as a little girl and so the music in combination with the rhythmic typewriting has become her signature soundtrack.The camera pans in a close up shot of the nurses shoes as they walk passed, the shot of their shoes shows the determination of them as they walk. The camera tracks the nurses as they walk into a room with the patients beds, it goes into a close up of the head nurse as she addresses the other girls, the close up shows the seriousness in her expression as she talks. A shot reverse shot is used as the head nurse addresses them. The other nurses are dismissed walking away in two lines showing precision eaving Briony standing alone in the middle of the shot and the music heightens as the camera zooms into a medium shot of her showing a worried, lonely expression on her face. the hospital seems to suit her character as everything is in order and is just so, everything is white, perfect and orderly which goes well with her character. The camera cuts to a shot reverse shot of Briony and the head nurse as she addresses Briony, Briony is positioned in a very upright position to show her character.The camera cuts to a close up shot of Briony in the window to portray her unhappy emotion, the camera zooms out into a long shot of Briony walking down a corridor, the shot has low key lighting as it gives an almost eerie feeling. A radio is heard in the background recounting the developments of the war as well as her signature sound of a typewriter is heard as she w alks, she walks very rigid but not with the same determination as in the previous scene with her as a girl as if ‘there is no Briony anymore. ’ The camera pans a shot of the nurses room, all doing girly things as they get ready for bed.Lights are switched off and the sound of the typewriting is heard once again and the camera cuts to a medium shot of Briony sitting down writing in the dark, one of her fellow nurses walks in and Briony jumps up guiltily as if she’s doing something wrong when she gets a fright from the noise. A medium shot reverse shot is used as a conversation between the two are going on. Briony’s hand slaps down on the page to show she’s anxious about anybody seeing her work. A high angle close up shot of her hand on the page is shown and once her hand is removed the viewers see the title of what she’s writing â€Å"Two Figures by a Fountain. A slow swelling of music is heard as they speak about the book and a close up of t he two faces is shown to portray the friends eagerness to know about the story and Briony’s worried expression on her face. Briony confesses what it’s about in a close up shot to show her pain as she thinks about what she has done, it shows her growth as a character as she is finally acknowledging and understanding what she has done. There is a half shadow on her face which is a technique the director has used to portray secrets as she is only telling a half truth.There is a long shot used to show the two girls laughing and this is the first time Briony is seen laughing as she is feeling exhilarated. Music picks up as the camera cuts to a shot of Briony sitting at a desk writing a letter to Cecelia, as she is writing there is a voice over telling us what she has contained in her letter. The camera cuts to a series of shots of her cleaning as the voice over of the letter is being read, the cleaning is symbolic for cleansing oneself as she is trying to cleanse herself fo r to terrible thing she did.She is trying to atone for what she has done and that is seen through the shots. For example there is a close up shot of her vigorously scrubbing her hands which is symbolic for her desperation to cleanse herself within. The camera cuts to a medium shot of the two girls talking as they pack stuff away in the store room , the camera cuts to a close up shot of Briony to show her expression as she is reminiscing about her crush. A bell rings and the camera tracks the nurses as they run through the corridor, music starts to swell to add tension to the scene.The camera tracks the girls as they run through a group of soldiers outside, men are heard shouting and it adds to the sense of chaos. There is a medium shot of Briony carry a badly injured man inside, a medium shot is used to show the determination on her face. The camera cuts to different shots of nurses tending to injured men and what Briony is doing, the continues change of shot and the use of the hand held camera really adds and emphasizes the chaos of it all as well as the use of the handheld camera making it feel more real. It cuts to a shot of Briony having blood on her hands which is very symbolic.Men and those being carried are rushing passed her as she stands looking around, Robbie is seen in the middle and it quickly cuts to a close up of Briony to show her reaction to seeing him, music swells to add to the climax of her going towards Robbie but the music drops when it’s not him. Briony is seen inside again tending to injured men, there are close ups and medium shots of the terribly injured men to add to the devastation of the war. In the shots Briony is seen as very composed and determined in contrast to some others who are crying.

GSV Software Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GSV Software - Assignment Example GSV has a well-planned production strategy that is aimed at satisfying its large customer base. The aim of a company being to satisfy its customers with high quality products, GSV has attained that without compromising the quality of its programs. In its working, it integrates CSR and sustainability with their products and their operations. To ensure third party satisfaction, it complies with supply chain security global standards of various regions which include PIP in Canada, CTPAT, WCO and AEO in Europe. According to Johnson and Clark (2008), customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal of any company, the providers liaise well with the parties in the supply chain to get the information required to maintain global business security (71). The security self-assessment tool that is incorporated into the program is important in verifying the integrity of the person. GSV product delivery is done by third parties. This means that it has to introduce ways to ensure that the customers are satisfied with their products or risk losing their large customer base. This can be done by introducing a customer feedback forum so that they can address the arising issues and improve on their

Contract law- problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Contract law- problem question - Essay Example (Thomas v. Thomas)2 The position in respect of existing obligations under a contract and whether they can act as good consideration will now be discussed. One of situation is the one where variation of existing obligations under a contract between the parties occurs.The principle has been modified but the extent to which such modification applies remains unclear. The long established principle in respect of variation of terms and promises in that respect was that of Stilk v. Myrick3whereby it was a long accepted principle that if there was an existing contractual obligation it could never be relied upon that is it could not as good consideration for a fresh promise with the person to whom the existing obligation was owed.. The decision of Stilk and it being good law is doubtful after the case of Williams v Roffey Brothers4the facts of the case were that carpenters, plaintiff, while doing their work, asked the defendants for additional amount of money to finish the work even though they were no doing anything more than what they were already obliged to do. After completion of the work the defendants refused to pay the plaintiff. The main argument that was put forward was that there had been no consideration for the defendants’ promise to pay the additional amount and the decision of Stilk and its application would lead to the promise being construed unenforceable. However, the Court of Appeal found that that plaintiff’ could recover the promised payments for completion of work of the flats, the Court gave a broader meaning to consideration than what had been previously given. The reasoning of Glidewell LJ in particular referred to the point of ‘practical benefits’ which were likely to have accrued to the defendants as a result of them paying the additional promised amount of money, these were that such a promise ensure that the plaintiffs stayed and continued work thus the

The Influence of the Bible on Contemporary Music Research Paper

The Influence of the Bible on Contemporary Music - Research Paper Example Music is influenced by the nature of the culture from which the artists have developed their aesthetic point of view. Music expresses emotional connections which are enhanced by the literary value of the lyrics that are written to define the subject matter. One of the most influential pieces of literature of the past two thousand years has been the Bible, the rise of Christianity forming culture and transforming the nature of life. Music and lyrics, as art forms, naturally reflect the cultural influence that the Bible has had on Western society. The Bible has influenced modern music, both in positive and negative venues, the Judeo-Christian foundation of society evolving in a wide variety of formats and belief systems. While some artists express joy from this perspective, others express anger and resentments. From either point of view, the Bible has been a strong influence on culture with the arts, including modern music, reflecting that influence. Schippe and Stetson explore the many ways in which the Bible has influenced society. Literature, the newspaper, rock musicians, screen writers, television producers, and advertisers, all frequently use the Bible for inspiration for their work. Fine artists and commercial artists use the Bible in order to gain inspiration for their work as well (1). The Bible is a double edged sword in regard to the influence it brings to society. The moral and ethical structure that Western society is based upon is derived from the Bible, thus much of the positive imagery found in the arts can be attributed to the Bible. However, there is a darker side of the Judeo-Christian heritage that often finds its way into the arts. ... Her greatest hits album at the end of 1990 was titled The Immaculate Collection, a tongue in cheek take on the concept of the immaculate conception story in the Bible. Christian images are even more prevalent in her video interpretations of her music than even in the music itself (Taraborelli 203). In her song Like a Prayer, the visual imagery is specific to the crucifixion and to the embodiment of a deified male character who is associated with Christ. According to Campbell, the message of the song is that we are all brothers and sisters under Christ, that racism diminishes humanity. Her video emphasizes the spiritual nature of the music even though the music provides no straight narrative to the visual imagery (299). The band Devo used the influence of the Bible as a starting point from which to define some of the music that they created. They saw the Bible as a mythology, a set of beliefs from which society defined its place in the universe and Devo saw that hubris as humanity pla cing itself at the center of the universe. The name of their band, Devo, was constructed from the concept of de-evolution. In creating music that was contradictory in nature to the influence of the mythology of the bible, they were â€Å"attacking ideas that people have that they’re at the center of the universe† (Crisafulli 65). In naming their band by a name that came into conflict with creationism and evolutionism, Devo was making a comment on the pride with which religion elevates human beings above a place in which they lose their awe for all of nature. The music of politically inspired musicians often also include music that is inspired by the Bible. Sinead O’Conner, greatly influenced by the politicized,

Epidermis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Epidermis - Essay Example This layer is located above the basal layer (James et al., 2005). It is characterised by ‘pushed up’ basal layers that squamous cells, or keratinocytes which produce keratin, a tough protective protein (Marks & Jeffery, 2006). The layer also contains Langhern cells which attach themselves to antigens invading damaged skin (Proksch, Brandner, &Jensen, 2008). These are two characteristic layers that are located above the Squamous layer. They are made up of bigger and flatter keratinocytes that contain keratohylain granules used to bind keratin filaments together (Marks et al., 2006). This is the outermost layer of the dermis comprising 10-30 thin layers of continually shedding and dead keratinocytes (Ovaere, Lippens, Vandenabeele, Declercq, 2009). Its cells are clamped and tightened together to form a ‘horny’ like lay In conclusion, the human skin maintains a natural look through the continuous renewal of the epidermal cells. Through its various layers and cells, the epidermis also serves as an important component within the skin structure that helps in protecting the body against oxidant stress, ultraviolet rays, chemical compounds and microbial pathogens. Ovaere P, Lippens S, Vandenabeele P, Declercq W. (2009). "The emerging roles of serine protease cascades in the epidermis".  Trends in Biochemical Sciences  34  (9):

Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities Essay

Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities - Essay Example To be more precise, celebrities make the society to throw away the cultural makeup. Hence, the community members put on a fake image that does not depict their own characters. Technology is the primary cause of these entire obsessions with celebrities. Teens glue themselves to the television; watching programs that makes them more interested in the lives of celebrities more than their own. Smartphones, on the other hand, provide updates about celebrities’ gossips every hour. Just to remember, the past week, everyone talk was all about the revealed story of Solange, Beyonce’s sister attacking Jay-Z while in an elevator (Sarah, 2014). Thus, the society read about it in the magazine, searched it on the internet, or heard it from friends. Most people obsession with celebrities can lead to cultural paradigm alterations. To some extent, the adjustments are real. A good example is of Michael Sam, the footballer who came out building the confidence of most of the young gay athl etes. He advanced the advocacy for gay marriages and promoted free to talk about their sexuality. On its negative side, the culture of celebrities and fascination with status and wealth make the average and poor people feel unworthy of the world. As a result, the mind of the young people growing up to find a place in the world is corrupted with no option but to become rich even through violence. In fact, some researchers claimed the existence of a growing disorder known as â€Å"Celebrity Worship Syndrome.† The disease is however not inclusive of personality disorder (Inglis, 2010).

Reducing Oil Consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reducing Oil Consumption - Essay Example While much effort has been directed towards this cause, it is imperative to note that the challenge is still eminent and this calls for even greater effort considering that the United States is the largest consumer of oil in the world (Butts, 58). Higher taxes One economically efficient way of reducing oil consumption across the United States is to increases the tax on oil products. Indeed, there are always many opportunities for oil conservation by the public such as reducing mileage. However, many people do not care to follow such strategies since they can easily afford the oil. This strategy will help in reducing industrial consumption of oil and forcing people to be more economical with oil. Higher taxes would translate into higher prices for the oil and people would therefore strive to limit their consumption of oil as much as possible. This would even call for the use of oil alternatives in situations where it is possible. Efficient Transportation Transportation is one sector t hat consumes a great amount of oil in the United States. Considering that many people drive their own cars, it is expected that oil consumption is indeed high. Unlike Europe, the public transportation system in the United States is not well developed. Many people own cars and this greatly increases gasoline consumption in the country. In this regard, the public transportation system should be redesigned effectively. High-speed trains are an effective ways of reducing the use of gasoline in the country. These trains are powered by electricity and travel and very fast speeds. In the same way, the development of hybrid cars should be fast-tracked. Cars that use electric propulsion should be developed and mass produced. In this case, much of the road and air transport would be substituted by high-speed rails. These trends can further be used in freight transportation and this would greatly reduce the consumption of oil in the country (Woodside, 98). Oil Alternatives There has been much ongoing research on the use of biofuels as an option to the crude oil. Indeed, biofuels have been successful in countries like Brazil which placed much focus on its production. Considering that the transportation sector is a very large consumer of oil, biofuels would come in handy as an option to oil. The major challenge in this respect is the fact that vehicles that use biofuels are still few in the country. It is estimated that a combined use of biofuels and electricity in internal combustion engines can reduce the importation of oil by more than half. In the same way, other forms of renewable energy like solar and wind have not fully been exploited in the United States. The installation of more windmills and solar panels would provide much power that would reduce the demand for oil. The focus of these programs is therefore to provide cheaper energy options and educate the people on the need to use these options as opposed to oil (Woodside, 78). Research on renewable energy source s should be the major concern for policy makers as they would facilitate the reduction of oil consumption. Recycling While it might not seem much obvious, recycling is an important way of reducing the consumption o

Fundamental Principles to Adult Education Essay Example for Free

Fundamental Principles to Adult Education Essay Adult education’s principal and fundamental principle is to harness and enhance adult individual’s skill and knowledge to be productive contributors to the society. Adult learners are provided then with programs and adult education movement for granting more opportunities for their advancement, as their success is regarded as the society’s growth as well. Adult learners should be educated not only for increase of knowledge but also for gaining more integral values as they were expected to give more of themselves and contribute in productivity of the society they belong. Fundamental Principles to Adult Education Being a teacher of a particular credit-based community college course is a very serious and tedious task. Since there would be a variety of 35 students’ whose age range vary from 17- 70 years old, this would certainly mean a† big challenge† for the instructor’s part, in order to teach and provide learning effectively. Malcolm S. Knowles, a prominent writer and instructor, advocated the theory of non-formal (informal) andragogy or adult education in the United States. He taught various principles and wrote numerous detailed accounts discussing on how to facilitate learning especially for the adults. Applying clinical Rogerian psychology in his writings and teaching; in result, he was able to train his students to acquire the attitude of being self-motivated. Furthermore, Knowles initiated the interest for implementation of informal adult education and he differentiated the advantages of the informal education, to the standard, traditional formal education. According to Knowles, formal education are mostly implemented and commonly used in secondary educational schools, commerce schools, and universities; whereas in informal adult education, students are just likely to complete credits on particular vocational or training courses and their classes are to be held on â€Å"community center unions, and other industries and even churches. Moreover, formal education requires that of being stable for completion of long term four-year course or more; when the latter (informal education) serves to be more temporary and flexible. However, it does not mean that informal education is not serious, the system just purports to be flexible enough to meet the needs of the adults who may be busy with their lives (job, family, religious and other activities). And these cases meet the demands of several adults who would want to re-educate themselves and to refresh their knowledge and learning from their vast experience, or to simply increase and gain more knowledge and training from their desires course of interest. In brief, Malcolm Knowles acknowledged the increasing demand and importance of adult education in the present 20th century. Knowles objective of real learning in adults, he emphasizes that an adult learner should acquire self-concept, readiness to learn, experience, orientation towards learning, and especially, the motivation to learn (Smith, 2002). On the other hand, a professor in New Zealand named, T. A. Hunter, also propounded the proliferation and development of an adult education movement. Hunter’s principle of education is grounded on his belief that education is depicted to the successful adjustment of a man to physical and social changes in one’s environment. His blueprint for adult education is the successful integration of biological, physiological, sociocultural, and cognitive knowledge derived from the informal training or education (Hunter, 1929). Adult education should mainly function to harness and enhance adult individual’s skill and knowledge. Adult learners at the same time should still be given the opportunity for advancement since their success is the society’s growth as well. Adult learners should be educated not only for increase of knowledge but also for gaining more integral values as they were expected to give more of themselves and contribute in productivity of the society they belong. In addition, this adult education is more of an inspiration among individuals who are in search for more adequate and applicable learning, and is regarded as an opportunity to success with one’s endeavors and purpose of serving the society (UNESCO, 1960). Fundamental principles of adult education then, should be grounded on the â€Å"realistic† and objective goal of learning. Education as embedded in the infinite realm of knowledge should be available to everyone regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, and culture. Adult education, as it plays a significant role and is the demand of most populace, should be taken seriously to address the learner’s need for proper, adequate, and effective learning. Moreover, there is a call for the government, to increase attention for the provision of the proper adult education. Increase of funding for the adult learners’ facilities, venues, and other learning tools is urgent to make this effective learning possible (UNESCO, 1960). References Hunter, T. A. (1929, July 1). Adult education. The New Zealand Railways Magazine, 4, 3. Retrieved from October 13, 2008, from http://www. nzetc. org/tm/scholarly/tei- Gov04_03Rail-t1-body-d7. html Smith, M. (2002) Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and Anadragogy. Tthe encyclopedia of informal Education. Retrieved October 13, 2008, from http://www. infed. org/thinkers/et-knowl. htm UNESCO. (1960). World conference on adult education. Retrieved October 13, 2008, from http://www. unesco. org/education/uie/confintea/montre_e. pdf

Segmentation and Market Target Essay Example for Free

Segmentation and Market Target Essay To obtain success, and then retain success, organizations need to determine which market segments to focus (Kotler Keller, 2012). Additional consideration is necessary to ensure that the organization can effectively serve this market segment. According to Kotler and Keller (2012), the finest marketing plans identify and embrace segment differentiation by determining the demographic, psychographic, geographic, and behavioral characteristics. For example purposes, this white paper discusses segmentation and target market for â€Å"Your Organization†. Consumer Segmentation Organizations will not benefit from mass marketing, however will gain success through the insight of consumer segmentation. As mentioned above, the four primary segmentation variables are demographic, psychographic, geographic, and behavioral characteristics. For clarification purposes, a brief description of each is shown. Demographic segmentation separates consumers by â€Å"variables such as age, family size, family life cycle, gender, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation, nationality, and social class† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p. 216). Psychographic segmentation takes into consideration the consumer values, attitudes, and lifestyles. Geographic segmentation addresses the variables of region, climate, population growth rates and density. Lastly, behavioral segmentation considers price sensitivity, usage, brand loyalty, and attitudes. Examples of â€Å"Your Organization†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s segmentations is below, using data provided by the organization’s core operating system â€Å"Your Organization Server† (2014), effective for June 1, 2014. Demographic Segmentatio n â€Å"Your Organization† is a community chartered credit union in Richmond, Virginia. The demographic information includes age, income, and gender. When accessing the age brackets for members age 12 or older, management found the primary age bracket of 47 – 65 years old at 41.8%. The chart below provides details on each age bracket. Based on this information, the  credit union needs to determine how to shift the average age of our membership to 33 – 46 years of age to firmly establish a strong future membership base. Gender is the final demographic item the credit union reviews. Each gender is broken down within the age brackets. The credit union was originally formed to serve the Richmond employees of DuPont, leading management to the assumption of a significantly larger male percentage of members. As shown below this assumption was incorrect; thus, additional marketing focus to the female segment is ideal. Currently, the credit union focuses on large  truck, motorcycle, and SUV loan target mailings, leaving the mid-size and minivan opportunities unaddressed. Information was available regarding the occupations of the membership; however, the disorganization of the data lead to inconclusive results. Consequently, the senior management made the decision to disregard the results from this demographic group. Geographic Segmentation â€Å"Your Organization†, as a community charter credit union, faces the challenge of a small geographic area in which to serve consumers. Potential membership must live, work, worship, volunteer, or attend school in the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and the city of Richmond. In order for management to gain insight into the location of members’ households, the credit union segments the membership by city or county. The geographic information is as follows: City of County Percentage of Membership Chesterfield 43.21% Hanover 14.38% Henrico 10.63% City of Richmond 28.97% Undetermined 2.8% Behavioral Segmentation â€Å"Your Organization† reviews the following behavioral groups, credit driven, fee driven, upscale, middle market, middle income depositor, and low income depositor. These groups are then cross compared with age and income brackets. The chart below provides a visual on â€Å"Your Organization†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s percentages, along with credit union national averages (Open Solutions Inc., 2011). Age Income 18 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55-64 65+ $125,000+ Credit Driven 10% 10% Upscale 6%, 9% $50,000 $125,000 Middle Market 26%, 24% Middle Income Depositor 17%, 17% Less than $50,000 Fee Driven 19%, 18% Low Income Depositor 22%, 22% â€Å"Your Organization† Credit Union National Averages Based this information the credit union should focus on further targeting the upscale segment and relying less on the fee driven. As regulations continue to change, fee income will potentially decrease. Psychographic Segmentation In regard to the psychographic segmentation, â€Å"Your Organization† has relied on member loyalty throughout the years. However, as economic turbulence continues to impact the organization, per the Vice-President of Marketing (2014), the credit union is seeking to further exploration into psychographic segmentation. According to Kotler Keller (2012), Strategic Business Insight’s (SBI) VALS framework signifies the values and lifestyles of classified Unites States adults using questionnaires to identify the consumer’s motivation and resources. Information from SBI states that with the ongoing evolution of the financial industry, â€Å"consumers are becoming increasing multidimensional† (SBI, 2004). The VALS assessment takes into consideration for channel or interface preferences, trust in institutions, control within the household, and much more to determine financial patterns. The credit union would benefit from conducting research on the psychographic se gmentation of the membership, as no longer demographic and behavioral segmentation is enough. Positioning Statement A positioning statement for â€Å"Your Organization† which supports the current brand and strategies is as follows. â€Å"Your Organization† will assist our community members in reaching their financial goals. We are committed to supporting and serving fellow community members through financial needs, charity events, and volunteering. Our credit union promises to serve our  members through each stage of life. This supports the current psychographic segmentation of brand loyalty, and a willingness to support the membership financially through each stage of life. Conclusion Regardless of the organization, the ability to obtain success, and then retain it is due in part to ability to focus on the correct market segments. However, the organization must ensure that it possesses the resources to this market segment. â€Å"Your Organization† is working to create the highest level of marketing plans by identifying and embracing segment differentiation through demographic, psychographic, geographic, and behavioral characteristics. However, further improvements are necessary to achieve the ultimate tier of success. References â€Å"Your Organization Server†. (2014). Segmentation data. Retrieved from â€Å"Your Organization† on June 1, 2014. Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Open Solutions Incorporated. (2011). Overview analysis. Retrieved from â€Å"Your Organization† corporate library on June 1, 2014. Strategic Business Insights. (2004, June). Segmentation in the twenty-first century: Financial behavior of the VALS segments. Retrieved from http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/cfd/MRsummaries/MR.VI-09.shtml.

Wheelchair Interfaces for Paralyzed Persons

Wheelchair Interfaces for Paralyzed Persons New method suggest some improvements regarding muscles to drive a wheelchair. People with disabilities such as Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis or tetraplegia experience problems while using traditional wheelchair-integrated joystick due to deformities of their limbs, amputees, tremor or because the are paralyzed below the neck. For them, different methods to use wheelchair have been invented. Among them, the most popular are voice command, brain command, eye tracking, face tracking and tongue tracking. In this project, the main emphasis is put on interfaces based on eye-tracking, head gestures and users habits. The eye methods are effective, but distracts patients view. The physiological background of Electro-Oculography is well understood among different eye movement research methods. Therefore, the report regarding this project is chosen to be described. voice command is too sensitive for the background noise, but has works quite fast. Tongue tracking is inconvenient, but less than eye tracking. Face tracking is sensitive for skin color, but quite efficient. Brain command is very successful, but difficult to adjust. 2.1. Eye-computer interfaces The authors of [1] present an electrooculography (EOG) based wheelchair interface. Beyond simple path guiding, this device has three other features: path re-routing, obstacle sensing and avoidance, and tilt detection. It is also worth nothing that the microcontroller is used in the wheelchair system instead of a laptop computer. Electrooculography is a bio-medical technique used for eye movements observations. It measures the resting potential of the retina. This potential comes from the fact that eye acts a dipole: it has a positive charge on the cornea (the front part of the eye) and a negative charge on the retina (the rear part of the eye). The measurements are conducted with electrodes applied onto the face skin. More important is the location of the electrodes which depends on the eye movements. If the patients gaze is in the horizontal direction, the electrodes have to be placed near the lateral canthi of both eyes. On the other hand, if eye movements are expected to vary in a vertical direction, then the electrodes have to be placed above and below the eye. Figure 2.1Electro-Oculography method It is particularly interesting that the constructors applied additional ultrasonic sensors into the wheelchair. These sensors, placed on the wheelchair body, send signal to detect obstacle and then receive the reflected wave. This back signal helps the microcontroller to choose the best path. The researchers designed the interface in that way that gaze directions like left, right, forward or back correspond with internationally understood directions like north, west, east and south. No pulse means centre. The microcontroller of so called User Instructions Processor (UIP) encodes upcoming signals in order drive to in a certain direction or to avoid collision with an obstacle. Finally, the tilt detection algorithm is realized by the gyroscope applied to Drive Control Module. It informs UIP about possible danger associated with breaking safe tilt limit, predefined for wheelchair. In this case, corrective measures is done by the user or the alert to the patients doctor/nurse is sent. 2.2. Head Gesture Recognition This method, described in [2], allows to obtain images of humans head in order to process them for certain commands. The equipment used for this application is called Gesture Cam. It is a Smart Camera which was modified with embedding a processing unit. This modification allows the device to process images at the high resolution. Moreover, due to this condition, the only mage feature that has to be processed, is the output of the camera. GestureCam is based on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) which is supposed to process data from intensive video faster in real time than a traditional Personal Computer. Firstly, the authors took the video of the user. After that, they used Viola-Jones method in order to detect users faces. Figure 2.2 Viola-Jones method used for detecting nose. Figure 2.3Viola-Jones method used for detecting eyes 2.3. Anticipative Shared Control The researchers and at the same time the authors of presented a wheelchair navigation interface which enables the user to move from one room to another into an indoor place. The control over this interface is shared between the user and the computer. Therefore, it is called Anticipative Shared Control and the system POMDP (stands for Partially Observable Markov Decision Process). The main impact of the computer is that it uses data based on human habits, visited paths, time of the day etc. On the other hand, user can decide whether he/she wants to choose particular path, suggested by the interface or change settings. The main purpose of these operations is to complete users intentions and expectations as full as possible without increasing effort while operating the wheelchair. Tha advantage of that solution is that the wheelchair can take the user for longer trip without requiring more gestures. The authors notice that using interactive interfaces like eye-tracking or Electromyography (EMG) may be tiring for the human. The proposed design of the wheelchair interface is to use make fusion of head gestures and eye-tracking and to add more functions like winking, baring teeth, raising eyebrows or In this report various wheelchair interfaces were presented. The aim of their design is to improve life of persons who suffer from diseases causing. As far as eye-tracking is considered, many papers regarding eye-tracking systems were published. Generally, the advantage of eye-tracking over voice command is that eye can send accurate visible signal, for example, by gazing in certain direction. It is worth noting that eye-tracking method, described in , is very reliable. Moreover, it is simple to use in various applications. Because of the straightforward gaze detection, it is very reliable, accurate and, based on previous research, quite economic. The use of microcontroller reduces time of complex calculations, provides enough high level of intelligence and unweights the wheelchair because of replacing a laptop computer. The head gesture interface is quite effective and economic. However, it faces different ambiance conditions (such as changes in illumination or various objects in the background) as well as users appearance (face complexion, or glasses). [1] R. T. Bankar and Dr. S. S. Salankar, Head Gesture Recognition System Using Gesture Cam, in Fifth International Conference on Communication Systems and Network Technologies, Gwalior, India, 2015. [2] P. Pinheiro, E. Cardozo and C. Pinheiro, Anticipative Shared Control for Robotic Wheelchairs Used by People with Disabilities, in IEEE International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions, Vila Real, Portugal, 2015. [3] T. R. Pingali, S. Dubey, A. Shivaprasad, A. Varshney, S. Ravishankar, G. R. Pingali, N. K. Polisetty, N. Manjunath and Dr. K. V. Padmaja, Eye-Gesture Controlled Intelligent Wheelchair using Electro-Oculography, in IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), Melbourne, Australia, 2014.

Imprisonment in Shakespeares King Lear Essay -- King Lear essays

Imprisonment in King Lear      Ã‚   In the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare, the idea of imprisonment is fundamental to the plot and central ideas. All characters are imprisoned, whether it is physically, socially or psychologically. Each character suffers 'imprisonment' in some form.    King Lear is one of the more caged characters of the play, he suffers both social and psychological incarceration and this is one the chief reasons for his descent into mental hell and inevitable downfall. Lear is imprisoned by the role he must play in society and by his own internal shackles. The abdication of the throne initiates the action in the play, through the consequent chain of events. However this indicates that Lear is imprisoned by his responsibility to society, a social harness binds him. He renounces the throne to lead the rest of his life in pleasure and in doing so he disrupts the Great Chain of Being, he challenges the position that he has been given and thus his family and indeed the entire nation, descend into disorder and chaos. The storm is symbolic of this occurrence; the weather imitates the state of men. "One minded like the weather," the gentle man recognizes the disquiet and unrest of the storm, as a manifestation of the turbulence in Society at the time. He is not only responsible for the harmony of a nation, it is also his duty to maintain harmony in his house. This he does with little success when "bribes" his daughters to fuel his own ego. "Which of you shall we say doth love us most,/That we our largest bounty extend," Lear is requesting his daughters to compete in a "game" of words, he does not really wish to know who loves him the most, he simply wishes to be flattered, through this he is rashly aba... ...    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Imprisonment." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2000): 10.1-5 <URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999

Legalize Pot :: essays research papers

The Decriminalization of Cannabis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cannabis Sativa, the illegal strain of hemp known as marijuana, provides numerous benefits that greatly outweigh the harmful effects of the drug. The perceivable physical and social problems of excessive use of marijuana are severe, yet unproven. These problems are easily related to those posed by excessive alcohol consumption on a regular basis. There are a variety of advantages of the legalization of marijuana that can be categorized as medical, social, and economical improvements. Although the harmful side effects such as brain damage caused by the use of marijuana have not been proven, as the only government licensed testing for this effect was unmercifully biased, the advantages of the drug in a medical context have been repeatedly proven. Marijuana is known to slow the influences of diseases including AIDS, glaucoma, epilepsy, certain forms of cancer, and many more fatal and incurable ailments. Currently, approximately 150,000 citizens of Ontario alone suffer from diseases that marijuana would help to lessen, but due to the stringency of federal and provincial laws only 50 of these people are granted exemption. The war on drugs endangers us all. Police react towards the age groups who are commonly rumoured to use these drugs severely. The sad fact is that crime is induced by the actions of law officials. People are forced to very dangerously smuggle marijuana in and out of the country. Sales of the drug have seeped into every tiny crevice of our communities. This could be stopped almost instantly with the licensing of sales in stores and specialized cafà ©s. Also, it is rumoured that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder, more dangerous substances like cocaine and heroin. The reasoning behind this is that a large portion of hard drug users smoked marijuana before advancing to harder drugs. The flaw in this reasoning is that the majority of marijuana users have never before used hard drugs. The nation's economy would undoubtedly be one of the largest beneficiaries of the legalization of marijuana. By adding steep tariffs on import, export, and sales of marijuana, Canada’s revenue would be increased greatly, adding money that could go towards lowering taxes, lowering the national debt, and increasing healthcare and national security. The prices of marijuana, despite the high taxes, would be significantly lowered due to the decrease of danger from prosecution. The current street prices of marijuana range from $150 to $250 per ounce of low-grade bud.

Integrated research Essay

Introduction A family comprises of mother, father, children, grandparents and others united together by blood or adoption. A family results from a marriage. Family structures are built through marriage and that is why it is said that proper marriages lead to proper families . The family functions that are outlined in marriage settings are almost similar and that the challenges that are experienced in the marriage are those challenges that will eventually impact negatively on the family. This research will outline various challenges that marriage as a practical identity possesses and their eventual implications in the family. Marriage Marriage can be defined as the interpersonal relationship between most commonly a man and woman who are united legally via social, religious are or governmental recognition. There are different types of marriages; †¢ Arranged marriages-this is where marriage partners are chosen by the society e. g. monarchies †¢ Boston marriage-marriage between two partners not necessarily for sex e. g. between two women. †¢ Common-law marriage- involves a class of interpersonal status where people united by a common believe on marriage law marry on that basis †¢ Digital marriage-a kind of marriage where two people with no connection in their ‘gaming’ lives come together within a virtual community and declare that they are married †¢ Covenant marriage- in this case two people come together as partners in union and make a long life commitment for the marriage. Divorce is made more difficult here. In some jurisdictions, the legal concept of marriage has been recently expanded to emerging social beliefs such as same sex marriages. Marriages are considered part and parcel human stage of life and most people believe that at one point in their lives they should get married. People marry for different reasons ranging from; to achieve social and economic stability, to have and nurture children, to form a family unit and finally to legitimize sexual relations. Marriage is considered the main factor and the pillar of a family. Better families result from better marriages as the people involved are given enough guidance to form the next generation of the family. The persons in the family learn good values and teachings from their parents hence this will ensure that any subsequent marriages are strong and stable. Contemporary critics also suggest that modern marriages have become extremely very disadvantageous for women. When it comes to economic or social considerations, women do not compare with women. Contrastingly, the continued bias towards women will mean that in the near future, mean will be on the other side of the fence-where women were in the last century. This is evident from the fact that modern policies and divorce laws have been specifically designed to protect women. However, with the emergence of same sex rights, the situation will be more complicated due to the legal prohibitions and social taboos that deny the practices full recognition. Loss Loss of one of the marriage partner leads to termination of the marriage . Loss may result form death, divorce or any other factor that will mean that one of them is left alone. This is usually disastrous for the family setting where one parent or spouse is left alone to meet all the family requirements, in a case where the children still young and need to be taken care in terms of education provision, health, love, shelter etc. Grief usually results from loss and it is very various legal systems and societal family arrangements offer different legal directions and guidance on handling properties (finances, assets etc. ) developed by the couple incase one dies or incase of a divorce. Some cultures believe that both the wife and the husband are entitled to equal property rights. Other societies also prohibit children especially the girls from inheriting the family’s assets including land. A widow may also lose family property if she decides to remarry. Partners in a marriage are jointly responsible and liable for the debts of the marriage practice and therefore if there is any misunderstanding on the responsibility of the same, then, it might be solved on an individual basis. The era of the myth ‘doctrine of necessities’ where the husband remains the sole provider for the family is gone. Today, all partners in the marriage share responsibilities equally depending on the income generation level of each.

Structural Adjustment Programme and the Nigerian Economy

HIS predecessor and father James had already ran the country monetary assets down. Charles got into power with no money and a high taste for lavish things. In 1640 Charles wanted to go to war and he demanded that parliament should give him the money, when they refused he became furious and wanted to dissolve them. The issues kept piling up and tension grew between Charles and the parliament. It eventually got to the point where Charles dissolved the parliament because of their refusal to release money to him, and he ruled without them for 1 1 years.After those years a Scottish group called The Covenanter tried to obtrude England, as a result Charles put the parliament together again, with the sole alma of raising funds to stop the group. To his disappointment the parliament refused to help him and he dissolved them yet again. He finally had to pay the Scottish people 850 Euros everyday to prevent them from moving forward, he eventually ran out of money in 1641 and was forced to call back parliament. Charles lack of money and his peoples revolution against him. Another factor to consider is that of religion.The English people did not like or want to be ruled by Catholics. Charles went ahead to marry a French Catholic lady, this caused a lot of anger and unrest amongst the people; not only that but it gave the people yet another reason to despise Charles. After dissolving parliament he made Laud the Archbishop, Laud went ahead to make a lot of changes in the church like making the priests wear robes, putting up stained-glass windows and building statues within and outside the church; this changes made the English people remember Catholicism whish they despised so dearly.

Cost Benefit Analysis Essay

Abstract The City of Sanford initiated work on their Parks and Grounds City Project in 2004 with the development of Phase I of said project in an effort to create and build a better community for city residents. In doing so, they have been privy to obtaining various grants and funding that allowed them to extend the focus on the project to the Riverwalk and Seawall, while extending the phases of the Program to Street Revitalization, the Riverwalk Gateway, the Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, and soon the Orlando Sanford International Airport. This document will note the cost-benefit analysis that took place in the development of the project. It will also state how such analysis is used for making decisions regarding public expenditures, the role the economic theory played in conducting research for this particular project as well as the influence of economic theory on the cost benefit analysis for this project. Public Finance Proposal Part I: Cost Benefit Analysis The consideration of costs and benefits in the evaluation of an upcoming city project is a rather logical process. In fact, it is important for city managers to take into account the project costs and benefits prior to implementation of said project. The process of developing the project idea is essential and thus consideration for the best course of action becomes essential to the process. Once these measures have been weighed out it is critical to compare the costs associated with implementing the courses of action addressed in the development phase. Decision-Making through Analysis Through the use of Cost Benefit Analysis, the City of Sanford City Management and board of county commissioners addressed the costs and benefits to the project at a time when the economy was starting to take a downturn. It was therefore critical to evaluate the project thoroughly and determine the feasibility of the costs to the city budget. Though cost benefit analysis probably could be best used in making quick and simple financial decisions (Mind Tools, 2012), one certainly can take away from this process the brainstorming involved in the initial decision making. Surely the city managers involved in the development of the city of Sanford Riverwalk Project addressed the needs of the community prior to development of the project. In fact, knowing the city’s history is critical in understanding the Department of Parks and Recreations focus on implementing such a plan. The City of Sanford’s focus on economic growth and the revitalization of the historic riverfront for which it is best known for is just one example of its efforts. Sanford’s focus on community development is clearly shown in its commitment to leisure activities designed to enhanced city resident’s quality of life. Although the city is known for its charming and traditional 19th century downtown area, it is also becoming more available to adjoining communities through its vibrant and fast paced interstate corridor. This corridor is best known to travelers from out of town by way of the Orlando Sanford International Airport as well as through the surrounding interstate (Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, 2009). It is clear that city managers focused on the development of the city in implementing the projects that would not only enhance the quality of life of residents, but also with the economic activity would also help improve the city through recognition by also providing advantages. In this case the benefits of implementing the city projects far outweighed the cost, and showed to be feasible enough to implement through use of federal grants such as the Community Development Block Grants and through partnerships with County Government in providing effective packages for such projects as these. The Role of Economic Theory Economic theory is an essential part in economic research, and even more so when discussing the development of city projects. The idea that the implementation of policies in budgetary issues would improve people’s lives is attractive to budget administrators and city administrators alike (Varian, 1989). In fact, it is most useful for evaluating the answers to common problems faced by local organizations. The determining factor is based on the approach taken to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The use of Cost Benefit Analysis in City Projects , such as the Sanford Riverwalk, provides strategic analysis and planning of the recreational incentives for city residents. The city is based around surrounding popular cities known for their parks and recreation. The City of Altamonte Springs, Daytona Beach, and the City of Orlando are known for their state parks and touristic areas. Because the development of such a project would contribute to a competitive market and enhance the face value of the city, it is part of the overall analysis of the research conducted on this particular project. Influence of Economic Theory Economic theory was certainly influential in cost benefit analysis of this project. After all, in considering the allocation of resources and funds to be contributed to this particular project it is important to consider how the implementation of policies and use of budgetary items contribute to the enhancement of daily living. In addressing economic developments for the city it is critical to permit processes of analysis and improvements that provide a service to the development of the community and provide the ability to meet the Department representatives to discuss site specific development issues (City of Sanford Government, 2011). Reports generated over the years confirm the economic impact generated in the city in this past year to reflect over $15 million (City of Sanford Government, 2011), thus another example of the economic influence to the city’s development of said project. In the long run, the use of cost benefit analysis in development of community projects is a relatively easy tool that can be used to decide if a change is necessary in the community. Consideration of economic theory and the influence of that theory on the analysis of project development is essential in determining if the project will be effective and feasible for the local government. References City of Sanford Government. (2011). City Manager’s 2012 Annual Report . Sanford: City of Sanford. Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. (2009). Sanford Stats. Orlando : Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Mind Tools. (2012, December 10). Retrieved from Mind Tools: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_08.htm Varian, H. R. (1989). What use is Economic Theory? University of California at Berkeley.

Comment closely on the following poem Essay

The Self-Unseeing portrays Hardy reminiscing over his childhood life with his parents. In the first stanza, the setting – their old house – is described in a way that conveys a sense of age and weariness, through such words and phrases as ‘ancient’ (emphasizing the age), ‘footworn and hollowed and thin’ (alluding to the emptiness which has overtaken it through the passage of time after it has been abandoned), ‘former’ (revealing the extent of change in the house, eg. by the door no longer being there), and ‘dead feet’ (those of his parents). At this point in the poem Hardy speaks in the present tense from the outside of the house, in order to convey its emptiness to the reader. The second stanza ignores these aspects of the house, instead focusing on his memories of his parents, which contrast with the first stanza by filling the house with life and action. A happier mood is created here, through a sense of warmth created by the fire, and his mother’s smile, which, along with his father’s playing the violin (‘bowing it higher and higher’), shows the happiness he felt while living with his parents. The musical effect of the violin is also complemented by that of the smooth-flowing ‘abab‘ rhyme scheme. The present tense verbs ‘smiling’ and ‘bowing’ imply that these memories were vivid, as if by introducing the setting to the reader he is reliving them. Hardy’s reference to his parents using the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘he’ rather than their actual names transforms the personal tragedy of the death of his parents to a universal one to which the reader can more easily relate. However, this tragedy is buried beneath the warm, welcoming mood established by the aforementioned use of language in this stanza. Hardy illuminates these memories in the final stanza with light imagery – ‘blessings’ (which tend to be associated with heaven and therefore light), ‘day’, ‘glowed’, ‘gleam’, which underscore the joyful feelings previously evoked. This use of light imagery serves as a metaphor to reveal how Hardy, ‘childlike’, ‘danced in a dream’, and overall, the diction shows that his memories had a dazzling and pensive quality. However, it can be seen from the concluding line, ‘Yet we were looking away! ’, that he feels remorseful for not fully appreciating what he had at the time. It is this line which gives meaning to the poem’s title – he (the ‘self’) was ‘unseeing’ and could not see the true value of his life with his parents. This makes the light imagery all the more powerful, as Hardy uses it to show that he is now able to see what he was unable to in his childhood. His newfound appreciation for his memories is also evident in the first stanza, where ‘here is’ and ‘here was’ sorrowfully reveal the setting of which he is about to reminisce. Overall, Hardy’s memories are presented in this poem with both regret and happiness. The phrase ‘hollowed and thin’ in the first stanza, in light of this regret, describes the likely state of his soul following the loss of his parents. The regret is subtle at first, but becomes much more apparent after reading the last line; it is as if Hardy uses this line to allow the reader to look back (as he had looked back on his past) and be filled with regret through this reflection. The past-tense verbs ‘walked’, ‘sat’, and ‘stood’, which are simply describing what once was, become tinged with regret (as if mourning) upon a second glance. In contrast, the passive verbs ‘danced’, ‘emblazoned’, and ‘glowed’ preserve their cheerful connotations, which suggest that to Hardy, reminiscence is a bittersweet experience. This idea is supported by the structure of the poem: three quatrains with ‘abab’ rhyme schemes; although the rhyme scheme establishes a sense of reminiscence, there are emotions both positive and negative associated with it. The simple pattern of it also mirrors the simplicity and naivety of childhood. The structure, rhythm, and diction of the poem thus convey a powerful message – that pleasant experiences will eventually become memories, carrying both the happiness of their past occurrence and the regret and sadness of knowing that their time is past.

Allegory and Obstacles in The Pilgrim’s Progress

Allegory and Obstacles in The Pilgrim’s Progress In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan explains the journey of a newly-saved believer. Bunyan’s story unraveled in a dream of a man named Christian. After reading a section in the bible, Christian tells his wife and children that he must find a way to deliver them from the City of Destruction or they will be burned by fire from Heaven. As Christian sat in a field crying for salvation, a man named Evangelist advised him to run toward a shining light that would lead him to the Wicket-gate where he could learn how to be saved. Throughout his journey to the Celestial City, Christian encountered people who tried to discourage him and lead him astray in many ways. Two of these deceiving people, Worldly Wiseman and Apollyon, symbolize very common setbacks that occur in the walk of believers. Worldly Wiseman was a man of high standing in his hometown Carnal Policy. He had great knowledge of how the world sees morality. As he crossed paths with Christian he tried to convince him that going to the Celestial City was a waste of time. He told Christian not to take counsel from Evangelist or read the Bible because doing so would only lead him to peril and death. However, even though Mr. Worldly Wiseman seemed to know what he was talking about, he didn’t. He tried to deceive Christian into thinking that he could have happiness and be released from his burdens if only he lived a moral life. He considered people who took the hard road to the Celestial city foolish. (13-19) For the most part, Worldly Wiseman allegorically represents the world’s scorn of having a relationship with God. The world’s outlook, and that of Worldly Wiseman, fits right into the Devil’s plan because it makes people believe that if they are a good person they will go to Heaven without having a relationship with God and without taking the sins from their life, which is just not true. Christian was led astray by what Worldly Wiseman told him until Evangelist found him again and got him back on the road to the Celestial City. Apollyon was a horrific beast, in the Valley of Humiliation, who believed that he was lord and protector of all the land. He despised the Prince (Jesus) and killed anyone who went to seek Him. When Christian encountered Apollyon, he tried to strike fear in his heart. He told Christian to go back to his home in the City of Destruction or he would kill him as he did the others who passed to find the Prince. Christian did not listen to him, but instead told him that he liked the things of the Prince better than those of Apollyon and would not return to his previous home but continue his journey. Hearing these things enraged Apollyon and he decided to kill Christian. However Christian stood his ground and fought him for nearly half a day. Battered and injured things looked grim for Christian but when Apollyon turned his back the Lord gave him the strength he needed to pierce his sword into the monster, and he flew away bringing victory to Christian. (63-69) Within the narrative, Apollyon symbolizes subjection to worldly power and the loss of spiritual freedom. He tried to take away Christian’s freedom to choose a path towards God. Apollyon is comparable to a dictator who demands that the people under his rule must not worship or follow God, but instead take part in worldly, sinful practices. This type of government is all too common in this world. It causes people to have less knowledge of God because people fear to share the gospel in highly persecuted countries. Also the people who do know the gospel must risk everything at times. It’s hard for a father to sacrifice his wife and children or his life to follow God. However, people in lost, tyrannical countries must stay strong and fearless in their walk with God, and missionaries must trust that God can protect them as they share His Word with those countries. Evangelist went into Apollyon’s dominion, knowing the dangers, in attempt to save as many people as possib le. Christian left his home and family, and went through many trials and obstacles to follow God. God is infinitely worth it though, both Evangelist and Christian knew this. Every character in The Pilgrim’s Progress allegorically stands in for obstacles or blessings that occur in a Christian’s walk with Christ. This essay is focused on the obstacles. One of the worst things that happens in Christian churches across the world is the spectacle of half-hearted â€Å"Christians† believing that they don’t need a relationship with God. Instead, they have the mindset of Mr. Worldly Wiseman and believe following religious rules alone can get them to Heaven. Another common obstacle in a Christian’s, or even a non-believer’s walk is persecution. Apollyon, much like the world’s dictators, persecuted all who wanted to follow God. This kind of leadership makes it much more difficult for believers to follow Christ. Worldly Wiseman and Apollyon both symbolize some of the most destructive problems in the lives of Christs followers. However, those problems in reality, just as in the book, can be overcome.

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Summery - Essay Example This is because crime is not spread evenly across the maps. Therefore, the NIJs have to come up with a formula to map the crimes depending on the concentration of crimes (National Institute of Justice). However, different types of crime hot spots areas require different types of maps because each area has different types of crime. The report further explains the different types of crime theories, as well as, how they can be depicted on the maps. It further gives the techniques and methods used in understanding crime hot spots, as well as, spatial analysis tools that are used for identifying such hot spots. The report concludes by giving an approach to hot spot analysis. The most interesting thing about the report is that it informs the reader on how crime mapping can be used to understand patterns of recidivism and incarceration. This helps target programs and resources in evaluating crime reduction or prevention in reduction programs, as well as, understanding the causes of crime. The approach of crime mapping is important because it ensures that the NIJs understands the issues the crimes that are committed in every community and methods to go about how to resolve and reduce

International Product Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Product Life Cycle - Essay Example The firm with the innovative product serves the home market first and then exports the product to foreign markets. This point can be clearly supported by the following statement. Many of the products found in the world's markets were originally created in the United States before being introduced and refined in other countries. In most instances, regardless of whether a product is intended for later export or not, innovation is initially designed with an eye to capture the U.S. market, the largest consumer nation. In the second phase, production starts in foreign countries either through licensing or re-engineering of the product. Importing countries in the initial stages, generally, wealthy countries import innovative products gain product familiarity. As product familiarity increases, demand in the foreign markets expands. This attracts more players and results in manufacturing in foreign countries. (Hill W.L) This production in foreign countries slowly replaces exports of the innovative firm. In the third phase, firms manufacturing in foreign countries gain production experience and move down the cost curve. Sometimes they manage to produce the goods at a lower cost than is possible for the innovative firms. ... Of these, only three are U.S. firms, with the rest being from Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, and Malaysia. In the fourth phase, these foreign firms have adequate product experience and economies of scale to export their products to the innovator's home country. Black-and-white television sets, for example, are no longer manufactured in the United States because many Asian firms can produce them much less expensively than any U.S. firm. Consumers' price sensitivity exacerbates this problem for the initiating country. Some of the key characteristics and features of a product are its quality, styling, and performance. These characteristics are affected by consumer needs, conditions of product use, and ability to buy. The factors that affect product attributes change from country to country. For example, in the US, bicycling is a recreational activity. So buyers want their cycles to be lightweight and have the speed that is essential for rapid touring. However, in Nigeria, the bicycle is often a measure of transportation and customers prefer cycles that are heavy and durable. In Nigeria, speed and lightness are not the criteria for purchase decision-making. Looking at these four phases, one can deduce that in the first phase the product was new. In the second phase, the product was maturing. In the third and fourth phases, the product gets standardized. In phase four, the product becomes a commodity. In this phase, the product is manufactured in less-developed countries and exported to developed countries. Understanding this cycle helps international marketing managers to understand the patterns of international trade and production and helps them in preparing a logistics plan.

Everybody's History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Everybody's History - Essay Example This was an organization, which sometimes referred to themselves as â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry,† and included of historians, lawyers, genealogists, collectors, college presidents, teachers, and new paper editors. These participants were upset that Lincoln biographers either ignored Indiana or featured it as a backwoods place that Lincoln was glad to escape. They thus joined together in the1920s and 1930s to recuperate a part of Abraham’s life which his biographers had left out: the ages between seven and twenty-one years, when he resided on the Indiana border. To prove the biographers wrong, they conserved, researched old records, recorded, and shared the Southern Indiana history as essential to Lincoln’s life and to the history of the American border. Along the way, they involved most of the historical agencies of the State, competed with his contemporary biographers, civic commemoration, and conflicted with the Ku Klux Clan. They also interviewed aging witnesses, bu ilt a historical village, hosted pageants, and presented their findings in print publicly. They successfully rescued some of Indiana’s history through correcting an eliminated chapter of Lincoln’s life. The â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry† felt that is was important for them to tell about Lincoln’s youth in the Indiana State since despite the omission from his biography’ he indeed grew up here. ... because he spent fourteen of the most determining years of his life growing into manhood from youth (1816-1830).Many of the moral values and character traits that made him one of the most respected leaders in the world were created and nurtured in Indiana. It was in this rural farm where Lincoln learned to chuckle with his father, mourned over the death of his mother, studied the books that opened up his mind, and conquered the hardships of life on the frontier. Prior efforts to claim Abraham for Indiana were focused on relating external events of his adulthood with items during his youth. The group argued that to be a lawyer, Lincoln read a book on law while living in Indiana. They believed that Illinois is what it is because of Lincoln’s making, cultivated by his life experiences in Indiana. But until they provide data to back their claim, then people will be left to create vague assertions on Indiana being significant, critical, or formative. The historical society preserve d evidences that they could convince people about the youthful years of Lincoln. His boyhood National Memorial, which is a component of the National park service was utilized as site to conserve the farm on which Abraham spent his life during the seven to twenty-one age bracket. The park consisted of a memorial visitor center put up by the Indiana state in 1940s; a hut site memorial, the graveyard where his mother was buried, as well as a recreated living history ranch where visitors get an understanding of the frontier life. Here, the group could bring in visitors and those interested in Lincoln’s history and educate them much about his real biography. Groups such as the Southwestern Indiana Historical society have plaid a big role in American politics and more so, on myths about Lincoln.

The Rights of Women and the Rights of Humans Essay

The Rights of Women and the Rights of Humans - Essay Example According to the study the rights of women are violated through domestic violence such as battering meted at them, sexual discrimination, workplace discrimination on the basis of their genders, decision making in the political processes and many other areas. There are also cultural practices which discriminate unfairly against such as genital mutilation, poor nutrition and denial of education for the girl child in some communities. All these are atrocities directly faced by women on a daily basis but the dilemma both historically and conceptually is how to separate them from human rights. It becomes difficult because women just like men are humans and the question of human rights is invoked there is no differentiation between women and women. This essay highlights that it is very important for every person to realize that there is a difference between gender equality and human rights. In my opinion historical injustices that continue to be committed against women such as rape and denial of the right to education not only amount to violation of their rights as women but as humans. Many nations around the world have made deliberate efforts in terms of policy to educate their citizenry on the importance of treating women as equals with their male counterparts and abandon negative cultural practices such genital mutilation which negatively affect the lives of women. But the practices continue to happen on a daily basis, rape continues to happen, mutilation and denial of quality education continues in some communities.

Cities in poland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cities in poland - Essay Example Poznan was the first Polish state that was formed over a thousand years ago, as well as being one of the first two capitals (â€Å"General†). Two of the old gothic-style buildings that are worth seeing are the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Town Hall, which can be found in the Old Square. The Poznan International Fair is the largest international trade center in Poland, as well as the Poznan Exchange. Krakow was one of the other capitals of Poland for many centuries. Some of the buildings and sites worth seeing in this city are the Royal Castle at Wawel and the gothic-style St. Mary’s Basilica. The trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall and the Nowa Huta district are wonderful places of interest for first-time tourists. Throughout the Old Town and Kazimierz, numerous galleries, museums, and restaurants can be found, all staying true to the old-fashioned feel of this wonderful region (â€Å"Welcome†). Masuria surrounds the Masurian Lake District, which is a land that is divided by many other, smaller, lake districts (â€Å"Masuria†). As there are over four thousand lakes in the region, it would be difficult not to find something worth seeing. The Puszcza Piska, or the Pisz Forest and the Masuria National Landscape Park are other scenic areas that should not be passed up. Masuria is a very natural region, full of wonderful sites that have been there since the dawn of time. Zakopane is a wonderful place to spend a winter holiday (â€Å"Winter†). While skiing is the most popular winter activity in Zakopane, husky rides, sleigh rides and snowmobiles are also recommended. Many of these activities take the traveler through the Zakopane center and the Tatra National Park valleys. The majority of the buildings, lodges, and restaurants are built in a wooden fashion, which adds to the rest of the outdoorsman feel. The Carpathian Mountains are 1,500 km long, stretching from

Sexual Offenders and Predators Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Offenders and Predators - Term Paper Example This paper will provide statistical information in the hope to empirically determine whether reporting requirements influence the recidivating behavior of a convicted sex offender or predator. Specifically, this paper will study recidivism rates among registered sex offenders after release from incarceration or from any forms of legal punishment in two different states: 1.) State of California, which last amended registration and notification requirements in 2002; 2.) State of Alaska, which appended new reporting requirements in 2009. The rape and murder of seven year old Megan Kanka by a two-time convicted sex offender Jesse Timmendequas in 1994 spawned the Megan’s Law in 1996. Though Megan’s Law varies from state to state, it only has one general goal anyway: to notify communities when a sex offender resides within their location and to provide them necessary information about the offender (Larson, 2003). Like Megan’s Law, Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act (named after Jacob Wetterling who was murdered when he was eleven) also requires sex offenders to register. The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act assisted the effort of creating a national database to track down sexual offenders (â€Å"Megan’s Law, registered,† n.d.). Now, the information can be accessed among states. Though registration and notification laws do not serve as a further castigation, they were never offender-friendly. Lawmakers go to argue that the personal interests and privacy of the sex offenders are just the least of the government’s concern compared to the general safety (â€Å"Megan’s Law, registered,† n.d.). Furthermore, information withheld and disclosed is up to the good judgment of the state government (Klaas, 2008). There are only two major ends to these laws: to deter sex offenders to re-offend and to promote public safety. Offenders

Foundations of Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Foundations of Global Business - Essay Example As an entrepreneur, this creates the need to come up with a different product that can ease these discomforts from them while achieving their objective of being smart. Shaving is a routine for all men in the world, it’s therefore important to ensure that there are no discomforts after the exercise. Therefore the purpose essay of this essay will be coming with friendly shaving equipment’s that can solve the problem of discomfort and hence attract a large market share. This will need to carry out an industry analysis using the porter five forces model so that to assess the viability of the new product in the industry and as well describe the best methods of marketing the products using the 4Ps of marketing. This is a model of conducting the industry analysis; the model uses five forces that affect the industry that is being assessed. These forces are; the bargaining power of supplier’s, the bargaining power of buyers, the threats of new entrants, the threat of substitutes and the intensity of rivalry within the industry (Botten, p120). A competition among the rival firms reduces the firms’ profit. This is because if the firm is not strong enough, it is likely to lose its market share. Most industries strive to achieve a greater competitive advantage over its rival firms. Rivalry among different industries varies according to the interests and goals of each specific industry. In an attempt of gaining competitive advantage in the men’s grooming market, several competitive actions need to be considered, these are; The industry can be entered with varying prices of the shaving equipment.This can be achieved by lowering the prices so as to gain temporary advantage and hence help to create a better public image that can attract customer loyalty. The features of the shaving equipment’s can be improved so that they can be easier to use and to dispose, this call for coming up and

Swot analysis Essay Example for Free

Swot analysis Essay STRENGTHS   It successfully projects Indian philosophy It attempts to highlight traveling facilities It projects governmental concern over safety and security of the tourists   It exploits visual and print details of Indian wildlife, social and cultural hotspots   Its backed by the Tourism Department of India WEAKNESSESS   It completely ignores the upcoming tourism market like medical tourism   It fails to promote Yoga and other ancient Indian healing and spiritual development techniques separately It fails to promote word of mouth campaign   It fails to create a USP which is essential for branding and positioning. It fails to exploit the 300-year old Indo-British relationship OPPORTUNITIES   Huge Market of medical tourism is growing rapidly and it deserves to be the nodal head of the entire campaign   It has the scope to exploit the upsurge of new age culture, which is a revival of ancient Asian techniques to maintain well being   It has the scope to embed far more attractive packages by embedding sophisticated medical treatment or ancient healing/well being facilities with sight-seeing   It can exploit the British sentiments over colonial architectures in India THREATS. Other Asian countries like Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are gearing up towards promoting medical tourism. These countries have already popularized the Buddhist or Chinese/Mongoloid style of healing and well being techniques, which too is a part of the New Age Culture These countries possess quality infrastructure While SWOT attempts to summarize the pros and cons of Incredible India Campaign, the issue of branding India in the global tourism market needs one vital approach to achieve its desired outcome, and that is, to review this campaign from the framework of branding technique. IV. Analysing Incredible India from the Perspective of Branding Branding works as an invisible tool, which creates a situation where the name of the company/organization would trigger all the stimuli in the customers instantly. Thus the journey of a product together with branding would look like below: Figure 1 The figure above evokes a few basic clarifications about branding, before this system can be incorporated in a company, where are the issues are: 1. Definition of Branding 2. Importance of branding 3. Brand equity 4. Brand loyalty 5. Brand awareness. 6. Brand value 7. Brand personality IV. 1. How Incredible India can create a strong brand India As Mary Brown, a creative director of Marketing Angel would prefer to define brand as a term that has evolved to mean the enduring emotional association one has with a particular company or product (McCall, 2003), the famous copywriter and ad agency founder David Ogilvy would prefer to go into a detail brand is an intangible sum of a products attributes: its name, packaging, price, its history, reputation, and the way its advertised (Brand, 2008). In short, brand could be anything like symbol, words, or mark that distinguishes a product or company from its competitors(Brand Definition, 2008). From this perspective Incredible India needs to review its name, packaging, price and its history and modify it concerning the current demand. IV. 2. Definition of Branding Branding is the sum total of a companys identity – from its name and logo to every piece of communication(Brandguru). Thus, the campaign in discussion needs to have multiple views on the definition of branding to have a comprehensive view, besides choosing the right one applicable for restaurant industry. Branding means starting with your values and beliefs, projecting these into everything you do, and going forward from there, says Susan Dunn, the EQ Coach (Dunn, 2007), while some would prefer to say, branding is generally used to describe the companys visual identity (Branding, 2006). Todays modern concept of branding grew out of the consumer packaged goods industry and the process of branding has come to include much, much more than just creating a way to identify a product or company, observes Dave Dolak (2001), a branding professional and an author. Thus, the successful branding of India should be able to 1. Deliver the message clearly. 2. Confirm the credibility of the company. 3. Connect the target prospects emotionally. 4. Motivate the buyers. 5. Concretize the user loyalty (Lake, 2008). In any case, overall branding can also stretch to a logo, symbol, or even design features (Bizhelp, 2008). Taking cue from the above ideas, this can be said that branding is an attempt to create a wholesome bonding between the company and its customers: Figure – 2 The diagram above clearly shows that branding literally bonds the customer with a product in several ways – the end result of which brings in secured sales for the company. This amply proves the significance of branding in the life of a company – if it wants to grow more; it cannot do without branding, from this perspective Incredible India has to focus more on emphasizing emotional bond with UK through exploiting the earlier history of close communication.

Role of the Genes COLEC11 and MASP1 in Embryonic Development

Role of the Genes COLEC11 and MASP1 in Embryonic Development Vigneshwaree Sabapathy Mutations in the genes COLEC11 and MASP1 which code for lectin complement pathway proteins have been found responsible for a rare autosomal recessive disorder resulting in abnormal development. This proposes that other constituent proteins may play a role in embryonic development. To this day, the genetic aspects of the stages involved in embryonic development that leads to certain congenital disorders are still not fully understood. As a result, researchers start off with identifying the genes that play a part in causing a congenital disorder before determining how these genes bring about the disorder. This approach was adopted by Rooryck et al.1 to help prove that mutations in the genes COLEC11 and MASP1, involved in the lectin complement pathway were responsible for 3MC syndrome. The 3MC syndrome is an abbreviation of Michels, Mingarelli, Malpuech and Carnevale syndrome. These four syndromes are rare autosomal disorder that follows a recessive order of inheritance. The 3MC syndrome is characterised by blepharophimosis, ptosis of the eyelids, cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, hypertelorism and in some cases renal anomalies and umbilical hernia1,2. Furthermore, growth retardation, mental retardation and urogenital anomalies are also common features in all four syndromes2,3. After much research, it was found that the overlapping similarities in phenotype and Gestalt between these four syndromes are more significant than the differences between them2. Therefore, these evidence lead to the assumption that the syndromes are allelic variations of one another and belong to the same spectrum2. Rooryck and colleagues started off their study by first collecting DNA samples from individuals diagnosed with Michels, Mingarelli, Malpuech and Carnevale syndromes and all their available family members. Their genomes were then screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms which are homozygous in all affected individuals but absent in unaffected individuals. From the individuals tested, there were four consanguineous families. The genotyping results from members of these families showed a homozygous region of 2.2 MB at 2p25.3 in affected individuals1. Moreover, a region of homozygosity was found in two other families at 3q27.31,4. These findings suggest that the 3MC syndrome could be caused by multiple genes. From the sequencing of the open reading frames at the 2p25.3 region, 15 candidate genes were found, of which 9 were sequenced. Sequencing of these transcripts in affected individuals revealed three homozygous missense mutations and a single base deletion in COLEC11 that may be linked to the inheritance of the 3MC syndrome. Furthermore, the single base deletion in COLEC11 was found to play a role in the premature termination of the gene product CL-K1. CL-K1 is a C-type lectin that acts as a host defence by binding to carbohydrate antigens on microorganisms and activating the innate immune system5,6. Due to its function, it tends to circulate in the serum. In addition, being highly conserved in various species means that a mutation would be damaging to the function of the protein. Hence, to ensure that this mutation is an underlying cause of the 3MC syndrome, a protein blot assay was conducted to detect CL-K1 in the serum from two affected individuals. However, none was detected, indic ating a connection between the syndrome and the loss of function mutation in COLEC11. At the same time, the expression of CL-K1 was observed in certain mouse tissues that have been known to be affected by the disorder in humans1. In the same way, sequencing at the 3q27.3 region found 16 candidate genes potentially linked to the 3MC syndrome. One of these genes is the MASP1 gene which encodes for mannan-binding lectin serine protease 1 (MASP-1), a serine protease that is important in the lectin complement pathway4. Rooryck et al.1 then sequenced this gene in the two affected families and discovered two homozygous single base substitutions in exon 12. As predicted, the loss of function of this gene is consistent with the inheritance of 3MC syndrome. To study the effect of the loss-of-function of these proteins as well as to ensure that both the COLEC11 and MASP1 genes are accountable for the abnormalities witnessed in 3MC syndrome, knockdown studies were conducted using zebrafish. In these studies, two antisense morpholinos for COLEC11 were injected into one-cell stage embryos of zebrafish so as to imitate the loss-of-function of the gene. The same was done for the MASP1 gene. Based on the results from these studies, COLEC11 and MASP1 genes were found to cause similar phenotypes. The zebrafish morphants subjected to both these treatments displayed morphological abnormalities such as pigmentation and craniofacial cartilage defect similar to the symptoms of 3MC syndrome. Interestingly, when co-injected with a fully functional COLEC11 mRNA, the observed abnormalities in the zebrafish are reversed. Additionally, injecting a low dosage of both colec11 and masp1 morpholinos into the zebrafish embryos at the same time gave rise to simi lar deformities observed when injected separately, suggesting an interaction between the two genes5. Thanks to the pigmentation and craniofacial cartilage defects noted in zebrafish morphants, further studies were carried out to determine whether the CL-K1 and MASP-1 proteins are involved in the migration of cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) during embryonic development. Findings by Rooryck et al.1 in this part of the study revealed that beads coated with CL-K1 attracted NCCs when placed in the head region of zebrafish embryo. On the other hand, control beads implanted in the same region did not display the same attraction to NCCs. This proves the possibility that CL-K1 play a role in guiding the migration of neural crest cells. Similar results were also seen in a test using CL-K1 agarose disk and HeLa cells. At present, since the roles of both the COLEC11 and MASP1 genes in embryonic development have been discovered, more focus is required in investigating how the lectin complement pathway regulates embryonic development in addition to the role of the gene product, CL-K1 in early developmental processes. Likewise, the possibility of other constituent proteins and complement systems being involved in embryogenesis should also be considered. Therefore, further research on these aspects can help in the management of other congenital genetic disorders. (996 words) References: Rooryck, C. et al. Mutations in lectin complement pathway genes COLEC11 and MASP1 cause 3MC syndrome. Nat. Genet. 43, 197-203 (2011). Titomanlio, L. et al. Michels Syndrome, Carnevale Syndrome, OSA Syndrome, and Malpuech Syndrome: Variable Expression of a Single Disorder (3MC Syndrome)? Am. J. Med. Genet. 137A, 332–335 (2005). Kerstjens-Frederikse, W.S., Brunner, H.G., van Dael, C.M.L. van Essen, A.J. Malpuech Syndrome: Three Patients and a Review. Am. J. Med. Genet. 134A, 450–453 (2005). Sirmaci et al. MASP1 Mutations in Patients with Facial, Umbilical, Coccygeal, and Auditory Findings of Carnevale, Malpuech, OSA, and Michels Syndromes. Am. J. Human Genet. 87, 679–686 (2010). Hansen, S. et al. Collectin 11 (CL-11, CL-K1) Is a MASP-1/3–Associated Plasma Collectin with Microbial-Binding Activity. J. Immunol. 185, 6096–6104 (2010). Keshi, H et al. Identification and characterization of a novel human collectin CL-K1. Microbiol Immunol. 50, 1001-1013 (2006).