Mark Twain Essays (1428 words) - Picaresque Novels, Lecturers

Mark Twain It is indisputable that, during his many years of writing, Mark Twain established himself as a literary genius. It is also indisputable that the primary reason for his success as an author was his quick wit and sense of humor. During this nation's time of political and social division, Twain wrote about many of the simpler things in life while always showing his humorist side. His brilliant comedic mind was especially unusual for any popular writer around during this rough time period in the nation's history. Mark Twain's humorist views and writings truly solidify him as the forefather of American humor. Unlike many writers of his time, Samuel Clemens, better known as his pen name, Mark Twain never secluded himself or slaved over a piece of work. He enjoyed playing billiards or sitting on his porch, smoking a pipe. He lived with his wife and three daughters, and did most of writing in his billiards room or on his bed. He lived a simple, casual life, which proved to encourage his laidback, humorist attitude. (Whipple, Sally) William Dean Howells once compared Twain's lifestyle to the other famous writers of his time. "Emerson, Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes... they were like one another and like other literary men; but Clemens was sole, incomparable." (Twainweb) This being Jones 2 perhaps the best explanation for Twain's unique humorist views, it is no doubt this lifestyle provided for his creative storytelling and successful career as an author. Mark Twain, a native of Missouri who lived most his childhood in poverty, began his career, surprisingly, as a steamboat pilot. This career path was soon to be interrupted by the Civil War, in which he served for the Confederate Army for two weeks before withdrawing. Already at this point in his life, Twain was showing his humorist side when he commented on this incident saying, "...it was my retirement from it that brought the crash. It left the Confederate side too weak." (Ayers, 42) After the Civil War, Twain began his career as a journalist. He bounced from one city to another, including a stay at Virginia City, Nevada and San Francisco. While in San Francisco, Twain wrote The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, his first nationally acclaimed work. This tale of young boys and frog races combined the themes of youth and humor, a combination he would revisit frequently. (Budd, 32) Finally, in 1869, Twain's first book, The Innocents Abroad, was published and released. This story provided many humorous quotes which Twain would become famous for. For example, Twain commented on Italy saying, "The Creator made Italy with designs by Michelangelo." (Ayers, 126) Twain would create his most famous, and humorous, quotes later on while living in Hartford. In the early 1870's, Twain and his newlywed wife, Olivia Langdon, moved into a three-story house in Hartford, Connecticut, where he would spend his most successful years. The first book Twain wrote while in Hartford was Roughing It, which was Jones 3 released in 1872. Despite many humorous moments during the book, its popularity and comedic were very slight compared to his next book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Considered by many as one of Twain's greatest stories, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer revisits the theme of youth combined with humor which he often almost thrives off of at times. Tom Sawyer, which came out four years after Roughing It, was released to mixed crowds. The book was banned in several areas and sales were slow to begin with. Eventually, people were able to look past many of the controversial issues in the book and see the humorist side of the book, which would eventually make the book a classic. (Mark Twain in His Times) This book, more so than others, indirectly poked fun at adults for forgetting their childhood. In the preface of Tom Sawyer, Twain explains his reason for writing it. "Part of my plan has been to pleasantly remind adults of what they were themselves, and how they felt and thought and talked, and what queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in." (Ayers, 37) This statement does a good job of not only pointing something relatively obvious, but also makes fun of life at its simplest. This is a humorist style that has made him not only one of America's most famous writers, but also a legendary role model for many other authors and comedians who have become famous themselves. One such man who has idolized Mark Twain was the famous twentieth century actor and comedian, Hal Holbrook. In 1959, Holbrook, a mere seventeen

Extended Project Dissertation Regenerative Medicine Essays

Extended Project Dissertation Regenerative Medicine Essays Extended Project Dissertation Regenerative Medicine Essay Extended Project Dissertation Regenerative Medicine Essay Essay Topic: Extended With the continued research going on into this new, potential way of curing many diseases that 20 years go we would never have thought could have been cured, can it do the same for the neurological condition, multiple sclerosis? And how effective is it in doing so? Many reports have come out of stem cells being effective in mice to cure the disease but with the many controversial points that come with the use of stem cells would alternative, existing methods be a better way of treating it? Are the instrumentation drugs of today more effective in treating the condition and are they a more realistic thing to be using? Also is it actually a good thing if we are finding new cures to all of these diseases? With he worlds population rapidly rising and resources running out to feed everybody and supply them all with energy, would it be better if we continued as we are and stopped playing God? These are the issues that will be discussing in this essay. Introduction and Research What is multiple sclerosis? An abnormal condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting FRR mom various causes, such as infection, inflammation,environmental factors, or genetic defect, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs, symptoms, or both. Is the definition of a disease in an online free dictionary[l] and they effect peoples lives in in many ways, nearly all of them being bad and detrimental to both society, families and the world. They can be passed on by direct transf er of bacteria, viruses and other germs. However they can be passed on by sex, either in the form of sexually transmitted diseases or by genetically passing down to offspring during fertilization. A disease that is linked to being both hereditary and environmental is the unrepresentative disease, Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects the nervous system of the body, specifically in the brain and spinal cord Every river cell in the body is surrounded by a protective layer known as the myelin sheath which enables electrical impulses that travel around the body to reach their destination hundreds of times quicker than it would without one. If a person has Multiple Scleroses, MS, then this myelin is broken down partly and therefore messages are not sent to the brain or spinal cord as efficiently. This results in a sufferer or MS to experience potential symptoms such as: loss of vision, in one eye usually, uncontrollable muscle spasms and muscle stiffness, difficulties in balance and co-ordination and people find they often suffer room tiredness and fatigue. There are two main types of Multiple sclerosis that sufferers get. The first, relapsing remitting MS, occurs in approximately eight out of ten people that are diagnosed with MS are diagnosed with this form. Somebody with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis will have periods without suffering any of the symptoms usually associated with the disease, then they will suffer periods where the symptoms are severe and the patient may become partially blind or be unable to move. However, this period will pass and the sufferer will go back to almost normal again without showing any signs or having the disease. This period may last weeks, months or even years and this is why diagnosing this type of MS is so hard to do because of how irregular it is it can be mistaken for a number of temporary conditions and people dont report when they experience symptoms because they have had them before and was k. After 15 years of so, about half of people that have got relapsing remitting MS will go on to develop secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. This is much like the first form and people may still experience relapses but the symptoms will worsen over time and they may not fully recover from their relapse. Primary progressive MS is the least common type of sclerosis. This is where there are no periods of remission and symptoms just worsen over time with no break periods. Treatments for multiple sclerosis: Currently there is no cure for Multiple sclerosis but there are a number of treatments that can help Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis can be treated with drugs called disease modifying drugs, these are not a cure for the disease but instead can reduce the severity of the symptoms in a sufferer and can reduce the number of relapses they have. However they are not suitable for all sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis. There are currently 10 licensed Dams (disease modifying drugs) [3] these are: Bugaboo (trinitrotoluene) oral tablet taken once a day. Available if patient has had at least two relapses in the past two years. Avenue (interferon beta-I a) -? Injection available if patient has had two relapses in the past two years. Beefeater (interferon beta-I b) available if patient has had two relapses in the past years, it is injected. Capstone (glitterati acetate) -? another injection available after two relapses in the same period of time. Octavia (beta interferon-I b) injection if patient has has 2 relapses in 2 years. Galilean (fondling) -? available if patient is still experiences despite treatment with one of the beta interferon. It is an oral tablet taken once a day. Elementary (lumberman) available for treating the active relapsing remitting form of multiple sclerosis. It is given to patient via a drip once a year. Pleurisy (vociferation beta la) injection for people living in Scotland for sufferers that have had 2 relapses in 2 years. Rebuff (beta interferon- 1 a) another injection available for patients suffering 2 relapses in the past 2 years. Deciders (timidity fumigate) used to treat active elapsing remitting MS. Approved by the NASH and became available in autumn 2014. It is a oral tablet that should be taken twice a day. Disability (nutritional) available if you have had 2 relapses in one year or if severity of relapses has increased once another DIM has been taken, given by drip monthly. There are also a wide range of other treatments available to treat multiple sclerosis. Physiotherapy can be used to make day to day living with MS more bearable and steroids can be given to patients to speed up recovery times from relapses. Causes of Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition. This means that the bodys defense against harmful diseases (the immune system) is affected in some way and that causes the immune system to change from attacking foreign viruses to attacking healthy body tissue- in multiple sclerosis this is the healthy Myelin that surrounds nerve cells in the body. The myelin is broken down by the bodys own immune system, nervous impulses are less efficient in traveling to the bodys Central Nervous System. As a result of this, in the places where the myelin on the myelin sheath has been thinned or destroyed, a hard region or scar is left in its place, often referred to as a sclerosis. Where there is multiple Of these hardened scars on different places On the brain or spinal cord is where the autoimmune disease gets its name from- Multiple Sclerosis. The causes of Multiple sclerosis are currently unknown; however scientists believe the main causes of the disease are a combination of genetic and environmental factors and are putting the pieces of this complicated puzzle together [4]. Genetic factors- genes are pieces of genetic information that code for the production of proteins, molecules that are essential for many of the bodies vital functions. Occasionally come genes may be faulty ND produce defective proteins. This is the cause of many of the diseases we see today however this isnt what is believed to occur in multiple sclerosis. It is thought that individuals that are affected by MS have slight variations, called polymorphism, which are healthy genes that fit badly when combined together in DNA and thus cause healthy cells around it to be altered, especially cells involved in the bodys immune system. This bad combination of genes is then passed down through the generations by normal mechanism of inheritance and therefore there is a strong link of multiple sclerosis being hared within families. There are a few genes that have been identified to make people more likely to get MS, in particular the HAL (also known as major historiographys complex, as containing the most MS susceptible gene. These proteins are found on the surface of all body cells. They act as a messenger to the immune system telling the body whether a cell is foreign or part of the body and whether it should be attacked or not. These proteins are usually healthy and therefore there must be another reason for them being altered to become defective. Scientists believe this is down to environmental actors. One theory is that a virus that is usually lying dormant in the body may disturb the immune system and therefore cause the disease to develop. There is probably on one MS virus but actually a combination of a common virus such as measles that acts as a trigger for MS. This trigger activates white blood cells (lymphocytes) in the bloodstream, which enter the brain by making the brains defense mechanisms (I. . The blood/brain barrier) vulnerable. Once inside the brain, these cells activate other elements of the immune system in such a way that they attack and destroy myelin. It is also Hough that vitamin D, the vitamin we get from sunlight, is linked to the disease. There has been a correlation between people that receive low levels of vitamin D have a higher chance of developing MS. A number of studies have i ndicated that smoking is also linked to the development of Multiple Sclerosis. It is not clear why this happens however it has been theorized that chemicals in cigarettes may have some sort of effect on the immune system and may alter it. Smoking effect on the progression of multiple sclerosis is also being investigated as it could be the fact that smoking leads to the regression of the disease being quicker and it may cause relapses to be more often and more severe. It is estimated that around 100,000 people in the UK are suffering with Multiple sclerosis at this present time, with 2. Million Cases Of MS in the world. Every week in the United States there are 200 people diagnosed with MS so this is a disease that has worldwide influence and is a major problem worldwide however it is incurable, this needs to change. Although the disease is not fatal in itself, some complications that can arise from severe MS, such as pneumonia, can be. This means that in order to reduce the numbers of people and families offering with this terrible disease we as a race need to find a new way of treating it. This might be achieved through regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine: Regenerative medicine is the process by which scientists are able to restore normal bodily functions by repairing or replacing damaged or malfunctioning cells and tissues in cells[5] and although it is in its early stages of development, it is bringing huge advances in the field of medicine as it could provide the cure for many different diseases such as Multiple sclerosis, dementia, strokes, heart disease and many types of cancer. For example, the guardian reported a recent trial on 18 people suffering with two different types of muscular degeneration, the leading causes of blindness in adults and children in the world, Stardusts muscular dystrophy and dry atrophic age- related muscular degeneration[6]. The patients had embryonic stem cell therapy on their eyes and were cured of sight loss without any side effects. Whatever sources of potential bias the guardian may have, being a politically left leaning newspaper, the point still remains, stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine has and will continue to provide a big source of hope n the fight against many different deadly diseases. Regenerative medicine mainly comes in the form Of stem cell treatment, allowing scientists to use undifferentiated cells and turn them into any cell in the body to serve any function. This is a huge breakthrough in science and medicine as it enables anything to be made, it solves the problem of organ storage or a lack of organ donors, as hearts and lungs can just be grown in a lab and transplanted into the patient that requires them. Stem cell Research: In the early 1 sass, European researchers discovered that various types of load cells all came from a particular stem cells, however it was not until 1 963 that the particular type of self-renewing cells was first described in mice bone marrow cells by Canadian researchers Ernest A McCullough and James E Till [7]. Since that time there has been continued efforts to grow and differentiate adult animal and human stem cells in a lab. This was made a lot easier in the 1 sass and sass where there was an introduction of techniques for targeting and altering genetic material and methods for growing human cells in the laboratory. These advances really opened the doors for human tem cell research. The breakthrough came in 1998 when James Thompson, from the university of Wisconsin in Madison, successfully removed embryonic cells from a fertility clinic and cultivated them in a lab, this launched stem cell research into the limelight. Since then there has been plenty of further research that suggests that these embryonic stem cells can specialist into any cell in the human body which, if mastered, could open up a whole new world of new medicine that could change millions of peoples lives. As stem cells were only brought into the public attention in 1 998, the technology is still elatedly new and still in its youth. There have been no clinical trials of stem cell treatments as of yet however; adult stem cells are already being used in treatments for over one hundred conditions including leukemia, Hunters syndrome and heart disease. So stem cells are the answer to all of humanities works yes? Unfortunately that is not that case as this new technology does not come with many controversial parts with many people opposing to this potentially lifesaving new technology, the main point of controversy is the use Of embryonic stem cells and the ethical considerations behind that. In this document I will be discussing the main treatments of multiple sclerosis and relating it back to the question of is Regenerative Medicine the most effective way of treating Multiple Sclerosis? O I will evaluating whether other methods of treating multiple sclerosis is more effective than stem cell research then I will be coming to a conclusion at the end of the essay. Discussion Effectiveness of Stem Cell Treatment: The first issue to talk about is whether stem cells are an effective method of treating any disease and then to focus down on the specific disease we are looking at. There is no doubt that the discovery of these undifferentia ted, unspecified cells is a hugely promising unearthing, however are they a truly effective way of treatment? Do they actually do all the things that scientists promise they can do? And are they sustainable? Firstly, lets look at the plus sides of stem cells, what they can do that is beneficial to the body and what they can do to aid the recovery of a disease or illness. Diseases such as cancer or conditions such as birth defects are thought to occur because of problems in the differentiation process, an understanding of the development that appends in normal cells and stem cells will help scientists treat the developmental errors that can occur. This will help in two fields because we will know more about the development of cancers and birth defects as well as discovering more about how stem cells differentiate (to make or become different in the process of growth or development), and this will help us be able to use stem cells more effectively in turn at treating these problems, working in a positive feedback model. The next advantage of stem cells, according to website explore stem cells is that there is another potential application of cell based therapies [8]. This is when stem cells are used to grow specific cells and then are bound together using a mould to create a completely new organ or tissue. This is a huge advantage to stem cells as currently when a patient needs to new organ they get one transplanted from an organ donor. At this current time there is nowhere near the required amount of organ donors to supply the needs of people needing an organ transplant and with this new regenerative technique instead of waiting for a new organ to be donated, a new organ can be grown from scratch to fit into your body. This will dramatically reduce the amount of people dying whilst being on the waiting lists for an organ transplant. Stem cells can benefit those suffering from Parkinson disease, type 1 diabetes, arthritis, burn victims and people with cardiovascular diseases (the biggest killing disease in the UK- BBC) using this method of treatment. Stem cells also have the potential to reverse the effects of diseases. Stem cells are directed into differentiating into specific cell types, they can be fed into the body, providing a renewable resource of replacement cells for the patient. For example, people with heart ease can have stem cells differentiated into heart muscle cells to replace cells damaged by the disease, in Parkinson disease damaged brain cells can be reversed by replacing them with new healthy brain cells, reversing the effect of the disease. An even more exciting prospect is to address genetic defects that are present from birth by restoring function and health with the introduction of normal healthy cells that do not have these defects. Burn victims will, instead of suffering large amounts of pain from their injuries and instead of having to wait for donor tissues, they can have new healthy skin ells implanted onto the patient. Scientists are hoping to do this by growing skin cells in a lab from a very small piece of skin by triggering stem cells to differentiate outside the body so that large burn areas can be covered by a relatively small amount of initial skin cells. The final major benefit to stem cells research is that is provides a huge role in the pharmaceutical industry and is involved heavily in drug development. Any new drugs that are being tested for human consumption can be tested on human stem cells before they are released for their safety. This could be the case with a new anti- amour drug for example, and if the conditions that the drugs are tested in are in the correct conditions then the results could end up being very accurate and the drugs could be shown to be safe for human use and will help to treat people with life threatening diseases. The advantages of stem cells are well documented and for people with serious conditions could be a source Of major hope that one day they could be the cure for them. O it would seem as though stem cells are completely fine, effective and the answer to all of our prayers. This is not the case however, stem cell therapy is till a very controversial topic, and this is nearly all down the disadvantages that come about with stem cells. Firstly it is where stem cells are collected from. Many stem cells are collected from embryos to form embryonic stem cells; these are a very good type of stem cell to use as embryos are full of unspecified cells as eventually these will turn into a new baby human being. However, if embryonic stem cells are used then effectively there is no chance that the embryo will develop into a new-born and an abortion will take place. For many people this raises the argument of at what point does an embryo come a human and therefore has the same rights as every other person? If that point comes about at fertilization or during the embryonic stage then what occurs to extract stem cells out of these early life forms is effectively murder and therefore should not happen. Embryos are not the only place stem cells can be extracted from however, umbilical cords that are disposed of and bone marrow can be a plentiful source also however according to one source found[9], religious groups Religious groups claim that because embryonic stem cell research requires the subsequent destruction of the embryos used, it is a form of abortion. They sustain that creating embryos for the sole purpose of commercial use, followed by their disposal is morally unacceptable, and strongly oppose the area of study while adult and cord stem cells are readily available instead. Perhaps the biggest risk with this new area of research is the unknown. The introduction of stem cells into the body is permanent and this means there may be some long term side effects that we do not know about at the moment that might become clearer later along in the process. These are bad because we would not be able to reverse the effects of these side effects, A French study ten years ago found that spiniest of genetically altered bone marrow transplants developed leukemia years after their allegedly successful transplants had cured their severe combined immunodeficiency. Some research on rats in California found a way of successfully curing paralysis, however some small cysts appeared in the area near where the stem cells were injected. However harmless these were to rats, the effect of this to humans is still questionable. Other side effects that could be because of stem cell research include growth of strange objects such as teeth bones and hair on unusual areas, if this was done using embryonic stem cells these continue to grow wrought the patients life. Around 20% of rats injected with embryonic stem cells later die of some kind of cancerous tumor. This could be completely by chance but this high statistic is enough for large groups of people to doubt whether regenerative medicine is the right way to go in medicine. Another major cause for concern in stem cells is that in some cases it is known for differentiated stem cells to be rejected by the host body. A report published in nature in 2011 showed that when a specific type Of stem cell, induced plenteous stem cells (epics), used to treat diseases, found hat epics could face rejection by the immune system, even when injected into the same person who donated the cells. This immune response could destroy the transplants, rendering them ineffective as treatments. Although a different report published in 201 3 by Nature seemed to show that these epics were effective in being transferred in genetically identical mice and not triggering a strong immune response. This contrasting information shows just how unpredictable stem cell research is and that it may not be the best way to treat diseases. In conclusion then think that on balance using generative methods in treating diseases in general are a very effective way Of doing things however it is not a completely safe and iris free process as in my opinion still think that for it to be the best method stem cell therapy can be it still needs more research on the long term effects of the process, but from early indications it is looking promising barring a few studies. However what about in our specific disease? How does a using stem cell therapy affect the multiple sclerosis disease? Is it as effective at treating it as the other conditions already mentioned? At present there are no treatments that pacifically target the abnormal immune responses in MS. Current approaches, such as interferon, capstone, or immune suppressants all act in a non-specific manner blocking immune responses against the myelin sheath. While these approaches are useful for reducing the severity of disease, they do not repair the damage to nervous system tissue that has already occurred and therefore they cannot cure multiple sclerosis. However stem cells provide a different way Of treating the disease. Instead Of protecting the myelin sheath they allow it to be destroyed however it is replaced by stem cells that re externally differentiated in a lab before injected into the spinal cord or in the blood stream ready to be transferred to the brain. It is either this repair method used or, according to the MS society website, the nerve cell can be prevented from being damaged. This is called imperfection and is an active area of research involving adult stem cells from the bone marrow called mechanical stem cells. These stem cells are taken from human umbilical cords [1 1] that are donated after normal healthy births so this avoids the debate over the controversial topic of where the stem cells are oaken from. These stem cells are then screened for infectious diseases, with only about 1 in 10 umbilical cords passing screening tests. The advantages of this treatment are that anybody can be treated using these stem cells as they do not need to be matched with their genome, the stem cells are easily extracted and there is a large supply of them, and these HI-?CIT mechanical stem cells are a lot more robust then other types leading to a higher success rate. So that type of stem cell treatment by the stem cell institute seems relatively effective in terms of protecting the myelin sheath from the autoimmune response brought about by MS. However this is not the only study I found that seems to show that Multiple sclerosis can be cured by regenerative medicine. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSR) have identified a set of compounds that may be used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) in a new way. Unlike existing MS therapies that suppress the immune system, the compounds boost a population of progenitor cells that can in turn repair MS-damaged nerve fibers. [1 2]. In this report, it is shown that a previous drug penetration, that was used to treat Parkinson disease, as been shown to increase numbers of electioneered (cells that make the myelin sheath and wrap it around the nerve fiber) in the nerve sharply, and thus increasing the amount of myelin produced. To do this scientists screen over 1 0,000 diverse compounds to see if any could potentially cause OPS cells to differentiate, and the already tested drug penetration seemed to do that already. However, not all studies show this trend however, a journal on PLOPS one[1 3] shows that a new type of stem cell, neural stem cells (NCSC), does not have a major influence on the clinical course of room-induced EYE. Improving the efficiency at which NCSC home to inflammatory sites may enhance their therapeutic potential in this model of CONS autoimmunity Meaning that the new type of stem cell does not have any effect on the number of electioneered cells being produced to repair the myelin sheath, and thus showing that regenerative medicine isnt always effective.

Business Process Management at Pizza Hut Coursework

Business Process Management at Pizza Hut - Coursework Example In this report the core focus will be the business operations of Pizza Hut that makes it a renowned and established brand in the Market. The linkage of different business operations over one another and how Pizza Hut maintains consistency in its operations in all the regions of the world where it operates, will also be highlighted. Pizza Hut, Background Pizza Hut originates from the largest economy in the world, United States of America. It is a multination restaurant franchise that offers its customers with a varied range of pizzas as the primary offering. Over the period of time the Pizza Hut Menu has been revitalized bearing in mind the constantly rising needs and demands of the customers and the dynamics of the competition. In the contemporary market environment Pizza Hut offers its customers with sidelines such as chicken and Buffalo wings, garlic breads and salads in addition with to the primary product, pizza. Pizza Hut came into existence in 1958 in America as the first ever national pizza chain and since then it has grown and developed as a major player in the fast food industry. Over the period of time Pizza Hut got a strong standing in the industry and today it has risen as a strong and challenging competitor to one of the largest food brands in the world such as KFC, Mc Donald’s, Indulge, Smart Chicks and Pizza Track. ... Weekends, midnights and various other seasonalities were introduced by Pizza Hut to make sure that it caters to the needs of all kinds and types of customers in all parts of the world where it operates. This creative and unmatchable value proposition maintained by Pizza Hut has made it operational in more than 90 different countries in the world with thousands of outlets employing more than thirty thousand people (Pizza Hut, 2011). Organizational Structure The formal structure of an organization, the chain of command and delegation of authority are key principles that determine the success of any organization in the market place. Initially Pizza Hut was a co-inception of two brothers Franky and Dan in a small town located in Kansas. The project grew by leaps and bounds, and the business that was initiated with mere $600, now had hundreds of branches across the state and the country. In 1972, the company went public and was listed in the New York Stock Exchange. Pizza Hut was welcomed at the stock market as a blue chip investment with guaranteed returns to its stakeholders and share holders. The company is reported to have issued some 400,000 common equity shares to the investors in the general public. This investment boosted the cash inflows for the company and resulted in an unexpected situation for the management. Pizza Hut instead of growing at a stable and sustainable rate, started to inflate. Some landmarks such as achieving million dollar sales in the US alone and opening of outlets in Munich and Sydney in the very same year. This extraordinary pace of growth and development would have been seen as signs of prosperity and success by the shareholders but the management looked

Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership - Research Paper Example The leader faces many resistances while introducing a change in the ongoing process. But it’s his confidence and consistency that motivates him and guides him throughout his life. Leaders also have the unique capacity to foresee things which the people with non-leadership traits fail to realize. The focus of our thesis is to study the recent news articles related to leadership and learn the form of leadership those articles refer to. We have chosen Jay-Z as our leader as he is known to be equally successful in showcasing his talents of music and entrepreneurship simultaneously. Background Early life of Jay Z Born on the 4th of December 1969 at Brooklyn, he was known as Shawn Corey Carter to everyone. His childhood was spent among war & crime ridden environment of the Marcy Projects. He had the habit of writing since his childhood days. He was adventurous by nature & learnt bike riding at the tender age of four. A poetry that he revealed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s Novem ber 2007 issue says that, â€Å"I’m the king of hip-hop/Renewed like the Reebok/The key in the lock/with words so provocative/As long as I live†. He listened to Al Green, Stevie Wonder & Prince. He was a good student, good at sports & a happy-go-lucky kind of person. He always felt the need for a male in his house when his father left his mother. He was only 11 years old when this sudden change in his life totally shocked him. He lost his only mentor. To support his family he started rapping on the streets. Soon he was popular as a fledging rapper. The people who knew him started addressing him as Jazzy. He shortened this name & became known as Jay-Z. In his life, he found two people to guide him, one was a rapper named Jaz-O who taught him the tricks of the rap industry, and the other was a drug dealer. Jaz-O was experienced than him & they met for the first time in a contest to rap against each other. Jaz-O underestimated the talent of the 15year old kid & decided to sing with each other rather against each other. Its then he got impressed by the kid’s talent & decided to train him. Jaz-O advised him to practice as much as possible. Sources say that Jay-Z was found rapping in between his classes & during his lunch breaks at schools when most of the kid would involve in fights & games. Jay-Z also participated for a short time in a now forgotten group, named Original Flavor. It’s known that two of the popular rappers of present days hailed from George Washington High School & they used to be Jay-Z’s classmates. They are, Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes. (Heos 3) The onset of success Struggle & tough times were all around Jay-Z. Still he managed to make a great decision. He decided to start his own music label instead of signing other renowned labels. This strategy would surely cut the cost of middleman still it was risky enough. His friends, Kareem Burke & Damon dash helped him in the formation of Roc-a-Fella Records. (starpu lse.com) Damon dash had a childhood similar to him; he was raised by a

Developmental Relations Among Mind, Brain and Education Essay - 5

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Social Policy Development In The Youth Justice System Criminology Essay

Social Policy Development In The Youth Justice System Criminology Essay The aim of this essay is to discuss social policy development in the Youth Justice System (YJS). It places the discussion in the context of some of the economics, political and social concepts that influence social policy development in the YJS. The essay further discusses some of the impacts of these policies in relation to social exclusion, inequality and poverty. It will also assess the structures and organisations like; the Youth Justices Board (YJB 2004), the Intensive Surveillance and Supervision Programme (ISSP) and the Youth offending Teams (YOT) that are involved in the welfare provision. The essay also explores the relationships amongst the different agencies involved in social welfare provision for young offenders. A number of youth justice policies have been developed between 1979 to date. In 1979 the Conservative Government came to power with rhetoric of being tough on crime than its Labour opponents. They introduced a tougher regime known as short sharp shock into detention centres, they promised to jail every person who was sentenced by the judges and magistrates. As a result, the prison population rose (Says who?). In an attempt to limit the prison population, they encouraged diversion from court and custody and also opted for shorter sentences for many run-of-mills offenders. They also introduced a less harsh measure policy of bifurcation which was advocated for the less serious offenders. (Goldson: 2008). Despite these measures, the prison population continued to rise with regular out breaks of riots and disorder within prisons. After the 1987 General Elections, Douglas Hard the then Home Office secretary introduced new YJS approaches which became to be known as the Hurd approach. They included volunterisation, privatisation, managerialism, crime prevention and the neighbourhood watch. (Cavadin Dignan: 2006) They also introduced the Criminal Justice Act 1988 which created a unified sentence of detention in Young Offenders Institutions. The Children Act of 1989 which directed local authorities to make arrangements for diversion from prosecution of child offenders (Muncie et al 2002). New Labour Government introduced the early interventions and restorative justice commonly known as the 3Rs (restoration, reintegration and reparation), they passed the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which introduced the Detention and Training Order (Goldson, 2008). They created the Youth Justice Board (YJB) which is a multi-agency youth body that identifies and monitors good practice (YJB 2004). They formed the Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) which locally co-ordinate the provision of youth justice services and are responsible for various supervisory duties in regard to community penalties, intervention programmes and pre-sentence reports (Muncie et al 2006). Among other policies, they introduced the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to overcome discrimination and inequality in the system (Blakemore and Griggs: 2007). It would be notable that although the Conservative Governments policies and those of New Labour appear different, they are largely similar in that they all hold the principle of punishment in them. However, to analyse their effectiveness, the essay evaluates the factors that influenced these reforms and their impact on the young offenders and those at risk. POLITICAL Social policy development in the YJS is significantly influenced by politics. Kevin (2009) states that, the establishment of the Youth Offending Teams (YOT) and the new youth justice framework was imposed by the government (Kevin, 2009: 298). Furthermore, Goldson (2008) states that: due to pressure on the government to take action on youth crime, the decision to implement the Intensive Surveillance and Supervision Programme (ISSP) was taken long before the evaluations of the pilots could even be completed (Goldson, 2008, p.136). Critics of political interference in policy development like Kevin (2009, p. 295 cited in Pitts, 2000) advises that the need for critical practice is paramount no matter how clever the government thinks it is. Goldson (2008, p.164) further supports this opinion by stating that Evidence Based Policy Practice improves decision making and should inform the development of public policy. While, Blakemore and Griggs (2007, p.197) recommend that the government plays a leading role in policy development, but remain relatively open to professionals and pressure groups. This point appears to carry more weight as it strikes a balance between the role of the government, elitists and the pressure groups. This brings up the debate of the independence of the judiciary from the state. Economic Social policy development in the youth justice is not only shaped by political influences, but also by economic structures in society. Smith (2003) argues that the governments concern to cut state spending encouraged the reduction in the use of expensive custodial options and as a result, it opted for community sentences. He further points out that the decline in the use of secure accommodation in local authorities from 1981 onwards was a budget-driven agenda (ibid). This further supports Alcock, (2008, p.198) statement that social policy development is closely dependent upon the economic structure of the society and upon the economic growth within it. SOCIAL Social policy development in the YJS may also be influenced by Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). Smith (2007, p. 29-30) argued that it was the Childrens Society that reported that an inter-agency initiative in South Wales had produced successful outcomes such as the speeding up of the judicial process and reduction of offending while on bail, that the adoption of a comprehensive approach to managing the YJS was initiated. Smith (2007) further states that the inter-agency initiative became the most effective way of delivering an agreed package of assessment, service management and record-keeping. However, Alcock (2008, p.165) criticises that most voluntary organisations exclude some potential activists through social divisions of one kind or another. IMPACT Having explored the social, economic and political factors that influence social policy development, an insight on how these reforms improve the welfare and wellbeing of people in relation to social exclusion, poverty and inequality is important. Evidence from YJB (2008) states that: many of the ISSP participants had a range of underlying needs and were highly socially excluded: some had not been engaged in mainstream structures for some considerable time. In many cases, families had already asked for help but had been unable to get any assistance. It also states that 89 percent of young people on ISSP reoffended at some point in the first year of the program (YJB, 2004). Although the ISSP is just a single YJB program, the percentage of reoffending as stated in the report is significantly high and it can be argued that this policy has not effectively dealt with the issue of social welfare of young offenders. However, Blakemore and Griggs (2007:62) state that the YJB approaches are needs focussed and that they include strategies like; psychiatry, social work and education. This may suggest that by having interventions like psychiatry and social work, is an indication that young offenders have underlying issues which cannot be solved by punishment or custody. This line of discussion is supported by Goldson and Muncie (2006) asserting that: young people for whom the fabric of life invariably stretches across poverty; family discord; drug and alcohol misuse; mental distress; ill-health; emotional, physical and sexual abuse; self harm; homelessness; isolation, loneliness; circumscribed educational and employment opportunities; hollowed -out communities and most pressing sense of distress and alienation are the very children targeted by the youth justice apparatus. (Goldson and Muncie, 2006, p.222) From the problems identified above, it can also be argued that policy- makers should be aiming at promoting social welfare instead of criminal justice and by so doing, professionals like; psychiatrists, social workers and teachers would be clear about what they are trying to achieve. Goldson and Muncie (2006) further call for the ethically legitimate, rights-compliant and effective approaches to youth crime and justice stating that approaches must be located within a broad corpus of social and economic policy rather than the narrower confines of youth/criminal justice policy (ibid). The YJB (2006) states that, the government has a Social Exclusion Action Plan and that poverty has been reduced . It further states that more needs to be done to tackle social exclusion, focussing on tackling the cycles of disadvantage that can lead to social exclusion being passed from one generation to the next. This appears to suggest that the YJB admits that current policies are inadequate to address the issues of poverty and social exclusion. As stated eerier that the ISSP which is YJBs strategy to rehabilitate persistent young offenders was implemented in haste, long before its pilots were completed. Could this be the reasons why it produced undesirable outcomes?. In addition to the above, it appears that punishing young offenders with underlying issues has contributed to the YJBs ineffectiveness. This argument is supported by Goldson (2007) asserting that:- despite such developments in policy, the deep-rooted tensions between welfare and justice that are intrinsic to law, policy and practice in respect of children in trouble, continue to comprise the source of contestation and complexity (Goldson 2008: p.207). This is amplified by Muncie (2009, p. 242 cited Hughes, and Young, 2007) arguing that the inclusionary principles, values and ideals that inform some social policies should not be abandoned, but resurrected within agendas of social justice, rather than criminal justice. More concerns in terms of inequality and discrimination by Blakemore and Griggs (2007) point out that the criminal justice system is unfair and that African-Caribbeans are more likely to be jailed than whites or Asians. He also states that the police are not quick to respond to policing needs of ethnic minorities than they should have (ibid). Furthermore, Muncie (2009) argues that ethnic minority youths are statistically more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, but offending rates for African Caribbean are not higher than those of whites. The examples of discriminatory practice and inequality may lead one to wonder how the YOTs can work effectively when the police force which has been accused of discriminatory practices. It is notable that legislations such as the Criminal Justice Act 2003 were introduced to overcome the evils of discrimination and inequality in the entire criminal justice system. However, the examples of unequal treatment, injustice, lack of fairness and discrimination do indicate that these issues are alive, and do need to be addressed. Therefore, the policy planning process, implementation and review should focus on empowering young offenders to overcome the issues of social exclusion, poverty and inequality. CONCLUSION This essay has reflected on the impact of some of the political, social and economic influences on social policy development and how these resultant policies on the YJS have impacted on social exclusion, poverty and inequality. The essay appreciates the existence of the YOT as a multi- agency team in the youth justice system that includes, psychiatrists, social workers. Youth workers and education. The essay deplores the existence of the principle of punishment in the in a system which should be aiming at emancipating young offenders who have underlying issues. The essay has also discussed the existence of discrimination and inequality which exposes young offenders to social exclusion as a result of flaws in the policies. Although this essay has appraised introduction of the New Labour policies, it concludes that the practice remains largely the same despite the change in policy.

Being Careful about Putting Animals in Captivity Essay -- essays resea

Animals in captivity. It has been an issue since the first zoo was opened. Many people are for and against it. I think that there are many pros and cons to having them in captivity. The main issue in the world is how do you possibly make it as close to the animal’s natural environment in captivity. It is almost impossible. You can’t start building sea world all over the ocean and hope the animals show up. I live in Agoura hills, big for horse property. At my grandma’s we have three Arabian horses. The thing is that they are wild animals, and need to do what they do best, RUN. We have three acres of pasture they can run around and play and be horses. Now let me tell you, they love their treats. Animals love to learn. I see it in our horses every day. They are happy. They get kept clean, fed, ridden, and get treats. Wild horses live on hundred of thousands of acres. If you take one of those and train it they love it. They like being fed, cleaned, and get treats. Now a lot of people would say that is different than keeping a killer whale at sea world. In some ways it is and in some ways it isn’t. The whales at sea world are always happy and love attention that they receive. I watched a program on the discovery channel a while a go. It was about the marine animals that were in captivity. Those whales loved being trained and getting a reward of fish when they do something correct. Now look at the con of this situation. Is this anything close to what they would get in nature. No. They do not get the mass oceans to swim. They do not get the freedom to live. But in some ways it is better. The have some of the most amazing trainers, vets, and marine experts in the world on call 24/7. Now I am not saying that we should take ... ...est care and get sick or die (Keiko in Mexico) So you see their a lot of pros and cons. Another point people bring up is the mental stability of the animal. There have been cases that have occurred where the animal snaps and attack the human is usually in captivity. If some idiot goes walking in the Brazilian forests and get attacked by a jaguar that’s his fault. The elephant that attacks humans is usually the humans fault. Either the elephant is cooped up to long and snaps or the trainer did something that made them snap. They are wild and this is the risk. Usually the animals don’t want to hurt the trainers or keepers. This is the risk of having wild animals in shows and captivity. If you can take the risk that is fine but you must make sure all the pros are met and cons kept in mind. They are wonderful creatures and they want to please, but there is a limit. Being Careful about Putting Animals in Captivity Essay -- essays resea Animals in captivity. It has been an issue since the first zoo was opened. Many people are for and against it. I think that there are many pros and cons to having them in captivity. The main issue in the world is how do you possibly make it as close to the animal’s natural environment in captivity. It is almost impossible. You can’t start building sea world all over the ocean and hope the animals show up. I live in Agoura hills, big for horse property. At my grandma’s we have three Arabian horses. The thing is that they are wild animals, and need to do what they do best, RUN. We have three acres of pasture they can run around and play and be horses. Now let me tell you, they love their treats. Animals love to learn. I see it in our horses every day. They are happy. They get kept clean, fed, ridden, and get treats. Wild horses live on hundred of thousands of acres. If you take one of those and train it they love it. They like being fed, cleaned, and get treats. Now a lot of people would say that is different than keeping a killer whale at sea world. In some ways it is and in some ways it isn’t. The whales at sea world are always happy and love attention that they receive. I watched a program on the discovery channel a while a go. It was about the marine animals that were in captivity. Those whales loved being trained and getting a reward of fish when they do something correct. Now look at the con of this situation. Is this anything close to what they would get in nature. No. They do not get the mass oceans to swim. They do not get the freedom to live. But in some ways it is better. The have some of the most amazing trainers, vets, and marine experts in the world on call 24/7. Now I am not saying that we should take ... ...est care and get sick or die (Keiko in Mexico) So you see their a lot of pros and cons. Another point people bring up is the mental stability of the animal. There have been cases that have occurred where the animal snaps and attack the human is usually in captivity. If some idiot goes walking in the Brazilian forests and get attacked by a jaguar that’s his fault. The elephant that attacks humans is usually the humans fault. Either the elephant is cooped up to long and snaps or the trainer did something that made them snap. They are wild and this is the risk. Usually the animals don’t want to hurt the trainers or keepers. This is the risk of having wild animals in shows and captivity. If you can take the risk that is fine but you must make sure all the pros are met and cons kept in mind. They are wonderful creatures and they want to please, but there is a limit.