Emily Bronte and D.H Lawrences Exploration of Social Class

Social class plays a very significant part in my core text, ‘Wuthering Heights’ and also my partner text , ‘Sons and Lovers’ because it helps the reader determine a sense of character and plays a massive part in the reader finding the true depth of a character. Social class in both novels is determined by location and the origin of the characters, as in ‘Wuthering Heights’ we see that Heathcliff is considered as abnormal and known as having a lower social class because of the uncertainty of his origin. Also in ‘Sons and Lovers’ we see the battle and life between a refined woman of middle class aspirations to a low class hard working miner and their son who discovers a ne conflict of loyalties after many years of taking after his mother.†¦show more content†¦Social class is very important to the characters in Wuthering Heights because we as readers are shown this when Catherine chooses not to marry Heathcliff because it woul d result in her becoming lower in the social scales which she is ashamed of, so she chooses to marry Edgar Linton, even though she understands that her and Heathcliff are kindred spirits and her love for him is equal as his own is for her and that in her heart she will always be the same, despite her aspirations for better social status, which come as a result of the limits put on her gender in the Victorian era. So in order for her to achieve her dreams to become socially higher and successful, she decides that she has no choice but to sacrifice her relationship with Heathcliff and marry Edgar, because of what he can offer and not who he is. ‘It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff.’ This decision in the novel shows just how important social class was to people in the Victorian era and the difficulties they had to achieve their dreams of being higher and successful in terms of social class. In contrast to ‘Wuthering Heights’ we see the complete opposite in ‘Sons and Lovers’ because we see how Gertrude chooses love over status. ‘She thought him rather wonderful, never having met anyone like him’ In the novel we see that Gertrude marries Walter which results in lowering herself on the

Catcher in the Rye, All Quiet on the Western Front, A...

The Search for Identity in Catcher in the Rye, All Quiet on the Western Front, A Separate Peace, Great Expectations, and Romeo and Juliet Adolescence is a time when everything weve ever known is being changed. Relationships, friends, thoughts, and other things that shape who we are become more awkward and confusing and are changed from what they have been in the past. Consequently, we will change also because all these things shape who we are. During a period of such change, its hard to know who we really are. Adolescence is the time when we find out who we truly are, but not until we know who we arent. Adolescents use common words, actions, and rivalries to try to define their unique personalities, goals, and ideas. They label†¦show more content†¦It may seem as though he has no direction in life (Salinger 59), but the direction he is taking is simply a confusing and ever-changing one that all adolescents must take. This is a journey you have to walk, no matter how far or how high up (Salinger 88) and although it looks as though Holden is walking aimlessly back and forth between personalities, he is walking b ack and forth between them trying to find the one that describes him as perfectly as possible. This idea of labeling is especially evident in war, where soldiers carry a literal declaration of who they are with them everywhere in the color of their uniform and flag. Paul, of All Quiet on the Western Front, enlists in the war because he thinks that it will give him a purpose and a clear definition of himself that he and everyone else can understand. Being adolescents, he and his classmates and then war comrades have lives that had as yet taken no root (Remarque 20), and the war seems like a worthwhile place to plant themselves. The problem with this decision is that the soil war grows out of is thin, rocky, and uncertain. Coming right from high school and their parents supervision, they dont know how to grow straight without a guide, nor do they have a background which is so strong that the war cannot obliterate it (Remarque 20) like the older men. Caught with one leg stepping over the great chasm that lies between

Branding Essay Free Essays

BRANDING ESSAY Subject: The brand as an aspirational and cultural agent 14/03/2013 According to Philip J. Kotler â€Å"a brand is a name, term, sign symbol or design, or a combination of them to identify the goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and to identify them from the competitors†. This definition expresses the brand as the sum of the representations that we have, however, the brand is also a cultural agent. We will write a custom essay sample on Branding Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now To remain permanently in the mind of the consumer brands must build a recognizable brand and offer their cultural role models to their customers. Thus it is necessary to include this cultural aspect to the marketing strategy of the brand. After explaining how this cultural and aspirational aspect is characterized in the minds of consumers and brands, it will be interesting to know its origins and consequences, finally understand why and how a brand builds a culture and a strong identity. The success of a brand depends not only on the functional value it offers to consumers, its reputation and good health depends heavily on the emotional value it adds through its products. And the brands gain momentum in today’s culture, they seek to become mirrors of our personalities and that is why it is indispensable to build a distinctive brand image. The brand positioning is to place an image in the mind of the consumer. The success of the brand in the consumer’s opinion is fundamentally dependent on its desire to appropriate the brand and express it as a part of his personality. This cultural dimension of the brand had been discussed by Jean-Noel Kapferer (French expert of brands) in his book â€Å"Les marques, capital de l’entreprise† in 1990. He expresses the cultural facet of the brand as a key element of brand identity. In the same vein he argues that brands around the products and services sold, build aspirational universe in order to stand out and sell their products. This universe consists of all intangible assets acting as symbols, references, lifestyles, emotions etc. †¦ feature of the brand. This set forms a specific imaginary that illustrates the values and the brand positioning to form a unique cultural heritage (Jean-Noel Kapferer et Vincent Bastien, Luxe Oblige, 2008) This heritage must be expressed and transmitted to the consumer to feel the desire to join and share. Even if this has a great value in brand equity, it is not enough to form a brand culture. The cornerstone of its creation is a major concept; which is distinct to the brand and based on an innovative aspect (e. g. Nike and culture transcendence). In this case there is a set of communication shared by a class of consumers relaying the brand culture. This research of brand culture is becoming more and more important, especially because consumers search meaning in their consumption and they need to be involved in this consumer society that is constantly evolving. Similarly, the development of the media and especially the internet makes it fertile ground for the development of this cultural facet. We are part of a brands cultural bath influencing us in all our acts of consumption. The brand is a center of social identification of the individual, our consumption reflects our identity. Especially for brands that operate as social signs (car brands, clothing, food, telephone, etc. †¦ ). And brands have become cultural facts, when we consume we do not consume only the product but also the brand. Every act of consumption is symbolic and cultural; there is no longer a pure commercial consumption. The brand becomes a symbol, a materiel embodiment of the myth. So as customers drink, drive or wear the product, they experience a bit of the myth. † (Douglas B. How Brands Become Holt in Icons, The Principles of Cultural Branding, 2004). He explains this behavior like this: â€Å"Customers use iconic brands as symbolic salves. They grab hold of the myth as they use the product as a means to lessen their identity burdens†. It means that the brand through its culture must convey specific models to achieve the desires and soothe the anxieties of consumers. The purpose of brands is to create moments of recognition that put images, sounds, feelings, on the deep desires of customers. Holt adds that a strong brand identity and a clearly identifiable culture have a positive effect on the brand and business: â€Å"When a brand delivers a powerful myth that customers find useful in cementing their identities, this identity value casts a halo on other aspects of the brand. Great myths enhance the brand’s quality reputation, distinctive benefits, and status value. † This halo effect shows brands cannot underestimate their cultural influence. The essential idea in this concept of culture is that it is an integral part of the brand, but she is not defined consistently. It is universal and timeless at the same time it must keep its customers at every change of generation. The success of a brand lies in its ability to adapt to a given society, to know how to react when tensions and desires of consumers mutate. Or that Accordance must match the brand identity. Success comes once the brand has articulated the brand identity with market expectations through the establishment of a strong brand culture. For example Nike in its infancy based its marketing strategy on its philosophy of self-transcendence, a value in accordance with an aspiration of American society in the post-prosperity when the logic of the American dream seemed to have lost its splendor. The socio-economic changes constantly and attitudes of societies are transformed. Thus it is essential that brand can find what, in its identity, can meet the expectations of customers in the generational change. The consumer’s desire is not focused on a specific good or service, this desire is by cluster (Gilles Deleuze, French philosopher, Anti-Oedipus, 1977). This means that when the customer is considering purchasing, the choice is not just the object itself but to all cultural, symbolic or historic associations attached to them. For example when I want this dress that is behind the showcase, I do not just want this dress, but the shoes that go with the silhouette, the style, the man, the romantic dinner and almost the lifestyle that goes with this dress. And brands need to rethink their communication model to know the consumer interest in all that associations of the product. They can no longer base their identity on customer insights; it must do so on a strong culture. The brand identity is not an element to be overlooked in a marketing strategy because the cultural and aspirational aspect it reveals is becoming increasingly important in the consumer’s decision. Brands must know how to create interest and special recognition in his mind through communicating their values and their major concept. The customers’ expectations continually evolving, that is why it is important for brands to adapt through the establishment of a strong and sustainable brand culture. I hope you understand that as an Erasmus student I used for my research French theories to support my arguments. Well I apologize for any mistakes in English that I could commit. ) Bibliography * Jean-Noel Kapferer, Les marques, capital de l’entreprise (1990) * Jean-Noel Kapferer et Vincent Bastien, Luxe Oblige, Paris, Eyrolles (2008) * Douglas B. Holt, How Brands Become Icons, The Principles Of Cultural Branding, Harvard Business School Press (2004) * Gilles Deleuze et Felix Guattari, Anti- OEdipe, Editions de Minuit, 1977. How to cite Branding Essay, Essays

Politics And Religion Essay Example For Students

Politics And Religion Essay (This is about the Protestant Reformation, i believed that ithas always existed strictly as a political event) Politics and ReligionPolitical and social struggles causes many religious uprising. Even thoughReligious Reformations are major breakthroughs in the Catholic Church, itspremises remained strictly as a political event. Protestantism was a techniqueused by noble princes as well as emperors to break away from the control of theCatholic Church and also a reason to gain dominancy over other nations. However,the foremost reason that Reformations remains primarily as a political event isbecause it served as a reason for conflict between church and state. The firstreason that the Reformation was a political event was the alliance betweenreligious group and the state. Protestant groups, especially Lutherans andCalvinists, sided with national authorities to create international politicalupheaval. One mentionable historical event was the Hapsburg-Valois War. To gaincontrol of Italy and the Burgundian realms, Francis I of France, being aCatholic, did not hesitate to form an alliance with the Protestants in hisobjective to crush Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, the fall heir of theBurgundian territories. On the other hand, the Protestant card was also playedby Charles when he repressed Francis with the help of the Henry VIII, head ofthe Church of England. Thus, this showed that Protestants during the Reformationwas created ideally to and was manipulated by strong political powers in theirconquest to gain dominancy over other states. Another reason for thegovernmental event was its usage by the noble princes to gain political freedomfor their states by breaking away from the control of the supreme governer. Whatwas a religious struggles between the Protestants and the Church became amovement towards a politically freed state. One example would be the internalconflict between Charles V and his German princes and their states. During thedisorder of the Reformation, princes were emboldened to seek autonomy for theirstates, thus, creating a civil war between them and the Emperor. The Peace ofAusburg was signed by Charles by which gave the princes the right to determinedthe core religion in his territories. However, the political side to it was thePeace of Westphalia, a reinstatement of the Asburgs. Signed some years later bythe empire, the Peace of Westphalia gave the princes the right to supremeauthority over their territories. This showed that in the essence of mostreligious struggles, the main objective is to gain political advantage amongother dominant powers. But the foremost cause that led to the belief that theProtestant Reformation was a political event was the private issues between theking and the pope. Supremacy of state, judicial authoratives, and noble maritalproblems were raised to the level of national predicament. These issues werepresented with the conflict between Henry VIII and the Church. During Henrysreign, many of his marriages went down the drain because he was cursed without ahealthy, male heir to the English thrown. But years later, having fallen in lovewith Anne Boleyn, a noble woman who promised him a son, Henry tried to get hismarriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. But when the Church rejected hisorder, Henry broke away and formed The Church of England. In his documents. TheAct of Restraint of Appeal and the Supremacy Act, Henry declared himself thesupreme ruler and judicial authority of England and noted that there areabsolutely no political interference from the Church allowed. This showed thatthe biggest contribution to the Protestant Reformation are the selfish desiresof kings and the Church. .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .postImageUrl , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:hover , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:visited , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:active { border:0!important; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:active , .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314 .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u37ea63a413c7dfbd81f04b7162ebb314:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Santiago Essay Behind most religious disorder, the roots of conflictwas always political struggles between church and state. These ideas wereexpressed by many rulers who were tangled in the web of international religiousstruggles. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VIII of England, GermanProtestant princes, rulers of all background manipulated Protestant Reformationsand had used it to their own advantage such as to gain political powers andtheir other personal needs. Thus, the roots of existence of most ProtestantReformation has always been, a political event.European History

Moral obligations of multinational corporations

Introduction Majority believe that Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have the moral obligations to support poor countries because of their financial capabilities. However, most of the firms have been subjected to ethical examination concerning their conduct of exploiting the resources in hosting nations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Moral obligations of multinational corporations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, libertarian theorists supported the notion that multinational corporations have the moral responsibility of giving back to the society in any form that is deemed beneficial. The reason is that the resources multinational corporations continue to exploit should benefit the whole society. On the contrary, critics argue that the major aim of such organizations is to exploit the resources of host nations for economic, social and ecological expansion. Further, multinational corporations participate in criminal activities that undermine the human dignity (Donaldson 70). The paper argues for the case basing the arguments on various theoretical framework including libertarianism as well as Avoid, Protect and Aid rules of MNCs toward the society. In other words, the paper will focus on the Avoid, Protect and Aid rules of MNCs toward the society to bring out clearly the reasons why multinational corporations have ethical obligation to fulfill. However, the paper will utilize the rights in the global market concept to criticize the views held by libertarian theories to analyze the benefits of MNCs considering treatment of native employees, foreign ventures, transfer of modern expertise and management techniques. The rights in the global market concept examine the need for multinational corporations to uphold individual rights particularly in host countries.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Libertarian theories According to libertarian theories of the corporate and global capitalism, multinational enterprises have moral obligations of returning proceeds to stakeholders within the bounds of moral side-constraints that are grounded in the rules of the game (Arnold 158). In addition, the return of profits should be within the precincts of societal anticipations including promotion of background institutions, legal obligations, morals as well as social corporate responsibility. Core to the benefits multinational institutions offer to the society is the economic aid that is geared towards alleviating societal tribulations. Avoid, Protect and Aid rules of MNCs The realization of social and economic rights Multinational corporations have inserted a lot of social and economic influence in the affairs of the host countries. In fact, with decreased influence of government agencies on the public affairs, multinational corporations are part of the private entities that have increasingly gained a lot of influence on the public affairs. Benefits the public is likely to get from the MNCs are part of the economic rights of an individual. In fact, multinational corporations realize their goals to the community through many ways. The first important avenue is the societal institutions. Strengthening such institutions provides a sure means through which multinational organizations can be utilized to provide aid to the needy people in poor countries (Hsieh 270). The fundamental units of the society such as education, health, economic institutions and governments are critical concerning the operations of business organizations. Multinational corporations have to collaborate with these institutions in order to attain the main role of returning part of their proceeds to the society. In fact, multinational corporations should recognize the importance of various institutions of society and understand that firms cannot operate in a void (Hsieh 170). In oth er words, multinational corporations are part of the economic institutions of society and should benefit the communities in which they operate.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Moral obligations of multinational corporations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In principle, the multinational enterprises operate in multifaceted circumstances and have moral obligations to meet the demands of various societal institutions including governments, as well as the community hosting their operations. Corporate accountability Besides, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) currently being applied in a corporate world has been derived from the principles of libertarianism. In fact, the idea of corporate social responsibility has been practiced over the last decades. The notion coins the importance of corporations to the communities surrounding areas where such enterprises operate. In fact, the principle behind CS R is that large corporations are responsible for individual actions. Besides, the benefits of the corporations should be shared by the communities, which are considered as part of the stakeholders. Actually, there is a growing concern among international groups particularly Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) urging global enterprises to balance proceeds with community residency. In other words, multinational corporations have moral obligations to meet the economic, legal and ethical as well as charitable anticipations of the society (Falkenberg 32). In the current global context where market determines the survivability of firms, multinational corporations should include the components of global CSR in operations in order to continue existing. The elements of international CSR entail economic, legal and ethical roles. Further, international enterprises are also expected to be good corporate citizens through philanthropic responsibilities (Arnold 158). In reality, multinational co rporations should be socially responsible through the provision of financial, as well as any other aid the communities may need.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In other words, they should be supportive of the needy communities particularly through direct financial aid or contributing hugely towards activities that alleviate social problems afflicting the society. Core to the libertarian principles are the economic responsibilities of multinational corporations. The main argument is that multinational corporations should indulge in activities that benefit the society. Actually, the foundation of global business processes is to produce goods and services that provide solutions to problems afflicting the society (Falkenberg 20). In other words, profit making which is always the ultimate objective of multinational enterprises should meet requirements of the global society. Essentially, firms should adhere to global strategic management principles that provide ethical guidance on the achievement of production and profit. Through profits, multinational corporations have the capability of providing financial aid or contributing to the actions gea red towards meeting the needs of society (Arnold 159). Besides, multinational corporations can engage in the production of goods and services that directly benefit the society. For instance, multinationals in the pharmaceutical industry can engage in producing anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs that can directly be used to alleviate deaths resulting from HIV/AIDS in poor countries instead of contributing to financial aid. Further, multinational organizations must abide by the specified acceptable rates of return in host nations. The reason is that MNCs operate in countries that are in dire need of aid. Besides, total annual earnings of MNCs equal the host countries’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As such, it would be natural for these countries to ask for higher rates of return from the global corporations (Hsieh 266). Nonetheless, one major issue in the current policy is whether multinational corporations have greater responsibilities to the wider society. As observed by libertarian theorists, most scholarly works support the argument that multinational corporations have greater responsibilities to respond to societal needs. However, critics of the view argue that the sole responsibility of multinational enterprises is to guarantee that shareholders obtain their due. In other words, the multinational corporations are responsible to the shareholders and not the society. Activities of MNCs geared towards the society should be considered philanthropic and not a moral duty. In essence, the shareholders should decide whether to share their dividends with the society. Moreover, multinational corporations should respond to the needs of society without hurting the businesses, as well as main objective of maximizing profit. As indicated, calls for multinational corporations to contribute to the needs of society are not only limited to NGOs but also world leaders, activists and scholars. The reason is that considering the financial capabilities, MNCs are in better posit ions to offer assistance. However, assistances from multinational corporations should not go against the main purpose of making profits. The principle of providing aid underlies actions that would prevent an occurrence of a problem. According to this perspective, multinational corporations should take actions geared towards preventing the societal problems by incurring little costs. In fact, costs involved in the social responsibility should be less than the corporate returns. In addition, multinational corporations should act when presented with situations where the costs of preventing major problems afflicting society are relatively small. In other words, MNCs have moral responsibilities of preventing major problems afflicting society at small costs. Essentially, the libertarian principles justify moral actions of the MNCs. Government regulation Multinational corporations often undermine the government regulations in their endeavors in host nations (Donaldson 68). Actually, in the global context, numerous states lack well-defined regulatory frameworks that standardize the ethical obligations of multinational enterprises. Besides, in foreign countries, the operations of multinational corporations are smoothened by the failure of host states to come up with set of laws that protect the civil liberties of workers. In other words, local government officials normally have financial interests in the actions of MNCs thereby opening space for corruption to thrive. Generally, multinational enterprises have moral duties to recognize workers’ freedom of physical movement (Donaldson 70). In other words, workers should not be subjected to strict rules disallowing movements from positions of duty. Additionally, fair trials, freedom from torture as well as ownership of property are significant liberties that workers in multinational enterprises should enjoy. Over the past years, many multinational corporations embraced nepotism by discriminating individuals based on race, sexual orientation, religion, family affiliation as well as social class. Further, labor unions play significant roles to ensure that workers’ rights are upheld and honored (Donaldson 77). As such, multinational corporations are duty-bound to desist from coercive campaigns and strategies that restrict the surfacing of workers’ unions through lobbying host states to prevent emergence of labor movements. Additionally, multinational corporations have in the past aided in overthrowing governments and states as well as offering support for authoritarian heads of governments in order to carry on with unethical activities (Donaldson 79). For example, the overthrow of Honduras government in 1950s was aided by a MNC. Besides, MNCs have moral obligations to refrain from supporting autocratic regimes in emerging democracies as well as bribing public officials. Specifically, Lockheed Company undermined the democratic gains made in Japan by offering inducements to the nation ’s prime minister in order to be awarded jet contracts. Such actions weaken democracy as well as breach the right to national freewill. Multinational enterprises should also observe the authorized legal systems in host nations. Besides, MNCs have moral obligations to observe international conventions and justice systems that protect the rights of individuals. The major focus of international justice revolves on the rights that individuals are supposed to enjoy (O’Neil 182). Nonetheless, international justice often ignores the requirements capable of protecting the rights of individuals. Essentially, multinational corporations have moral obligations of abiding by the varying social contracts they have with host nations. However, multinational enterprises are capable of escaping laws by moving operations from one nation to another (Velasquez 36). Good reputation is an essential aspect in the operations of international firms. In essence, multinational organizations have to ensure that their operations are based on acceptable societal practices, which are not necessarily within the legal domain. In fact, no global business would wish to be listed as the worst performing corporation since such publications lead to loss of good repute (Donaldson 74). Generally, multinational enterprises have a universal responsibility of recognizing norms, practices and anticipations reflecting beliefs that are considered fair and consistent in relation to values and fortifications of ethical rights of stakeholders. In other words, ethical principles of moral philosophy including justice and rights should form the bedrock of business operations. Rights in the global market Multinational corporations have the moral obligations to honor and protect the squashed civil liberties of workers in the global context (Donaldson 67). Further, freedom of speech, basic nutrition and freedom from torture as well as right to education are major issues of concern in several nations. In fact, most countries around the world still deny citizens basic rights. For instance, wife beating and child labor are common in Korea and Central America respectively. Essentially, MNCs have the moral responsibility to decline engaging children in the operations of such firms through employment. Further, the wellbeing of personnel is an important obligation that MNCs must address. Actually, in situations where multinational enterprises are not obliged to follow morals in operations, firms often act against societal expectations. For instance, in 1988, multinational firms in the US and Britain dumped toxic wastes in West African states such as Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau due to rising costs of waste disposal. Conclusion Generally, multinational corporations have moral obligation to the society. In fact, critics argue that MNCs often trade in products that are unsuitable and harmful to the natives of host nations. Additionally, critics argue that multinational en terprises normally undermine the guidelines put in place to protect the rights of workers in host nations. On the other hand, fans of MNCs note that multinational enterprises are significant in the development of host nations through creation of employment opportunities as well as returning earnings within the precincts of societal anticipations to promote background institutions, legal obligations, morals as well as social corporate responsibility. Essentially, respect for core human values, local traditions and belief in the contemporary context when making decisions are critical in shaping ethical conduct of multinational firms. Essentially, lack of clear moral obligations is to blame for the unethical behaviors of MNCs ranging from exploitation of resources, lack of respect for core human rights and cultures. Therefore, multinational enterprises have moral obligations to fulfill in global operations including respecting human values and labor laws. Works Cited Arnold, Denis. â⠂¬Å"Libetarian Theories of the Corporation and Global Capitalism.† Journal of Business Ethics, 48.2 (2003), 155-173. Print. Donaldson, Thomas. â€Å"Rights in Global Market Place.† The Academy of Management Review, 20.1 (1990), 65-91. Print. Falkenberg, Andreas Wyller. â€Å"When in Rome. â€Å"Moral Maturity and Ethics for International Economic Organization.† Journal of Business Ethics, 54.1 (2004), 17-32. Print. Hsieh, Nien-he. â€Å"Does Business have a Responsibility to Promote Just Institutions?† Business Ethics Quarterly, 19.2 (2009), 251-273. Print. O’Neil, Onora. â€Å"Agents of Justice.† Metaphilosophy, 32.2 (2001), 180–195. Print. Velasquez, Manuel. â€Å"International Business, Morality and the Common Good.† Business Ethics Quarterly, 2.1 (1992), 27-40. Print. This essay on Moral obligations of multinational corporations was written and submitted by user Franco Byers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Moundbuilder Myth Debunked

The Moundbuilder Myth Debunked The Moundbuilder myth is a story believed, wholeheartedly, by Euroamericans in North America well into the last decades of the 19th and even into the 20th century. The central myth was that indigenous people who lived in what is today the United States were incapable of engineering of the thousands of prehistoric earthworks found by the newcomers and must have been built by some other race of people. That myth served as justification for the plan to exterminate Native Americans and take their property. It was debunked in the late 19th century. Key Takeaways: Moundbuilder Myth The Moundbuilder Myth was created in the mid-19th century to explain a disconnect within the thought processes of Euroamerican settlers.  The settlers appreciated the thousands of mounds on their new properties, but could not bear to credit mound construction to the Native American people they were displacing.  The myth credited the mounds to a fictional race of beings which had been driven out by the Native American residents.  The Moundbuilder Myth was disproven in the late 1880s.  Many thousands of earthen mounds were purposefully destroyed after the myth was dispelled. Early Explorations and the Mound Builders The earliest expeditions of Europeans into the Americas were by the Spanish who found living, vigorous and advanced civilizations- the Inca, the Aztecs, the Maya all had versions of state societies. The Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto even found the true mound builders, when he visited the chiefdoms of the Mississippians running their sophisticated communities from Florida to the Mississippi River between 1539–1546. Circa 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto (c.1500–1542) and his men journey across America on one of their expeditions in search of treasure. Original Artwork: Painting by Frederic Remington. MPI / Stringer / Getty Images But the English who came to North America convinced themselves first that the people already inhabiting the land they were settling were literally descended from the Canaanites from Israel. As the European colonization moved westward, the newcomers continued to meet Native people some of whom were already devastated by diseases, and they began to find thousands of examples of massive earthworks- very tall mounds like Cahokias Monks Mound in Illinois, as well as mound groups, and mounds in various geometric shapes, spiral mounds, and bird and other animal effigies. The Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, built and used by the Adena people between 800 BCE and 400 CE. This protected historical earthworks is nearly a quarter of a mile long and represents a giant snake holding an egg in its jaws. Photo by MPI/Getty Images A Myth is Born The earthworks encountered by the Europeans were a source of great fascination to the new settlers- but only after they convinced themselves that the mounds had to have been built by a superior race, and that couldnt be the Native Americans. Because the new Euroamerican settlers could not, or did not want to, believe that the mounds had been built by the Native American peoples they were displacing as fast as they could, some of them- including the scholarly community- began to formulate a theory of the lost race of mound builders. The moundbuilders were said to be a race of superior beings, perhaps one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, or ancestors of Mexicans, who were killed off by later people. Some amateur excavators of the mounds claimed that the skeletal remains in them were of very tall individuals, who certainly could not be Native Americans. Or so they thought. Restored Mississippian palisaded mound group at Aztalan State Park in Wisconsin, fancifully named for the ancient home town of the Aztecs. MattGush / iStock / Getty Images Plus It was never an official government policy that the engineering feats were made by someone other than the indigenous residents, but the theory did bolster arguments supporting the manifest destiny of European desires. Many of the earliest settlers of the midwest were at least initially proud of the earthworks on their properties and did much to preserve them. Debunking the Myth By the late 1870s, however, scholarly research led by Cyrus Thomas (1825–1910) of the Smithsonian Institution and Frederick Ward Putnam (1839–1915) of the Peabody Museum reported conclusive evidence that there was no physical difference between the people buried in the mounds and modern Native Americans. Subsequent DNA research has proven that time and again.  Scholars then and today recognized that the ancestors of modern Native Americans were responsible for all of the prehistoric mound constructions in North America. Unintended Consequences Members of the public were harder to convince, and if you read county histories into the 1950s, you will still see stories about the Lost Race of Moundbuilders. Scholars did their best to convince people that the Native Americans were the architects of the mounds, by giving lecture tours and publishing newspaper stories. That effort backfired. Unfortunately, once the myth of a Lost Race was dispelled, the settlers lost interest in the mounds, and many if not most of the thousands of mounds in the American midwest were destroyed as settlers simply plowed away the evidence that a civilized, intelligent and capable people had been driven from their rightful lands. Selected Sources Clark, Mallam. R. The Mound Builders:  An American Myth. Journal of the Iowa Archeological Society 23 (1976): 145–75. Print.Denevan, William M. The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 82.3 (1992): 369–85. Print.Mann, Rob. Intruding on the Past: The Reuse of Ancient Earthen Mounds by Native Americans. Southeastern Archaeology 24.1 (2005): 1–10. Print.McGuire, Randall H. Archeology and the First Americans. American Anthropologist 94.4 (1992): 816–36. Print.Peet, Stephen D. Comparison of the Effigy Builders with the Modern Indians. American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal 17 (1895): 19–43. Print.Trigger, Bruce G. Archaeology and the Image of the American Indian. American Antiquity 45.4 (1980): 662–76. Print.Watkins, Joe. Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice. Lanham, MD: Alta Mira Press, 2000. Print.Wymer, Dee Anne. On the Edge of the Secular and the Sacred: Hopewell Mound-Builder Archaeology in Context. Antiquity 90.350 (2016): 532–34. Print.

Use of the veto Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Use of the veto - Research Paper Example Giving the president the veto power helps him to defend himself, as well as his office by preserving his own independence and importance, so that he can be relied on to exercise this power. However, Spitzer (12) argues that the veto power that was introduced into the presidency through the United States constitution, is limited compared to that of the British monarch’s veto that was used as reference by the founders. Unlike the king, of Great Britain who has an absolute veto, the president of the United States has limited veto that can be overridden by a two-thirds vote, in both the house and the senate. Reason for doing this was that the framers of the U. S. constitution believed a limited veto would be more efficient than an absolute one because it would be put into active use; thus, promote political development. Gilmour (198) evaluates both the president and presidency approaches to give centered explanations of the presidential activities in relation to their power to use the veto. He uses individual bill data passed by Congress to determine the extent to which institutional factors account for vetoes and how variation accounts for an individual president’s veto behaviour (Gilmour, 198). As stated by Gilmour (199), the presidential vetoes mainly occur when the congress passes objectionable bills, which bring the president under control of the congress. However, despite being controlled by the congress, most presidents have different veto behaviour with some being more prone to using veto than others. For this reason, Gilmour (200) claims that the president’s veto decision is highly influenced by external factors although individual choices and strategies of presidents also play a significant influence. Gilmour (200) argues that contemporary research on the president has focused more on the presidency-centered approach than the president-centered approach. The presidency-centered approach states that the president is a clerk and that

Correctional Mulicultural Substance Abuse Treatments Term Paper

Correctional Mulicultural Substance Abuse Treatments - Term Paper Example However, a new thinking has taken root in those who provide support and assistance to substance abusers that take into account the nuances inherent in a culturally-diverse society. This new paradigm produced what is called as â€Å"recovery movement† that includes the involvement of other stakeholders within the larger community. The old service delivery model was proven untenable, as people respond differently to substance abuse treatment based from their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Through this lens, prevention, cessation, detoxification interventions have now adopted this new approach. Multicultural realities are now recognized as having a big influence, and ultimately the eventual success, of any program. This is shown by the requirement that counselors need to undergo additional training in cultural and ethnic sensitivity, to enable them to administer these programs much better with higher chances of preventing recidivism among abusers. The new mentality is to tr eat abusers as victims and not as perpetrators of a crime, in light of the new thrust of an enlightened criminal justice system. Keywords: abuse, culture, ethnicities, language, programs, substance, treatment Introduction The drug menace has gotten worse over the years, with those who abuse illegal drugs in almost all spheres of society. Whether in high schools, in colleges and universities, in workplace situations, in non-profit organizations or even in the military, drug abuse has become prevalent. It has put a huge strain on government resources, and the fight against illegal drugs has not seen any improvement despite the best of efforts by many government agencies tasked in the â€Å"war on drugs† as it has become a very lucrative industry. People turn to drugs for a variety of reasons, in most instances trying it out first just for curiosity, but then people get hooked and they cannot shake their addiction anymore. It takes great willpower to desist from using illegal dr ugs and has been a big drain on government resources and also on the various agencies tasked to eradicate it. Some people turn to drug pushing in order to earn money while others use it for the â€Å"high.† Whatever is the underlying reason why a person gets hooked on drugs, there is always the heavy task of rehabilitating these drug addicts through the process of drug treatments, in case they want to regain back their normal lives. The criminal justice system, anchored on the three pillars of law enforcement by the police to catch drug criminals and users, the judiciary which is charged with trying those accused of the crime, and the corrections system which seeks to put in prison those found guilty, and eventually to rehabilitate all the drug victims, has fought a losing battle against this insidious menace which destroys lives and in turn, destroys the social fabric. A variety of approaches have been utilized in the later part of this fight against illegal drugs, that is, helping drug addicts and illegal substances abusers shake off their habit. This paper examines the techniques used to deal with abusers inside the corrections, based on multicultural realities. Discussion People respond differently to different approaches, as no two persons are exactly alike. The trend in health care today is what is

Post 5 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Post 5 - Coursework Example The most important factor that is considered when arranging a marriage in India is the reputation of the family. It is evaluated that marriages can be arranged only if both the families have a same socio-economical status. The other factor includes the education, appearance, attitude and behavior of the bride and groom. Unlike the western society, a high level of care is exercised by the parents in selecting an appropriate mate for their children, as stated by Serena Nanda’s friend â€Å"you American wants everything done so quickly, you get married quickly and then just as quickly get divorced. Here we take marriage more seriously. We must take all the factors into account. It is not enough for us to learn by our mistakes. This is too serious a business. If a mistake is made we have not only ruined the life of our son or daughter, but we have spoiled the reputation of our family as well. And that will make it much harder for their brothers and sisters to get married. So we m ust be very careful† (Nanda). Research has evaluated that there are a number of advantages in the concept of arrange marriage because most of the Indian couple are living a successful life after their arrange marriages, however on the other side the only disadvantage with the arrange marriage is that, both the groom and bride are not provided enough time before their marriage to understand each other and their natures. Lassiter’s defined the concept of family and kinship as a situation where different people, whether directly or indirectly related to each other live together, he called kinship as a network of relatives. The network of relatives can be established through exercising marriages between the matrilineal and patrilineal descent of the family. He explained the marriages of individuals with their direct cousins, i.e. in a matrilineal descent system with the children of the mother’s sister’s children and similarly in the patrilineal decent system

Ethical Issue of Life Support Machine

Ethical Issue of Life Support Machine Directions: Read the case study provided. In essay style, apply and discuss the questions listed below: In the case of the patient R.J his autonomy has been taken away from him, as he is no longer able to make any decisions on his own. His ability to make his own choices for his health are gone he has lost all control of how he would want to be treated. Even before he was brain dead I would question if he really ever had autonomy with the decision to have the surgery – was he made aware of the complications that could happen? Was he given the proper consultation and was he ever asked if he had a family member who had problems with anesthesia? As for justice, I feel that it will never be served because my own belief is that you cannot get the person back to what you knew them as before. They have changed forever and so have you. No amount of money would fix this problem for most. I feel justice in this case will never be gotten. The family has lost trust in the medical field they do not trust what is being told to them because they feel they have been lied to from the start. They feel this could have been prevented with some extra care. Could this have been prevented with just a few more questions from the anesthesiologist and should the patient have brought up the family history of complications during surgery? Unfortunately surgery is risky and accidents happen and patients are informed of the risks but how much information can a person take in while someone is talking to then in medical jargon? As Anderson and McFarlane point out: â€Å"Beneficence is perhaps one of the strongest guiding ethical principles of health care professionals.† (2010, p.________) This being said, I do believe the doctors were responsible for what happened to this patient. They are the experts and they have the knowledge to handle difficult situations. Did the fact that the member has the extra weight cause the physician to not be able to intubate the member? Did the physician ever call a code or ask for assistance? This is all information that needs to be available in order to see if the members rights were protected. I personally worked in surgery for many years and saw many mishaps. I have seen surgery on the wrong patient and the wrong body part. I believe we should implement more resources to protect the patient that goes into surgery but time is money and rushing through the process is what causes mistakes. The non-maleficence in this case is that the member had the right to be protected from harm, this was not the case for this patient nor his family. His life will be forever negatively changed and so will his family’s. The mistrust the family has with the medical system will make this very sad case even worse as they will begin to see the health care system as the enemy. The family has been affected by the non-maleficence as they too have been hurt emotionally and probably financially, spiritually and in ways we can never imagine. It is obvious the physician did not set out to do this to the patient but the fact is that it did happen and he is responsible as he was unable to intubate. This is a risk of surgery and patients should be advised more than not that surgery should be the last resort. The family needs time to grieve. They have lost a very valuable member of their family very unexpectedly. I would first begin to assess what they understand about his condition. I would gently tell them what his prognosis is and I would also have a family meeting with a spiritual leader of their choice, a social worker, a psychiatrist and also all the physicians involved. I would ask the family to say what they needed to say to get their feelings out, their concerns, frustrations and anger. I would make sure before the meeting was over that they understood the health of the patient and that there was no hope for recovery. I would have them explore what type of person he was and if he would want to live this way. If this is what he would want then they would move to find him a place to live long term. If this was something he would not have wanted then offer them some choices such as taking him of life support and letting him die with dignity. This would be a very difficult decision a nd this would have both a positive and negative as nothing will be resolved except for the comfort of the patient. The family will probably never get a positive outcome. Page four paraphrase- this is good http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthics.aspx 5.  Professionalism Each nurse needs to understand the responsibilities and concerns that are integral to the nursing profession. Working with a team of health care professionals to provide care for patients in need requires a discipline and internal and external composure that stays steady throughout the day. Knowledge, expertise, team work and compassion are hallmarks of professionalism in nursing that I try to express in my practice. â€Å"The nurse in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual. Unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of the health problem.† (American Nurses Association, n.d.) A nurse has to take up a great deal of responsibility and must prove worthy of it. Everything from responsible patient care, to monitoring delicate equipment to which the patient is hooked, to responsible handling of medication is the nurse’s lot. A professional nurse is one who takes this responsibility very seriously and understands the consequences of mistakes. I take responsibility for my patient from the moment I am given report and until I leave the hospital. I am a professional to my patients and to me that means being present. Doing for them what they need to be comfortable and safe. I am there for them not for the social talk or the coffee break. I am there to take care of the patient and if I can help them in any way that’s what I do. 6. Mission and Philosophy of the Division of Nursing A. Describe what aspects of the mission and philosophy you feel are evident in the coursework in the RN-BSN program. My own words no citing The mission and philosophy I feel as evident in our coursework over the last few years have been the exploration of cultures and beliefs of other cultures. We have learned from each other our differences but also our similarities. I have learned to be tolerant when I did not agree with some of my cohorts especially when we did religious classes and the tension in the class room escalated from friendly to hostile. I learned to just listen and to explain part of my religion but to also keep an open mind to the beliefs of others. I also felt they needed to understand that this was a Catholic university and to be respectful of the courses that were presented as this was part of the curriculum. We all knew what courses we were to take coming into this program and if there was a conflict of interest that should have been introduced at the beginning of the BSN program not while the class was being taught by a highly respected professional. The course definitely made me a more critical thinker and made me learn not to accept answers on a superficial level, it helped me to look into matters with a more educated and focused approach to what was being presented to me as fact. Health is wholeness derived from the harmonious internal interaction of the body, mind, and spirit and the harmonious balance between person and environment. This statement is very much how I viewed the courses that were offered to me at part of the Immaculata program, they all taught us about the harmonious internal interaction of the body. We had many courses that helped us explore the holistic approach to taking care of the patient and therefore we learned a lot about ourselves. This helped us grow to become more patient centered and to focus on the task at hand and to become aware of the person we were taking care of whether they can communicate with us or not. I enjoyed the courses that were offered and I will say that I grew with each course that I completed, I felt better about my nursing career and I truly felt like I had grown as a person and as a nurse. This was a big change for me as before I took this BSN program I did not think it would help me, I actually looked at this journey of getting my BSN as something that I had to do in order to keep my job. I began fully to see that program became so impotent to who I was as a person and it became so important to who I am that I am going to miss going to class and I am going to miss my fellow students. I am especially going to miss some of the teachers who I have come to respect. B. What has been your experience with the culture of faculty interactions with students? My experiences with the faculty and their interactions with students have been positive overall. So many of the courses we took were geared towards accepting other cultures and beliefs. The class had a nice mixture of different beliefs and they were all respected by the faculty. We felt free to discuss our differences without feeling we were being judged for being different. I also feel this is an individual and personal finding and it may not reflect on how others in the class perceived the faculty and its interactions with the students. In some cultures the, students are more accustomed to seeking help from peers than from the professor. This may be because the student feels self-conscious approaching an authority figure, because seeking extra assistance is viewed as inappropriate â€Å"hand-holding,† or because asking for help is associated with weak or desperate students, and is thus stigmatizing. While soliciting help from peers can be helpful under some circumstances, there are times when peers are not in a position to provide helpful feedback. Students enter your classroom with expectations and interpretations shaped by their own cultural conditioning. Your expectations regarding appropriate classroom behavior, faculty and student roles, good writing, etc., may not be theirs. This is a product not only of cultural differences but of variations in the teaching styles of different faculty members. Even students who are familiar with the U.S. educational system have to adapt to the differing expectations of their various professors. Thus, it is helpful to all your students to spell out as concretely and specifically as possible – on your syllabus, in class, on tests and assignments, etc. – What your expectations are in regard to issues such as the following: A percentage breakdown of the graded components of your course not only helps students make reasonable time-allocation decisions (see Time Allocation); it also alerts international students to the fact that their course grade will be determined on the basis of multiple graded assignments (exams, papers, lab reports, designs, etc.) Seeing all the course requirements and their weighting can be particularly helpful for students from cultures in which only end-of-term examinations really â€Å"count understand what is expected of them in a college classroom, it is helpful not only to spell out clearly what you expect of them (see Make Your Expectations Explicit) but also to provide models of the kinds of work you want them to produce andthe kinds of skills you want them to cultivate. Seeing illustrations of good work can help students identify skills they need to develop. You might, for example: Provide examples of outstanding student work (e.g. outstanding designprojects, stage sets, engineering solutions, papers) and discuss with your students what makes them effective. This can help students (a) identify the elements of good work as they apply to particular assignments within particular domains, (b) become more conscious of these elements in their own work, and (c) understand what you, as an instructor, are expecting of them. Models of excellent student work can also help students think more broadly about an assignment, consider alternative approaches, etc. Model the kinds of discussion and debate behaviors you want students to develop. Some faculty members, for example, invite a colleague to class to debate an issue. Watching two faculty members engaged in an animated debate can help students understand how to participate in a respectful but intellectually challenging exchange. It also illustrates the dynamic nature of academic discourse.

Capitalism and Feudalism: The Lowell System Essay -- Economics Norma R

Capitalism and Feudalism: The Lowell System During the mid-nineteenth century, as the industrial revolution was taking shape, so too, was an economic system in Lowell, Massachusetts. The system involved a series of textile mills, which hired mostly women from rural towns, which were slowly giving way to the large cities as a result of industrialization. The textile mills hired the women to work long hours in brutal, often dangerous conditions, and many paid high rent to company boardinghouses. This may sound like feudalism, but it was, in fact, an example of oligarchical capitalism. However, it shares features with the conditions in "Norma Rae" and "Matewan". In the Lowell System, power was concentrated within the textile companies, creating an oligarchy. The situation is best described by Thomas Dublin, in his book Women at Work when he writes that 'the textile corporations in Lowell...adopted a unified set of policies from the outset. They shared waterpower rights, technological developments, labor policies, and marketing strategies.' (Thomas Dublin, Women at Work. p. 10) The logic behind the co-operation of the different companies was that the 'textile firms in this period were owned and directed by a narrow circle of capitalists, known collectively as the Boston Associates'. (Thomas Dublin, Women at Work, p. 10) This created an oligarchical situation because there was collective control by the companies. The oligarchy existed within a capitalist system, however, because the workers had a choice of which company to work for and the textile mills were not the only places to work. The textile industry was a major industry at the time. Ho wever, one could still lead a normal life without working in the textile mill. Furth... ...ning company to yield to their demands for better working conditions. The Lowell System shows features similar to both "Matewan" and "Norma Rae" because it occurred in a period in American history when the economy was in transition from feudalism to capitalism, allowing it to retain some features of feudalism while manifesting the early stages of modern capitalism. This is the reason why the Lowell System shares features with both "Norma Rae" and "Matewan". It also accounts for the fact that the system was an oligopoly. The companies did not have a complete monopoly over the labor force, however they had concentrated power. As the economy of the United States evolved, the Lowell System became less feudal and more capitalist, and evolved into situations similar to "Norma Rae". 1. Dublin, Thomas. Women at Work. 1979, Columbia University Press, New York. p. 87

Conservatism ‘key words’ Essay

Authoritarianism – Strong authority imposed from above is necessary or desirable and therefore demands unquestioning obedience. ‘Harsh’ form of social control via the legal system and criminal policies.. Thatcher’s slogan ‘TINA’ is associated very much with authoritarianism. It translates into ‘There Is No Alternative’ – we must be harsh! New Right – An ideological trend within conservatism that embraces a blend of the laissez-faire economics and social authoritarianism. (Reagan + Thatcher) New Right conservatism is an amalgam of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. In this combination exist two counter ideologies which ultimately go hand-in-hand to make each other work; Classical liberalism and Traditional conservatism. Traditional conservatism is much about the community as a whole working together to create social cohesion. In Traditional conservatism the individual should work, be disciplined and have a sense of self-realisation. Authoritarian rules can cater for individualism by moulding a social matrix within which autonomous peoples can pursue their interests, and prosper accordingly. Classical liberalism referred to as ‘neo-liberalism’ is about the free market, allowing the individual to be free from state intervention in private family life such as spending. Privacy here gives the individual a motive – work hard, earn money, and spend it in any way within the legal boundaries. Anomie – A weakening of values and normative rules associated with the feelings of isolation, loneliness and meaninglessness. (Durkheim argument against negative freedom.) Organicism – Belief that society operates like an organism, whose parts work together. The organism is sustained by a fragile set of relationships between & amongst its parts. Organisms are shaped by ‘natural factors’. i.e the family was not invented by a social thinker but is a product of natural social impulses. Disraeli’s One Nation conservatism was very much framed by the Organic model†¦ For a body to function healthily all of its organs and limbs must correspond in a symbiotic relationship. Taking the latter formula into account and applying it to a human society we see that the paternalistic government has to carry out its duty of care known as noblesse oblige whilst the people pursue their legal obligations such as tax-paying and law-abiding. The Organic model gathers all individuals; irrespective of class, race, gender or sexuality, and places them into one whole – a nation. Hierarchy – A system of social positions or status Natural aristocracy – The idea that talent and leadership are innate/inbred qualities and can not be acquired through effort or self-advancement. (Burke supported this; â€Å"there must be leaders and there must be followers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Authority – The power or right to exert influence (give orders, make decisions, enforce obedience). Conservatives authority develops naturally in society –> Parents have authority over their children. Thus –> Authority refers to the ability to exert influence over a people either by force or by legitimate procedures. In a self-determined nation-state authority is de jure, the people have accepted the body of authority and thus have accepted the policies imposed by such authority. However, in a failed society such as Mogadishu where there is no identifiable centre of authority, bodies of government operate by force, fear and de facto authority. –> So yes, the POWER (de facto) or RIGHT (de jure) to make decisions. Property – The ownership of physical goods or wealth. Burke used property as a metaphor for tradition. We should respect traditional institutions as we inherit them just as we inherit property. Property provides security –> something to ‘fall back on’. Those who own property are more likely to respect the property of others and be aware that property must be protected from disorder and lawlessness. (Property–>stake in society) Privatisation – Transfer of state assets to the private sector. Free market/laissez-faire approach. Reflects a contraction of state’s responsibilities. Populism – the political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite. (Perà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½n –> helping the ‘shirtless ones’) Paternalism – the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good. (Laws such as wearing a seatbelt. ‘Soft’ and ‘Hard’ paternalism) Neoliberalism – Liberal political views with an emphasis on economic growth. Free market as the ideal form of social organisation and as a means of solving all central political issues. (Friedman) Neoconservatism – A modern version of social conservatism that emphasises the need to restore order, and return to traditional values. One must observe the context within which Thatcherism developed. Thatcher came into office at a time when society had become permissive. Gay rights were being sought after, multiculturalism was on its highs, teenage pregnancies became modern fads, rebellion became the Rock’n’Roll attitude of the time –> society was loose. Thatcher thus decided that order must be restored. And she brought this restoration about by punitive laws and restrictions.

Perasuasive Sales Letter Essay

This short letter revolves around one important point: blood donated for infusions can be stored for no longer than 72 hours, after which it will be discarded. This means that people are in serious danger of dying depend on the daily efforts of all Americans who donate blood to save them. Today, the situation is critical because national supplies stored at Red Cross have dropped to dangerously low levels. This means that many people may not survive for very long once they get into a traffic accident or collapse because of a health problem. Luckily for them, professionals from the Red Cross over the years have developed impressive expertise in finding, processing and using donated blood. More importantly, they have developed an effective way to raise interest in blood donation through initiatives such as Blood Mobile. An impressive example of a life saved is that of five-year-old Melissa who was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects at birth, which caused her first open-heart surgery a week after her birth. To this point, her life has depended on using donor bloods that keeps her alive. Without 50 units of blood donated by different people, she would not have overcome her illness and survive till this day. The effort to collect blood for transfusions is going around the nation: restaurants, company offices, even beauty parlors – quite a wide range of businesses have already hosted Red Cross blood drives. The Pechanga Casino Entertainment Center can also make a serious contribution to the ongoing donation effort by hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive. By doing so, we will undoubtedly be able to gather large amount of blood, helping many people to cope with their illness. The mission of this campaign is clear and appealing. It consists in delivering donors’ blood to those patients who need it urgently. In doing so, the casino will attract people who qualify for blood donation. To be eligible for take part, one has to be over 17 years of age and weigh no less than 110 pounds. I am sure that a large number of people who meet these criteria as well as their friends and relatives will be willing to come to our casino to participate in the noble effort. Today, we can help thousands of people in urgent need of blood supply through a simple, yet effective effort. The Pechanga Casino Entertainment Center can organize a Red Cross Blood Drive, and I will be more than happy to lead the effort. Given my past experience in organising Toys for tots drive last year, I feel confident in handling the promotion for the event, especially since I know the Red Cross will supply plenty of materials to help in the organizing process. We can make a contribution to saving thousands of lives through hosting this event, a contribution that will improve our corporate image in this locality and beyond. In the words of Melissa’s mother, we can â€Å"give a piece of themselves† to help those in whose position we can find ourselves at some point. I am positive that many employees will share my enthusiasm for the event. I also have trust that the community will not let this event pass unnoticed and will regard the organisation that initiated it with high esteem. You can assess for yourselves the promises it holds for the growth of our business.

Sweetness Overload 14 Cute Valentines Day Gifts Ideas

Sweetness Overload 14 Cute Valentines Day Gifts Ideas If you’re looking for some Valentine’s Day gift ideas that off the charts in terms of cuteness and sweetness, then this article is definitely for you. Each one of these 14 ideas is a bottomless pit of adorable potential that you can use to really make an impression this year on someone extra special. The key theme that we’ll be focusing on is personalization. When you put in some extra effort and make the gift unique that really says something to them that no generic gift off the shelf can really accomplish. Let’s begin. 1. Homemade Plant Holder Getting flowers and a vase is nice, but why not make something yourself that they can use and keep in their home or kitchen for the rest of their lives? What can you use to make a plant-holder which could have their name on it, or a special message? 2. Get Fridge-Crafty Make a sweet fridge magnet yourself. Or, you could find a really cute retail magnet and then spruce it up with your own decorations. 3. Make Your Own Card Instead of buying a card from the shelf, make one yourself. Again, there are almost endless possibilities here. When possible go with something other than paper. Find a surface that will last longer. 4. Use Expensive Chocolate Instead of going for some dirt-cheap chocolate, why not get some quality stuff with a really interesting story behind it. For example, Endangered Species chocolate is not only super health and organic (mega-tasty), but a portion of the proceeds goes toward saving an†¦endangered species. How sweet is that? 5. Paint The Cup Yourself Everybody loves a quality coffee mug. Here’s a thought: paint it yourself! Who cares whether or not it’s the best or worst paint job ever? You’re making something unique and that’s a big deal to everyone. 6. Healthy Heart-Shaped Baking Go for a super-healthy cookie or cake mix and include some organic frosting for an extra special statement that says, â€Å"I wanted to give you something sweet, but healthy as well.† 7. Really Say Something Don’t just put the ordinary drivel in their card. Really write something from the heart that will make their eyes tear up. Honestly and sincerity with some love behind it. 8. Frame Custom Cuteness-Art Getting the frame is easy. Then it becomes a matter of using your creative energy to put something within it that communicates to them how special they are. 9. An Original Pillow It’s too easy to just go out and buy some industrial throw pillow that’s soft for a while but then quickly gets old or thrown into the closet. Instead, make one yourself that they’ll keep on their bed for years. Oh, and make sure to give it a nice scent with some cologne or perfume. 10. A Photo Kiosk Experience! This is the perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day. They typically have them in malls. You know, the little photo booths with enough room for two that takes four pictures? Get goofy. Get silly. Hug and have a smooch! 11. Go Back to Grade School Remember Valentine’s Day back in grade school when everyone would make, fill out and then give cards to others? What if you got all the supplies and stuff and sat down with a special someone to make cards for one another? So cute! 12. Make a Special Valentine’s Day Shirt Maybe it won’t be a shirt they wear to school, but for one day they could and it will really add a layer of uniqueness. Don’t make it embarrassing! And make sure it fits them rather than looking like a hand-painted parachute shirt. If you want to go into sweetness overdrive, create a matching one for yourself that you can wear along with them. 13. Incorporate some Fitness Most of us imagine stores full of boxes of chocolate, cupcakes and candy on Valentine’s Day. It’s how the special day has been heavily monetized by the retail industry. But not everyone has a sweet tooth or is interested in fattening sweets. Maybe they would prefer to get outside and go on a hike, jog or bike ride with their special someone? That’s also super cute, especially if you’re wearing the special shirts you made, or you’ve laced up the bike seats with special Valentine’s Day decorations! 14. Go Completely Overboard What if they walked into their front door to a tsunami of red, purple and pink balloons? What if they do have more than one sweet tooth and you ordered 30 boxes of chocolates with a massive bouquet of flowers to their address? There’s many ways you can go overboard, more so than you ever have or ever will again. Now that’s sweet! Tell us something you’ve done or plan to do this Valentine’s Day that you know will really work wonders in the sweetness department.

A Survey of Five Sex Education Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Survey of Five Sex Education Methods - Essay Example The study showed that Adolescents that reported healthier home relationships had significantly more sex education at home. Fathers that reported healthy home relationships were more involved in the sex education of their children. Mothers on the other hand, reported that sex education at home had no correlation to healthy home relationships. The paper approves that the Abstinence Only method of sex educations focuses on teaching programs that advocate abstinence from premarital sex and increased respect towards themes regarding sex. It has found many advocates among private educational and religious institutions that subscribe to the notion of chastity and purity before marriage. The study used questionnaires before and after the said programs to determine if there was any change in the students’ outlook towards sex. This report makes a conclusion that as the body of knowledge regarding learning theories and media efficacy regarding education increase, so will the methods for the dissemination of sex education issues. Each of the methods discussed above will claim to be effective in some way, each affected by the biases, belief system, and culture of the intended audience. The studies conducted and the data gathered regarding such alleviates some of the burden from the readers mind when considering the implications of these methods. With the data thus gathered regarding the various sex education avenues mentioned, it becomes easier to put these methods into perspective for future reference and use.

Function of Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Function of Management Paper - Essay Example The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling the organizational norms and domains. These four functions work hand in hand to bring to the organizational horizon a well-composed culture which is complete from all angles and perspectives. It is important that the four functions understand the need of proper incorporation of their own selves so that the organizational culture develops as a result. If the activities within an organization are adequately planned there is a strong possibility that the culture will underline the need of prioritizing things and hence a general planning regime would be in place. Organizing would take care of the steps which are important for the organizational procedures and undertakings and hence when the same are followed on a day to day basis, the organizational culture develops automatically. Leading comes from the leadership tenet where the top management understands its due role and hence embeds the much needed delegation and management skills required for the organization in essence. The last function is of controlling the organizational matters so that there is no element which has not been taken care of. All these four functions work alongside each other to construct an organizational culture which is wholesome and has a significant basis on the working procedures, undertakings and domains of the organization. (Warner, 2001) A healthy organizational culture could be instilled if the correct steps are taken at the right time so that the employees and the management are at ease with each other and also so that the activities, processes and strategies within the organizational tenets do not seem to be a misfit within the whole organizational regime. 3. Leading: Includes traits of a person who is in-charge and present all the time, could be easily replicated for a team which could be regarded as a group bringing about proactive

A Paper in Support of the Progressive Creationism Theory Research

A in Support of the Progressive Creationism Theory - Research Paper Example This particular theory is neither purely scientific or atheistic such as the atheistic evolution theory, nor purely biblical like the theistic evolution or 24-hour day theory. It aims to mediate these two frames of thought by explaining creation in a way that addresses the concerns of both though patterns. According to Dale Tooley in his paper, â€Å"Progressive Creation: An Overview†, the progressive creationism theory is increasingly becoming accepted as a viable and arguable theory for the creation and origin of the world. In contrast to young earth creation theories, it maintains that the 6 days of creation written in the bible do not necessarily refer to 24-hour days, but instead refer to â€Å"ages†. This gives way to hard scientific evidence regarding the earth's age. Some may discard this theory due to some wordings in the bible that refer to actual days, however, we must keep in mind that we cannot compare God's day with our own. As Christians recognize that Go d's knowledge is infinite and encompasses and eclipses our own, we cannot compare his understanding to ours. This is supported by the bible in the book of Mathew, 24:36. â€Å"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the sun, but only the father.† This particular area of the theory also allows for intraevolution, or evolution and development within a species, but does not recognize interevolution, or evolution into other species. This gives us an explanation or rationalization for the 6 day-ages of creation. Some other theories will discount this theory saying that the bible states that death is a result of sin, and therefore, would mean that there was no death for ages until Adam committed the first sin. This can be answered in a very simple statement. Man is a very unique creation. We are not just a higher form of animal but instead were created in God's image. We were given higher thinking, rationalization, and a sense of right and wrong. The refore, the weight or burden of sin only applies to us. Since animals do not have a moral compass, and are not accountable to God, we are the only creatures that are affected by sin. Therefore, death came to us as a result of our sin and disobedience, not because of anyone else. Also discussing humans as unique creatures, we must touch on the subject of evolution. We were presented with a theory concerning man's evolution from primates. Most, if not all Christians will not accept this,and for good reason. It is not about not wanting to be associated with monkeys, nor about denial of evolution, but about how the creation of man was described in the bible. If we look at it, creation of other creatures was described rather normally. There were not a lot of details that were given regarding how other creatures were created, but this is not the case with man. The bible gave details on how man was made. This indicates that our creation is unique, purposeful and special. The bible also des cribes that we were made in God's image and that life was breathed into us by God himself. This highlights just how special we are. The theory does recognize that within ages, animals can evolve and adapt, with the guidance of God. A good example of this is the abundance of different kinds of birds. Some swim, others walk, others fly. But never the less, all of them are still birds. This is not the same as the evolution of man from primates. We are not

Main Pollutants emitted by vehicle Engines Essay Example for Free

Main Pollutants emitted by vehicle Engines Essay The hydroxyl radical then reacts with nitrogen dioxide and oxidises it to nitrate ions. The superoxide ion reacts with nitrogen monoxide to form nitrate ions. NO2 + OH H+ + NO3- NO + O2- NO3- These nitrates are then either washed away or absorbed by the blocks to form stable compounds. The crystals also catalyse the reaction because the surface of the block holds together the reactants. This increases the concentration of the reactants. Figure 2: NOX removal by titanium oxide crystals. x Three-way Catalytic Converters A three-way catalytic converter oxidises carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, and reduces the levels of nitrogen oxides. It does this by creating the right conditions for reactions of these emissions to occur. The air to fuel ratio must be carefully controlled as oxygen is needed for the reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Oxygen sensors are fitted in engines with a three-way catalyst. Figure 3: The three-way catalyst system. xi Three-way catalysts are designed to produce more desirable reactions and less undesirable reactions. Desirable reactions reduce the harmful emissions from the car exhaust. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water, and nitrogen oxides react with carbon monoxide to produce carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The products are already present in the Earths atmosphere. 2CO + O2 2CO2 C7H16 + 11O2 8H2O + 7CO2 2CO + 2NO 2CO2 + N2 xii Three-way catalytic converters contain the stoichiometric fuel mixture. This means that the catalysts have the right amount of oxygen to combust the fuel and react with the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Three-way catalysts also contain ceria, which stores oxygen when the mixture is lean, and releases it when the mixture is rich. This gives optimum conversion of pollutants because as the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are absorbed onto the catalysts surface, the oxygen stored by the ceria oxidises them even if there is not enough oxygen in the air to fuel ratio. xiii The future Scientists still have problems that need to be solved to reduce harmful vehicle emissions. One problem that needs to be addressed is how to prevent harmful exhaust emissions when the catalyst is still warming up. There are several ways that this could be dealt with, including operating the catalysts at lower temperatures and also heating the catalyst before the engine is started. xiv Scientists also need to develop a system that is able to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. There are several ideas on how to go about this, including using ammonia in the exhaust, but nothing has yet been developed.  http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carsepa.htm

Design of Interventional Biomedical Devices

Design of Interventional Biomedical Devices 1. Neurovascular Catheters and Engineering Design 1. Case Study 1. The following catheter found in the cathlabdigest written by Gill Laroya discusses the advancement of the design of interventional biomedical devices from an engineering perspective and how engineers enhance the design of catheters to prevent problems such as kink. The article discusses areas such as the history of biomedical devices, the materials involved, design challenges and the interface. It discusses a specific example in terms of catheters and their use. If a catheter must travel a long distance within the neurovascular anatomy, the engineer designing the product might decide to incorporate a shaft support component, such as a stainless steel braid in order to enhance the micro catheters kink resistance. The down side of incorporating the stainless steel braid is its ability to travel within tight sections and irregular shaped bends within the neurovascular system. In order to solve this problem a stainless steel coil support is added to the distal end of the catheter, the ad dition of the coil support enhances lateral flexibility and adding hoop strength to even better the kink resistance of the micro catheter. Also, the engineer can add a lubricous hydrophilic coating to the catheter to improve axial and rotational handling of the device and reduce trauma on the walls of the veins and arteries. The study shows us how we can design micro catheters to prevent problems such as kink occurring. Cathlabdigest.com. (2016). The Design of Interventional Devices: An Engineers Perspective | Cath Lab Digest. 2. Neurovascular Catheter Design The following article was posted in Medical Tubing Types by Shana Leonard on December 12, 2014. Form the article it is predicted that by 2020 the neurovascular market will reach $600 million, according to iData Research. A key factor contributing to the growth of this sector is down to the various advancements of the biomedical device. The design goal for minimally invasive surgical devices is to strive towards engineering the smallest possible outside diameter for a micro catheter device without compromising any of the performance characteristics. Designing neurovascular catheters to meet these constraints must take into account the intricate neurovascular anatomy. Mddionline.com. (2016). Key Considerations for Designing Neurovascular Microcatheters | MDDI Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry News Products and Suppliers. According to Steven W. Berhow, president of Rogers, MN-based Biomerics Advanced Catheter, he believes that upon designing neurovascular catheters they must contain the following traits; Good torque within the shaft from the proximal to distal end. Flexibility in the distal portion of the catheter. Kink Resistance. Visibility under fluoroscopy. Low Stretch. High Pressure. Good guidewire movement. These 7 traits stand as basic constraints when it comes to designing intricate, complicated neurovascular minimally invasive devices. Figure 2. Neurovascular Catheter Design.   Mddionline.com. (2016). Key Considerations for Designing Neurovascular Microcatheters | MDDI Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry News Products and Suppliers. 3. Advanced Catheters The first thing you need to know is what an advanced catheter is. So according to Bill Alexander, Director of Business Development at Biomerics Advanced Catheter, an advanced catheter is a minimally invasive medical device that typically consists of a thin walled, braid reinforced tube or shaft with multiple durometers. An advanced catheter has the ability to navigate through the neurovascular anatomy and deliver implants and devices such as coils, heart stents etc. The difference between advanced catheters and traditional catheters can be mainly seen when it comes to manufacturing the product. A little error in the materials used in an advanced catheter can lead to larger errors as the specific wall thickness requirement of an advance catheter are very strict to ensure optimal performance. Characteristics such as pushability, trackability, torqueability and kink resistance are crucial for the advanced catheter design. Traditional catheters and advanced catheters are not mutually exclusive and can be used to benefit each other and improve patient surgical results. (2016). Advanced catheters What you need to know about this growing medical device market. Figure 3 Advanced Catheters and Traditional Catheters.   (2016). Advanced catheters What you need to know about this growing medical device market. Advanced catheters have the ability to incorporate new technologies and have a more complex design than traditional catheters. 2. Human Neurovascular and Cardiovascular Anatomy 1. Cardiovascular System The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels along with blood itself. It transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones and more and is powered by the heart. The heart consists of 2 circulatory loops, the pulmonary circulation loop and the systematic circulation loop. The pulmonary circulation transports deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and ventricle to the lungs. The systematic circulation carries oxygenated blood from the left atrium and left ventricle to all around the body. The cardiovascular system consists of blood vessels, coronary circulation (hearts own set of blood vessels), hepatic portal circulation (veins of stomach and intestines) and the blood itself (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma). An understanding of the complex network and its physical structures are important when designing non-invasive medical devices. System, C. (2016). Cardiovascular System. InnerBody.   Figure 4 Cardiovascular System. Slideshare.net. (2016). Circulatory system PowerPoint Blood vessels are the road network by which blood transports around the body and returns back to the heart again. This intricate tiny transportation system of blood vessels has a major part to play when engineering advanced catheters and ensuring problems such as kinking dont occur. 2. Structure and Functions of Blood Vessels Blood vessels consist of arteries and veins. Arteries bring blood away from the heart. As the arteries are brought away from the heart they eventually become smaller and are broken down to the smallest arteries called arterioles which further branch into capillaries where gases and nutrients are excreted or exchanged. Veins have a larger structure and bring blood back to the heart again. As can be seen below in figure 4, the cardiovascular circuit can be seen where two main circulatory systems occur. The pulmonary circulatory system and systematic circulatory system. Each providing their own different structural differences that engineers must take into account when designing minimally invasive medical devices. Philschatz.com. (2016). Structure and Function of Blood Vessels  · Anatomy and Physiology. Figure 5 Structure of Blood Vessels. ] Philschatz.com. (2016). The structure of blood vessels can be seen below. The artery and the veins vary in thickness as can be seen from the micrograph in figure 6. From figure 5, it can be seen that Arteries have a thicker Tunica media than Veins but veins have a larger tunica externa than arteries. Figure 6 Arteries vs Veins Structural differences. Philschatz.com. (2016).  Ã‚   Figure 7 Micrograph showing the relevant difference in thickness. Philschatz.com. (2016). As can be seen in figure 6 and 5, vein walls are considerably thinner than Artery walls meaning veins withstand a much lower pressure of blood passing through them. Table 1 Appearance of Arteries and Veins. Philschatz.com. (2016). Arteries Veins General Appearance Thick walls, small lumen Rounded appearance Thin walls, large lumen Flattened appearance Conor Patrick Goold, DME4. 7 3. Shapes of Catheters in the Neurovascular Anatomy 1. Guide Catheters and shapes in the Neurovascular system. The following is an example of a Stryker neurovascular catheter called the DAC catheter. From figure 8, it can be seen that the DAC catheter accesses the distal neurovasculature. It achieves this by providing enhanced stability through a braided shaft and this in turn also provides resistance to ovulation. Preventing shapes such as snaking and reducing friction against the blood vessel walls. Stryker.com. (2016). Neurovascular Intervention DACâ„ ¢ Catheter: Stryker. Figure 8 Catheters, Shapes and Uses. Stryker.com. (2016). Neurovascular Intervention DACâ„ ¢ Catheter: Stryker. 2. Neurovascular Catheters in the Brain. The following images are obtained through a technique that requires the use of a minimally invasive advanced neurovascular catheter. What these images do is they give a visual understanding of the intricate nature in which the catheters must travel within the cardio vascular system. To do this the catheter is guided under x-ray guidance through neurovascular and cardiovascular system. The catheter for this procedure is usually brought to a blood vessel located in the neck and a non-ionic x-ray contrast agent is injected into the blood vessels which then in turn travels through to the brain. Prior to this procedure the catheter is then removed through the groin and the bleeding is stopped through direct manual compression or by using a vascular closure device. Neuroangio.org. (2016). Introductory Brain Angiography | neuroangio.org. Figure 9 ICA Internal Carotid Artery. Neuroangio.org. (2016). Introductory Brain Angiography | neuroangio.org. In order to reach such distances in the neurovascular system, many advanced catheters are used to travel so far. The deployment of a large support catheter through the groin goes first and then a variation of other smaller catheters are deployed through the larger catheter in order to reach the required location and deploy medical devices such as coils and stents. Figure 10. CT scan of Brain. Neuroangio.org. (2016). Introductory Brain Angiography | neuroangio.org. 3. Neurovascular Catheters in the heart. Figure 11 shows the placement of a pacemaker into the heart by the deployment from a minimally invasive advanced catheter. The catheter enters the body through the collar bone on the left hand side of the heart and enters through the veins to place an electronic or mechanical pacemaker into the heart to overcome heart problems such as tachyarrhythmias, which occurs when your heart beats too fast or bradyarrhythmias, which occurs when your heart beats too slow. System, C. (2016). Cardiovascular System. Figure 11 Advanced Catheters in the Heart. System, C. (2016). Cardiovascular System. From figure 11, the C shaped position of the catheter can be seen. A number of issues can occur from an engineering perspective when a catheter must bend into the shape of a C. Kinking can occur at the maximum area of stress and strain. Engineers must design their advanced catheters in order to prevent kink from occurring and so a reinforcement braid is usually added to increase the hoop stresses of the catheter and the addition of this braid also provides better torqueability and pushability of the medical delivery device to allow it to bend to the required positions to deploy a pacemaker in the heart. 4. Research into Existing Test Methods 1. Simple existing Test methods The following is the most basic of test methods implemented by physicians when no Standard test method is available and time is of the essence. This method was applied when surgeons were experiences kinking in catheters when deployed into patients. In order to predetermine kink from happening the physicians used a simple bending technique to test for the kinking limit of catheters. If the catheter kinked, the unit was rendered useless, if not it was determined safe to use. This method is clearly not an optimal solution so further investigation into the kinking limit of catheters had to be researched and developed. Beamer, J. and French, G. (2016). A simple method for testing for the kinking epidural catheter. Figure 12 Simple Test Method No kink LHS and Kinked RHS. Beamer, J. and French, G. (2016). A simple method for testing for the kinking epidural catheter. 1.1 Simple existing test methods The catheter bends around the pin, having a predetermined diameter, D. The diameter can range from a number of different values, 5mm 50mm. The catheter is bent around the template and contacts the template at 2 tangential locations, to generate a curve and predetermine L = D. Figure 13 Kink resistance Test Method. Anon, (2016). 2. Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff Non-Clinical Engineering Tests and Recommended Labelling for Intravascular Stents and Associated Delivery Systems The following FDA guidelines outline the standards to abide by when dealing with stents and associated delivery systems. It details how the content and format of test data should be summarised in a report as well as detailing the test reports and test protocol procedures to carry out. For this test method, a review of the non-clinical engineering section was undertaken focusing on the section B (Stent Dimensions and Functional attributes) of the non-clinical engineering test, part 16. Part 16 gave FDA guidelines in kink resistance. The significance of outlining FDA guidelines for stents which are delivered by advanced catheters, it to prevent kink occurring when the normal body is in motion such as an elbow joint flexing and to ensure that no deformation to the stent occurs. This also applied to the stent delivery system when the physician deploying the stent into the human anatomy as the advanced catheter must be engineered to prevent kink from occurring upon deployment. The recommended outcome to prevent kink from happening, according to the FDA guidance document, is to determine the smallest radius of curvature that the stent can withstand and recover to its original shape and size. The test carried out to determine the smallest radius of curvature must replicate the area to which the stent will be deployed i.e. the femoral arteries. This recommended advice for implementing stents to the human body can be tailored towards the stent delivery systems also i.e. the advanced catheters. Therefore these guidelines will be taken into account when developing a test method to determine the kinking limit of catheters. See appendices for further detail regarding the FDA guidance documents discussed. Fda.gov. (2016). Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff Non-Clinical Engineering Tests and Recommended Labeling for Intravascular Stents and Associated Delivery Systems. 3. Standards and guidelines ProtomedLabs provide a list of standards and regulations that relate to flexibility and kink resistance test methods. Information on the state of the art available testing equipment is provided such as the interventional device testing equipment (IDTE) from MSI which will be discussed further in part 4 of this section (MSI Catheter testing equipment). The ProtomedLabs provide information on flexibility kink resistance regarding applicable standards, related tests and test method descriptions. Applicable standards such as the FDA guidelines discussed in heading 2 above as well as ASTM standard guide for three point bending of balloon expandable vascular stents and stent systems which will be further discussed in section 5 of the literature review. Protomedlabs.com. (2016). Flexibility Kink Resistance Protomed Labs. 4. MSI Catheter testing equipment State of the art interventional device testing equipment (IDTE), compares tests and analyses performance catheters, quantifying the data of each catheter being tested. The PC allows for simple and repeatable tests with instantaneous feedback on design changes of the catheter. The IDTE was designed taking into account several different standards and test regulations such as ISO standard 25539-1 which covers cardiovascular implants endovascular devices and ISO 15539 Cardiovascular implants Endovascular Prostheses. The product is the most state of the art catheter testing equipment available right now and differentiates itself from the rest of the market by having the ability to test catheters in extremely realistic and challenging conditions. MSI. (2016). Catheter Testing MSI. Figure 14. IDTE Test Equipment. MSI. (2016). Catheter Testing MSI. The IDTE has a high temperature range with ambient temperatures of 50oC, a water bath with a temperature accuracy of +/- 2oC. It has auxiliary load cells of 100g and distal load cells of 1kg. It has the ability to test track force which is the force needed to advance a catheter, push efficiency which measures the amount of force being measured from the proximal end to the distal end, flexibility, torqueability a measure of the rotational response, retractability a measure of the amount of force required to withdraw a catheter and the crossability which measures the ability of a catheter to cross the abnormal narrowing of a passage in the body. The machine itself weighs 250kg with a height of 1372mm, width of 1194mm and a depth of 940mm. the output data of each tested is outputted onto a computer where numerical or graphical results can be formulated. MSI. (2016). Catheter Testing MSI. 5. Current Test Methods available to determine Kinking Point 1. ASTM F2606 Standard guide for three-point bending of balloon expandable vascular stents and stent systems The three point bending of stent system guidelines provide a test method that can be used to compare the flexibility of different advanced catheters by comparing load deflection curves and by comparison of calculated slopes of the curves. The test method uses a simple 3 point bending test. The upper single load applier and the two static load supporters as seen below in figure 14 must have a radius of 6.35mm. Another requirement of this test is that both the upper load applier and the two bottom static load supporters must be made of a material with a low friction coefficient so that they do contribute to the results outputted from carrying out this experiment. This test method can also be carried out in a bath of 37oC, which replicates the ambient body temperature and realistic conditions, if this application is necessary, the fixtures can be made from stainless steel or other materials that will not rust. Figure 15 Example of a three point bending test. YouTube. (2017). Catheter Bend Test at Anecto. This test has many benefits as it can many advanced catheters can be used with this method and it is applicable to many different products. It does not cause damage to the product prior to testing and can test the kinking limit along different material junctions. The test method ASTM F2606 uses a tensile tester to output its results to a computer in numerical or graphical form. Instron.us. (2017). ASTM F2606 Three-Point Bending Balloon Expandable Vascular Stents and Stent Systems Instron. 3. BS EN 13868 Catheters test methods for kinking of single lumen catheters and medical tubing This standard test method looks at the kinking of catheters being used for short term or long term uses. The short term use determines the kinking limit of a catheter being used less in than an hour and the long term is above an hour. The tube is defined as being kinked when the flow meter (Labelled 4 in figure 15 below) is outputting a reading 50% lower than the original reading. The original reading is read when the kink tools (Labelled 7) are either 50mm, 100mm or 200mm apart, depending on the users required starting distance. When the kinking tools are being compressed by the tensile tester (Labelled 7) the mass flow rate of the water flowing from the beakers (Labelled 2) will begin to reduce. Once the mass flow rate reduces to 50% of its original the catheter is said to be kinked and the test is complete. The results are outputted to a computer which gives numerical and graphical results. This test method is very beneficial as it is convenient, safe and fit for purpose. Difficulties may arise when using this test method when it comes to the fittings of the flow meter with the different sized catheters. As all catheters vary in sizes, the universal fitting of the flow meter may be difficult to mate with the distal/proximal ends of the various advanced catheters. See Appendices for more detail regarding BS EN 13868 kinking of single lumen catheters. European Standard, (2002). Catheters Test methods for kinking of single lumen catheters and medical tubing. BS EN 13868:2002. Figure 16 Short Term (LHS) and Long Term (RHS) Test methods for kinking single lumen catheters and medical tubings European Standard, (2002). Catheters Test methods for kinking of single lumen catheters and medical tubing. BS EN 13868:2002. 6. Proposed Mathematical Methods for Determining Optimal Test Method significant factors. 1. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Testing. The analysis of variance method determines if groups (related or unrelated) are statistically significant to each other. In order to carry out an ANOVA test, a hypothesis must first be determined. A hypothesis is a standard procedure about testing a claim about a property of a population. First a null hypothesis is formed. The Null hypothesis will test the significance of the hypothesis by either rejecting or failing to reject the claim of the null hypothesis. The Null hypothesis will claim that no difference exist between the population and the alternative hypothesis will claim that a difference exists between the populations. The alternative hypothesis will state that one or more of the parameters involved in a population will differ from the null hypothesis. The next step in an ANOVA test is to determine if the null hypothesis should be rejected or is it better to fail to reject the null hypothesis. In order to do so, an understanding of a type 1 and type 2 error is needed. A type 1 error is when the null hypothesis is rejected when in fact it should be accepted. The symbol ÃŽ ± is used to represent a type 1 error. A type 2 error is the mistake of failing to reject the null hypothesis when in fact it is false. The symbol to represent a type 2 error is ÃŽ ². In order to determine when the results are statistically significand and when the null hypothesis should be rejected, then p < ÃŽ ±, therefore the result is statistically significant and the null hypothesis should be rejected. If p > ÃŽ ±, then the null hypothesis should fail to be rejected and the results are statistically insignificant. Lacey, S. (2017). Mathematics for Engineers 402. 2. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Examples. To show how the ANOVA method can be applied to the parameters involved in determining the kinking limit of catheters and which factors attribute to the kinking limit the most i.e. which are statistically significant or insignificant, an example where an experiment was undertaken to test the effect of temperature and bar size on the UTS of a weld. The results from the experiment are show below in figure 16 and analysis of variance was carried out in order to determine the level of significance each parameter had on the strength of a weld. Lacey, S. (2017). Mathematics for Engineers 402. Figure 17 Analysis of Variance Example Dr. Sean Lacey, 2016, Mathematics for Engineers 402. Figure 18 Analysis of Variance Example Dr. Sean Lacey, 2016, Mathematics for Engineers 402. Figure 19 Analysis of Variance Example Dr. Sean Lacey, 2016, Mathematics for Engineers 402. Figure 20 Analysis of Variance Example Dr. Sean Lacey, 2016, Mathematics for Engineers 402. 7. Material Properties of Neurovascular Catheters Advanced catheters are engineered to perform an increasing number of minimally invasive surgeries. They must be able to guide their way through the intricate pathways of the neurovascular, cardiovascular and other anatomies. In order to achieve these demands, using ultra small catheters of 0.5 mm, the design must be near perfect and material selection for this design is key. Catheters consists mainly of 3 layers, the liner, the braiding and the outer sheath. They can be made up to lengths ranging from 900mm 1200 mm. the best material for use in catheters are fluoropolymers such as PTFE and FEP due to their biocompatibility and lubricous properties. PTFE is the most lubricous polymer on the market today followed by FEP. The materials can undergo secondary processing steps such as etching and cutting, along with post extrusion expansion such as heat-shrinking. The liner layer mainly is made from PTFE for it lubricity, ability to maintain a thin wall and have a small diameter. The braid reinforcement layer is mainly made from Type 304 or 306 stainless steel. This layer increase is strength and rigidity without kinking the catheter. It increases the rigidity at the proximal end with a smaller pitch between winds and decrease rigidity at the distal end with a larger pitch between winds. This is done to provide greater torque transition from the proximal to distal tip of the catheter. The coil provides a greater kink resistance to the catheter along with reinforcing the catheters liner against ovalization by maximising the hoop stress. The outer sheath is made up of high performance materials such as Pebax, FEP, PTFE, ETFE, polyurethane, polyethylene and nylon. Mddionline.com. (2016). Think Extrusion and Beyond for Optimal Catheter Design | MDDI Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry News Products and Suppliers. Figure 21 Material layers of a Neurovascular Catheter. Mddionline.com. (2016). Think Extrusion and Beyond for Optimal Catheter Design | MDDI Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry News Products and Suppliers.