Assessment Of Ihc4 - 1643 Words

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to explore the value of IHC4 in predicting pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with hormonal receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer (BC). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective exploratory study, data for 68 HR-positive BC patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were recorded. IHC4 scores were calculated based on estrogen receptors/progesterone receptors, Ki-67 and HER2 status. Logistic and ordinal regression analyses in addition to likelihood ratio test were used to explore associations of IHC4 scores and other clinico-pathological parameters with pathological complete response (pCR) and pathological stage. Results: Taking the 25th percentile as the cut-off, a†¦show more content†¦This raised a critical need for predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy to optimize therapeutic outcome. The Oncotype DX recurrence score, based on a 21-gene signature, has been proven to estimate the risk of recurrence in early hormone receptors (HR)-positive BC patients treated with adjuvant hormonal therapy (Dowsett et al., 2010). It has also been shown to predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.In Patients treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel, those with a high recurrence score were more likely to have pCR (Chang et al., 2008). In addition, pCR was linked with higher expression of proliferation-related genes and lower expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-related genes (Gianni et al., 2005). However, the cost and complexity of gene-based assays highlight the need for developing more simplified predictive tools. Immune-histochemistry (IHC)-4 score was developed based on the assessment of four key proteins in breast cancer including ER, progesterone receptors (PR), HER2 and Ki-67 (Cuzick et al., 2011). In the adjuvant setting of ER-positive patients, IHC4 score was found to provide prognostic information similar to that provided by Oncotype DX-recurrence score (Cuzick et al., 2011). This score was further validated in the cohort ofpatients involved in the tamoxifen exemestene adjuvant multinational (TEAM) study (Christiansen et al., 2012). However, the value of IHC4 score as a predictor of response to

Susan Sontag s The Devil s Bait - 1224 Words

Our eyes unconsciously record thousands upon thousands of bits of information every second. Our brain then acts as a filter to sort out what it thinks is useful and what is not. By doing this, the brain guides us into seeing only what is important. We never see the full picture; just what our brain guides us to see. Metaphors act in the same way in that they guide how people view certain topics and issues. A specific metaphor that becomes accepted by a large enough population of community will determine how most people in the community view that issue. In a way the metaphor skews the perception of those who hear it. This was the case for the metaphors of cancer in the late 20th century which we can see through Susan Sontag’s piece, â€Å"Illness as Metaphor†. We can also see this manifested in metaphors associated with people diagnosed with Morgellons’ disease in Leslie Johnson’s narrative, â€Å"The Devil’s Bait†. Both pieces deal with how m etaphors have shaped the outlook of patients of their respective diseases. Metaphors obscure and shift our understanding of disease and pain away from the full truth into a smaller and less understanding perspective. The similarities between the metaphor of cancer as death and Morgellons as a farce prove that metaphors of disease isolate patients diagnosed with those diseases. For much of the 19th century into the early 20th century, tuberculosis was the disease with false connotations attached to it, but as time passed and the cause and cure of

Bond Market Power Free Essays

The reasons behind James Carville’s quote stating that if he would want to be reincarnated as the Bond Market as appose to a political figure or religious leader (Ferguson, N, 2008) is clear, the Bond market since its inception over 800 years ago has been the most influential financial instrument throughout history. Its longevity and power far surpasses any leader. It affects the outcome of wars, the success and failures of even the largest economies and also touches the lives of individual people. We will write a custom essay sample on Bond Market Power or any similar topic only for you Order Now The below paper will discuss the history and origins of such a Debt Instrument, its rise in America inspiring James Carville’s quote. Also how the Bond Market works, its components and its power over economies throughout history using examples to support this. Concluding this analysis with the Bond Market in Ireland and how it has been greatly affected by the current economic climate. Origins and Early History of the Bond Market: Nations, races and religions have been at war since the dawn of time and has seen many wars; there have been countless debates as to what ultimately plays the most important role in winning a war. Many people would argue that it is the size of an army, some would say it is the General at the forefront of a battlefield, others would denote it to technological advances in weaponry. These arguments all have one factor in common, they all need to be funded by money; money to pay soldiers, to reward Generals and to pay for arms. The amount of money which a town, country or kingdom has to fund a war is what determines victory. Niall Ferguson outlines the historic origins of the Bond Market very informatively in †The Ascent of Money† tracing the use of Bonds, to as far back as the early 14th century in Italy. Throughout the 14th and 15th Century, Italian cities were at war with one and other. Florence, Pisa and Siena being the main cities at war with each other among others. As concluded above, it is money which is the most influential strategy or weapon to be victorious against the other cities and in the case of Florence we see that by funding their wars they landed their town into major debt. How could Florence pay back this debt? Imposing tax increases would lead to upheaval, they therefore came up with the revolutionary idea of a commonly coined term: â€Å"Government IOU’s† (Ferguson, N 2008); the wealthier citizens would lend the Government money over an agreed period of time receiving regular interest payments on said loan. The ideal factor in this agreement is that these IOUS’s could be sold to other citizens prior to their maturity making them a liquid asset. This debt instrument saw the birth of the Bond Market. By the early 14th Century, two thirds of households were the Florentine Governments prime lenders in financing their â€Å"Mountain of Debt†. (Ferguson, N 2008). While it seems like a win-win situation for both investors and the Government a critical point arose, if a Government kept going to war and kept issuing Bonds to pay for such wars, how could an investor be guaranteed the investment would be returned. It is this point which highlights the link between the Bond Market and is power over economies. Governments undertaking this idea grew throughout the 16th and 17th century, some using towns as intermediaries; France with Paris hotel de ville, Spain utilizing Genoas Casa di San Girgio and Antwerp’s beurs. (Ferguson, N, 2008) But it is the 18th Century and the British consol which paints the most relevant picture as to the rise of the Bond Market and the extent of its power, both from the perspective of winning battles and to be capitalized as a rewarding investment; The Battle of Waterloo being the best example of this. Nathan Rothschild was the most prominent figure at that time in the UK financial world and due to this and his reputation of being a successful Gold smuggler, he was given the task by the British Government of using funds from the issuance of Bonds to purchase amounts of gold to finance the Duke of Wellingtons battles. Rothschild was commissioned to deliver  £600,000 worth of Gold but instead collected  £2 million worth of bullion reserves. It is when the war was announced over and won by the British in 1815 that Rothschild had a problem of having an overly excessive gold reserve from his gold piling mission. He then, in a clear way of capitalizing on the Bond Markets in such a historic way, made one of the best investment decisions of his life. Post being informed of the Duke of Wellingtons victory, Rothschild purchased the British Bonds before the market had an opportunity to react, expecting the price to rise with increased stability of the Government due to the victory at Waterloo. Rothschild purchased the British Consol initially on 20 July 1815 and then again in subsequent years until selling at a peak in late 1817 at an increase of 40%. It is this display of financial valour and a clear inter connection between Government economies and the Bond Market which saw its rise to power in the global financial world. (Ferguson, N 2008). Linking the above to America and ultimately James Carville’s quote, we can begin with the oldest impact of the Bond Market on American History, the American Civil War. The South approached the Rothschilds to back them as they did Britain in Waterloo but the Rothschild decided to opt out, this resonated throughout the entire European quarter which led to the an ingenious idea by the Confederacy to offer â€Å"cotton backed bonds† to the Europeans which basically guaranteed the bonds with Cotton making them a less risky initiative. Because the south monopolised the global cotton supply, they could influence prices thus making the cotton backed bonds more expensive leading to the increase in Bond price and ultimately funding for the Civil War. This is why it is said that the fall of New Orleans (cotton producer of the south) in April 1862 was the true definitive moment in the American Civil War, as a result the Bond prices fell astronomically and hence the financial backing for the Confederacy, the end of the war being 1865 with the North claiming victory. (Ferguson, N 2008). Bond Market America 1900’s – 1990’s Clinton Administration: In terms of the US Treasury Bond Market, it began as part funding for World War I. The war was financed through a rise in taxes and through the sale of war bonds, called â€Å"Liberty Bonds†. Over $21 billion dollars of debt were raised in maturities that came due after the war. Budget surpluses were not enough to cover the debt and so converted into T-bills, notes and bonds. These amounts were paid down regularly until borrowings were increased during the Great Depression of 1929. Foreign governments became holders of United States debt as they began to have surpluses in the balance of trade. As the Government deficit rose during World War II and accelerated during the Vietnam war, the debt markets and the rise of debt related trading instruments has dominated financial markets. In the early 1980s, bond yields rose substantially due to increases in commodity prices, labor wage increases and expanding deficits. Bond prices anticipate rising amounts of future debt and thus yields rise. (www.ehow.com). U.S. interest rates beginning in 1900-2010: (observationsandnotes.blogspot.com) The graph above shows U.S. interest rates beginning in 1900. From 1953 onward, the rates are 10-year U.S. Treasury Note rates, plotted monthly; prior to 1953, they’re the less granular. This can support the previous paragraph’s historical perspective in the ascent of the US Bond Market, in that we see how the interest rates drop from the depression and how it slowly began to rise post the Vietnam War in the late 60’s early 70’s.( observationsandnotes.blogspot.com). Placing the James Carville quote into perspective and in line with the time at which it was stated, during the Clinton administration. We can see according to some the destruction of the Bond Market happen in the US in 1994 entirely caused by the policies of said Administration. In 1993 President Clinton began with a plan to kick push the economy. His view was that all he needed to push the economy was lower interest rates. Short-term interest rates can fall for many reasons; public expectations change, increased savings increase, the market or as Adam Smith coined the â€Å"Invisible Hand† drives down interest rates as a signal for more investment. (Smith, A 1991). The same can happen artificially as the central bank expands credit and intentionally causes increased money supply within the economy, the central bank creates distortions in the capital structure, including stocks and bonds, while an increase in private savings allows steady economic growth. The Clinton administration, pushed the Federal reserve to lower short-term interest rates. Making money cheap and plentiful to pump up spending. But there is a fine line between plenty of money and plenty of devalued money. One is higher prices or in other words Inflation, lowers the purchasing power of money, which forces the Fed, sooner or later, to raise the interest rates back to a higher level. The usual consequence is an economic slowdown or even recession. A by-product may be a lower exchange rate internationally. But the actual consequence in the time of the Clinton administration was the bond market collapse. (Pongracic, I, 1995) So far we have tracked the history of the Bond Market from its origins in Italy to its rise within the US economy, but what is the Bond Market technically and how can we analyze the Bond Market and break it down to see how it operates within the financial system in today’s terms? The Bond Market and How it works: When dissecting the bond market and its relevance and importance in today’s terms we do not associate it too much to the funding of wars or the financing of battles, as we did with Waterloo, The American Civil War and Vietnam, we view it like Nathan Rothschild did, as an investment tool. Stocks historically produce higher rates of return than other investments but at the same time carry with a substantial amount of risk, also noting that it is at the Board of Directors discretion to pay out dividends on common stocks. The alternative being Bonds on the other hand have a maturity date at which time the Bond is redeemed at the issuing price. US Treasury Bonds interest and redemption payments are backed by the U.S Treasury thus rendering them â€Å"risk free† . (Faerber, Esme, 1993) The word †BOND† means contract, agreement, or guarantee. An investor who purchases a bond is lending money to the issuer , and the bond represents the issuer’s contractual promise to pay the interest and repay the principle according to specified terms. The issuers themselves can be the National Government, Lower Levels of Government , Corporations and Securitisation Vehicles. (Levinson, M, 2000). Bonds are traded on both the Primary and Secondary Capital Markets along with Stocks and Mortgages, they are first introduced as initial public offerings or IPO’s on the primary market and then can be traded or sold on the secondary market before maturity. The Par, face or maturity value of the Bond is the amount the issuer must pay at maturity. The coupon rate is the rate of interest paid on the bond. If the repayment of Bond are not met, the holder can claim on the assets of the issuer, (in the above Civil War example, the South’s cotton). Long term bonds traded in the capital market include long term government notes and bonds, municipal bonds and corporate bonds. When dealing in Corporate Bonds, Default risk is an important factor of Bonds, as it is the main factor which influences a Bonds Interest Rate. This can be explained to be the risk that the issuer will not be able to meet interest payments and pay the principle back to the investor. If the possibility of default increases because the corporation is suffering losses the default risk will increase and their expected return on these bonds will decrease. Due to this importance, it is the credit rating agencies which assess the risk of default of Companies and Governments alike and rate them according to likeliness of default. (Mishkin, F.S, 2006) When buying and selling bonds, investors can utilize brokerage firms as they do with other investments and in the case of U.S Treasury Bonds can purchase them directly, it is when successfully realising where its best to buy and sell bonds which leads the investor in gaining from both differences in bond pricing and in commission costs. The Irish Economy its Bond Market a midst the crisis: As displayed above, the main way for countries to raise fund when required are theough the Bond Markets. They are also a a key indicator as to the economic position of that country. This is because the more concerns the markets have about a nations financial stability, the more expensive it is for that government to issue its Bonds and raise money. A midst the Irish Financial Crisis and the troubles of Irelands Banks, mainly due to the blanket guarantee annoiunced by the Irish Finance Minister John Lenihan, Ireland have found it so much more costly to attract interest in their bonds this year. This is due to the Government accepting responsibility for Commercial Bank’s risky Loan Books, considering these loans will more than likely be defaulted so is the risk that the Irish Government will default on their soveirgn debt. Due to the above, the market prices of Irish Bonds have fallen in recent months, pushing up the yields. The yield on a 10-year Irish bond reached about 9% at one point. That is very high. The UK government – in spite of all its financial difficulties – can borrow for 10 years at just over 3%. (bbc.co.uk). How to cite Bond Market Power, Essay examples

Jean Paul Sartre Existentialism Essay Example For Students

Jean Paul Sartre Existentialism Essay Existence precedes essence. These are the few words that many people live by. These words describe a philosophy called Existentialism. The philosophical term, Existentialism, came from Jean Paul Sartre, a French philosopher. Jean Paul Sartre wrote No Exit, where he portrayed his philosophy negatively. On the other hand, Albert Camus, who wrote The Stranger, portrayed Existentialism positively through his characters. Each author uses the characteristics of Existentialism positively or negatively to define their own story as well as their characters as true Existentialists or notExistentialism has been described as a philosophical movement especially of the 20th century that stresses the individual position as self determining agent responsible for his or her own choices. Basically a true Existentialist will create their own beliefs, take responsibility for his of her own actions, and is very honest. If they were to do something wrong, they would take responsibility for their actions a nd not make excuses or put the blame on someone else. Furthermore, a true existentialist believes there is no God and thus man becomes alone with only ourselves as a guide to making the decisions that define our existence. They also believe that Life has no meaning and that everything happens by chance. We will write a custom essay on Jean Paul Sartre Existentialism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Jean-Paul Sartre examines the basic themes of existentialism through his three characters Garcin, Inez, and Estelle. Garcin seems to appear an existentialist, but upon a closer look, he violates the rules time and again. Next, Inez seems to fully understand ideas deemed existential. Estelle is the third person, and does not seem to understand these ideas well, nor does she accept them when they are first presented to her.One similarity amongst the three is that they all at some point seem to accept that they are in hell for a reason. Garcin is hell because he beat his wife and cheated on her. However, he doesnt wish he had acted differently. He shows and proves this when he says: I tell you I regret nothing (p. 24). By saying this, Garcin is taking responsibility for his own actions; hence he is following the laws of Existentialism. However, he sometimes violates these laws. For example, he is so preoccupied with the idea that he is a coward that he makes the women tell him that he w asnt a coward and makes her tell him that he was right in doing so. He is so dependent upon this that he wouldnt get involved with Estelle until she tells him what he wants to hear. Again Garcin is showing his Non-existential characteristics because he shouldnt have to rely on another for confidence or want other people to judge him. Inez is in hell because she had stolen her cousins wife, then conspired to make his life miserable, until he finally he killed himself. She had also brought guilt upon Florence and then she killed Inez by poisoning her with gas. Then after she killed Inez, she committed suicide. Inez doesnt regret anything she has done. She proves this by saying: I was what some people down there called a damned bitch (p. 25),, You know, I dont regret a thing (p. 25)., and Human feeling. Thats beyond my range. Im rotten to the core.. Here Inez is proving that she isnt an Existentialist because a true Existentialist is supposed to believe in rejecting bad things such as cruelty, sins, and oppression. She has told us that she is cruel and that she wishes the worst things for other people. Inez also got very jealous easy when Estelle and Garcin were close. She started saying bad things about everyone. She asked Estelle: Estelle, do you like cowards?. Here she is saying that Garcin is a coward to get bac k at him. This proves that Inez isnt very responsible, doesnt believes in rejecting bad things, and isnt very honest. Inez also violates the existentialist idea that everything is based on luck, nothing happens for a purpose, when she persists in telling the others that they have been put there together for a purpose. An example of this is when she says, Mere Chance? Nothing was left to chance. This room was all set for us. Estelle is probably the most Non-existentialist in the story. She is in hell because she committed adultery, killing her new baby, and making her lover commit suicide. However, in the beginning of the story, she cant believe that she is in hell. She shows this when she says, Thats just it. I havent a notion, not the foggiest. In fact, Im wondering if there hasnt been some ghastly mistake (p. 15). She also has an obsession of her looks and how people perceive and judge her. No, I cant do without a looking-glass for ever and ever. I simply cant (p. 19). Here she is saying how if she cant see herself she wont be able to survive. She is also trying to impress Garcin, whom she seeks for comfort and pleasure but is ultimately rejected by him. There is evidence, however, that she begins to understand existentialist concepts when she accepts her sentence to hell and when she says, Its mere chance that has brought us together(p. 14). .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .postImageUrl , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:hover , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:visited , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:active { border:0!important; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 { 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; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:active , .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .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; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264 .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u630ae71d40395f6fe82860f5e1fdb264:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Open Boat vs. Hurricane Hugo EssayMoreover in The Stranger, Albert Camus uses his character, Meursault as a prefect example of a perfect Existentialist. He portrays almost every characteristic that a true Existentialism should have. By killing the Arab, Meursault basically created his own moral code and he took responsibility for his actions. He had no real reason for killing the Arab, although he just says that the sun got in his eyes. He doesnt make up a story to cover himself; he just comes out and tells us. Another way he proves to be an Existentialist is the way he acted at his mothers funeral. He goes completely against all the traditional values and doesnt show his mom any respect. In simpler terms, Meursault is a freed individual. He is separate from everyone else. He even shows this in his relationship with Marie. They swim together all afternoon and see a movie that evening after his moms funeral. Afterward, they spend the night. After a short time, Marie asks Meursault if he loves her, and Meursault says: he probably doesnt. When she asks him if he wants to get married, he says: that he will if she wants. It makes no difference to him. In part two of the novel, Meursault again shows us how he does what he wants and doesnt care what others think of him. At his own murder trial, he doesnt care what happens to him. He is just sitting in the courtroom looking at the trial and not trying to defend himself. Even the prosecutor tries to use the absence of Meursaults emotional attachment to his mother becomes a primary focus of his argument. The prosecuter uses this to try to prove that he is a monster. Finally, Meursault got angry when a priest came to him and tried to talk to him about his religion. Existentialism is a philosophy that I believe wouldnt really work in todays society. Mostly everyone today is very superficial and cares what other people think and say about them. Furthermore, if they were to adopt this theory they would be breaking the law by creating their own moral code and doing whatever they want to do. So personally I dont think this philosophy would work nor do I believe it would work legally. But Sar tre and Camus both displayed views on Existentialism. In No Exit, Sartre displays it in a negative way with his characters and Camus displayed it positively through Meursault. Words/ Pages : 1,315 / 24

How to Write a Great Cause and Effect Essay

Essential basics of writing a cause and effect essay Writing a cause and effect essay can be easy if you know how to write it. Here is a quick guide on how to effortlessly compose this type of paper and get good grades.  What is a cause and effect essay?A cause and effect essay is all about critical evaluation of the given topic and figuring out the connection between a certain phenomenon and an effect that it produced. The author needs to thoroughly analyze the issue and provide a conclusion, which may include suggestions on how the scenario may or should change in the future.  How to write an outline for a cause and effect essay?The majority of papers have a five-paragraph structure but in case of this type of writing the number of sections may vary. The text may contain less or more than five paragraphs as long as you feel that the valid determination of the correlation between the reason and impact took place.There are three main types of basic structure of a cause and effect essays:Many causes and one effect.Here you can demon strate how a number of various causes led to one particular effect. It is advisable to examine as many reasons as possible and preferably, they should be taken from different areas. One cause and many effects.If you opt for this type of outline, you will need to display how well you know the cause of the events. If you fully understand why something happened, it will be easier to explain why the effects took place. Cause and effect chain.This type of structure is trickier than previous two on the list and it reminds the domino model. Demonstrating a logical sequence of events followed by corresponding outcomes can be quite challenging because it requires an ability to smoothly and logically correlate causes and effects one by one.  Choose a topic correctlyVery often, students are assigned a particular topic to write on but if you have an opportunity to choose the subject of discussion by yourself, use this chance wisely. If you select a topic that you can relate to, it is more lik ely that you will come up with a great essay. You might not be able to write your best paper if you discuss something that you don’t like or simply don’t understand.Here’s our selection of interesting cause and effect essay topics, which you may use as examples:Climate change causes and potential outcomesAnalyzing the consequences of the Civil War in the United StatesContamination of the ocean and its potential threatsPros and cons of cloning humansConsequences of living without a fatherCause and effect essay on overpopulation  Use transitional wordsWhen writing a cause and effect essay, one has to make sure that the ideas are logically structured. For the sentences to be smoothly connected, you are strongly recommended to use transition words, which are essential literary devices used for introducing a certain shift between points and ideas. Let’s have a look at some of them:For this reasonConsequentlyThereuponHenceUnder those circumstancesDue toTheref oreAs a resultHopefully, crafting a cause and effect essay is no longer scary for you but if you still struggle, get rid of the stress, contact us and get your paper written by a professional essay writing service.

Dont Enter the Dragon

Dont Enter the Dragon Introduction The state visit and the pompous reception of China’s president Hu Jintao to the US served to show how important the economies of these two countries are to each other.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Don’t Enter the Dragon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More China has the capacity to produce and American has a ready market for its products and also enough money to invest in the Chinese economy. Many American investors in a move to have a share of China’s boom have put a lot of money in China’s business both big and small. In fact, many of these businesses are now trading on the US stock exchanges. The problem though is that some of these businesses seem to specialize in unacceptable business practice and end up ripping off investors. This practice was noted in two of the hottest Chinese stocks of 2009, Fuqi and Rhino international (Surowecki 1). Fuqi and Rhino International Fuq i and Rhino international were at one point number one and two on the top 100 list of the Investors Business Daily. An announcement made in 2010 by Fuqi claimed that the profits of the company had been overstated for a good part of the year 2009. Ten months afterwards the company has not presented any earning statement and therefore, it is not known whether it is making a profit or a loss. Rhino, on the other hand, has received criticism that its accounting is fraudulent and that the entire company is just a sham. It emerged that these allegations were indeed true when the company admitted that two of its manufacturing contracts never existed. This also meant that its financial statement was not reliable. The company lost its listing in NASDAQ after failing to be transparent in its financial details. So far its stock has dropped by 90% from its all-time high (Surowecki 1). Chinese Firms Chinese firms have earned a bad reputation in regard to openness of their financial details. This has forced S.E.C to carry out investigations in these stocks. It has emerged that many of these companies have two sets of revenue numbers, one is reported to S.E.C and the other is reported to Chinese authorities.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another problem that has been noted is tunneling, which is, using outside business to swindle the company. Some executives treat companies as personal bank accounts where they just withdraw money as they wish (Surowecki 1). Auditing Mistake The regulatory system used failed to protect the interest of investors because Chinese firms have exploited it to their advantage. They manage to do this by using the reverse merger tactic whereby they buy American companies with a stock listing but few actual assets. They then change the company name to enable the company trade on NASDAQ or Amex. Through the merge tactic the company becomes part of the listed companies without any restriction or scrutiny. After establishing their base on a stock exchange it becomes hard to be kicked off. For instance, Fuqi has not filled statements for sometime, but it has been given a chance until March. Auditing the company is also hard because some of the auditors are Chinese who only protect their own interests (Surowecki 1). Conclusion The bad publicity has done little to warn investors. Reverse mergers are increasing every year because China offers many people the hope of getting rich quickly. Just like what happened in the US in the 19th century during the construction of the Railroads. The business was demoralizing, but because it offered prospects of enormous wealth, many people ventured into it. History is repeating itself; there may be fraudsters and swindlers targeting investors. Work Cited Surowecki, James. Don’t Enter the Dragon. New Yorker, 2011. Web. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/01/31/dont-ent er-the-dragon

Individuals in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individuals in Organizations - Essay Example The degree of employees' commitment in FMC Aberdeen is much higher than in other FMC facilities, including Green River. The ways for the managers to ensure personnel's commitment are encouraging their creativity, training staff, and regarding failures as a way to learn new things and succeed in future (Sonnenberg 1993) The facility seems to be a "family" for every worker, and the approach used by the managers makes people believe they are truly valued. Team work is of particular importance for FMC Aberdeen, and this also makes the staff more committed. Important factors are also bonuses and rewards introduced by the companies. Yet, the challenges both locations are likely to face are worth considering, and as far as commitment of people to their organisation goes, it is vital to pay attention to the problem of loss of motivation even by the most committed employees. In order to retain staff, its motivation should be constantly maintained and enhanced.

Nosocomial Infections and Intervention Strategies Assignment

Nosocomial Infections and Intervention Strategies - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that Good Health Hospital has proved to be among the best hospitals in the region since its inception. The medical professionals and all members of staff are always committed to ensuring delivery of quality services to patients. The hospital has had a good reputation for excellent staff, good patient relations, and top quality services. In the recent past, several cases of E. coli have been reported at Good Health Hospital. E. coli exists in a variety of types but most varieties a less harmful to human health. Research by medical professionals has shown that E. coli bacteria live in the intestines, for both people and animals. Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. E. coli emanates from taking contaminated food and water. E. coli may lead to death or permanent health problems if appropriate measures are taken on time. Nosocomial diseases can be termed as an infection that a person gets while attending to in a health institution. The goal of this task is to explore the nosocomial infections, intervention strategies, and recommendations on how to control and manage the various types of nosocomial infections. Records of Good Health Hospital show that a number of nosocomial diseases have been reported. Among the commonest nosocomial infections at Good Health Hospital includes surgical site infection, pneumonia infection, and unitary tract infection among others. It is crustal for medical professionals and other people involved in providing health care to understand the different types of nosocomial infections and how to prevent them. The period between 2009 and 2011 recorded about 10,000 cases of skin and soft-tissue infection. The people surveyed were African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. The patients included both males and females of the age between 5-18 years, 50-65 years and those above the age of 65 years.

The Black Death and its aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Black Death and its aftermath - Essay Example The religious view argued that the "Black Death" was created by the Jews so that they could eliminate all the Christians from this world. They believed that the Jews had poisoned all the wells and springs. Therefore, they persecuted the Jews demanding them to confess their evil schemes. Many of the Jews confessed that they obtained this lethal poison from a foreign land but it was done without the knowledge of the Jewish community. Many communities had to pray hard for rain so that their people could have pure water to drink and cook. Some of the regions that were severely affected by this disease believed that God would want the Jews to be punished for this act. So they began to burn the Jews for poisoning all the wells and springs. As a result of the torture, many Jews were adopted to the Christian faith through baptism in order to avoid undeserved punishment 2 (Horrox, 1994). The religious view also argued that the plague was a punishment from God. They believed that the human race deserved to be punished because of their disobedience to God. People lived lifestyles that were sinful, unrighteous and not pleasing to him. Because of this, God had to demonstrate his sovereign power by allowing humanity to suffer. People could be cured from this disease but in order to be healed they had to humble themselves and totally submit to His authority. In comparison, the practitioners from Egyptian and Mesopotamian nations had 'medicine' to make peace with the gods. They believed that performing certain rituals and incantations before the sick person would cause him to be delivered from the demon spirit, for they all believed that diseases were caused by demons 3 (Horrox, 1994; & Longrigg, 1998). The medical theory presented two main explanations on the plague. Firstly, they believed that the cause of 'Black Death' was associated with "miasma" which means "bad air". They said that when a person inhales 'bad air' it goes directly into their lungs before it gets transmitted into their blood stream. Therefore, it starts to affect the patient's body by generating various symptoms such as headaches, coughing up blood, and a rain increase in the pulse rate. 2 The disease also would spread quickly into the air when the afflicted patient exhaled. This medical theory supported the fact that the air was not the main cause of the plague; instead, the plague was a direct result of the pollution or bacteria in the air that which was the cause for the disease. So when a normal individual contracted the disease through an afflicted person, they were both required to immediately leave the town before they passed it on to more people4 (Horrox, 1994). The medical theory also claimed that the plague was caused by an imbalance in the individuals' diet. For instance, individuals with inadequate nourishment were more vulnerable to the plague than people with malnutrition. People who consume an adequate amount of water were less susceptible to the disease. This indicated that the socioeconomic status was a significant factor in determining the rate at which the disease spread. Therefore, people from low class families were mainly blamed for the elevation of 'Black Death'. The medical view

Strategic Analysis of Ge Healthcare

Strategic Analysis of Ge Healthcare GE Healthcare: Company Overview GE Healthcare is a unit of the wider General Electric Company. It has a global orientation, employing more than 46, 000 staff committed to serving healthcare professionals and patients in over 100 countries. It is headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK)-the first GE business segment outside the United States. It has a turnover of approximately $ 17 billion. The headquarters hosts GE healthcare corporate offices as well as finance, sales, global sourcing departments, X-Ray marketing, manufacturing, design and shipping. The finance and sales departments at the headquarters handle GE Healthcares high level decisions, but each modality often has its own similar departments. The global sourcing department handles all purchasing for the firm. GE Healthcare provides a variety of products services namely Technologies in medical imaging, diagnostics in medicine, systems for monitoring patients, solutions for improving performance, discovering drugs, and technologies to manufacture biopharmaceuticals. It also provides X-Ray products which include; radiography, fluoroscopy, vascular, cardiology, and the Mobile C-Arm machine. At present, GE Healthcare has six major business units; Global Diagnostic Imaging Unit: with its headquarters in the US, its business includes; digital mammography, X-ray services, Magnetic Resonance, Computed Tomography and technologies in Molecular Imaging. Integrated IT Solutions (IITS). Also headquartered in Barrington USA, IITS offers solutions in clinical and monetary information technologies, such as IT Products and service for departments, systems for picture Archiving and Communications, Information System solutions in Radiology and Cardiovascular in addition to practices and systems for managing revenue cycles. Medical Diagnostics Business Unit. This is headquartered in USA and its business includes; Researches in Medical Diagnostics, manufacturing and marketing imaging agents used in medical scanning techniques to view human body organs and tissues. Clinical Systems Unit. Also Headquartered in the US, this business offers a variety of healthcare services and technological solutions for medical officers and managers of healthcare systems. These include; Ultrasound, technologies for monitoring patients, bone densitometry, incubators, respiratory care and management of anesthesia. GE Healthcare Life Sciences Unit. This is headquartered in Sweden. It produces technologies for discovering drugs, biopharmaceutical manufacturing and cellular technologies. This division also manufactures equipment for the purifying biopharmaceuticals. GE Healthcare Surgery Business Unit. This division offers equipment and technologies for surgical care interventions, cardiac, systems and technologies for diagnostic monitoring, systems and data management technologies, to systems for mobile fluoroscopic imaging, instrumentations on 3D visual systems and navigation. Its headquarters are in Utah, USA, GE Healthcare has offices in different parts of the world. It also has primary regional operation centers in Paris, Japan, and India. (GE Healthcare Website; Retrieved December 2010) Business Strategy and Organizational Structure Analysis The world business environment is constantly changing, presenting new opportunities and challenges. This calls for competitive strategies in order to remain competitive. This section evaluates the opportunities and challenges presented by GE Healthcare organizational structure. In the Financial Year (FY) ending December 2007, the company recorded revenues of $16, 997 million; an increase of 2.7% over 2006. The operating profit was $3,056 million in 2007; drop of 2.7% from 2006. This GE business unit recorded revenues of $16,015 million, during the Financial Year (FY) ended December 2009. This reflected a decrease of 7.9% over FY 2008. The operating profit for the FY ended December 2009 was $2,240 million a decrease of 15.1% over FY 2008. Analysts attribute to both the complex internal and external environments of the company. I evaluate this argument by undertaking a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the company and integrating it to the Porters Fiv e Forces Model. Internal Analysis GE healthcare is one of the best firms in leadership development. The firms Human Resources Department is keen in developing a strong workforce that responds to changing global needs. It employs strategically employs and motivates the best qualified talents globally. It invests more than $100 million annually on educational training and staff development. The GE Healthcare Institute provides advanced training for GEHC employees and customers. It combines Technical training, Applications and Leadership trainings. More than 70 laboratories with the latest equipment provide GE and customers world class instruction in all areas of equipment maintenance and operation. The Training in Partnership curriculum provides a full range of training programs. GE managers are considered one of the firms distinctive competencies and strengths. The challenge is maintaining employee motivation through better remuneration in a time of global economic meltdown and declining profits for the firm. GE Healthcare is capable of changing and constantly re-inventing itself to deal with changing business needs. Setting new standards for management, organizational design, Research and Development has been the pillar of the firm. This is evidenced by the establishment of the six distinctive business units stated above. Exploiting the resources that the firm has, this competency can be meant un-substitutable. The firm is continually innovating to develop solutions to customer changing needs. As Jeffrey Immelt stated, the firms employees have an ability to live in the moment. This quality is rare and not easily imitated. This organizational culture ensures that employees continue with innovation and development of new ideas. The firm has a global orientation, with production facilities outside the US and UK, a wider customer base, a superior brand, sales, marketing, IT and Production departments within every modality. This ensures efficiency of service within each business unit. To ensure financial accountability in outsourcing and procurement, decisions regarding this are handled by offices at the headquarters. GE Healthcare operates within the Rubric of the well known and established General Electric; this promotes sharing of management knowledge and experiences. General Electric is a well known Brand with a global touch. This strong internal structure has been at the core of the firms success. However Organizations function as systems, they interact and respond to the surrounding environment (Barnard 1938). This calls for an external analysis of this firm. External Analysis Competitor Analysis Analysts argue that competitors can ensure that similar firms remain productive. Though this can be healthy for consumers, small competitors and substitute product can drive giants out of the market. Siemens AG competes against GE group in communications, power, transportation, medical, and lighting industries. Siemens and HE Healthcare are most competitive in the healthcare industry. Siemens Medical Solutions happens to be largest supplier of healthcare equipment globally. Siemens AG is distinctive in its innovativeness and provision of complete solutions to its customers. Siemens is actually larger, with close to 440,000 employees, 70,000 of which are located in the U.S. Despite the fact that GE Healthcare outdoes Siemens AG in healthcare ($9.4 billion) and energy ($15.3 billion) it is a competitor that cannot be ignored. Both operate at virtually global scale. Other competitors include FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. Hitachi Medical Corporation Nihon Kohden Corporation Schiller AG TOSHIBA Medical Systems Corporation Philips Healthcare Philips Respironics, Inc. Industry Analysis General Electrics firms including the Healthcare unit have been analyzed using porters five forces model to determine which industry is more attractive. GE Healthcare industry is challenged by competitors and new market entrants. Consumers constantly demand low prices at a high quality leading to intensive bargaining. Retailers have to bargain with suppliers to fix the prices of their products. The GE retail industry also faces the threat of substitute products. For more on the competency strategy, SWOT analysis an the forces model see Appendix 1 and 2. Recommendations GE Healthcare already has a global orientation, large customer base. The success of GE Healthcare lies at how best it chooses its business focus. There is need to focus on a specific market niche. Too much diversification and provision of a wide variety of products may be a step forward but it can also become a mechanism for reversal. Much diversification can lead to lose of business focus. It is evident that new technology and the creation of a global virtual market offer an opportunity for the firm to grow its business. African and some Asian markets are still virgins to the firm. There is need to identify and exploit this business markets. Where favorable, establish production facilities. Advertising and strategic marketing remains a superior option to strengthen the firms brand identity. With increasing human rights concerns and demands for accountability, there is need for education and corporate social responsibility, as consumers are becoming more sensitive to scientific infor mation. Nevertheless challenges of environmental accountability abound and cannot be ignored. Works Cited Barnard, C.I. The Functions of the Executive, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1938. Print. Barnard, C.I. Organization and Management: Selected Papers, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1948. Print. Brady, Diane. GE: When Execs Outperform the Stock. Business Week 17 Apr. 2006. Goel Sanjay et al .General Electric: Strategic Management. April 20, 2006 Appendix 1 GE Healthcare: SWOT Strengths Innovation Research and Development Broad Product Portfolio/business units Global Orientation/customers/market share Recognized Brand-strong reputation/image Superior Technology Ability reinvent itself to deal with changing times Strong Organizational Culture/structure Strategic Alliances and Agreements Awards and Recognition Weaknesses Fluctuating Revenues/profits Voluntary Product Recalls FIDA Warning Letters Environmental legal constrains Opportunities Growing Aged Population Market Potential Emerging Markets New Product Launches Inorganic Growth Strategy Threats Introduction of Innovative Technologies Competitive Environment FIDA Regulations Deficit Reduction Act Increased regulations regarding outsourcing

Movie: The Mission Essay -- essays research papers

Movie: The Mission The movie, "The Mission," is about how the Spanish in cooperation with Pourtugal try to get the Jesuits off land negotiated by the two countries. The Spanish Church sends people into Asuncion, Paraguay to persuade the Jesuits to get off the land. The film includes spiritual and political activities the are reflected through the church, natives, and the Jesuits. What the movie mainly tried to show was that the Church wanted to maintain control over the Jesuits. To show that control, they went to Paraguay and tried to persuade the Jesuits to leave. The Spanish allowed them to take care of the matter to prove that. Spain and Portugal had negotiated the treaty of Tordesillias. In this treaty the two countries split the western world into two parts where Spain can have one half and Portugal the other. In the newer version of the treaty, the line that split the land was moved in favor of Portugal. On that land, missionaries had already set up missions. To better the economy for Portugal, the Spanish Church was sent in to get the Jesuits out. The would be effected by the continuation of the Jesuits because of the slave trade. If the Jesuits stayed, the Indians would have a spiritual leader . To brake their faith the Jesuits would have to be removed. Near the end of the movie, the Spanish do try to break the faith of the Indians. Father John is ...

Deontological Ethics Essay

Immanuel Kant’s theory of ethics is considered deontological for several different reasons. [4][5] First, Kant argues that to act in the morally right way, people must act from duty (deon). [6] Second, Kant argued that it was not the consequences of actions that make them right or wrong but the motives of the person who carries out the action. Kant’s argument that to act in the morally right way one must act purely from duty begins with an argument that the highest good must be both good in itself and good without qualification. Something is â€Å"good in itself† when it is intrinsically good, and â€Å"good without qualification†, when the addition of that thing never makes a situation ethically worse. Kant then argues that those things that are usually thought to be good, such as intelligence, perseverance and pleasure, fail to be either intrinsically good or good without qualification. Pleasure, for example, appears not to be good without qualification, because when people take pleasure in watching someone suffering, this seems to make the situation ethically worse. He concludes that there is only one thing that is truly good: Nothing in the world—indeed nothing even beyond the world—can possibly be conceived which could be called good without qualification except a good will. [7] Kant then argues that the consequences of an act of willing cannot be used to determine that the person has a good will; good consequences could arise by accident from an action that was motivated by a desire to cause harm to an innocent person, and bad consequences could arise from an action that was well-motivated. Instead, he claims, a person has a good will when he ‘acts out of respect for the moral law’. [7] People ‘act out of respect for the moral law’ when they act in some way because they have a duty to do so. So, the only thing that is truly good in itself is a good will, and a good will is only good when the willer chooses to do something because it is that person’s duty, i. e. out of â€Å"respect† for the law. He defines respect as â€Å"the concept of a worth which thwarts my self-love. â€Å"[8] Kant’s two significant formulations of the categorical imperative are: Act only according to that maxim by which you can also will that it would become a universal law. Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.

What Would A Content Marketing Degree Look Like

What Would A Content Marketing Degree Look Like What would a content marketing degree look like? Obviously, you dont need a degree to take part in content marketing. But if it were going to be your profession, what would you need to know?  Ive been stumbling onto blog posts and articles that try to pin down whether universities ought to offer actual degrees (or at least classes) in online content marketing, or whether there are certain types of courses someone ought to take in order to prepare for a career in content marketing. A Content Marketing Degree Im an art major, and while people often joke about the usefulness of that particular degree, I would point out that it is a degree that taught me important core creative principles that easily translate into other fields. It wasnt limited to the mechanics of drawing and painting, but included learning to give and receive critique, solving problems with my own ideas, working through a problem–good stuff to be able to do. In other words, some college degrees are about more than just their official title, building skills and qualities that translate well into other careers. Should universities offer specific content marketing degrees? #discussRather than worry about universities offering degrees for content marketing specifically, though, two better questions might be: What skills and knowledge would someone look for in hiring a content marketer? What kind of a training should you have if you want to pursue content marketing on your own? There are things every content marketer should know, and it doesnt take a university degree to learn them. What Every Content Marketer Should Know Content marketing is about writing, creativity, marketing, sales, data, and being socially engaging. Thats a lot of skills. How do you approach getting them? There are six core areas of knowledge that a content marketer should have a fair working grasp of, and if there were a content marketing degree, it might look a bit like this. 1. Psychology, Sociology, And Anthropology Psychology is the study of how we behave, and what motivates us to take action (or non-action).  Sociology  is the study of human social behavior, organization, and institutions.  Anthropology  is the study of people using social, biological, and natural sciences, as well as the  humanities  (studying human culture through a speculative and critical lens).  A special focus on  cultural anthropology  will give you insight into the customs, culture, politics, laws, religions, and language of a particular people group, which helps you understand a bit better why and how they react to things that other cultures perceive differently. Whew. All of that to say this:  You need to understand why people do what they do.  You need to know how to motivate or convince them to behave in the way that you want them to. If you are creating content that you want people to notice and share, take action on, and engage with in some way, you must know what causes them to do so. As a content marketer, youll need to know about: Pinging their emotions. Lets say there really are four basic emotions (happy, sad, afraid/surprised, angry/disgusted). Do you know which emotions encourage sharing? Which emotions get people to buy? Which emotions create loyalty? (Psychology) Pinging their motivations. Do you know what motivates people to take action? What verbal cues they look for? What visual cues they want? What turns them off right away? (Psychology) Banking on the group. Understanding how people act in groups or packs is important because that is exactly what social media is. It gets the individual to instigate something to the group. We talked about social proof, and how important it is to build that for your content marketing. Do you know how to leverage the group? (Sociology) Offending their sensibilities. Understanding your audiences culture is paramount. We all view the world through different cultural lenses. What might be offensive or crass in one culture might be admirable in another. Additionally, cultures arent purely based on geopolitical boundaries. They might be startup culture, mommy blogger culture, Star Trek culture–or all of the above. You should know your audiences culture well if you have a niche blog. (Anthropology) Culture affects marketing. Know the zeitgeist you are operating in. Culture determines so much about how content marketing works. Whats trending? Whats old news? Whats hot and what has become passà ©? (Anthropology) Youll see a lot of content marketing blog posts with a psychological or physiological (how our brain responds to stimuli) bent these days, but Ive always felt that, until recently, anthropology was lacking in mention despite having a very large role in how people groups act. The outcome of psychology and sociology sometimes gets altered when filtered through anthropology. Suggested Reading Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer Any of Dan Arielys books on behavior and rationality. Anthropology, Inc. by Graeme Wood The Atlantic, Feb 20, 2013. Anthropologys Contributions To Marketing by Charles Winick, Journal of Marketing, July 1961. Cultural Anthropology In Marketing by Marketing Profs 3 Things Marketers Could (And Should) Learn From Anthropologists by Mitchell Osak, Financial Post, March 4, 2014. Psychology for Marketer: 9 Revealing Principles of Human Behavior by Ginny Soskey, Hubspot Blog 2. Creativity And Problem Solving The need to create content of all types, for all occasions, means that youll need to be on your creative toes. A how-to guide on creativity is a bit hard to nail down, since we all approach it differently with habits, systems, preferences, and experiences. As a content marketer, youll need to know how to: Develop a system. Creativity and problem solving are concrete concepts in that they actually do tend to happen in the same way in each of us. We often get the idea that creativity is accidental, on a whim, and not predictable, but this is not the case. Will your system use brainstorming? Will you schedule creative time? Do you understand how creativity works? Do you know how to approach a problem that needs solving? Work through blocks. Sooner or later, youll face a dead-end when it comes to ideas, and this is when youll be glad you took the time to learn techniques to help you get past that. Maybe you have writers block, or cant think of absolutely anything to do for the next video. Really, when you think about it, problem solving  is  creativity. Suggested Reading: Inside the Box: A Proven System of Creativity for Breakthrough Results by Drew Boyd Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fools Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie An Easy Way To Increase Creativity  By Oren Shapira and Nira Liberman, Scientific American, July 21, 2009 3. Journalism And Creative Writing Journalism and creative writing both have a place in content marketing. The journalist approach–getting the important facts and presenting the data with impartiality–mixes well with creative writing, the telling of a good story. As a content marketer, youll need: Research skills. When you approach your blog posts like a journalist, youll start to make use of serious research tools to collect necessary data. The New York Times has compiled a great list of resources you could use to do this kind of research, as has Poynter. Interview skills. Even if you are not doing an outright interview post, you still need to know the art of interviewing because that is really just the art of asking the right questions. Sometimes, when doing research, you are interviewing yourself, asking yourself the questions so that you know what answers to find. Storytelling skills. Do take the time to practice the art of storytelling, which mixes in many of the elements of psychology that motivate readers to keep reading: suspense, emotion, connection, and curiosity. In a sense, both journalists and creative writers are storytellers; one just has tangible facts that must be included with a goal of informing and educating the reader, while creative writing approaches the same goal through a more winding path. In the end, all great writing, no matter what form or style it takes, tells the truth to and about the reader.

The Role Of Effective Communication Assingment Essays

The Role Of Effective Communication Assingment Essays The Role Of Effective Communication Assingment Essay The Role Of Effective Communication Assingment Essay The Role of Effective Communication Effective communication is effectiveness or success of communication and interaction in a Some of the factors promote interaction and effective communication, while others can limit interaction and be a barrier to effective communication. There are two example of effective communication these are Argyle Communication Cycle and Dustmans Theory of Interaction. Argyles theory of the communication cycle is based on interpersonal (one-to-one communication) interaction. The cycle involves two people how they understand each other when interacting and how they decide to reply to each other. Lath and social care setting which can be influenced by a number of factors. The cycle consists of: 1 . An Idea Occurs: You have an idea that you want to communicate 2. Message Coded: You think through how you are going to say what you are thinking. You put your thoughts into language or into some other code such as sign language. 3. Message Sen t: You have communicated your idea either through speech, sign, online or off-line written communication. 4. Message Received: The other person has to understand your message. This is not always easy, as the other person will make assumptions about your words and body language. Message Decoded: The other person has to understand and interpret your message. This is not always easy. As the other person will make assumptions about your words e. G. Maybe they will hear an insult which isnt actually an insult. 6. Message understood: It all goes well when your ideas will be understood but this not always happen first time! To put this theory into practice an example would be in a GAP surgery. A doctors communication has important information for a service user about their medication they will need to take after they have left the setting. First of all the doctor will decide the type of dedication the service user will need to make their health better, this would then lead to the doctor thinking as to how he could communicate what hes going to say in a respectful and understanding manner to make sure the service user has an understanding of the medication they will be given, in an non patronizing tone. To ensure that this does not happen the doctor would speak quite informally to make sure that he/she doesnt come across as posh and patronizing, this will then calm the service user as it would make them feel comfortable. After the doctor has decided what he is going to say e would then communicate his ideas to the seen,ice user. The doctor has to do this clearly as the patient might not be in a State where they might not fully understand what the doctor is trying to say. The doctor must make sure to keep in mind that he/she cant be patronizing to the service user as they might get insulted. After this the service user must have an understanding of what the doctor has just said. The message would have been received by the service user and then they would have to try interpreting what the doctor has said. This would leave the service user decoding the message however this eight not go well as the service user could assume that the doctor was insulting their intelligence. After the message has been decoding and understood and if all goes well the service user would have an understanding what the doctor said. This would leave the service user talking the medication that they need which will improve their overall health and will reduce the risk of them having to come back into the GAP about their prescribed medication. However, if the service user has not understood the doctor has said this could potentially mean the service user going back to the GAP. Dustmans Theory of Interaction is another theory of effective immunization. This theory mostly applies to a group -either working as a group or not. The theory is based on people meeting for the first time, meaning that no one knows each other, this is because if a group knows each other some steps can be easier than others. There are four stages in Dustmans theory. These are: 1. Forming This stage refers to people meeting for the first time and sharing information about the task. 2. Storming -? This stage involves tension, struggle and sometimes arguments about the way the group might function. 3. Morning- At this stage the group begins to form a Truckee and people begin to understand their role within the group. And they start to respect their group values. 4. Performing This is where the group starts and finishes the task they have been given and they effectively and efficiently perform as a group. To put this theory into practice an example would be, in a GAP surgery, a case conference including the GAP, social worker, career and a nurse about an elderly person who has had a stroke and they are living alone and they need to decide whether the service user goes to a care home or has a permanent career. Firstly, the GAP, social worker, career and a nurse would meet for the first mime and introduce themselves to each other, and then the GAP will start explaining what happened to the service user and the GAP will talk about what they want to happen to the service user. That is when they will be forming. The group of health and social care professionals might have a bit of tension because the GAP wants the service user to have a service user and not want the service user to go to a care home but the social worker wants the service user to go to a care home. This is the storming stage because there is tension between what they want to happen to the service user. The group Start to put all their ideas into one and still try and figure out what to do with the service user, when they do this they all start to respect each other. This is the Norman stage, because they are respecting each other and they are starting to put structures on their ideas for the service user. When the professionals have concluded what they think will best for the service user. They have decided for the service user, depending how many strokes she has in a week, theyll put her in an elderly care home or have a pert-time career. This is the Performing stage because this is when the group has achieved an effective performance of their choices. Another example of putting the theory into practice is when a family (consisting of a mother, father, son (5 years old) and a 5 month year old baby) comes into a GAP to get their baby girl weighed by a community midwife. The family and the community midwife introduce themselves and the midwife tells them what shes going to do with their baby girl. This is the Forming stage because they have introduced and the midwife shared the task of what SSH?s going to do to the family. When the community midwife is weighing she might make a sarcastic joke saying Your babys a bit chunky but in a funny one, not being serious. The mum then might take is seriously and be a little mad with the midwife as she is feeding her baby correctly. This will be the Storming stage because there is a bit of tension in the room. The community midwife then communicates to the mother about what she can do to make the baby eat more or less depending on what the babys weight is, when the midwife is doing her paperwork. This is the Morning stage because they understand the midwife?s role. And the nurse starts to respect the family more. The nurse finishes the paperwork and tells the parents about the eight and how they can improve on the baby health etc. This is the Performing stage because the nurse is finishing her duties to the baby and the family. Task B Explain and Assess the role of effective communication using examples of how people communicate within a GAP surgery. Five forms of communication: One of the forms of communication is text messaging. Text messaging is when people communicate over their mobile phones and they type what they want to say to another person. An example in a GAP surgery is the receptionist could text message an elderly person to remind them about their appointment. This is a good thing because it is quick and simple for the GAP surgery to use. Secondly, it means the elderly person will get a reminder for their GAP surgery, so they wont forget. The bad thing about this is an elderly patient could have a mobile phone but they might not understand how to use the device especially if it is a touch screen phone. Secondly, the patient might not understand how to use the phone; she might not be able to reply back if she cant attend the appointment. This then goes against Argyles theory because the service user is unable to respond to the receptionist who sent he message. The second form of communication is oral communication. Oral communication is the process of verbally transferring information and ideas from one individual (or group) to another person. For example a service user talking to their GAP about an injury that has occurred. The good thing about oral communication it is simple and everyone is able to talk. Secondly, people are very talkative which means they are able to describe what has happened to them. The bad thing about oral communication is that someone might have a stutter which means they wont be confident to talk to the GAP bout their problems. The third form of communication is signs and symbols. Signs and symbols are gestures made with hands or arms, written symbols or diagram (such as fire exit signs) all communicate messages to people. An example in a GAP surgery would be a fire occurs in the back of the GAP surgery, and the fire exit symbol goes on. A good thing is people will know where the right door is to exit to the building because there will be a sign to direct the service users. A bad thing is that a permanently blind service user will not know where to go because they wont see the sign to leave the building. The fourth form of communication is touch. Touch is another way of communicating without words. An example of touch is if a GAP has just said to a patient they have a form of cancer and the GAP is trying to comfort the patient with touch. A good thing about touch is the GAP is sending a message of care. This will lead the service user to trust their GAP more as the GAP is being caring for the service user. A bad thing about touch is the service user might think the GOT is trying to dominate them. Secondly they might find the GAP is patronizing them. The fifth form of communication is written communication. Written immunization is the same as oral but it is written down on paper instead of being spoke words. An example of written communication is when a GAP us written important information that the patient cant do when taking their medication. The good thing about this is the service user will have the information in hand instead of having to remember it. Also written communication is easy and simple to use. Also, the service user is able to keep the information for a very long but if the GAP never wrote down the service user could have forgotten. The bad thing about written communication is the service user might be blind so they wont be able to dead this. Also, they might lose the paper which means they will not have the information they need. 3 Types of Communication: The first type of communication is speech. Task C Explain what factors might affect communication in the Surgery and explain, review and evaluate strategies that can be used to overcome barriers to communication.

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

Conclution - Essay Example A fewcalculations were requiredfor making this piece in SolidWorks. The second stage used SURFCAM to define the stock size, shaping tools, feeds and speeds.The SURFCAMsoftware also definedeach tool path. The third stage involved generating the G-code for machine the piece. During the fourth stage, the G-code was transferred to the HAAS machine using the GibbsCAM software in the machine shop. The final stage included loading the tools, selecting the zero points for each tool with the stock and running the machine to build the block. To start, a new file was open with a sketch on the front plane. Drawing from the origin, a center rectangle was drawn with dimensions of six in. on the x-axis and four in. on the y-axis. Fully defined, a fillet was then made with the radius of 0.250 in. on all corners. Following that, the rectangle was extrudedwith a one in. depth. After the extrusion, the upper portion of holes to be drilled was worked on next. The first hole, which was drawn for a linear pattern, was placed at the top left corner with a 0.250 in. diameter and an extruded cut depth of 0.250 in.The distance on the x-axis from the left edge to the center of the circle right, had a dimension of 0.500 in. indention. From the topof the rectangle to the center of the circle down, a dimension of 0.500 in. was also added. From here, a linear pattern was used to generate six holes by patterning with the x-axis with a distance of 0.43 in. from the center of one circle to the next. The step that proceeded with the drilling of the upper portion of the holes came to an extruded cut of a filleted rectangle with dimensions of 1.25 in. on the y-axis and 2.250 in. on the x-axis with an extruded cut of 0.250 in.This rectangle was to be positioned at the bottom left corner of the part with a dimension from the bottom edge of the part up to the bottom of the rectangle of 0.38 in.This same dimension was to be added to the left edge of the part towards the right

Exploration of the Mississippi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exploration of the Mississippi - Essay Example This made their population drop hugely after the Spaniards visit (Geoghegan 1). In 1564, the ruler of Spain got news that French colonists had started a settlement at Fort Caroline. Fort Caroline was part of Spains terrain in the New World. The Spaniards felt this as a direct threat to their land that they had claimed in North America. The Spanish ruler wasted no time, and he decided to send Pedro Menendez along with his private army to destroy the small French colony (Shea 23). The only defense the French had was a tiny fort which they had set up on the St. Johns River in Florida. The Spanish warriors, because of this, took only little time to wipe out the tiny colony (Shea 23). A few of the French people, however, managed to escape by sea. The tiny French colony of Fort Caroline lasted only a year. This was the beginning of the fight between Spain, Great Britain as well as France over the possession of the region that would form the Mississippi. Immediately after the destruction of Fort Caroline, the Spaniards set up Fort St. Augustine, in 1565 (Gilmary 56). A period of about 130 years from De Sotos trek went by with no further exploration of the Mississippi. In 1673, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, who were French explorers, traveled down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Arkansas River. The same trail took place nine years later by a different French explorer, Robert Cavelier de La Salle. Salle claimed all the land close to the river for France. He named that vast area as Louisiane. This translated to English is Louisiana. He gave it the name Louisiane in honor of his ruler, King Louis IV. The Mississippi River played a vital role in the settlement of this wilderness region. After Salle, French settlers started to arrive and build forts along the Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast is presently the stretch from Louisiana to Florida. It also includes the Surgeres

Are the documentary filmmakers trying to persuade you of a certain Assignment

Are the documentary filmmakers trying to persuade you of a certain point of view - Assignment Example This power to persuade comes from the fact that documentaries deal with raw reality and in doing so, it becomes more convincing and powerful in many ways. It is not the camera as a passive recording device, but the man behind the camera, with his particular likes and dislikes that makes us attracted to a piece of documentary. From the very beginning, there were distinctly two types of filmmaking. The first one tries to portray the film as a tool of magic, in which we see what is possibly not seen in real life. A larger than life, magical representation. This method was pioneered by George Melies (1861-1938). The second one portrayed film as a capturing device that captures time in the form of image and sound. It captures reality as reality itself. This method was pioneered by Lumiere Brothers (Auguste Lumiere-1862-1954 and Jean Lumiere- 1864-1948). Thus Lumiere Brothers can be considered to be the father of documentary filmmaking. In the documentary mode of filmmaking, the man behind the camera captures the elements inside his frame, but at the same time, he is excluding most of the reality and portraying only a small portion of it. This very act of elimination gives the documentary filmmaker his particular power to emote, persuade and sometimes even provoke. By editing the film, the maker constantly persuades the audience to go through a recording of a series of events in a particular time sequence. We must remember that the very invention of film is based on the fact that somebody wanted to document motion in pictures and this gave rise to the motion picture or film. The very first piece of film by Lumiere Brothers is called: â€Å"Workers leaving the Lumiere Factory†. It was screened on 22nd March, 1895. It was a documentary footage of the workers leaving a factory after work. This film presented to the world the idea that reality can be captured and played back by the device of cinematography. The term ‘documentary’ was first used by Joh n Grierson in 1926. He was writing review for Robert Flaherty’s film â€Å"Moana†. He wrote that the film had ‘documentary’ value. Thus from the very beginning ‘documentary’ meant a very specific type of film. The propagandist approach can be seen from very early approaches like Dziga Vertov’s â€Å"Kino Pravda† (literally means cinematic truth) newsreel series. Vertov believed that a certain sequence of shots taken from samples of real life, will create a meaning, not observable by the naked eye. Thus by interpolating shots and inter-titles, he tried to etch meaning out of seemingly normal life. In the Nazi propagandist films during the time period between two World Wars, like Leni Reifenstahl’s â€Å"Triumph of the Will† (1935) we see groundbreaking techniques of aerial photography, camera movement, wide-angle lenses and coupled with that a fantastic use of music to create movement and rhythm. It contained excerpt s from speeches delivered by various Nazi leaders including Hitler, interspersed with footages of the gathering of about 70 million Nazi supporters. The film actually tried to portray a vision which was envisioned by Hitler: Germany as a great power having Hitler as its great leader. Thus over the ages we have noticed a tendency in filmmakers to make films where truth is portrayed in a peculiarly forceful manner. The film â€Å"Who Killed Vincent Chin† directed by Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Pena begins with the testimony of the stripper Starlene who was

Media coverage of Big Brother Essay Example for Free

Media coverage of Big Brother Essay An analysis of how the notorious figure Jade Goody was represented in media coverage of Big Brother. Despite being the second last evicted from the big brother house, and apart from being popular in the public viewers eyes, Jade Goody has been portrayed by the media as a very objectionable individual whom is probably labelled as the worst housemate ever. In The Sun Jade has been exposed, as a stupid and drippy contestant who they strongly feel should be evicted from the house as soon as possible because of their stereotypical ways of commenting about an individual. The language in The Sun is very inadequate, Dated 18 June an article in The Sun uses other contestants in the house as their main evidence of her mouthy manners, which has effected and brought a commotion into many of the media press for Big Brother. Jade aimlessly, is not aware of the outside world. The sun uses slang to get messages across to the reader which puts the readers mind in a state of informality, something they too can have a laugh at. In article the press go a little too deep into her personal life and use a coverage about her jailbird dad to describe her outside life. They use this epithet in order to create tension and prejudice about jades conduct in the Big Brother house. Jade here is represented as a bad girl from a bad family who maybe has a lot of things that she can be contrasted too which stereotypically is the way The Sun label people. Being called a pig and being voted out, as a pig is not a very satisfying way to find out what the press has said about you. Jade in articles written by The Sun. Another headline that starts using her sexuality is the article dated June 19 in which the headline metaphorically refers to the sexual innuendo they make about her and PJ sleeping together, toe-job to blows job is connotation of her sexual life. In that particular article the writer tried to create jade as a person who is annoying as she is referred to as mouthy jade, tearful which doesnt show her as a strong participator at the beginning of something that can alter her way life. Using Jades mothers sexuality lesbian mother affects the public as they are put in spot where they are hypnotised to think that it is wrong to not be heterosexual. To the public reading an article about the sex life of celebrities amuses them and brings entertainment to their minds, however it can be a very sad thing to where the celebrity feels betrayed by people around them. The articles written by The Sun use many personal terms and stories to attract attention that it seems that the media like to exploit her private life to the public for personal rights. But it seems to be lacking in justice because doesnt jade have her rights as an individual? Her mother is described as an unmarried Jackie Budden, which adds to the pile of personal matters. Does it really matter if her mother wasnt married and it shouldnt really have an effect or change o the way jade will carry on winning to second place. The Sun seem very bias, they dont seem to like jade goody because of the fact that her dads in jail, her mothers sexuality and the way it differs from jade. Being a dental nurse has been contrasted to the way she doesnt seem to have helped people like her because in the sun she has been nominated as the nations most hated. It shows that they use her occupation too to describe her failure in the house. Many other types of comparisons are made about jade, for instance in an another article her yawing caught by a camera is contrasted to a baboon mimicking jade which is rather ironic about her nature. Many pictures that are put into the articles by The Sun portray her as an unflattering person, big boobs all carefully selected to make her look unattractive and not someone youd particularly want to follow in step wise. In the Jade should keep her big mouth shut article a picture of disgustingly easting a pizza fits with the heading. Underneath they use an alliteration to bring out the pun in her. Another form of imagery used by The Sun is a picture of her breast falling out of her bikini which has a heading of Jade Boobs again which could be a attire about her weight which isnt a nice way of representing someone. Throughout her time in Big Brother The Sun used many atrocious, narrow-minded comments about Jade to in a sense entertain the readers. However by presenting her as a pig, dimwit and many other forms of pessimistic and notorious descriptions the sun created a hateful and bitter side to jade. Because of the homophobic, stereotypical reputation that The Sun holds it fits the nature of the articles written by them to comment upon her like this. However in The Daily Mirror they use another way of presenting jade. Despite the fact that she may have been named a pig, a cow it doesnt stop them creating the anti-Big Brother campaign, which they take total, sides on Jade. The front page of the Daily Mirror has 3 pictures of Jade looking rather depressed and isolated. She is wearing a crucifix; with a white top, which could be a technique, this paper uses to bring out another side of Jade. Her innocence most likely. The headline starts off with Nobody Loves me, and underneath the picture the reporter has added his feelings but I do. which creates anxiety as well as excitement to the readers of who could be the person who does, and why. The page 10 coverage is rather different to the Suns reports on Jade as here she has been described as not the sharpest pin but who cares. This is a turning point to a debateable question of whether jade is a good or bad contestant. The article includes better pictures of her smiling, looking like she can have fun and as an innocent person. The article itself is optimistic about jade Kevin OSullivan admits that he has sympathy for the divine ms Jade which is rather ironic in sense for those who have just read the sun articles on jade goody. The article uses antonyms from the articles that are very pessimistic about her. The language here is more sympathetic and close to the heart. It seems more comfortable because the reader doesnt have to feel like they are pushed to believe each word. However here she is placed as a poor girl who richly deserves to win. However there are mocks about how she wont win beauty contests and how she is a blonde bumshell- sorry bombshell which shows that the writer in a way does see her as unpleasant he tries to keep it discreet. The article states how the reasons why they have created an anti big brother campaign was because they thought that they too fitted the crowd therefore it was time for a change. This represents jade as another person, here in this article she is not diversely exploited but mildly commented upon. It also seems that because of the fact that the sun has been commented upon by many people the Daily mirror needed to avoid being commented upon too. By creating a kind image to the reader they can help attract more readers. The daily mirror by adopting the title The anti-Big Brother campaign seems to have distanced them from war, since September 11th. By placing another anti subject apart from it helps readers get away from tension and to having some form of gentle entertainment. Both article pity jade however in the sun they use personal comments to create subversion by the readers for jade goody whereas in The Daily mirror they try to create sympathy and warmth. It really is a matter of decisions made by the readers of whom they take sides on. Jade has been presented rather poorly throughout her time in Big Brother due to her looks and personality. By creating her as a person that is ironically a failure in the show they have been able to capture a form gossip column for their readers to enjoy.

Phoenician Society: Role of Seafaring and Maritime Knowledge

Phoenician Society: Role of Seafaring and Maritime Knowledge Discuss the role of seafaring and maritime knowledge within Phoenician society and its expansion. Introduction. As a people the Phoenicians endured for some three thousand years and were already flourishing by 3,000 B.C. but it was not until about 1100 B.C., with the demise of the existing dominant peoples in the area, that the Phoenicians came to the fore as a significant force. From this time, until around 600 B.C., they dominated the Mediterranean by trading and establishing colonies one of the most important being Carthage. The success of their culture seems mainly to have been due to the proximity of the Mediterranean that encouraged dependence on seafaring and trade. Indeed, as Holst[1] indicates, international trade formed part of the guiding principles on which the Phoenician civilization was founded that also included a commitment to resilient partnerships, peaceful settlement of disputes, equality, privacy, religious freedom and respect of women. Although the majority of Phoenician trade was initially land based, a significant amount began to take place by sea[2] testified by the we alth of Tyre that, along with Byblos, Sidon, Arados and Simyra, were the main home-based Phoenician sea ports. Initially, Phoenician sea trade was mainly with the Greeks involving glass, slaves and Tyrian purple dye made from a sea shell called Murex and textiles coloured with such dyes formed one of the main Phoenician exports. Most of the major Mediterranean countries were involved in trade with the Phoenicians that included such commodities as cotton, timber, wool, precious stones, embroidery, wine, corn and various other foodstuff including spices whereas countries as far away as Spain traded metals such as tin, iron and lead.[3] The Importance of Trade Trade and colonisation originally centred on bartering indigenous timber as well as fishing skills, the latter of which is thought to have provided the competence for later seafaring abilities.[4] The far reaching sea trade of the Phoenicians took two forms – with existing Phoenician colonies and countries in navigable reach. The colonies provided a means by which the home country could be assured of supplies of goods deemed essential. In this respect, Cyprus became a colony to ensure the supply of wood and copper, Sardinia and Spain for useful metals. In return for such goods, Phoenicia supplied such finished items as cotton and linen, pottery, ornaments, weapons, and glass. It was not, however, just with the Mediterranean that trade occurred but also with the Propontis and ports within the Black Sea.[5] The dominance of Phoenicians in seafaring has not gone without criticism however as early reports of such supremacy in Homer’s Odyssey, and also by Herodotus, has been viewed by some modern commentators as erroneous.[6] The extent of Phoenician preeminence in this respect seems to have been settled by Bass’s underwater excavations of the Cape Gelidonya wreck that highlights the extent of Phoenician trade.[7] The archaeological evidence from this excavation seems therefore to support the dominance of Phoenician seafaring from 1200 B.C. onwards. The recent discovery of two exceptionally large Phoenician merchant ships adds further substance to this view.[8] It is probable that the Phoenician maritime empire was preceded by trade with various outposts throughout the Mediterranean or otherwise began as safe anchorage points along the coast.[9] It was only later that these places became colonies set up to protect Phoenician interests that required ships of war which, unlike merchant vessels were employed all year round,[10] to protect both colonies and trade routes. The Phoenician character of many of these ports was lost due to the rise and dominance of other powers such as the Greeks and Romans that has masked the extent of Phoenician influence. Importantly, trade by sea was linked to specialist product areas that otherwise would not have come together that allowed the Phoenicians to establish a rate of exchange to their advantage.[11] Transportation of various metals available in the western Mediterranean by sea, such as Spanish silver, thus allowed the Phoenicians to link the demand in the east, from countries like Assyria etc., to the raw material centres of the west. The Phoenicians also took advantage of turning the raw materials transported from the west into quality refined goods to be later exported. These products, because they tended to be more refined and better quality than what most other countries could supply, were therefore much sought after and such goods have been found in western ports such as Carthage.[12] Moreover, the direct sea route through the Mediterranean provided the best means of direct and efficient transport of materials and products and the extent of this trade along the Mediterranean is confirmed by the fact that Phoenician coins came to be manufactured in Tyre from the fifth century B.C. onwards.[13] The Extent of Phoenician Trade Links It is thought that the growth in Assyrian power and pressure on the coastal cities first led the Phoenicians to turn to seafaring.[14] In this respect, Assyrian power is thought to have blocked access to resources to the east to the extent that the Phoenicians were obliged to turn west towards the Mediterranean for raw materials.[15] Others, however, contend that it was the growth in Assyrian wealth and power that stimulated Phoenician interest in Mediterranean seafaring because of the increased demands for products.[16] This could have likewise been hastened by the economic growth and increased demand of Tyre and other Phoenician ports for raw materials. It is likely, however, that rather than one factor there was a set of interrelated events involving political, historical, economic criteria that led to the Pheonician exploitation of the Mediterranean. Indeed, Tyre and associated ports were ideally situated to act as a conduit through which the products and resources of the Mediter ranean and countries to the east could be exchanged.[17] Moreover, a massive investment in time and resources would have been required to mount expeditions throughout the Mediterranean by sea that suggests Tyre was economically and politically secure. The exploits of the Phoenicians in the Mediterranean should not be viewed as exploration as most of the main sea routes had been charted during the Bronze Age. Rather the Phoenicians were able to use and improve their maritime skills to become the dominant force in the Mediterranean for six hundred years. Yet, there are reports that they ventured much further afield which suggest exploration was part of a general outlook. For example, Herodotus reports that they sailed down the Red Sea to circumnavigate Africa returning via the Straits of Gibraltar.[18] Some even propose that they may have voyaged as far as southern Britain to acquire Cornish tin but this was probably based on indirect rather than direct trade.[19] In this respect, reports of a tin ingot discovered in a Cornish harbour similar to those of ancient Crete remain controversial.[20] The Veneti of Brittany may also have actually been Phoenicians who controlled the trade route to Britain and were thought to be adept seafare rs. The control of trade routes seems to have been a characteristic of Phoenician dominance in that this allowed more exclusive access to resources around and outside the Mediterranean that helped to reinforce Phoenician power. The interest in regions outside the Mediterranean is supported by the notion that some coastal ports such as the present Portuguese port known as Peniche is claimed to derive from the Greek for Phoenicia.[21] Moreover, there are many Phoenician remains to be found along the Portuguese coast.[22] Such exploits beyond the Mediterranean may have partially been encouraged by the fact that the Greeks had prevented Carthage from gaining access to the home ports.[23] Indeed, it may have been the rise in Greek power that led to Carthage becoming such an important city port for the Phoenicians in the central Mediterranean and could have been a factor leading, in the 8th century B.C., to Carthage succeeding Tyre as the main Phoenician city. There is also some evidence that the Phoenicians may have even reached some of the Atlantic islands such as the Azores and Canaries.[24] Ultimately, it was the rise in Greek power in the east, the barrier of the Atlantic in the west and the rise of Rome that bought an end to Phoenician power.[25] In sum, the Phoenician influence along the Mediterranean coastline appears to be both a consequence of great initiative and impressive seafaring skills that was instigated by the promise of trade and pressures from the rise in other Mediterranean powers to the east. Types of Boats The initial attempts in seafaring by Phoenicians are thought to have been quite crude based on travel between islands by means of rafts followed by more sophisticated but still crude sailing vessels inspired by the need to fish.[26] The first boats seemed to have consisted of a keel, a rounded hull and a raised platform for the steersman with the oars intersecting the bulwark.[27] This formed a template for a subsequent craft where four upright rowers operated curved oars in a boat that lacked a rudder with a mast held aloft by two ropes secured at the front and rear of the vessel. The mast, however, seems not to have been used for a sail, but to support a viewing structure from which an archer or other attacker was able to launch missiles. From this, a larger vessel evolved with a low bow and raised stern with a rudder with a pointed prow and oars on each side of about fifteen to twenty in number that the Greeks referred to as triaconters and penteconters that are represented on coi ns but were shown without a mast so must have been a type of refined rowing boat. Around 700 B.C. further advances occurred in ship construction in that, instead of being situated on one level, rowers were now placed on two levels thus doubling the number of oarsmen. These vessels were known as â€Å"biremes† by the Greeks and incorporated two steering oars issuing from the stern some with a mast and yardarm to support a sail that came in two forms one designed for war, the â€Å"long ship†, and another, with a more rounded prow used for the purpose of trade.[28] Inspired by the Greek example, the Phoenicians also went on to develop their own version of the trireme with three levels of rowers.[29] The size of these vessels can be gauged by the fact that the top level consisted of 31 rowers.[30] The Phoenicians have also been credited with inventing both the keel and ram as well as the caulking of planks with bitumen though some believe that the ram or beaked prow is said to have been adopted by the Phoenicians from the Mycenaeans It was the use of an adjustable sail, more oarsmen and a double steering oar that led to increased speed and manoeuvrability allowing the furthest points of the Mediterranean to be reached and it was the round-shaped merchant ships called â€Å"gaulos† that was mainly relied on in this respect.[31] Such innovations to ship construction illustrate the commitment of the Phoenicians to seafaring and their seafaring skills were so renowned throughout the ancient world that Phoenician ships and sailors were often co-opted into foreign war fleets.[32] Navigation The Phoenicians are thought to have invented the art of navigation. They used oars when there was little or no wind and large square sails at other times. Although they obviously practiced coastal navigation, the distribution of ports indicates that more long distance open sea voyages were also undertaken.[33] The fact that the Phoenicians had important centres at Sardinia, Sicily and Ibiza suggests that they often sailed the high seas. This would have involved extended periods at sea essential for the effective transportation of goods. They would probably, however, have employed short coastal journeys to travel from one port to the next but relied on deep sea navigation for longer voyages[34] and in places like the Aegean, with the many islands and dangerous currents, oars would have been used rather than sails. It is thought that the Phoenicians were also able to sail at night and used the Pole star and knowledge of astronomy for navigation. This knowledge along with the fact that , given favourable viewing conditions, land is nearly always visible anywhere in the Mediterranean -allowed the Phoenicians to use their seafaring skills to good effect. Conclusion The Phoenicians obviously depended on seafaring skills in order to extend trade links and their influence throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. This seems to have gone hand in hand with a need to develop more sea worthy vessels and navigational abilities to venture further into the open seas. Evidence from historical documents, such as found in Herodotus and others, indicate the extent of Phoenician maritime skills that evolved in tandem with the foundation of ever distant colonies and trading outposts. These skills seem to have been further encouraged by the advantages that came from the home ports being located where raw material from the west, which were in demand by countries in the Levant, could be traded for finished products. The Phoenicians were able to exploit this further by producing high quality manufactured goods that were exported to all areas thus increasing their economic power and wealth that allowed more sophisticated ships to be built for longer voyages. This te ndency is reflected in the progressive growth in Phoenician influence and colonisation from east to west from about 12,000 B.C. onwards. Trade went first, however, with colonisation following when the opportunity arose. Ultimately, however, Phoenician influence may have declined in the Mediterranean due to an over-reliance on seafaring that was unable to compete with more land based powers. In other words, their greatest strength eventually became their greatest weakness. Bibliography Aubert, M. E. (2001) The Phoenicians and the West – Politics, Colonies and Trade. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Boardman, J. Edwards, I. E. S., Hammond N. G. L. (1991) ‘Preface’ in, The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Basch, L. (1969) Phoenician Oared Ships. The Mariner’s Mirror. 55, pp. 139-162. Barnett, R.D. (1958) Early Shipping in the Near East. Antiquity 32 (128): pp. 220-230. Bass, G. F. (1972) A History of Seafaring based on Under-water Archaeology. Walker Company: London. Boucher-Colozier, E. 1953. Cahiers de Byrsa III, 11. Casson, L. (1971) Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World. Princeton University Press: Princeton. Culican, W. (1991) ‘Phoenicia and Phoenician colonization.’ In The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries. B.C. J. Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, N. G. L Hammond, editors. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge) pp. 461-545. de Sà ©lincourt, A. (1959) The Histories (Herodotus). Penguin: Harmonsworth. Diodorus Siculus. (1935) Library of History. C. H. Loeb Classical Library. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA. Frankenstein, S. 1979 ‘The Phoenicians in the Far West: a function of Neo-Assyrian imperialism. In, Power and Propoganda. A Symposium on Ancient Empires. M. T. Larsen, editor. (Akademisk Forlag: Copenhagen) pp. 263-294. Guthrie, J. 1970. Bizzare Ships of the Nineteenth Century. Hutchinson: London. Grayson, A. K. (1991) Boardman, J. Edwards, I. E. S., Hammond N. G. L. (1991) ‘Assyrian Civilization’. In The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C. J. Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, N. G. L Hammond, editors. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp. 194-228. Greenberg, M. (1997) Ezekiel 21-37: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible, Vol 22A. Doubleday: New York. Harden, D. (1948) The Phoenician on the West Coast of Africa. Antiquity. 22: p. 147. Harden, D. (1962) The Phoenicians. Thames and Hudson: London. Harrison, R. J. (1988) Spain at the Dawn of History: Iberian, Phoenicians and Greeks. Thames and Hudson: London. Hencken, O’Neil. H. (1932) The Archaeology of Cornwall and Scilly. Methuen: London. Hill, G. F. (1910) Greek Coins of Phoenicia. British Museum. Holst, S. (2005) Phoenicians: Lebanon’s Epic Heritage. Cambridge and Boston Press: Los Angeles. Moscati, S. and Grassi, P. (2001) The Phoenicians. I.B. Tauris: London. Perrot G. and Chipiez, C. (1893) Histoire de lArt dans lAntiquità ©. Hachette: Paris. Rawlinson, G. (2004) History of Phoenicia. Kessinger:Montana Tilley, A. (2004) Seafaring on the Ancient Mediterranean. BAR International Series. 1268. Archaeopress/J. and E. Hedges: Oxford. 1 Footnotes [1] Holst, 2005 [2] See, for example, Judgement of Ezekiel 26-1– â€Å"Judgement on Tyre† in Greenberg, 1997 [3] Perrot and Chipiez, 1893 [4] Culican, 1991 [5] Tilley 2004 p. 76 [6] Tilley, 2004; p. 77 [7] Bass, 1972 [8] Tilley, 2004; p. 78 [9] Harden, 1962; p. 158. [10] Moscati and Grassi, 2001; p.85. [11] Harrison 1988; p. 42 [12] See, for example, Boucher-Colozier, 1953 [13] Hill, 1910 [14] Frankenstein, 1979 [15] Aubert, 2001; p. 70 [16] Culican 1991; p. 486 [17] Harrison, 1988 [18] see de Sà ©lincourt, 1959 [19] Harden, 1962; p. 171 [20] Hencken, 1932. [21] Guthrie, 1970; p. 103 [22] Tilley, 2004; p. 80 [23] Harden, 1962; p.171 [24] See, for example, Diodorus Siculus 1935 v. 20; Harden, 1948 [25] Boardman et al. 1991; p. xvi. [26] Rawlinson,; 2004 p. 122. [27] Ibid. [28] Perrot and Chipiez, 1893; p. 34 [29] Basch, 1969 [30] Casson, 1971 p. 95 [31] Barnett, 1958 [32] Grayson,1991; p. 220 [33] Aubert, 2001; p. 167 [34] Moscati and Grassi (2001); p. 84