Friday, November 29, 2019

Truth free essay sample

This paper discusses the philosopher John Deweys central criticisms about the traditional conception of what truth is and the effects of this on human personality. This paper discusses the philosopher John Deweys central criticisms about the traditional conception of what truth is and the effects of this on human personality. It describes what the reconstruction of philosophy means, to Dewey. It concludes with real life experiences that tie in with Dewey?s notions of Truth and Reconstruction in Philosophy. Dewey believed that this traditional definition of truth effected human personality He conceded that in society conflicts existed between old traditions imbedded in institutions and new ways of thinking(Dewey, 483). These conflicts discouraged people from thinking independently or in opposition to what is perceived as socially acceptable. Consequently, this discouragement of independent thinking suppresses an individuals true personality and intellect. Truth free essay sample What is truth? All words hold power. Words have the power to break down and tear apart a person wither it be emotionally, physically, or spiritually and those same words have the power to build a person or foundation. But the words themselves are not what give them the power that they hold it Is us the people that give them the powers and meanings that they hold. We might not be aware of It but we are the ones who determine which words have what type of power. We decide which words label you as what.Certain words can liberalize you as a horrible person but also some words an label you as the greatest person someone has ever met, It all depends on what type of Impact we want a certain word or group of words to mean. One word that holds a lot of meaning Is truth. Truth Is the key a component when It comes to more than one person being successful. We will write a custom essay sample on Truth or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When I hear the word truth I think of reliability, dependability, trust, loyalty and honor. To have you full trust In someone Is a huge thing in the society we now live in. Without truth we lose and destroy a lot important bonds and relationships because of it.Foundations are built around trust. Truth to e means a belief that someone and something is reliable, honest or good. But truth is more than a word with a definition it is life. My mom use to always tell me that the truth because the truth will set you free, truth is beauty and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She would tell me this meaning that telling anything other than truth will lead it eat ate you and your conscious and as you compound more and more lies with it you will continue to eat at you until you are set free by telling the truth. When youre at the wrong a lot more people respect that you are telling the truth and wing up to what you did then trying to cover it up with a lie to make things look better. She would tell me that truth is beauty and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, she would tell me this with the idea I would understand that every expects and dollies the truth and people will only as truthful to you as you are to them. If you ask million different people what the word truth means you would easily get a million different answers but one thing that we all can agree on is that there is no one truth, we live a world of many truths.We all want and expect the truth but the recipes words of truth can also hurt you Just the same or even more than a Ill could ever do. We as people who plead and beg for the truth to be told majority of people dont know how to truly accept the truth. The disagreement or argument that I always hear Is that telling the truth may not always be a good thing. Some people that a little white lie is better than keeping It truthful It makes them happy. Is there a thing as being too honest or being to truthful?Many people argue that telling the truth and only the truth as the best way to go about life, although the truth might rut someone feelings It still needs to be heard. If the truth Is not what you want to hear a smart person accepts the truth and uses It to better their situation or themselves. Is It acceptable or the right thing In the end to Ill to protect someones feelings from being hurt? Some people might argue that all anyone wants to do Is to be happy throughout life and if they have to live a lie to be happy that should be mans word means and tells you all you need to know about a man.If a man is anything other than or tells anything other than the truth he is to be frowned upon. In one aspect that truth plays a big role in is in a marriage, or relationship. A relationship or marriage without trust or the ability to be truthful is bound to be a failure. Before getting into relationships a lot of people have problems w ith trust from possibly early childhood experiences or past relationships. Truth in a relationship can not only be said or talked about actions have to be forth.No truth in relationships leads insecurities within people and the inability to trust in a relationship can cause the feeling of emotions such as anger, pain, betrayal, and cushioned. No matter how much you love someone if they do not feel trusted feelings towards a person and a relationship quickly change. When you get married you make a lifetime commitment to love, care, be loyal and truthful with your loved one. There is no getter felling then being told anything but the truth by someone who means more than the world to you.To be untruthful will forever have you liberalized as disloyal, undependable, and dishonorable and to me those who are untruthful are lower than the earth itself. Finding out that your significant other is withholding the Ruth from you is a devastating thing to deal with. The truth holds such a big role in the success of relationship that withholding it our telling anything other than truth can have such a negative impact on whats meant to be the upbringing of happiness in your life.Being true to you is another part and form of truth. When being true to yourself it is having integrity for what you believe in and your morals. Being true to yourself is not changing who you are or what you about when you a tested by adversity and how you act in the face of success. Being true to yourself is to know ND understanding the truth of who you are, accepting your own personal flaws and imperfections along with advantages and your own personal abilities.Being true to yourself is not letting anybody change who you are, that means that you hold on to what you know and was taught was correct wither it be your religious ways, the true ways of your culture, or your true goals in morals that you live your everyday life by. When you are true to yourself people respect you and your ways more and are more willing to listen to you. Being true to yourself and having inner truth and inner peace tit who you are I believe is the main key to being happy. As stated before all words have their own strength and power.They have the power to break down a person or foundation or they could also build them up, wither it be emotionally physically, or spiritually. We as people in this society give words the power that they hold by how we act upon their meanings. Truth is one of the simplest words but holds a lot more power than any other. Truth is much more than a simple word with a meaning it is a way for life that we all should follow. Truth is the main component of success in legislations, work place, friendships, and many other things we involve ourselves in our normal day life. Without expressing or acting on the word truth and the meaning behind it a lot of different relationships and bonds will be lost and destroyed. When I hear the word truth I think of reliability, dependability, trust, loyalty and honor. To have you full trust in someone is a huge thing in the society we now live in. There is no one truth there are many different forms of truth in the world that we live in. I dont think that two people will agree and give the same definition for truth if asked. D the best way to show that who you truly are.When I hear the word truth I think of reliability, dependability, trust, loyalty and honor. To have you full trust in someone is a huge thing in the society we now live in. Wither you understand or want to believe it or not the world that we live in is ran and built around the idea of how truth is and how truth should be no matter if its the truth in someone else I a business aspect or in a relationship with someone that mean the world to you, or if its Just the truth you hold within yourselves. I think at the end of the day we expect and deserve the truth in our lifes.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Swimming Pool Chemistry essays

Swimming Pool Chemistry essays Most people still assume that swimming pools are just holes in the ground, filled with water. In reality, there are actually many chemical processes, which occurs in a swimming pool, to keep the water clean and safe. Pathogens such as adenoviruses, Hepatitis A viruses, Shigella and Escherichia coli 0157, which can cause fever, diarrhoea and vomiting, must be eradicated. [3] There are many other chemicals involved in balancing the water as well. [4] Chlorination is the practice of adding chlorine to pool water, to destroy disease-producing microorganisms and other contaminants. [2,4] All forms of chlorine ionise in water to form hypochlorous acid (HOCL). [1,2,4] The HOCL formed, retains the oxidising property of chlorine, and can kill microorganisms by passing through their membranes and destroying their organelles. [1,4] However, HOCL further dissociates into hydrogen and hypochlorite ions, where the degree of dissociation depends on pH and temperature. [1,4] This makes pH control important, as hypochlorite ions are not as effective as HOCL in killing bacteria because of their negative charge. [1,4] At pH levels below six, HOCL dissociates poorly. [1,2,4] Then, between a pH of 6.0 and 8.5, there is a very sharp increase in the dissociation of HOCL to form hypochlorite ions. [1,2,4] However, acidic water is corrosive. [1,2,4] Hence, a pH level of 7.5 is perfect, having 50% of dissolved chlorine as HOCL. [4] Chlorine compounds, in a solid or liquid state, are added to the pool manually or by erosion feeders. [2,4] Elemental chlorine, a poisonous gas, requires special equipments though. [2,4] It is cheap but extremely acidic, requiring a lot of base to counteract it. [1,4] Using an electrolysis cell, HOCL can be generated continuously if salt is added. [1] Dissolved chlorine exists as free available chlorine if it has not bonded with another compound. [2,4] When it has combined with nitrogen compounds, creating ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Contemporary Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Leader - Essay Example He has genuine charm and a charismatic personality to capture his audience. His political motto â€Å"Change we can believe in† is attractive and believable and has already drawn several supporters from both the major political parties in the country – The Republicans as well as The Democrats, who advocate and promote his views and beliefs (Obama, 2008). His bipartisanship quality has the ability to bring the nation together and create a bond that would further strengthen the nation’s overall supremacy. His policies have the capability of bringing two of the nation’s biggest political parties – The Republicans and The Democrats together in terms of agreement and acceptance of his desired goals and visions. He has the required wisdom and intelligence to foresee the impact of certain political decisions, which is evident from his firm stand on the Iraq war issue. His strong leadership qualities are characterized by his exemplary vision for the nation which involves creating hope and maintaining the promises that the leaders make to the citizens of the country. His stand against the establishment on non acceptance of money, especially from special interest groups and beliefs in being upfront and ethical further strengthen his image as a leader and a visionary that America today, needs. However like several other contemporary leaders, Obama too has certain weaknesses such as lack of experience, his race, name, views on foreign policies, etc. Obama lacks largely on the experience factor. His political experience is far less than the other top tier politicians in the country. Moreover, his race might also prove to be a deterrent to probable voters, as African Americans, historically, have barely made it to the top. Also his unusual sounding name, Barack Hussein Obama, might confuse voters about his real identity and pass wrong messages raising doubts about his political

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Dixie Group - a case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Dixie Group - a case study - Essay Example The Familytique, the Peppercorn Cottage and the Michaelmas house too need to integrate their sales activity as they come under the shops category. The market square which is a public place for the traders which happens every Wednesday, they book their stall in advance. The payments collected from them should be properly listed and receipts are given in return. These should be integrated using program based information system. The management information system provides information to support management decision making. Pre-specific and pre-planned reporting to managers is accomplished by information reporting systems. Support for managers is accomplished by decision support systems. Information for top management is provided by executive information system. The information system provides information on the operations of the system to management for the direction and maintenance of the system (control). It is important to understand information system in the context of their use in information processing, which is also called data processing. â€Å"an information system uses the resources of hardware (machines and media), software (programs and procedures), and people (specialities and end users) to perform input, processing, output, storage and control activities that convert data resources into information products.† (James A. O’Brien). Thus the information system performs operational, managerial, and strategic support role in the business. These need to be a good information system to integrate the business activity to achieve the goals. The operations information system uses the data generated by and used in business operations. That is, it record and process data update it and produce it into reports. Physical processes are controlled by process control system and office activities are supported by the office automation system. This would help the organisation to achieve an organised

Monday, November 18, 2019

The influence of central banks' interventions on the level and Essay

The influence of central banks' interventions on the level and volatility of foreign exchange rate - Essay Example Furthermore, in a number of nations the central bank is essentially responsible for determination of the foreign exchange rate. The exchange rate volatility took prominent shape since the collapse of the Bretton Wood fixed exchange rate system (Galati and Melick, 2002). Since exchange rate plays an important role in supporting international trade, its volatility is seen as a hindrance. Therefore, central banks often make strong effort for minimising the volatility or it’s after effect on business. However, there are several analyses which suggest that central bank’s intervention tend to increase volatility of foreign exchange market while the bank tends to witness losses while managing the volatility. The paper assesses the impact of the central bank intervention on volatility of exchange rate. Meanwhile, various relevant factors such as types of exchange rate systems, potential scope of resource wastage and intended and unwanted impact of intervention policies have been discussed briefly. The foreign exchange market is the prevalent financial market across the globe. Foreign exchange trading is referred to transacting of one currency in exchange of others. Trading of currencies generally takes place in the form of bank transfers and bank deposit. Except for tourism and physical purchases, physical transfer and exchange of currencies rarely happens. The exchange rate system is an imperative characteristic of foreign exchange market and that of the global economic policy. Based on conventional models, exchange rate system can be classified as fixed exchange rate and floating exchange rate. Fixed exchange rate, which is also known as pegged exchange rate, is referred to the arrangement of price determination where rate of one currency (national currency) with respect to other foreign currencies is kept fixed by means of government intervention. Fixed exchange rate has been considered favourable when two or more countries experience similar

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt

Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt Development and Evaluation of an Oral Fast Disintegrating Anti-allergic Film Using Hot-melt Extrusion Technology Manjeet B. Pimparade1, Anh Vo1, Abhijeet S. Maurya1, Joseph T. Morott1, Xin Feng1, Dong Wuk Kim1, Vijay I. Kulkarni1, Roshan Tiwari1, K. Vanaja2, Reena. Murthy2, H. N. Shivakumar2, D. Neupane3, S. R. Mishra3, S. N. Murthy1, Michael. A. Repka1,4* 1Department of Pharmaceutics Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA 2Institute for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Research, Bangalore, India 3Department of Physics, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA 4Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA *Address for correspondence: Michael A. Repka, D.D.S., Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Director, Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology School of Pharmacy The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 Abstract The main objective of this novel study was to develop chlorpheniramine maleate orally disintegrating films (ODF) using hot-melt extrusion technology and evaluate the characteristics of the formulation using in vitro and in vivo methods. Modified starch with glycerol was used as a polymer matrix for melt extrusion. Sweetening and saliva-simulating agents were incorporated to improve palatability and lower the disintegration time of film formulations. A standard screw configuration was applied, and the last zone of the barrel was opened to discharge water vapors, which helped to manufacture non-sticky, clear, and uniform films. The film formulations demonstrated rapid disintegration times (6-11 s) and more than 95% dissolution in 5 min. In addition, the films had characteristic mechanical properties that were helpful in handling and storage. An animal model was employed to determine the taste masking of melt-extruded films. The lead film formulation was subjected to a human panel for e valuation of extent of taste masking and disintegration. Keyword: Hot-melt extrusion, Orally disintegrating film, Taste-masking, Pediatric and geriatric, Modified starch, Human panel taste evaluation, Continuous manufacturing, Chlorpheniramine maleate Introduction It is estimated that 26-50% of the patient population find difficulty in swallowing tablets and hard gelatin capsules [1]. These patients mainly include the elderly who have difficulty taking conventional oral dosage forms because of hand tremors and dysphagia, and pediatric patients who are often fearful of taking solid oral dosage forms owing to their underdeveloped muscular and nervous systems [2]. In addition, patients who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, uncooperative, on reduced liquid-intake plans or nauseated, and travelers who may not have access to clean water also are candidates for ODFs [3, 4]. The traditional alternative to swallowing difficulties is formulating a drug substance in liquid dosage form. However, liquid dosage forms have several limitations, such as the need for measuring, bulkiness, physical, chemical, and microbial stability issues, spoilage, inaccurate dosing, and organoleptic properties of drug and drug formulations [5]. Conventional solid oral formulations contributed significantly to minimizing the shortcomings of liquid dosage forms. The crushing of tablets or opening of capsules is a straightforward way for patients or caregivers to lessen the swallowing difficulties. However, serious consequences may be associated with modified-release, enteric-coated, and cytotoxic or hormonal medicines, as these formulations are designed for special cases [6]. Moreover, European Medical Agency does not recommend the splitting or crushing of tablets because the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is not evenly distributed in the tablet [7, 8]. Thus, it is very convenient to develop a formulation that disintegrates in the oral cavity and eases the swallowing process. In recent years, fast disintegrating oral formulations established their importance in patient population suffering from dysphagia, stroke, thyroid disorder, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy [9]. Commercially available orodispersible tablets (ODT) and orodispersible films (ODF) are the most successful platforms for pharmaceutical product development. ODTs are solid oral dosage forms that disintegrate rapidly, typically within 30 s, with or without the administration of additional water [10]. They provided great comfort to patients with swallowing difficulties [11]. Despite the benefits of ODTs, there are some challenges in their processing and handling owing to their fragility and brittleness, which warrant special package for protection during storage and transportation [12]. The films are flexible and not as fragile as most ODTs. Hence, there is ease in transportation, consumer handling, and storage of ODFs. ODF can be defined as a dosage form that employs a water-soluble polymer (generally a hydrocolloid, which may be a bioadhesive polymer), which allows the dosage form to quickly wet, adhere, and dissolve to release the drug when placed on the tongue or in the oral cavity [5]. ODF alleviated patient discomforts associated with swallowing disabilities without compromising the therapeutic effect. In addition, it could ease the administration of drugs to pediatric patient population [13]. Moreover, ODF can be helpful in curtailing dose variations in younger patients, in whom liquid formulations are the most accepted way of drug delivery. Currently, solvent casting methods are commonly employed to produce ODFs, owing to its ease of production and low set up costs [14, 15]. Despite its wide application, products with batch-to-batch variation may be produced because of multiple steps involved in the production. In addition, air entrapment in the films is commonly observed in solvent casting methods, which leads to dose variations and inappropriate esthetic appearance of the product [15]. The use of large amounts of solvent is one of the biggest shortcomings of this method as solvent removal and disposal is a long and tedious process. Thus, it is very beneficial to develop a solvent-free, quick, and continuous process that could diminish the shortcomings of the current manufacturing method. Hot melt extrusion (HME) is a one-step, solvent-free continuous manufacturing process, which established itself in the pharmaceutical arena for the development of various solid oral formulations [16-25]. This technology involves the use of temperature and shear to process polymer blends and extrude them through a die of the desired design [26]. HME could be an effective alternative to the solvent casting method as it diminishes the inherent shortcomings, such as the use of solvents and problems involved in the mixing and drying steps. This ultimately makes HME process efficient and cost effective for patients [27, 28]. This study has three main objectives: to 1) develop a robust patient-friendly orally fast disintegrating film of chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM); 2) evaluate these formulations with different in vitro and in vivo techniques, and 3) demonstrate the feasibility of HME techniques for continuous manufacturing of ODF without the use of solvents. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published literature on the manufacturing of orally fast disintegrating formulations using HME technology and evaluation of films using in vitro and in vivo techniques. Materials and Methods 2.1. Materials CPM was purchased from MP Biomedicals, LLC (Solon, OH, USA). Lycoat RS 780 (modified starch) was supplied by Roquette America Inc. (Keokuk, IA, USA). Citric acid and glycerol were ordered from Fisher Scientific (Pittsburgh PA, USA). Magnasweet sample was gifted by Mafco worldwide LLC (Camden, NJ, USA). Sucralose was supplied by JK Sucralose Inc. (Edison, New Jersey, USA). 2.2. Thermal analysis Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies (Perkin Elmer Pyris 1, Shelton, CT, USA) were performed to estimate the thermal stability of the API and excipients during HME processing. Data were analyzed using Pyris software. The API excipients were heated from 30-160à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ at 20à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ /min. 2.3. Material preparation and blending CPM, citric acid, and Lycoat RS 780 were dry mixed at amounts outlined in Table 1 using a V-shell blender (GlobePharma, Maxiblend, New Brunswick, NJ, USA) after passing through an ASTM #30 mesh. The plasticizer (glycerol with dissolved sucralose and Magnasweet) was incorporated slowly into a high-shear mixer (Model RSI 3VG, Robot Coupe Industrial Division, Ridgeland, MS, USA) containing the previously mixed blend with all excipients and allowed to blend for 10 min. 2.4. Hot melt extrusion The blends were melt-extruded using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder (16 mm Prism EuroLab, ThermoFisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) at 30-50 rpm over a temperature range of 100-  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   110à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. A degassing port was introduced in the last zone of the barrel to release excess water vapor, which would otherwise produce unwanted bubbles in the films. Additionally, the film die was installed with preset thickness. The physical blend of the formulation was manually fed into the hopper, and the films were collected, wrapped in wax paper, sealed, and stored in polyethylene bags at 25à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ with 40% relative humidity. 2.5. Film characterizations 2.5.1 Film thickness and mechanical properties The mechanical properties of the films were evaluated using the TA.XTPlus texture analyzer equipped with 5 kg load cell (Texture Technologies, Scarsdale, NY, USA). The films were cut into dumbbell shaped specimens with a width and length of 1.55 and 15.5 mm, respectively, and placed longitudinally in tensile grip probe on the texture analyzer. The films were tested at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min and held between two clamps positioned at 5 mm. The results of film samples that broke at and not between the clamps were not included in the calculations. Each film formulation was measured with ten replicates [29]. The tensile strength (Ts) and percent elongation (%E) were calculated using the results from texture analyzer. Film thickness was measured using an electronic caliper (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) at different positions. 2.5.2 Disintegration test The film was cut into an appropriate size as per the dose (4 mg) and placed in a petri dish. Then, 100  µL artificial salivary media was added, and the time for complete disintegration of the film was recorded (n =10). 2.5.3 Surface pH of film The film was moistened using 5  µL water and a contact electrode touched the surface of the film (Oaktonà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ pH meter, Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA), followed by pH measurement (n=6) 2.6. Analytical method A Waters high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a Water 600 binary pump, Waters 2489 UV/detector, and Waters ® 717 plus autosampler (Waters Technologies Corporation, Milford, MA, USA), and a Phenomenex Luna 5  µm C18 (2) 250 x 4.6 mm column (Torrance, CA, USA) were used at a detection wavelength of 254 nm. The mobile phase consisted of 7.5 mM monobasic potassium phosphate in methanol and water at a ratio of 62.5:37.5 (v/v). The mobile phase flow rate was maintained at 1.0 mL/min, and an injection volume of 10 ÃŽÂ ¼L was used [30]. HPLC data were analyzed using Empower 2 software (Milford, MA, USA). 2.7. In vitro dissolution studies The films for dissolution studies were cut into sizes relative to the dose of CPM (4 mg). The drug profile was evaluated using a USP dissolution apparatus-I (Hanson SR8, Chatsworth, CA) maintained at 37  ± 0.5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ and having a shaft rotation speed of 100 rpm. The dissolution test was performed using 900 mL phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). The samples were withdrawn at 5, 10, and 30 min and analyzed using the HPLC- UV system. 2.8. X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) X-Ray diffraction (Bruker D8 Advance, Madison, MI, USA) was used to determine the physical state of the drug, excipients, and film formulations. The X-ray diffraction apparatus used CuK radiation at 40 mA, 40 kV, a scanning speed of 2à ¢- ¦/min, and diffraction angle (2ÃŽÂ ¸) range of 5-55. 2.9. Scanning electron Microscope (SEM) The surface morphology of the films was evaluated using SEM analysis. The samples were mounted on adhesive carbon pads placed on aluminum and sputter coated with gold using a Hummer sputtering system (Anatech Ltd, Springfield, VA, USA) in a high vacuum evaporator. A JEOL JSM-5600 SEM operating at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV was used for imaging. 2.10. In vivo taste evaluation Twenty-one naÃÆ' ¯ve adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (175-200 g) were ordered from Harlan Laboratories (Houston, TX, USA) for the study. The rats were housed in Plexiglass cages with Corncob bedding in a vivarium that maintained a 12 h light/dark cycle and an ambient temperature of ~22à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. Food and water were available without any restriction, except during the training and taste evaluation experiments as mentioned below (2.10.1). All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at The University of Mississippi, University, USA (protocol no. 15-026). This study was performed as per the procedure in our previous publication on taste assessment method for bitter drugs [31]. 2.10.1. Training paradigm The rats were trained for licking behavior (response to thirst) by depriving them of water for 22 h, but they had ad libitum access to food. After the water deprivation period, the Plexiglass cage was divided using plastic transparent dividers to provide an individual water bottle to each animal. Eventually, the rats were provided with graduated water bottle for 30 min, and the amount consumed at 15 and 30 min were recorded. This training paradigm was performed for 2 days before the taste evaluation experiment. 2.10.2. Evaluation of bitterness sensitivity of rats To determine the concentration of CPM for this study, a sensitivity test for bitterness was performed in rats. After depriving the rats of water for 22 h, sensitivity toward 0.5 mg/mL CPM solution was evaluated on the first day, followed by a washout period of 24 h. Subsequently, the effect of 1 mg/mL CPM solution was examined, and the results were recorded. 2.10.3. Experiment The experiment was performed for 30 min with 30 mL test formulation following the 22 h water deprivation period. After each experiment, the rats had a washout period of 24 h to avoid any memory of the taste of the previous formulation. The rats had ad libitum access to food during the experiment and washout period. The amount of solution remaining at 15 and 30 min was noted and subtracted from the original test volume. Varying results caused by spilling of the test solution while measuring or leaking of bottle knob were omitted from the study. Notably, animal behavior responses such as jaw smacking, oral grooming, and retreating were observed, which was not the focus of this study. Formulations N2, N7, and N9 at 0.5 mg/mL CPM were used for bitterness evaluation study in rat model. The average amount of solution consumed by all animals was calculated and expressed as the mean standard deviation. The mean scores between the physical mixture and formulation were compared using a student t-test at 95% confidence level and P 2.11. Film evaluation by human panel The evaluation of film for palatability, disintegration time (DT), and organoleptic characteristics was performed at the Institute for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Research, Bangalore India (Protocol number VIPS/2013/12). The subjects were recruited after obtaining informed consent. This study is also in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki). The experimental procedure for this study was as per our previously published work [10, 32]. 2.11.1. Human subject selection criteria Six human subjects belonging to either sex were recruited. They were asked to abstain from coffee/tea and other beverages for 12 h. The subjects were allowed to drink only water for 12 h. Moreover, they were asked not to eat chocolates or other candies for over 6 h. The inclusion criterion was healthy human subjects aged 18-42 years, and the exclusion criteria were subjects suffering from fever, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, cold, nose block, and wounds as well as smokers.   2.11.2. Data collection Before data collection, the subjects were asked to wash their mouth with water at ambient temperature. The surface temperature of the tongue was recorded using an infrared (IR) thermometer, and a difference of  ±5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ relative to the body temperature was considered an exclusion criteria. 2.11.2.1. Bitterness perception The subjects were asked to taste aqueous solutions of CPM, beginning with very dilute solutions and progressing to higher concentrations, by placing 2 mL solution for 30 s on the tongue/buccal cavity. The concentrations screened were 0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 4 mg. The volunteers were asked to report the perception each time: 1- I feel bitter taste, 2- I feel something but cannot identify the taste, and 3-I do not feel the taste. The subjects who reported 2 or 3 were asked to taste higher concentrations of the solution until they expressed perception 1. This was recorded as the threshold for an individual. For individuals who reported a score of 1, at least 1/5th the drug concentration of the actual dose was only allowed for testing the products. A few high concentration API solutions above the individuals perception threshold were made for tasting, and the subjects were subsequently asked to provide a score for each solution (Table 3). The highest concentration of the solution contained C PM equivalent to the dose present in the products tested. The scoring pattern followed was according to modified hedonic scale: 0-no taste, 1- taste something (threshold), 2-slightly bitter, 3-moderately bitter, 4-bitter, and 5-strongly bitter. 2.11.2.2. Formulation evaluation and data analysis A washout interval of 12-24 h was allowed after screening the standard solution. The individuals were asked to taste the products (physical mixture or ODF) randomly (blinded) and score the product. The products were placed on the tongue/buccal cavity for 30-40 s, and the subjects were asked to score the bitterness on a scale of 0-5 for each product. Moreover, volunteers were asked to report the time for complete disintegration of the film. Sufficient washout time was allowed between the products, and the volunteers were allowed to drink copious amounts of water after tasting each product. The average of the scores given by all individuals were taken and expressed as the mean standard deviation. The mean scores between the physical mixture and formulation were compared using a student t-test at 95% confidence level, and P Results and Discussion 3.1. Preparation of hot-melt extruded film Modified starch is very difficult to extrude because of its high glass transition temperature. Thus, there is a need to introduce a plasticizer during extrusion, which could reduce the melt viscosity and increase the free volume of starch chains. For this study, glycerin was used as a plasticizer in different proportions, and it exhibited excellent extrudability with significantly lower torque (4.8-7.2 Nm) values than typically encountered. The barrel design was modified with a degassing port to remove excess amount of water vapor from the molten mass. Initial studies without a degassing port demonstrated the presence of bubbles as well as unequal distribution of drug in the film samples. Standard screw configuration (Figure 1) with three mixing zones was utilized for this study. It provided enough shear for dispersive and distributive mixing of the drug and helped get excellent content uniformity in all the extruded film formulations. The extruded films were stretched using the roll connected to the extruder assembly. This aided in making thin films with uniform thickness, and the roll speed was optimized for steady collection of the film. The combination of processing and formulation parameters helped to manufacture uniform, clear, and very thin films (60-110  µm) using melt extruder. 3.2. Physiochemical evaluation of films TGA is very critical before performing HME because the drug and excipients are exposed to high temperature during the extrusion process, and there are possibilities of drug degradation or thermally-induced chemical reactions or both [16]. The TGA results (Figure 2) specified that API, polymer, and excipients were chemically stable in the HME processing temperature range. Lycoat RS 780 demonstrated a loss of weight (33]. XRD was used to investigate the physical state of the drug after HME process. The XRD results (Figure 3a 3b) of CPM illustrated prominent peaks at 2ÃŽÂ ¸ angles of approximately 13, 19, and 20 degrees, while citric acid showed peaks at 2ÃŽÂ ¸ angles of 18, 19, and 26. The melt-extruded formulation did not show any peak that confirmed the presence of drug in an amorphous form. The reasons behind the complete conversion of drug to an amorphous form were the high shear during extrusion, low drug load, and relatively high amounts of glycerin. The presence of CPM and excipients in an amorphous form aided the flexibility and clear appearance of the film. 3.3. Dissolution studies Lycoat RS 780 is a comparatively new modified starch-based polymer, which demonstrated its significance in film coating for tablets and oral film development using solvent casting method [34, 35]. Being a non-gelling and highly water-soluble polymer, it provides rapid disintegration and dissolution to formulations. Visual inspection during dissolution demonstrated rapid disintegration of the film when it touched the dissolution media. This characteristic helps in the rapid onset of action of the formulation, because the drug can diffuse from the oral mucosa and reach the systemic circulation [36]. During dissolution studies, the formulations rapidly release CPM, and it was attributed to hydrophilic excipients and Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class I drug. These films had very low thickness (60-110  µm) and higher surface area, which enabled interaction with dissolution media and rapid disintegration following complete dissolution. Dissolution results (Figure 4a 4b) showed ~95% drug release in the first 5 min of the dissolution experiment, and at 10-min time points, there was complete release of the drug. 3.4. SEM evaluation The surface morphology was examined by SEM for all film formulations. SEM images did not exhibit CPM crystals, indicating an amorphous nature of drug in formulations (Figure 5). The formulations showed very smooth surface at low magnification. This affirmed the smooth texture of film surface, which is one of the esthetic attributes of films. However, at microscopic level, there was high surface area, which helped in the rapid disintegration of the film. 3.5. Film characterizations As illustrated in Table 2, the film formulations demonstrated excellent D.T of 6-11 s, which was attributed to the thickness of the film and presence of water-soluble materials in the film. The formulations contained water-soluble excipients and APIs such as CPM, citric acid, glycerin, and modified starch. The most crucial parameter for disintegration is the low thickness of the film. As the films had a thickness range of 60-110  µm, they aided in the faster disintegration of all film formulations. In addition to the low thickness of the film, the amount of saliva in the oral cavity is very critical for rapid disintegration. The normal flow of saliva in a healthy person is 0.34 mL/min, and it can be increased by the addition of agents that simulate salivary production, including citric, malic, lactic, ascorbic, and tartaric acids [14]. Citric acid is the most preferred saliva-stimulating agent, and it was estimated that citric acid could increase salivary flow approximately 5- fold in 2-6% proportion in the formulation [14]. With the addition of citric acid, the pH of the films was found to be in the range of 2.9-3.4 and it could contribute in improving rate of salivary flow after administration of formulation which will aid in rapid disintegration of film product. All the film formulations were tested for their Ts and %E (Table 2). Ideally, the film should have desirable mechanical properties so that it can remain intact during handling and transport. ODFs showed appropriate strength and %E. These excellent mechanical properties were attributed to the presence of glycerol, citric acid, and CPM, which reduced film stiffness via disruption of intermolecular forces of the polymer owing to the accommodation of these compounds between the strands, thereby providing elasticity to the films [37, 38]. 3.6. In vivo taste evolution Firstly, the taste perception of rats was evaluated by administering 0.5 and 1 mg/mL CPM dissolved in distilled water. These results were important to avoid taste variability between animals (Figure 6), and showed that the rats consumed ~10 and ~14 mL of water in 15 and 30 min, respectively. The results of this study were comparable with those of the study published by Tiwari et.al. Thus, the rate and extent of consumption of water were reduced significantly to ~3 and ~5 mL in 15 and 30 min with the administration of 0.5 mg/mL CPM solution. At a higher concentration of 1 mg/mL, there was notable reduction in consumption of water to ~1.6 and ~2 mL at 15 and 30 min. Notably, this reduction in consumption of CPM solution despite deprivation of water for 22 h affirmed an aversion toward CPM. Moreover, aversion behaviors (Figure 7), such as jaw smacking, oral grooming, nose wrinkle, paw wipe, forelimb flail, head shake, paw shakes, and retreating confirmed the dislike of rats toward the d rug solution [39]. As illustrated in Figure 6, the rats consumed ~10 and 12.5 mL of N 2 solution (5% CPM in the film) in the first 15 and 30 min, and the amount was comparable with the consumption of water. In addition, N7 (10% CPM) exhibited consumption of ~ 4.7 and ~8 mL at 15 and 30 min. Furthermore, N9 (7.5% CPM) showed consumption of ~6.3 and 10 mL at 15- and 30-min time point. These results indicated that with increasing concentrations of CPM, there was noticeable reduction in the consumption of formulation. The rats did not show aversion behavior such as forelimb flail with N2 formulation. However, there was a surge in the aversion behavior response upon increasing the drug concentrations in N7 and N9,. The results of this study were very helpful to understand about the taste of pure drug and formulation. It provided an insight into the taste of products, which helped to screen this formulation for human studies. 3.7. Film evaluation by human panel Before evaluation of taste of the formulation, it is very important to understand the taste perception of human volunteers to minimize intra-subject variability. Taste perception study was performed on six healthy human volunteers. Initially, different concentrations of CPM in 2 mL of water were administered to the human subjects. Three subjects had threshold at 0.5 mg and the remaining three subjects reported moderate bitterness at the same concentration. A dose of 2.5 mg demonstrated bitterness in all subjects, and only three volunteers could taste higher concentration of CPM (4 mg, Table 3). This initial evaluation confirmed the appropriateness of the subjects for taste masking study. The results of taste masking evaluation in animal model suggested that formulation N2 with 5% CPM had significant taste masking. Moreover, this formulation had an excellent D.T (7 s) in in vitro studies. Based on t

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Nitrogen as a Fertilizer, Nutrient, or Pollutant Essay -- Nitrogen Bio

Nitrogen as a Fertilizer, Nutrient, or Pollutant Nitrogen can always be a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant depending on the circumstances and the environment it is in. As a fertilizer, nitrogen can be extremely useful in aiding the growth of many plants. As a nutrient, nitrogen is essential to many plants growth and survival. As a pollutant, nitrogen can not only affect the plant at the given time but be very detrimental many years down the road. No matter where you go nitrogen will always be either a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant. Nitrogen can be considered as both a fertilizer and nutrient under the right constraints. I will use citrus plants as one of my examples. For citrus growers applying nitrogen to plants is a common and needed practice. â€Å"Spring is the best time to apply nitrogen to citrus. Research has shown that the demand for nitrogen in citrus is highest from bloom through June and most of the supplemental nitrogen fertilizer should be applied during this time period.† It is a major key to plant growth and development. Nitrogen is crucial to citrus plants for optimal growth and yield. Without nitrogen you can see suffering results for many years down the road. Citrus responds readily to nitrogen nutrition. Current and past research shows that if nitrogen is maintained in fall-sampled citrus leaves between 2.4 and 2.6 % on a dry-weight basis for oranges, and between 2.2 and 2.4 % for lemons, a good balance is struck between yield, size and fruit quality. The evidence linking nitrogen to puff, crease, smaller fruit size and staining does exist, but these negative effects are most significant at nitrogen levels greater than 2.6 % nitrogen. Some growers have decreased nitrogen applicati... ...le harming crops up to 8 years later. Nitrogen is an important element, whether it is in water or some other form, but either way it can easily be a vicious pollutant. What category do you think nitrogen should be in--fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant? Should you take into account how much nitrogen can help a plant like with fruit size or yield? Or should you weigh heavily on how much nitrogen can hurt a plant and for such an extended period of time? There are many ways to dispute either of these choices for or against but none of them are a perfect fit. Works Cited Craig Kallsen. http://cekern.ucdavis.edu/Custom Program143/Citrus Nitrogen Fertilizer.htm. Power, Sally A.; Green, Emma R.; Barker, Chris G.; Bell, J. Nigel B.; Ashmore, Mike R. "Ecosystem recovery: heathland response to a reduction in nitrogen deposition." Global Change Biology 12

Monday, November 11, 2019

Reflective analysis of my leadership approach Essay

â€Å"†¦..beyond the horizon of time is a changed world, very different from today’s world. Some people see beyond that horizon and into the future. They believe that dreams can become reality. They open our eyes and lift our spirits. They build trust and strengthen our relationships. They stand firm against the wind of resistance and give us the courage to continue the quest; we call these people leaders† (Kouzes and Posner, 1995). For a number of us leadership can be described as quality – even though we know it when we see it but it is quiet difficult to define or describe. In this respect, Kouzes and Posner (1995) aptly capture what I think about when I was asked to describe a leader and leadership. In the course of my education and career, I have come across some touch points that shaped my opinions and influenced my general perspectives regarding the roles of leaders and leadership. Fundamentally, I have been able to experience my various roles as a le ader who articulates and puts into words into action to develop vision for a future that inspires others to join. It is within this context that my perspectives on leadership have been developed. My thoughts on concepts of leadership are an amalgam of what I have was taught in Leadership in Healthcare Module, what I have read, what I have experienced as an individual, and the lessons that I have picked up along the way. Due to complex nature of leadership especially regarding the number of theories that have been suggested by scholars, it is important that not only leaders, but also people who aspire be leaders develop their own personal philosophy leadership. This could be achievable by engaging in reflective exercise. I have come to realise that some fundamental principles have sharpened my opinions and also driven my beliefs and perception about leadership as an ongoing process, rather than a destination or an achievement. Frequently, I also know that additional learning, unlearning and relearning (through books read on the subject of inquiry, or book read out of mere curiosity) have supplemented the theorizing process of leadership, and fall short of being consistent with grounded theory methodology in which a review of academic literature often occurs following initial data and prior to formation of theory (McGhee et al., 2007). Therefore, this essay will adopt the model of ground theory, starting from the scratch, a collection of my personal  observations, beliefs and experience regarding the concept of leadership approach. Reflective analysis of my leadership approach is based on three principles: (1) Maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision; (2) risk taking and (3) empowering peopl e. Starting with maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision, I have been able to learn that one of the greatest challenges that a leader can face is staying on mission of the organization. People, the led, need to know the direction they are heading to, and to know the expectation of the leader regarding the organizational vision and mission. Maintaining a consistent focus on the organization’s vision and mission is a key attribute required for leadership and it is a critical task for a leader. The leader starts its task by clearly defining the vision of the organization then keeping it alive. The leader is also responsible for achieving such vision; the buck stops at his table and must therefore communicate such both within and outside of the organization. In this regard, the leader serves as a bridge between the organization and its environment. Beyond just communicating the organization’s vision, the leader must be a source of inspiration in order to the vision and to develop a positive mental attitude and belief that it can be achieved. Covey (2012) refers to this attitude as principle-centred leadership. This is a key attribute, especially, in light of the dynamic environment in operation today. This is an attitude I have adopted over and over again in the course of my leadership role. Risk taking; this is an embodiment of 2nd principle of my personal philosophy of leadership. Like my first principle of maintenance focus on vision and mission of the organization, I consider this as another critical factor that distinguishes leaders from their followers. The rar e courage of risk-taking, to step out in front, to test water, to be a pathfinder has been long considered as an attribute that sets the leader apart from the followers and rest of the organization. According to Kouzes and Posner (1995), leaders must take a role of â€Å"pioneers.† They should develop courage to venture the horizon’s edge and report back about what is seen. Leaders take calculated risks for the sake of the vision and mission of the organization. I have done this in a couple of times and I have succeeded. I agree that some leaders are more comfortable in taking risk than others; and it is noteworthy to realise that there are different degrees of risk associated with the decisions to be taken by leaders. Over  the years, I have learnt that it is better to take a calculated risk. And I agree with school of thoughts that believe that people who are â€Å"risk averse† are not fit to be leaders. Empowerment of others: The third principle of my leadership philosophy, the final portion of my analysis, relates to the role of leaders in empowering others. Empowerment entails conveying the mission and vision in such a way that other people in the organization can make use of their initiative to make decisions on their own. This also involves some amount of boldness, confidence and risk-taking. While I was Senior Carer in a Care Home, I always encourage my colleagues to come up with, at least, two initiatives to move the association forward at each meeting day. According to Senge (2012), a certain limit of error in an organization is acceptable as long as such error provides an opportunity for people to learn and also lends credence to empowering others while carrying out the organiza tion’s mission and goals. I agree with Senge, 110%. In conclusion, I have been able to present reflective analysis of my role as a leader in various capacities I have served before. I draw my experience from past and ongoing learning processes and experience, and I have developed a set of personal leadership philosophy which are maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision, risk-taking and empowering people. I hope I will be able to develop myself further in preparation of leadership role I will engage in the future. References Covey, S. (2012). Principle-centered leadership. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Kouzes, J. M. and Posner, B. Z. (1995). The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Senge, P. M. (2012). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Confucianism in Chinese Business Culture Essay

Introduction China as a civilization is one of the oldest that has lived in the face of the earth, through out history they can pride themselves with abundance of technological and sociological breakthrough that are ahead from the rest of the civilization in the ancient times. As its best China was the most prosperous and highly intellectual civilization especially during the Tang Dynasty, which were synonymous with the golden era of ancient Chinese history. Nowadays, as a citizen in this modern civilization we can never hide away from the impact of china in the global economy, based on a personal point of view the superpower of China today has always maintain the same philosophy, culture and tradition as they have always have which could that back the most ancient of times, none more apparent than the language that has been honed and maintain to this day, and also business culture that has always been distinct from the rest of the world. The China of today root back to the beginning of their civilization, therefore the history of China business is a subject that should be keenly approach as the basis of understanding the China of today. In this particular paper we will focus on the root of Chinese business philosophy that branch from Confucianism, we will discuss how Confucianism came to influence the everyday business culture in china lay foundation to the modern Chinese society, from this objective we will then discuss Confucian ideology on harmony, hierarchy, collectivism and reciprocity within his philosophy. The principles makes up the differences of how Chinese approach business, we can take an analogy of how Chinese pervasiveness in saying ‘no’ in which Westerners are likely to find it different the way how things come about, but it roots back to Confucius teaching of humanity and etiquettes which consider the embarrassment and potential awkwardness such situations may create and do not want to make others feel ashamed or rejected. In this paper we will research the parameters of the philosophy and how it came to be to further convey the understanding of Chinese business culture. Outline Confucianism is something that embodied China, it is everywhere and it stick to every aspect of a Chinese person daily life, therefore to search on this topic of how to understand what role does Confucianism have in influencing the Chinese Business culture it is to be more aware of what is the philosophy is all about. Firstly we learn the basic of this philosophy, which are the principles that Confucius has laid and preached. These information are attainable through books, websites in the internet, databases, journals and personal observation that are carried out during the whole process of the making of this paper. Once we get the basic understanding of Confucianism, we will then try to see how it fits into the Chinese business culture in the past. Literature review. The first and foremost literature we will review is the textbook ‘An introduction to Chinese Business culture’ by Xu Huifen, which is the preferred text for the course. The text will be use as the basis of understanding the background and teaching of Confucius, the book provide a good information to help understand the basic philosophy of Confucius and also relate them to other lateral disciples of his teaching such as Mencius and Xun Zi. In addition we will use the text to gain more understanding of the relation of Confucius’ teachings and his follower in relations to economic thoughts and business culture. Although there a concise amount of knowledge and information on this text we it lacks literal view on the actual business culture and examples on how the philosophy is being practiced, therefore in this particular issue we will try to use other sources. The second source will be the different article and point of views that taken from the Internet. One of the sources that are selected is a presentation titled ‘East meet West: Understanding Cultural Differences when Doing Business in China’ by Dr. Eugene Chang. This source will be use as a guideline to common Chinese business practice and culture, to get us more accustomed to the reality side of the study, and from it we will find connection to Confucianism from the business practice and culture in China. The third source is an academic paper titled The Influence of Confucianism and Buddhism on Chinese Business: the Case of Aveiro, Portugal by Tianbo Li and Gillian Owen Moreira of the University of Aveiro, Portugal. The text gives us great insight to China business today, with data from questionnaires and how Confucianism exists in the world today. the source will be useful affirm hypothesis with real data and also provide knowledge on the Confucianism that is being practice today. Through out the paper we will use several other references and literature that are not as significant as the above texts, these sources and references will further aid our paper. Argument: How does Confucius teaching reflect on ancient Chinese business culture and practice and today Chinese business Culture and practices? History Commerce and trade has always been part of the social system in China for as long as we can remember, and as we know back in the ancient times, businessman are not as highly regarded during the ancient times when compared to today, as in the ancient times commercial success had never won the respect of the society and Scholars, farmers and artisans was ahead in the social rank based on Confucian scheme of social stratification (xu,2007) . But still, it doesn’t deter businessmen during that time from being wealthy and rich, Chinese businessmen has a long history of being smart, strategic, and agile thinker, which makes them as we can still aware today that they are great businessmen. The beginning of Commercial prominent with the merchant groups that started in Shanxi, Anhui and Zhejiang and Guangdong province, as the former two take advantage of the strategic location in which they were in that became eventually the hub for trading between the north and south part of the country. But the good times for commerce as for other old Chinese tradition were negatively affected when the monarchy came to an end. But the latter two merchants (Zhejiang and Guangdong) has different approach to the trend of decline mainly helped by the strong international influenced and investment put towards coastal and southern cities of Guangzhou and shanghai that resulted with the trade network for these merchant that expand to the western region bring prosperous times for these merchants as well. As two merchant groups fell out of their luck the other face a different fate and from then we came to know that the ancestral root of China’s modern merchant were the Zhejiang and Guangdong merchants. Business culture in the ancient times for china as mention earlier were divided by four merchant groups that were originated from four different areas, we come to know that Shanxi and Anhui merchant were a more traditional merchant groups, due to ancient China emphasis on political influence more than economical benefits these two merchant groups become the more prominent merchant groups compared to the others due to their close relations with the government therefore ensuring their prosperity with favorable policy by the government to them, and for a long time this has become a huge part of the traditional business model in China until the monarchy ended, which turn its favor to a more to the more independent merchant of Zhejiang and Guangdong merchants. As these two merchants lay the foundation for the modern Chinese business culture we will explore more the how the teaching of Confucius influenced them. Confucius concept in Business Confucius may not rank businessman in in high society rank, but there is no doubt that his teaching influence the many generation of businessmen up until today. There are many ways in which Confucianism affected how Chinese approach business practice. We start with ideology which we must first understand that Confucian theory work on three principles which were ‘ren’ (humility), ‘yi’ (collectivism) and ‘li’(etiquette), these three concepts run like the blood though the vein within Confucius’ teachings. We can learn from the littlest action to the biggest and most controversial business practice can leads its way to Confucius teachings, but it is still by no means that Confucianism is in every business practice. Within Confucius teachings of harmony are taken and instill into business culture in the same way that he believes that society need to maintain harmonious relationship within each other, and also it can apply in finding the correct balance in ethics versus profits. To achieve these harmony there are always ways in which ‘ren’, ‘li’ and ‘yi’ is incorporated and be use as the doctrine to act upon, in ways that ‘ren’ which were filled with kind heartedness, benevolence and goodness, act upon to bring restraint on bad motives to gain profits in ways such as cheating, corrupting and manipulation. As for ‘li’, which brings order, rituals, and hierarchal importance, it is definitely a prominent source to the reason for Chinese importance of politeness, and hierarchical relationship is more importantly emphasized than anywhere else in the world. And lastly ‘yi’ which requires the promotion of collectivism to achieve social stability, we can definitely notice this in the way Chinese consider a proposal from a wider point of view, which consider the impact as a whole. Action influence by ‘yi’ sometimes does not easily received in the West where individualism is more prominent (secondchina. com, 2012). When all ‘ren’,’li’, and ‘yi’ were achieve harmony within the system will be achieved. Second important concept that Confucius based his teachings on is the hierarchical relationships. Within China generally all tend to center around politeness and respect for the dominant figure in the relationship. Confucius specified the relationship of ruler-subject, husband-wife, parent-child, the elder-younger brother, and the friend-friend relationship. Within this concept we feature ‘li’ as the dominant doctrine as it is the source of order, and hierarchical concept aim to achieve order, to apply this concept within the business practice in china, we can see that through the hierarchical status within the the management of a business, or even the relationship within the government and the people. Unlike the more egalitarian approach of the western society, where you can find managers try to break the formalization of ranks by asking a subordinates to call them by the first name, within china this situation will be hard to come by, as this teaching has been invested so deep into Chinese culture. In other example where hierarchical system is important for Chinese is that, we might notice Chinese businessmen reluctant or offended when a more lower rank personnel is assign to handle his matter, and also within a family business which were very common in China, the elder son might take over the management of the company while the father have less responsibility, but when it comes to any important decision it is likely that the son will console the father to make final say. Third concept is Collectivism, which is the power of group over individualism as mention above collectivism is also ‘yi’ which states that social stability, in part, depends upon the co-dependence and focus on the family unit. Collectivism is inherent in a Confucian society. In order for Chinese society to operate smoothly, it was necessary to subject one’s own desires to the greater good of the group. In other words, people didn’t exist independently of one another. Instead, an individual was defined by his or her relationship to the group (Chang, 2011). In a business environment especially in the modern times, this is apparent in how there are more emphasis being put to the group performances when it comes to projects within the company and While the opinions of elders have great influence, decisions are often made collectively and reached through a consensus. Lastly there is reciprocity, which is in general definition the practice of exchanging benefits or things. It is in fact something in most western country known as the term ‘the golden rule’ which is to do unto other, as you would want to be done to you. Within the Chinese business culture, it is to always act with respect toward each other, may it be to a subordinates or superior. This last concept in a way balances collectivism and hierarchical concept, with which it provides boundaries that a businessman should conduct themselves, with reciprocity businessmen is preach to always have respect towards everyone whether your in a position of power or not. Confucius in today’s world Now that we have connected in some dots that connect Confucianism from the realm of philosophy and politics to the business culture that still persist today, we will now try to further understand on how important is Confucianism in today’s world and especially the business world. As we know China has grown rapidly over the past 30 years and it has establish itself as the factory of the world and its just a matter of time until it stake claim to be the largest economy in the world. But among this highlights we also can see from the what’s happening with this growth that Chinese businessmen were again on the raise, not since the cultural revolution that halted the economy so much and causing many businessman to flee to country outside of China has businessmen of China has this much claim their respected status of being great businessman. It is comebacks that may have been predicted since the opening of china to the world, a philosophy that during the Mao Zedong Cultural Revolution the philosophy was believe to be the main culprit for China not moving forward. But, it is an underestimation that a philosophy that was created in china and for what it seems a eternity that the basis of Chinese culture surround upon this philosophy, to be replaced by another philosophy of an alien kind. Nowadays Confucianism is everywhere, and it seems the nations supports and feels the needs to rekindle their old philosophy, with books, films, and study programs within the China education system on Confucianism, but the most intriguing aspect of the manifestation is its recent adoption by the communist party. As an article from the economist explains since becoming China’s top leader in 2002, President Hu Jintao has promoted such slogans, which include â€Å"Harmonious Society† and â€Å"Xiaokang Shehui† (â€Å"a moderately well off society†) which possessed hints of the philosophy of Confucianism. (economists, 2007) Taken from source on the study of the ‘influences and Buddhism and Confucianism on Chinese business’ by Li Tianbo and Gillian Owen Moreira, it is revealed on the importance of Confucianism philosophy are for Businessmen of china considered guanxi which are ‘connections’ as an important part of business in china, along with other Confucius teaching of harmony, politeness etc. in their studies Li and Moreira set out a questionnaires to 550 to 59 different company to each of their personnel and received 288 valid questionnaires back, their result are indicative to Confucianism in Chinese business culture with, as the result show when asked about cultural values considered important, â€Å"68. 7% of the respondents selected interpersonal harmony, 62. 6% considered trust, 50. 8% included collectivism, and 46. 5% chose guanxi ( ), followed by endurance, social status, thrift, face and others. These results demonstrate how much importance is attributed to the role of interpersonal harmony, trust, collectivism and guanxi ( ) in successful business in China. † (Li and Moreira, 2007). The study from Li Moreira goes beyond just how Confucianism is perceived today but also how it works in managing a company and its contribution to the Chinese business culture, with many acknowledging its presence, and ready made ideology, that can fit in any business day to day running’s. Conclusions Based on the process of understanding the background of Confucius teachings and the application it has on the business culture in china through out the civilization our argument of how Confucius teaching reflect on ancient Chinese business culture and practice and today Chinese business Culture and practices can be conclude that Confucianism does have a significant impact on the business culture in china, and how businessmen of China mold their thoughts, from simple transactions, managements and ethical view of the company. For me the whole idea of Confucianism is something that has been invested for too long within the Chinese culture that it makes what Chinese people, not just the Mainland Chinese people but also any nationalities with Chinese origins who they are. Even during the times of cultural change something that defines a race cannot be change. The modesty, hierarchical thinking and collectivism is something that cannot be taken away, and for me personally, being a person of Indonesian nationalities with Chinese origin it something that you grown up with, albeit I never actually thought specifically what it was, but it felt like it is our identity to act upon Confucianism idea. Having experience a fair share working and understanding with people of two different mindset of both western and Chinese, I notice many differences in approaches that they go about when they do business. I can confirm based on personal experience from the above statement that Guangxi is the most important philosophy ahead of harmony within chinese businessmen, having experience first hand of how connection can get you further ahead than the rest in business but also for western culture I experience and witness how individualism is promoted, having seen this in many western fast food chain where employee of the month award was given and etc. In conclusion, Confucianism I believe was, is and will be everywhere in Chinese business culture, the nature of Chinese culture that support and accepted it are always going to be there as it is a philosophy that has become the norm within everyday life in China. as the future tilt closer to favor China as the world biggest economy it will only be the matter of time when Confucianism business culture spread and no longer be seen as a culture shock by the western civilizations. References Economist, ‘Ideology in China Confucius makes a comeback’, Beijing, May 2007, ‘http://www. economist. com. hk/node/9202957’ Chang, E. , ‘East Meets West:understanding cultural differences when doing business in china’, April 20th ,2011, MeteringChina. com Li and Moreira, ‘The Influence of Confucianism and Buddhism on Chinese Business: the Case of Aveiro, Portugal’, university of Aveiro, Portugal, 2007, ‘http://www. immi. se/intercultural/nr19/tianbo. htm’ University of Florida, ‘CHINESE BUSINESS CULTURE? Confucian Business Ethics – General’, 2009, ‘http://secondchina. com/Learning_Modules/BUS_web/content/BUS_confucian_ethics. html’ Xu , ‘An introduction to Chinese Business culture’, 2007, Jinan University Press.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Forest Policy In Malaysia Essays - Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak

Forest Policy In Malaysia Essays - Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak Forest Policy in Malaysia Malaysia is among the countries in Southeast Asia which has experienced remarkable economic growth and industrialization in the past decade. It is unique in that its success is not a result of adopting any one model for development. Rather, Malaysia?s government identified its goals and sought to create a country-specific model of development suited to their needs for growth. An example of this is the Malaysian government?s increase in exports of manufactured goods rather than concentrating on natural resource commodities as suggested by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. (pg.6 , HBS) Unlike its neighbor Singapore, Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Although its exports of natural resource commodities have declined in recent years in favor of manufactured goods (pg. 6 , HBS), Malaysia?s natural resource industry remains an important part of the country?s economic and political agenda. Malaysia?s Forest Products Industry It is difficult to ignore the fact that 60% of Malaysia is covered with natural forest and that timber generates more foreign exchange than any other natural resource in Malaysia. The Malaysian government recognized the economic potential of the forest product industry early in the decade and proceeded to play a key role in further developing and promoting this particular sector of its economy through a concessions system and the encouragement of downstream industries. The Concession System granted logging rights to private parties in exchange for royalties paid to the Malaysian government (pg. 11, HBS). Granting logging concessions to private parties also allowed Malaysia?s government to generate interest in the forest products industry while maintaining a degree of control over the areas and particular use the timber could be logged for. This system did not prove to be very effective in the hands of private interest groups in search of increased profits. With only 1,600 employees to patrol the undeveloped forest areas, the Sarawak Forest Department found it difficult to prevent illegal logging (pg. 12, HBS). Protection of domestic markets from foreign competition is a common practice among industrializing countries. In the case of Malaysia?s forest products industry, the government encouraged local production of lumber, furniture, and other wood products through the restriction of exporting unprocessed logs. This was known as downstream industries. The encouragement of downstream industries was another important agenda for the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, a government branch for the overseeing of Malaysia?s forest products industry. "The idea that the forests could be used as a springboard for downstream integration, or ?resource based industrialization? appealed to many Malaysian officials." (pg. 13, HBS) To these officials, downstream integration allowed for the employment of a large percentage of the market labor force as well as a decrease in the amount of timber needed to produce jobs and export revenues. (pg. 13, HBS) To further encourage downstream int! egration, the Malaysian government granted tax breaks, subsidies, and other incentives to domestic manufacturers. The Problem Developing industries which deal with the production of natural resource products are very likely to be placed in the international spotlight by drawing criticism from environmental groups around the world. Such is the case for the Malaysian government as explained in the Harvard Business School case study in which Malaysian prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad was faced with media scrutiny regarding his country?s forest product industry during a visit to the United States. Being a country that is heavily dependent on foreign investment for its economic growth, Malaysia could not afford to simply ignore the criticism its country receives from westerners whose investments they are attempting to attract into the country. The problem lies in differing views on the side of western environmentalists and the Malaysian government. Western Critics Although Malaysia contains only 2 - 3% of the world?s tropical forests (pg.3, HBS), the biological potentials and environment potentials found in its rainforests are a cause for concern among western environmentalists. These environmentalists are quick to point out that often times, the welfare of the environment is far from the minds of those governing a newly industrializing country seeking to capitalize on its possession of valuable natural resources. According to the London Rainforest Movement and the Singaporean and Malaysian British Association, "the rapid destruction of the Sarawak rainforest means that a hugely rich natural laboratory

Monday, November 4, 2019

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Personal Statement Example Therefore, this course would greatly sharpen my entrepreneurial skills and would be a responsible manager in the business world. When I started my undergraduate course at Bangor University, I acquired basic knowledge of accounting and management. In freshman sophomore, I acquired a lot of knowledge related to accounting courses, which will boost my performance at the collage. At the second grade in the university, I majored in finance and banking, which was my favorite, and I excelled scoring an average of 71.17. Additionally, in the third grade at the University I advanced my interest and took behavioral finance, corporate risk management and operational management. I successfully passed in the majored subjects in all grades. This new course will greatly benefit me in succeeding in my entrepreneur business since I will require all the acquired skills (Baty & Michael, P. 57). All the previous courses have enabled me hold various positions, which I have performed excellently. Additionally, I have been recommended positively in all organizations I have worked for and they have requested me to work with them onc e am through with my studies. Any successful enterprise manager does not require only enterprise knowledge, but one requires mastering the financial knowledge. Additionally, companies require to get detailed feedback from managers and therefore, enrolling at your college will enable me acquire the necessary skills to become a manager. When managers posses a more comprehensive knowledge they are likely to deal with any kind of business related idea and one does not encounter challenges when formulating business strategies. Additionally, immediately I enroll for my course, I will begin looking for a job in the banking sector or any other related industry in order to practice the knowledge acquired from the university. Therefore, during this period I will also be searching for other various

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Rogers & Hammerstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rogers & Hammerstein - Essay Example The collaboration between the composer and the writer was the beginning of a musical partnership "for over twenty years and wrote a number of successful musicals-even though Rodgers was a workaholic and Hart was an alcoholic."(Oklahoma, 2005 ). Hammerstein with his theater and opera inclined paternal family was a stage struck since childhood, which unsurprisingly led him to be a performer and a writer of amateur routines in his freshman. After a year at Columbia Law school he became famous librettist for operettas. Hammerstein had a successful career before beginning his partnership with Rodgers. (Gordon, 1990). With Jerome Kern, they collaborated in "most notably Show Boat (1927), and wrote the book and lyrics for Carmen Jones, the 1943 all-black version of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen" (Remarkable Columbians, 2004). Rogers was asked by the Theater Guild of New York City in 1940 to compose new musical. Asking Hart to once again work with him, to no avail due to Hart's deteriorating health. He then contacted Hammerstein to whom he already had an acquaintance in their undergraduate lives in Columbian College. This was the beginning of a wonderful and creative workmanship. Their first collaborative and radical work was in Oklahoma! which became the foundation of the 17-year partnership and "continued through ten other musicals, including one motion picture (State Fair, 1945) and one teleplay (Cinderella, 1957), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951) and The Sound of Music (1959). In all, the duo won 35 Tonys, 15 Oscars, two Grammys, two Pulitzers, and two Emmys." (Remarkable Columbians, 2004). The Oklahoma! set the stage of sweeping changes for American musical theater. The dynamic duo challenged the current styles of the musical theater. They have ingeniously integrated the elements of drama, music and dance as never before. During this time, musicals' attractions include songs which were usually irrelevant to the story and comedy arranged with little plot. This is how Oklahoma! defined its uniqueness ushering the birth of "a new genre, the musical play, representing a unique fusion of Rodgers' musical comedy and Hammerstein's operetta. A milestone in the development of the American musical, it also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway" (Biographies, 2005). This pioneering masterpiece was experimental in its nature. It tried to set new guidelines of entertainment in its fullest. The play effectively intertwined funny musicals and serious types of music. The songs either enhanced the plot or direct the audience to understand the characters. T he plot and the music characterized the birth of the musical play. Such twist of interest was made through the fitting of the music to the pre-written words, the effect which is astounding. The music became a tool of emotion and storyline. Not yet done, the team made another hit in 1945 in Carousel with its more dramatic plot. For the second time, audience was arrested by further innovations on the arrangements of the musical play which was unbelievably pleasing entertainment. Among its unusualness, the play started with the whole cast performing a ballet as the orchestra plays, in place of the usual overture before the show begins enchanting the audiences and further redefining the art of the genre. Rodgers and Hammerstein apparently are not