Monday, September 30, 2019

Luncheon Analysis

â€Å"The Luncheon† Jeffrey Archer She waved at me across a crowded room at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. I waved back, realizing I knew the face but unable to place it. She squeezed past waiters and guests and had reached me before I had the chance to ask anyone who she was. I racked that section of my brain that is meant to store people, but it transmitted no reply. I realized I would have to resort to the old party trick of carefully worded questions until her answers jogged my memory. â€Å"How are you, darling? she cried, and threw her arms around me, an opening that didn’t help, since we were at a Literary Guild cocktail party, and anyone will throw their arms around you on such occasions, even the directors of the Book-of-the-Month Club. From her accent she was clearly American, and she looked to be approaching forty but thanks to the genius of modern make-up may even have overtaken it. She wore a long white cocktail dress and her blonde hair was done up in o ne of those buns that looks like a brioche. The overall effect made her appear somewhat like a chess queen.Not that the cottage loaf helped, because she might have had dark hair flowing to her shoulders when we last met. I do wish women would realize that when they change their hairstyle they often achieve exactly what they set out to do: look completely different to any unsuspecting male. â€Å"I’m well, thank you,† I said to the white queen. â€Å"And you? † I inquired as my opening gambit. â€Å"I’m just fine, darling,† she replied, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. â€Å"And how’s the family,† I asked, not sure if she even had one. â€Å"They’re all well,† she replied.No help there. â€Å"And how is Louise? † she inquired. â€Å"Blooming,† I said. So she knew my wife. But then, not necessarily, I thought. Most American women are experts at remembering men’s wives. They have to be , when on the New York circuit they change so often it becomes a greater challenge than the Times crossword. â€Å"Have you been to London lately? † I roared above the babble. A brave question, as she may never have been to Europe. â€Å"Only once since we had lunch together. † She looked at me quizzically. â€Å"You don’t remember who I am, do you? she asked as she devoured a cocktail sausage. I smiled. â€Å"Don’t be silly, Susan,† I said. â€Å"How could I ever forget? † She smiled. I confess that I remembered the white queen’s name in the nick of time. Although I still only had vague recollections of the lady, I certainly would never forget the lunch. I had just had my first book published, and the critics on both sides of the Atlantic had been complimentary, even if the checks from my publishers were less so. My agent had told me on several occasions that I shouldn’t write if I wanted to make money.This created a dilemma, because I couldn’t see how to make money if I didn’t write. It was around this time that the lady who was now facing me and chattering on, oblivious to my silence, telephoned from New York to heap lavish praise on my novel. There is no writer who does enjoy receiving such calls, although I confess to having been less captivated by an eleven-year-old girl who called me collect from California to say she had found a spelling mistake on page 47 and warned that she would call again if she found another.However, this particular lady might have ended her transatlantic congratulations with nothing more than good-bye if she had not dropped her own name. It was one of those names that can, on the spur of the moment, always book a table at a chic restaurant or a seat at the opera, which mere mortals like myself would have found impossible to attain given a months notice. To be fair, it was her husband’s name that had achieved the reputation, as one of the world’s most distinguished film producers. â€Å"When I’m next in London you must have lunch with me,† came crackling down the phone. No,† said I gallantly, â€Å"you must have lunch with me. † â€Å"How perfectly charming you English always are,† she said. I have often wondered how much American women get away with when they say those few words to an Englishman. Nevertheless, the wife of an Oscar-winning producer does not phone one everyday. â€Å"I promise to call you when I’m next in London,† she said. And indeed she did, for almost six months to the day she telephoned again, this time from the Connaught Hotel, to declare how much she was looking forward to our meeting. Where would you like to have lunch? † I said, realizing a second too late, when she replied with the name of one of the most exclusive restaurants in town, that I should have made sure it was I who chose the venue. I was glad she couldn’t see my forlorn face as she added airly, â€Å"Monday, one o’clock. Leave the booking to me—I’m known there. † On the day in question I donned my one respectable suit, a new shirt I had been saving for a special occasion since Christmas, and the only tie that looked as if it hadn’t been previously used to hold up my trousers.I then strolled over to my bank and asked for statement of my current account. The teller handed me a long piece of paper unworthy of its amount. I studied the figure as one who has to make a major financial decision. The bottom stating in black lettering that I was in credit to the sum of thirty-seven pounds and sixty-three pence. I wrote out a check for thirty-seven pounds. I feel that the gentleman should always leave his account in credit, and I might add it was a belief my bank manager shared with me. I then walked up to Mayfair for my luncheon date.As I entered the restaurant I noticed too many waiters and plush seats for my liking. You can†™t eat either, but you can be charged for them. At a corner table sat for two sat a woman who, although not young, was elegant. She wore a blouse of powder blue crepe-de-chine, and her blond hair was rolled away from her face in style that reminded me of the war years and had once again become fashionable. It was clearly my transatlantic admirer, and she greeted me in the same â€Å"I’ve known you all my life† as she was to do at the Literary Guild cocktail party years later.Although she had a drink in front of her, I didn’t order an aperitif, explaining that I never drank before lunch—and I would have liked to add, â€Å"but as soon as your husband makes a film of my novel, I will. † She launched immediately into the latest Hollywood gossip, not so much dropping names as reciting them, while I ate my way through the potato chips from the bowl in front of me. A few minutes later a waiter materialized by the table and presented us with two large e mbossed leather menus, considerably better bound than my novel.The place positively reeked of unnecessary expense. I opened the menu and studied the first chapter with horror; it was eminently put-downable. I had no idea that simple food obtained from Covent Garden could cost quite so much by merely being transported to Mayfair. I could have bought her the same dishes for a quarter of the price at my favorite bistro, a mere one hundred yards away, and to add to my discomfort I observed that it was one of those restaurants where the guest menu made no mention of the prices.I settled down to study the long list of French dishes, which only served to remind me that I hadn’t eaten well for more than a month, a state of affairs that was about to be prolonged by a further day. I remembered my bank balance morosely reflected that I would probably have to wait until my agent sold the Icelandic rights of my novel before I could afford a square meal again. â€Å"What would you like? à ¢â‚¬  I said gallantly. â€Å"I always enjoy a light lunch,† she volunteered. I sighed with premature relief, only to find that â€Å"light† did not necessarily mean inexpensive.She smiled sweetly up at the waiter, who looked as though he wouldn’t be wondering where his next meal might be coming from, and ordered just a sliver of smoked salmon, followed by two tiny tender lamb cutlets. Then she hesitated, but only for a moment, before adding â€Å"and a side salad. † I studied the menu with some caution, running my finger down the prices, not the dishes. â€Å"I also eat light lunch,† I said mendaciously. â€Å"The chef’s salad will be quite enough for me. † The waiter was obviously affronted but left peaceably. She chatted of Coppola and Preminger, of Pacino and Redford, and of Garbo as if she saw her all the time.She was kind enough to stop for a moment and ask what I was working on at present. I would have liked to have replied, à ¢â‚¬Å"On how I’m going to explain to my wife that I have only sixty-three pence left in the bank,† but I actually discussed my ideas for another novel. She seemed impressed but still made no reference to her husband. Should I mention him? No. Mustn’t sound pushy, or as though I needed the money. The food arrived, or that is to say her smoked salmon did, and I sat silently watching her eat my bank account while I nibbled on a roll. I looked up only to discover a wine waiter by my side. Would you care for some wine? † said I, recklessly. â€Å"No, I don’t think so,† she said. I smiled a little too soon: â€Å"Well, perhaps a little something white and dry. † The wine waiter handed down a second leather-bound book, this time with golden grapes embossed on the cover. I searched down the pages for half-bottles, explaining to my guest that I never drank at lunch. I chose the cheapest. The wine waiter appeared a moment later with a large silve r bucket full of ice in which the half bottle looked drowned, and, like me, completely out of its depth.A junior waiter cleared away the empty plate while another wheeled a large trolley to the side of our table and served the lamb cutlets and the chef’s salad. At the same time a third waiter made up an exquisite side salad for my guest that ended up bigger than my complete order. I didn’t feel I could ask her to swap. To be fair, the chef’s salad was superb—although I confess it was hard to appreciate such food fully while trying to work out a plot that would be convincing if I found the bill to over thirty-seven pounds. How silly of me to ask for white wine with lamb,† she said, having nearly finished the half bottle. I ordered a half bottle of the house red without calling for the wine list. She finished the white wine and then launched into the theater, music, and other authors. All those who were still alive she seemed to know, and those who we re dead she hadn’t read. I might have enjoyed the performance if it hadn’t been for the fear of wondering if I would be able to afford it when the curtain came down.When the waiter cleared away the empty dishes he asked my guest if she would care for anything else. â€Å"No, thank you,† she said—I nearly applauded. â€Å"Unless you have one of your famous apple surprises. † â€Å"I fear the last one may have gone, madam, but I’ll go and see. † â€Å"Don’t hurry,† I wanted to say, but instead I just smiled as the rope tightened around my neck. A few minutes later the waiter strode back in triumph, weaving between the tables holding the apple surprise in the palm of his hand, high above his head.I prayed to Newton that the apple would obey his law. It didn’t. â€Å"The last one, madam† â€Å"Oh, what luck,† she declared. â€Å"Oh, what luck,† I repeated, unable to face the menu and discover the price. I was now attempting some mental arithmetic as I realized it was going to be a close-run thing. â€Å"Anything else, madam? † the ingratiating waiter inquired. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Just coffee,† she said. â€Å"And for you, sir? † â€Å"No, no, not for me. † He left us. I couldn’t think of an explanation for why I didn’t drink coffee.Then she produced the large Gucci bag by her side and a copy of my novel, which I signed with a flourish, hoping the head waiter would see, and feel I was the sort of man who should be allowed to sign the bill as well, but he resolutely remained at the far end of the room while I wrote the words â€Å"An unforgettable meeting† and appended my signature. While the dear lady was drinking her coffee I picked at another roll and called for the bill, not because I was in any particular hurry, but like a guilty defendant at the Old Bailey, I preferred to wait no longer than the judge’s sent ence.A man in a smart green uniform whom I had never seen before appeared carrying a silver tray with a folded piece of paper on it, looking not unlike my bank statement. I pushed back the edge of the bill slowly and read the figure: thirty-six pounds and forty pence. I casually put my hand into my inside pocket and withdrew my life’s possessions, then placed the crisp new notes on the silver tray. They were whisked away. The man in the green uniform appeared a few minutes later with my sixty pence change, which I pocketed, since it was the only way I was going to get a bus home.The waiter gave me a look that would have undoubtedly won him a character part in any film produced by the lady’s distinguished husband. My guest rose and walked across the restaurant, waving at, and occasionally kissing, people I had previously seen only in glossy magazines. When she reached the door she stopped to receive her coat, a mink. I helped her on with the fur, again failing to leave a tip. As we stood on the Curzon Street sidewalk, a dark blue Rolls-Royce drew up beside us and a liveried chauffeur leaped out and opened the door.She climbed in. â€Å"Goodbye, darling,† she said as the electric window slid down. â€Å"Thank you for such a lovely lunch. † â€Å"Goodbye,† I said and, summoning up my courage, added: â€Å"I do hope when you are next in town I shall have the opportunity of meeting your distinguished husband. † â€Å"Oh, darling, didn’t you know? † she said. â€Å"Know what? † â€Å"We were divorced ages ago. † â€Å"Divorced? † said I. â€Å"Oh, yes,† she said gaily, â€Å"I haven’t spoken to him for years. † I just stood there looking helpless. â€Å"Oh, don’t worry yourself on my account,† she said. â€Å"He’s no loss.In any case, I recently married again† –another film producer, I prayed—â€Å"in fact, I quite expected to bump into my husband today—you see, he owns the restaurant. † Without another word the electric window purred up and the Rolls-Royce glided effortlessly out of sight, leaving me to walk to the nearest bus stop. As I stood surrounded by Literary Guild guests, staring at the white queen with the Brioche bun, I could still see her drifting away in that blue Rolls-Royce. I tried to concentrate on her words. â€Å"I knew you wouldn’t forget me, darling,† she was saying. â€Å"After all, I did take you to lunch, didn’t I? †

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Story of My Life

I began as a droplet of water, high above the earth, fluffy white clouds drifted through the atmosphere at that time. In the clouds, I lived as a little Droplet of water, round and content with life. For as long as I could remember, I spent my days lying on my back, relaxing and soaking up the sun's warm rays. One day, I took my usual place in the sun but the light didn't seem to be as bright. In fact, as the day went on, it grew darker and darker, loud claps of thunder shook the cloud, and I felt as if I were getting really heavy and I could hardly move.Suddenly, I felt myself falling from the cloud. Down, down, down I fell, farther and farther from home. As I was falling, I saw myself shivering and getting a white flaky color. I didn’t know what was happening at all, and at that same moment I realized what my friend had told me about how I would turn into a solid form. At last I landed on the earth, in the dark green foliage of the rainforest. Around me as far as I could see , were tall trees, dense green leaves, red mushrooms and variously colored insects of every shape and size.Strange creatures surrounded me. The sounds and sights were like nothing I had ever seen or heard before. All I wanted to do was go back home safely. And all of a sudden, the sun came up and the warm rays hit me like I was on a beach tanning. For a moment it felt good, and then suddenly I started turning into liquid, and it felt good to be in motion again. I began seeping through this soft, brown material called soil. I moved slowly through the roots placed in this soil. I began to move around, shifting side to side. Something was coming.It was digging deeper. I was jiggling! I saw teeth and a lot of pink! I waited a bit and saw the sun again, and there it was, what made me jiggle! An animal, a cow! Moooooooooo! It began to eat the grass, just jabbing at it, chewing it, nom, nom, nom! I began to jiggle even more. I thought I might break a sweat! A water droplet and break a swea t? It came closer, and GULP!! I was down its mooing throat! The cow began to sweat, and it was getting hot. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening but then my friends’ words came back to me.The process of respiration was taking place. I was the cow’s source of breathing. I was taken in as oxygen present in water and released as something else. I went from energy to carbon dioxide, lifting back into the air. I saw town’s people along the way; they breathed in oxygen and let out me? I mean carbon dioxide. I was going back up, and from there I went back to my normal life after my little water cycle, and then evaporated with a sigh of relief. I was back to my life of soaking in the sun’s rays!

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Hardware Secutiry Module Optimization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Hardware Secutiry Module Optimization - Essay Example A study of the e-ID system was started by the Swedish government on 17th June 2010 and the complete report of this research was published on December 2010. The report identified a solution for which an Agency under the Ministry of Enterprise was established starting as of 1 January 2011[2]. The acquisition of operations, management of metadata records of all members, guide service, and the The federation associated with a Swedish Federation of e-identification providers was initiated with it first phase in 2013. The request for quotation process ended with only a single quote (from Cybercom Sweden AB), hence this firm eventually got the contract. The definition of a centralized signature service was initiated in 2014. However, this service was excluded from the scope of work and in 2010 was assigned to The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Swedish: Kammarkollegiet) blanket e government services. The framework incorporates six service providers who offered to constr uct signature services. The approval of these signature services must pass a practical examination process governed by the e-ID board. Moreover, there are other clauses in the agreement that governs the association of Swedish e-identification service federation along with hands on tests conducted during the months of May and June 2014. As per the new clauses of the eID registry board, the authority is restricted to purchase eID and only the e-ID board is authorized to make such purchases. Since March 2014, Swedish e-ID Federation.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Assignment - Essay Example Some of the continuous changes in the environment these organizations operate in include international competition, increasing acquisitions and mergers, reformations of individual organizations, and technological advances as identified by Dowling & Welch (2004). The implications of these changes on various aspects of the organization vary depending on the individual organization, however, for international corporations that experience the impact of these changing dynamic environments it is necessary to adopt a greater level of flexibility and search for novel sources of competitive advantage. As mentioned above, skills and core competencies are regarded as the key elements essential for driving effective innovation and desired change, and therefore are the major source of competitive advantage (Gratton, 2000). As highlighted by Boxall and Purcell (2003), these changes do indeed qualify knowledge work and employee skills. In tandem, this offers the suggestion that Human Resource Devel opment (HRD) is the core function around which Multinational Corporations (MRCs) succeed and maintain competitive advantage. Although all organizations are bound in such external environments, particular organizational features put emphasis on some important disparities in the role profiles of the people who have been tasked with carrying out the operations in each specific organization. It is widely held that the prevailing competitive environmental condition and appreciation of the significance of knowledge and learning to gain a competitive edge are increase the status and power of the HRD function and lead to the emergence of varied opportunities for HRD professionals (Boud and Garrick, 2001: Carter, Hirsh and Aston, 2002: Harrison, 2006). The increasing challenges manifest in the organizational structure of MNCs lead to the creation of distinctive roles for HR and HRD professionals that are not available in domestic organizations or the national context (Peterson and Thomas, 20 07). This paper therefore discusses the role played by the HRD function in MNCs in an international context concerning the changing environmental circumstances that have been highlighted above. In addition, draws on the conclusion that the role of HRD in maintaining a competitive advantage in a global stage has become greater than ever before, and is mainly influenced by the international factors that come into play. The International Context and the Role of HRD in MNCs The extant surge in globalization has been identified as a central environmental factor that continues to shape the operations of HRD professionals in MNCs across the world. Globalization entails a large quantity of issues such as the growth in international, multinational and transnational organizations’ advances in technology, mergers, acquisitions, ad strategic alliances. Short and Callahan (2005) state that in the quest for organizations to go global or maintain their position at the international stage, t hey are likely to turn to HRD professional to offer advice and support on the most viable strategies and practices to adopt. However, globalization forces the HRD function of such organizations to transform their way of thinking about the nature radically, role and tools of people development in order to remain competitive. The methods, therefore, adopted by the HRD function in MNCs is mainly influenced by the decision of the organization to lean toward international convergence, divergence or to operate as a transnational

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cause and Effect - Essay Example Competition in the automobile industry has increased significantly in recent years. As a result customers are demanding high quality products at lower prices, and this is one of the main causes of outsourcing manufacturing of materials to foreign countries. Many automobile manufacturers are producing their materials in Third World countries in hopes of cheap labor and, therefore, the company will have to respond to the industry trend (Duhigg & Bradsher, 2012). Competitors in the automobile industry are desperately trying to increase their market share at any cost. In such a competitive environment, it is not possible for our company not to outsource manufacturing to foreign manufacturers. Another important cause of taking the outsourcing decision is the inefficiencies in local production. The cost of production in the developed world is increasingly rapidly and, therefore, it is not possible for companies to achieve high level of efficiency. Local employees have to be provided with employee benefits and a range of other facilities. Local employees can also not work for longer shifts continuously. It has also become difficult to increase productivity in a short span of time without sacrificing money while working with local workforce. This is why local production has become inefficient and this is one of the most important causes of outsourcing to foreign manufacturers. Production is also not very flexible locally which is why it takes a lot of time to respond to market changes (Duhigg & Bradsher, 2012). Specialized manufacturing companies can do this in a lot less time than local companies. Changing production outcomes and redesigning the process is a time consuming process and, therefore, it reduces the flexibility of our company. In today’s competitive business environment, it is essential that firms respond to market changes and customer demand in a very short

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Rumi In Forty Rules Of Love Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rumi In Forty Rules Of Love - Assignment Example The spiritual faith was also vital in that it was passed onto his friends and family who happened to follow the teaching that Rumi followed. This was important in that it helped him develop further his religious faith and get to understand people and the environment even further. Focusing further on the spiritual relationship between Rumi and Shams, one gets to understand the extent to which the former inspired the latter to renew his faith even at times that they saw as if their friendship would fail. The deep spiritual character in the story is also experienced from the manner in which they promise each other that they would be there for each other. There even at times that the other one had lost faith and that they would renew this faith and consequently lead a better life.Throughout his life, the one thing that Rumi wanted became a successful poet. As he went around his life carrying out his activities, he often required a boost in order to ensure that his life goals got achieved . It is from this that we often find that he had a character of persistence and dedication. These two are well expressed in the character throughout the book, and this is from the manner in which he does not give up hope but rather continues pursuing his goals sure he would achieve them. It is from this that one gets to understand that the character is very well endowed with the required attributes to perform well. Shams know this well enough that the author says Shams decided to dedicate his life to see to it that Rumi achieved his goals.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Poverty Rates in New Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Poverty Rates in New Mexico - Research Paper Example In some situation, the trends in poverty have taken the concerned groups back to in order to understand factors that account situation. Some have argued that poverty and societies may be inseparable. On the other hand, the liberals have attributed poverty to various factors, especially crime. Thus, according to them, a solution to crime rates should begin with addressing poverty issues. To lend an opinion to the subject, as far as the New Mexico is concerned, there is a clear relationship between poverty, crime rates, and other societal social misfits. To begin with, New Mexico is faced by two major problems. This includes crime and poverty. In 1998 statistics showed that close to 20.4 percent of the natives were living below the poverty index. As such children were pointed out as the most affected group in the society. The study further revealed that in every more than one in every four children was living way below the poverty line citing the problems of malnutrition, hunger , poor education, pressure on public utilities as well as the inefficiency of the justice system as key causes. At that, time figures released by the government pointed out that the Country was ranked among the most violent nations. This was attributed to the fact that, over 961 crimes were recorded in every 100 000 residents. In 2000, analysis in the country’s educations system pointed out that it was an issue of major concern since then debate has been raging over the enactment of the proposed legislations that would have foreseen parents cater for their children in private institutions. However the opponents of such legislations have always been at locker heads with the proponents. Indeed, they hold a different view concerning an overhaul in the education system. As such, they believe that public institutions should be given a priority as opposed to directing students in other private institutions. Such disagreements led to greater deterioration of the education system. it shoul d be noted that New Mexico has been ranked number one in aspect of poverty and crime. In addition, the its ranking as the poorest in education system proved to be a major challenge for the country. Basing on the data from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey; New Mexico is rated as the second-worst poverty stricken county in the nation (Gaurav and Ravallion, 1992). According to the 2011 data, the percentage of families that live below poverty line within the Land of Enchantment is 16.60%, with specific rates of individual that leave below poverty levels sitting at 21.50%. These data shows that Mississippi has the worst rates in the two categories that is 17.4 percent and 22.6 percent respectively. Alaska and New Hampshire are noted to be the best terms of poverty rates in the United States. In this regard, the rates for the whole county in the year 2011 were 11.7% for families and 15.9% for all persons. There are a number of ways poverty can be measured (Gaurav, and Ravallion, 1992). The two most commonly indicators lead to similar results, New Hampshire having the best and Mississippi with the worst. In this case, the first indicator shows the percentage of families living below the poverty level as stipulated by the federal poverty level. More often than not the threshold tends to fluctuate depending on the number of individuals living in a given threshold. In the context of the New Mexico, it poverty rates is slightly better than another state called Louisiana, and somewhat worse than Kentucky. However, considering that the levels of poverty in the New Mexico are relatively high, this is not as such a good thing. There exist only one county, in which the rate of poverty approaches a critical value, which is at least above 50 percent of

Monday, September 23, 2019

Narrative paper about Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Narrative paper about - Essay Example I could not wait for the heady rush of adrenalin, the wind whistling past my face, deafening me a little and making my eyes tear up, and the sheer energy that a pair of screeching wheels can bring. Most grown men love speed, but youngsters can be addicted to it. Mopeds were glamorous at the time, and in my mind's eyes I met a hundred admiring glances. In those times, renting a bike was a breeze, you did not need a license, proof of age, paperwork or insurance. If you could put money on the table, the bike could be yours for the day. I took myself to the nearest rental, and was immediately able to get my hands on what I thought a handsome blue mount. It was not able to exceed 40 miles an hour, but that did not deter me from pushing it to its limit. I was lost in my hour of glory, speeding along without a care in the world and a tune on my lips. As it happened, I should have been paying more attention. Because all of a sudden there appeared a small boy from nowhere and dashed across the road. Everything around me stopped for that moment, and went into an excruciatingly slow motion. I knew I was going to hit the kid before I actually did, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. My hands were paralyzed in the shock of the moment and did not make it to the hand brake on time.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Investment in the Indian Education Sector Essay Example for Free

Investment in the Indian Education Sector Essay Education is the key to unlocking and building lasting value in a robust economy. For any country to grow and prosper, a well-positioned educated young population is the fundamental requirement to meet the demands of an increasingly global economy and productive value creation. India has amongst the largest student population in the world and a low literacy level of 74. 04% (2011)1. According to census 2011 figures, over 35. 3% of the 1. 21 billion people are between the age group 0-14 years. Additionally, there is shortage of employable manpower in various industry segments. In order to meet this existing and emergent demand, there is huge need of investments in the Indian education sector. Currently, education is primarily handled by the government through its infrastructure and budget outlays. But given the small budget outlays and complex regulatory structure, supply is lagging far behind the demand of education. Expenditure on Education as %age of GDP 6000 GDP in thousnad Crores 5000 3. 64 4000 3000 3. 36 2000 1000 0 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2,098 2,261 2,538 2,878 3,282 3,779 3. 51 3. 45 4,321 4,933 3. 81 3. 74 3. 80 3. 70 3. 60 3. 50 3. 40 % expendutire on education 3. 78 3. 78 3. 90 3. 30 3. 20 3. 10 Source: Ministry of Human resource and Development (MHRD), Government of India REGULATION India’s tightly controlled regulatory structure is the primary reason for shortage of quality education institutions. Being in â€Å"Concurrent list†, education is being governed by both Central and State government with huge variations amongst the state regulations. Currently, the government regulates who you can teach, what you can teach them and what you can charge them. Some of the key bodies regulating education in India are:? Schooling o Department of School Education and Literacy MHRD o Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) o Various State Boards o National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) 1 Census of India, 2011 Page 3 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector ? Higher Education o Department of Higher Education MHRD o University Grants Commission( UGC) o All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) o Statutory Councils ? Medical Council of India (MCI) ? Bar Council of India (BCI) ? National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) Voluntary Education and Skill Development o National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) o National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) ? In order to overcome this overlapping nature of various governing bodies especially in higher education, government is planning to come up with National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER). This commission would work as a single regulatory body which would determine, co-ordinate and maintain standards in promotion of higher education and research. It will subsume regulatory bodies such as UGC, NCTE and AICTE, thus making the process more streamlined. KEY POLICY/ACT ? Foreign Educational Institutions(FEIs) o Allows FEIs to setup multi-disciplinary campuses and award degrees o Mandates FEIs to reinvest surplus from Indian operations o Mandates FEIs to invest at least 51% of capital expenditure required o Regulates the admission process, fee structure, period of operation of FEIs Right to Education o Makes access to primary education a fundamental right o Mandates 25% reservation for underprivileged students in schools? BUDGET 2011 HIGHLIGHTS ? ? ? ? ? Allocated an amount of Rs 52,057 Crores for universalizing access to secondary education Allocated an amount of Rs 21,000 Crores for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Increased the total allocation by 24% over the previous year Lack in allocation of funds for Teacher improvement and training Lacked emphasis on the K-12 sector in terms of school improvement, quality control etc. EDUCATION IN INDIA Indian education sector has witnessed a series of changes in the last few years, which resulted in a significant increase in market size of the education industry. With economic growth and enhanced technology it has become necessary to develop the Indian education sector. Funds are a major concern in the market to meet this demand. The government has taken many initiatives for the development of education infrastructure which needs to be supplemented led by private players. The government has also opened the doors for foreign universities by passing Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, which will help in shaping the education industry structure specially pertaining of higher education in India. A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector About 185,000 Indians study overseas and spend USD 4 billion annually. This is almost 10% of the private spend on education, coming from a very small 0. 001% segment of the student population. A number of these students are now returning to India after completing their studies, as job markets in India are more attractive, especially in contrast to weak macro scenarios in the western markets. Entry of leading foreign institutions will enable some of this USD 4 billion spend to stay in India, and also provide a much needed boost to quality. STRUCTURE Indian education system can be divided into formal and informal segments which are further divided into sub-segments. Formal education segment broadly comprises schools and higher education institutes. Schools often classified as K-12(Kindergarten to 12th) caters to ‘3-17 years’ age group. While higher education includes graduate, diploma, professional and post-graduation courses caters to ’18-22 years’ and above age group. On the other hand, informal education segment comprises of preschools, multimedia, ICT, vocational training, books and coaching classes. This segment is free from regulation as opposed to highly regulated formal education segment. Schools (K-12) Formal Higher Education Preschools Indian Education System Multimedia ICT Non-formal Vocational training Books Coaching classes Page 5 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS India is home to several well acclaimed International Schools and is increasing rapidly. This demand has been fuelled by parents looking for a new system of education which is more interesting and less stressful. Also, large number of NRIs resettling in India is also contributing to this demand. Being in India these schools have to adhere to certain requirements of the Indian national system irrespective of the examination system adopted by them. Most of the international schools opt for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Board. However, there are other examination systems like the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination systems which are also present. The IB is a recognized leader in the field of international education. It is a non-profit, mission-driven foundation that offers three programs for students aged 3 to 19. ? ? ? Primary Years Programme (PYP) Middle Years Programme (MYP) Diploma Programme -For students aged 3 to 12 -For students aged 11 to 16 -For students aged 16 to 19 In India, most international schools offer IB Diploma Programme. In this students study six courses at higher level or standard level. Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of experience in languages, social studies, experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from group 6, or the student may choose another subject from groups 1 to 5. Additionally, the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding. The â€Å"extended essay† is a requirement for students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying. â€Å"Theory of knowledge† is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical). â€Å"Creativity, action, service† requires that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one of them separately. Some of the International Schools in India:? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Aditya Birla World Academy-Mumbai American Embassy School- New Delhi Amity Global School-New Delhi D Y Patil International School-Mumbai and Nagpur Dhirubhai Ambani International SchoolMumbai GD Goenka World School-Gurgoan Indus International School-Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune KiiT International School-Bhubaneswar Pathways School-Gurgoan, Noida and NewDelhi Stonehill International School-Bangalore Sharad Pawar International School-Pune Doon School -Dehradun Page 6 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS SEGMENTS BASED ON KEY PARAMETERS. Growth Prospect Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Regulated No Yes Yes No No No No No Scalable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Possibility to Create Value Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Preschool Schools(K-12) Higher Education Multimedia ICT Coaching Classes Vocational Training Books GROWTH DRIVERS ? ? Demographic advantage o As per Census 2011 ,35. 3% of the Indian population is under the age of 14 Increasing awareness o Increase in awareness towards education as a priority and essential tool for career growth o Increase in job opportunities and salaries offered making investment in education prudent Human Resource driven economy o Increase in  the demand for an educated skilled workforce by services sector o Share of service sector in GDP increased from 30% in 1950 to 55% in 2007. Technology aided delivery o Increase in penetration of technology resulting in virtual learning and education delivery New employment avenues o Newer employment avenues such as KPO, LPO, retail, aviation, animation etc. demanding highly skilled manpower ? ? ? INDUSTRY FORECAST SCHOOLING. Segment Pre-School K-12 Tutorial Books Stationery Education CD-ROMs Multimedia in School Total 2008 1,200 21,000 5,000 1,700 1,380 120 25 30,425 CAGR 20%-25% 5%-10% 8%-13% 5%-10% 5%-10% 25%-30% 60%-70% 2013 3,500 30,800 8,000 2,400 2,000 390 320 47,410 CAGR 10%-15% 5%-10% 5%-10% 3%-8% 3%-8% 20%-25% 50%-60% 2018 5,800 43,200 11,800 3,000 2,600 1,100 3,300 70,800 (Figures in USD million) Page 7 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector HIGHER EDUCATION. Segment Higher Education Preparatory Total 2008 6,700 1,600 30,425 CAGR 8%-13% 13%-18% 2013 11,200 3,200 47,410 CAGR 7%-12% 10%-15% 2018 18,100 5,900 70,800 (Figures in USD million) VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT Segment Child skill enhancement IT training E-learning Finishing school Vocational Teacher training Total 2008 740 195 45 25 1,500 15 2,520 CAGR 20%-25% 35%-45% 35%-45% 50%-60% 15%-20% 50%-60% 2013 2,200 1,050 240 235 3,100 140 6,965 CAGR 17%-22% 33%-38% 33%-38% 45%-55% 10%-15% 45%-55% 2018 5,600 4,700 1,100 1,800 6,200 1,100 20,500 (Figures in USD million) Source: Technopak report on India Education Sector INVESTMENT SCENARIO With an education network of more than one million schools and 20,000 higher-education institutes, the market size of the Indian education system is estimated at more than US$40 billion2 (2009). However, inadequate infrastructure has placed pressure on the sector’s overall development. Education sector is unable to cope with growing market demand and global competition due to constrained investments. Increased private investment is imperative to expand infrastructure and provide greater access to quality education. Also, Government is planning to set up an education ? nance corporation with an investment of around US$4–5 billion, which aims to provide the education sector with long-term, low-cost ? nancing. PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) PPP can provide the much needed finance to the education sector while serving as an efficient operating model. Establishing strong partnerships between private and public sector can achieve the growth. POSSIBLE PPP STRUCTURE The educational institute (special purpose vehicle) is set up as a Society or Trust, as per applicable guidelines. The UGC, AICTE or some other central regulatory body approves norms and standards of the institute. The state provides applicable administrative and financial support to the institute. Capital outlays are met by an educational services entity which 2 EY’s Private Equity Round Up April-June 2010 Page 8 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector provides infrastructure. The educational services entity charges a fee for use of facilities by the Society or Trust. Finally, the infrastructure facilities are transferred to the institute after a particular time period. Central Government State Government AICTE, UGC approvals Provision of grants Local approvals Land and utilities Trust/Society Service fees Infrastructure Service Provider Transfer of Infrastructure after prescribed time period Source:-2009 E Y – EDGE 2009 report on Private Enterprise in Indian Higher Education KEY PLAYERS GLOBAL ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Apollo Group (USA) Mcgraw-Hill (USA) Pearson Plc (England) Benesse Corp (Japan) Devry Inc (USA) ITT Educational (USA) Strayer Education (USA) New Oriental (China) Career Education (USA) Corinthian College (USA) Capella Education (USA) Raffles Education ( Singapore) Mega Study ( South Korea) SkillSoft ( USA) Page 9 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector INDIA FORMAL ? ? Preschool o Kidzee o Euro Kids Multimedia in private schools o Educomp o Everonn o NIIT Vocational Training o NIIT o Aptech o Frank Finn Coaching Classes o FIIT-JEE o TIME o Career Launcher Books o Tata Mcgraw Hill o John Wiley o Navneet Publications ? INFORMAL K -12 (School) o Millennium Schools (Part of EduComp) o Kids Zee High o Billabong High (Part of Kangaroo Kids) o GEMS ( Dubai based) Higher Education o Manipal Education o Amity o IIPM o ICFAI ? ? ? ? MAJOR DEALS INVESTMENTS ? ? ? ? Rs10 billion investment plan from educational institutes in Haryana’s Rajiv Gandhi Educational City ( January’11) RS 28. 08 billion investment for setting up 20 IIITs under PPP route ( January’11) Everonn Rs 36 billion investment plan to setup 300 K-12 schools by 2015 (July’10) Educomp Rs 510 million contract to provide computer education in Bihar’s schools (May’10). PRIVATE EQUITY DEALS Education sector has witnessed 29 PE deals (refer Exhibit 1), cumulatively worth US$381 million, between January 2006 and June 2010 (as per Private equity roundup April-June 2010 by Ernst and Young). The majority of these investments have been in for-pro? t corporate entities that are not subjected to any government regulations. In future, with increased government spending and expansion plans of private players, the potential for PE investments in the Indian education sector is significant. Additionally, sector’s less correlation with the broad economic growth makes it more attractive. Page 10 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector SEGEMENT WISE BREAKUP OF PE INVESTMENTS IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF DEALS 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 3 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 Vocational Preschool K12 Education technology 4 College/University 3 Coaching 2006 2007 2008 Number of Deals 2009 2010 SEGMENT WISE BREAKUP OF PE INVESTMENTS IN TERMS OF DEAL VALUE 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2006 2007 83 30 74 1 2008 43 2009 2010 12 13 10 37 5 9 23 Vocational 39 Preschool K12 Education technology College/University Coaching 67. Deal Value ( US$ million) Sources: Asian Venture Capital Journal; Dow Jones Factiva; ISI Emerging Market MAJOR ISSUES ? ? ? ? ? Overregulated and under- governed Not for profit structure and all surplus needs to be reinvested High involvement of politicians in higher education industry with no willingness to change the existing structure High land prices and hoarding of land reserved for educational purposes for resale Fragmentation in the sector due to difficulties in achieving scale Page 11 A research report on Investment in Indian Education Sector.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Human evolution Essay Example for Free

Human evolution Essay Australopithecus apheresis separated humans directly from other primates because they walked upright. There is a huge evolutionary connection between brain size and bipedalism, Australopithecus and our other ancestors brain size was increased because of a change in their diets. Before, our relatives were strict herbivores until they became bipedal and ate meat because it was more available. Which meant that our early ancestors had to run to catch there food, thus increased their brain size because their brains were used eating vegetables. Natural selection has played an important role human evolution. Mutations and natural selections such as change in pigmentation and bacteria inside our body have to help us survive. Random mutations occur in our DNA that can befit, harm or do nothing. Natural selection happens in evolution to help our ancestors to adapt their surroundings. For instance, humans lost their body hair to free themselves of external parasites that infest fur. Over the time of evolution our ancestors body lost what it didnt need and kept what it need. As our ancestors started to move bipedal their body naturally selected to devolve there opposable toe. This was an advantage because our ancestors could run faster and have better alignment with their skeleton. Other natural selection happened over the time of evolution that devolved bodys and evolved bodies. The discovery of controlling of fire was the rising point of human evolution and culture, fires helped humans cook food and gives them comfort. According to James, Steven a Professional form the university of Chicago, the first clam for the earliest evidence of a controlled fire was by a member of a homo that dates back from 1. 7 million years ago. There is justified evidence that early humans behaviour and diet changed when they learned to control fire. The discovery of fire by early human let them say active in night-time hours. A professor from Harvard university claims as early human used fire for cooking food it also expanded and developed their brains because they were allowing more complex carbohydrates in to their bodies. Eating cooked food let our ancestors have more time for them because they were no longer trying to chew on a hard plant allay trying to gain calories from it. When our ancestors starts to cook their food their teeth, jaws, digestive traps and sexual consistencys started to shrink, all of these changes stated happening about 1. 8 million years ago, additionally this is more evident on the Homo erectus. As food became less of a concern to early human, weapons became more sophisticated. When early humans starts using tool evolution helped advance the development and size of their brains. Evolution gave our ancestors an advantage over chimpanzee, muscles that that chimpanzees lack. Humans have thicker fingers with wider heads, making it easier for humans to hold on to objects and throw them more accurately compared to chimpanzees hands. Although, hominid the australopithecine had small sized brains compared to the chimpanzee, they tried very often to cut through tough animal skin to take the meat of the bones, but this makes sense because the australopithecine was still a tree climbing animal. The great advance in stone tools happened around the time of the Homo erectus. The Homo erectus was the first of our ancestors to carry tools around, instead of dropping them after using them, like the australopithecines. Plus, the Homo erectus brain had grown over the time of evolution to three times the size on contrast to the australopithecines. As tools use evolved, communication and language was generated. As our ancestors more and more tools, their hands were occupied while they were hunting and couldnt use gesture so they evolved communication. In order for the early humans to survive, they need to co-operate. For instance, the group was sleeping and on human was chosen to stay awake and wants to wake the group up because a woolly mammoth was rear the group, that individual would need to explain what he wants the group to comprehend. The theory of Evolution is a justified and straightforward; it has been extensively studied and supported by all modern science. Creationism in my opinion on the other hand is completely a bunch of lies, faith does not give you answers, and it only asks you to stop asking question. There is no possible way to test creationism, there for believers accept it as the truth. DNA proves that all cells on earth are someway genetically related, for instance humans are 99. 8 the same genetic code as chimpanzees. Evolution happened over millions and millions of year. Creationism states that someone was told to searching out our planet for 8. 7 million place them aboard to Noahs ark. In my opinion I believe evolution didnt over night or the human race was created in one day by a supernatural being because it has been proving with our technology and our discoverys of fossil records that evolution happen because of natural selections. Creationism is for people that dont care about anthropology, sociology and phycology. People that believe in evolution usually are people that dont want go to church and believe in god. Religion celebrates death while evolution celebrates life.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Structural Interconversion of Holin Transmembrane Domain I

Structural Interconversion of Holin Transmembrane Domain I Structural Interconversion of Holin Transmembrane Domain I is Dictated by a Single Proline: A FRET-based Analysis and its Functional Importance in Pore Formation. Muralikrishna Lella,†  Soumya Kamilla,†¡ Vikas Jain†¡,* and Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi† ,* KEYWORDS (Word Style â€Å"BG_Keywords†). If you are submitting your paper to a journal that requires keywords, provide significant keywords to aid the reader in literature retrieval. ABSTRACT: Mycobacterial cell lysis during the lytic D29 bacteriophage infection is timed by perfect orchestration amongst/between components of the holin-endolysin cassette. In Gram-negative bacteria, progressively accumulating holin in the inner membrane, retained in its inactive form by anti-holin, is triggered into active hole formation, resulting in the canonical host cell lysis. However, the molecular mechanism of regulation and physical basis of pore formation in the mycobacterial inner membrane by D29 holin, particularly in the nonexistence of an anti-holin, is poorly understood. In this study, we report, for the first time, the use of fluorescence resonance transfer measurements to demonstrate that the first transmembrane domain (TM1) of D29 holin undergoes a helix ↔ ÃŽ ²-hairpin conformational interconversion. We validate that this structural malleability is mediated by a centrally positioned proline, and is abolished in the conformationally rigid substitution mutants containing Ala, DPro, or Aib. Using electrophysiology measurements coupled with calorimetric vesicle assays, we demonstrate that due to the conformational switch, native TM1 exhibits sluggish self-association in membrana, while its rigid variants show accelerated lipid bilayer disruption. The biological implications of D29 holin structural alteration is presented as a holin self-regulatory mechanism and its implications are discussed in the context of data-driven peptide-based therapeutics. The fatal host cell lysis step during bacteriophage infection is one of the most precisely programmed events, coordinated by the mechanical membrane disruption by a hole-forming membrane protein termed holin and the peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme endolysin.1 In the canonical holin-endolysin cassette, holin accumulates in the bacterial inner membrane and is retained in the inactive form until membrane depolarization drives holin assembly into holes that are large enough for endolysin release.1b,2 It is believed that ion leak through pinholes formed in holin-enriched lipid rafts would result in local membrane depolarization, which would exponentially propagate throughout the bacterial inner membrane and result in the formation of >300 nm diameter holes.2g,3 Historically, genetics of the coliphages T4, ÃŽ », and 21 have been extensively investigated, and therefore our current understanding of holin function and regulation is largely derived from the lysis effector S105 (or S2168) holin and the antiholin S107 (or S2171).2d,2g,4 Based on more recent functional characterization of members from eight holin superfamilies comprising several bacteriophages,5 we now know that the number of transmembrane ÃŽ ±-helical segments (TMSs) can vary from 1-4; of this, the 3-TMS is widely prevalent.1b,6 Despite conceptual and experimental advances in our understanding of holin function, very few studies have translated these findings to the mechanism of holin regulation in mycobacteriophages (Mφ). Currently, >4000 documented Mφ species exist, of which >600 have been sequenced.7 Of particular interest is the lytic Mφ D29, which is the predator for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, among other mycobacteria. Mφ D29 possesses a putative holin sequence coded by the gp11 gene, and is predicted to possess two transmembrane segments, typically observed in class II holins.8 However, an antiholin sequence is conspicuously missing in the Mφ D29 genome, raising concerns on how this phage achieves holin regulation. A previous finding from our laboratory demonstrated that the first transmembrane domain (TM1) of D29 Mφ holin could undergo a conformational switch from a helical form to an extended structure, and a centrally located Pro-Gly segment was important for such interconversion.9 This opened further questions on the biophysical nature of such a conformational conversion, the functional implications during holin assembly and whether such interconversion did indeed possess any regulational role within the mycobacterial cell. In this study, we demonstrate that the D29 Mφ TM1 undergoes a helix ÃŽ ²-hairpin conversion that is abolished in Pro -> Ala/DPro/Aib mutation. We also show that proline internally regulates assembly of TM1 in the membrane, and could potentially function as the ‘missing’ antiholin in D29 Mφ. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ASD ASD METHODS Peptide synthesis and labeling with fluorescent probes. All peptides were synthesized using Fmoc chemistry on a Rink Amide AM resin with a 0.63 mmol/g loading capacity, using DMF as the medium. Deprotection of Fmoc was achieved using 20% piperidine and the progress of the reaction was monitored using Kaiser test and mass spectrometry.9-10 Final peptide was generated using the cleavage cocktail (TFA : water : phenol : ethanedithiol : thioanisole in the ratio 85:5:5:2.5:2.5), followed by cold ether precipitation, and verified by mass spectrometry. On-resin labeling of the fluorophore (Alexa Fluor ® 350 or dansyl chloride) at the N-terminal residue was achieved using HOBt or DIPEA in DMF. All labeling reactions were carried out at least twice and confirmed by mass spectrometry. Labeling efficiency was calculated using labeled peptide absorbance at fluorophore ÃŽ »max ­ and unlabeled : labeled peptide ratios for all reactions were maintained at ~1.0:0.5. Details are in the electronic supplementary information (ESI). Peptide folding and circular dichroism experiments. Desired quantity of peptide in the powder form was dissolved in 100 mM LDAO (lauryldimethylamine oxide) or 100 mM DPC (n-dodeyclphosphocholine) micelles prepared in 50 mM sodium phosphate pH 7.2, and were subjected to repeated cycles of heating and vortexing to promote peptide folding.9 All biophysical experiments were carried out using 0.022-0.024 mM samples, unless otherwise specified. Quantification was achieved using a molar extinction coefficient of 8408 M-1 cm-1 at 280 nm.CD spectra were acquired in various micellar conditions at 25  °C, using a 1 mm path length quartz cuvette at scan speeds of 100 nm/min. Data were integrated over three acquisitions and converted to molar ellipticity values using reported methods.9,11 Thermal denaturation and recovery measurements were carried out between 5-95  °C and 95-5  °C, respectively at a ramp rate of 1  °C/min. Details are provided in the ESI. Fluorescence and anisotropy measurements. Steady state Fà ¶rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements were carried out using Trp excitation at 280 nm ( ±2 nm slit width) and emission spectra were recorded between 295-550 nm ( ±3 nm slit width). Inter- and intra-molecular FRET was demarcated by titrating unlabeled peptide into labeled peptide samples to achieve stepwise dilutions and final unlabeled: labeled ratios of 1:1, 1:0.8, 1:0.6, 1:0.4, 1:0.2, 1:0. Data were normalized against Trp emission intensities and acceptor intensity at ÃŽ »max ­ were plotted (Alexa Fluor ® 350 ÃŽ »max = 442 nm and dansyl chloride ÃŽ »max = 500 nm). Anisotropy values were acquired using ÃŽ »ex-max = 442 nm and ÃŽ »em = 345 nm for both the labeled and unlabeled peptides. Lifetime measurements were carried out using time correlated single photon counting. Trp excitation was achieved at 292 nm using a pulsed LED and fluorescence decays were monitored at the ÃŽ »em-max for the respective samples (345 nm in LDAO; 347 nm in DPC; 355 nm in buffer). All data were fitted to a triple exponential decay to derive lifetimes (Ï„i) and their respective amplitudes (ÃŽ ±i). The average lifetime was given as = ÃŽ £Ãâ€ži.ÃŽ ±i.12Details are provided in the ESI. Pore formation measurement using planar lipid bilayers. Black lipid membranes were generated using DiPhPC (diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine) on a planar lipid bilayer workstation in which the membrane bilayer was painted across a 150 ÃŽ ¼m aperture generated in the septum of a Delrin cup. A constant 10 mV voltage was applied in both cis and trans sides of the chamber, pre-filled with mM sodium phosphate pH 7.2 containing 0.5 M KCl. 0.022-0.024 mM peptide was added to the cis chamber and electric current was recorded using a 50 Hz filter, sampling frequency of 10 kHz, and digitized. Opening and closing event frequency was calculated throughout the recording and converted to conductance using the formula: [observed current in pA] / 10 mV = conductance in nS. Details are described in the ESI. ASSOCIATED CONTENT (Word Style â€Å"TE_Supporting_Information†). Supporting Information. A brief statement in nonsentence format listing the contents of material supplied as Supporting Information should be included, ending with â€Å"This material is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.† For instructions on what should be included in the Supporting Information as well as how to prepare this material for publication, refer to the journal’s Instructions for Authors. ABBREVIATIONS CCR2, CC chemokine receptor 2; CCL2, CC chemokine ligand 2; CCR5, CC chemokine receptor 5; TLC, thin layer chromatography. REFERENCES (Word Style TF_References_Section). References are placed at the end of the manuscript. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all references. Examples of the recommended formats for the various reference types can be found at http://pubs.acs.org/page/4authors/index.html. Detailed information on reference style can be found in The ACS Style Guide, available from Oxford Press. (1) (a) Smith, D. L.; Young, R. J. Bacteriol. 1998, 180, 4199-4211; (b) Young, R. Current Opinion in Microbiology 2013, 16, 790-797; (c) Young, R. Microbiological Reviews 1992, 56, 430-481. (2) (a) Young, R.; Wang, I.; Roof, W. D. Trends Microbiol. 2000, 8, 120-128; (b) Ramanculov, E.; Young, R. Gene 2001, 265, 25-36; (c) Wang, I. N.; Deaton, J.; Young, R. J. Bacteriol. 2003, 185, 779-787; (d) Park, T.; Struck, D. K.; Deaton, J. F.; Young, R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2006, 103, 19713-19718; (e) Savva, C. G.; Dewey, J. S.; Deaton, J.; White, R. L.; Struck, D. K.; Holzenburg, A.; Young, R. Mol. Microbiol. 2008, 69, 784-793; (f) Pang, T.; Savva, C. G.; Fleming, K. G.; Struck, D. K.; Young, R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2009, 106, 18966-18971; (g) White, R.; Chiba, S.; Pang, T.; Dewey, J. S.; Savva, C. G.; Holzenburg, A.; Pogliano, K.; Young, R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2011, 108, 798-803; (h) Young, R. Journal of Microbiology 2014, 52, 243-258. (3) (a) Dewey, J. S.; Savva, C. G.; White, R. L.; Vitha, S.; Holzenburg, A.; Young, R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2010, 107, 2219-2223; (b) Pang, T.; Fleming, T. C.; Pogliano, K.; Young, R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2013, 110, E2054-2063; (c) Savva, C. G.; Dewey, J. S.; Moussa, S. H.; To, K. H.; Holzenburg, A.; Young, R. Mol. Microbiol. 2014, 91, 57-65. (4) Blasi, U.; Nam, K.; Hartz, D.; Gold, L.; Young, R. EMBO Journal 1989, 8, 3501-3510. (5) Reddy, B. L.; Saier, M. H., Jr. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2013, 1828, 2654-2671. (6) Wang, I. N.; Smith, D. L.; Young, R. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 2000, 54, 799-825. (7) http://phagesdb.org/. (8) (a) Catalao, M. J.; Gil, F.; Moniz-Pereira, J.; Pimentel, M. J. Bacteriol. 2011, 193, 2793-2803; (b) Hatfull, G. F.; Jacobs-Sera, D.; Lawrence, J. G.; Pope, W. H.; Russell, D. A.; Ko, C. C.; Weber, R. J.; Patel, M. C.; Germane, K. L.; Edgar, R. H.; Hoyte, N. N.; Bowman, C. A.; Tantoco, A. T.; Paladin, E. C.; Myers, M. S.; Smith, A. L.; Grace, M. S.; Pham, T. T.; OBrien, M. B.; Vogelsberger, A. M.; Hryckowian, A. J.; Wynalek, J. L.; Donis-Keller, H.; Bogel, M. W.; Peebles, C. L.; Cresawn, S. G.; Hendrix, R. W. J. Mol. Biol. 2010, 397, 119-143; (c) Payne, K.; Sun, Q.; Sacchettini, J.; Hatfull, G. F. Mol. Microbiol. 2009, 73, 367-381. (9) Lella, M.; Mahalakshmi, R. Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 9594-9596. (10) Makwana, K. M.; Raghothama, S.; Mahalakshmi, R. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2013, 15, 15321-15324. (11) Maurya, S. R.; Chaturvedi, D.; Mahalakshmi, R. Sci. Rep. 2013, 3, 1989. (12) Maurya, S. R.; Mahalakshmi, R. J. Biol. Chem. 2013, 288, 25584-25592.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Comparing Life Without Meaning in Eliot’s The Waste Land and Welles’ Ci

Life Without Meaning in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane It is the foundation of modern civilization that knowledge is better than ignorance, understanding more valuable than confusion, and wisdom more desirable than foolishness. Consequently, people feel that they should be able to understand the meaning of life and, in doing so, know that their lives are not in vain. They want life to be a coherent whole infused with meaning, so that they can know and understand what life is and where they fit in, thereby attaining wisdom. Life, then, is in essence a struggle to find a meaningful framework for the experiences and feelings we have collected. Since art reflects the human state, and we have grown more conscious of this struggle, our art has come to reflect this problem of making a coherent, meaningful whole out of the assorted fragments of life we have collected. Though this theme of collecting is visible in all media of modern art, it is especially noticeable in literary and film art, in particular in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane. These two pieces analyze collecting on two levels: first because they focus on collecting and second because they are collections. However, the division between these levels is somewhat superficial, as both Eliot and Welles blur the lines between the two parallels, making the audience more acutely aware that this art is a picture of all human life. On both levels the artists draw parallels between the works and the audiences’ lives by examining the content, style, and meaning of the collection; that is, what is collected, how it is collected, and what it says, concluding that life is not a coherent whole, but rather â€Å"a heap of broken ima... ...to be. Collecting points out that in the very act of observing the art, we are collecting, as the persona and Kane are, in an attempt to make a coherent and meaningful whole out of our lives, and that we will fail as surely as they do. NOTES 1 T.S. Eliot, â€Å"The Waste Land,† in The Waste Land and Other Poems (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1962). 2 The original title of The Waste Land was a quote from Dickens's novel Our Mutual Friend, "He do the Police in different voices." 3 When I say that the poem lacks a coherent meaning, I mean that it has no more coherent meaning that life itself does. 4 "I am not Russian, I am out of Lithuania, a real German." 5 It is interesting to note the two meanings that this phrase can have. It could mean that the fragments are anchored in his literary tradition, or it could mean that it is set up as a bulwark to prevent his ruin.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Black Americans Struggle in Baldwins Stranger in the Village :: Stranger Village Baldwin Essays

Black Americans' Struggle in Baldwin's Stranger in the Village In ?Stranger in the Village? (1955), James Baldwin, a writer born and raised in Harlem, experiences extreme emotions during his stay in a 'tiny Swiss village'(127). James Baldwin?s feelings of inadequacy and insecurities of being an American black man bring out a rage in him toward the white man's power over him. His deep feelings of outrage, bringing back hurtful memories as a black child in America, are revived as he is forced to endure the unintentional cruelties of the villagers. Baldwin asserts that even the most simple-minded white man has more control and history over Baldwin than Baldwin's desire to reclaim his culture. As his outrage mounts, Baldwin admits that the black man intends to make the white man stop acknowledging him as an 'exotic rarity and recognize him as a human being'(131). Baldwin further reveals he is tired of getting looked at with curiosity and deception; he desperately yearns to be accepted as an American man. Furthermore, Baldwin's anguish at the loss of the American Negro slave's history, as it was taken away from them, enrages and saddens him, yet he doesn't truly blame the white man because the white Americans were only following in the footsteps of the Europeans of the past. In this context, from Baldwin's perspective, Europeans experienced no dilemma of cons cience towards the black man, and he just 'did not exist for Europe'(132). Americans, on the other hand, faced a moral conflict to recognize the black man?s identity without poisoning their own (133). Despite his rage and aggressive support of the black man?s struggle in America, he strove for humane treatment in a racist society. Baldwin sought to bring about acceptance and a better future for black Americans and having feelings of inadequacy and insecurity determined him to bring change to America: ?This world is white no longer, and it will never be white again?(135). This statement is not meant to be taken at face value.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

According to Paul Cezanne Essay

Paul Cezanne’s paintings are regarded today as being of considerable importance to the development of modern art. Cezanne’s use of colour as tone and his heavy interest in the formal elements of composition paved the way for artists following on from him to question what they were perceiving and their ability to visually represent what they saw through painting. This essay will be examining the influence that Paul Cezanne had on Cubism and how this elevated the picture into an autonomous object rather than a mere representation of nature. The French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, although heavily ignored by the mainstream art sphere centered within Paris, had a considerable impact on Cubism as he laid out the fundamental ideas from which the cubists would create their works. One of the main key points that was central to the cubists was faceting, this reduction of form within the external world and transforming them to geometrical facets, ‘Nature should be treated as cylinders, spheres and cones.’. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Cezanne’s manner of depicting reality with inaccuracy and multiple viewpoints divorced itself from the laws of perceptive construction and allowed him to interpret what he saw in a subjective way, he wasn’t interested in merely imitating what he saw onto the canvas but rather to re-think the conventions which restrict traditional painting. A clear departure from traditional painting as a representational phenomenon has taken place, it’s no longer mimetic of nature or reality but rather holds its own reality within itself and painting and art in general is made autonomous through Cezanne’s unique approach. Where other painters saw transient effects of light Cezanne had the ability to perceive geometric structures and thus from his search for underlying structure of composition came Cubism and then Abstraction. In the impressionist movement, and other predecessors to cubism and post-impressionism, artists weren’t concerned in dealing with matters of inner meaning within their paintings, they were simply responding to what they saw which in turn gave little for the viewer to think about. It is here that we see Cezanne’s more conceptual manner of depicting reality by breaking things into obscure shapes and abstracted form, he projects his inner emotion and consciousness onto the canvas to represent a state of mind, ‘The painter’s idea cannot be conceived apart from the means he uses, for it is meaningful only so far as it is embodied in those means, and the deeper his idea the more complete they must be. I am unable to distinguish between my feelings for life and my way of transposing it. A painting must carry all its meanings within itself, and impose it on the viewer before he identifies the subject matter.’. This parallel of representing nature and self by use of facets and high-keyed colour (colour as a subjective device) is something that’s echoed throughout the works of the cubists, specifically the initial stages of this movement. It seems from this point onwards the painting has become a picture object, it’s removed from the shallow confines of our perception and begins to contribute to reality by adding other aspects and elements, ‘ He was, in fact, the first Post-Impressionist to make, as did the Pointillists and eventually the cubists, as structural analysis of nature, producing an art of the mind concerned with emotional apprehension of formal qualities in mountains, women or onions and totally unconcerned with the evanescent effects of light, shade and atmosphere.’ . This manner of painting had seeped into the consciousness of Pablo Picasso and George Braque, although they had obviously added their own elements to form their own individual styles Ceza nne had laid out the basis from which the cubists could build upon. Although Cubism can be categorised into three key phases: Analytical, Hermetic and Synthetic, it is all somewhat representational of reality. Pushed and stretched to its very limits reality has been distorted and forms are no longer instantly apparent, the viewer must project apart of themselves in order to make sense of what is happening within the painting. From the painters view the cubists applied an aspect of analysis in their paintings by which forms became increasingly fragmented, this way of depicting objects, landscapes and people was similar to Cezanne’s work in the way he represented nature. He was looking beyond the mere surface and impressions which met his gaze and focussed on the inner structures that made up things around him, this of course implies careful consideration and a process of analysis. This is something which resonated with Picasso’s work and contributed to his painting Demoiselles d’ Avingon 1908, ‘He took his cue in this partly from Cezanne’s efforts to fashion a way of painting that would lay bare – or at least open up for exploration by the viewer – the complex process of pictorial representation’. Upon looking at the works of Picasso’s Demoiselles d’ Avingon 1908 and even George Braque’s Houses at L’Estaque 1908, we can indicate a clear influence that is derived from Cezanne’s style of this alignment of nature and the artist. In Braque’s painting we note a visible colour palette which has been simplified and the use of structure that has been used in order to re-create nature, all of which is comparable to Cezanne’s painting Mont Sainte-Victoire 1902-04. However, Braque has accentuated certain elements resulting in a more systematic , clean and simplified style, ‘Yet unlike Cezanne, Braque pushes the juxtaposition of different perspectives to the point of contradiction, and underscores it with a quite arbitrary distribution of light and shade; rooflines fail to meet walls, spaces and solids are elided, buildings are stacked up against one another like playing cards, and in the absence of a horizon the landscape is compress ed into the space of a low relief.’. (FOOTNOTE: Movements in Modern Art Cubism, David Cottington, pg. 22)We notice a clear direction towards further abstraction in terms of form and colour and as cubism progresses these abstractions are further emphasised until reality is barely visible and only signals and indications of things are implied to the viewer. In addition, Picasso’s painting held similar elements of Cezanne’s style and although his painting Demoiselles d’ Avingnon is regarded as more of a proto-cubist artwork in a way it planted the seeds of his style which would later blossom and carry the cubist movement. He is still referencing Cezanne in terms of geometric shapes, limited colours, the fusions between negative and positive shapes and also the arbitrary use of light as he sees fit. Moving away from Demoiselles d’ Avingnon and focussing on Cottage and Trees (La Rue-des-Bois) 1908, again we see a direct correlation in terms of style to Cezanne’s and even Braque’s painting Houses at L’Estaque, in terms of subject matter it’s quite similar; fragmented shapes are used to signify a landscape with houses and contorted trees, however this use of shapes is further abstracted from that of Cezanne’s and Braque’s and again we see the use of colour being completely redundant in terms of imitating the world. The painting has become a complex of invented forms, singular viewpoints, accurate proportions and visual representation are no longer necessary, ‘Picasso independently emphasises each elemnt – volume, line, plane, light and shade – even at the expense of compositional unity. The effect is to maximise the dynamic effect of the painting.’. The emancipation of pictorial elements of line and colour elevated the painting to the picture object, as these elements no longer needed to be used objectively to depict the reality in which we are all submitted to, rather the artists can form the basis of a painting from reality and meet it halfway through his use of representing the internal reality which he is mentally experiencing. Cezanne used a process of analysis and reflection in creating his work which then influenced the cubists to constitute their own individual reality and project it onto the canvas. The result being fragmented geometric shapes which accentuate certain elements of figures, subjective and limited use of colour and an overall less naturalistic representation of what is directly being observed, this in turn helped painters like the cubists to re think what they were painting and also to think of what painting in general could be.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Civilization and Medicinal Uses

1. How is the discovery of beer linked to the emergence of the first civilization?A: The discovery of beer is linked to the emergence of the first civilizations because, a change happened around 12,000 years ago when the nomads deserted there migratory ways, settled down and took up farming. When they began to farm and collect grains that’s when beer was discovered. Therefore beer is linked to the first civilizations emergence by the sudden adoption of farming.2. How is the production of beer an example of plant domestication?A: For something to be domesticated it has to be grown or breed for a specific purpose. Well the plants/grains used to make beer were given just that, a purpose to be grown.3. What sources does Standage use to gather his information on beer?A: Ballinger, Clint. â€Å"Beer Production in the Ancient Near East.† Unpublished paper,   personal communication.Baron, Stanley. Brewed in America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States.  Boston: L ittle, Brown, 19624. What were some of the uses for beer?A: Beer was as a currency but it was also used medicinally. The workers that built the pyramids were paid in beer and bread, the standard amount each worker got was three or four loafs of bread and two jugs (contains eight liters). Tablets from the Egyptian records that date back to 2100 BCE contains list that different medicinal uses for beer.â€Å"The Ebers Papyrus† yet another medical text for the uses of beer that dates around 1550 BCE , contains many recipes for the medicinal uses of beer but combined with other  ingredients . Half an onion mixed with beer was said to cure constipation.5. How did beer civilize man according to Standage?A: â€Å"Beer permeated the lives of Egyptians and Mesopotamians from the cradle to the grave. Their enthusiasm for it was almost inevitable because of the emergence of complex societies, the need to keep written records, and the popularity of beer all from surplus of grain.† (Standage, 39)What he is saying here is that no one could over look or avoid there excitement for the beer because it brought out more civilized societies, made them keep up with written records to pass down the process to make the beer, and that beer became so popular and so available because of the numerous counts of grains that they had access to know that they had taken up farming and gathering.6. Explain the relationship between beer writing, commerce, and health?A: Beer and writings relationship is that in order for the process of making beer to not only be remembered but also passed down generations, the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians had to make clay tablets. These had the processes, medicinal uses, and ingredients written on their faces. Beer and commerce’s relationship was created when both civilizations used beer as a currency.They used this beverage as means of payment for the builders of the Great Pyramids. On that note this is why the builders on the third Gi za pyramid were known as the â€Å"Drunkards of Menkaure†. Lastly, Beer and healthy relationships come from both civilizations use of this beverage for medicinal purposes. They used ingredients mixed with beer to cure a wide variety of illnesses or discomforts.WINE1. How did the use of wine differ from the use of that in ancient Greece and Rome?A: Wine was seen as a symbol of wealth, he chose not the usual Mesopotamian culture beverage but the elegant wine. Carved stone shows him drinking wine from a bowl not beer. Beer was not used that much for gathering and fest  although it was provided, guest would choose the new drink over there native beer. It was regarded as an exotic drink and it high price and sacristy made it worthy of the gods themselves.2. What did drinking wine symbolize in ancient Greece and Rome?A: Drinking wine in ancient Rome and Greece was an emblem of power, prosperity, and privilege.3. How was wine consumed? Is this similar to or different from beer con sumption in Mesopotamia/Egypt?A: The Pharaohs tasted the wine and made their own vineyards near the deltas of the Nile, for this was a place with rich soil. They made it to where the production outside of their own vineyards was limited. However in Mesopotamia the elegant yet powerful wine was restricted only to that of the wealthy because of the lands incapability to support larger surpluses of the wine.4. How did the use of wine differ in the

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Cultural Ethnography, Schein’s Model Essay

Introduction: Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless company in the United States. The company boasts the largest voice and data network and over 58 million customers. In 2004, Cingular generated over $32 billion in revenue. Cingular is owned by AT&T Inc. and Bell South. Cingular‟s vision is, â€Å"To be the most highly regarded wireless company in the world, with a driving focus around best-in-class sales and service† (Cingular, 2006, p.1). The corporation values customers, integrity, performance, teamwork, and its employees The goal of this study was to reveal the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless at a retail sales location. To help determine the culture, this study focused on what is the nature of work for Cingular Wireless sales consultants, and how do employees identify themselves within the corporation according to Edgar Schein‟s models of organizational culture. To guide this study, several aspects of employment at Cingular were studied includin g employee daily routines, flexibility, expectations, and the relationships between managers, sales representatives, and customers. To analyze Cingular, this study will be utilizing Edgar Schein‟s model of organizational cultures. â€Å"Edgar Schein is a management scholar and consultant interested in the role of leaders in the development and maintenance of organizational culture† (Miller, 2006, p. 105). Schein (1992) believes that culture can be studied in levels, which are the degrees to which the culture is visible to observers. His three levels include artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions. According to Miller, artifacts are the most obvious in Schein‟s model which consist of the architecture, furniture, technology, dress, written documents, art, forms of address, communication during meets and decision-making styles. (Miller, 2006, p. 107108). â€Å"The problem with artifacts is that they are palpable but hard to decipher accurately. We know how we react to them, but that is not a reliable indicator of how members of the organization react† (Schein, 1990, p. 111-112). The second level of culture Schein recognizes is that of espoused values. Schein‟s espoused values are, â€Å"the articulated, publicly announced principles and values that the group claims to be trying to achieve† (Schein, 1992, p. 9). Schein (1990) believes that the values, ideologies, and norms can be found using interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. Schein believes that, â€Å"Open-ended interviews can be very useful in getting at this level of how people feel and think† (Schein, 1990, p. 112). The third and most difficult level of culture for observers to witness is that of basic assumptions. Miller (2006) believes that members of the group can rarely articulate these basic values since they are a natural part of their daily lives, making the basic assumptions even more difficult for observers to see. From Schein‟s models and definitions it is apparent that the Schein views, â€Å"culture as a complex pattern of assumptions, values, behaviors, and artifacts† (Miller, 2006, p. 111). Schein (1990) believes that through intense observation and the involvement of motivated employees usually unconscious assumptions and perceptions can be discovered about the organizations culture. Schein states, â€Å"Working with motivated insiders is essential because only they can bring to the surface their own underlying assumptions and articulate how they basically perceive the world around them† (Schein, 1990, p. 112). In addition to these three basic levels this study will also utilize the ten major categories Schein uses to help define an organization‟s culture. These will include (Schein, 1992).: 1. Observed behavioral regularities when people interact 2. Group Norms 3. Espoused values 4. Formal philosophy 5. Rules of the Game 6. Climate 7. Embedded skills 8. Habits of thinking, mental models, and/or linguistic paradigms 9. Shared meanings 10. â€Å"Root metaphors† or integrating symbols Although Schein‟s models are widely applied and studied, areas of disagreement with his methods include how much time is actually required to reveal the levels of an organization‟s culture. How many participants are needed to properly assess the culture, and if bias affects the review of an organization also can all hinder the accuracy of a study based off of Schein‟s model. To conduct this study eight of Schein‟s ten major categories were incorporated. The first, observed behavioral regularities are the languages, rituals, traditions and routines of employees. The second category is espoused values which are publicly known goals of the group. The third category is the formal philosophy which is company policies and interactions with customers. The fourth category will be the rules of the game which are the things new employees must learn to fit in. Embedded skills and shared meanings will be the fifth and sixth categories incorporated into this study. These are the necessary skills to do the job and how the employees have similar meanings for certain things. Finally, the basic assumptions will be the eighth category incorporated into the study of the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless. (Schein, 1992) Methodology: To discover how Cingular fits into Schein‟s categories of organizational culture a method f participant observation will be used including observing daily routines, employee interactions amongst themselves and customers, and participating as a member of the Cingular staff at a retail store location. This ethnographic approach is influenced by an article Esteban, Hirt and McGuire. The article incorporated Schein‟s model in a study on â€Å"The Work Life of Student Service Professionals at Rural Community Colleges. The article was helpful in the organization of this study as well as an example of different methods of conducting the study itself. (Esteban, 2003). Applying Schein‟s Model To Cingular Wireless-7 For this study, information from Cingular Wireless was collected including orientation information, employee handbooks, daily forms and corporate publications. In addition, the company owned retail store at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, Maryland was extensively observed and studied. The store has a manager, three full-time employees, and one part-time employee that were interviewed as well. These methods are being used because they will provide a window for gaining insight into the culture of Cingular Wireless. These methods will reveal the way the organizational culture is shaped by the management, employees, and corporate headquarters. The methods are better than others in this situation because it will allow the study to examine a variety of aspects rather than only one or two. Participants: Jason Celani, 34, has been the manager of the Marley Station store since its opening in the fall of 2005. Celani was a former AT&T employee and has been in the wireless industry for about 8 years. His job consists of scheduling staff, ordering products, conducting inventory checks, reporting to a regional manager, conducting weekly meetings, and attending training sessions. Jason loves technology and enjoys reading about new products in his spare time. (J. Celani, Personal Communication, 11/06/2006). Tracy Corcoran, 39, is a full-time employee that has been in the wireless industry for 6 years. Previously Corcoran was also an AT&T employee. He is the senior sales representative at the Marley Station store and is not very interested in new technology. Tracy is hoping to get out of the wireless industry within the next few years. (T. Corcoran, Personal Communcation, 10/28/2006). Is a part-time college student that has been working at the Marley Station store since March 2006. She enjoys having the newest phone on the market and loves being able to get her email wherever she goes. She has no previous experience in the wireless industry. (L. Andes-Miller, Personal Communication, 10/27/2006). Chuck Payne is the newest full-time employee at the store. Payne is 20 years old and a former radio broadcaster for a gospel station in the Washington D.C. area. Payne has never worked in the wireless industry but also enjoys getting new phones when they come out. Payne began his employment in late July of 2006. (C. Payne, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Alejandro Quant is the only part-time employee observed and interviewed at the Marley Station store. Quant, 21, is a full-time student at the University of Maryland. Quant is valuable to the location because of previous job experience with T Mobile, another wireless provider and also because he is bilingual. He speaks both Spanish and English. (A. Quant, Personal Communication, 11/05/2006). The participants were all observed and interviewed and the way in which they interacted was noted. They were asked about likes and dislikes, daily operations, and if they saw a future within the company. This study was conducted at the Cingular Wireless at Marley Station by a parttime employee that has been with the company since June 2006. As an embedded observer internal access to the organizational culture of the Cingular store was gained. The research for this ethnography also benefited because as an employee the basic workings of the company was easily accessible, the other employees are not uncomfortable interacting with me, and access to internal documents and meetings was possible. The goals of this ethnography are to gain a better understanding of the basic assumptions of the organization. The representatives studied work long hours and they have a good grasp on the organizational culture of Cingular. To bracket avoid bias in this study observations and interviews were conducted off the clock. Time was spent observing the employees out on the sales floor and also via the security cameras located in the office. Also to avoid bias, interviews were conducted outside of the work environment at local restaurants. They were not conducted during or after scheduled shifts. Materials: A variety of materials and sources will be used to support this study. This will include orientation and training documents, internal employee handbooks, external documents, interviews with employees, and on site observations. Analysis of Data: To analyze the data collected in the study of Cingular Wireless at Marley Station Mall this portion will be organized according to eight of Schein‟s categories utilized for this study. They will be supported using internal and external documents, observations, and employee interviews. Artifacts: The Marley Station Cingular store had a plethora of easily observable artifacts. The most apparent was the colors and logo of Cingular all over the store. There was no furniture and a very linear floor pan. In general all of the staff members said that they disliked the floor plan because standing all day got tiring and it was hard to maneuver around the store when it got crowded because it was small and the counter‟s linear design made it impossible to get around each other. The colors of orange and blue were on most signs and popular slogans such as â€Å"raising the bar,† â€Å"roll over minutes,† and â€Å"All over network† were visible all over the store. The floor plan pushed what Cingular refers to as its advantages over other wireless carriers. Cingular shirts and name tags were the next most obvious artifact. All of the employees wear Cingular branded shirts and a name tag on the right hand side. Cingular has a contract with Lands End clothing company to customize what the company refers to as its â€Å"Team Colors.† (See Appendix A) Each employee is allowed $125 for their spring wardrobe and $175 for their fall and winter uniforms. Specific vocabulary and language is very obvious at the store. Celani often sends text-messages to all of his employees at the end of the business day and he refers to them collectively as â€Å"team.† When a representative has customers come in, they are referred to as an â€Å"opportunity,† and extras that can be added onto a calling plan are referred to as a â€Å"bolt-on† (J. Celani, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Cingular boasts that it has the largest product variety in the wireless industry. The store itself has a large amount of products on the wall which are referred to as „live.‟ This means that the phones are in working condition and the customers can try them out in the stores. â€Å"At de alers the phones on the walls are dummies, customers can‟t try them out† said Andes-Miller (L. Andes-Miller, Personal Communication, 10/27/2006). There is a large amount of documentation conducted at Cingular Wireless stores. Every morning a form titled â€Å"Non-Negotiable Standards† is filled out by employees. (See Appendix B) This is a check list of standards such as cleanliness, work attire, and merchandise that is to be completed before the store opens. â€Å"The non-negotiables are like getting a cup of coffee in the morning, we all are used to doing them,† said Corcoran (T.Corcoran, Personal Communication, (10/28/2006). Every time a representative makes a sale or adds on to a customers account they are also required to mark it on the â€Å"Daily Sales Record† sheet. (See Appendix C) Observed Behavioral Regularities: Cingular has what they refer to as a six step sales process. (See Appendix D) Each employee is introduced to this on their first day of new-hire training, which is a program that introduces new employees to the Cingular way of selling. According to this process each customer is to be greeted within 10 feet/10 seconds of entering the store. The representatives at the Marley Station store do this without thinking. Also included in this process is building value for the customer, offering solutions, asking for the sale, educating the customer, and thanking the customer. In addition to a set sales process each representative knows to sell what is referred to as â€Å"The Cingular Advantage.† (See Appendix D) All of the representatives are required to have skills on a computer system called Opus. This is the computer system which allows the representatives access, create, and change accounts. â€Å"Opus is much easier to use than past systems,† said veteran employee Corcoran, â€Å"It freezes but we all know how to deal with it. Each of us uses the same system and procedures every day to work on and verify accounts† (T. Corcoran, Personal Communication, 10/28/2006). Every employee realizes that they must attend a meeting every Friday morning before the store opens. At this meeting the floor plan is discussed, scheduling is worked out, and any other issues are brought up. The communication between the employees and the managers is very informal. Everyone has a chance to speak and the staff knows that once all business is completed they will go out to breakfast. It is very obvious that Cingular‟s first level of organizational culture, the artifacts, is prevalent through out the store. Employees have a common vocabulary specific to their work, they have uniforms, a system for selling and a store that advertises what the company is all about, being the best wireless provider. Espoused Values: The team at the Marley Station Cingular store is constantly striving to achieve goals which are advertised by the wireless company. While working with customers the sales representatives know that they need to promote the Cingular Advantages. The Cingular Advantages include the best technology, great value, best products and services, newest handsets, and the most convenient services. (See Appendix D) â€Å"Orientation and training pounds these ideas into our heads from the first day we have our jobs,† said Quant. â€Å"Cingular has high standards that we all must uphold† (A. Quant, Personal Communication, 11/05/2006). To ensure that the representatives uphold the values of the company Cingular sends out mystery shoppers to each store at least once a month to make sure that the representatives are selling in accordance to Cingular policy. The mystery shoppers have a checklist and grade the representatives. (See Appendix E) The company also makes what it values available to the general public. On its website Cingular lists its goals and core values, as well as their definitions and what the values mean to the company. (See Appendix F) Basic Assumptions: The basic assumptions and values of Cingular wireless are hard to observe as both an outsider and as an employee initially. After extensive observation, job experience, and interviews there are some basic assumptions that surface. The first is that the organization values employees that are „hungry.‟ If it is a slow day at the store employees print out flyers and distribute them to local business or make calls to customers asking how their service is going in hopes of adding onto their plans. These behaviors are highly praised by the manager of the store for being innovative and going above and beyond the job description. An example of this is employees distributing flyers outside of their scheduled hours for events such as â€Å"Friends and Family Day,† which gives customers extra discounts for coming in on designated dates. (See Appendix G) Unlike many full-time workers that have benefits the employees of the Marley Station store expect to work nights and weekends. If an employee begins to gripe about working these hours the other employees tend to remind them that that is just the way things are. Finally, all employees seem to understand that they are expendable by the company and do not question quotas, paperwork, or seemingly superfluous procedures that waste time and do not make sense. New employees tend to learn quickly the way are and solutions that have been turned into operational policies. All staff members know to let a customer know that not all phone numbers may be successfully transferred when they upgrade their phone but they will do their best. Very rarely are numbers unable to be transferred but employees know the steps necessary to cover themselves in case rare things actually happen. â€Å"I didn‟t understand half the stuff when I started working here, I thought that Friday morning meetings were stupid, and I did not want to be here at 9am on Saturdays. Now I just how things are, I didn‟t realize that those things were a part of Cingular‟s culture. I didn‟t even know Cingular had a culture, but I guess that makes sense,† said Payne (C. Payne, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Conclusion: This study tried to examine the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless in relation to Schein‟s model and his levels of artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions. The study would have been improved if there was an employee in the process of leaving the company that an exit interview could have been conducted on. This would have benefited the study because it would probably have uncovered some downfalls of the culture of Cingular. The next step and question in this study would have been to compare the employee experiences at the Marley Station Mall store to employees at a stand-alone store or at a kiosk to see if their experiences were any different. Finally, the implication of this study on later discussions of the corporation is that this study provides a solid base for a person trying to research this wireless provider in the Washington D.C./Baltimore market. References Cingular Wireless. (2006). 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