Human Resource Management in Brunei Essay

Rousseau (1990) defines culture as a set of common values and understandings obtained through socialization (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2008). As such, the Islamic laws define the fundamental customs and lifestyle of Bruneians. Nevertheless, culture is an elusive behavior, which can be refined and redefined as the macro-environment changes. We explore how attitudes and perspective can be changed, in order to better adapt to technologies through laws and policies, without contradicting the essentials of Islamic culture thus improving their economy. The General Order in Brunei provides employees with high social security and benefits; they are entitled to ‘lifetime employment’ (Dore, 1973). Thus leading to insufficient supply of jobs for the younger generation who makes up the largest percentage of the unemployment rate. Additionally, paternalism is evident in Brunei; superiors act as a father figure in the organization and employees show utmost respect for their managers. Thus illustrating the relationship between cultural influences and organizational behavior. Foreign investments and tourism in Brunei have been severely impeded due to their inflexible Islamic culture, hence affecting Brunei’s integration with the world. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan, the importance of ‘liberation of visa regulations’ will ‘boost tourism and trade opportunities’ (Ying Chua, 2010). However in Brunei, regulations on foreign investments must comply with the standard of their Islamic laws, which hinder growth. Thus, exemplifying that culture affects its economy as it set the boundary of Brunei’s business environment. It is difficult for Brunei to fully integrate their economy with western countries due to very differing culture. Nonetheless, she can aim to be the capital for the Islamic world. For example, it can be the financial capital for the Middle Eastern countries, or even the world main supplier for Halal food in the world. This acts as a double-edge sword for Brunei because Brunei will not compromise their rich culture for economical gains. However before attaining such standards, Brunei has to examine their technological infrastructure and whether Bruneians are ready to adapt themselves for changes. Bruneians pride themselves on their rich Islamic culture hence they are less receptive to changes that appear to be in conflict. The sultanate laws never inculcated the use of technology until the mid 21st century, the government through its education system (Ganske & Hamidon, 2006). However the older generation, which the workforce mainly consists, is less responsive to such drastic changes. Firstly, it is against their culture to voice differing viewpoints to their superiors as it is considered disrespectful therefore, severely curtailing their initiative thus breeding complacency and conformity. Secondly, the lack of formalization (Chan, Foo, Nelson, Timbrell, & Othman, 2010) contradicted the implementation of new technologies; ‘the announcement to embark on e-government (a B$1 billion project) was made in 2000 but it was not until 2003 that the actual planning started (Kifle & Cheng, 2009)’, this 3 years gap have left many Bruneians confused about the process and pro gress. Language is part of a country’s culture. (Bakar, 2008). Therefore any language differences, will significantly hinder Bruneians’ adaptation to technology. Brunei’s national language is Malay while new technologies developed are instructed in English. This sudden change in the use language has adversely impeded on their adaptation. Nevertheless, this is only applicable to the older generation as Brunei government has enforced bilingualism in their current education system. A shift in their language culture from solely Malay to bilingualism will enhance their adaptation to new technology hence fulfilling Brunei’s vision of becoming an e-government whereby all traditional manual paperwork are electronically done. It is indisputable that Brunei will always be ruled by a strict set of Islamic laws, which forms the core principle of the country. Nonetheless, the problems faced by Brunei can be corrected through prudent laws and policies that can be inculcated as part of their culture. Culture shapes the fundamental of the legal and political system in Brunei. The Sultanate laws favour the Brunei Malays because of their shared values and customs while indigenous minorities are viewed inferior (Braighlinn, 1992). This partial treatment could potentially jeopardies Brunei’s economy by distancing relationships with developed countries because of very differing culture and customs and these developed countries have valuable resources, which Bruneians can acquire from. For example, skilled professionals from other countries will be hesitant to enter Brunei’s workforce because they have slower social advancement and benefits. This can be improved on without changing the core principles of Islamism. Furthermore, it is because of their traditional principle of ‘strict essence of conformity and consensus’ (Kramar & Syed, 2012) that has tremendously thwarted their country’s global integration. Brunei’s doctrine, ‘does not allow organization or individual to challenge the government and its policies’, has adversely stunts employees’ initiative. The Majesty criticized their work indifference, working ‘just like a robot with no direction, initiative or common sense’ (Low, Zain, & Ang, 2012). Such inflexible and flaccid work-attitude, would only curtail individual’s motivation at work and more drastically, leading to colossal losses to the organization. To a great extent culture sets the tone of how a country should be governed by defining the boundaries of their operations. However, we can no longer say that a country’s culture is a separate entity from its political system or from its economy or even their adaptation to technology. Culture orientates the parameters of one’s laws and policies, which in turn affects the growth of its economy. Likewise, a technologically cultured country brought about through good policies, could bring about many benefits to its economy. All these factors are intertwined and together they work as a whole system as to how a country, whether private or public companies, should be run. However there are certain strategies which the government can undertake to help individual adapt to the technology. The Government Employee Management System (GEMS) is a project, which aims in achieving an interactive and integrated public service. (Brunei Government Prime Minister’s Office 2010) Human Resource Management (HRM) consists of 2 main functions; the process of managing people in the organization in a structured and thorough manner, e.g. hiring people and retention of people. Secondly, the management of people within an organization e.g. managing relationship between management and employees. Critically, HRM requires the use of technology-based platforms to ensure efficiency and high-productivity of an organization. Thus, the importance of implementing GEMS and ensuring success to facilitate HRM better. Introduction of the use of technical system for HRM Government Employee Management System (GEMS) is a web-based system that enables, â€Å"efficient data input and greater transparency, which allows better management of HRM practices such as recruitment, compensation and benefit.† (Brunei Government Prime Minister’s Office 2010) To achieve greater effectiveness, GEMS will automate a significant number of tasks that were previously done manually. Employees’ information will now be kept in a database accessible to all departments, and it will be easily attainable. It would fasten decision-making because information would be readily available whenever required. Responses of Advancement of technology in HRM However, GEMS was not well received by employees. The Majority of the population belongs to the Malay community, thus finding it difficult to adapt to the English web-based system. Strategies that involve Human Resource enable individual employees to adjust themselves to technological changes Re-training of Employees GEMS was found as a complex system, training is thus, crucial to assist staff and officers to adapt and operate GEMS effectively. Training will greatly assist employees to better manage GEMS, as employees would be able to constructively operate the new system independently. Further mentoring is needed to ensure employees have fully comprehended the use of the system. At the same time creating a sense of achievement and often boost employee’s morale. However, there are several disadvantages and cost to re-train employees. Firstly, the large amount of people in an organization makes it difficult to schedule trainings (N Nayab 2010). Secondly, training requires a lot of time and ample resources, which could be economically disadvantageous in the short run. Hence, organization should thoroughly consider the pro et contra before sending employees for re-trainings. Motivating of employees Another key approach to assist staff and officers to adapt effectively to such changes is through motivation. Rewarding Employees A reward system can be created to encourage the use of technology. A good strategy to ensure adaptation for employees would be the use of monetary benefits. For example, HRM could implement an incentive plan by recognizing its employees for its efforts to adapt and use new technologies. It aims to acknowledge good performance and address the gap between the organization goals set for employees and the final outcomes. Increase job satisfaction of employee The more contented an employee is with its job, the higher possibility an employee would be adaptive to changes. (Richard W. Scholl 2003) Employers can consider satisfying employees’ job satisfaction, such as pay, working hours and job security. With job satisfaction, employees would be more adaptive to changes and the willingness to ensure effective operation of GEMS, which in result beneficial to the company in the long run. However, motivation is subjective. While it can empower employees and employers, its effect may be short term. Therefore, effort must be made consistently, for it will not be able to fulfil its long term effect of adaptation towards new organization goals. Strategies by Singapore Government A country’s adaptation towards technology is nurtured over time, and Singapore is a good example for Brunei to help individual adapt to technology. Singapore encourages technology development in its bid to become the next Silicon Valley (Gregory Gromov 1986). Singapore Government has created schemes and funding, which include cash grants, tax incentives and debt financing (AsianOne 2009). Brunei Government could also implement special schemes and grants dedicated to attract setup and ensure success, encouraging entry of foreign technology investors. This will subsequently, benefit Brunei as it helps risk reduction, in terms of investment in the long run. To further encourage the development of new innovations, SPRING Singapore has a special Technology Innovation Programme (TIP) for those who are able to develop new inventions or improve existing ones (SPRING Singapore 2012). Such programs and campaigns could be implemented in Brunei, encouraging Brunei to be exposed to the latest technology available, resulting in the increase of tech savvy consumers over the years. The above are just some strategies, which Brunei can adopt to help individual adapt to technological changes. There are many other strategies and prudent policies which Brunei can mirror, modeled by the western countries without compromising its core principle of Islamism. HRM is not culturally neutral. The nature of the scope is linked with local institutions, labour laws, corporate strategies and industrial relations vary greatly across national borders. Social Rights Bruneian adheres to the MIB ideology, a set of guiding values with the incorporation of the importance of Islam as a religion. This strict rule over the country means there are limitations to the freedom of speech, freedom of associations and collective bargaining (Kramar & Syed, 2012). However, despite the strict conformity, the government has adopted flexible and family-friendly policies (Kramar & Syed, 2012). For instance, General Order states that one should work no more than 8 hours and there are flexibilities when family responsibilities arise. America offers a much higher degree of freedom to its people. In the case of her stipulated law, â€Å"employees shall have the right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and shall be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers†¦. in the designation of such representatives.† (Stough, 1933). This leads to the formation of Labour Unions, which give the workers’ rights to negotiate terms with the management. The political system of the two countries sets them apart. In Brunei, HRM has to adhere to the country’s strict conformity, affecting multiple HRM issues such as appointments, discipline, work etiquette and appointments. Its people have little or no say over what is decided for them, unlike America. This social rights has seen the formation of Labour unions; an idea in which the government of Brunei will never tolerate. Sociocultural Individualism vs. Collectivism Brunei is more of a collectivist – the working environment culture is such that the people who work together are closely knitted, like a big family (Salleh & Clarke). Supervisors and officers are treated with respect like that of a parent (Kramar & Syed, 2012). Employees have no qualms sharing any problems and issues with their managers. Such informal relationship leads to total loyalty to their group; it gives the workers the sense of belonging and security. America, on the other hand, is represented by individualism (Gorrill, 2007). The need to develop personal relationships is less significant in comparison to Brunei. Individual performances are, instead, highly valued in American culture; managers are only approached for help in essential situations (Gorrill, 2007). The American corporations subscribe to formal corporate planning procedures and are generally viewed as unconcerned with promoting long-term loyalty to the organisation (Beechler, Najjar, Stucker, & Bird, 1996). Thus, a highly competitive work ethic is cultivated, leading to less job security Low vs. High Power Distance With a hierarchical relationship in place, Brunei is thought to possess a high power distance. However, it is not the case. The nurturance and care provided to the subordinates by their superiors imply that a paternalistic relationship is present (Aycan, et al., 2001). In return, the subordinate are loyal to their superior. The relationship positively impacts on the employee participation rates in decision making and problem solving. Evidently, it lowers the power distance between managers and their subordinates. Western cultures are, more than often, represented with a low power distance, thus a certain degree of informality is present. However, in America, an authoritative and organisational hierarchy is very much accepted and entrenched in its business culture (Dana, 2010). In other words, decisions are made from the top. The hierarchical chain of command often supersedes personal relationship and clear distinctions are made between work colleagues and friends (Gorrill, 2007). These leads to a significant power distance between managers and employees. Economy The economic context of a country is hardly predictable and stable, but it is most likely to have long-term consequences for HRM (Kramar & Syed, 2012). The supply and demand of labour forces vary accordingly to the country’s unemployment level. Supply and demand of labour force The benefits offered by the Brunei’s public sector, coupled with the family-style work culture, create a stable and secured work environment. As such, a job position will, almost, only be available when someone retires or resigns (Kramar & Syed, 2012). This brings about minimal turnover and thus, leads to an oversupply of labour force. America also faces unemployment issues but however, causes and implications are different and unlike Brunei, the issue is not a long term one. In the States, companies are unconcerned with long time loyalty and retrenchment may occur due to poor performances, intensifying job competition (Gorrill, 2007). Despite facing similar unemployment problems, HRM from the two countries has to tackle the problem very differently. When 1,000 applicants apply for a job with only 4 vacancies, HRM in Brunei has to ensure the right people are hired for the jobs (Kramar & Syed, 2012). (Salleh & Clarke)While in America, HRM faces the challenges of recruiting people for jobs because intense job competitions bring about a lack of job security. Bibliography AsianOne (2009), Singapore Press Holdings Ltd., Singaporeans second most tech savvy in the world, viewed 15 February 2013 . Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R. N., Mendonca, M., Yu, K., Deller, J., Stahl, G., et al. (2001). Impact on Culture on Human Resource Management Practices: A 10-Country Comparison. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Beechler, S., Najjar, M., Stucker, K., & Bird, A. (1996). Japanese-style versus American-style Human Resource Management Overseas: Examining Whether the Data Support the â€Å"Facts†. New York: Columbia University. Black, A. (2008). Ideology and law: the impact of the MIB ideology on law and dispute resolution in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. Asian Journal of Comparative Law. Braighlinn, G. (1992). Ideological Innovation under Monarchy: Aspects of Legitimation Activity in Contemporary Brunei: Aspects of Legitimation Activity in Contemporary Brunei. The Netherlands: VU University Press. Brunei Government Prime Minister’s Office (2010), GEMS Background, viewed 15 February2013, . Bujang, A. G. (1987). Education for Nationhood. Southeast Asian J. of Education Studies . Dana. (2010). Downside of a low power-distance culture. Chicago: Investoralist. Gregory Gromov (1986), Silicon Valley History, viewed 15 February 2013, . (Gregory Gromov 1986) Gorrill, J. R. (2007). Doing Business in the United States of America / US Social and Business Culture. London: Communicaid. Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s Consequence: International Difference in Work Related Values. California: SAGE Publications Inc. Kramar, R., & Syed, J. (2012). Human Resource Managment in a Global Context. U.S: Palgave Macmillan. Kon, J. (2013, January 24). Over $1B spent in first year of 10th NDP. Retrieved February 5, 2013, from Borneo Bulletin: http://borneobulletin.com.bn/index.php/2013/01/24/over-1b-spent-in-first-year-of-10th-ndp/ Kramar, R., & Syed, J. (2012). HRM in Brunei’s public sector. In R. Kramar, & J. Syed, Human Resource management in a global context (pp. 27-30). New York: Palgrave Macmilan. Low, P. K., Zain, A. Y., & Ang, S.-L. (2012). The key principles of managing people: The Brunei perspective. interesjournal , 3, 594-602. N Nayab (2010), Pros & Cons of Company-Paid Employee Training, viewed 15 February 2013, Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B. A., & Wright, P. M. (2008). Human Resource Management; Gaining a competitive advantage. New York: McGraw Hill. Richard W. Scholl (2003), Job Satisfaction, viewed 15 February 2013, . Ronald Phillip Dore, 1973, ‘British factory-Japanese Factory: The Origins of National Diversity of Industrial Relations.’, Chapter 10, pg 264 Salleh, N. M., & Clarke, N. Emotions and their management during a merger in Brunei: The Impact of National Culture. Gadong; Southhampton: Institut Teknologi Brunei; University of Southhampton. SPRING Singapore (2012), Technology Innovation Programme (TIP), viewed 15 February 2013, (SPRING Singapore 2012). Stough, D. (1933). Trade unionism under the recovery program. Washington, DC: DC: CQ Press. 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In My Grandfather S Footsteps

Cacao's. Even until this day, have people telling me â€Å"Your grandfather would be so proud of you† or â€Å"l hope you end up just like your grandfather one day. † In these very moments, I feel this great sense of satisfaction run through my body. Not one person has fulfilled his footsteps in becoming a physician, and I would be honored to become the first. My hero is no one other than Dry. George Cacao's. From the stories I've heard, he was never in it for the money. To the families that had no insurance and couldn't afford healthcare, he would set up private appointments at his house.Until this day, people say he worked miracles on children. No matter how much time or labor it cost him, he made sure his patient's health improved; he would stay awake in worry and even crying at the fate of one of his sick patients. My grandfather truly loved his job, and he will always be the heroic figure in my life. My grandfather died of bone marrow cancer at the age of sixty yea rs old. It was a long, painful death; he was ill with this cancer for over 15 years. All the knowledge he possessed about medicine, all the experiences he had with patients, and all the lives he paved, could not save his own.There's a quote that says â€Å"Only the good die young,† but I can't completely justify that. Yes, my grandfather did die at a relatively young age, but the influences he made and the legacy he left behind will be cherished and live on forever. The more I think about this and all the sacrifices he made for his patients, the more I get inspired. Looking back on his career, Dry. Cacao's has guided me a path in his footsteps. He has shown me that determination, dedication, and a big heart can lead me in becoming a physician.The ultimate goal in my life is to be a physician and that starts with a college education. Dry. Cacao's stressed to his kids to stay in school and learn as much as possible, but to have fun doing it. I aspire to impact people's lives as much as my grandfather did. If can be the heroic figure to someone that Dry.

Thorn Queen Chapter Four

We left as soon as etiquette said we could. I tried using Shaya's argument about eccentric queens doing whatever they wanted, but it didn't work on her. She said if we didn't stay a certain amount of time, I'd appear intimidated by Maiwenn. So, we stuck around a bit longer than I liked before finally making formal farewells to the others. Kiyo was preoccupied with a group of well-wishers, but he looked up at my departure and smiled. He mouthed the word soon. My group rode back in a subdued mood. The urgency was gone, and I think my glum attitude threw a cloud over everyone. Seeing Maiwenn and Kiyo had bothered me more than I liked to admit, and Dorian†¦well, that was another story. For now, I wanted nothing more than to cross over to my own world, throw on pajamas, and watch mindless TV. Possibly while eating ice cream. And as our journey continued, ice cream sounded more and more appealing once we crossed back into the Thorn Land. The sun was sinking, but heat still radiated off the sand and rocks. It wouldn't dissipate for another couple hours, and even at midnight, the temperature probably wouldn't drop below seventy. I'd changed back to my shorts and sunglasses before leaving Maiwenn's, so again, the heat didn't bother me as much as it did the others. Dorian had claimed my sundress would catch on as a fashion trend; I wondered if shorts would as well. â€Å"There's a village ahead,† murmured Rurik. I snapped out of my daydreams and followed his gesture. Sure enough, a small cluster of buildings darkened the horizon. Like my castle, it was something more suited to a medieval British landscape than the desert. Considering how infrequently I visited my kingdom, this was the first settlement I'd seen outside of the castle. It unnerved me a little, my discomfort growing when I saw that our road went straight through the town. Damned twisting Otherworld. This village hadn't been here on our earlier trip. And for that reason, I knew better than to suggest we go around it. With the way this world worked, a slight deviation could toss us into the Rowan Land or add hours onto our trip. Steeling myself, I tightened my grip on the reins, deciding that this place looked small and wouldn't take long to clear. When we entered its outskirts, though, I discovered something that made me lose my resolve. The road was lined with people. It was like everyone in the town had come out to see us pass through. They stood along the sides, staring at my party and again looking like extras from some medieval movie. Except, it must have been a low-budget movie. The people's clothes were ragged and dirty, their faces gaunt. Everyone seemed too skinny, even the children and babies held in parental arms. My unease grew as we rode deeper into the heart of the village. I hated crowds and having eyes upon me. There was something discomfiting about this particular group. Their expressions were either completely blank or†¦well, terrified. Everything was dead silent. â€Å"What are they scared of?† I whispered to Rurik. He gave me an amused glance. â€Å"You, of course.† â€Å"Me?† I squeaked. Glancing at my attire, I tried to imagine how out of place I looked here. Was my foreignness that frightening? â€Å"You're their queen. Everyone knows how you slaughtered Aeson-and that isn't a particularly heartwarming tale. Likewise, Storm King's legacy of terror lives on after all these years. You've inherited it.† â€Å"So, what, they see me as some kind of tyrant?† He shrugged. â€Å"You're their queen,† he repeated, as though that explained everything. I'd never wanted to be queen. I certainly didn't want to be seen as some kind of despot queen either. I didn't want these eyes upon me, these eyes that all seemed to be filled with apathy, judgment, and a kind of weary defeat. I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached what looked to be the halfway point. All of a sudden, a man stepped in front of us, bringing us to a halt. He was an older gentry, tall and gray-haired. He was skinny and clothed only a little better than the rest, though there was an air of dignity and authority that made him stand out. When he saw he had our attention, he swept me a bow so low, his face nearly touched the dusty road. â€Å"To Eugenie, great queen of the Thorn Land, I offer the most humble greetings of your servant, Davros.† At least, that's what I think he said. He was bent so low that his words came out muffled. I glanced uneasily at the others in my group, unsure what to do. They all remained silent and looked at me expectantly. Oh, sure. They were full of advice back at Maiwenn's, but when it came to peasants groveling in the road? That was apparently all me. â€Å"Please, um, stand up,† I managed at last. â€Å"Um, Davros.† He rose, clasping his hands in front of him, looking totally overwhelmed that I'd used his name. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty. I am the mayor of this village. Words cannot express what an honor it is to have you among us.† Considering what Rurik had just told me about my reputation here, I wasn't entirely sure I believed Davros' words. I forced a smile. â€Å"Thanks. We're just passing through on our way back to the castle.† Davros spread his hands wide. â€Å"I hope, then, that you'll consider resting and taking a brief refreshment in my home.† â€Å"Oh, well, that's really nice, but-â€Å" Shaya cleared her throat loudly. I glanced over at her. She gave me a pointed look that gave no question to what she wanted me to do. Grimacing, I glanced back down at poor, groveling Davros. Damn. I wanted nothing more than to get out of the Otherworld right now. I didn't want to stop for teatime. My expression must have looked scary because Davros blanched and lowered his head meekly. I sighed. â€Å"We'd love to.† Mayor or not, Davros didn't have a very big house. Only Shaya, Rurik, and I joined him inside, while the rest of my party milled around outdoors. From the village, Davros had invited a few other important officials, as well as his wife and two grown sons. We sat at a round oak table while his wife served us red wine and something that reminded me of baklava. I sipped only a little of the wine, not wanting to risk dehydration in this weather. I wasn't much better at making conversation here than at Maiwenn's, but fortunately, there was no need for me to do anything. Davros and his associates kept the talking going, most of the conversation centering on how glad they were that I had come by, what an honor it was to meet me, how they hoped I'd call on them if I needed anything, et cetera, et cetera. Which was why it was a bit shocking when Davros' wife suddenly asked, â€Å"But if you would, your majesty, please tell us what it is we've done to displease you. We'll do anything at all to make amends and gain your favor once more. Anything.† I almost choked on the honey cake. â€Å"What do you mean†¦displease me?† The villagers exchanged glances. â€Å"Well†¦,† said Davros at last. â€Å"There must be something. You've placed a blight on the land, stripping us of our water and food. Surely we've done something to warrant your most righteous displeasure.† â€Å"You need only let us know what it is,† piped in someone else. â€Å"We will do anything you require to lift this curse from us.† This was the most astonishing thing to happen to me all day-which was saying something. I looked at Shaya and Rurik for help, having no clue how to respond to this. For a moment, I thought they would once again make me fend for myself, until Shaya finally spoke. â€Å"The residents had built their lives around the shape of the land when Aeson ruled it, when it was the Alder Land. When it transformed itself to you, their old ways no longer worked. Their crops don't grow in this weather. The wells have run dry.† I stared at her in shock. Never, never had this occurred to me-but then, it wasn't like I'd spent a whole lot of time thinking about the Thorn Land. Most of my energy had been spent on figuring out how to avoid it. Studying Shaya, I wondered how long she'd known about this. I somehow doubted there was much that went on around here that she didn't know about. From the looks of Rurik's averted gaze, it appeared as though he'd known about this problem as well. Both knew how upset I got when forced to deal with any sort of queenly issues. So both had spared me the details while these people suffered. I turned back to Davros. â€Å"It's not a curse†¦it's, I don't know, it's just the way the land is. The way I wanted it to be.† Astonished looks met me, and I could only imagine what a freak I sounded like. When Aeson had ruled, this land had been green and lush, filled with forests and fertile farmland. Who in their right mind would turn it into a desert? Davros confirmed as much. â€Å"But this land†¦this land is impossible to survive in,† he said. â€Å"Not where I come from,† I told him. â€Å"This is like the land I grew up in. People live and flourish there.† People also had modern ways of bringing in water and shopping for whatever other stuff they might need. And that wasn't even taking air-conditioning into account. â€Å"How?† he asked. I didn't know how to readily answer. I didn't really understand the intimate details of my world's infrastructure. I turned a faucet and water came out. I went to the grocery store and bought milk and Pop-Tarts. Desperately, I racked my brain and tried to pull out elementary school lessons about Arizona's history. â€Å"Irrigation,† I said lamely. â€Å"Squash, I think. And, um, corn.† Had the natives grown corn? Or was I getting confused by stereotypes? Shit. I was so ignorant. The only thing I felt confident of was that Pop-Tarts were not cultivated natively in Arizona. The looks the others gave me told me I wasn't helping this situation any. I glanced at Shaya and Rurik, but this time, no help came. The full weight of what I'd done started to sink in. Maybe I hadn't wanted this land. Maybe I hadn't intentionally turned it into a mirror of wild Tucson. The point was: it was done. The Thorn Land was as it was, and taking in these ragged and starving people, I realized it was all my fault. Only, I had no clue how to fix it. I was too much a product of modern innovation. There was nothing I could do. Scratch that. There was one thing I could do. I abruptly stood from the table, catching everyone by surprise. As custom dictated, they all hastily scrambled and rose as well. Without explaining myself, I headed outside, back out into the village. Behind me, I could hear Davros babbling something, apparently thinking they'd again caused offense. They probably thought I was about to send lightning bolts from the sky. As it was, that might not have been a bad idea-if I actually had that power. These people could certainly use rain. But one rainstorm wouldn't fix things, and I could hardly do it day after day. Instead, I walked out to the middle of the street and came to a halt. My guards straightened up, awaiting my orders, and other residents stopped to see what was happening. Those from Davros' gathering soon poured out of the house and joined everyone else. I closed my eyes, opening myself to the world around me. I smelled the clean, fresh scent of the desert and the faint, faint breeze blowing through it. The setting sun warmed my skin. Then, I pushed deeper, reaching out to that which the magic within me instinctively bonded to. I felt the minuscule water vapor in the air, but that wasn't what I wanted. I had to go further. I sent my magical senses into the ground, seeking water throughout the village. None. I remembered what Shaya had said about wells drying up, which meant the surface wasn't going to yield anything. That meant I'd have to go deeper still. There. Back in the direction we'd entered town, I felt a hit. I opened my eyes and strode toward it, the water calling to me. I was vaguely aware of a crowd following me, but I paid them no attention. Only the water was my goal. When I reached the spot, I found that it was just on the town's outer edge. A mesquite tree grew nearby, which should have been a tip-off. They had deep feelers that penetrated the earth in search of moisture. I too sent my power into the ground, trying to summon the water up. There was a lot of dirt between me and it, and I realized it wouldn't do these people any good in the long term to just suck it to the surface right now. I turned around and found Davros right behind me, face anxious. I pointed to the ground. â€Å"You guys need to dig here. Right now. There's water here.† He stared at me, mouth agape. A moment later, he snapped out of it and turned to those nearest him. â€Å"You heard the queen! Fetch shovels immediately. And find anyone who can work with the earth.† Earth magic. A smart idea. Gentry didn't have bulldozers or drills, but they did have people who could throw around huge piles of dirt, which was pretty sweet for this kind of thing. Dorian-who was probably the strongest earth user in the Otherworld-could cause earthquakes and level buildings. In minutes, a group had assembled. I tried to take a shovel and help, but that nearly caused Shaya and Davros to have a heart attack. Queens didn't do that kind of work. Instead, I stepped back, watching as the other villagers used magic and manual labor to dig where I'd indicated. When the hole grew too deep for shovels, the village's two earth-magic users took over. Even combined, they were nowhere near Dorian in strength, but they definitely sped the process along, kicking up towers of dirt along the sides. Finally, I heard a great cheer. Everyone else and I crowded to the hole's sides, peering down. It was deep in the ground, but muddy water was slowly filling up the bottom. I looked at Davros. â€Å"Can you guys turn this into a well?† I certainly hoped so because I sure as hell had no idea how to do it. I imagined it involved stones and a bucket, but maybe that was just my naà ¯ve fairy-tale images. His head bobbed eagerly. â€Å"Yes, yes, your majesty. Thank you, your majesty.† After that, it was nearly impossible to leave. I was regarded as a miracle worker. I was no longer the tyrant queen. I was their savior, the generous and wonderful monarch who had brought life to their land. I declined their pleas to stay and celebrate but told them I'd be back with other ways to save their town. Admittedly, I had no idea what that would entail, but mentioning such a minor detail would have seriously brought down everyone's mood. When we were finally mounted up and able to head out, I suddenly felt a tug on my shoe. Surprised, I looked down and saw a middle-aged man gazing up at me. A similarly aged woman stood close beside him. â€Å"How dare you touch the queen!† gasped Davros. From his face, it looked like he was seriously afraid I might level the town. I waved him off. â€Å"It's okay.† The man who'd pulled my leg regarded me pleadingly. â€Å"Please, your majesty. My wife and I have a boon to ask of you!† â€Å"That's a favor or a request,† said Rurik helpfully. â€Å"I know what a boon is,† I snapped. I looked back down at the couple, unwilling to make any promises yet. â€Å"What is it?† The man put his arm around the woman. â€Å"We've heard that you're both a great warrior and a great magic user.† â€Å"And clearly kind and compassionate,† added his wife. â€Å"And?† I asked. â€Å"And very beautiful and-â€Å" â€Å"No,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I mean, what's your boon?† â€Å"Our daughter has been taken,† the woman said, eyes filling with tears. â€Å"We beg you to help us get her back.† â€Å"Whoa. That might be a little beyond my reach,† I told them. â€Å"When you say taken, do you mean, like, kidnapped?† They both nodded, and I was swept by a strange sense of deja vu. I'd first stumbled into this Otherworldly mess when I'd been hired in the human world to also find a missing girl. The girl had turned out to be Jasmine, though I'd had no clue at the time that she was half-gentry, let alone my sister. Was my life destined to be filled with missing girls? Davros stepped forward, looking upset and embarrassed. â€Å"Your majesty, please ignore them for troubling you with something so meaningless. Their daughter was not taken by anyone. She ran off to Highmore with her lover from a neighboring village.† I glanced at Shaya and Rurik. â€Å"What's Highmore?† â€Å"Really?† asked Rurik dryly. â€Å"I thought you already knew everything.† I glared at him. â€Å"It's a city,† said Shaya. â€Å"The largest in this kingdom.† â€Å"Wait, what? I have cities?† I asked, feeling my eyes go wide. The distraught couple interrupted my new revelation. â€Å"Davros is wrong,† the woman said. â€Å"Our daughter did not run off. She was taken by the bandits who live in the passes.† â€Å"Everyone knows they're there,† added the man. He eyed Davros. â€Å"Them and their beasts. Even you won't deny their existence. They've been there for years, and she isn't the first girl to disappear.† I turned to Davros. â€Å"Is that true?† He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. â€Å"Well, yes, your majesty, but such brigands are nothing you need to concern yourself about, just as King Aeson did not.† â€Å"Wait. Aeson knew there were bandits going after you guys and didn't do anything?† â€Å"Such petty concerns were beneath him,† said Davros. To my astonishment, he seemed to believe that. â€Å"I don't know,† I said slowly. â€Å"If a monarch doesn't take care of that kind of thing, I'm not really sure what they're supposed to do.† Truthfully, I didn't want to deal with this any more than I wanted any other Thorn Land responsibilities. But the mention of Aeson had stirred my blood. Aeson had been a self-serving asshole, and it pissed me off that he would have left these people to fend for themselves. The only thing I wanted less than to be a ruler was to be a ruler like him. Furthermore, the same fury that Jasmine's abduction had stirred in me flared up. Maybe it was my own experience with always being chased down by aggressive men, but I hated the thought of any girl facing rape or abduction. It didn't matter that these were gentry girls and not humans. The principle was the same. Brigands and thieves taking advantage of young girls, of preying on those weaker, had to be stopped. â€Å"I'll send people to take care of these bandits,† I said finally. Behind me, Rurik made a strange sound. â€Å"But I can't make any guarantees about your daughter.† The couple's faces lit up, and they fell to the ground in gratitude. â€Å"Thank you, your majesty!† the woman cried. Her husband chimed in. â€Å"Truly you are generous and magnanimous and-â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, okay, there's no need for that,† I said hastily. â€Å"Or to kneel. You're going to get all dirty.† We had just started to ride away when Shaya leaned toward me. â€Å"You've made a lot of promises today.† I thought about it. She was right. I'd promised to help them get food, rebuild their infrastructure, and rid themselves of those who preyed upon them. â€Å"Yeah. I guess I did.† She gave me a bemused look. â€Å"And how are you going to accomplish all of this?† I glanced around us, noting that the faces watching us leave town were no longer blank and afraid. They were grateful and adoring. I sighed. â€Å"That,† I told her, â€Å"is an excellent question.†

Physical Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physical Changes - Essay Example These include: These form the basic steps that need to be taken by all irrespective of their age. The following sections will provide a brief of the various strategies that can be used to cope with the changes that are faced in each decade. People in their 40’s need to follow the tips provided. This stage of life requires the individuals to take extreme care of self as this is the starting stages for the changes in the bodies. IT is essential to check the vision on a regular basis (preferably every year), and to try to exercise every day. This will help reduce the issue of slow movements and responses. In the 50’s the intensity of the aging increases to a great extent hence, it is essential for the individuals to continue with the regular exercise routines and to use this as a chance to get complete body and health checkups. It is important to do so to keep the levels of sugar and blood pressure in place to avoid any kind of health issues. The 60s calls for extensive and uncompromised care and efforts for the individual (Kirkwood, 1999). The stage of life is very delicate with need for extensive care and support at all times. Any kind of irresponsible behavior at this stage can lead to the following years to be very difficult and full of struggles for the individual. Hence high levels of care need to be taken at this stage. Kato, R.R. 2000. Three essays in health economics: uncertainty and public health. PhD thesis, University of Essex. Accessed on 16th May 2009, Retrieved from

Manufacturing process for (intermediate modulus) IM Carbon fibre Coursework

Manufacturing process for (intermediate modulus) IM Carbon fibre reinforced composites - Coursework Example In certain procedures, the plastic is combined with some chemicals and forced through minute jets into an element bath or stimulate chamber where the plastic congeals and hardens into fibers. This is alike to the procedure applied to give polyacrylic textile fibers. Alternatively, the plastic combination is heated and propelled via minute jets into a chamber where the solvents vaporize, and remains a solid fiber (Mazumdar, 2002). The spinning stage is significant since the internal atomic arrangement of the fiber is made during this procedure. The fibers then are cleaned and strained to the preferred fiber breadth. The straining aids align the particles within the fiber and delivers the root for the creation of the firmly bonded carbon crystals after carbonization. Before carbonizing the fibers, they are chemically changed to transform their linear atomic bonding to a further thermally steady stepladder bonding. This is fulfilled by heating them in air to around 390-590Â ° F for between 120 minutes. This grounds the fibers to take oxygen particles from the air and reposition their nuclear bonding arrangement. The steadying chemical reactions are composite and include numerous steps, several of which happen concurrently (Morgan, 2005)... They too produce their particular heat, which ought to be controlled to evade overheating the fibers. Commercially, the steadiness procedure uses a variation of apparatus and systems. In some courses, the fibers are drained via a sequence of heated chambers. In others, the fibers are passed over rollers at high temperatures and through beds of unattached materials seized in suspension by a movement of hot air. Some methods use heated air combined with some gases which chemically hasten the stabilization. After the stabilization, the fibers are then heated to a temperature of around 1,830-5,500Â ° F for a number of minutes in a furnace full of a gas combination that does not comprise oxygen. The absence of oxygen avoids

Government HRD Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Government HRD Practice - Essay Example Todd discovered that participants reply positively to any adviser effort for acknowledgement of their Culture in evolving and applying programs to evolve human resources (Klass 2007). With The Persevering, And Tolerance for Ambiguity Facing the inescapable tension cross-cultural context is difficult. But the proficiency to reply to the proximity of distinct and unpredictable positions with little evident discomfort or irritation is wholeheartedly essential for HRD professionals worldwide. In numerous heritages, the ambiguity can change for the poorer, in some it's kind that permits you to present a kind of convictions and opinions. In some Culture, believing that only divine power can understand any thing for certain. In Japan, the ambiguity presents a structure inside which agreement can be satisfied. In the Middle East, it permits for negotiating and explaining problems. In Latin America, it was often the ground on which the business and it is improbable political alliances can be developed. In latest years, even in the U.S., where the ambiguity is not highly regarded, he performed a function in household and foreign policy. In periods of his 40 years of human asset development in the world, Len Nadler proposes that endurance was the ambiguity of its most precious connection he has discussed agreements, conceived programs, therapy, and suggested training. Commitment to the Values and Perform of HRD Healthy esteem for the occupation of HRD and anxiety for his expert likeness are significant relationships. They boost the practitioner should be well arranged for all undertakings for human asset development to take individual blame for his efforts, and care about value and improvement (Budhwar Schuler and... In latest years, even in the U.S., where the ambiguity is not highly regarded, he performed a function in household and foreign policy. In periods of his 40 years of human asset development in the world, Len Nadler proposes that endurance was the ambiguity of its most precious connection he has discussed agreements, conceived programs, therapy, and suggested training.Commitment to the Values and Perform of HRDHealthy esteem for the occupation of HRD and anxiety for his expert likeness are significant relationships. They boost the practitioner should be well arranged for all undertakings for human asset development to take individual blame for his efforts, and care about value and improvement (Budhwar Schuler and Sparrow 2009). Global HRD professionals are often inquired to work in tough situation, and odd, and often the things are insufficient and insufficient equipment. These situations are better than the firm promise and conviction in paid work and a good dose of flexibility in ho w work is done.Initiative and ResolveGlobal HR practices may be far from the head agency of support in positions where they require supplying any authority and management. Program participants may not have concern in the work, they desire the adviser can rest, relish the climate, and chat. There are even situations where scholars glimpse the teacher to enforce business standards and demeanour at work (such as administration by objectives and participative management), which contradicts their convictions and Culture practices.

Law of property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law of property - Essay Example Your principal has asked you to research and give her a brief report outlining the legal principles, and identifying the relevant cases and statutory provisions, as to whether You should include with your report (but not counting in the word limit) a list of all cases consulted (with references) and, if appropriate, statutory provisions that are closely relevant to the case, so that your principal can follow these up and give the appropriate advice. (ii) Your principal has also asked you to do a separate piece of research, unconnected with the properties above, to produce a short report on decisions in the cases in the last ten years in which the courts have considered and/or applied the concept of the termination of a lease by surrender by operation of law a) In order to determine if any person has any equitable or legal rights over Sheila's estate one has to consider if it is capable of being an equitable or legal interest. The first consideration under 1(1)(a) is that for there to be a legal interest it has to be an estate in fee simple absolute in possession and (b) A term of years absolute. The second consideration is under 1(2) which identifies only those interests which can be legal interest, which includes such examples as a legal lease of which both lease. The first question is whether Sheila's executors are bound by the leases created by Sheila. The first note to make is that all legal leases that Sheila has made are valid are binding. However, the question is whether this deeded lease is a legal lease because it is not in terms of years absolute, therefore not a legal lease; rather it is an equitable lease. Equitable leases must be registered if created after 1925 and the land is registered. If the land is not registered the n the lease is not binding if sufficient enquiry has been made and there is no obvious notice of occupation. In this case this would fail because there is a deed, which if sufficient enquiry had been made would have been findable. As we are dealing with executors of the estate they have actual notice because they hold the deed, therefore it is binding on them and any buyers because it would have to be made

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Aristotle - Essay Example The Apology that Plato gives may be witnessed as a continuation of Phaedo because here, he defends himself with regard to the charges of him corrupting the young people with his philosophy and not believing in the gods of the Greek cities. This paper provides an insight into these dialogues and their meanings. In Crito, Socrates has been viewed as a very calm individual despite waiting in a prison cell for his own execution. Socrates states that it is only fitting that he be calm in the face of death however; Crito arrives to help him escape and tells him that it would be unjust if Socrates simply gave his life up to his enemies’ hands. He talks about moral appeals to which Socrates replies by saying that he is a man who is guided by reason and rationality and is not scared about facing death. When it comes to the question of justice, he replies by saying that it would be unjust to carry on with the plan of the escapade and if it is not good to do injustice to people then it is not good to do injustice to injustice as well, like an eye for an eye. The Apology is a piece of art which is a charge against Socrates for both not believing in the Gods and questioning their abilities instead, as well as corrupting the youth with his morals and ethics. He defends himself in the presence of Delphi, the Oracle and he dialogue includes the cross examination that he has with Meletus. The dialogue has been divided into three parts with the first as the introduction of the charges, the second as the verdict and the final part depicting the sentencing that Socrates faces. However, the Apology is simply an account of philosophy and is not true in nature. Phaedo on the other hand is the last dialogue that Socrates states Socrates’ argument regarding the soul’s lasting appearance is based only on the probability of the soul’s continued existence after the death of the body, as per the comment and objection made by Cebes. He says that since Cebes

Federal Sentencing Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Federal Sentencing Guidelines - Essay Example Judges are allowed to sentence aside from the sentencing guidelines with an appropriate reason. In this case, other judges keep a sonorous glance on the sentencing if they are reasonable and appropriate. The basic objective to compile these sentencing guidelines manual is to immobilize crime and to augment the crime justice system giving the reasonable and efficient punishments. The first issue that congress wants to achieve by these sentencing guidelines is honesty. Congress want nation justice to punish criminal in a manner they can not only decrease the crime but also no favoritism may take a part and though, these guidelines help the criminal by lessen their punishment in good if they start doing well for the nation legally. The United States Commission also wants to have a uniform sentencing through out the nation. I.e., Every Federal Court sentence a crime in the same manner as it is treated on the other end of the nation. This may keep the criminal intact that they will be punished with the same sentence wherever they run. Third was the proportionality that is justified punishment that is not to impose a strict rule of act on a small amiss deed or furnish with an act of punis hment that is very least to the crime criminal ended with. There was an interaction with the crim... This person helps the nation catch the criminals red handed while making crimes. The advantage of this to the criminal that the years of chastisement can be reduce and the criminal can promise himself for staying the good man forever and always help the nation to save it from the criminals and terrorists. Castillo's attorney is confident enough for Castillo to receive a favorable consideration from the federal judges while final sentencing. This is only due to his study upon United States Sentencing Commission Guideline Manual, which is actually made for the uniformity of sentencing all over the States and open punishments for nation's knowledge. This strong belief of Castillo's attorney made us study the latest sentencing guideline manual easily available on Internet. The belief of Attorney that Castillo will receive a favorable deliberation from the judges is due to Federal Sentencing Guideline Manual. This manual about drugs visibly imposes the acts 2B1.1with the offence level 6; if the drugs are only steroids but not carrying any more vigorous acting ingredient. The act 2D1.1 may also force upon the criminal if the one is under age i.e., less than 18 (offence level = 26) or (offence level =13) otherwise. Similarly, it is declared that a criminal gets involve in a crime such that a history gets maintained that "Offence Saturatory Maximum" will lead that says that if the criminal get caught for drug supply once with no prior history may punish for ten to twenty years but if his criminal act is upon a history of same acts may implies him with the punishment for thirty years, the maximum rather than twenty years. A departure below the limit can be done if criminal's

Comparing and contrasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Comparing and contrasting - Essay Example The appellant was not accountable to his clients within a reasonable time in that he did not make the necessary payments to his clients and other practitioners within a reasonable time. There was also failure to reflect all financial transactions in the books of accounts and delay with the payments of trust money to clients after due demand without any lawful reason. The orders of the court in this case were that the striking the appellants name off the role of attorney was substituted and instead the appellant was suspended from practicing for one year. He was also not found guilty of unprofessional, dishonorable or unworthy conduct by the court. In the Davey case, the Law society brought against Meumann White a number of complaints before the court that include; touting for work and are thereby engaging in conduct which is likely to attract business unfairly. By securing work through conferring benefits upon estate agents in order to induce them to channel work for Meumann White they were guilty of conduct which impairs their independence by creating conflicts of interest which is explicitly prohibited by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act. MW’s extensive expenditure is directed at securing instructions for the firm this is the premeditated and disguised scheme to â€Å"buy work† in order to derived significant direct financial benefit as a result. The court gave its judgment ad concluded that in all the circumstances of the case brought by the law society that MW has not been guilty of any wrongdoing. The court laid down a test for permissible advertising which is of the nature that is calculated to attract business unfairly and this is the only restraint placed on the entitlement of an attorney to advertise. They are both applications by the society concerned for the attorneys to be struck off the roll of attorneys or they be suspended from practice by the

Organization and Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organization and Behavior Essay 1. Understand the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Structure 1.1. Compare and contrast three different organizational structures and cultures. The long term success and failure of every company depends on its structure – no matter how vague it may sound, structure of a company decides where the company will be in the near future. The three types of structures are: Functional structure – under this kind of structure, the company is divided into different groups, who are then assigned different tasks – like the accounts, the sales and admin, and the marketing departments. Divisional structure – this kind of structure is followed by companies with huge geographical area coverage. Each part of the area has a smaller division within the same umbrella group. Matrix structure – this is a combination of both the divisional and functional structures, and operates upon theories imported from these two structures. But, this structure is associated with ego clashes among the top positions, and power clashes. The different kinds of organizational cultures are as follows: Power culture: organizations following this kind of culture may be able to respond to crisis very quickly, but the problem is that the system is very centralized. This kind of culture relies heavily upon people rather than committees (Harris, 1994). Role culture – position is main criteria in the role culture. The organization is controlled by senior management at the top of the pyramid, and the system is also highly formalized. Task culture – this type of culture is practiced more often by organizations with a matrix structure. Main emphasis in this structure is given to completion of tasks. It strongly believes in the unified power of a team (Harris, 1994). 1.2. The relationship between an organization’s structure and culture There is a very strong relation between organizational structure and its culture, as only the perfect match of the two factors will lead to a good working environment in office. At TESCOS, as a store manger, it is  definitely a priority to look at the kind of attitude and behavior the employees are having, and how clean and suitable the culture is. If the structure of a company id hierarchical, with all the decisions being made at the top, the employees will have no or less freedom, and there will lack of autonomy at the lower level of the pyramid. On the other hand, if the power is divided between all the sections, the company culture will be lot more friendly, with the employees at all levels enjoying equal freedom (Parker, 2000). 1.3. Overview of four factors that can influence individual behavior at the Irish TESCOS Environment – more emphasis put on building a friendly and mutual environment in the workspace will ensure that team work and productivity of the company increases. Technology – the better the prevailing technology at the core of the company, the lesser the employees will have to work, and hence, better streamlined workflow and productivity can be ensured. Locus of control – employees who have an external locus of control will constantly criticize people, find faults, and also depend on others for their success. On the other hand, people with internal locus of control think that their own destiny is in their own hands. Customer Demand – though and external factor, but it is to be noted, that the more the demand, the more the sales, and greater the growth of the company (Parker, 2000). Task-2 2. Understand the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Structure 2.1. Compare three different leadership styles for three different business  organizations Leaders are different, and so are their leadership styles. Leaders are meant to motivate their team, and hence, leadership styles sculpt the outlook of the staffs. Here are the various leadership styles: Laissez Faire – in this kid of leadership style, the leaders allow a certain level of freedom is given to the staff, and trained directors are appointed to coordinate efficiently between the high level managers and the working staff (Antonakis et al, 2004). Autocratic style – under this style of leadership, the leaders keep an eye on the employees at all time, and face time is increased. There are a lot of arguments over this style of leadership, as there exists no or little freedom for the employees, and they sometimes find it extremely uncomfortable to work under these situations. But when practiced in a controlled manner, this style can be effective, especially under tight deadlines (Antonakis et al, 2004). Participative – This is a good balanced style, and a mix of both the autocratic and Laissez Faire styles. This gives a little bit of freedom to the employees, while the managers are still around supervising at all times. 2.2. How organizational theory underpins the practice of management for the Irish TESCOS In the Irish TESCOS scenario, organizational theory has a vital role to play. The authenticity and practicality of organizational theory has been questioned by many modern scholars, but the fact remains that these theories underpin and supports the stability of an organization. These theories, apart from helping the managers to find out the prevailing problems in the company, also help them to find the right method to deal with the problem, and ultimately solve it. There are a lot of these theories – they have been created in different  periods, with different economic and socio economic conditions – and the real art for managers’ lies in finding the best method out of these, and applying them in the present context. Some of these theories may seem to be obsolete these days in the age of ever changing technology, but it is to be understood that they form the base and foundation of companies across the world. 2.3. Evaluate four different approaches to management used by different organizations. The four different managerial approaches are as follows: Participative- Under this approach, the managers discusses and collaborates with his team managers about the decision making process. [pic] Bureaucratic- Bureaucratic is opposite to participative process, where the manager forces the team members to follow strict rules, and to obey a chain of commands (Tittemore, 2003). Autocratic – An autocratic manager is almost a ‘dictator’ who supervises his people at all steps and ensures job is done at the right time. Hands off approach- This is the friendliest approach of all, where the manager gives complete freedom to his men in all respects (Sapru, 2008). Task-3 3. Understand ways of using motivational theories in organizations 3.1. How different leadership styles impact employee motivation in periods of change Periods of change are often the periods when crisis happens. Hence, good leadership techniques are to be adopted by the leaders to protect the company from sudden jerks. Here are the most commonly practiced leadership  styles: Autocratic – managers following this style will never allow the team members to contribute towards the decision making process, and will try to establish huge confidence towards their own decisions. Democratic – totally opposite to autocratic style of leadership, when special attention is paid to what the team members think. The point of views of the employees is hence at least heard before making the final decision. Quiet – in this process of decision making highly trained employees are recruited by the manger, and then leaves day to day decision making to them, as he remains ‘quiet’. Transformational – as the name suggests, the manager practicing this method tries to encourage and motivate his team about the bright future of the company, and hence tries to extract more productive work from them (Robbins and Judge, 2008). 3.2. Identify the application of three different motivational theories within the workplace. Listed below are three different motivational theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs – Maslow states that human needs can be graphically represented as a pyramid, and they move from the bottom to the top; as the needs at the bottom are satisfied, man focuses on the next need at the top. These needs range from love needs, social needs, to self actualization (Maccoby, 1998). Carrot Stick – this theory was coined by Bentham, and explains that human is motivated by either of the two forces – fear or incentives. Either he will work to fulfill his money, security and other material needs, or he will work due to pressure and fear. The motivation – hygiene theory – this theory was introduced by Herzberg in 1959, and stresses on the fact that employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction is caused by some ‘hygiene factors’ (Maccoby, 1998). 3.3. The usefulness of a motivation theory for managers at the TESCOS in Ireland. Companies like the TESCOS do rely on their employees for not only production, but also for proper distribution and even product quality control. But to get exceptional performances from them it is required for the managers to provide proper motivational incentives. Motivational theories can help the TESCOS managers to properly motivate their employees and provide them proper job roles for increased productivity. Organizational Management – organizations use motivational theories to promote favorable working conditions at the organizational and departmental levels. Rewards – The reward system takes a lot from the expectancy theory, and helps motivating the employees to work even harder, as they see their work being appreciated. Perception of the employees in the equity theory, it ca be learnt that employees perceive the rewards given to them in exchange of the work that they need to do. When the perception and actual incentive matches, the employee gets motivated to perform better in the future (Robbins and Judge, 2008). Productivity – a lot of company incorporate goal setting as a fine tool to increase the productivity level of the employees. Task-4 4. Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organizations 4.1. Explain the nature of groups and group behavior within organizations. A group may be defined as a collection of individuals who have similar aims and are set to achieve the same goal. Groups are mainly of two types: Formal Groups – these groups are designed by companies, and each group is assigned different and specific tasks. Informal groups – these are groups formed by individuals themselves. Hence, they are not properly arranged, and not at all structured (Butler 1986). Groups are formed over a series of steps. They are: Forming – the initial stage of group formation. In this stage, the resources and other details required to form the group are procured. Storming – much like ‘brain storming’, in this stage, the individuals in each group challenge and try to find answers. Conflicts are common in this stage. Norming – in this stage, all conflicts are resolved, as the answers to the questions asked by the members are found. Performing – in this stage, coordination, and team work starts taking place between the different team members, and they start becoming a single unit. 4.2. Factors that may promote the development of effective teamwork in organizations The factors that can improve teamwork are: Good leadership – A good leader ca motivate his men in performing better and reaching greater heights. Hence, leadership is a factor that should never be underestimated. Leaders are adept in different theories and motivational methods, and the best leaders are those who can take spontaneous decisions (Parker, 2000).. Diversity – good teamwork develops as and when the members embrace diversity in terms of age, sex, religion and culture. Communication – if communication is strong among all the team members, everyone will be on the same page, and will also be equally informed. Great communication is the key to effective team building. Team Building Exercises – proper training is to provided for effective team building; and the training is to provided with the help of professionals who can indulge the team in proper drills and exercises. 4.3. Impact of technology on team functioning within TESCOS in Ireland. In the modern era, no organization can work without upgrading to the latest technological trends. Technology not only makes sure that the employees have to work less, but also ensures that the results are always accurate, and there is no repetition of jobs. While emails can help the employees to communicate with themselves and the third parties, devises like the Blackberry and Smart phones enable them to properly communicate. Teleconferencing allows the team to communicate over distances effectively without being physically present there. And of course, computers are, the more advanced, the better. Not only TISCOS, but every company these days understand of the important role that technology plays, and hence have started to upgrade to the latest technological updates. References Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. T. and Sternberg, R. J., 2004. The Nature of Leadership. New York: Sage Publications, Inc. Butler Jr., J.K., 1986. A global view of informal organization. Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. Harris, S. G., 1994. Organizational Culture and Individual Sensemaking: A Schema-Based Perspective. Organization Science, Vol. 5,(3): pp. 309–321. Maccoby, M., 1998. Why Work: Motivating and Leading the New Generation. New York: Simon Schuster. Parker, M., 2000. Organizational Culture and Identity. London: Sage. Robbins, S. and Judge, T., 2008. Essentials of Organizational Behavior. 9thEd, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sapru, R.K., 2008. Administrative Theories and Management Thought. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, p 276 Tittemore, J. A., 2003. Leadership at all Levels. Canada: Boskwa Publishing.

Dementia Awarness Essay Example for Free

Dementia Awarness Essay 1. The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimers disease or a series of strokes. The term ‘dementia’ is often misunderstood and some people use the terms ‘senile’, ‘dementia’ and ‘Alzheimer’s’ interchangeably, thinking that they are one and the same thing. 2. Key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia. The brain, along with the spinal cord, makes up the central nervous system, and it is this that controls all of our body’s functions. The brain is made up of cells an within the brain there are billions of nerve cells that are known as neurons. These neurons communicate with each other and with other parts of the body by sending messages (impulses) via a system of nerve pathways. Chemical and electrical signals are necessary in controlling bodily functions ie language, decision-making, memory, personality, behavior, sensing and interpreting our environment, and controlling muscle movements. If the neurons and synapses of the brain become damaged by dementia they may have difficulty or be unable to carry the messages that tell the sections of the brain what to do. Depending on the area of the brain affected, this can result in changes to the way the individual thinks, or may result in physical impairments, personality and behavioral changes or the inability to perform certain functions. 3. If a person shows signs of cognitive impairment, it should not automatically be assumed that they have dementia. There are other conditions that have similar symptoms to those of dementia. Depressions is a common condition which can be triggered by lifes events and can be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. A person who is suffereing from depression can show similarsymptoms to a person who has dementia. Depession can effect concentration, motivation and ability to manage everyday tasks. Delirium can also be mistaken as dementia, Delirium can deveopl quickly and is isually reversable. People have hallucinations, delusions, probles thinking or serve confusion. Some of the causes include dehydration, pain, low blood sugar level or a chest/urinary infection. 4. Medical model relates to clinical approach ie. how the changes occur within the brain, managing the condition with medication, etc Dementia as a clinical syndrome is characterized by global cognitive impairment, which represents a decline from previous level of functioning, and is associated with impairment in functional abilities and, in many cases, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances. 5. Social model is more about the person, how it affects individuals. The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviors of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography. By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. 6. People who have dementia should be view as a disability because they are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation. Turning on the stove or water and forgetting to turn it off, locking doors, crossing streets etc, this can be dangerous even deadly. In the same way you would not think as an infant incapable of self care a person with dementia can not be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult makes them disabled. 7. Dementia is not a single disease in itself, but a general term to describe symptoms such as impairments to memory, communication and thinking. Vascular dementia Injury HIV infection Reversible factors Memory loss A person with dementia may show any of the following problems, mostly due to memory loss some of which they may notice (or become frustrated with) themselves, while others may only be picked up by carers or healthcare workers as a cause for concern. 8. Mixed dementia refers to a diagnosis of two or three types occurring together. A person may show both Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia at the same time. Or the combination could be Lewy bodies and Alzheimers. There can also be a combination of all three types. Recent memory loss a sign of this might be asking the same question repeatedly, forgetting about already asking it. Difficulty completing familiar tasks for example, making a drink or cooking a meal, but forgetting and leaving it. Problems communicating difficulty with language by forgetting simple words or using the wrong ones. Disorientation with time and place, getting lost on or in a familiar street/place close to home. Poor judgment example A well person might get distracted and forget to watch a child for a little while. People with dementia, however, might forget all about the child and just leave the house for the day. Problems with abstract thinking for example, dealing with money. Misplacing things including putting them in the wrong places and forgetting about doing this. Mood changes unlike those we all have, swinging quickly through a set of moods. Personality changes becoming irritable, suspicious or fearful, for example. Loss of initiative showing less interest in starting something or going somewhere. 9. Some of the risk factors associated with dementia can be managed through lifestyle changes or appropriate medical treatments. Dementia can be due to age that means as we get older, we are more likely to develop dementia. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (like heart disease and stroke) are also risk factors for all dementia. Some studies suggest that enjoying an active life, with lots of interests and hobbies might be beneficial. Other researchers have found that spending more time in education is associated with a lower risk. The genes we inherit from our parents only have a small effect on our risk of dementia. In very rare cases, a faulty gene can be passed down in a family that causes the disease in anyone who inherits it. Some forms of Alzheimer’s and dementia can be caused by faulty genes. 10. Alzheimers is the most prevalent. 5. 4 million possibly more have Alzheimers. 5. 2 million are over the age of 65 years old. 200,000 people under the age of 65 have Alzheimers and are considered to have early onset Alzheimers. Vascular Dementia is the second most prevalent. After that things convoluted a bit but Dementia with lewy bodies is probably third. 11. People with dementia may not necessarily always be forgetful, for example an individual with Front-temporal dementia may be less forgetful than a person suffering from Alzheimer disease. There memory may remain intact but their personality and behavior could be noticeably changed. Dementia with Lewy bodies is caused by neurodegeneration linked to abnormal structures in the brain. Here, the brain changes involve a protein called alpha-synuclei this interrupts the normal functioning and affect the persons memory. 12. Dementia can have a big impact on a person’s behaviour. People with dementia face widespread discrimination for a number of reasons. There remains significant misunderstanding about and stigma attached to dementia that manifests itself in widespread discriminatory attitudes. Because most people with dementia are over the age of 65, they can also face issues of age discrimination. People with dementia are also more at risk of discrimination and infringements of their human rights because they may not have the capacity to challenge abuses of their human rights or to report what has occurred. This means that many people with dementia and their carers face a poorer quality of life than the general population. People with dementia and those who care for them should be treated with dignity and respect, and should have access to high quality care, that is based on an assessment of personal needs and preferences.

Pathogenic Etiology of Atherosclerosis

Pathogenic Etiology of Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis Heart Coronary Special Topics in Pathophysiology Introduction to the Components of the Cardiovascular System: To understand the basis of this paper, the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, it is vital to appreciate the basic physiology of the heart, circulatory system, and most importantly, the coronary arteries. This fundamental comprehension will lay the foundation to better understand the devastation caused to the coronary arteries by the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This may also provide insight into prevention and treatment strategies to counteract the destructive mechanism of this disease. The heart is a very small, vitally important organ composed of four muscular chambers: the right and left atria, and the right and left ventricles. The atria have relatively thin muscular walls, allowing them to be highly distensible [1]; whereas the ventricles are of greater muscular thickness, which is vital for pumping the blood to the pulmonary and systemic circuits. A normal healthy heart has two main functions: to pump blood to the pulmonary circuit where the blood becomes oxygenated and to pump the oxygen-rich blood to the systemic circuit. The heart is essentially a small, muscular pump that is responsible for propelling deoxygenated blood to the lungs, while correspondingly pumping nutrient rich, oxygenated blood to the body. Once the blood leaves the left ventricle, it enters the aorta and corresponding network of arteries that constitute the circulatory system. Blood vessels are divided into four categories: arteries (take oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body), arterioles (branch out from the arteries leading into the capillaries), capillaries (smallest of blood vessels where gas and nutrient exchange occurs), and veins (carry deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart). Arteries and veins have different functions; however, they both are composed of three distinct layers: tunica intima, tunica media, and the tunica adventita [2]. The tunica intima is the innermost layer of any given blood vessel; it includes the endothelial lining and a layer of connective tissue containing variable amounts of elastic fibers [3]. The tunica media is the middle layer which contains concentric sheets of smooth muscle composed of elastin and collagen fibers [3]. It is this smooth muscle that when stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system either constricts, decreasing the diameter of the lumen (vasoconstriction), or it relaxes, increasing the diameter of the vessel lumen (vasodilation) [2]; the role of these vasoactivators will be discussed later in this paper. Lastly, the tunica adventitia is the outer most layer, which is composed of collagen and elastin fibers. Often, this outer layer is blended into adjacent tissues allowing the anchoring and stabilization of some vessels [2]. As the heart is an organ continuously doing work, the cardiac muscle cells are in need of a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. It is the coronary circulation that is responsible for the blood supply to the cardiac tissues, via an extensive network of coronary arteries. Both the left and right coronary arteries originate from the base of the ascending aorta within the aortic sinus [1,3]. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays an important role as neurogenic stimuli have the ability to restrain the extent of coronary vasodilation. This neuromodulation governs the rate of release of vasoconstrictive norepinephrine (NE), which is increased by the adrenergic activation and angiotension II (AII) [1]. Other vasoconstrictors include ÃŽ ±1 and ÃŽ ±2 adrenergic activity, AII, and endothelin. Vasoconstrictive stimuli are also responsible for an increase in free cytosolic calcium in the vascular smooth muscle, resulting in the homeostasis of myocardial contraction [4]. Importantly, these vasoconstrictive adrenergic influences are opposed by vasodilatory influences such as ÃŽ ²-adrenergic vascular receptors and metabolic mechanisms such as nitric oxide (NO), adenosine (ATP) and the activation of vascular ATP dependent potassium channels (KATP) [1]. With this, there are three essential regulators of coronary tone: i) the metabolic vasodilatory system; ii) the neurogenic control system (more vasoconstrictive than vasodilatory); and iii) the vascular epithelium, which can be either vasodilatory by releasing NO or vasoconstrictive by releasing endothelin-1 [1, 4]. Thus, we must keep in mind that endothelin-1 is one of the more powerful vasoconstrictors, especially when endothelial damage is extensive [1, 4]. These vasoactive substances are activated by their respective and very different, signaling pathways; thus contributing to the complexities of atherosclerosis, making it a true multifactorial disease. As with other vessels within the body, when there is an increased demand for oxygen, vasodilation of the coronary arteries occurs. This vasodilation is usually mediated by the release of NO from healthy endothelium; in contrast, when the endothelium is damaged, it releases vasoconstrictive endothelin [1]. It is because of their vital importance that the coronary arteries have gained popular attention when they are partially or completely occluded by atherosclerotic plaques. These atherosclerotic plaques cause inadequate oxygen supply to the cardiac tissue resulting in tissue death (myocardial infarction), and various other forms of heart diseases [1]. Therefore without an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the myocardial muscle, the heart will cease to function properly. This basic foundation will give us a better idea on how a healthy cardiovascular system functions. Therefore allowing us to understand the drastic effects a disease such as atherosclerosis can have on this system. The main focus of this paper will be on atherosclerosis; however other forms of heart disease will be discussed to solidify the idea of how destructive atherosclerosis can be. Thus, the remainder of this paper will focus on the cellular mechanisms behind atherosclerosis, along with old and new thoughts in regards to the etiology and treatment options for this type of heart disease. Their Underlying Relation of Atherosclerosis to Other Coronary Heart Diseases: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the dominant chronic disease in many parts of the world, and early in the 21st century it is predicted to become the main cause of disability and death worldwide [5]. CVD represents a very broad category of conditions that affect the heart and circulatory system. Common risk factors include: blood pressure (hypertension), total cholesterol (LDL and HDL), diabetes, obesity, left ventricular hypertrophy, and genetic predisposition [6]. The most prominent and worrisome of these diseases are those that contribute to coronary heart disease. The coronary heart diseases of interest include: ischemic heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and most importantly, atherosclerosis. As a result of these coronary heart diseases, cardiac output is often depressed and often increases the oxygen demand needed by the cardiac tissues. Therefore the effects of coronary heart disease cannot be taken lightly, as the effects can be highly variable, ranging from diffuse damage, to localized narrowing or stenosis of the coronary arteries [7]. Importantly, these coronary diseases have direct vasodilatory effects of the coronary circulation, acting by the formation of adenosine and NO, and the opening of the KATP channels; also the vascular endothelium is damaged, causing the vasodilatory stimuli to be overcome by the vasoconstrictors such as endothelin and AII [1]. By discussing these other forms of coronary heart disease, the reader will better understand the relationship between these diseases and atherosclerosis; allowing a better understanding of the importance for prevention and treatment strategies of coronary heart disease. Traditionally, it has been thought that the major cause of myocardial ischemia is the result of fixed vessel narrowing and abnormal vascular tone, caused by atherosclerosis-induced endothelial cell dysfunction [6]. This narrowing of the coronary arteries reduces the blood and oxygen flow to the myocardial tissues. It is the cessation of the myocardial blood flow due to atherosclerotic occlusions that results in the immediate physiological and metabolic changes. Unfortunately, the heart cannot increase oxygen extraction on demand, therefore any additional oxygen requirements are met by increasing the blood flow and autoregulation of the coronary vasculature [6]. This oxygen imbalance may also be an underlying cause for not only myocardial ischemia, but contractile cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, infarction, and sometimes death [5]. However, important to note is the heart’s unique ability to adapt to these sudden changes in coronary blood flow by correspondingly decreasing the rate of cardiac contraction [1,5]. Thus, the decreased work during ischemia proportionately decreases the oxygen demand and helps conserve the underperfused myocardium [1]; this protective mechanism prevents further damage and cell death due to decreased oxygen levels. Besides physiological factors, there are also metabolic changes that occur immediately after the initial onset of ischemia. The myocardial energy metabolism shifts from aerobic (mitochondrial) metabolism to anaerobic glycolysis within a few seconds [5]; simultaneously, the energy depletion causes the myocardial contraction to diminish, eventually ceasing altogether. Consequently, due to the inhibited mitochondrial metabolism, there is an increase in adenosine concentrations; which causes the adenosine to bind to the smooth muscle receptors, decreasing calcium entry into the cells, thus causing relaxation due to vasodilation [7,8]. Overall, the inability to meet the myocardial oxygen demand often results in severe, vice-like chest pain, or more commonly known as angina pectoris. Angina pectoris often is an associated symptom of myocardial ischemia and is the common medical term used to describe chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease without myocardial necrosis. Interestingly, angina can also occur in people with valvular disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension). Currently there are three major variations of angina pectoris. The first is known as stable angina, or more commonly, chronic stable angina. This form of angina is characterized by a fixed, obstructive atheromous plaque in one or more coronary arteries [1,7,9]. Patients who suffer from chronic stable angina usually have episodes of discomfort that are usually predictable. The discomfort is experienced shortly after over exertion and/or mental or emotional stress; these symptoms are usually relieved by rest, nitroglycerin, or a combination of both. Again, the major contributing factor in stable angina is due to the coronary vasoconstrict ion caused by atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction [7]. A second form of angina is known as unstable angina. Unstable angina is characterized by unexpected chest pain which usually occurs at rest without any type of physical exertion. This chest pain is due to coronary artery stenosis caused by atherosclerotic plaque or the narrowing of the vessels obstructed by blood clots. Also other key factors in unstable angina include inflammation and infection [7,9]. The last form of angina is the variant angina, or more commonly known as Prinzmetal’s Angina [7]. This form of angina is manifested by episodes of focal coronary artery spasm in the absence of atherosclerotic lesions [7,9]. The coronary vasospasm alone reduces coronary oxygen supply and is thought to be caused in response to abnormal endothelial dependent vasodilators (Acetylcholine – ACh, and serotonin) [1,7]. These coronary spasms are often manifested by the coronary atheroma which damages the vascular endothelium, causing a decreased production of vasodilators (NO and prostaglandin – PGI2) and an increase in vasoconstrictive factors such as endothelin and AII [1]. Often when someone is diagnosed with either form of angina, they are usually monitored closely, as they are at an increased risk of a heart attack (myocardial infarction), cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death. A myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the resultant complication when the blood supply to part of the heart is interrupted. This ischemic oxygen shortage causes damage and sometimes death to the heart tissues. Important associated risk factors include: atherosclerosis, previous heart attack or stroke, smoking, high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure [10]. Often referred to as an acute myocardial infarction, it is part of the acute coronary syndromes which includes ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina [1,7,10]. As with angina, the pain experienced may result from the release of mediators such as adenosine and lactate from the ischemic myocardial cells onto the local nerve endings [7]. This ischemic persistence triggers a process called the ischemic cascade [5], which usually results in tissue death due to necrosis. Certain factors such as psychological stressors and physical exertion have been identified as major triggering factors involved with acute myocardial infarctions. Often these acute myocardial infarctions are brought on by the rupturing of atherosclerotic plaques, which then promote thrombus (blood clot) formation causing further occlusion of the arteries. This atherosclerotic blockage thus initiates myocardial necrosis, which in turn activates systemic responses to inflammation causing the release of cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFÃŽ ±) [7,10]. Damaged caused by myocardial necrosis includes: i) loss of critical amount of ATP, ii) membrane damag e induced metabolically or mechanically, iii) formation of free radicals, iv) calcium overload, and v) sodium pump inhibition [1]. Apart from damaging the myocardial tissue, an acute myocardial infarction can cause varying pathophysiological changes in other organ systems. Some of these changes include: decreased pulmonary function – gas exchange, ventilation, and distribution of perfusion, decreased vital capacity; reduction in hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen, causes hyperglycemia and impaired glucose function, increases the plasma and urinary catecholamine levels (thus enhancing platelet aggregation), and also has been found to increase blood viscosity [5]. From the above evidence, we can see that coronary heart disease should not be looked at light heartedly. It is due to their similarity that the different coronary heart diseases can be diagnosed using a given set of molecular markers and other diagnostic tools. Serum cardiac markers have become widely used when it comes to diagnosing the extent and type of coronary heart disease a patient is symptomatic of. Also, these tests have allowed physicians to diagnose an additional one third of patients that do not exhibit all criteria of a given disease [5], thus preventing more premature deaths. The most common of these cardiac markers are myocardial bound creatine kinase (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin l and t (cTnl and cTnT). These markers are often found within a blood sample as levels start to rise between 3-8 hours and 3-4 hours respectively [7]. More recently, new ‘risk factor’ biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), myeloperoxidase (MPO) [11, 12], and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 [12] are being studied more in depth as alternative cardiac markers. Although cardiac biomarkers are heavily used, the role of noninvasive technologies also plays a major role in diagnosing coronary heart disease. These noninvasive metho ds include electrocardiography, exercise stress testing, echocardiography, cardiovascular MRI, and CT imaging of the heart [5]. Some invasive, intravascular techniques include ultrasound, thermography, near infrared spectroscopy, cardiac catheterization, and cardiac angiography [12]. As coronary heart disease is the leading cause of hospitalization and death among today’s population, primary and secondary prevention strategies need to be considered with the utmost importance. Primary prevention generally means the effort set forth to modify risk factors and prevent their development delaying or preventing new onset coronary heart disease [13]. As for secondary prevention, this often refers to the therapy involved to reduce recurrent coronary heart disease events; thus secondary preventions are essentially treatment strategies. The most common and less intensive of these treatment strategies are that of the pharmaceutical therapies. Often, these drug regimes range from the daily aspirin intake to angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), to ÃŽ ²-blockers and nitrates [12]. These drug therapies often lower the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Unfortunately daily drug regimes do not work for everyone. Some people have their coronary heart dise ase surgically corrected either by angioplasty (insertion of stent to keep the blocked vessel open) or by means of a more complex surgery consisting of a single to multiple coronary artery bypass. With everything considered, drug therapies and surgical correction are only a means of correcting the problem; patients are also encouraged to increase physical activity and change their daily dietary habits in becoming more successful in reducing risk of development or progression of coronary artery disease. These different forms of coronary heart disease are very closely related to one another, more importantly, closely related to atherosclerosis. As discussed previously, coronary heart diseases are characterized by the narrowing or stenosis of the coronary vessels, usually caused by the atherosclerotic plaque formation due to endothelial cell dysfunction. As a result, atherosclerosis is the underlying mechanism for ischemic heart disease, angina pectoris (stable, unstable, and variant), myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death [12]. Therefore it is important to understand the cellular pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which will lead to a better understanding resulting in better prevention and treatment strategies for all forms of atheroma induced coronary heart disease. Introduction to Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis, the primary etiology of cardiovascular disease, is characterized by intimal plaque that forms as a time-dependent response to arterial injury [14]. Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting the arterial blood vessels, which is commonly known as â€Å"hardening of the arteries.† This form of coronary heart disease is the principle source of both cerebral and myocardial infarction, gangrene of the extremities, and loss of function of both organs and tissues [15]; this disease is ultimately responsible for a majority of deaths in North America, Europe, and Japan [16]. The method of atherogenesis is not fully understood, however there are a number of current models that suggest that stressors corrupt the vascular integrity allowing the abnormal accumulation of lipids, cells and extracellular matrix within the arterial wall [7]. Due to its very slow progression, it is not surprising that atherosclerosis goes undetected and remains asymptomatic until the atheroma obstr ucts the blood flow within the artery [14,16]; hence atherosclerosis is often referred to as the â€Å"silent killer†. Often, the atherosclerotic plaque can be divided into three distinct components. The first being the atheroma, which is the nodular accumulation of the soft, flaky, and yellow material of the plaques, usually composed of macrophages closest to the lumen of the artery. The second component is the underlying areas of cholesterol crystals, and the third is the calcification at the outer base of the older/more advanced lesions [17]. Collectively, these components constitute the basis of the atherosclerotic plaques. These atherosclerotic plaques are responsible for the arterial narrowing (stenosis) or they may rupture and provoke thrombosis [7, 14, 15]; either way the atherosclerotic plaque causes an insufficient blood supply to the heart and other organs. As discussed previously, the atherosclerotic plaques lead to other major complications such as ischemia, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, and causes impaired blood flow to the kidneys and lower extremities. Interestingly, arteries without many branches (internal mammary or radial arteries) tend not to develop atherosclerosis [5]. One of the most evidence-based hypotheses regarding atherogenesis is that of the response-to-injury hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that the atherosclerotic lesions represent a specialized form of a protective, inflammatory, fibroproliferative response to various forms of insult to the arterial wall [15]. This seems to be a reoccurring theme, as now atherosclerosis is considered to be a form of chronic inflammation between modified lipoproteins, monocyte derived macrophages, T cells, and normal cellular elements of the arterial wall [16, 18]. As with other diseases, there are a number of physiological factors that increases one’s risk for developing atherosclerosis. These factors include: age, sex, diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, tobacco smoking, estrogen status, physical inactivity, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia [7, 19]. The remainder of this paper will shift its focus to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis including the ideas of endothelial dysfunction, lipoprotein entry and modification, recruitment of leukocytes, recruitment of smooth muscle; as well as other contributing factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Also, the cellular complications of atherosclerosis will be discussed. Endothelial Dysfunction – Primary Initiation of Atherosclerosis: Healthy arteries are often responsive to various stimuli, including the shear stress of blood flow and various neurogenic signals. These endothelial cells secrete substances that modulate contraction and dilation of the smooth muscle cells of the underlying medial layer [7]. These healthy endothelial cells are also responsible for the inhibition of migration of smooth muscle cells to the intimal layer [20] and they also play an important role in immune responses. Normal functional characteristics of healthy endothelium includes: i) ability to act as a permeable barrier between the intravascular and tissue space, ii) ability to modify and transport lipoproteins into the vessel wall, iii) acts as a non-thrombogenic and non-leukocyte adherent surface, iv) acting as a source of vasoactive molecules, v) act as a source of growth regulatory molecules, and vi) a source of connective tissue matrix molecules [14, 15]. Overall, in a normal, healthy state, the endothelial layer provides a prote ctive, non-thrombogenic surface with homeostatic vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory properties [7]. It is widely known that the endothelium is responsible for the synthesis and release of several vasodilators such as: NO, endothelium derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs), endothelial derived relaxing factors (EDRFs), and prostacyclin (PGI2) [7, 20]. These vasodilators utilize a G-coupled signaling pathway, where NO diffuses from the endothelium to the vascular smooth muscle where it activates guanylyl cyclase (G-cyclase) [7]. The G-cyclase in turn forms cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) from cGTP; an increase in cGMP results in smooth muscle relaxation which subsequently involves a reduction of cytosolic Ca2+. Aside from these anti-thrombic substances, the endothelium also produces prothrombic molecules including endothelin-1 and other endothelium derived contracting factors (EDFCs) [20]. Importantly, the endothelium derived NO not only modulates the tone of the underlying vascular smooth muscle, but is also responsible for the inhibition of several proatherogenic processes. These processes include smooth muscle proliferation and recruitment, platelet aggregation, oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDLs), monocyte and leukocyte recruitment, platelet adhesion, and the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines [20]. Therefore, relating back to the response-to-injury hypothesis, loss of these endothelial functions promotes endothelial dysfunction, thus acting as the primary event in atherogenesis. Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be an initiating event which leads to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. For this reason endothelial dysfunction has been shown to be of prognostic significance in predicting such vascular events as heart attacks or strokes [21]. It has been established that endothelial cell dysfunction is characterized by alterations in vascular permeability and inadequate production of NO [4, 22, 23]; thus predisposing the endothelium to the development of atheromas. Interestingly, in response to initial atheroma formation, the arteries often dilate, causing outward remodeling of the vessel for this accommodation [4]; however if this remodeling is insufficient, the blood flow is impaired, thus causing ischemia [4]. Several physical and chemical factors are responsible for affecting normal endothelial function. Some common factors discussed previously include diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, age, diet, and physical inactivity. However, more importantly are the physiological factors: i) impairment of the permeable barrier, ii) release of inflammatory cytokines, iii) increase transcription of cell-surface adhesion molecules, iv) altered release of vasoactive substances (PGI2 and NO), and v) interference with normal anti-thrombotic properties [7]. Commonly, endothelial dysfunction is characterized by the reduction of vasodilators NO and PGI2, and the increase of various endothelial derived contracting factors [23, 24]. This impairment may also predispose the vessels to vasospasm [22]. This decrease in NO bioavailability is thought to cause a decreased level of expression of endothelial cell NO synthetase (eNOS) [21], thus reducing the likelihood of vasodilation from occurring. Apart from its vasodilatory role, NO is also responsible for resisting inflammatory activation of endothelial functions such as expression of the adhesion molecule VCAM-1 [5]. NO has also appeared to exert anti-inflammatory action at the level of gene expression by interfering with nuclear factor kappa B (NFÃŽ ºB), which is important in regulating numerous genes involved in inflammatory responses [5]; these inflammatory responses will be discussed later on. The other common vasodilator, PGI2 is also reduced during endothelial dysfunction. PGI2 is a major product of vascular cyclooxygenase (COX) and is considered a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation [20]. Like NO, PGI2 is an endothelial derived product which is often produced in response to shear stress (commonly caused by blood flow) and hypoxia [20]. By understanding the other roles NO and PGI2 play within the endothelium, we can see that a decrease in one or the other ultimately leads to dysfunction and disruption of the endothelium. As a result of vasodilator reduction, the endothelium often synthesizes and releases EDCFs causing endothelial constriction. The major constrictors include superoxide anions (which act by scavenging NO – thus further reducing NO levels), thromboxane A2, endothelin-1, AII, and ÃŽ ±-adrenergic factors [20]. Unlike the vasodilators, the vasoconstrictors utilize two signaling pathways. The ÃŽ ± 1-adrenergic receptor signaling pathways utilize the same G-coupled pathway as the vasodilators (discussed previously) however instead of cGMP; it ut ilizes cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) [1]. The other constrictors including thromboxane A2, endothelin-1 and AII utilize the cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway; where the activated kinase acts as a trigger for various physiological effects, including increased contractile activity on the arterioles [1]. The overall progression of atherosclerotic plaque formation is best illustrated in Figure 1, which showcases multiple events that are simultaneously triggered by endothelial dysfunction. Apart from the imbalance of vasoactivators, endothelial dysfunction is responsible for initiating two other separate pathways that also participate in the progression of plaque formation and growth. Lipoprotein entry is the next initial stage in atherogenesis. This is then followed by the modification and entry of lipoproteins, the recruitment of leukocytes, and the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Overall this â€Å"evolutionary† process best represents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques within the vessels. Lipoprotein Entry and Modification: Lipid accumulation is another major manifestation of the vascular response to injury, and is accelerated by the entry and modification of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are composed of both lipids and proteins, and help transport water-insoluble fats throughout the bloodstream [7, 25]. The lipid core is surrounded by hydrophilic phospholipids, free cholesterol and apoliporoteins; where the protein portion has a charged group, aimed outwards to attack water molecules, thus making the lipoproteins soluble in the plasma of the blood [26, 27]. In total, there are five major classes of lipoproteins: the chylomicrons, very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs), intermediate low density lipoproteins (ILDLs), low density lipoproteins (LDLs), and the high density lipoproteins (HDLs). The chylomicrons provide the primary means of transport of dietary lipids, while the VLDLs, ILDLs, LDLs, and HDLs function to transport endogenous lipids [16, 25]. Of the lipoproteins, the LDLs are of most interest. Inter estingly high LDL levels often correlate closely with atherosclerosis development, whereas high HDL levels protect against atherosclerosis; the HDL protection is thought to be related to its ability to transport lipids away from the peripheral tissues back to the liver for disposal [7]. A key component to the accumulation of lipids is due to the endothelial dysfunction, which causes a loss of selective permeability and barrier function. This ineffective permeability allows for the entry of LDLs into the intima lining of the vessels [7, 16]. The highly elevated circulating levels of LDLs are colloquially referred to as having hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, or dyslipidemia [7, 25-27]. In either case, once the LDL has entered the intima of the vessel, the LDL starts accumulating in the subendothelial space by binding to components of the extracellular matrix, the proteoglycans; lipolytic and lysosomal enzymes also play a role in lipid accumulation [27]. Importantly, statins lower circulating cholesterol levels by indirectly inhibiting HMG CoA-reductase (rate limiting enzyme required for endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis [16]. This results in the decrease of intracellular cholesterol levels, which leads to the activation of SREBP, upregulation of LDL receptors, and the clearance from plasma degradation of LDL; thus reducing circulating LDL levels [16]. When the lipid accumulation increases the residence time that the LDL occupies within the vessel wall, it allows more time for lipoprotein modification [7]; which appears to play a key role in the continued progression of the atherosclerotic plaque. Often, endothelial cell dysfunction leads to the altered expression of lipoprotein receptors used to internalize and modify various lipoproteins [14]. These changes usually occur via oxidative modifications. The oxidative modification hypothesis (figure 2) focuses on the concept that LDLs in their native state are often not atherogenic [27]. It is believed, however, that LDLs are modified chemically by the endothelial cells [26] and are readily internalized by macrophages (formation of the foam cell) via the ‘scavenger-receptor’ pathway [27]. Essentially the â€Å"trapped† LDL within the subendothelial space is oxidized by the resident vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages. As a result t