International Business Strategy Entry of the Asian...

International Business Strategy: Asian Latin-American Firm Entry in Europe Manufacturing Sector Introduction The primary goal of this study is to examine the strategic goals of the Asian-Latin-American firm and it sentry into the European manufacturing sector and its goals in Research and Development and product development focused on becoming one of the top technological leaders in the industry. This firm hopes to use the technological knowledge gained from the investments in Europe to develop products and product processes in their home base and to use this to expand their exports to Europe and the U.S. This telecommunications device-manufacturing firm has an international joint venture with the leading German MNC in this industry. The German MNC is unhappy with the joint ventures performance due to what it holds as theft of intellectual property by it Asian/Latin American partner. Report on International Business Strategy. The industry in which the firm is situated must be identified and all of the primary industry-specific factors that may affect the selection of the Europe country. Ins titution and cultural factors affecting the selected industry and the industry-specific factors on organizational structure and control strategies must be identified. I. 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Sports Nutrition And Exercise Physiology - 1638 Words

ABSTRACT Sports nutrition combines the sciences of nutrition and exercise physiology. It is a specialization within the field of nutrition that partners closely with the study of human body and exercise science. With so much emphasis placed on sports nowadays, there has been a dramatic increase in the research and development of the perfect nutrition plan a sportsperson may need. It is a well- documented fact that nutrition is fundamental to the athletic performance of a professional athlete. Today the world of sports is much more competitive than the earlier days. In a bid to beat the competition, athletes need to stay fit and healthy at all times. Having a prescribed nutrition can help a sportsperson achieve his/her goals more easily.†¦show more content†¦The food that provides the athletes and even us for that matter the energy are mainly Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats. ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A HEALTHY DIET Carbohydrate in the form of glucose is the main ingredient that provides the energy and fuel during exercise. Glucose is stored in the muscles as glycogen which is used as the body exercises to refuel. Muscles are the storage areas for the glycogen and these need to be continually refilled as we use energy. Adequate carbohydrate is necessary for the body during exercise as an insufficient amount may lead to fatigue of the muscles. Some foods that contain a rich amount of carbohydrate are pasta, rice, bread, fruits and vegetables. Proteins are the building blocks of muscles and are one of the most essential part of an athlete’s diet. After exercise and training, proteins help to rebuild and repair the muscle damage and replenish it. Chicken, lamb, beef and many meats are very rich in protein and should form an important source of protein in the daily diet. Nowadays, the most common form of protein intake is fulfilled by the numerous protein supplements in the form of shakes, tablets and bars that have flooded the market. According to research, these supplements help to enhance performance and build muscle fast and help in faster recovery processes. There is a wide variety of protein supplements in the market and one should be careful while selecting what

Economics for Business and Management for Growth - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theEconomics for Business and Management for Growth. Answer: Introduction This report outlines the Economic forecast of Australian economy. It is based on the economic performance of the economy with the results of central bank decisions and monetary policy. The economic growth of Australia is possibly remaining stable in next few months. The expected growth rate of the economy is around 2.5% till the end of first quarter of 2018 (TradingEconomics, 2017). The agendas like climate change, free trade were discusses in G20 which will affect the export and imports of the economies (Flynn and Hughes, 2017). The report will help to understand the impact of global decisions on an economy. The unemployment rate will also have possibility to increase due to crisis in mining, banking and real estate, whereas construction and affordable housing sector will remain boomed with continuous demand. Reserve bank of Australia cash rate is still stable so its impact on the banking sector and economy are also reported. The impact of Donald Trump decision will negatively impac t Australian economy with increase in demand of US$ and restrictions on free trade results to lower exports and imports in the country (Janda, 2017). Economic forecast: Economic forecast can be said as a way of guessing the future economic condition of an economy. It is macroeconomic aspect of the study which predicts the situation on the basis of the gross domestic product, inflation rate or Unemployment (Mankiw, 2014). Decisions of the central bank are also important drivers for the economic growth forecast in a country. It is observed that the cash rate of Australia in the current year is lowest in comparison to the past years. It is stable at 1.5 since the starting of the year 2017 which indicates the decision of central bank towards strengthening the Australian dollar in the international market (Reserve bank of Australia, 2017). The lower cash rate indicates that the loans are cheaper in the country which wills results to more consumption in households and industries due to higher loans in this sector. The high exchange rate is also looking problems due to which it is assumed that inflation and growth rate will arise a little bit at the end of the year. Figure 1: Cash Rate: Source (Reserve bank of Australia, 2017) As the economy is moving towards strengthening it is also estimated to increase in the inflation. New entry of competition from FDI in retail sector will also boost economy. Low interest rates results to increased export of goods which raised demand of Australian dollar (Shaffer, 2017). Increase in the Australian dollar has resulted to high exchange rate which is considered as a constraint in the economic growth of the economy, there is also a threat of hitting economic activity and inflation if the same problem continues in this quarter. Figure 2: Australia Inflation rate: Source (Trading Economics, 2017) On the basis of the evidences and steps taken by the central bank it can be forecasted that the country is on the track of economic development although it will take around two or more years to perform (Finder.com.au, 2017). Still the increase in the inflation, property prices in the various parts of the country and rise in the wage rate will result to increase in the production in the country which will also result to increase in the GDP at the starting of year 2018. The interest rate is going to be stable till the end of the year due to low inflation growth, low wage growth and higher dollar price. Aggregate demand consists of several factors like spending on investments, consumption, government consumption and difference between exports and imports. Aggregate supply is the planned performance at various prices of the products. Both the curve together helps to determine the economic growth of the country (Rao, 2016). AD/AS model is basic tool showing all the factors at single point with having flexibility to aggregate demand in short run and aggregate supply in long run. Growth and recession in AD/AS model is as below: Figure 3: AD/AS Model Incorporates Growth, Unemployment, and Inflation (Rao, 2016) Reference: Finder.com.au (2017) RBA Cash Rate. [Online]. Available at: https://www.finder.com.au/rba-cash-rate (Accessed: 22 August 2017). Flynn, E and Hughes, (2017) WORLD LEADER SUMMIT What is the G20, how long is the 2017 summit in Hamburg , which countries are members, and whats on the agenda?. [Online]. Availabel at: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1727642/g20-memebers-hamburg-summit-2017-agenda/ (Accessed: 22 August 2017). Janda, M. (2017) Australia's economy: The Murphy's Law forecast for 2017. [Online]. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-06/murphys-law-guide-to-australian-economy/8163918 (Accesses: 28 August 2017). Mankiw, N. G. (2014)Principles of macroeconomics. USA: Cengage Learning. Rao, B. B. (2016) Aggregate demand and supply: A critique of orthodox macroeconomic modelling. Germany: Springer. Reserve bank of Australia (2017) Cash rate. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/cash-rate/ (Accessed: 22 August 2017). Shaffer, L. (2017) RBA keeps interest rates unchanged, pointing to strengthening Aussie dollar, housing concerns. [Online]. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/03/reserve-bank-of-australia-policy-decision-on-interest-rates.html (Accessed: 22 August 2017). Trading Economics (2017) Australia inflation Rate. [Online]. Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/inflation-cpi (Accessed: 22 August 2017). TradingEconomics (2017) Australia | Economic Forecasts | 2017-2020 Outlook. [Online]. Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/forecast (Accessed: 31 August 2017).

Social Contract Theory Essay Sample free essay sample

Social contract theory ( or contractarianism ) is a construct used in doctrine. political scientific discipline and sociology to denote an inexplicit understanding within a province sing the rights and duties of the province and its citizens. or more by and large a similar Concord between a group and its members. or between persons. All members within a society are assumed to hold to the footings of the societal contract by their pick to remain within the society without go againsting the contract ; such misdemeanor would mean a debatable effort to return to the province of nature. It has been frequently noted. so. that societal contract theories relied on a specific anthropological construct of adult male as either â€Å"good† or â€Å"evil† . Thomas Hobbes ( 1651 ) . John Locke ( 1689 ) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( 1762 ) are the most celebrated philosophers of contractarianism. which is the theoretical basis of democracy. It is besides one of a few viing theoretical b asiss of liberalism. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Contract Theory Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page but Rousseau’s societal contract is frequently seen as conflicting with classical liberalism which stresses individuality and rejects subordination of single autonomy to the â€Å"general will† of the community. [ 1 ] Overview State of nature A ; societal contract The societal contract. as a political theory. explains the justification and intent of the province and of human rights. Harmonizing to Hobbes’ canonical theory. the kernel is as follows: Without society. we would populate in a province of nature. where we each have unlimited natural freedoms. The downside of this general liberty is that it includes the freedom to harm and be harmed ; there are no positive rights. merely natural rights and an eternal â€Å"war of all against all† ( Bellum omnium Contra omnes. Hobbes 1651 ) . To avoid this. we jointly agree to an inexplicit societal contract by which we each gain civil rights in return for accepting the duty to honour the rights of others. giving up some freedoms to make so. The front man of the society we create. stand foring our joint involvements as members and formed by the deputation of our power. is the autonomous province. A fictional province of nature? The outgrowth of the societal contract from the province of nature is frequently explained in footings of just-so narratives whose end is to demo the logical footing of rights instead than trying historical truth. Rousseau’s 1754 Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men is more a fictional history of what has passed than a realistic description of what happened. However. it is besides true that the ambiguity persists. and that Hobbes’ polemic construct of the province of nature ( opposed to Rousseau’s irenical construct of it ) approach it from the realist description of civil war – the Leviathan may be read as an effort to work out the jobs raised by the English Civil War ( 1642-1651 ) . Misdemeanors of the contract The societal contract and the civil rights it gives us are neither â€Å"natural† nor for good fixed. Rather. the contract itself is the agency towards an terminal — the benefit of all — and. harmonizing to some philosophers such as Locke or Rousseau. is merely legitimate to the extent that it satisfies our ends. Therefore. when weaknesss are found in the contract. we renegotiate to alter the footings. utilizing methods such as elections and legislative assembly ; Locke theorized the right of rebellion in instance of the contract taking to tyranny. Since rights come from holding to the contract. those who merely choose non to carry through their contractual duties. such as by perpetrating offenses. hazard losing some of their rights. and the remainder of society can be expected to protect itself against the actions of such criminals. To be a member of society is to accept duty for following its regulations. along with the menace of penalty for go againsting them. Most of us are comfy with Torahs penalizing behaviour that harms people because we are concerned about others harming us and don’t program on harming others. In this manner. society plants by â€Å"mutual coercion. reciprocally agreed upon† ( Hardin 1968 ) . [ 1 ] However. philosophers such as Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze have argued that this is a inhibitory construct. declaring that we are all â€Å"potential criminals† . Indeed. Foucault criticized the construct of â€Å"criminal† ( â€Å"delinquant† . intending professional criminal ) . and pointed out the relationship between offense. category battle and insanity which. as in offenses of passion. can split out all of a sudden — therefore explicating the slogan â€Å"we are all practical criminals† . Some rights are defined in term of the negative duty they impose on others. For illustration. your basic belongings rights entail that everyone else chorus from taking what is yours. Rights can besides affect positive duties. such as the right to hold stolen belongings returned to you. which obligates others to give you back what’s yours when they find it in the custodies of others ( or. in modern society. to direct the constabulary in to make it ) . Theorists argue that a combination of positive and negative rights is necessary to make an enforceable contract that protects our involvements. History Classical idea Social contract thoughts go back to the Greeks ; Plato has Socrates make a instance for societal contract thoughts in Crito but criticizes them in The Republic. Epicurus explicitly endorsed societal contract thoughts ; the last 4th of his Principal Doctrines province that justness comes from understanding non to harm each other. and in Torahs being made for common advantage ( pleasance. felicity ) . and that Torahs which are no longer advantageous are no longer merely. Most European intellectuals before 1900 would hold had a classical instruction. and were typically familiar with Plato. if non Epicurus. Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan ( 1651 ) The first modern philosopher to joint a elaborate contract theory was Thomas Hobbes ( 1588-1679 ) . who contended that people in a province of nature ceded their single rights to make sovereignty. retained by the province. in return for their protection and a more functional society. so societal contract evolves out of matter-of-fact opportunism. Hobbes named the province Leviathan. therefore indicating to the ruse involved in the societal contract. Other doctrines conceived by Hobbes is that adult male were innately born with no ethical motives or apprehension of good. When detecting the Bible. one can happen that the name of Satan’s snake is Leviathan. therefore the naming of his book. His thoughts were greatly criticized due to their morbidity and anti-Christian ideals. John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government ( 1689 ) John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government differs from Hobbes’ construct of an absolute monarchy by reasoning in favour of a right of rebellion against dictatorship. believing that people contracted with one another for a peculiar sort of authorities. and that they could modify or even get rid of the authorities. For this ground. he is considered to be one of the chief minds of liberalism. Locke’s societal contract theory was intertwined with his apprehension of an innate. indispensable human reason representing ‘natural law’ . explained in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. John Locke is frequently compared to his modern-day. Thomas Hobbes. and their chief differences stands as one of the most of import of Locke’s beliefs. Locke believed. in contrast to Hobbes. that adult male is of course good. and is non entirely driven by greed and immorality. Jean-Jacques Rousseau Du Contrat societal ( 1762 ) Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( 1712-1778 ) . in his influential 1762 treatise The Social Contract. Or Principles of Political Right. outlined a different version of contract theory. based on the construct of popular sovereignty. defined as indivisible and unalienable – this last trait explicating Rousseau’s antipathy for representative democracy and his protagonism of direct democracy. Rousseau’s theory has many similarities with the individualist Lockean broad tradition. but besides departs from it on many important points. For illustration. his theory of popular sovereignty includes a construct of a â€Å"general will† . which is more than the simple amount of single volitions: it is therefore collectivized or holistic. instead than individualist. As an person. Rousseau argues. the topic can be egoist and make up ones mind that his personal involvement should overrule the corporate involvement. However. as portion of a corporate organic structure. the single to pic puts aside his egoism to make a â€Å"general will† . which is popular sovereignty itself. Popular sovereignty therefore decides merely what is good for society as a whole: The bosom of the thought of the societal contract may be stated merely: Each of us places his individual and authorization under the supreme way of the general will. and the group receives each person as an indivisible portion of the whole†¦ Hence. Rousseau’s celebrated sentence: â€Å"We shall coerce them to be free† must be understood as such: since single topics resign their free will. as in Hobbes’s theory. to organize popular sovereignty ; besides. since the indivisible and unalienable popular sovereignty decides what is good for the whole. so if an person lapses back into his ordinary egoism. he shall be forced to listen to what they decided as a member of the collectivity. Rousseau’s version of the societal contract is the 1 most frequently associated with the term â€Å"social contract† itself. His theories had an influence on both the 1789 Gallic Revoluti on and the subsequent formation of the socialist motion. Furthermore. one can observe that. as in Locke or Hobbes’ theories. Rousseau gave peculiar attending to subjective and single inquiries. as in his Confessions for illustration. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s individualist societal contract ( 1851 ) While Rousseau’s societal contract is based on popular sovereignty and non on single sovereignty. there are other theories espoused by individualists. libertarians and nihilists. which do non affect holding to anything more than negative rights and creates merely a limited province. if at all. This is related to the non-aggression rule. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon advocated a construct of societal contract which didn’t involve an single surrendering sovereignty to others. Harmonizing to him. the societal contract was non between persons and the province. but instead between persons themselves forbearing from haling or regulating each other. each one keeping complete sovereignty upon oneself: â€Å"What truly is the Social Contract? An understanding of the citizen with the authorities? No. that would intend but the continuance of [ Rousseau’s ] thought. The societal contract is an understanding of adult male with adult male ; an understanding from which must ensue what we call society. In this. the impression of commutative justness. first brought frontward by the crude fact of exchange. †¦is substituted for that of distributive justness †¦ Translating these words. contract. commutative justness. which are the linguistic communication of the jurisprudence. into the linguistic communication of concern. and you have commerce. that is to state. in its highest significance. the act by which adult male and adult male declare themselves basically manufacturers. and renounce all pretense to regulate each other† Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century ( 1851 ) . This thought of a societal contract that excludes intercession by the province in single autonomy was besides followed by other individualist nihilists. such as Benjamin Tucker ( an partisan of Proudhon’s Hagiographas ) who said â€Å"Mankind is nearing the existent societal contract. which is non. as Rousseau thought. the beginning of society. but instead the result of a long societal experience. the fruit of its follies and catastrophes. It is obvious that this contract. this societal jurisprudence. developed to its flawlessness. excludes all aggression. all misdemeanor of equality and autonomy. all invasion of every sort. † ( Liberty. VII. 1890 ) John Rawls’s Theory of Justice ( 1971 ) John Rawls ( 1921-2002 ) proposed a contractarian attack that has a unquestionably Kantian spirit. in A Theory of Justice ( 1971 ) . whereby rational people in a conjectural â€Å"original place. † puting aside their single penchants and capacities under a â€Å"veil of ignorance. † would hold to certain general rules of justness. This thought is besides used as a game-theoretical formalisation of the impression of equity. Philip Pettit’s construct of republicanism ( 1997 ) Philip Pettit has argued. in Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and Government ( 1997 ) . that the theory of societal contract. classically based on the consent of the governed ( as it is assumed that the contract is valid every bit long as the people consent to being governed by its representatives. who exercise sovereignty ) . should be modified. in order avoid difference. Alternatively of reasoning that an expressed consent. which can ever be manufactured. should warrant the cogency of societal contract. Philip Pettit argues that the absence of an effectual rebellion against the contract is the lone legitimacy of it. in much the same manner that Karl Popper argues that the standards of scientific work is its falsifiability. Criticism Social contract is a misdemeanor of contract theory Normally. a contract is non presumed valid unless all parties agree to it voluntarily. that is. no 1 has been pressured under the menace of physical force to come in into it. Lysander Spooner. a steadfast protagonist of a right of contract between persons. argues that a supposed societal contract ( of the Rousseauean kind ) can non be used to warrant governmental actions such as revenue enhancement. because authorities will originate force against anyone who does non wish to come in into such a contract. As a consequence. he maintains that such an understanding is non voluntary and hence can non be considered a legitimate contract at all. It should be noted. nevertheless. that juridical contract theory does non turn to the same issues as the philosophical construct of societal contract. Ronald Dworkin’s Law’s Empire ( 1986 ) In his 1986 book Law’s Empire. Ronald Dworkin touches briefly on societal contract theory. foremost separating between the usage of societal contract theory in an ethical sense. to set up the character or content of justness ( such as John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice ) and its usage in a jurisprudential sense as a footing for legitimate authorities. Dworkin argues that if every citizen were a party to an existent. historical understanding to accept and obey political determinations in the manner his community’s political determinations are in fact taken. so the historical fact of understanding would supply at least a good Prima facie instance for coercion even in ordinary political relations: So some political philosophers have been tempted to state that we have in fact agreed to the societal contract of that sort tacitly. by merely non emigrating when we reach the age of consent. But no 1 can reason that really long with a consecutive face. Consent can non be adhering on people. in the manner this statement requires. unless it is given more freely. and with more echt surrogate pick. than merely by worsening to construct a life from nil under a foreign flag. And even if the consent were echt. the statement would neglect as an statement for legitimacy. because a individual leaves one crowned head merely to fall in another ; he has no pick to be free from sovereigns wholly. [ 2 ] A typical counterargument is that the pick is non limited to tacit consent to the position quo vs. exile. but besides includes accepting the contract. so working to change the parts that are disagreed with. as by take parting in the political procedure. Criticisms of natural right Contractualism is based on a doctrine of rights being agreed to in order to foster our involvements. which is a signifier of individuality: each person topic is accorded single rights. which may or may non be unalienable. and organize the footing of civil rights. as in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It must be underlined. nevertheless. as Hannah Arendt did on her book on imperialism. that the 1789 Declarations. in this holding with the societal contract theory. bases the natural rights of the human-being on the civil rights of the citizen. alternatively of making the contrary as the contractualist theory make-believes to make [ 3 ] . However. this individualist and broad attack has been criticized since the nineteenth century by minds such as Marx. Nietzsche or Freud. and subsequently by structural linguistics and post-structuralism minds. such as Lacan. Althusser. Foucault. Deleuze or Derrida. Several of those philosophers have attempted. in a spinozis t inspiration. of believing some kind of transindividuality which would predate the division between single topic and collective topic ( i. e. society ) . JOHN RAWL’S Original Position aka Veil of Ignorance The original place is a conjectural state of affairs created by American philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment. It figures conspicuously in his book. A Theory of Justice. and it is one of the most influential thoughts in twentieth-century doctrine. It has influenced a assortment of minds from a wide spectrum of philosophical orientations. As a thought experiment. the original place is a conjectural designed to accurately reflect what rules of justness would be manifest in a society premised on free and just cooperation between citizens. including regard for autonomy. and an involvement in reciprocality. In societal contract theory. individuals in the province of nature agree to the commissariats of a contract that defines the basic rights and responsibilities of citizens in a civil society. In Rawls’s theory. justness as equity. the original place plays a function that is correspondent to the province of nature in the classical societal contract tradition of Thomas Hobbes. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. and John Locke. In the province of nature. it might be argued that certain individuals ( the strong and talented ) would hold an advantage over others ( the weak and disabled ) by virtuousness of the fact that the stronger and more gifted would do better in the province of nature. In the original place. representatives of citizens are placed behind a head covering of ignorance. striping the representatives of information about the morally irrelevant features of the citizens they represent. Therefore. the representative parties would be incognizant of the endowments and abilities. ethnicity and gender. faith or belief system of the citizens they represent. The nature of the construct Rawls specifies that the parties in the original place are concerned merely with citizens’ portion of what he calls primary societal goods. which include basic rights every bit good as economic and societal advantages. Rawls besides argues that the representatives in the original place would follow the maximin regulation as their rule for measuring the picks before them. Borrowed from game theory. maximin bases for maximising the lower limit. i. e. doing the pick that produces the highest final payment for the worst result. In the societal contract. citizens in a province of nature contract with each other to set up a province of civil society. For illustration. in the Lockean province of nature. the parties agree to set up a civil society in which the authorities has limited powers and the responsibility to protect the individuals and belongings of citizens. In the original place. the representative parties select rules of justness that are to regulate the basic construction of society. Rawls argues that the representative parties in the original place would choose two rules of justness: 1. Each citizen is guaranteed a to the full equal strategy of basic autonomies. which is compatible with the same strategy of autonomies for all others ; 2. Social and economic inequalities must fulfill two conditions: o All offices and places must be unfastened to all under conditions of equal chance ; o Economic inequalities are merely permitted in so far as they benefit the least good off members of society.

Alcoholism Essays - Alcohol Abuse, Twelve-step Programs, Free Essays

Alcoholism Essays - Alcohol Abuse, Twelve-step Programs, Free Essays Alcoholism Alcoholism is a disease of epidemic proportions, affecting 9.3 to 10 million Americans, and many professionals believe the figures are closer to 20 million (Weddle and Wishon). Alcoholism is a "physiological or physiological dependence on alcohol characterized by the alcoholic?s inability to control the start or termination of his drinking"(Encyclopedia Britannica 210). It consists of frequent and recurring consumption of alcohol to an extent that causes continued harm to the drinker and leads to medical and social problems. Alcoholism, however, does not merely cause harm to the alcoholic, but to the entire family as well, affecting an estimated 28 million children in this country (Weddle and Wishon). These children grow up in the unhealthy and abnormal family systems harmed by alcoholism, carrying the negative effects of this environment with them into adulthood. Consequently, adult children of alcoholics are the innocent victims of a disease which has shaped thei! r personalities and behavior as children and will, if not treated, promote their personal disintegration as adults. Most alcoholics don?t fit the stereotype of the lying in the gutter drunk. Alcoholics are likely to be persons of intense, if sometimes brief, enthusiasms. They often try to do too much too fast. They tend to demand perfection in themselves and in others. Frustrated, they may become painfully depressed or overly aggressive. There is a lack of inner stability with which to face life?s problems in a realistic manner (AL-Anon). As the disease of alcoholism sets in, the family is forced to make an unspoken decision?to leave the alcoholic or to stay and adapt to his illness. Because they do not want to disrupt their own lives or leave a love one, they deny the problem and try to adapt to the pressures and problems that alcoholism brings. Typically, as alcoholism takes over, the alcoholic becomes increasingly preoccupied with drinking. This can lead to spending less time at home, and neglecting their responsibility to the family. The following are symptoms of alcoholism (Alateen 5): Loss of control. The loss of control is usually progressive. At first the alcoholic can control his drinking most of the time. But he sometimes gets drunk when he doesn?t wants to. Eventually, he loses control more and more. Progression. The alcoholic may not drink more, but he gets drunk more often. He becomes less dependable. He becomes more and more obsessed with drinking and less and less concerned about his responsibilities. Withdrawal symptoms. When the alcoholic stops drinking he may suffer nausea and vomiting, headaches and the "shakes." He is usually is very irritable. He may even hallucinate. This is known as the DT?s (delirium tremens). Personality change. The alcoholic seems to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality. When he drinks, he is very different from the way he is when he is not drinking. Blackouts. These are a form of amnesia. The alcoholic really does not remember what has happened. Blackouts can even occur when the alcoholic isn?t drunk, lasting a few minutes or entire days. At first, we may think alcoholism is called a family disease because it seems to run in families. Most Al-Anon members are spouses of alcoholics. But they are often the children of alcoholics as well. They may have brothers or sisters who have the disease or are married to alcoholics. Doctors have observed that there are often more than one alcoholic in a family; for this reason they have said that there is a family tendency to develop alcoholism, just as there is a family tendency to develop diabetes ( Alateen 6). According to a recent study, if you are raised in an alcoholic home you have one chance in four of growing up to marry an alcoholic (Porterfield 120). The reasons are simple. Children of alcoholics learned to tolerate behavior that other people consider abnormal or bizarre; they have memorized how to live with an alcoholic. Most kids of alcoholic parents do drink, even if just socially. According to Coping with an Alcoholic Parent: Ninety-three percent of high school seniors have tried alcohol. Seventy percent use it once a month. One out every five high school seniors drinks daily. Some researchers think that as many as one third of the teenagers can

Mental Maps - How We See the World

Mental Maps - How We See the World A persons perception of the world is known as a mental map. A mental map is an individuals own internal map of their known world. Geographers like to learn about the mental maps of individuals and how they order the space around them. This can be investigated by asking for directions to a landmark or other location, by asking someone to draw a sketch map of an area or describe that area, or by asking a person to name as many places (i.e. states) as possible in a short period of time. Its quite interesting what we learn from the mental maps of groups. In many studies, we find that those of lower socioeconomic groups have maps which cover smaller geographic areas than the mental maps of affluent individuals. For instance, residents of lower-income areas of Los Angeles know about upscale areas of the metropolitan area such as Beverly Hills and Santa Monica but really dont know how to get there or where they are exactly located. They do perceive that these neighborhoods are in a certain direction and lie between other known areas. By asking individuals for directions, geographers can determine which landmarks are embedded in the mental maps of a group. Many studies of college students have been performed around the world to determine their perception of their country or region. In the United States, when students are asked to rank the best places to live or the place they would most like to move to, California and Southern Florida consistently rank very high. Conversely, states such as Mississippi, Alabama, and the Dakotas rank low in the mental maps of students who dont live in those regions. Ones local area is almost always viewed most positively and many students, when asked where theyd like to move, just want to stay in the same area where they grew up. Students in Alabama rank their own state as a great place to live and would avoid the North. It is quite interesting that there are such divisions in the mental maps between the northeast and southeast portions of the country which are remnants of the Civil War and a division over 140 years ago. In the United Kingdom, students from around the country are quite fond of the southern coast of England. Far northern Scotland is generally perceived negatively and even though London is near the cherished southern coast, there is an island of slightly negative perception around the metropolitan area. Investigations of mental maps show that the mass medias coverage and stereotypical discussions and coverage of places around the world has a major effect on peoples perception of the world. Travel helps to counter the effects of the media and generally increase a persons perception of an area, especially if it is a popular vacation destination.

Starting a Business Online Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Starting a Business Online - Assignment Example It is in this context that reselling of domain names to third parties, as mentioned in the case, is likely to increase the chances of fraudulent and miscommunication in the business process further leading to customer dissatisfaction. This can be considered as a legality constraint while selling a domain name (Clayton & Moore, 2011). In the referred case, the domain name of the organization can be identified playing a vital role to provide a professional appearance in the online business which can be more viable for the enterprise in its future conducts. However, the domain names also transmit some disputes along with it. For instance, the selling of domain names are often identified to increase the risks of subjectivity in terms that the future prospects of generating significant cash flows in future can raise confusions in calculating its proper valuation (Investopedia, 2012). Therefore, considering the future chances of generating larger cash flows and other constraints in terms o f subjectivity and legality, it would be a better decision not to sell the domain name at the quoted price. Answer 2 The catalog display in the e-commerce involve with the facilities to display the products or the features of providing services with regards to online sales. The concept of e-commerce entails with the visual communication about various products/services along with the different varieties, ingredients, and pricing options to the customers. The catalog display of e-business is one of the major tools which communicates and provides browsing options in order to assist the user in acquiring the desired products/services presenting additional and comprehensive information concerning promotional offers (Chopra, n.d.). Similarly, the shopping cart is also regarded as one of the major facets in the e-commerce business model. It assists the customers to maintain a track of the products purchased of those which have been selected for purchased through the electronic shopping car ts. It further allows the customers to check and recheck their purchases adding new items in the cart as well as, if wished, removing any products while making their ultimate purchases. This in turn can assist the organization to build up a productive relationship with its targeted customer group (King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, n.d.). Furthermore, the business transaction processing signifies the set of practice or actions of performed through online or e-commerce software. It is often regarded to act as a system which is performed as a base for other allied operations in the online e-commerce system and thus play a vital role in serving the customers in a better way. As customers are able to obtain superior quality assistance from the marketer through online sites owing to the virtues of transaction processing, organizational are also benefited in terms of enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty (Becherer & Halstead, 2004). Answer 3 In this present competitive sce nario, the online business entrepreneurs must need to look after various criteria to facilitate the customers rendering them ease in accessing the site. Therefore, building the online website as per the customers’ convenience is one of the crucial factors to accumulate and sustain in the current competitive e-commerce portfolio. The initial step of instigating an e-business model is the registration of a special domain which should reflect the registered name of the organization. The next step

Marketing Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Marketing Principles - Essay Example ncepts of IKEA, it has been apparently observed that the company has been fundamentally implementing the core marketing concepts of market driving and strong supplier base relationship approaches. From the perspective of market driving approach, the company focuses upon altering the existing circumstances of its overall business environment in several ways. Commonly, the ways include developing the exclusive internal business procedures, effectively shaping the structure of the target market creating strong influences on the industry structure and most importantly, offering products and/or services to the customers with innovative value propositions. For instance, with regard to strong supplier base relationship approach, the company was able to successfully identify the requirements of forming as well as maintaining strong interrelation with its different suppliers with the purpose of competing with the chief business market players and subsequently increasing the customer base in i ts targeted market (Tarnovskaya & et. al., n.d.). The different elements of marketing process of IKEA have been identified as offering inclusive product ranges along with attaining competitive pricing benefits through the effective utilisation of its valuable resources. In relation to analyse one of the imperative constituents of marketing procedure of IKEA, it can be observed that the company largely focuses upon producing better design and quality products at low prices. With regard to the effective utilisation of the available resources as another imperative element of its marketing process, IKEA emphasises upon maximising its required raw materials to satisfy the needs as well as the preferences of the customers by a greater extent (Inter IKEA Systems B.V., 2012). It is worth mentioning in this context that the company has earned a significant amount of revenue as well as attained huge business growth due to its effectual adoption as well as implementation of core marketing

Coursework Rates of reaction Essay Example for Free

Coursework Rates of reaction Essay Investigating the effect of concentration on the rate of reaction Skill(s) assessed: Topic C10 [Experiment 9 (in S4)] Investigating the factors affecting the rate of reaction IGCSE Coursework Skills C2, C3, C4 Some of the factors affecting the rate of a reaction that you have studied are:   Temperature   Concentration   Surface area Aim: Investigating the effect of changing the concentration on the reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, by collecting the carbon dioxide gas given off. CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g) Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that as we increase the concentration of the HCl, the rate of the reaction will be faster; this is because more collisions will be present Materials: Small calcium carbonate chips Dilute hydrochloric acid (1 moldm-3) Distilled water Delivery tube Bowl Conical flask (100ml) Beaker Measuring cylinder (100 cm3) Stop watch Balance Clamp Clamp holder Safety Glasses. Method: 1. Collect all materials 2. Fill the bowl and the 100 cm3 cylinder with water 3. Holding the end so that the water doesnt go out, turn the cylinder upside down and place it down the bowl, keeping it still with the clamp, put the delivery tube at the hole of the cylinder 4. Weight 3g of small size calcium carbonate chips 5. Put on your safety glasses 6. Add the 3g of small carbonate chips into the conical flask 7. Add the HCl acid in the conical flask 8. Quickly afterwards put a cork so that you shut all air entries in the conical flask 9. At the same time as you place the cork, start timing how much it takes to get 50cm3 of gas 10. Repeat this experiment using different concentrations of HCl acid by diluting the acid with distilled water, to make it a fair test use always the same amount of chips and always reach 25cm3 in the measuring cylinder so that only concentration and not amount will affect the rate of reaction. 11. Record your results in a neat and tidy table Results: Table: Volume of 1. 0 mol dm^-3 HCl (cm^3) Volume of H2O (cm^3) Concentration of HCl (mol dm^-3) Time (s) to reach 50ml Time to reach 100ml   Graph: Anomalous Results: In this experiment we were lucky to find no anomalous results at all, everything went on as we planned it was going to go like. Conclusion: As you can see in the graph, our hypothesis was right, as we increased the concentration of the HCl acid in out experiment, more collision were happening and therefore the time for it to reach 50ml was becoming smaller and smaller, meaning that the reaction was becoming faster. So we end up with the conclusion; more concentration of acid = faster rate of reactions = more collision. We could also see in the trend/pattern that at first, when we started increasing by only 0. 2 in concentration, the time for it to reach 50ml decreased from 38 to 17 seconds, almost half of what it was before!. After a while, as we increased the concentration, the difference between the two concentrations began to get smaller and smaller, it first started at decreasing from 38s to 17s, then from 17s to 9s, 9s to 7s and from 7 to five seconds. At this last 2 differences, at the change from 0. 6 to 0. 8, and 0. 8 to 1 in mol dm^-3 of concentration of HCl, the difference was in both only of 2s, showing off that if the acid was yet too concentrated, and almost getting to being fully concentrated, the difference in time to reach the 50ml will become smaller and smaller. Evaluation/Improvement: The experiment was carried out really well, there was no significant anomalous result which indicated that we were doing the right thing, the experiment fulfilled our hypothesis decision, it went on as we planned it would. We should have repeated the experiment, repeating the experiment would have given us much more accurate results, and we have used the same balance for each measuring of calcium carbonate, so that we make it a fair test.

understanding diabetes and its complications :: essays research papers

Understanding Diabetes and Its Complications   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An estimated 16 million people in the United States have diabetes-more than one third are not aware that they have the disease. This year alone, more than 798,000 cases will be diagnosed. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death by disease in the United States; this year alone, more than 187,000 Americans will die from this disease and its complications (CDC). Education about diabetes is essential to understanding the disease and preventing its complications.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diabetes mellitus is a chronic, systemic disturbance in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat (ADA, Medical Management 3). The term diabetes derives from the Greek word which means â€Å"to go through a siphon.† Thus diabetes refers to the overproduction of urine known as polyuria. Mellitus comes from the Latin word mel (honey) and describes the sweet odor of the urine. Diabetes occurs when the beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce or secrete an adequate amount of insulin. Diabetes also effects the vascular and nervous system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand diabetes, it is important to understand how we normally metabolize food. Our bodies are composed of millions of cells, and in order to function, these cells must create energy. This energy comes from glucose. Glucose is mainly obtained from food.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we eat, food enters the digestive system and is broken down into glucose. The three components from which glucose is made are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates convert 100% into glucose; protein converts 50-60%; and fat converts 10%. Once food is broken down into glucose, it can be absorbed in the blood and carried to the cells of the body. However, for glucose to enter the cells, insulin must be present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insulin is a hormone that regulates the entire absorption process. It acts like a key that can unlock the doors of the cell. Cells have receptor sites, like keyholes, that receive insulin. When insulin attaches to a receptor site, a passageway is created that enables glucose to enter the cell. Once glucose is absorbed in this manner, it can be immediately used for the use of energy or it can be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for future use. Excess glucose is converted into fat. The normal fasting glucose level is 70-100 mg/dl; after meals is 70-140 mg/dl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two classifications of diabetes. These are Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 diabetes, individuals have no insulin secretion, therefore they are prone to breaking down fat and having high ketone levels, which requires insulin injections to maintain life.

Can leaders be flexible Essay

Yes, I do believe that leaders can be flexible in the way they interact with others, or change their behaviors or personalities so to suit the situation. Also, they might need to focus on followers needs/behaviors or their level of readiness by changing or shifting behavioral their leadership style. One theory might describe and support this concept is the situational leadership theory which requires leaders to center their leadership style or behaviors according to their followers level. This theory was initially created by Hersey and Blanchard (1969) and has approaches that concern for people productions as well as shows that there is no one best style of behavior for a leader (Norris, 1992). Most importantly, the situational theory require leader to adjust his behavior and leadership style to features of followers and situation. Therefore, it might be important to look at the four styles described by Hersey and Blanchard to identify the situations that any leader might have to change his style or behavior. There are situations where leader might have to be flexible with his followers by giving them less responsibly and delegation of tasks due to their lack of knowledge/experience, or if they are newly hired etc. the leader in this case might need to utilize the †telling style† whereby there is more of directing and controlling of leader to his followers. In this behavioral style, leader’s role involves telling his follower on what and how to perform their tasks step by step. In my working experience, for example, I tend to use this style when training people whom are newly hired or inexperienced and require a lot of assistance or hints when in doubt. I might sometimes need to †spill out the responsibilities† or duties for perform to make sure that they are still on focus. Knowing that differences between tasks and relationships behaviors as described in Hughes et al (1996), I agree that the telling style does have high task and low relationship with followers because followers in this stage are unable to perform any delegated tasks and that means should be giving detailed instructions. Another situational and behavioral style is the selling style whereby the leader is acting both as a director and supporter toward his followers. This style might be more effective if followers are delegated toward some responsibility and have an adequate knowledge of performing their tasks. The leader in this case is only giving directions and guideline when any deviation is observed. In term of skills and ability, the leader is also to promote his followers’ skills throughout. Because of that, it ca be said that in this behavioral style, the leader is †coaching† i.e. there is higher tasks delegation and higher relationship with followers. In the participating style, the leader exercises low tasks delegations but high relationship with followers. This is because in this style the main role of leader is to facilitate the delegated tasks to his followers by showing his knowledge or skills on †how best can this be done†. Bearing in mind the level of communication is high in this style which enables follower to share in the decision making process as applicable. This behavioral style might best be used is when followers are starting or completing a job (Hughes et al, 2006). The last situational style is the †delegating style† whereby there is little two side communication between the leader and his followers (low-task- low relationship). This style might be implemented when leader is aware of his followers’ knowledge, ability, confidence, experience and most importantly taking higher responsibilities. To this extend, followers are able to direct them selves with no control from their leader. Although, leaders in this style are like an observers whereby they have less influence on their followers’ and less control. However, leader might also need to consider followers development level/their readiness level and competence. Followers’ competence might include their knowledge, skills and ability to assess the work outcome. Therefore, leader might have to respond or change his behavior in such way that fits the situation. He can classify his people to stages such as: · People are able and willing to take tasks (competent).  · People are unable and unwilling to take tasks (incompetents) · People are unable but willing to take tasks (unskilled).  · People are able but unwilling tasks (unmotivated). So to summarize, it can be seen that the situational leadership theory presented by Hersey and Blanchard focuses on the followers behaviors and define what style is best to suit any situation. Also, it highlights the level of responsibilities delegated as well as the degree of relationship between leaders and followers. Put into practice, situation leadership theory is basically effective with any situation. Moreover, it seems that the situational theory answer the question that leader might need to change their behavior and be flexible with followers as that depends on situation and circumstances. In other words, leaders might need to adjust them selves all the time depending on the working environment and follower level of readiness (Norris, 1992). And as the Hersey and Blanchard theory, they should always change their personality or be able to identify clues in their environment and adapt their leader behavior to meet the needs of their followers in any particular situation (). Vecchio and Norris agrees that ,even with good diagnostic skills, leader might need to be flexible in changing their behavior and adapt their leadership styles that meet that demand of both the followers and environment. Reference: Norris, R., & Vecchio, R 1992 Situational leadership theory. Group & Organization Management. Hughes, R.L., Ginnet, R.C., & Curphy, G.J. (2006). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. 5th ed. New York. McGraw-Hill

Islam Worksheet Essay

When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam. 1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam. The literal translation of the word Islam is surrender or submission. The name Islam implies a complete surrender to Allah, and those who practice Islam are referred to as Muslims. The word Islam is derived from the Arabic word salam, which means peace or safety. Muslims believe that the reason for human existence is to surrender to the One True God, Allah (Molloy, 2010). 2. Explain the basic concepts of Islam. Islam teaches it followers (Muslims) that the Holy Quran is the literal word of God is an all-encompassing book and includes everything about Islam. One of the most fundamental concepts of Islam is the belief that only one God exists. Islam teaches many aspects about God that are similar to the teachings of Judaism and Christianity. Islam teaches that God has always existed, cannot be destroyed, knows everything, created the universe. Another basic concept of Islam is that God never had a son (Jesus); however, Islam does teach that Jesus was a prophet as was Muhammad, but Muhammad is believed to be the last of a number of profits, and he was sent to Earth by God to confirm the word of God to the world. The most fundamental beliefs or concepts of Islam are: †¢ There is only one True God †¢ No other being or thing is worth of worship, only the True God †¢ Muhammad is God’s messenger and the last prophet †¢ Every human who has ever existed will face God on Judgment day to account for his or her deeds and at this time, God will grant or deny admittance into Heaven. 3. Describe the practices of Islam. The main practices of Islam are concentrated in what are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam, as outlined in the Quran are thought to be mandatory practices that each Muslim must practice. The Five Pillars of Islam are: 1) Shahada (Profession of Faith) – Muslims must verbally acknowledge the existence of only one God and Muhammad is God’s messenger. The creed, â€Å"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger,† is spoken daily in prayer, and inscribed on and in Mosques (Molloy, 2010). 2) Prayer – Muslims are required to pray five times every day of the week; the prayers are required every day before dawn, at midday, at midafternoon, at sunset, and at nighttime. Muslims typically undergo a ritualistic cleansing of the hands, arms, face, and neck before prayer, and face toward Mecca when praying (Molloy, 2010). 3) Zakat (Charity to the Poor) – Muslims are required to give a percentage of the total of everything they own to the poor each year. In addition to giving to the poor, Muslims are expected to be generous and charitable toward the poor when they encounter an opportunity in their daily lives (Molloy, 2010). 4) Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan) – Ramadan is the ninth month of the year according to the Muslim calendar and the month during which it is believed that Muhammad began receiving revelations from God. As with various other religions, fasting is thought to bring spiritual growth; for Muslims the month-long fast help to form a bond and unite Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, liquids, tobacco, and sexual activity from dawn until dusk. Ramadan ends with a feast to celebrate the Revelations given to Muhammad (Molloy, 2010). 5) Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) – Every Muslim is required to visit Mecca (Hajj) at least once in their lifetime. A pilgrimage, as with other religions, is believed to bring about new understanding and personal transformations based on the spiritual goals of the religion. Only Muslims are permitted to enter the city of Mecca (Molloy, 2010). 4. Describe the goals of Islam. The goals of Islam are similar to the goals of other religions in that the religion is believed to be a moral and ethical authority in a world that is in a constant struggle between good and evil. Framing the world as in constants peril and painting itself as the moral and ethical authority, Islam (like other religions) seeks to regulate human life through rules, rituals, and other dogma (Molloy, 2010). Staying in the realm of regulating human life, Islam attempts to provide guidelines to enable Muslims to life a life as close to perfection (God) as possible. Islam also has developed controls and bans on specific activities, things, actions, etc. as a means of creating and maintaining social order and increase the happiness of Muslims (Molloy, 2010). 5. Describe the view of authority in Islam. The Islamic view of authority began with Muhammad; Muhammad combined political (civil) authority with spiritual authority, which is essentially a theocracy. However, modern Islam has split into two main branches that differ on their view of authority. Sunni’s, which accounts for the largest percentage of the world’s Muslim population, recognize a real difference between religious and civil authority. The Shiite Muslims; however, maintain the belief that both religious and civil authority should be centralized. Shiite Muslims place give all spiritual and religious authority to one person (Flesher, n.d.). The Qur’an serves as the primary source of information and authority for Muslims, much as the Bible does for Christians. With this in mind, evaluate Islam’s historical influences on law, philosophy, and the arts in the Muslim world. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following questions. Provide examples to illustrate your thinking. 1. What is the legal ideal in Islamic law? How does the Qur’an inform and guide Muslims in attaining this ideal? The legal ideal of Islamic law, which is known as Sharia, are laws that continually bring day-to-day life into closer coherence with the rules set forth in the Quran. The Quran provides numerous rules and rituals that must be followed by Muslims and lays the groundwork for Sharia. Muslims believe that the Quran is the literal word of God; they also believe that God cannot be separated from any aspect of human life. Therefore, traditional Islam is theocratic and seeks to impose the laws and rules of God upon everyone to help ensure human spiritual fulfillment (Molloy, 2010). 2. What is the relationship between philosophy and theology within Islam? Is it acceptable for Muslims to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs? The relationship of philosophy and theology within Islam is as complicated as it is old. Many of the early philosophic questions had to be answered to ensure a uniform understanding of the Quran and its laws. However, these early philosophical questions were not truly philosophical because the question mixed religious revelations with human logic and reasoning. Aside from the philosophical questions that were asked during the emergence of Islam, most of the philosophical and theological questions that have emerged have been the result of the expansion of Islam and its contact with other religions (Molloy, 2010). There is no clear answer to the question of whether or not it is acceptable for Muslims to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs, because throughout the history of Islam the discussion if philosophy and theology changes from a liberal to a conservative approach, and back again. Generally speaking, Islam has two philosophical schools; a liberal view that values human reasoning and sees it as a gift from God, and a conservative view that believes reason is false pride and favors intellectual submission. Although Islam does have a somewhat liberal faction that values reason and logic, for the vast majority of Muslims it is not acceptable to hold different philosophical and theological views. The majority of Muslims reject rationalism and promotes complete submission to God, which includes intellectual submission (Molly, 2010). 3. What artistic themes are regularly expressed in Islamic art and architecture? How are these themes explored? How has the Qur’an influenced the development of art in the Islamic world? Several themes are apparent in both Islamic art and architecture, such as the serious and simplistic style and the use of negative space to direct an individual’s attention to a specific area. Mosques can be large or small, grandiose or modest, bur regardless of the specific mosque or building, Islamic architects place a high value on space. The shaping of a building and the space symbolizes God, who is invisible but everywhere (Molly, 2010). Islam prohibits images of humans or animals, but despite that restriction, Islam has a vibrant artistic past. As with architecture, negative space is also used in art, but the theme that is most apparent in Islamic art is paradise. Most Muslim art includes some aspect of paradise as it is described in the Quran. One can find images or symbols of paradise on prayer rugs, paintings, and building architecture (Molloy, 2010). References Flesher, P. (n.d.). Exploring Religions. Islam Religious and Political Organization. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/islam/iorg.htm Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

10 Amazing Fantasy Novels You Need to Read Now

10 Amazing Fantasy Novels You Need to Read Now From feminist fantasy to African mythology to Muslim writers inspired by ancient Arabia, weve compiled a list of some amazing (and wonderfully diverse) fantasy novels you need to read if you love the genre. Many on this list are new authors who have recently published their debut fantasy novel, or established authors who have made it to the New York Times Bestsellers list with a fresh foray into fantasy after publishing in other genres.Whether youre looking for a coming-of-age Young Adult fantasy story or an old-school dive into the Dungeons Dragons universe, there should be something on this list just right for your tastes. New fantasy authors are subverting and reinventing the genre, opening up a golden age in fantasy writing, so happy reading!New fantasy authors are subverting and reinventing the genre, opening up a golden age in fantasy writing. Photo by Matteo Kutufa on Unsplash.The Womens War by Jenna GlassPraised as an epic feminist fantasy for the #MeToo era, The Womens War is Jenna Glasss debut fantasy novel and is the tale of a revolutionary spell that gives women the ability to control their own fertility. Set in neighboring kingdoms ruled by kings and noblemen, the tale offers imaginative worldbuilding coupled with magic that only women can wield- magic which threatens to tear down the patriarchal structure in which women are nothing more than property and bargaining chips. When a young disinherited daughter of a king and a widowed mother of two adolescent children discover it, their world and experience as women will never be the same.Getting Wilde By Jenn StarkAs the first book in the 11-volume Immortal Vegas series, Jenn Starks Getting Wilde has been praised by critics as hilarious, sexy, and thrillingly high action. This urban fantasy series follows Sara Wilde, a magical artifacts hunter and rescuer of young psychics being sold on the black market. With the help of a Tarot deck, she helps clients find things- magical things, in fact. When a new job offers her a big payday, the stakes include breaking into the Vatican and getting too close for comfort to the Devil.Enter Saras most mysterious client, the wickedly sexy Magician, with a job that could yield the ultimate payday. All shell have to do is get behind Vatican walls... and steal the Devil himself. Complete with an ancient and mysterious magical Council, militant forces seeking to destroy all magic, demigods, twisting catacombs and Rome and Vegas rowdy nightlife, Sara confronts the underworld of magic in an exciting read that is hard to put down.We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah FaizalJust released this month, Hafsah Faizals debut fantasy novel, We Hunt the Flame, is hailed as lyrical and spellbinding and Paste Magazine listed it in its Top 10 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2019. With its inspiration drawn from ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame tells the story of Zafira, a huntress who disguises herself as a man while braving cursed forests and feeding her people with her k ills.Living in the same kingdom is a young man known as the Prince of Death, who carries out assassinations for anyone who defies his father, the sultan, and whose compassionate nature must be hidden beneath a brutal exterior and family expectations. As war brews and danger finds them both, these young characters seek an ancient, magical artifact to achieve different aims. Its a story of bravery, self-revelation, and identity set in a lush world full of magic and mystery.Perfekt Order (The Ære Saga) (Volume 1) by S.T. BendePerfekt Order by S.T. Bende is another YA fantasy should be on your list of must-read books, especially if you enjoy witty, well-rounded characters and Norse mythology. It tells the story of seventeen-year-old Mia Ahlstrà ¶m, an engineering student at Redwood State University, who meets an arrogant, overprotective Tyr Fredriksen at her first college party. But Tyr is not what he seems- or rather, is much more than he seems. Hes actually the Norse God of War, on Earth to protect a valuable Asgardian treasure, and Mia, too, if shell let him. The repartee in this book make it a fast, fun read.Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha) by Tasha SuriTasha Suris debut fantasy novel, Empire of Sand, tells the story of Mehr, an illegitimate yet privileged daughter born to a nobleman father and magical, nomadic mother who she never knew. Inheriting her mothers magical gifts of controlling the dreams of the gods, Mehr captures the attention of the Emperors mystics, who persuade her to use her magic to help build the Empire. This Mughal India-inspired novel contains a darkly woven story that is as original as it is impressive, prompting one reviewer to state, I am beginning to think that we are at a new golden age of fantasy literature.A Darker Shade of Magic: A Novel by V.E. SchwabVictoria V.E. Schwab is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books and the first book in her Shades of Magic trilogy, A Darker Shade of Magic, is arguab ly her writing at its best. Lyrically compelling and haunting, A Darker Shade of Magic tells the story of Kell, a magician and smuggler with a rare ability to travel between parallel Londons defined by a color- Red, Grey, White, and Black. Each London has a varying relationship with magic, and those who practice it, and the book is equal parts fantasy, romance, inter-dimensional travel, and adventure combined with a strong female character who is intriguing from the start.Perdido Street Station by China Mià ©villeHaving won both the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the British Fantasy Award, China Mià ©ville, London-based author of Perdido Street Station, knows how to use equal parts magic and science to build fantastical worlds that are not for the faint of heart. For this novel, he weaves a dystopian society beneath towering ribs of an ancient beast, and inhabitants of it that include both humans and arcane races in a steam-punk inspired, cross-species filled setting. The main charact er is Isaac, a scientist who conducts experiments for a half-bird/half-human entity, and feeds a growing caterpillar hallucinogenic drugs only to soon discover its true, horrific intent. This novel includes gore, sex, immoral experimentation, and technobabble, but offers plenty for fantasy-lovers to digest (pun intended).The God Catcher by Erin M. EvansIf you are a fan of Dungeons Dragons, you should add The God Catcher by Erin M. Evans to your fantasy reading list. Set in the City of Splendors, part of the Forgotten Realms created by Ed Greenwood, this is a coming-of-age story about Tennora, a bookish yet renegade young lady who desperately wants to be a wizard. She finds the opportunity upon meeting Clytemorrenestrix, who claims to be a dragon, only to later be warned that the dragon woman is not all she claims to be. In fact, shes dangerous, and Tennoras life could be in peril by participating in her malevolent plans.Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy) by Marlon Jame sBlack Leopard, Red Wolf by Jamaican-born Marlon James is the first novel in Jamess Dark Star trilogy, combining African mythology and history with unforgettable and fantastical adventure. It is a non-linear narrative revealing the story of Tracker, noted for his hunting skills, who is hired to find a boy who disappeared three years ago. He finds himself in the company of a diverse group of unusual characters with the same purpose in mind, one of which is a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard. Questioning who is telling the truth and why the young boy is being sought after so desperately, Tracker learns that theres much more to life than his usual, solitary lifestyle.Empty Monsters (The Books of Oreyn) by Cat HellisenCat Hellisens Empty Monsters is a coming-of-age tale of family expectations and finding ones own path as much as it is about the family were born into versus the family we choose. After discovering a magical lineage- the very lineage his family has sworn to rid t he world of for generations- the main character, Aden, immerses himself in an experience that he was once taught to fear. In doing so, he learns a truth about who the real monsters are and his role in their collective story. One reviewer notes, This isnt your typical swashbuckling, sword-and-sorcery style fantasy. Its quiet and introspective, more character study than adventure.

How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book

How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book The basic idea of marketing a book is pretty straightforward: find out who likes your book, discover where they ‘live,’ then sell your book there and make them buy it. And when you’re publishing a children’s book, the principle is the same - with one exception.In the children’s book market, the target audience isn’t made up of children but the bigs who purchase the books for them. That might be parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, teachers - whomever. Once you’re able to tap into what they want in a kid’s book, you’ll quickly realize that you couldn’t ask for a better target consumer:They have simple core desires: to get a book the child will love,Children go through a LOT of titles, so they always need new books,Once they find an author they like, they will read EVERYTHING they’ve written, andIt’s easy to find out where parents, teachers, and such ‘live’ online.With that in mind - weà ¢â‚¬â„¢re going to look at some ways that children’s authors have effectively targeted the people who buy children’s books. What's the REAL target market for children's books? Find out in this post Hit up social mediaBlogs, Instagram, Facebook Groups, Twitter, Reddit. These days, parents of young kids are almost always millennials - and, as a result, will rely on the internet for almost any kind of recommendation. And meeting your readers isn’t just limited to libraries...Plan school visitsâ€Å"Many children’s book authors don’t realize that many schools set aside an annual budget for paid author visits,† Jones says. And indeed, there’s a chance you could be eventually paid for your school appearances.The trick here is to be organized. Make sure you have a plan in place before you contact any schools. Tell them what age range the book is for, send over links, a cover image, a synopsis and anything else they might want to know about your book. "How to plan a school visit for your children's book" and more #selfpubtips Then as soon as the school agrees, send over a summary of your planned visit. At this point, Jones would also be sure to secure sales with their parents, if appropriate. (Remember who your target audience really is.)Jones finishes up her advice with this: â€Å"Follow up the email with a phone call to let them know that you visit local schools for free, in return for the school sending slips home, offering the chance to buy signed copies of the book.†And there are plenty of other tricks you can try to reach the children’s gatekeepers. You can try creating a trailer, you can guest post for parenting blogs. So long as you stay focused and direct your efforts to find where the buyers of children’s book live - you won’t go far astray.Have you tried any of these tips before? What's been your experience like marketing your children's book? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and we'll get back to you right away.

Hospital Robot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hospital Robot - Essay Example Robots refer to mechanical agents controlled by computer programs and used in completing tasks. They vary in sizes and used for specific purposes. Used with artificial intelligence the machines can perfume precise functions repeatedly without tiring. In healthcare, several hospitals and health facilities in the United States have begun using robots to aid complicated surgeries (Barker 33). The machines run on specific computer programs and follow instructions as fed to them through the computer. Additionally, they operate alongside humans during the operations thus improving the quality of services. Robots have improved the quality of surgical operations and their continued use in the industry will definitely improve the quality of life by improving effectiveness in hospitals as discussed in the essay below.Robots are cost effectiveUnlike humans, a robot is a capital and an asset bought once by a health facility and can perform several functions throughout the clock. Being machines, robots have minimal requirements provided they are in good condition and accurately programmed. They, therefore, function with minimal supervision thus making the practice less labor intensive.Doctors often tire after detailed operations; this makes the operations precarious as they begin making such mistakes as forgetting some of the equipment in the patients they operate. Additionally, they serve more for their services a feature that makes health services very costly thus unaffordable by many (Ichbiah 11).

Assessment & Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assessment & Special Education - Essay Example According to the report findings Special Education is a multi-faceted domain and consists of a highly diverse population of both teachers and pupils. Teaching in the area of special education requires appropriate qualifications and experience as it can often prove challenging to engage with people having disabilities. As such, teachers often specialize in any particular category of special education or may instead gain experience in multiple disciplines based on the provisions of local legislation.From this study it is clear that the validity and significance of assessment in special education cannot be underestimated. Teaching children with disabilities requires a multi-faceted approach and depends on collaboration among a number of professionals in an appropriate environment. A typical assessment is thus undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team that examines a student from many different perspectives to identify the existence of any special needs and disabilities. The role of the te am is extremely important during an assessment as it helps evaluate the extent and progress of any identifiable disability and develop a suitable special education curriculum that can help the individual. As such, an evaluator must possess comprehensive, accurate and real-time knowledge on the evaluation in order to offer the best support to the student. These skills can only come with experience and must be supplemented with regular on-the-job learning. There are, however, some issues associated with current assessment methodologies. Critics like Giuliani (2009) have alleged that students identified as being at-risk (i.e., those not having any disability) are often pooled together with students having special needs (p. 34). They argue that combining students in this manner inhibits the progress of the latter group as they may not be able to develop the required confidence and motivation in the presence of other students with better learning capabilities. Pierangelo (2007) also blames curriculum

Reflective Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Manager - Essay Example As Wiesen (2011) states, â€Å"the purpose of employee development is for workers at a company to learn skills that they can use within the workplace†. Learning is considered a key phase in the employee development process which not only improves the performance of employees but also makes them able to overcome global competition challenges successfully. Learning in organizations holds an important place because of a large number of associated benefits. Learning is basically related to the improvement in skills, abilities, and knowledge of employees through training, coaching, and direct observation. Managers and employees all benefit from the reflective process of learning. The first stage of the reflective process is awareness which leads to the critical analysis. The critical analysis plays the role of a link between past experiences and the future. The last step of the reflective learning process is learning which helps managers and employees in improving their skills, abi lities, and job performances. Learning through coaching can help Comet in many ways. As Chakravarthy (2011) states, â€Å"the coach has to help the person learn the requisite attitude, behavior and skills needed to perform the job successfully†. ... The importance of learning in organizations cannot be denied in today’s world of ongoing competition. If we talk about the levels of reflection from learning perspective, we can say that at the lowest level, learning is task-specific and usually helps in problem-solving, whereas the highest level of the reflective process of learning helps managers and employees in overcoming challenges underlying attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions. Learning helps employees grasp more knowledge about the way they should perform their job responsibilities, as well as help them grow in their professional careers. Learning also helps managers in managing their entire job related activities and responsibilities in an effective manner (Peter 2012). Some of the main learning methods that can use to achieve the goals of improved organizational performance and strategic agility include on the job training, off the job training, small group discussions, and cross training. On-The-Job learning plays a vital role in boosting the learning process for employees and managers. This method focuses on improving employee efficiency using the approach of activity-based learning. Use of direct learning and temporary work rotations help managers in dealing with changing scenarios in an effective manner. Another thing which goes side by side with learning is the need to increase the level of confidence of people. Learning brings in the required level on confidence in people which is critical for increasing job productivity and performance. â€Å"Organizational learning allows for teams to learn exactly what is relevant to their specific tasks and specialties† (Silberman 2013). Along with increasing confidence of managers and employees, on-the-job learning also helps them in reducing

Eye diseases

Eye diseases 1. Introduction 1.1 Glaucoma Eye disease such as glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are some of the common causes of reduced vision and blindness (Short, 2008). Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease where the damage of optic nerves resulted in visual field loss. In the year of 2010, it is estimated that 60.5 million people will be diagnosed with glaucoma, and by 2020, the number would be increased to 79.6 million (Quigley and Broman, 2005). According to International Glaucoma Association, some of the risk factors that contribute to the development of glaucoma are advanced age, race, long or short sighted, and genetic predisposition. Damage of the optic nerves in glaucoma is often due to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) which occurs when there is an imbalance of aqueous humor production and drainage in the eye. This clear fluid produced by the ciliary body flows into the posterior chamber and exit through trabecular meshwork at the open angle where the cornea and iri s meet (1). Blocked drainage channel restricts the flow of aqueous humor out of the anterior chamber. This causes the pressure in eye to be increased to an abnormal level, thus damaging the optic nerves. Optic nerve plays an important role in transmitting impulses from the light sensitive tissue layer, the retina to the brain, where the visual information is interpreted. Therefore, early detection and treatment could prevent permanent and irreversible blindness from glaucoma. There are several classifications of glaucoma, the most common types are primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). The difference between these two types is the present of physical obstruction in the drainage channel in one and its absence in the other. As for the former type, an increase in IOP is caused by blockage of the drainage channel where the aqueous humor drains out (1) (Coleman,1999). This process occurs very gradually and often patient does not notice any early signs of sight loss such as blind spots, or patches of vision loss until severe damaged has been done to the optic nerves, thus causing blindness. Different ethnic group was shown to have different glaucoma prevalence. The African population was shown to be more prevalent to suffer from POAG in the study demonstrated by Ntim-Amponsah et al. (2004). The standardised age-specific glaucoma prevalence for that ethic group was 7.7% while the Caucasians have an overall lower prevalence than that. It was suggested by Herndon et al. (2004) that the blacks have an overall thinner central corneal compared to the Caucasians and this might contribute to the progression of POAG. As explained by Coleman (1999), in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), the angle between the iris and lens is very narrow. When the iris dilates, the iris-lens contact prevents the flow of aqueous humor into the anterior chamber. The continuous secretion of aqueous humor creates a pressure which pushes the iris forward onto the trabecular meshwork, closing the angle (1). This rapid onset causes sudden build-up of intraocular pressure leading to short-term loss of vision. Severe eye pain, blurred vision, headache, nausea, vomiting and halos around lights are among the symptoms observed in this eye disease. Asian was shown to have a higher prevalence of PACG compared to the Western population. Some of the studies concluded that Chinese are at a higher risk of suffering from PACG. This is related to the geometry of the anterior chamber where Chinese has a smaller corneal or a shallower anterior chamber, thus implying that there is a higher risk of developing angle closure and therefo re PACG (Wang et al., 2002). 1.2 Pharmacological therapy of glaucoma The goal in treating glaucoma is to delay the progression by giving immediate therapy for early stage glaucoma patient to prevent further loss of vision. Treatment aims to reduce IOP by either increasing the aqueous humor drainage or reducing the aqueous humor secretion rate. Several classes of drugs are used in the treatment of glaucoma, namely beta-adrenergic antagonists (beta-blockers), selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and prostaglandin analogues. The choice of treatment depends on the effectiveness and side-effects of the drug, co-mobility and cost of treatment. Beta-blockers are one for the first line drug used in treatment of glaucoma but newer medications are increasingly being used as first choice of glaucoma therapy. The exact mechanism of beta-blocker in reducing IOP is not known, but it was suggested that beta-blocker reduces the aqueous humor production by blocking the beta2-receptor on the non-ciliary body epithelium. On average, no n-selective beta-blockers such as timolol, levobunolol, carteolol and metipranolol lower the IOP by 20-35% while beta1-receptor antagonist, betaxolol lowers it by 15-25%. However, when the pharmacological therapy is unsuccessful, laser or surgery are required to treat this eye disease (Soltau and Zimmerman, 2002). The most widely used ocular hypotensive agent is the non-selective beta-blocker, timolol. Timolol is often used as an adjunct therapy to other difference classes of IOP-lowering agents such as brimonidine, travoprost and acetazolamide. In one of the studies, combination therapy of latanoprost and timolol was proved to be more effective in lowering IOP compared to using lataoprost alone in glaucoma treatment (Olander K, 2004). The maleate salt of timolol is soluble in water and alcohol, and has a pKa of approximately 9 in water at 25Â °C. The current commercially available opthalmic therapies of timolol are timolol maleate topical opthalmic solution and gel-forming ophthalmic solution. Some of the local side effects of topical application of timolol include ocular irritation, burning, pain, itching, erythema and dry eyes. Beta-blocker is contra-indicated in patients who have bronchial asthma, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sinus bradycardia, heart block, or uncontr olled heart failure. In some cases, exacerbation of reactive airways disease and cardiovascular disease due to the systemic absorption of the non-selective beta-blocker has been reported occasionally in patients receiving topical timolol therapy (McEvoy G K, 2002). After long-term usage of timolol, tolerance might develop in some patients. This has been suggested that there is an up-regulation of beta-receptors in target cells in response to constant exposure of antagonist at the beta-receptors (Fechtner, 2008). 1.3 Drug delivery in treatment of glaucoma There are several approaches in delivering intraocular drugs, among them are topical application, systemic administration, intraocular implants and intravitreal injections. Each of these routes has its own advantages and challenges (Short, 2008). Topical administration is the most widely used route for drug delivery in treating eye diseases. The major challenge of this application to the posterior ocular tissues is poor drug bioavailability resulted from the ocular physiological and anatomical constraints, which include tear fluid turnover rate, nasolacrimal drainage and high efficiency of blood-ocular barrier. It was shown that only 1-5% of the topically applied drugs is absorbed across the cornea and reaches the target intraocular tissues. Furthermore, nasolacrimal drainage contributes to extensive precorneal losses that lead to poor bioavailability. In addition, systemic exposure through nasolacrimal drainage will also cause significant systemic toxicity. Blood-ocular barrier whic h is located at the retinal pigmented epithelium and the endothelium of the retinal vessels is also a major challenge in delivering topical drugs to the target tissues. This barrier limits the penetration of intraocular drugs to the back of the eyes. Unfortunately, systemically administered drugs are also having the same problem in penetrating the barrier. Hence, alternative drug delivery strategies such as intravitreal injections have been investigated and developed to overcome this problem (Tombrain-Tink and Barnstable, 2006). Intravitreal injection is the administration of intraocular drugs to the vitreous cavity of the eye and this route is becoming increasingly popular in treating glaucoma patients. Due to short half-life of drugs in the vitreous, frequent and repeated injections to the eye are needed to maintain the drug concentration at therapeutic level in the vitreous and the retina. Consequently, this procedure leads to complication such as infection, vitreous hemorrhage, and lens or retinal injury. Sustained release formulation has been developed and possible benefits of particulate drug delivery has been investigated and studied to overcome such complications. The particulate drug delivery systems include microparticles and nanoparticles such as liposome, microcapsule, nanocapsules, microspheres and nanospheres. Liposomes, microcapsules and nanocapsules allow encapsulation of the drug molecules while in microspheres and nanospheres, drugs are dispersed in a spherical polymer matrix. These particu lates act as a reservoir to control the release rate during periods of days and sometime even months (Short, 2008; Tombrain-Tink and Barnstable, 2006). 1.4 Microspheres Microspheres of biodegradable polymers such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) are a combination of drug and polymer. PLGA-based microspheres have several advantages over other controlled released drug delivery system. The administration of these microspheres to the body only requires syringes and needles, thus avoiding surgical implants of controlled-release formulations. Besides that, these PLGA are biodegradable and are biocompatible to the tissues, including the brain tissues (Fournier, 2003). Three microencapsulation techniques are being employed in producing PLGA microspheres these days. Solvent evaporation and solvent extraction process is one of the method which includes single emulsion process and double emulsion process. The former process involves oil-in-water emulsification and latter is the most commonly used water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) method used to encapsulate water-soluble drugs such as timolol maleate into microspheres. Final emulsions from both processes wi ll undergo solvent removal by extraction or evaporation. The solid microspheres that are produced from these processes will then be filtered or sieved, and finally dried. This technique is widely used because it is easy and does not involve complicated steps. Other methods such as phase separation and spray drying are also being used to encapsulate microspheres. The disadvantage of phase separation is that it needs a careful optimisation of some parameters, such as solvent and polymer type, salt type and concentration in order to obtain any microspheres at all. On the other hand, the limitation of spray drying is that small batches of drug are produced due to loss of product during spray-drying (Jain, 2000). PLGA, a copolymer of lactic acids and glycolic acids is commonly used in the production of controlled-release biomedical devices such as microparticles and nanoparticles. Incorporation of the active substance in polymer matrix allows drug to be released at a slower rate over a prolonged period, thus reducing the frequency of drug administration and hence improving patients compliance. The main target of controlled-release drug delivery is to produce a zero-order release pattern, but this was not achieved very often. Some of the small molecules are associated with undesirable initial burst phase during where drugs on the microsphere surface are being released through rapid diffusion, followed by a slow release or no release. During the initial burst phase, excessive release of potent drugs from the polymer for a prolonged time causes severe side effects. However, during the second phase, only a small fraction of drug will be released from the matrix due to decreased driving force in d rug depletion (Berkland et al., 2002). In the study conducted by Mao et al. (2007), the effect of different preparation of water-in-oil-in water emulsion on the burst release of fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled dextran from the PLGA microspheres was being investigated. It was found that an increase in drug loading, polyvinyl alcohol concentration and homogenisation speed resulted in a decrease in initial burst. This is due the changes in morphology of the by using different preparation techniques. The main mechanism of drug release from microsphere can be divided to two processes, which are drug diffusion from the polymer network and drug release through polymer degradation. Once PLGA is administered to the eyes, water fills into the network of pore by a negative water gradient and the active compound subsequently diffuses out of the co-polymer. However, this gradient will disappear gradually within a period time and thus the drug molecules are released at a slower rate at a later stage. This process is often coupled with the breakage of ester bonds of the polymer by hydrolysis and it can also be autocatalysed by the accumulation of acidic degradation products and hence leading degradation of PLGA-based microsphere. During this process, oligomers at the surface of microsphere escape from the matrix, leaving behind those who are entrapped inside the matrix core. Size of microsphere plays a very important role in manipulating the rate of degradation. In one of the study, it was shown that larger particle size will degrade more rapidly. This is due to the inner core of the polymer is more acidic compared to its external environment (Grizzi et al. ,1995) Effect of several factors such as polymer composition and preparation condition on the drug release patterns were being investigated by several studies. It has been demonstrated by Janoria and Mitra (2007) that different lactide/glycolide ratio resulted in different release rate of a lipophilic prodrug (GCV-monobutyrate) from PLGA-based microsphere. PLGA with higher lactide content (65:35) was found to have higher glass transition temperature than lower lactide content (50:50) of PLGA polymer. This was suggested that the former ratio had slower drug diffusion through the polymer matrix, hence longer releasing time. On the other hand, an addition of surfactants, polyvinyl alcohol or Triton X-100 to the primary emulsion obtained from the double emulsion solvent evaporation technique resulted in the production of larger particle size, thus slower releasing rate was observed (Bouissou et al., 2006). Besides that, inclusion of additives in the formulation will also affect the release prof ile of microspheres. Kang F R and Singh J (2001) found out that the addition of PEG 1000 and tricaprin increased the porosity of the PLGA, thus changing its surface characteristics. This has lead to a higher initial releasing rate of bovine serum albumin due to rapid diffusion of the protein through the large pores on the surface of microspheres. Different preparation methods effect the morphology and drug distribution of microspheres. A change in the process condition will yield different size distribution and porosity of the microsphere. Some of the critical parameters of determining the microparticles morphology are volume ratio of oil to internal water, homogenisation speed and type of solvents used. Surface morphology of microspheres is shown to be influenced by the volume ratio of oil to internal water in a research conducted by Yang et al. (2000). An increase in size and initial burst of the microspheres was observed by decreasing the volume ratio from 40:1 to 12:1. More porous microparticles were also observed in lower volume ratio. Homogenisation speed was also proved to be important in determining the morphology of microparticles by Sansdrap and Moes (1993). When homogenisation speed was increased, the microparticulate was found to be smaller. Similarly, different organic phase solvent was proved to produce differen t size distribution of particles. Song et al. (2006) showed that partially water-soluble solvents such as ethyl acetate and propylene carbonate produced smaller mean particle size compared to the fully water-soluble solvents, acetone and dichloromethane. Since there are limited studies based on the effect of method parameters on the morphology and drug release profile of timolol maleate encapsulated microsphere, this study aimed to further investigate the effect of volume ratio of oil to internal water, homogenisation speed and type of solvents used. Timolol maleate is encapsulated in PLGA by double-emulsion solvent evaporation method. The surface morphology and particle sizes of the microspheres were being studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the other hand, the effect on the drug release profile was determined by analysing the released drug sample from the microspheres using ultraviolet spectrophotometer.