Benetton Group evolution of Communication Strategy Essay Example

Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy Essay 1. An effective advertising campaign needs to have an audience and a purpose. The direct objective of most advertising is to convey a specific message to a specific audience; the ultimate objective is almost always to induce consumers to buy something. Often, the sales objective is achieved through stages, such as making the consumer aware of the brand or product, leading the consumer to like our brand or product and eventually leading the consumer to trust the brand or product. Furthermore, an advertising campaign might be directly simply towards enhancing the brand or company image. Benetton advertising campaign revolves around promoting the company as a life style brand. They campaign focuses on social and political issues like racial integration, AIDS awareness, war poverty, child labor, death and pollution. They want to build a social conscience in the community, on the other hand transmitting that Benetton is an active member in promoting freedom by being pro-life. 2. At first, their awareness campaign succeeded in raising the brands profile, but the strategy towards the depicting of strong shocking images, especially with the introduction of reality advertising (1992), eventually caused dissatisfaction among customers, retailers, government bodies and various international non-profit organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not withstanding that, Benetton managed to enhance credibility among its customers. Customers were getting the message that the company is venturing towards these social issues because it truly believes in its spirit to contribute to society injustices. Furthermore, their advertising was not like traditional adverting whereby the company, quoting Toscani, shows you a fictitious reality in which you will be irresistible if you make use of our products. Their reality concept meant also to enhance the brand image of manufacturing genuinely good products. 3. I agree that offensive images in the world of art and journalism are more acceptable than in advertising. If one had to analyze most of DGs Adverts, they are representing Napoleonic art with a futuristic conception. Most of these adverts have been subject of controversy regarding the dehumanization of the women. Is there a difference between the 17th Century rape art and the DG Gang rape advert? Can one claim that they are both artistic? If yes, why is the DG ad considered to be offensive? Maybe because its an advert! 4. Peta used shocking advertising by showing celebrity Shirley Manson holding a skinned animal ( here is the rest of the coat) while Humans for Animals depicted beheaded man or dead babies being tortured by animals with the message Dont treat others the way you dont want to be treated Shocking adverting can be used by organizations who want to create social and environmental awareness such as Greenpeace, drugs awareness campaigners and addiction prevention centers. From the example above animal right movements might only employ effectively shocking advertising. 5. I believe that shocking advertising most often repel the audience. In addition, these adverts might distort the customers from the main objectives of purchasing the brand. At subconscious level they might associate Benetton more with their human right campaign than with the products they actually offer. The use of conventional advertising will assist the company gaining back some of the brand reputation. Through the use of conventional advertising they can still transmit the core notions of peace and unity, which are their strong points, without risking to negatively influencing their audience. Such a strategy would still make them innovative.

The Value of Apple Certification

The Value of Apple Certification Apple certification is something not many people even know is available. One reason is that Macs are still not nearly as popular as Microsoft Windows in the corporate world. Still, it does have a specific niche in business. Creative organizations like advertising agencies and media outlets like newspapers, magazines, and video production facilities normally rely much more heavily on Macs than other businesses. In addition, a number of school districts nationwide are Mac based. And most large companies have a few Macs scattered around, especially in corporate art and video departments. That’s why it can make sense to get an Apple certification. Although not nearly as numerous as, for example, Microsoft certified individuals, Mac certified pros are valuable in the right setting. Application Certifications There are basically two certification paths for Apple: application-oriented and support/troubleshooting-oriented. Apple Certified Pros have expertise in particular programs, like the Final Cut Studio video editing suite or DVD Studio Pro for DVD authoring. For certain applications, like Logic Studio and Final Cut Studio, there are several levels of training, including the Master Pro and Master Trainer credentials. These can be handy to have if you’re self-employed and do contract video editing work, for example. If teaching is your thing, consider becoming an Apple Certified Trainer. The chief benefit of a certification like this would be for instructors and trainers working with students learning the programs. Technology Certifications Apple also offers a number of titles for the more â€Å"geeky† folks. Those who like computer networking and digging into the guts of an operating system are targeted here. There are three Mac OS X certifications offered, including: Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP). This is an entry-level credential for support personnel, equivalent to the MCP. It covers the Mac OS X client, but not Mac OS X server.Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC). The next level adds Mac OS X server support and is geared toward entry-level system administrators working on smaller networks.Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA). This is for high-end Mac system administrators, working in complex and often large environments. You should have several years experience working with and administering, Mac networks before attempting this one. Apple also has credentials for hardware and storage specialists. Apple’s storage device is called Xsan and offers two titles for experts in this area: Xsan Administrator and the Apple Certiï ¬ ed Media Administrator (ACMA). The ACMA is more technical than Xsan Administrator, involving storage architecture and networking duties. On the hardware side, consider becoming an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT) Certification. ACMTs spend a lot of their time pulling apart and putting back together desktop machines, laptops, and servers. It’s the Apple version of the A credential from CompTIA. Worth the Money? So, given the range of Apple certifications available, the question is whether they’re worth spending the time and money to achieve since there are far fewer Macs in business use than PCs? One blog by an Apple fan asked that question and got some interesting answers. â€Å"The certifications are very useful and are valid industry recognised accreditation. Im pretty sure that a having Apple accreditation on my CV helped me get my current job,† said one Apple Certified Pro. Another compared the Apple certifications and Microsoft: â€Å"As for Apple vs Microsoft... MCSEs are a dime a dozen. Any Apple Cert is rare and if you have both (like I do) it is very marketable and valuable to clients. Scarcity is key to being valuable and my business in the past 18 months has exploded due to Apple and our requirement for dual certs.† One multiple-certification Mac expert had this to say: â€Å"The certifications definitely help, when it comes to showing prospective clients (and even future employers) that you know Macs.† Additionally, this article from Certification Magazine discusses how one college is starting to turn out Apple-certified students who are finding work, in part thanks to the credential. Judging from those responses, it’s safe to say that Apple certification is quite valuable in the proper situation.

Discuss the practical steps a university may take to help its students Essay - 1

Discuss the practical steps a university may take to help its students be as competitive as possible when they enter the labour market - Essay Example (Farazmand and Pinkowski 2007, p. 183) In this regard, this paper will outline important steps that the universities and colleges could undertake in order for its students to be competitive in the labor market. These steps would be cited in the context of two important roles that the school is thought to play. The university, wrote Achuthan (1993), in its functionalist role, is seen as one of the final steps in the educational system, completing the long preparation of the student for his or her role in society. (Achuthan p. 27) The tertiary educational institution, hence, must ensure that their students have been immersed and ingested the basic stock of knowledge that represents the core values of its culture. Here, it is emphasized that the student is not just educated but that he or she would leave the school armed with specific employment-oriented skills and knowledge. Education institutions can do this by coordinating with the government and the private sector. Such initiative could provide the school with the knowledge and tools in order integrate in its curriculum those skill and knowledge areas that are demanded by industries today. This is demonstrated, for instance, in the way the Singaporean education system works. The fundamental characteristic of the Singaporean system is the involvement of the government in the creation of curricula in the universities. This is shown in the existence of the state agency called Economic Development Board (EDB), which is concerned with the general responsibility of ensuring the inward investment in the country. Part of its mandate is to assure the human resource requirements for new industries to be created by the foreign capital. EDB ensures that education and training system is capable of producing the right type of skills required for the new industries, as part of the greater strategy to lure

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Business law - Essay Example Moreover, her offer was published in a local newspaper, read by a large group of persons. Cheryl’s offer is unilateral as she â€Å"promised† in her advertisement to sell her minibuses to anyone who will pay  £15,000. Therefore, Cheryl made a legal conditional promise. On the other hand, there is the possibility, as it happened in Cheryl’s case, that more than one person will become interested in her offer and will be willing to accept it. Thus, it is necessary to clarify, judging by each person’s actions, who has the right to enter into a contract with Cheryl. The general rule of acceptance of an offer resulted from the case of Holwell Securities V Hughes 1974, where it was stated that the acceptance of one’s offer must be communicated to the offeror by the person that is accepting the offer in any possible way. Of course, the manifestation of the acceptance must be exteriorized, so that it is understood by the offeror. Moreover, the manifestation of accepting the offer must be linked to the offer itself and the offeror must receive the acceptance. There are several manners of accepting an offer: in written form, orally or by mail. In order to understand if Cheryl has a contract with any of the accepting parties, their manners of acceptance must be analyzed. The first person – Britney – told Cheryl she would let her know within the following week whether or not she would purchase the minibuses. The following week Britney accepted the purchase price of the black minibuses for  £15,000 by speaking to Cheryl directly. In the meantime, Cheryl made an offer via an e-mail for a reduced price of  £12,000 to her friend Amy, who agrees to purchase the minibuses on the condition that they are re-sprayed white. So, Amy made a cross offer, stating that she would accept Cheryl’s offer if this condition was respected. In the case of Tinn v Hoffmann & Co (1873) 29 LT 271 it was shown that cross offers do not lead to a binding

The Impact of Social Media and Viral Marketing on the Film Industry Essay

The Impact of Social Media and Viral Marketing on the Film Industry - Essay Example Different network websites focus on different issues which include books, general, film, music, community, health, education and tourism. A Marketing technique similar to a self-replicating virus through an internet, using social networking or other internet applications for creating or increasing brand value is called as viral marketing. According to St-Amant (2012 p. 1), a patient principal uses viral marketing for stronger results. This paper seeks to analyse and make recommendations as to how the managers of the film industry can respond to the issues relating to social media and viral marketing considering their impacts on the industry with justification for recommendations. Evolution of social media over a period of time indicates how businesses have made use of it for marketing. Understanding the developments taken place in social media is important for evaluating its impact and reorienting our strategies in line with technological changes. Evolution of social media Once, word of mouth was the greatest marketing mantra. Also, rumour gets thicker as it spreads. In social media, it can become a mania or rage due to viral power in self-replicating techniques, if the strategy is logical and sound. According to Hinz et al (2012 p. 12) ‘hubs and bridges are key to the diffusion of viral marketing campaigns.’ Social media has broken the concept of ‘time’ in marketing perspective. Time and place are no longer the prohibiting factors in viral marketing in social media. The Web 2.0 phenomenon made collaboration with the customers easier.... 12) ‘hubs and bridges are key to the diffusion of viral marketing campaigns.’ Social media has broken the concept of ‘time’ in marketing perspective. Time and place are no longer the prohibiting factors in viral marketing in social media. The Web 2.0 phenomenon made collaboration with the customers easier. A single new contact brings all of its other contacts to the business in viral marketing that could be compared with infection through a web of the network with endless permutations and combinations. ‘Going viral is like a calculus function mixed with the element of randomness – Brad Hines.’ (Torkildson, 2012) Viral marketing’s impact on brand or content propagated in social media can be positive or negative. The absence of copy rights or patent laws for the contents propagated in social media attracts people and viewership is encouraged. Monetisation of viewership becomes easier where there is surge in demand for content. The Ou tdated brand of Old Spice has been revived by P&G in their viral marketing strategy for the product. The Responses to the Old Spice marketing strategy ‘topped 6 million total views and 60 000 Tweets in the first 24 hours on YouTube’ (Mills, 2012 p. 165) Similarly, negative impact affects the business severely. In a way, it increases the level of corporate social responsibility among the companies as the customers’ views on corporate practices converge at a faster pace that forces the companies to review their strategies more in line with public expectations. ‘Greenpeace supporters were so successful at flooding Nestle's Facebook page last year that the Kit Kat maker's social media rep publicly lashed out’ (CNN Money, 2011). Social media is an evolving theme with a very short history. Releasing

Mechanisms Of Conservative And Replicative Transposition Biology Essay

Mechanisms Of Conservative And Replicative Transposition Biology Essay Bacteriophage Mu is a temperate phage which adopts transposition pathway in its life cycle. Mu has the capability to integrate into numerous sites in host Escherichia coli genome and cause mutations due to its insertional activation. Mu transposes via two major pathways; conservative and replicative transposition though the molecular switch between the two mechanisms remain unknown. This review will focus on the comparisons between replicative and conservative transposition. The first part will discuss the similarities between the two mechanisms; donor DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step which involves nucleophilic attacks, generating single-strand nicks in Mu DNA and joining it to target DNA via one-step transesterification mechanism. The latter part will concentrate on the different characteristics in each transposition mechanism; in replicative transposition, the end product is duplication of transposon copy in both target and host DNA while in conservative transposition, a simple insertion of transposon is produced in the target DNA. 1. Characteristics of bacteriophage Mu Phage, derived from the Greek word phagein, literally means to eat. Bacteriophage Mu was named as such(find out who did) due its nature of infecting and inducing high levels of mutation in host bacteria Escherichia coli., hence the name Mu for mutator. The dual nature of Mu transposon and virus has made it as the archetypal model of studying phage genetics. Bacteriophage Mu is a temperate phage of E. coli which employs the transposition mechanism in its life cycle. Transposition can either be conservative (excising the transposon and inserting it into bacterial chromosome) or replicative (transposon copies are produced in both transposon and bacterial chromosome). Both mechanisms will be discussed extensively later in this article. Unlike the phage ÃŽÂ », insertion of Mu genome into the target site proceeds in a randomly manner which makes it an excellent mutator. Fig. 1: The life cycle of bacteriophage Mu(5). The life cycle of phage Mu is shown schematically in Fig. 1 above. Bacteriophage Mu infect susceptible host cell by adsorption and then, injects its linear viral genome. Once inside the host cell, the linear genome does not circularized(4,5,19), unlike in phage ÃŽÂ ». In either case of lytic or lysogenic phase, Mu integrates its DNA into the host genome via conservative transposition(16,19). This is observed differently in phage ÃŽÂ » where the infecting phage DNA will be integrated into host genome only during lysogenization(19). An enzyme called transposase, encoded by MuA gene in the phage genome, is absolutely crucial to carry out this conservative transposition step. Phage DNA is inserted at multiple sites in a bacterial genome which lead to the assumption that the insertion occur by a random manner(8). However, there are several factors that influence target site selection such as MuA protein efficiency and transposition immunity(15). After integration, Mu usually adopts a quiescent prophage lifestyle(lysogenic phase). The preference between lysogenic and lytic phase in Mu life cycle is dependent on its stability in the lysogen and lysogenic repressors. However, lysogens of Mu phage sometimes enter the lytic phase though this is a rare event. When induced, usually by using temperature-sensitive repressor mutants of phage Mu and subject it at 42ËÅ ¡C, the lysogen will enter lytic cycle. When the lysogenic repressor is inactivated, Mu transposes via replicative transposition, producing copies of phage genome which will be packaged into new virions. The virions then lyse the host cell and infect new hosts. Bacteriophage Mu virions comprised of icosahedral head(diameter 54nm), a baseplate, a contractile tail and six short tail fibres(5). Fig. 2: Simplified cartoon illustrating packaging of Mu genome. Typical length of phage Mu DNA is approximately 37kb long. Additional 2 kb of host DNA is incorporated during DNA packaging which is shown as flanking each end of the integrated Mu genome, with most of it at the right end. Unique sequences of host DNA and at the right end of the packaged DNA is dependent on initiation site of packaging in the host DNA(24). Fig. 3: Physical and genetic map of bacteriophage Mu. Solid black lines represent Mu DNA while the boxes at the two ends indicate flanking host DNA sequences. Mu genes (indicated in block letters) and their corresponding translational products are as indicated(19). A typical size of wild-type phage Mu DNA is about 37.5 kb, however each phage capsid can accommodate up to 39 kb long. Phage genome has a pac site which serves as the starting point in packaging of the phage DNA, located within attL(5). The initiation cleavage by phage enzyme terminase occurs upstream of the phage pac site, which includes host sequence of about 50-150bp flanking the left end. Second cleavage initiated when a complete filling of capsid is achieved, which includes 0.5 kb to 2 kb of host sequence flanking the right end(1). Genetic and physical map of phage Mu is illustrated in Fig. 3. Bacteriophage Mu utilizes headful mechanism strategy, which confer variable lengths of host DNA flanking the left ends of Mu DNA depending on the initiation site of genome packaging(Fig. 2). 2. Transposition mechanism (E) (D) (C) (B) (A) Fig. 4: Modes of bacteriophage Mu transposition. (A), (B) and (C) are the common steps in both conservative and replicative transposition of phage Mu. In conservative and replicative transposition, phage Mu will follow-up step (D) and (E) respectively. Curved arrows indicate nucleophile attack, transferring the 3-OH ends to the staggered 5-phosphate ends of target DNA. Dentate lines (XXXX) indicate target DNA sequences which are duplicated during transposition (16). Numerous in vitro studies have been conducted to study the mechanism of transposition, and usually mini-Mu elements are used. A minimal Mu element consists of a selectable gene, a plasmid replication origin and essential Mu ends(2). The mechanism of transposition is discussed in respect to an in vitro system from this point onwards unless stated otherwise. Following discussion on transposition mechanism are based on Shapiro model(22) as it has been widely accepted as the golden model in this field. The current known modes of transposition is divided into two: non-replicative (conservative) and replicative transposition. Both strategies utilize the same mechanism up to point (Fig. 4C) where each strategy employs different mechanism, producing different end products. A simple insertion of transposon is generated in target DNA by conservative transposition (Fig. 4D) while two copies of transposon formed in both donor and target DNA by replicative transposition (Fig. 4E). Point A to C are considered as the similar features in both conservative and replicative transposition while point D and E is the distinction between the two modes of transposition. Therefore, mechanisms involved in point A,B and C are discussed in context of both replicative and conservative transposition, which comprises of DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step. Sequential stages of both cleavage and strand transfer steps are illustrated in Fig. 4. 2.1 Donor DNA cleavage step Two critical chemical steps in both transposition pathways are donor DNA cleavage step and DNA strand transfer step(5,8). The donor DNA cleavage step is initiated when water molecules within an active site act as nucleophiles, and attack phosphodiester bond in DNA backbone at each of the transposon end(4,5). The cleavage step involves a direct hydrolysis of phosphodiester bond by water, and not by covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate(17). The phosphodiester bond is cleaved at the flanking host-transposon DNA boundary. 3-hydroxyl (OH) ends of the Mu DNA are exposed at the end of the cleavage step. Strand transfer results in fusion of target and donor DNA, which forms an intermediate molecule (8). The process (simplified in Fig. 4C) follows the Shapiro model(22). Bacteriophage-encoded proteins, MuA protein (transposase) and MuB protein (ATPase) are required for transposition. Other requirements to ensure efficiency of transposition are accessory proteins such as host-encoded DNA bending proteins called hydroxyurea (HU) and integration host factor (IHF)(8). The inverted repeats at the end of donor DNA, and target sequence on bacterial chromosome are also important in transposition mechanism. The assembly of higher order protein-DNA complexes called transposome has been identified by in vitro studies(6). A three-site synaptic complex called the LER complex comprising right and left ends of Mu and transpositional enhancer, was formed in the beginning of transposition in vitro(23). MuA protein binds to MuA binding site at the ends of Mu DNA as monomer, and subsequently function as tetramer of MuA (transposase). Host IHF and HU protein were found to aid in formation and stabilisation of LER complex. The LER complex is relatively unstable and so, is rapidly converted into stable synaptic complex (SSC), also known as type 0 complex(17). This is the critical checkpoint before any chemical reaction is carried out as it is the rate-limiting step of cleavage reaction(6). A stable synapse between tetramer of MuA and the two ends of Mu DNA is made but no cleavage is initiated yet at this point. Nonetheless, the active site is structurally occupied to the region around the scissile phosphate while the flanking DNA are destabilized upon formation of the SSC complex(6). In addition to formation of a stable synapse, the Mu ends needs to be properly-oriented, a super coiled DNA topology, and accessory DNA sites are also important to proceed to the next step. Formation of SSC usually is short-lived in presence of Mg2+ but can be accumulated in presence of suitable divalent cations such as Ca2+,which promotes the formation of SSC(8,17). Next, SSC is converted into a type 1 transposome complex, also called as cleaved donor complex(CDC)(9). The 3 ends of Mu DNA are nicked in presence of Mg2+. Two subunits of MuA tetramer, that are associated with the sites that undergo cleavage, assemble in trans arrangement which favours the strand transfer reaction(5). The formation of CDC can then be thought as the result of donor DNA cleavage step. Type 1 transposome complex exhibits greater stability than the type 0 complex though MuA forms structural and functional core in both transposome complexes(6). In addition of stably bound tetramer of MuA proteins, there are loosely associated MuA proteins present in the CDC as well. In absence of MuB protein, MuA tetramer is unable to promote strand transfer reaction unless these extra MuA proteins are present. MuB protein is an ATP-dependent DNA-binding protein, which also acts as an allosteric activator of Mu transposase (MuA proteins)(21). Transposition can still proceed in absence o f MuB proteins, but MuA protein by itself is only 1% efficient(3). 2.2 Strand transfer step A hallmark of this step is the formation of strand transfer complex (STC), also known as type 2 transposome complex. The end product of STC is formation of a branched molecule(Shapiro intermediate) which is characterized by a covalent interaction between donor DNA and target DNA via 5bp single-stranded gaps and its ÃŽÂ ¸ structure(22). MuB protein first captures a target molecule and bring it to the vicinity of the transposome complex, forming a TC complex(6). Formation of TC complexes rapidly undergo one-step transesterification reaction, which is the rate-limiting step in the strand transfer step. Interestingly, recruiting of target molecules by MuB proteins and formation of TC complexes can occur at several time point during the reaction pathway(6). This is a particularly efficient step to maximize transposition potential as it would speed up rate of strand transfers during transposition. The free 3-OH ends produced from the cleavage step act as nucleophile and attack phosphates of target DNA at the 5 ends. 5-nucleotides long offset nicks are made in the target DNA, generating a staggered arrangement(3). At this stage, the MuA proteins(transposase) are still tightly bound to the branched molecule with single stranded gaps. This pose an obstruction for the assembly of replication fork by host replication factors. The structure of the branched molecule is simplified in (C) of Fig. 4. The forming of this intermediate molecule serves as the critical point which distinguish between conservative and replicative transposition. A widely accepted model is that the resolving of this co-integrate molecule by a special resolvase complex leads to double copies of transposon being made in both donor and target site(REFerence). This is by definition, a replicative transposition pathway. Thus, the strand transfer complex is destabilized and disassembled by a system of eight E. coli host molecular proteins (DnaB helicase, DnaC protein, DnaG primase, DNA polymerase II, single-strand binding protein, DNA gyrase, DNA polymerase I and DNA ligase) and molecular chaperon called ClpX, producing cointegrates(13). This transition from transposome complex to a replisome results in duplication of 5-bp target DNA sequences flanking both ends of Mu DNA. Alternatively, if the bacteriophage Mu is to enter the conservative pathway, the co-integrate molecule is repaired or processed without performing Mu DNA replication. The end product of STC in a conservative transposition is a simple insertion of single mini-Mu element inserted into the target DNA(8). However, the mechanism of this model is poorly understood. Fig. 5: Transposome complexes involved during DNA cleavage complex and DNA strand transfer. (A) A plasmid (gray line) bearing donor mini-Mu element (black line) DNA in the in vitro system is negatively coiled. (B) In presence of host HU protein, Mu A protein bind to the two ends of Mu DNA forming a stable synaptic complex (not shown). Assembly of MuA tetramer produces a nick at each ends of Mu DNA, creating a cleaved donor complex (CDC). (C) Nicked 3 ends of Mu DNA are joined together to target DNA in presence of MuB protein forming a strand transfer complex (STC). MuA tetramer is still tightly bound to the Mu ends in the STC. (D) In replicative transposition, a cointegrate molecule is produced when replication of target DNA initiated from the 3 Mu ends by host replication machinery (13). 3. Replicative transposition Replicative transposition was first suggested by Ljungquist and Bukhari (1977) to occur in situ after induction of lysogens, which means that the Mu prophage was not excised from host chromosome during transposition(14). The lysogens were digested with restriction enzymes which cleaves both host and Mu DNA at specific restriction sites. Two of the fragments from the restriction digests contain both host and Mu DNA, which corresponds to junctions between host and prophage DNA, suggesting that prophage DNA is replicated in situ of host chromosome(19). Several genetic and biochemical predictions made in the Shapiro model have been demonstrated in both in vivo and in vitro studies, hence this model is accepted as a plausible mechanism to explain transposition in phage Mu. Numerous techniques have been done to study the direction of replication of Mu DNA during transposition. Results obtained by annealing of Okazaki fragments to separated strands of Mu DNA shows that more than 80% of Mu molecules replication proceed from left to right end(11,19). Electron microscopical observation of mini-Mu element shows that replicating molecules in vitro replicate from both ends in equal probability'(11,19). Replication of Mu DNA is accepted to be predominantly unidirectional, that is from left towards the right end(20). Intramolecular replication pathway can result in inversion, deletion, and simple insertion while intermolecular events can produce co-integrate molecules(19). In the case of Mu transposition, formation of co-integrate molecule needs to be resolved in order to produce two replicons; one molecule contains transposon and target DNA while another molecule contains transposon and donor DNA(10). 4. Conservative transposition The main characteristic of conservative transposition is that phage DNA is not replicated prior to integration. Upon infection of a susceptible host cell (usually E. coli), Mu employs conservative, or also called non-replicative transposition to transfer its genome to the target site. As discussed earlier, conservative transposition pathway follows single strand nicks at the 3 ends of Mu DNA, of which the exposed 3-OH ends join to the staggered cut target DNA at the 5ends forming a co-integrate molecule. The co-integrate or so-called Shapiro intermediate is repaired and generates a simple insertion in the target DNA though the mechanism is still poorly understood. Shapiro model emphasized on single-stranded nicks at Mu ends, joining of Mu to a staggered double-strand break in target DNA, formation of an intermediate molecule, and shedding of heterogeneous of previous host DNA sequences after ligation in conservative pathway(22). On the other hand, Morisato and Kleckner (1984) proposed a different mechanism based on results with Tn10 transposition. Their model is double-stranded cleavages at the transposon ends generating an excised transposon, which then circularizes via ligation on one of the strands(18). It predicts shedding of host sequences from the Mu DNA ends before ligation into the new target DNA. Study of Mu transposition using plasmid substrates in vitro produced results in favour of the Shapiro model, and hence this model has been widely accepted and used in studies. Fig. 6: A model of conservative transposition which utilizes double-strand cleavages during integration. (A) Transposase bind to the inverted repeats at Mu-host boundary sites and cleaves off the transposon away. (B) Transposase made a staggered cut at target sequence of which exposed 3-OH ends of transposon attacks 5-phosphate ends of the host (not shown). The transposon then joins to the host sequence. Duplicated target sequence of 5-bp are completed by host replication machinery (7). The debate on single-strand or double-strand cleavage however does not end there. If phage Mu were to utilize the Shapiro model of transposition during integration (the well-established cointegrate mechanism), the flanking host sequences would remain bound to Mu ends. This would clearly pose a problem as subsequent target-primed replication of the linear integrant would not work, or simply break the chromosome(1). Evidently, results from in vitro experiments are against this as the transposition end products contain transposon, suggesting a complete transposition process have been accomplished. So, does the infecting Mu DNA utilize the Shapiro model where the cointegrate molecule gets processed and repaired, prior to replication at the flanking sequence? Or does it follow a cut-and-paste mechanism where both strands of Mu DNA gets cleaved off from the flanking host DNA sequence (as illustrated in Fig. 6), where no cointegrate molecule is generated, which eventually means, there is no need for resolve by replication? An in vitro experiment was done by Au et al. (2006) to observe the fate of flanking host DNA sequences upon phage Mu infection. Specific markers specific to the infecting phage Mu DNA as well as the donor host (lacZ/proB) were used. These markers were acquired from the host in which the phage had been propagated but absent in the host being infected(1). Upon infection of plasmids by bacteriophage Mu, signal for flanking sequences and Mu DNA were detected in the chromosome at the same time point (approximately at minute 8), which correspond to the integration time point of Mu. Subsequent expression of lacZ and proB were detected maximally at minute 15, significantly reduced at minute 30 and by minute 50, expression were halted(1). Maximal expression at minute 15 most likely corresponds to climax of integration of the infecting phage population. These findings strongly suggest that flanking sequences get integrated together with Mu DNA into the new target site and are subsequently, rem oved by a special mechanism(which explained the undetectable expression at minute 50). This then proves that infecting phage Mu employs an alternate cointegrate mechanism (also called as nick-join-process mechanism) in conservative transposition pathway, where the Mu DNA undergo single-strand nicks, joins to the target DNA, and repaired before replication of the 5-bp gap left by the flanking sequence(1). The mechanism of removal and repair of host flanking sequence however, remains ambiguous. Conclusion Dual nature of bacteriophage Mu, a transposable element and a virus, is certainly interesting but what is more fascinating is that it utilizes both replicative and non-replicative transposition throughout its life cycle. The former mechanism produces a transposon copy in both donor and target DNA while the latter usually generates a simple insertion of transposon in the target DNA, leaving a gap in the host DNA which most likely will get degraded. In the early stages, both replicative and conservative transposition pathway share a similar mechanism. Regardless of the transposition pathway, infecting Mu DNA during the first round of infection will integrate its DNA into the target chromosome via two critical steps; donor DNA cleavage step and strand transfer step. Mu uses a phosphoryl transfer involving nucleophilic attacks of water on phosphodiester bonds of Mu DNA, producing single-strand nicks. A second nucleophilic attack by exposed 3-ends of Mu DNA on 5-ends of target phosphodiester bonds, which then joins the Mu DNA to target DNA via one-step transesterification mechanism. A series of transposome complexes are formed throughout these processes including Mu-encoded MuA proteins(transposase) and MuB proteins(ATPase). A cointegrate is produced in both pathways but in replicative transposition, this intermediate molecule is resolved producing two replicons with transposon copy in each molecule. In conservative transposition, the cointegrate is repaired generating a simple insertion in the target DNA. Hence, it is more accurate to name conservative transposition as nick-join-process rather than the conventional cut-and-paste mechanism as the latter suggest double-strand nicks at the transposon end, which has been proven inaccurate by in vitro experiments. Both transposition pathways have been compared extensively in this review but much of functional core of the mechanisms remain to be understood. (2944 words)

Black Like Me: A Cultural Book Report :: Black Like Me Essays

John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a professional on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situation sand pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said. Because of this he felt that they had encouraged him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black Like Me is the story of a man named John Howard Griffin, who underwent a series of medical treatments to change his skin color temporarily to black; a transformation that was complete when John Howard Griffin shaved off his hair, and looking in the mirror, saw a bald, middle-aged black man. The reason he does this is for an experiment to see how racism was in the Deep South from personal experience. From November 6th to December 14th in the early 60's, he hitchhiked, walked, and rode through Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. After three weeks in the Deep South as a black man John Howard Griffin produced a journal covering his change into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experience. The book was published and released. The reaction on the society differed in great ammounts. Characterization:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Howard Griffin is the main character in the story. Throughout the story, this person displayed many qualities. He showed determination because he was bound and determined to become a black man so he could expose the truth about the Deep South and how racist they were. He also showed courage, for being able to pull through and do the things he did, such as become a whole new person of another race and going into dangerous territory where he knew he wasn't really welcomed. He also displayed a sense of dignity, because after he was done with this experiment, he was threatened several times and even burned in effigy in his hometown, but he still maintained his ground as long as he could. And last, but not least, he showed us a sense of hope, because no matter what, even in the darkest times, he would still keep at least a small bit of hope in him. Black Like Me: A Cultural Book Report :: Black Like Me Essays John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a professional on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situation sand pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said. Because of this he felt that they had encouraged him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black Like Me is the story of a man named John Howard Griffin, who underwent a series of medical treatments to change his skin color temporarily to black; a transformation that was complete when John Howard Griffin shaved off his hair, and looking in the mirror, saw a bald, middle-aged black man. The reason he does this is for an experiment to see how racism was in the Deep South from personal experience. From November 6th to December 14th in the early 60's, he hitchhiked, walked, and rode through Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. After three weeks in the Deep South as a black man John Howard Griffin produced a journal covering his change into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experience. The book was published and released. The reaction on the society differed in great ammounts. Characterization:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Howard Griffin is the main character in the story. Throughout the story, this person displayed many qualities. He showed determination because he was bound and determined to become a black man so he could expose the truth about the Deep South and how racist they were. He also showed courage, for being able to pull through and do the things he did, such as become a whole new person of another race and going into dangerous territory where he knew he wasn't really welcomed. He also displayed a sense of dignity, because after he was done with this experiment, he was threatened several times and even burned in effigy in his hometown, but he still maintained his ground as long as he could. And last, but not least, he showed us a sense of hope, because no matter what, even in the darkest times, he would still keep at least a small bit of hope in him.

Is the Panama Canal Sustainable?

The Panama Canal was completed in 1914 by the United States. The 51 mile long route cuts through Panama at the narrowest point between North and South America to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Panama is in Central America between Columbia and Costa Rica. The Panama Canal The canal was built to and save ships from Europe and Africa going the entire way around the bottom tip of South America (the red route on the map), to reach western Asia. The canal cuts through Panama and allows most ships to pass through it so save on cost and time (the green route on the map). By building this canal, shipping has been given an enormous advantage, as ships no longer have to sail around the tip of South America to reach either ocean and sailing time is drastically reduced. Investigating the natural environment The climate in Panama is hot and humid, with a prolonged rainy season (May to January) and a short dry season (January to May). The region's normal daily temperature is 26 degrees Celsius and varies little throughout the year, perhaps 2-3 degrees. During the evening hours, however, the temperatures change more considerably, and can fluctuate as much as 6-10 degrees Celsius. There is a climate graph below showing the climatic conditions in Panama. Climate, rainfall and humidity graphs for Panama This graph shows that the rainy season does last from May to January and month with the highest rainfall in November with 569mm and the lowest rainfall in February with about 40mm of rain. This graph also shows that the average temperature throughout the year is around 26 degrees. There is very little seasonal variation in temperature but there are large seasonal fluctuations in rainfall. The humidity chart shows that the humidity is also high throughout the year, peaking between June and November, but only varying by 9% over the whole year. So between June and November, there is high humidity, high rainfall and on average, only 5 hours of sunshine a day as apposed to the 8 or 9 hours from January to April. A Sketch map of the panama region This map shows the rainforest and where the locks and the reservoirs are located. Man has had to create these reservoirs for the canal to function properly, meaning man has modified the drainage area. In order to make the reservoirs, much of the land has had to be flooded, rainforests and settlements also. This meant that many habitats were destroyed and many animals would have died as a result. Not only this, but substantial amounts of rainforest would have had to have been destroyed, that lay in the canal path and where the afore mentioned reservoirs are, again destroying habitats and killing animals. Along the route of the canal there is a series of 3 sets of locks that lower and raise the ships on their way to and from Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These locks are called the Gatun, Pedro Miguel and the Mira Flores locks. At Gatun there are 2 parallel sets of locks each consisting of 3 flights. This set of locks lift ships a total of 26 metres. The locks are constructed from concrete. More than 1.53 million cubic metres of concrete were used in the construction of the Gatun locks alone. The smallest set of locks along the Panama Canal are at Pedro Miguel and have one flight which raise or lower ships 10 metres. The Mira Flores locks have two flights with a combined lift or decent of 16.5 metres. Investigating the Social Environment Panama City is the largest city in panama. Its metropolitan area contains nearly one third of the nations inhabitants, about 1 million people. From 1980 to 1990 the city's population grew from 386,300 to 413,000. After 1990 the population again grew rapidly, increasing to 688,927. The city cannot cope with such rapid growth and there isn't enough accommodation for the whole population, so shantytowns start appearing, these are clusters of shacks, which the people build themselves. They make their ‘houses' out of anything they can find, corrugated iron, tyres and the like. These shantytowns accommodate only the poorest of the population as the richer citizens can afford the higher house prices in the city. This rapid urbanisation and the development of the shantytowns makes Panama City much more polluted. The shantytowns sprawl out from the City centre and start to intrude on the rainforests, then posing an ecological threat and threatening the sustainability of the Panama Canal. Urbanisation level This graph shows the percentage of urbanisation over the past 15 years and the predicted levels of the next 20 years. According to this graph urbanization is set to increase steadily over the next 25 years. The Panamanian government are moving people into the rainforest to give them a chance to rebuild lives and to escape the mass urbanisation and unhygienic conditions of the shantytowns. This relieves the congestion in the city and gives people new opportunities. Investigating the Economic Environment The Panama Canal is generating a lot of money for the people of Panama; it is not only a strong business and a power source, but a tourist attraction too. Many visitors come to visit the canal and bring a lot of revenue into the area, encouraging businesses to grow and prosper. The ships must pay over 15 hundred dollars to use the canal, so this brings a lot of revenue into the area. The Panama Canal can make the quality of life increase on one hand, but decrease on the other. The Canal brings a lot of revenue into the area although it can divide the social classes. The Canal creates a richer class, which are the people that profit from the canal, who continue to get richer as the canal brings in more and more money and a poorer class, as they have to move into the rainforest and live off the land with little or no money. It could also introduce crime into the area as the canal creates richer areas, with more valuable things in it, and with the poorer people living close by in the shantytowns, it is an open invitation for crime. If the Canal had to close, Panama would economically suffer immensely. Its main source of income would have dried up and the country's wealth would go down dramatically as a result. The shipping companies that use the canal would also suffer incalculably as their ships would have to sail around the tip of South America to reach the eastern world. Panama would have massive problems then with urbanisation, as people would flock to the city in hope of jobs, therefore the shantytowns will rapidly increase in size, posing new problems to the city. The Canal and it's reservoirs supply 700 000 people with fresh water. If the reservoirs cease to operate, then these people's water supply will be cut off. Evaluation If the Panamanian rainforest is cut down too much, the consequences will be dire. The canal will not be able to function properly as there will not be enough water in the reservoirs to sustain the canal. The tree's roots hold together the soil so if the trees are cut down during deforestation, then the soil becomes loose and with the huge amounts of rain that the area receives much of the soil will be washed away, into the reservoirs that feed the canal. If vast amounts of soil wash into the reservoirs then the soil occupies some of the volume of the reservoir, volume that could have been taken up by water. This means that the reservoirs cannot hold as much water as they were designed to hold. As the canal relies solely upon these reservoirs, depletion in the amount of water the reservoir could take would harm the canal's efficiency as every ship that travels through the canal takes with it an immense amount of water so there would not be the water available to work the canal, ultimately ensuring the closure of the waterway. Solutions The water in the lakes has been going down because of deforestation. The government have made a new â€Å"organic law† that allows the government to have the final say for any projects in the watershed zone. Three million dollars is being set aside to combat any environmental plans and satellite imaging is being set up so the government can view the area on a much larger scale and can see the real extent of the damage. This should enable the government to act quickly if they can see a potential threat. The Government must also regulate urbanisation as a spread of Panama City's unplanned, chaotic urbanization into the watershed would spell disaster for the canal, electricity supplies, and clean drinking water. However, the government are not perhaps taking the issue as seriously as they should be. In 1995, the government gave permission for a four-lane road to be built in the lower catchment of the watershed, ploughing straight through the national park. The Panama Canal can be sustainable if the correct precautions are taken to ensure that urbanisation and deforestation do not increase any more, otherwise, they will spiral out of control and the panama canal will have to close, ending many, many businesses in the local area and around the world.

Stalwart

Stalwart Stalwart Stalwart By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for clarification regarding the word stalwart: I am confused about the meaning of â€Å"stalwart† in the following context: â€Å"One of the most influential companies in high technology right now may be a 135-year-old industrial stalwart.† According to OED, as a noun, stalwart means â€Å"loyalist, hard-working supporter.† Nonetheless, I fail to grasp the meaning of stalwart qualified by industrial as adjective. As a noun, stalwart has more than one meaning; â€Å"loyal supporter† is only one of them. Stalwart began as an adjective. The Old English adjective stalworth was applied to things like ships to mean â€Å"serviceable.† When applied to people and animals, it meant, â€Å"strongly and stoutly built.† The meaning extended to include brave, courageous, and valiant. In Scots dialect, the word became stalwart and was reintroduced into English thanks to the popularity of the novels of Sir Walter Scott. In modern usage, stalwart functions as both adjective and noun. Adjective As an adjective, stalwart means, resolute, unbending, and determined, as well as brave, courageous, and valiant. For example: The epic valor of the Greeks in driving back the Italian invaders together with Britain’s stalwart resistance to Hitler’s crushing blows, has given new meaning to human courage in war. Her stalwart defense of the environment in Maryland is embodied in her support for building a green jobs workforce, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and for a clean energy economy. Noun â€Å"A stalwart† can be a person who has achieved wide recognition in some business or pursuit: Hollywood stalwart Ernest Borgnine dies at age 95 Josh H. Groce, a  noted stalwart  of the Texas trial bar Or it can refer to a company or institution that has been in operation for a long time. This is the sense in which stalwart is used in the sentence submitted by the reader. Here are some more examples of this use of stalwart to refer to a company: Sales for the New York-based pharmaceutical stalwart  were $13.56 billion against last years $13.89 billion. The remaining companies experiencing growth last year [included] electronics retailer HHGregg Inc. and pharmaceutical stalwart Eli Lilly and Co. And while many of its architects are well-known Silicon Valley companies, longtime Milwaukee industrial stalwart Rockwell Automation Inc. has positioned itself at the heart of the phenomenon, which some consider the next industrial revolution. Finally, in the context of politics, the noun stalwart means, â€Å"a sturdy uncompromising partisan†: AIPAC lauds re-election of pro-Israel stalwarts First deficit panel picks are Democratic stalwarts Utah is overall a conservative state much in line with the public policy principles of Republican stalwarts like Gov. Mitt Romney, Gov. Michael Leavitt and Gov. Jon Huntsman.   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?44 Resume Writing TipsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

4 Strategies to Raise Your GPA in High School Fast

4 Strategies to Raise Your GPA in High School Fast SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It can be difficult to improve your GPA quickly, especially if you’re in the latter half of high school already. With your previous grades working against you, you’ll have to put in even more effort to overcome lower averages. However, there are some measures you can take to have a better chance of raising your GPA quickly and effectively. In this article, I’ll give you different strategies that may help you raise your GPA even if you don’t have much time left in high school. How Hard Will It Be to Raise Your GPA? If you’re feeling a sense of urgency about raising your GPA before college admissions, it’s important to understand how difficult it will be to make changes based on how far along in high school you are. If You're a Freshman: You've most likely only completed one semester of high school so far, so there's plenty of time (five semesters!) left for you to raise your GPA. The majority of your classes are still ahead of you. If you make wise changes to your study habits now, you shouldn't have a problem improving them. It's important to take action as soon as possible if your GPA is especially low so that you don't get stuck trying to climb out of a much deeper hole your sophomore or junior year. If You’re a Sophomore: At this point, you’ve completed two or three semesters of high school and have three or four more to go before you apply to college.This means that at least half of the grades that will make up your final GPA for college are still ahead of you, so you have a pretty strong chance of making improvements.If your GPA is currently, say, a 2.7, by putting in more effort over the course of the next year or so you can most likely raise it above a 3.0. If You’re a Junior: You’ve completed four or five semesters of high school now and have one or two semesters left to go before you send out college applications.Even if you’re still in the beginning of junior year, your grades this year will only comprise a third of your cumulative GPA.You will have to improve drastically in order to make a positive impact on your GPA before you apply to college.You may still be able to make small changes, but a major increase in your GPA is likely to be out of reach. You might decide to focus on standardized test scores over GPA at this point if you’re nearing the end of your junior year. If You’re a Senior: You will already be starting the college application process at this point, so you can’t improve your GPA before you send in materials to schools.The only thing you can do is try to improve your standardized test scores.Raising your scores is your best bet for getting accepted into a selective college despite a GPA that’s on the lower side.You should be able to take the SAT as late as January and the ACT as late as February if you're looking to submit your scores along with regular decision applications. High School Musical 3: It's Senior Year and We Were So Busy Believing in Ourselves That We Forgot to Take Standardized Tests Strategies on How to Raise GPA, Fast Here are some measures you might take to quickly raise your GPA before you apply to college.Keep in mind that if you’re a junior or senior, it may be too late to implement these strategies and make a strong impact on your GPA.If that’s the situation you’re in, you should focus on the final strategy listed here, improving your standardized test scores, to get the most out of your efforts before college applications are due. Strategy 1: Take Less Difficult Classes This isn’t something I would normally advocate, but if your GPA is really suffering because of a low grade in a high-level class, it may be time to cut your losses.It can help both your GPA and mental health.You may be able to get a significantly better grade in a lower-level class very quickly, thus raising your GPA much faster than if you continued to struggle in a difficult course. For example, if you’re getting a C in Honors Calculus, it will require a lot of effort to improve that grade, and the change in your GPA will be minor or nonexistent.If you decided to drop down to a lower-level math class, you might be familiar with some of the concepts since you already experienced a more fast-paced class,andyou could get a much higher grade fairly easily.If your school uses weighted GPAs, a C in a high-level class might translate to a 3.0.If you drop down to a low-level class and start getting As, those grades will translate to a 4.0. That’s a big difference in a short period of time! Strategy 2: Take More Classes This is a way to raise your GPA quickly that some people don’t really think about because it seems somewhat counterintuitive.Why would you take more classes if you’re struggling? The thing is, it’s not just core classes that make up your GPA.Electives also play into GPA. If you have a free period right now, you might consider taking an elective that you find interesting to fill up the space and raise your GPA. Many of these classes won’t present a big challenge, and they can be a fun break from your regular classes where you won't have to put in as much effort to get good grades.This is a strategy to be used with caution. I’m not trying to say â€Å"just go for the easy A and you’ll be fine.†Keep in mind that this may be a viable strategy to raise your GPA fast, but it’s not necessarily a good way to ensure that you’ll get accepted to a great college. Colleges will be able to see your grades in specific classes and exactly how you ended up with your current GPA. Taking an easy elective will raise your GPA quickly, but it's kind of like putting a band-aid on a stab wound. It absolutelydoesn’t mean you should stop trying to raise your grades in core classes.To make really meaningful changes in your chances at college admission, you will need to address deeper issues with grades in the main subject areas. Taking an easy class and seeing a quick positive change in your GPA may put you in a better mindset to tackle more daunting problems that you face in your core classes. You can create a positive mental feedback loop that will help you to keep up the motivation to work hard in your classes even if an A in â€Å"Foods 1† or something isn’t going to persuade selective colleges to admit you. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. This is a pluot, a weird fruit that's a cross between a plum and an apricot. They probably won't even tell you about it in Foods 1. This is very advanced material, probably at least Foods 4 (you can thank me later). Strategy 3: Work on Doing Better in Weighted GPA Classes If your school uses weighted GPA and you’re in some AP or Honors classes where less than perfect grades will translate into impressive GPAs, you should focus your efforts on raising your grades in those classes. On weighted GPA scales, GPAs often go up to a 5.0 rather than a 4.0 to account for more difficult classes.This means that a B in an Honors class translates to a 4.0, and an A translates into a 5.0. The potential for your grades to lead to a very high GPA is greater in these classes, so they have a better chance at raising your overall GPA.It makes sense to devote a significant chunk of your energy to these classes because they naturally require more time and effort if you hope to get good grades. If you’re choosing to avoid the work in favor of easier assignments, that might be a big part of your problem. It’s also more impressive to colleges if you can manage to improve your grades in high-level classes.Raising your grades in a lower level class the same amount might give you the same GPA, but it won’t necessarily look as good to admissions officers.You should channel the majority of your energy into the most challenging courses. Strategy 4: Focus on Standardized Test Scores Technically, this isn’t a strategy for raising your GPA.However, if it’s too late to raise your GPA before you apply to college, improving standardized test scores is your best bet for stronger admissions chances.For students headed into their senior year with a less than stellar GPA, improving standardized test scores can make a huge impact on how they fare in the college application process. With, say, a 400 point improvement in your SAT scores, you will have a chance at getting into literally hundreds more colleges. This isn't an easy feat, but it's certainly achievable with a few months of concentrated studying. To use an example, let's say you're interested in attending University of Texas at Austin and have a 2.9 GPA and an 1800 SAT score. If you managed to raise your score from an 1800 to a 2200, you would have a 20% chance of admission with the higher score as opposed to a 5% chance with the lower score. And that's with no change at all in your GPA! Sometimes the most practical thing to do is to focus on scores rather than grades, especially if you’re already in your second semester of junior year.You can retake the SAT and ACT up until the winter of your senior year if you’re applying to college regular decision. Who doesn't want to spend another Saturday morning in a hot room full of stressed people? Conclusion The fact is that GPAs don’t lend themselves to quick solutions.If you’re a junior or senior, you may not be able to do much to improve your GPA before you start the admissions process.If this is the case, try to focus on improving your standardized test scores to maximize your chances at getting into selective colleges. Other measures you might take to improve your GPA if you’re still a sophomore or early in your junior year include dropping down a level in your classes, taking additional courses where you might be able to get better grades, and focusing your attention on your most difficult classes.Raising your grades is very hard work, but if you can get yourself into better habits and use some of the quick fixes here, you may be able to see some improvement before you apply to college. What's Next? Now that we've figured out the answer to "how do I raise my GPA fast," you may be interested in learning how your GPA will be perceived in the admissions process. Read this article to find out whether colleges use weighted or unweighted GPA in making their decisions. Worried about getting into college with a low GPA? Here's a list of colleges with low GPA requirements to give you some potential options. Are you just not sure if your GPA is considered good enough for your goals? Learn more about what might constitute a good or bad GPA for your circumstances. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Relationship between Foreign Direct Investment and Corporate Social Essay

Relationship between Foreign Direct Investment and Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example It is clearly shown in this report that foreign direct investment complicates the CSR practices of multinational corporations and other businesses operating internationally. This shows that there is a strong relationship between CSR and FDI. The relationship is influenced by several factors. First, stakeholder legitimacy problems cause international businesses to adapt to local CSR practices because stakeholders in host countries exert pressure on them to behave according to their interests in order to be considered legitimate. Secondly, international human resource management policies in host countries may complicate CSR practices of the foreign country due to the difference between HRM practices of the host and home country. An expatriate problem also results in complex CSR practices because expatriates may experience new cultures and behaviors in the host country that may change their CSR practices. Institutional distance is also considered as another factor affecting the relation ship between CSR and FDI. A high institutional distance between hoe and host country usually leads the multinational corporation to adapt to the local CSR practices. Recent research indicates that a company operating in host countries with a different institutional environment and demanding stakeholders are likely to adopt local practices in order to legitimize their foreign direct investment in host countries. This can be explained using the institutional theory and stakeholder theory which explain internal and external motivations for legitimacy in multinational corporations. Foreign Direct Investment is the acquisition of assets by an international company in another country. Foreign Direct Investors face the challenge of integrating home country CSR practices and the demands of stakeholders in the host country. Understanding these legitimacy pressures for foreign direct investment requires a link between corporate social responsibility and foreign direct investment.

CASE STUDY # 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

# 1 - Case Study Example However, some children may accurately develop these abilities but still have symptoms of language disorder. The speech disorders without known causes are usually referred to developmental language disorder. Nonetheless, numerous agents including brain injury, developmental problems, hearing loss, autistic spectrum disorder, and learning disabilities, may cause the language disorder in children (The New York Times 01). Notably, each agent has its unique symptoms, system of diagnosis, and treatment. Cori Williams, the national president announced during the Federal Lections of the year 2007 lobbied a national campaign against speech disorder among children. William wanted the speech pathology to be discussed extensively and sufficiently so that the government could adopt the Speech Pathology as an Australia’s policy (Speech Pathology Australia 01). The main areas that this public policy aimed at addressing included the functions of the speech pathology services to children with speech and language disorders. William also wanted the improved access of pathology services to children in remote areas. Finally, it lobby called for extended pathology services within the Medicare Allied Health Initiative (Speech Pathology Australia 01). There numerous exams and tests that are often conducted in children to determine the type of speech disorder they might be suffering. In some cases, a speech disorder in a child may be traced from the medical history of the child’s family (Simms 432). In such a case, it may be revealed that the child’s close relative might have suffered speech and language problems. Moreover, a child who might be suspected to be suffering from language or speech disorder can be taken for standardized expressive and receptive language tests. During this test, a language and speech neuropsychologist or therapist will be able to determine the same. Additionally,