Past, Present, and Future Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Past, Present, and Future Paper - Essay Example It was a confusing situation at times. I knew that education and learning was important, but at the same time I really didn’t see how it related to real life. When I enrolled at the University of Phoenix, I felt that I had good basic communication skills. I was able to read and write well. I could comprehend complex texts and I could convey information that I learned clearly to others. I did know that I writing I struggled with spelling and grammar. This problem has plagued me for my whole life. In some ways I have always felt as though it wasn’t a big deal. I could always figure something out if I really needed to. I also felt that I was dependable and could work well with people on a team. In a way, I guess I entered the program feeling as though I had some weaknesses academically, but that they could be overcome. I was able to function fully in my job in the Human Resources department and felt competent in my professional life. Entering the program, my career goals w ere to obtain a more senior position within my current employment. I wanted to work my way up and be a specialist within the Human Resources department. I realized that I needed a proper degree to do this. I also began to watch how the senior members of my department communicated and worked with one another. I realized that there were some skills that I was lacking in addition to a degree. I could see that when I compared my current ability to communicate to their ability to communicate, I was found lacking. I resolved that I would gain the skills necessary to feel comfortable and confident when working with these senior members of the Human Resources department. I felt that if I could feel comfortable working with them, then I would be in a position to one-day hold a senior position as a Human Resources Specialist myself. When I began working on the Bachelors of Science in Management (BSM) degree at the University of Phoenix, it became clear that I was not nearly as prepared taking these classes as I thought. I discovered that my spelling and grammar that I knew was a weakness turned out to be much weaker than I thought. I found that just muddling through was not good enough any more so I grew determined to really improve my weaknesses so they could actually become strengths. I found the high level of expectations that was set for clear writing and concise communication to be challenging but helpful in my goal to improve. The feedback I received from professors and other students was very helpful. Collaborating with other students was a part of the course study that I really enjoyed and was actually where I learned the most about writing. I have always enjoyed working in a team atmosphere and felt that I could do it well. What I found at the University of Phoenix was that I actually got better at using collaboration as a tool for learning. I began to see how I could use the feedback from my peers to really improve a paper or to develop a new perspective on a problem that needed to be solved. Through this collaborative process, I feel that my abilities in information retrieval, communication, writing and oral communication skills have greatly improved. I feel that there are three specific classes that really helped me to improve in these areas. The first of these classes was my Skills For Professional Development class. I call this my wake-up call class, because it was in this class that I

The report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The report - Essay Example The company has grown extensively over the past few decades and opened thousands of stores across America, China, and other countries across the globe. The retail business in US has undergone rapid transformation since the emergence and growth of Wal-Mart culture. The Wal-Mart business model is being widely adapted and implemented by most competitive agencies owing to its successful operations and increasing revenues. The Wal-Mart has emerged as a popular brand name among the consumers looking for competitive rates and a comfortable shopping experience. The success of the business model adopted by Sam Walton is attributed to a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour and consumer psychology that plays actively while making a purchase decision. â€Å"The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really if you think about it from your point of view as a customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience† (Walton, 1992). Wal-Mart procures goods from suppliers at low cost that translates to low pricing offered to the consumers. The incredibly low prices offered by the stores attract increased number of consumers to Wal-Mart and this is a major factor behind the success of Wal-Mart. The customers at Wal-Mart are offered with a wide variety of products at comparatively low rates that accounts for a conve nient shopping experience under a single roof. Technology has equipped the workforce with speed and accuracy that has enhanced overall productivity and efficiency within any organization. Innovation is the key to success in most business enterprises and it is evident in the way Wal-Mart has leveraged the use of innovative technology to gain cost advantage in their retail operations. The use of bar code technology has helped the

Impact of Demand and Supply Forces in the Market

Impact of Demand and Supply Forces in the Market In general, equilibrium market price is determined by where quantity demanded meets quantity supplied. This holds true for the property market in the UK, where prices are being driven by large demand for housing and an almost fixed supply of property. This larger demand of housing over existing supply has been the main factor driving UK property prices up in the last 10 years. However, these increased prices cannot last forever, the market (through changes in supply and demand, as well as government intervention) will find a new equilibrium due to factors that will bring demand down again. According to demand and supply theory, for a downward sloping demand curve, as price increases, quantity demanded moves leftward along the demand curve, resulting in a lower quantity demanded. On the other hand, in an upward sloped supply curve, as price increases, then quantity supplied moves rightwards along the supply curve for a higher quantity supplied. In the case of the UK housing market, let’s suppose we had a downward sloping demand and upward sloping supply, which intersected at P0 and Q0. About 10 years ago, the UK economy was starting its upwards growth cycle. This gave people more money which they could freely spend on purchasing property, increasing demand for housing. This increased demand caused the demand curve for property to shift outwards from D0 to D1. With this increase in demand, and the same supply curve S0, prices would have increased from P0 to P1 and quantity demanded and supplied would have increased from Q0 to Q1. However, this increase in demand which caused higher prices would also affect supply, so more builders and developers would want to construct housing in order to fulfil this growing demand. Yet, this increase in supply is always smaller than the increase in demand because of resource constraints—where will you actually build new housing and the time it takes to build such once you have found a place to do so and also because the builders know that others will be building too and so the increased price will not be as high as they initially saw. In the end, the total increase in supply is smaller than the increase in demand. This increase in supply (which takes a bit longer to be reflected in the market than the increase in demand) would imply an outwards shift of the supply curve from S0 to S1. This in itself would then reduce prices from P1 to P2 and increase quantity even more from Q1 to Q2. Since the increase in supply is not enough to offset the increase in demand, the cycl e begins again with another outward shift in demand, since those demanding Q2 at the lower price P2 are willing to pay up to P3, driving demand out again and helping the boom in housing prices. In reality, this increased demand and supply is continuously occurring and the process cannot be explained by the diagrams above. Some believe that part of the real reason why prices are so high right now is because people are buying based on how prices have been behaving and are not arbitraging: instead of correcting each others mispricing, they reinforce it. (Farlow 2004) However, in the future, demand for housing could become lower than supply, which would mean that prices would go down. Given the high prices to date, more developers are building new housing which would imply that supply is increasing. If this continues or even grows, then supply could at one point exceed demand, driving prices downwards. This is unlikely, as when builders are making decisions as to whether or not create new homes they factor in the supply of housing being built by their competitors, which sometimes causes the overall growth in supply to be lower than what some expected. Another factor that could influence a price crash is an economic recession, whereby many people are laid off and their disposable income is reduced. Were this to happen, then demand for property would decline, and again, prices would have to reduce to accommodate the lower demand. A third factor that could influence is if the government increased interest rates dramatically. In this case, the increas e in interest rates would result in two main issues: reducing consumer spending, which would include buying property, in favour of saving money, as savings rates would increase, and secondly, a reduction of people wanting to borrow money for properties, as mortgages would go up. This two-way reduction would also reduce demand for property, with a result of a reduction in property prices. As we have seen above, demand and supply forces can be used to explain how it is possible to get such a continued increase in the prices of UK housing over the last 10 years, beginning with a strengthening of the economy which injected cash into the market. This led to increased demand for housing which was not offset by identical increase in supply, which combined with continued economic growth and low interest rates just continued putting upward pressure on demand for housing and thus increasing prices. There have been many recent articles wondering when this upwards spiral will end but it is difficult to predict. The Bank of England has been trying to intervene by increasing interest rates in the last few months with yet another increase predicted in the near future, but this is not reflecting in a reduction for housing demand. A big factor that could help reduce property prices is a reduction in the overall economy, as occurred in the 1980s, when unemployment hit certain areas an d many were left with little income for buying homes. This, however, does not seem likely, given the pressure to maintain the economic boom. However, there will come a point when the majority of people will be unable to afford any housing due to its continuous price increases, driving demand for housing down. REFERENCES Farlow, A., 2004, â€Å"Part two: The UK Housing Market: Bubbles and Buyers†, Credit Suisse First Boston. Lipsey, R.G. and K.A. Chrystal, 1999, Principles of Economics, 9th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Memorable Day Essay -- Personal Narrative Tourism Traveling Essays

Memorable Day Drip, drop, drip, drop; it’s the sound of light rain on the window of my small, cramped hotel room in New York City. I pray that the sound will just drift away to nothingness and bring back the heavy sounds of the city. I wait patiently in the early morning darkness, which the rain has brought to my window waiting for some kind of sign of a hot New York day. Of all the days to rain, why did it have to be this day? The one full day I have to spend in New York and get to know the city. The plans of walking, sightseeing, and browsing the many stores have come to an end due to the loud sounds of big fat rain drops hitting the pavement. The rain, which only moments before was small with a promise of stopping soon, was now coming down hard and fast, drenching everything in its path. As my husband and I walk towards the entrance of the hotel, all we saw was a wave of umbrellas blocking out the site of the streets, but leaving an intricate pattern of color in its place. After purchasing a couple of umbrellas, Todd and I decided to try and brave the rain and continue our plans to tour the big Apple, but one step outside of the hotel had us hailing a cab and heading off to do what most people do on a rainy day. Todd and I asked the cab driver to head over to the Metropolitan Museum. Now, everyone goes to a museum once or twice every few months, because people can’t seem to get enough of old dinosaur’s bones and other naturalistic pieces behind plated glass. I have been told by many that a typical museum visit is fine, but a visit to the Metropolitan is a site to behold. After being dropped off in front of an old classic building I knew in that moment that the rain gave me a precious gift. After all, when it c... ...ll say there are some very unusual paintings we saw at the Met. I sometimes wonder what an artist is seeing when they are painting. Our day had to come to an end because there are only so many hours in a day. As my husband and I step out of history and back into reality we see that the rain has subsided just long enough to begin a nice stroll through central park. As my husband and I begin walking back to our hotel we start to share what parts of the museum we liked the best. The exhibit we liked the best was the medieval time period, because there is just so much interesting history behind this period. I can’t believe it has been almost a year since that trip to New York, but I can still remember my experiences at the Metropolitan Museum. I was able for just one day to travel from time period to time period viewing wonderful pieces from all over the world. Memorable Day Essay -- Personal Narrative Tourism Traveling Essays Memorable Day Drip, drop, drip, drop; it’s the sound of light rain on the window of my small, cramped hotel room in New York City. I pray that the sound will just drift away to nothingness and bring back the heavy sounds of the city. I wait patiently in the early morning darkness, which the rain has brought to my window waiting for some kind of sign of a hot New York day. Of all the days to rain, why did it have to be this day? The one full day I have to spend in New York and get to know the city. The plans of walking, sightseeing, and browsing the many stores have come to an end due to the loud sounds of big fat rain drops hitting the pavement. The rain, which only moments before was small with a promise of stopping soon, was now coming down hard and fast, drenching everything in its path. As my husband and I walk towards the entrance of the hotel, all we saw was a wave of umbrellas blocking out the site of the streets, but leaving an intricate pattern of color in its place. After purchasing a couple of umbrellas, Todd and I decided to try and brave the rain and continue our plans to tour the big Apple, but one step outside of the hotel had us hailing a cab and heading off to do what most people do on a rainy day. Todd and I asked the cab driver to head over to the Metropolitan Museum. Now, everyone goes to a museum once or twice every few months, because people can’t seem to get enough of old dinosaur’s bones and other naturalistic pieces behind plated glass. I have been told by many that a typical museum visit is fine, but a visit to the Metropolitan is a site to behold. After being dropped off in front of an old classic building I knew in that moment that the rain gave me a precious gift. After all, when it c... ...ll say there are some very unusual paintings we saw at the Met. I sometimes wonder what an artist is seeing when they are painting. Our day had to come to an end because there are only so many hours in a day. As my husband and I step out of history and back into reality we see that the rain has subsided just long enough to begin a nice stroll through central park. As my husband and I begin walking back to our hotel we start to share what parts of the museum we liked the best. The exhibit we liked the best was the medieval time period, because there is just so much interesting history behind this period. I can’t believe it has been almost a year since that trip to New York, but I can still remember my experiences at the Metropolitan Museum. I was able for just one day to travel from time period to time period viewing wonderful pieces from all over the world.

Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News Essay

The nonfiction book of Bernard Richard Goldberg entitled â€Å"Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News† is phenomenal and controversial. Goldberg boldly and bravely mentioned celebrity news man and reporters who actively participate in the idea of media bias. His book generally states the slanted or one-sided nature of the news coverage. The book will give the readers ideas and evidences on how integrity, fairness, and balance disappeared from news reporting. Hence, this paper attempts to give the readers a glimpse about Goldberg’s perceptions of the how the news is being formulated nowadays. It intends to discuss some of the evidences backed up with Goldberg’s opinion about news formulation in America particularly in the CBS News. This paper also aims to provide personal feedback and evaluations about Goldberg’s charges of media bias and present ideas about journalism today. Veteran CBS reporter, Bernard Richard Goldberg in his book â€Å"Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News† exposed how media bias prevails in America’s media. The title itself gives the readers an idea about its content. The book clearly walks them through from the author’s experiences in the world of journalism. He delivered an array of criticisms against major broadcasting networks and news reporters. He mentioned his perceptions about his colleagues’ biases in presenting news. Goldberg showed how news organizations and his colleagues working as ‘journalists’ operate behind the cameras. Any reader will agree that the extreme bitterness of Goldberg towards his colleagues before was very evident and transparent in the book. The book presents facts and evidences about the idea of the media being leftist. Chapter 5 is a good example on how reporters used media for political persuasion. Goldberg supported this idea through evidence. In 1980, Goldberg started noticing that the homeless people in America showed on the news â€Å"didn’t look very much like the homeless people† (Goldberg 63). The ones he saw on the sidewalks at large were drug addicts or winos who mumbled crazy things, but the ones that journalists showed on television were different. â€Å"They looked as if they came from their neighborhood and mine. They looked like us† (Goldberg 63). The quantity of homeless people being depicted in the media will somehow tell the leader’s capability to lessen poverty. During that time, the elected president was Bill Clinton. Goldberg clearly said that media illustrated Bill Clinton as a perfect humanitarian. Homeless people have a better situation than before, or better yet, the problem of homelessness was solved. According to Goldberg, this was about not wanting to show certain Americans at all. Monumental stories of how Americans live their lives are not nearly monumental to some TV journalists. Goldberg criticized that journalists delighted so much on news and stories like Princess Diana, Fidel Castro’s communist dictatorship, and Jon Benet Ramsey but failed to focus on more important issues for American people that need to be addressed. The TV news influenced the viewers that the most important and significant story of contemporary times was Princess Di because it inspired and illuminated the people, but how about the more important realities which need to be solved? Goldberg presented wordy references of how media always ignore more relevant information. An example of the presented evidences was that â€Å"more and more mothers have opted for work outside of the house over taking care of their children at home and the results have been disastrous† (Goldberg 164). However, serious stories like this were not given serious coverage. The increasing number of sexual abuse in America, the increasing number of premarital sex of children below 15 years old, the effects of divorce and absence of American mothers at home were some of the important stories that were not accentuated in media. Identity politics, according to Goldberg, was very eminent. In his book, Goldberg gave an example: â€Å"During the Clinton impeachment trial in 1999, as the senators signed their names in the oath book swearing they would be fair and impartial, Jennings, who was anchoring ABC News’s live coverage, made sure his audience knew which senators were conservatives but uttered not a word about which ones were liberal† (Goldberg 57). This was a cold fact given which proves that conservatives and liberals in politics are treated in an obviously different manner by the news media. The book also informs the readers how media selects news and how they present it according to their own stand to attract attention. One prominent example is the way AIDS in the U. S. was depicted as an epidemic to â€Å"spark demand for massive government AIDS spending. † Since Goldberg has been in the news reporting field for a long time, readers can easily assume the credibility of the book. Most of the facts presented were even based on his personal experience in the business. His perceptions are backed up with statistics and evidences which will give the readers’ impression that he knows what he is talking about. His bravery to name names would make him gain heroic impression. Personally, however, I found weaknesses in the book. I agree with the idea that reporters mentioned by Goldberg tend to slant the news to cater to their own preference—the standard of most viewers or the pro government. However, I am skeptic about whether the presented evidences given by Goldberg are enough to coin them media biases. It may be safe to conclude that Goldberg’s colleagues provided some favorable information and concealed unfavorable information to the news viewers. Goldberg observed that reporters choose to cover certain events only, but did he not consider that events are infinite in number which means space and time are necessarily limited? Reporters make their judgments in choosing events to cover which they think are newsworthy. Personally, that is not enough to label them as bias in general. I strongly believe that there is media bias as Goldberg wanted to depict, but the presented evidences were not just enough. I wish he went beyond that. Another weakness I found in the book is that Goldberg used political and technical terms like liberal bias, liberal hate speech, and conservatives to name a few. He failed to define them according to its context. Defining those terms will give the readers an idea what he was talking about. It may be easy to conclude that his target readers are those people working in the same business. Thus, those ordinary people who seek the truth can just define those terms in their own context and reality. As a result, they may misinterpret the message. Goldberg also failed to mention what factors made the media elite to be bias in presenting and choosing news. Was it because of their educational background? What kind of orientation and realities do they have that affect their preferences in judging what is newsworthy? Was it because of laziness, or was it because they unintentionally conform to the standard of the majority? It is natural for a reader to assume that Goldberg can actually answer these questions since they became his colleagues. I wanted to commend Goldberg’s idea about the homeless story. I find it weak. The readers may ask themselves whether homelessness during Bill Clinton’s administration remained stagnant. If only Goldberg provided information on the succeeding 0% of homelessness during Clinton’s era, it might truly create a stronger impact. However, in reading the book based on Goldberg evidences, I came up with the conclusion that the media abused their power to give information according to their own preference and standard. The problem is that they are not aware of it. They think that what they are doing is right. His book is good though in suggesting the news they are feeding the public are filtered and manufactured either intentionally or unintentionally. News must be presented accurately and completely, then let the public judge its context. The problem with journalists is that they tend to go beyond their job. I do not want to think that men and women entered journalism because they want to make a difference. Although that is good, the problem is they may just report certain news motivated by their own idealism and preference. For example, highlighting inspiring stories that may, in their own idea, inspire people and make a difference. Media must be very careful in giving the right and accurate information. Viewers of news want accurate information. They dislike slanted information because it will be costly in time, money, and effort to seek the truth. Despite its weaknesses, the book has motivated me to go and seek beyond the box. It cannot be ignored that Goldberg presented facts in his charges and accusations. The book provides one assurance: one cannot expect perfect accuracy and balance of information even from competitive and â€Å"credible† media.

My Different Kinds of Friends

I have formed many friendships in life. Each friend, however, is different. Some are closer than others. Some are more important to keep than others. There are friends made out of necessity and some formed as if by fate. Friends, certainly, are of various kinds. I have one best friend. We share many similarities in character and preferences. We have been through a lot since we first met. The best friend is someone whom you think you could trade personalities with. He is someone whom you could share your secrets, dreams and problems.He will accept you for both your good and bad traits and could be depended on in both happy and sad times. The other type of friend I have made is the group-friend. The clique is a group of people whom you go in a group with. I am part of one in school and another in the neighborhood. When I start working in a company, I know I will be part of another. Although the closeness is less than that of the best friend, belonging to a clique means having a group t o hang out with, play games with, and sympathize with each other’s life stories.Then, there are the friends I keep in close contact with but am not really close enough to confide in. I keep a good relationship with them because I see them regularly. They are schoolmates, sons and daughters of my parents, neighbors, and other people whom I interact with in a regular basis. Finally, there are the friends whom I make at various stages in my life but whom I lost contact with through the years. For instance, childhood friends who went to different schools or have already moved to other places.I keep in contact with some of them through email and sometimes I see them but a long distance friendship is different to having a regular friend around. Friends change every year or so. Even a best friend can become a mere acquaintance later on in life. There are no permanent friends unless one takes the extra effort. Friends are important to have in life, however, in that they are like life -saving crafts. We need them during fun times, but we need them more during the low moments of life.

Free Essays on Slavery In The American Colonies

Historically, slavery has appeared in many forms. Slaves have served in capacities as diverse as concubines, warriors, servants, craftsmen, tutors, and victims of ritual sacrifice. In the Americas, however, slavery emerged as a system of forced labour designed to facilitate the building of new economies. The use of African slave labour assumed different roles depending on the natural and economic conditions that varied between colonial regions. Slavery was a social institution defined by law and custom as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude. The definitive characteristics of slaves are as follows: their labour or services were obtained through force; their physical beings were regarded as the property of another person, their owner; and they were entirely subject to their owner's will. Since the earliest times, slaves have been legally defined as chattel. Therefore, they could be bought, sold, traded, given as a gift, or pledged for a debt by their owner, usually without any recourse to personal or legal objection or restraint. With the development of the plantation system in the southern colonies in the latter half of the 17th century, the number of Africans imported as agricultural slave labourers increased significantly. Generally, slaves were used as domestics and in trade in the northern colonies; in the Middle Atlantic colonies, they were used more in agriculture; and in the southern colonies, where plantation agriculture was the primary occupation, most slaves were used to work the plantations. All the colonies in their early stages shared a common dependence upon the exploitation of subject people to achieve a measure of prosperity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence and growth of slavery in North America. Specifically, I will examine how the occupations, working conditions and status of slaves evolved in various colonies from their arrival in 1619, through the American Revolution... Free Essays on Slavery In The American Colonies Free Essays on Slavery In The American Colonies Historically, slavery has appeared in many forms. Slaves have served in capacities as diverse as concubines, warriors, servants, craftsmen, tutors, and victims of ritual sacrifice. In the Americas, however, slavery emerged as a system of forced labour designed to facilitate the building of new economies. The use of African slave labour assumed different roles depending on the natural and economic conditions that varied between colonial regions. Slavery was a social institution defined by law and custom as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude. The definitive characteristics of slaves are as follows: their labour or services were obtained through force; their physical beings were regarded as the property of another person, their owner; and they were entirely subject to their owner's will. Since the earliest times, slaves have been legally defined as chattel. Therefore, they could be bought, sold, traded, given as a gift, or pledged for a debt by their owner, usually without any recourse to personal or legal objection or restraint. With the development of the plantation system in the southern colonies in the latter half of the 17th century, the number of Africans imported as agricultural slave labourers increased significantly. Generally, slaves were used as domestics and in trade in the northern colonies; in the Middle Atlantic colonies, they were used more in agriculture; and in the southern colonies, where plantation agriculture was the primary occupation, most slaves were used to work the plantations. All the colonies in their early stages shared a common dependence upon the exploitation of subject people to achieve a measure of prosperity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence and growth of slavery in North America. Specifically, I will examine how the occupations, working conditions and status of slaves evolved in various colonies from their arrival in 1619, through the American Revolution...

Free Essays on Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Pearl is a great example of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. In chapter six when Hester is talking about her daughter Pearl, of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne says, â€Å"in giving her existence a great law had been broken.† Since Pearl was born, she was actually the scarlet letter, because if Pearl had never have been borne, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and would have never had to wear such a burden on her chest. Also, in chapter six. it shows Pearl’s fascination of the scarlet letter and seems to torture her mother by playing with it. Pearl symbolized God’s way of punishing Hester for adultery. On page 61 in The Scarlet Letter, when Pearl is being explained as an innocent child, Hawthorne writes â€Å"a lovely and immortal flower.† Pearl, to Hester, was a flower, at sometimes she was very happy, joyful, and full of life and color but on other days she was â€Å"wilting† which brought Hester much grief. In The Scarlet Letter it shows how if a person sins against God, he/ she will pay for what they did, even through that particular sin. Pearl brought some joy to Hester, but she brought even more grief by being a constant reminder of her sin, by pestering Hester while she wore the letter, and by being a wilting flower, all of this shows how one sin can bring you much grief. Pearl also did many symbolic things that made the Puritans’ ideas of life change. On page 194 Hawthorne writes, â€Å"And she was gentler here than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mother’s cottage. The flowers appeared to know it.† Pearl fit in with natural things, which was considered evil to the Puritans, (Encarta) but Pearl is showing them how the forest is beautiful and natural. According to chuckii.com â€Å"Hester’s child, is symbolic of changing Puritan society.† Pearl changes the puritan society because she is the outcome of the scarlet letter... Free Essays on Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter Free Essays on Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Pearl is a great example of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. In chapter six when Hester is talking about her daughter Pearl, of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne says, â€Å"in giving her existence a great law had been broken.† Since Pearl was born, she was actually the scarlet letter, because if Pearl had never have been borne, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and would have never had to wear such a burden on her chest. Also, in chapter six. it shows Pearl’s fascination of the scarlet letter and seems to torture her mother by playing with it. Pearl symbolized God’s way of punishing Hester for adultery. On page 61 in The Scarlet Letter, when Pearl is being explained as an innocent child, Hawthorne writes â€Å"a lovely and immortal flower.† Pearl, to Hester, was a flower, at sometimes she was very happy, joyful, and full of life and color but on other days she was â€Å"wilting† which brought Hester much grief. In The Scarlet Letter it shows how if a person sins against God, he/ she will pay for what they did, even through that particular sin. Pearl brought some joy to Hester, but she brought even more grief by being a constant reminder of her sin, by pestering Hester while she wore the letter, and by being a wilting flower, all of this shows how one sin can bring you much grief. Pearl also did many symbolic things that made the Puritans’ ideas of life change. On page 194 Hawthorne writes, â€Å"And she was gentler here than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mother’s cottage. The flowers appeared to know it.† Pearl fit in with natural things, which was considered evil to the Puritans, (Encarta) but Pearl is showing them how the forest is beautiful and natural. According to chuckii.com â€Å"Hester’s child, is symbolic of changing Puritan society.† Pearl changes the puritan society because she is the outcome of the scarlet letter...

A Review Of Tom Shadyacs Movie Patch Adams

A Review Of Tom Shadyac's Movie Patch Adams Hunter â€Å"Patch† Adams is a doctor who, among other things, founded the Gesundheit Institute to try and change the medical profession. After attempting suicide, he finds himself and realizes that he wants to help people. He can do this directly by becoming a doctor, but when he notices medicine is a cold, unfeeling process he wants to change, he attempts to do just that. Over the course of the movie, he faces several injustices in the face of his righteous quest, but does not give up and is where he is now because of this. The circle of faith in action model is defined as â€Å"awareness, analysis, and action†. In his fight to make medicine more friendly to the people it helps, he takes these three steps and achieves his goal. His own awareness begins to take shape while he is in the mental institution after his suicide attempt. Despite being a rehabilitation facility, none of the faculty seem to really care about the patients and only do what they do for a paycheck. The dismissive attitude of the hospitals main people and the orderlies shows this quite well. This starts Patch on his quest to change things, but not before he enters medical school and sees the injustice in an even worse form there. Students are not allowed to see the patients until their 3rd year, and even then in a purely educational sense. The strict Dean Walcott makes sure of this, and Patch is disciplined and threatened with expulsion several times for â€Å"aggravating patients† and â€Å"embarassing the community† when in reality hes only trying to make it more fun for everyone-doctors, students, and most importantly patients. After analysis of this situation, he decides that medicine must be changed. Patch then buys an old ranch farmhouse and converts it into a small clinic. With his friends he is able to run it well. However, this clinic isnt just an ordinary clinic. No one there is labelled as a â€Å"doctor†, or more clearly, everyone is. Whether the people there seek treatment or give it, everyone has a job. This goes from actually administering treatment to cleaning up after others, or (most critically in Patchs operation) entertaining patients with any means necessary. After Patch graduates, he creates the Gesundheit Institute, a medical facility using alternative cheap methods to treat patients and employing entertainment to eliminate the cold atmosphere many hospitals have. The whole reason Patch does what he does in the first place is the somewhat inhumane treatment by hospitals to their patients. He disagrees with the ridiculous costs of healthcare. Even today, simple visits can cost upwards of thousands of dollars. To Patch, this cannot stand, as he believes humans deserve their right to be treated. On a more personable level, he dislikes the social treatment given to patients. To him, most doctors see their patients not as human beings with a right to be medically treated but as a â€Å"job† or a â€Å"number†. To him, most are only concerned about the money they get from the treatment and not about whether the patient is actually okay. This has a real world basis, as the sterile, boring, darkness of hospitals can contribute to depression and in turn make medical issues even worse as your will to fight slips away. Patch doesnt just try to change the system, he does. While hes in school he promotes fair treatment of patients and visits them (cancer-stricken children foremost) even though he isnt allowed. He convinces his roommate (who detests Patchs attempts to change) that his cause is worth it. Even Dean Walcott and the school board is convinced of his talent by the time Patch finally graduates. More importantly, they accept his unorthodox methods as legitimate, and begin to move their education tactics and treatment methods to a more personal, fun type. Patch knew what he wanted to do, and he did. Even today you can see hospitals with decorations, entertainment, easier treatment, and many other new things that set them apart from the treatment of many years ago. And it would be unfair to say Patch and his Gesundheit institute didnt have a hand in that. The first Catholic Social Teaching theme is respect of the life and dignity of the human person- and this is what Patch, and the entire movie are all about. The real Patchs life is dedicated to fair treatment of patients and to an extent, everyone. He also says death should be treated with dignity and respects that one day, everyone has to go. Patch starts medicine towards more humane treatment and his work has had an effect today. Patch believes medicine should be a community, so everyone- doctors and patients should unite for good treatment. In his first clinic everyone has a job, not just those who are administering the treatment to the patients. He promotes family values and makes sure every voice is heard. Patchs responsibility as a doctor is to help his patient. He must respect their rights and do everything in his power to respect a patient and carry out their wishes. He must make sure they survive as long as they can, but respects their right to die. However, Patch takes his minimum responsibilities as a doctor and takes it much further- he becomes a helper. He makes his patients feel good not just bodily, but in their minds as well. Patch believes healthcare should be low-cost or even free, because every human deserves medical care. His first clinic and his full hospital today are both non profit and rely on volunteers, patient assistance and tireless work from those involved to keep them running. No one is turned away, especially the vulnerable who really need the help. Patch is a natural helper and will do anything he can if someone is in need of his help. Patch respects dignity. Those who assist him in his medical work do it not out of a desire for money but out of the goodness of their hearts. They are treated just as fairly as the patients. To Patch, medicine isnt just about the patient. Its about the doctor as well, and they have rights. To Patch, we must all stand together as a community. In his perfect world, medicine and any other kind of help is always given for free. Humans are naturally good and he took what was in him and revolutionized a huge part of society. Even after hes gone, the protocol he put into practice will remain and Patch will only truly die when medicine regresses back to the almost robotic way it was years ago. Doctor and patient must stand as one unit for the good of themselves. Solidarity is key in Patchs world, and you must stand up for what you believe in. Even after the death of his girlfriend, his expulsion, his suicide attempt, and the several other obstacles in his way Patch never gave up, and this attitude spread to his close friends. As a doctor, caring for Gods creation is Patchs job. He works with humans, but he would surely help an animal or plant in need if he knew how. Patch respects and cares for the planet. As his influence spreads, many others do as well. His organizations are non-profit to make sure no one is turned away, and Patch continues to work with his patients to this day. Patch Adamss influence on medicine was critical to the field. Today, every medical institution is more humanized and treats its patients with the respect they deserve as human beings. Because of him, patients feel better and will heal faster because of it. This is a huge step in the right direction and its insane that it took that long for the medical profession to realize.

McClellands Learned Needs Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

McClellands Learned Needs Theory - Assignment Example The individuals, who are achievement based, avoid both high and low risks and avoid norms for the fear of rejection at their workplace (Daft & Lane, 2008). Besides the need for the achievement, other people have a need for affiliation. This kind of people prefers to create and maintain social relationships and enjoys being a part of a particular group. They adhere to the norms in that culture, and they do not change them for the fear of rejection in their workplace. In addition, they prefer collaboration to competition and dislike high uncertainties and risks situations. This group of people works best in social areas like client interaction services and customer service. The other group of people has a need for power. In this class of person, they work to their best when they are in charge. They do well in competition hence doing well in goal orient (Daft & Lane, 2008). Employees are the most valuable resources in a company and therefore motivation is essential. Every bright idea, act of selfishness’ for the betterment of the organization, plan on money saving should be rewarded through online point system. An employee motivation increases their morale and reduces the turnover rates. To enhance employees’ motivation the management should break the monotonous of duty to reduce boredom and assign employees to challenging jobs. Secondly, in applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, managers do have a responsibility they meet the deficiency needs of the workers. Proper working environment should be created to develop full potential. In addition, the theory of needs requires workers to be assured of job security that lumps employees

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Music - Essay Example is first work 9 Variations in C Minor† was published in 1782, when his age was 12.At the age of 14 he was the organist in the court of â€Å"Maximillian Franz, Elector of Cologne.† His meeting with Mozart took place in â€Å"Vienna in 1787.† Mozart highly appreciated the musical talents of Beethoven. In Vienna, he took music lessons from masters like Haydan, Salieri and Albrechtsberger. His talents won him admiration in the music circles of Vienna. â€Å"He composed Opus 1, the Trios for Piano,† in the year 1794. In 1795, he gave â€Å"his first public performance† in an academy known as Vienna and then began his tour to Prague, Leipzig, Dresden, berlin and Budapest. Notwithstanding his music talents, as a person, he was known for â€Å"his impulsive behavior.† â€Å"In 1800 in a new concert at Vienna† he presented â€Å"his first symphony.† With his innovations he was crossing the established norms â€Å"of music.† In 1801, he began to realize that he was turning deaf. This health issue turned him cynical and his life was useless and purposeless with this deficiency, he thought. But his passion for music was too strong and he kept pushing to the front. He engaged himself in what is known as Beethoven music, Sonatas for Piano, the second and the third symphonies, The Eroica and in due course many such creations. He wrote his 3rd symphony in honor of Bonaparte. On April, 7, 1805, the Erocia symphony was played for the first time. His creativity began to flourish. Pastora, Coriolan Overtue and Letter for Elise are some of his immortal creations. He fell in love with several of his students. Beethoven was given an annual grant of 4,000 florins, by his rich admirers and with that assistance it was possible for him to function as an independent composer. He was free to compose what he wanted, a true freelancer, under the command of nobody. When Archduke Rudolph became Cardinal, Beethoven began to composing his mass in D. The ninth symphony was completed in 1823. Soon,

See Below Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

See Below - Research Paper Example the politics/administration dichotomy 1900-1926; the principles of administration, 1927-1937; public administration as political science, 1950-1970 and public administration administrative science. The article will offer relevant information on the differences before and after implementation of scientific approach. Holzer, Marc and Gabrielian Vatche. â€Å"Five Great ideas in American public administration.† Principles and Practices of Public Administration. Ed. Jack Rabin, Robert F. Munzenrider and Sherrie M. Bartell. New Jersey: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2003. 1-55. Books a million. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. The author reveals that public administration in America is concerned with application of social and other sciences to public problems. Through acting as a bridge between sciences and public problems, public administration has constantly been able to adapt to the changing nature of government of the twenty first century both in practice and in theory. The article defines public administration as one of the fields responsible for the shaping of the American political association. Kettl reveals that the role of controlling government is left to the public administrators and managers in America and they are also responsible for the effective functioning of the government. In this case, public administration is responsible for finding solutions to governance problems in order to resolve public performance and citizen confidence. From the article, public administration should remain sharply separated from politics in America and so should public management remain separated from private management. The distinction of public administration practice is essential for the establishment of well-organized bureaucracies that can cope with formidable issues generated by ethnic diversity, globalization and industrialization. When compared to other international Bureaucracies, the scientific approach to public administration has enabled the political system in the United States to

Is Instant messaging bad for high school purpose Essay

Is Instant messaging bad for high school purpose - Essay Example e difficulty completing their work, provide for countless interruptions, and generally serve to enfeeble the level of English language and syntax that is used within the everyday lexicon. The first set of negative attributes that this necessarily serves to provide is the high level of grammar and spelling mistakes that are represented within these messages. Although one should be mindful to not represent themselves as a snob, the fact of the matter is that the lazy representation of the English language and frequent and incorrect spelling associated with utilization of instant messaging and texting has meant that the quality and level of writing has exponentially decreased among the student body. This has of course led to lower grades with regards to hand-in assignments and essay projects. Secondly, when engaging in such a practice within the classroom, the students are playing with fire due to the fact that they are oftentimes careless and can be caught; facing the further repercussions of having their mobile devices seized, having their participation grades lowered, or other forms of punitive actions. However, beyond the mere representation of how administration could punish the students for such a practice, the greater concern is the fact that the student is ultimately unable to concentrate upon what they are doing. Although they may feel that they are one of the world’s most talented multi-tasker, the fact of the matter is that they will ultimately be removing much needed attention away from the most pressing task at hand in order to focus upon the frivolous exchange that is taking place via IM any given moment. Ultimately, it represents not only a distraction for the individual student but also for the other students that may not be engaging in such a prac tice. Due to the fact that constant buzzing and laughing/smiling and flashing screens is a horrendous distraction to those seated around the student, the practice is something that not only deeply

Public Relation (Proposal) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Relation (Proposal) - Essay Example When looking at Draco Corp, an electronic store, it can be seen that specific changes need to be made with the website to begin altering the ways in which it is able to grow. The website can be enhanced to reflect the brand identity of the business while creating a sense of press relations through interactions, image and the presentation of the business. Examining the best approaches that Draco Corp can use for enhancing the website for larger consumer interactions, brand loyalty and trust will begin to change the associations which this business has for online transactions. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 1.1 Problem Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦.4 1.2 Aims and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 2.0 Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 2.1 Redeveloping and Redesigning the Site†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2.2 Web Site Content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 2.3 Security and IT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 2.4 Promotional Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 2.5 Comparison to Competitors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 3.0 Conclusion and Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 4.0 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 1.0 Introduction The ability to have a strong web presence is one which is able to provide a difference in functioning to businesses. The expansion into a global market and the legitimacy of a professional company is one which is specifically based on the alternatives to build an online portal where indi viduals can determine what is needed. When looking at various companies, it can be seen that there isn’t the ability to create the right image, leaving to a lack of representation with the online company. Draco Corp is an example of a company which has several branches and business interests worldwide. It works as a multinational company that is able to product and sell consumer electronics to a global market. However, the lack of a website is one which is creating difficulties when working against competitors and into an international field. Finding a different way to manage and change the online presence will also make a change in the functions of Draco Corp while allowing their global presence to move forward internationally. 1.1 Problem Statement Draco Corp is known internationally for selling consumer products with the focus of electronics. However, the world is now turning to technology and online portals to gather information, order from portals and to define what is n eeded from a business. It is now known that the basic business dynamics are located and expanding to move online, specifically because of the consumer demand to find the level of legitimacy of a company and to evaluate the products which are used from those that are online. At the same time, most consumers are aware of the needed elements of a website to ensure the proper growth and to understand what the reputation of a company is. If the right standards aren’t met, then most consumers will continue browsing to another website for the same products (Neumark, Zhang, Wall, 2006: p. 79). 1.2 Aims and Objectives For Draco Corp to keep up with the competition and to find the needs of the consumer awareness and growth there is also the need to expand the website so it is able to

Is the USA Trying to Seek Control on China Research Paper - 1

Is the USA Trying to Seek Control on China - Research Paper Example Barack Obama has recently suggested that they are trying their best to pull out their manufacturing process from China in an attempt to dent their economy. Moving on, in the second statement made in this research paper, it is a known fact that china has been trying to influence markets outside Asia to come and invest in their country. USA has been trying to contain the influx of FDI from their country towards China in order to manage the currency of China. â€Å"US interest in Asia revolves around containing China and the growth of the SCO, and securing under its economic sphere of influence, the most populous region in the world. Asia is home to 4.14 billion people or 59 percent of the world’s population.† USA has been putting its efforts to further exercise control on the military might of the Chinese. The important factor here to note that is the fact that USA wants to build a strong far east base to counter any future attacks by China over the USA, since the Chinese missiles are capable of destroying the majority of the major cities of the USA. Moving onto the fourth point, the USA is seeking China as a major economic threat, which plans to control and maximize the potential available to them in order to take away all the major jobs from the citizens of the USA. The economy of the USA is at a current downfall, while the economy of China is on the rising. One of the primary reasons behind this is the fact that China is deploying majority of its jobs into fields, which are hurting the European, and the American consortium. Moving onto the next important aspect of the attempts made by the USA to curb the growth of China has been the attempts to immobilize the workers of China settled in the USA who are continuously sending in Foreign Direct Investment in their home country of China as a mark of improving the economy of China. It is imperative to understand that Chinese settled in abroad have the highest grossing number of FDI influx to their home country. USA’s retaliation to the same has been its attempts to devalue the currency of China, however, this has been happening at a very subtle pace.

Public Relation (Proposal) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Relation (Proposal) - Essay Example When looking at Draco Corp, an electronic store, it can be seen that specific changes need to be made with the website to begin altering the ways in which it is able to grow. The website can be enhanced to reflect the brand identity of the business while creating a sense of press relations through interactions, image and the presentation of the business. Examining the best approaches that Draco Corp can use for enhancing the website for larger consumer interactions, brand loyalty and trust will begin to change the associations which this business has for online transactions. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 1.1 Problem Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦.4 1.2 Aims and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 2.0 Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 2.1 Redeveloping and Redesigning the Site†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2.2 Web Site Content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 2.3 Security and IT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 2.4 Promotional Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 2.5 Comparison to Competitors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 3.0 Conclusion and Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 4.0 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 1.0 Introduction The ability to have a strong web presence is one which is able to provide a difference in functioning to businesses. The expansion into a global market and the legitimacy of a professional company is one which is specifically based on the alternatives to build an online portal where indi viduals can determine what is needed. When looking at various companies, it can be seen that there isn’t the ability to create the right image, leaving to a lack of representation with the online company. Draco Corp is an example of a company which has several branches and business interests worldwide. It works as a multinational company that is able to product and sell consumer electronics to a global market. However, the lack of a website is one which is creating difficulties when working against competitors and into an international field. Finding a different way to manage and change the online presence will also make a change in the functions of Draco Corp while allowing their global presence to move forward internationally. 1.1 Problem Statement Draco Corp is known internationally for selling consumer products with the focus of electronics. However, the world is now turning to technology and online portals to gather information, order from portals and to define what is n eeded from a business. It is now known that the basic business dynamics are located and expanding to move online, specifically because of the consumer demand to find the level of legitimacy of a company and to evaluate the products which are used from those that are online. At the same time, most consumers are aware of the needed elements of a website to ensure the proper growth and to understand what the reputation of a company is. If the right standards aren’t met, then most consumers will continue browsing to another website for the same products (Neumark, Zhang, Wall, 2006: p. 79). 1.2 Aims and Objectives For Draco Corp to keep up with the competition and to find the needs of the consumer awareness and growth there is also the need to expand the website so it is able to

Plantation Epic Essay Example for Free

Plantation Epic Essay Erskine Clarke’s Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic is a product of a decade of research about the biography of Charles Colcock Jones, Sr. Presented in a narrative, the book reflected on four generations of the plantation and its residents. It provided views from the masters and the slaves, the whites and the blacks. It was completed out of the collection of the Jones Family’s papers that included numerous letters, plantation records, journals, archeological findings, sermons for the slaves and marks of the African-American community. The lives of the African Americans, despite the fact that little documentation were provided for slaves, was included in this book based from the individuals that stood out that presented with them histories that tied their stories together. In that way, this book presented different perspectives. It offered the two sides of a coin wherein the whites told of how they saw the inhabitants of the piazzas of the plantation homes at the same time the blacks narrated of their stories from their view around the communal fires of slave settlements. The different experiences of the slaves and their masters were simultaneously portrayed in the book and were labeled as a technique called the â€Å"upstairs downstairs† history. Clarke showed how the history of slaves in the Jones plantations had been typical yet somehow divergent of the common norms of master-slave relationship during those times. The narrative revolved around the Jones Family and the plantation workers. Most of the readers may be familiar to this family from Robert Manson Myers’ Children of Pride: The True Story of Georgia and the Civil War. The book provides a multi-faceted account of the family’s life in the plantation following their portrayal in Myer’s book following the same novel-feel to reading historical accounts. As a standard for slavery in the south, it showed how the relationships of the slaves and the masters were relatively better than those in the north. Even if they were opposed to abolitionist advocacies, they maintained more humane relationships with their slaves. They would be the first ones to advocate religious instructions for the slaves and exercise proper stewardship for them as an obligation from God. Charles Jones, one of the main characters, was the inheritor of the plantation as well as the slaves that resided in it. He was trained for the clergy at Andover and in Princeton seminaries. Charles did his best to integrate his role as the master of the household with his clerical calling. There was indecision within Charles concerning the morality of slavery. He then turned towards the consolation of interceding for the salvation of his slaves as the more important thing over the immorality of the nature of slavery. He had two goals in his life which was to ensure that masters take on the duty of taking the gospel to their slaves and establish a more humane slavery system according to Christian principles. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLAVES AND MASTERS The book focused on how Charles Colcock Jones led the way for religious instruction for the slaves. He also promoted stewardship of the masters with the slaves as they saw it to be their responsibility to God. Others would oppose teaching religious principles to their slaves in fears of having to teach them to read and write or for their slaves to demand for freedom and equal rights. Charles assured the people of the benefits it would propagate if the masters teach their slaves about God. He promoted that it would be beneficial to the relationship of the master and his slave. Out of religion, the result would be greater subordination and the lessening of the crimes the blacks commit against the whites because of the fear of God. Coming from this argument, Christian masters then considered how the slaves were part of their household. They saw fit that they follow the teachings of Paul in the Bible in their dealings with their slaves. According to Paul, masters should be just to their servants because they themselves have a master in heaven by which they serve and are accountable to. Interdependence In the Jones plantation, a complex relationship formed between the master and the slaves. Their lives are intertwined in away that they share their lives with each other, even the births of their children. The children of the masters and the children of the slaves would soon play the roles of master and children in succeeding generations. Their lives were interdependent in such a way that the masters need the slaves to work their household and the slaves need their masters to provide them with basic necessities in living in America. Like in the case of driver slave named Jupiter, he was trusted by his master and was assigned with numerous tasks as reflected in letters sent to Elizabeth, John Jones’ first wife. The letters show how Jupiter was given a number of obligations. Jupiter knew the settlement very well and it was implied that without his skills and work in running it, it can be very difficult to manage it. At the same time, John Jones had the authority to bring back Jupiter’s wife into the settlement when she was transferred some place else. They master and the slave relied on each other to keep themselves afloat in different areas like the household, the business and even their family affairs. Furthermore, it must be understood that during those times the special relationship of the master and the slaves go beyond the household. Slaves would even get into arguments with other slaves as to whose master is better, kinder, richer or smarter. They perceive their masters’ greatness to transcend towards them. The reasoning behind this is that it was bad enough to live the life of a slave, but it was the worst to be a slave of a poor man. This was their escape from the reality that they had no choice but to serve their masters, good or bad, and put up a contented facade and work as hard as their masters would want them to work. White-Black Sexual Liaisons There were encounters wherein the masters and the slaves would have sexual encounters out of relationships formed and it would only be discovered with the color of the newborn’s skin. In one instance, Mary, a slave girl from the Jones’ plantation married a man named Zaddock from a nearby North Hampton Plantation. When they had a baby, it was more mulatto than it was black. Nevertheless, Zaddock still remained married to her and told her that it should not happen again. There were many theories as to what resulted to such a baby. Thomas Shepard, Zaddock’s master said that it may be Mary’s participation in a consensual sexual encounter with a white man. It could also be one of the common cases wherein a white man would sexually abuse a black girl. There was another case wherein Roswell King, Jr. married Julia Maxwell. In marriages of the planters they are able to combine their slaves into one household. Julia brought with her the slaves that were a gift to her by her father. Roswell’s own slaves included his two slave children from two different slave women. It was not known by his wife during that time until a point came wherein Roswell had to admit to his offsprings despite the fact that they are negroes. During those times, whether the sexual encounters between male blacks and white girls were consentual or not, the males would never admit to stories of fathering a black girl’s child or if they do, they would never admit to using force. Although during that time, sexual abused was so common that black girls who would resist were considered heroines in their own right. PORTRAYAL OF FAMILIES AND RELIGION AMONG THE SLAVES Religion Charles encouraged the imposition of religion amongst the slaves by the masters because he greatly saw how the masters would be accountable to God as stewards of the slaves and thought that masters were responsible for their slaves’ spiritual destination. Despite the fact that other masters saw the dangers of this as wells as the unnecessity, they were convinced under the premise that they would have more ideals slaves as a result of this. Instead of mere external show of authority, the slaves would have a change of heart internally and submit to their masters because of the fear of the Lord. Obedience was a religious principle and this can secure the authority of the masters over the slaves when they are exposed to religion. Charles suggested that complete subordination can be achieved out of religious principles of obedience to God. The slaves would turn away for resistance from bondage in exchange for eternal salvation. Furthermore, religion was seen as an economic benefit. When slaves are faithful they would work better and be less of a liability for their masters, they are also safeguarded from diseases. However, Charles drove the point home when he insisted the main goal of religious instruction for the blacks was still the salvation of the souls of the slaves rather than economic gains. For him, slavery can be justified when a soul is saved. He further reiterated that the blacks are placed under the care of their masters by God’s providence. The benefits and reasons Charles gave his family and friends enough for a Liberty County Association for Religious Instruction of the Negroes to be formed. The theme was dominantly the implementation and importance of religious instruction of the masters to the slaves because the Jones adhered to such mission from God. In those times, other historians of slave history have documented how planters have used religion as a means of social control, as Charles himself mentioned as one of the benefits of religion. For them, when black slaves would hear preachings about obedience and submission they would in turn be contented with their state thus making them more manageable. On the other hand, slaves benefited from being Christians as well. They were allowed to rest and go out on Sundays. They were also treated better by their masters knowing that they know understand and know about the accountability of their masters to treat them better. They know that they have to be treated fairly as they have found out that they had to be submissive and obedient to their masters. Marriages Marriages and forming families were one of the coping mechanisms of the slaves because it provides for them a sense of normalcy and humanity despite their fate under slavery. Most of the time, male slaves did not want to be married. They did not want to witness abuse on their future wives and children. They could not bear having to stand defenseless to a white man sexually abusing his wife as it has been something common amongst them. Nevertheless, the white masters encouraged their slaves to marry. They also encourage that they marry within the plantation and not with others to prevent themselves from sneaking out in the middle of the night. Some slave owners encouraged them to have strong family ties because of their religion. Some take advantage of this to handle their slaves easier. They see a marriage slave to be less of a liability because he would not attempt to rebel compared to a single slave due to marital baggage. Some landowners encourage sexual morality and even punish those who commit adultery and encourage marriages. They have certain punishments for slaves that depart from their marital obligations. Promoting slave marriages, Thomas Clay spoke to the presbytery meeting on improving the morality of slaves in the plantations. He said that slave marriages must be honored by their masters and the male slaves must be warned against beating or abusing their wives. Parental Authority Slave parents experienced little luxury of taking care and teaching their children because of the work the plantations require. They only learn by what is available to them, the time and the people they get to talk to was the limited yet varied means by which they are educated and disciplined. The slave girl would see how their parents interacted with the white masters and learn from there about how she should interact with the whites. Like any other parents, slave parents imposed strict discipline and taught their children the values of society and their community. Most of the time, the father was the final authority in the family and the children were afraid of their parents. They would get disciplined when caught doing wrong or going on some wayward path. However, that authority was limited to whatever the white master would have to say and command. Children spend little time with their parents because of the heavy workload a typical slave needs to finish daily. Their time for education is limited to early mornings and late evenings. Most of the time, they are neglected. They are fed irregularly and not supervised even in the early years. This leads to sickness and disease that the ignorant slave parents had no means of curing or addressing. Slave Families and White Authority The whites, adult or child always had higher authority than slaves. Slave parents had no power to stop a white man from whipping their children. At the same time slave spouses and children can do nothing but watch as the heads of their families are humiliated and whipped by their white masters. During those times, even grandparents or elderly people get whipped until the time that they were bleeding and no one in the family can do anything about it. They knew the mere presence of a white man can make a Negro shudder. MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES OF SLAVES In the Jones Plantation As mentioned earlier, Charles and his family would implement religion as a mission and as a management technique for the slaves. There are instances mentioned in the book wherein Roswell King, Jr. did not care for any evangelical concepts for his slaves. Instead he favored a more utilitarian approach to the slave management. He did not see use for making his slaves happy for them to be better workers. He saw fit clear rules that would be consistently implemented for the slaves as well as some forms of flexibility measures would be sufficiently beneficial in establishing the plantation. Degree of Management Techniques Standard in the South In the south there certain normal norms of management techniques aside from what was highly focused upon in Clarke’s book. Ideal slaves were the ones that respected their masters and obeyed them with whatever orders they had. They are also trust-worthy and loyal to their masters. To have such ideal slaves, written discourses discussed about the proper management of the slaves in the antebellum period to be applied and maintained under strict discipline. The first step the slave owners took was to adapt an army-like regulation for the slaves. Under this circumstance, slaves are expected to obey at all times and under all circumstances cheerfully and with alacrity. According to such discourses, â€Å"unconditional subordination must be the only footing upon which slavery must be place. † The second step to have ideal slaves was to implant in the blacks a personal inferiority. During those times, they would embed in the minds of their slaves that bondage was their natural status and that they should know they place. They must also have a clear concept between a master and a slave. They made them feel that their color was a badge of their degradation and that coming from that ancestral line was caused them to have the lowest status in society, lower than the most wretched white man. Impudence would be something they must avoid. Any answer that has a tone or the lack of answer when being questioned can be interpreted as an impudent act on the part of the slave. The third step is to awe them with their master’s enormous power. This gives an impression that the master is so powerful that they should almost bow in fear. The principle by which slavery was founded was based on fear. If the slaves are not afraid of their masters they would not be slaves. They blame abolitionist groups on the stricter discipline that had to enforce to keep their slaves in check. The slaves must also see his master’s success as his own success. The fourth step deals with having the slave think in the interest of his master’s enterprise. This would encourage them to work harder because their masters’ prosperity would translate to their own welfare. â€Å"The habit of perfect dependence† was something that masters see important in their slaves. They saw how it was highly dangerous for slaves to be trained as artisans or even to be hired for factory work. Once they realized that they are capable to earn money doing other things they become unwilling to work in the normal household with strict demands. COMMON GROUND AND DIVERGENCE When the day has ended, Mary and Charles would sit on the porch to drink some tea and look at the spectacular beauty of Montevideo. For them, it was a place of responsibility wherein they would take care of the needs of the household, from food to clothing, religious instruction, proper control and management. As they look into the view of Montevideo, they realize that what they are looking at is their source of wealth. On the other hand, before the cabins of Carlawter where all the blacks gathered at nightfall, they had the same view of Montevideo. From where they gathered around the fire, they too saw the spectacular beauty of the place despite the fact that it was a place of hard labor. They hear the same murmur of the river that is close by as well as the horizon that indicated daybreak or nightfall. The slaves also considered the plantation their home, it was a place where their family and friends are in the slave community, and it was also the place of their ancestors. Even if it was a place wherein they had restricted freedom, it was also a place wherein they got protection from the more hostile world from white violence and power. Looking at the Montevideo, it can have a lot of different interpretations and stories to be told from different views. It was a constant struggle between those who sat on the piazza and those who sat around the fire near the cabins. But the struggle is part of the reality of the life in the plantation. The differences go further into the education of the children who are black and white. While the children received training and education from a paid tutor, the slave children are educated by their parents in their cabins or learn from the wisdom of the folktales around the communal fire. NATURE OF THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY The reality is, despite the fact that the Jones plantation offered a kinder environment for the slaves; they were still slaves and deprived of freedom. During celebrations of weddings or holidays in the household, the whites enjoy themselves with lavish parties and gatherings while the slave cook, Patience worked arduously in the kitchen preparing for the people. Others would insist that the institution of slavery was a means of civilizing and evangelizing to the African-Americans under the stewardship of their masters. It was discovered that Negroes were less disciplined and improved in slavery compared to their free counterparts as well as a barbarism of the race. Slaves are placed under the impression that they are solely dependent on their masters. They think that they cannot survive without them because they give them everything that they need to live. They have settled instead for the temporary joys that they can get like Sundays and holidays. Admittedly, the true nature of the institution of slavery makes the slaves into mere properties of their masters. This is notable when the death of a Negro is not regarded as an extinction of life but merely a loss of property for the slave owner. Slave management often resulted to ambiguous and complicated scenarios because treating a living and breathing person with human emotions and passions as a mere property or object was very difficult. The very nature of slavery meant the power of the master was absolute to render the perfect submission of the slave. The master can do anything to his slave, except kill or maime the slave intentionally. CONCLUSION If the nature of the institution of slavery was to make the Negroes civilized, they used manners such us humiliating them, and degrading their character and race as a means of being part of the so-called civilized society. The Jones family, in this narrative account exhibited the more ideal ways of establishing civilization amongst the Negroes by means of campaigning evangelism and humane treatment of the slaves. Wills (2006), in her reflections of the book said, â€Å"He challenges me to contemplate the slaves unaccountable perseverance and the whites blind persistence, to credit the distance between them, and to recognize finally that the former was rooted in truth and the latter in nightmarish deception. † BIBLIOGRAPHY Amazon. com. â€Å"Editorial Reviews,† Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. (2007) [http://www. amazon. com/gp/product/productdescription/030012256X/ref=dp_proddesc_0/105-36748443852456? ie=UTF8n=283155s=books] Blassingame, John W. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. USA: Oxford University Press, 1979. Burton, Orville Vernon. In My Fathers House Are Many Mansions: Family and Community in Edgefield, South Carolina. USA: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. USA: Bedford Books, 1993. Clarke, Erkskine. Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. USA: Yale University Press, 2005. Cooper, William J. Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. Journal of Southern History 73, No. 1 (2007): 174+. Olmsted, Frederick Law. The Cotton Kingdom: A Travellers Observations on Cotton and Slavery in the American Slave States. New York: Da Capo Press Inc. , 1996. Rawick, George P. From Sundown to Sunup: The Making of the Black Community. USA: Greenwood, 1972. Stampp, Kenneth M. Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South. USA: Vintage, 1989. Wills, Anne Blue. Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic. The Christian Century 30 May 2006, 37+.

Properties of Cartilage Tissue

Properties of Cartilage Tissue Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Joint cartilage is highly sophisticated and has been optimised by evolution. There have been considerable research interests related to the cartilage cells, chondrocytes. In the last decades these studies made cartilage the first and very successful tissue engineering treatment. (Brittberg et al. 1994) 1.2 Categorization of cartilage tissue Cartilage tissue are categorised in three major types by their different biochemical composition and structure of their extracellular matrix (ECM). Elastic cartilage has a few cells, a small concentration of proteoglycans (PGs), and a relatively high proportion of elastin fibres. It is found in the epiglottis, small laryngeal, the external ear, auditory tube, and the small bronchi, where it is generally required to resist bending forces. Fibrocartilage also contains a small concentration of PGs, but far less elastin. The meniscus in the knee joint is made of fibrocartilaginous tissue. The third and most widespread cartilage in the human body is hyaline. It is resistant to compression or tensile forces due to the network organisation of type II collagen fibres associated with a high concentration of PGs. Hyaline cartilage can be found in the nose, the trachea, bronchi, and synovial joints. In the latter case, it is termed as articular cartilage, representing a unique type of connectiv e tissue. Its outwards thin layer covers the articulating joint surfaces and belies a specific structure with unique mechanical properties. These two layers acting as a covering material, is fibricated by the viscous synovial fluid. The joint capsule encloses the entire joint and retains the synovial fluid. (Schulz and Bader, 2006) 1.3 Composition of articular cartilage Articular cartilage is composed of chondrocytes and an extracellular matrix that consists of proteoglycans, collagens and water. (Darling and Athanasiou 2005) Chondrocytes contribute only between 5% of the tissue volume; the remaining 95% being composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), which is synthesised by the chondrocytes. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Buckwalter et al. 1988) The ECM of articular cartilage consists of about 60-85% water and dissolved electrolytes. The solid framework is composed of collagens (10-20%), PGs (3-10%), noncollagenous proteins and glycoproteins. (Buckwalter et al. 1997; Buckwalter et al. 1990) In articular cartilage, 95% of collagen in the ECM is comprised of collagen type II fibrils. The rest other collagen types are collagen type IX and XI and a small fraction of types III, VI, XII and XIV. (Eyre 2002) Type-I collagen forms thick fibres. Type-III forms thin  ¬Ã‚ bres. Unlike these two collagens, Type-II collagen which is present in hyaline and elastic cartila ges does not form  ¬Ã‚ bres, and its very thin  ¬Ã‚ brils are disposed as a loose mesh that strongly interacts with the ground substance. (Montes, 1996) This collagen component in articular cartilage provides tensile stiffness and strength to the tissue and opposes the swelling capacity generated by highly negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the proteoglycans (PGs). The majority (50-85%) of the overall PG content in this tissue type were presented by large molecule aggrecan. This consist of a protein backbone, the core protein, to which unbranched GAGs side chains of chondroitin sulphate (CS) and keratan sulfate (KS) are covalently attached. ( 1.1) (Watanabe et al. 1998; Schulz and Bader, 2006) 1.1. Illustration of the extracellular matrix (ECM) organization of articular cartilage (Left) and the schematic sketches (Right) of the most relevant polysaccharides of proteoglycans (PGs) in articular cartilage. The PGs consist of a strand of hyaluronic acid (HA), to which a core protein is non-covalently attached. On the core protein, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as keratan sulphate (KS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are covalently bound in a bottle brush fashion. (Modified from Schulz and Bader, 2006 and Mow and Wang, 1999) 1.4 Low capacity of self-repair The aneural and avascular nature of articular cartilage, coupled with its low cellularity, contribute to both the limited rate and incomplete nature of the repair process following damage. (Heywood et al., 2004) In addition, the low mitotic potential of chondrocytes in vivo also contributes to its poor ability to undergo self-repair. (Kuroda et al., 2006) Indeed, in experimental studies on adult animals, full-thickness cartilage defects extending into the subchondral bone, have been reported to heal with the formation of fibrous tissue, which contains relatively low amounts of type II collagen and aggrecan. It is also composed of a relatively high content present in type I collagen, not present in normal adult articular cartilage and accordingly exhibits impaired mechanical integrity. (Hjertquist et al., 1971; Eyre et al., 1992) 1.5 Metabolism of articular cartilage Joint cartilage is supplied with nutrients and oxygen by the synovial fluid diffusion facilitated by compressive cyclic loading during joint movements as a pumping function. (Mollenhauer, 2008) Chondrocytes are imbedded in ECM. Within synovial joints, oxygen supply to articular chondrocytes is very limited. The oxygen tensions are very low varying from around 6% at the joint surface to 1% in the deep layers of healthy articular cartilage. It is supposed to be even further decreased under pathological conditions, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The metabolism of chondrocytes is largely glycolytic. Oxygen-dependent energy generated by oxidative phosphorylation is just a minor contributor to the overall energy in chondrocytes. Articular chondrocytes appear to show a so-called negative Pasteur effect, whereby, glycolysis falls as O2 levels drop leading to the fall in ATP and matrix synthesis. (Gibson JS et al., 2008) A negative Pasteur effect would make chondrocytes parti cularly liable to suffer a shortage of energy under anoxic conditions. (Lee and Urban, 1997) Changes in O2 tension also have profound effects on cell phenotype, gene expression, and morphology, as well as response to, and production of, cytokines. Condrocytes live in hypoxic environments implies that speci ¬Ã‚ c factors are required to control certain genes that are responsible for glucose metabolism, energy metabolism, pH regulation, and other responses. The most important component of this hypoxic response is mediated by transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which is present in most hypoxia inducible genes. (Pfander and Gelse, 2007; Gibson JS et al., 2008) HIF-1a is necessary for anaerobic energy generation by upregulation of glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters. (Yudoh et al. 2005) A previous study shows chondrocytes are not able to survive hypoxia in the absence of HIF-1. (Schipani et al. 2001) Moreover, the matrix turnover in articular cartilage is extremely slow. Proteoglycan turnover is up to 25 years. Collagen half-life is estimated to range from several decades up to 400 years. No immune-competent cells (macrophages, T-cells) enter the cartilage tissue. Thus chondrocytes have to defend themselves against hostile microorganisms, leading to its immunologically privileged. (Mollenhauer, 2008) 1.6 Mechanical conditions in vivo In vivo joint loading can result in high peak mechanical stresses (15-20 MPa) that occur over very short durations (1 s) causing cartilage compressive strains of only 1-3%. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Hodge et al., 1986) In contrast, sustained physiological stresses applied to knee joints for 5-30 min can cause compressive strains in certain knee cartilages as high as 40-45%. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Herberhold et al., 1999) A study of the response of articular cartilage from humans to impact load showed that articular cartilage could withstand impact loads of as much as 25 MPa at strain rates from 500 to 1000 s-1 without apparent damage. Impact loads exceeding this level caused chondrocyte death or fissure in the hip or knee. (Repo RU and Finlay JB, 1977) Chapter 2 Osteoarthritis and Treatments 2.1 Osteoarthritis, diagnosis and classification Most cartilage defects are due to direct trauma, but may also occur in avascular necrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, and a variety of cartilage disorders. The defect may be limited to the joint surface (chondral) or involve the underlying bone (osteochondral). (NHS guidance 2006) Articular cartilage defects can progress to osteoarthritis (OA) in some patients, which is a major health problem in developed countries. (Kuroda et al. 2006; Schulz and Bader, 2006; Buckwalter, 2002; Cicuttini 1996) Symptoms may include pain, catching, locking and swelling, and may lead to degenerative changes within the joint. (NHS guidance 2006) Arthroscopy has been used as the â€Å"gold standard† to confirmed cartilage defects. In a review of 31,516 knee arthroscopies of cartilage injury patients, the incidence of chondral lesions was 63%; the incidence of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions with exposed bone were 20% , with 5% of these occurring in patients under 40-years-old. (Marlovits, et al. 2008) Osteoarthritis (OA) severity is commonly graded from radiographic images in accordance with the Kellgren and Lawrence scale Bilateral. (Kellgren and Bier, 1956; Kellgren and Lawrence, 1957) Osteoporosis and erosions which included narrowing of joint space were recorded separately and graded as follows: 0 = no changes; 1 = doubtful joint space narrowing; 2 = minimal change, mostly characterized by osteophytes; 3 = moderate change, characterized by multiple osteophytes and/or definite joint space narrowing; and 4 = severe change, characterized by marked joint space narrowing with bone-on-bone contact with large osteophytes. (Kellgren and Bier, 1956; Husing et al. 2003) The radiologic grade of OA was inversely associated with the joint space width (JSW). (Agnesi et al. 2008) MRI is currently the standard method for cartilage evaluation, as it is a non-invasive, non-contact, multi-planar technique capable of producing high resolution, high contrast images in serial contiguous slices and it enables morphological assessment of the cartilage surface, thickness, volume and subchondral bone. The MRI classification of articular chondral defects are as follows: 1=Abnormal intrachondral signal with a normal chondral surface; 2=Mild surface irregularity and/or focal loss of less than 50% of the cartilage thickness; 3=Severe surface irregularity with focal loss of 50% to 100% of the cartilage thickness; 4=Complete loss of articular cartilage, with exposure of subchondral bone. (Marlovits et al. 2008) Agnesi et al. compared the radiologic grading of OA patients with the joint surface width measurements obtained from MRI images. (Agnesi et al. 2008) 2.2 Non-tissue engineering treatments Pain caused by osteoarthritis can be reduced through a number of methods. (Altman et al. 2006) These include: â€Å"Exercise programmes (strength and flexibility) and lifestyle changes Medication Dietary supplements Knee viscosupplementation Guidelines for viscosupplementation Other injections Custom foot orthotics Knee braces Other assisted devices (canes and walkers) Surgery† Total knee replacement is most commonly performed in people over 60 years of age. (NHS guidance, 2006; Altman et al., 2006; Brittberg et al., 1994) Besides that, the most frequently used treatments include the mosaicplasty, marrow stimulation, and autologous condrocyte implantation (ACI). (Steinwachs et al., 2008) Mosaicplasty is an autologous osteochondral transplantation method through which cylindrical periosteum grafts are taken from periphery of the patellofemoral area which bears less weight, and transplanted to defective areas. This transplantation can be done with various diameters of grafts. (Haklar et al., 2008; NHS guidance, 2006) Marrow stimulation methods include arthroscopic surgery to smooth the surface of the damaged cartilage area; microfracture, drilling, abrasion. All marrow stimulation methods base on the penetration of the subchondral bone plate at the bottom of the cartilage defect. The outflowing bone marrow blood contains the mesenchymal stem cells which are s tabilised by the clot formation in the defect. These pluripotent stem cells which are able to differentiate into fibrochondrocytes, result in fibrocartilage repair with varying amounts of type I, II and III collagen. (Steinwachs et al., 2008) 2.3 The tissue engineering treatment A 1984 study in rabbits reported successful treatment of focal patellar defects with the use of autologous condrocyte implantation (ACI). One year after transplantation, newly formed cartilage-like tissue typically covered about 70 percent of the defect. (Grande et al. 1989) In 1987, Mats Brittber et al. firstly performed ACI in 23 people with deep cartilage defects in the knee. (Brittberg et al., 1994) ACI is described as a three steps procedure: cartilage cells are taken from a minor load-bearing area on the upper medial femoral condyle of the damaged knee via an arthroscopic procedure, cultivated for four to six weeks in a laboratory and then, in open surgery, introduced back into the damaged area as a liquid or mesh-like transplant; at last, a periosteal flap sutured in place to secure the transplant. ( 2.1) (Husing et al., 2008) The cell density of the cultivated cell solution is required to be 30 x 106 cells/ml, or 2 x 106 cells per cm2 in a clinical setting today. (Brittberg e t al., 2003) Genzyme Biosurgery with its product Carticel ® was the first company which introduced ACT into the market and is market leader in USA. Carticel ® is a classic ACT procedure using the periosteal cover. (Husing et al., 2008) Today the periosteum is often replaced by an artificial resorbable cover such as collagen I/III and hyaluronan membrane, such as ChondroGide or Restore (De Puy, Warzaw, Indiana). (Gooding et al., 2006; Jones and Peterson, 2006) Another new method uses chondrocytes cultured on a three-dimensional, biodegradable scaffold. The scaffold, cut to the required size, is fixed into the lesion site with anchoring stitches. This method does not need the cover, thus simplifying the surgery and shorting the surgery time; opens up the possibility of arthroscopic surgery instead of open surgery which causes more tissue damage. HYALOGRAFT from Italy is one of the European market leaders. It is a cartilage substitute made of autologous chondrocytes delivered on a biocompatible tridimentsional matrix, entirely composed of a derivative of hyaluronic acid. (Marcacci et al. 2005) 2.4 Clinical follow-ups of ACI Brittberg studied the long-term durability of ACI-treated patients, 61 patients were followed for at least five years up to 11 years post-surgery (mean 7.4 years). After two years, 50 out of 61 patients were graded good-excellent. At the five to 11 years follow-up, 51 of the 61 were graded good-excellent. The total failure rate was 16% (10/61) at mean 7.4 years. (Brittberg et al., 2003) Since 1997 the year the FDA approved ACI, this method has been widely performed all over the world, in more than 20 000 patients. It has been reported to be effective in  improving clinical symptoms, such as pain and function. (Wakitani et al., 2008) 2.5 Randomised studies In 2004, Knutsen et al. studied 80 patients who needed local cartilage repair because of symptomatic lesions on the femoral condyles measuring 2-10cm2. The results showed there was no signi ¬Ã‚ cant difference in macroscopic or histological results between ACI and microfracture, and that there was no association between the histological  ¬Ã‚ ndings and the clinical outcome at the 2-year time point. (Knutsen et al., 2004) In the same series, there were no signi ¬Ã‚ cant differences in results at 5 years follow-up. (Knutsen et al., 2007) In another randomised controlled study that compared mosaicplasty with ACI, there was no significant difference in the number of patients who had an excellent or good clinical outcome at 1 year (69% [29/42] and 88% [51/58], respectively). In the subgroup of patients who had repairs to lesions of the medial femoral condyle, significantly more patients who had ACI had an excellent or good outcome (88% [21/24]) compared with those who had mosaicplasty (72% [21/29]) (p 2.6 The limitation of ACI The microfracture is a very simple and low-cost procedure whereas ACI costs almost $10 000 per patient. If ACI is not found to be more effective for improving articular cartilage repair than microfracture, the procedure will not be continued. (Wakitani et al., 2008) There are several possible reasons which should be blamed for the limitations of the traditional ACI procedure. The cell source in ACI is the cartilage tissue taken from a minor load-bearing area on the upper medial femoral condyle of the damaged knee via an arthroscopic procedure. However, Wiseman et al. found the chondrocytes isolated from the low loaded area of the knee joint respond in a distinct manner with the chondrocytes from the high loaded area, which suggests the traditional cell source of ACI may not provide enough mechanical response and may further lead to the insufficient mechanical properties of the repaired tissue. (Wiseman et al. 2003) As cultured in monolayer, chondrocytes undergo a process of dedifferentiation and adopt a more  ¬Ã‚ broblast-like morphology, which is accompanied by an increase in proliferation (Glowacki et al., 1983) and an altered phenotype. Type II collagen, the major protein produced by chondrocytes in articular cartilage, are down-regulated culture, while collagen types I and III are increased. (Stocks et al., 2002; Benya et al., 1978) The agregating proteoglycan aggrecan of articular cartilage, is down-regulated during dedifferentiation and replaced by proteoglycans not speci ¬Ã‚ c to cartilage, such as versican. (Glowacki et al., 1983; Stocks et al., 2002) Therefore, monolayer cultured chondrocytes do not express the true chondrocyte phenotype, and their ability to regenerate damaged cartilage tissue is impaired. Upon implantation, dedifferentiated cells may form a  ¬Ã‚ brous tissue expressing collagen type I that does not have the proper mechanical properties, which may lead to deg radation and failure of the repair tissue. (Brodkin et al., 2004) Chondrocytes grown in conditions that support their round shape, such as plating in high-density monolayer (Kuettner et al., 1982; Watt, 1988) and seeding in 3-D gels (Benya et al., 1982) can maintain their differentiated phenotype much longer compared to cells spread in monolayer cultures. Chapter 3 Tissue engineering strategies for articular cartilage 3.1 Introduction Although ACI can still be considered to be one of commonly form of repair of cartilage defects, it does have a number of scientific limitations. Some of those can be resolved using a more comprehensive tissue engineered strategy which incorporates cells, scaffold materials and potentially biochemical, biomechanical and/or physical stimulation in a controlled bioreactor environment. 3.2 Cell sources For a conventional ACI approach, chondrocytes are derived from the low loading area and then cultured in a monolayer. However, chondrocytes derived from the low load bearing area of the knee joint respond in a distinct manner with the chondrocytes from the high loaded area. Chondrocytes cultured in monolayer have a dedifferentiation phenomenon (Described in the previous chapter). In addition, the limitation of the transplant volume is always a major problem in autograft to be overcome (Kitaoka et al., 2001). Thus, potential cell sources are widely studied for the future improvement of ACI approach. Chondrocytes from immature animals (approximately 1-6 weeks old) have been used widely in tissue engineering studies for their ability to increase matrix synthesis and to produce better mechanical properties (Darling and Athanasiou, 2005). Kitaoka et al. examined the possibility of using hyaline cartilage of costal cartilage as a substitute to the knee joint articular cartilage. Costal cartilage cells are derived from 8-week-old male SV40 large T-antigen transgenic mice. Three mouse chondrocyte cell lines (MCC-2, MCC-5, and MCC-35) were established using cloning cylinders, which is a kind of mold. These cell lines showed chondrocytic characteristics, including formation of cartilage nodules that could be stained with alcian blue, and mRNA expression for type II collagen, type XI collagen, ALPase, osteopontin, aggrecan, and link protein (Kitaoka et al., 2001). Animal-derived bone marrow cells, in particular from rabbit origin, have shown a highly variable chondrogenic potential (Solchaga et al., 1999). The establishment of some bone marrow stromal cell lines having the ability of diffrentiation to chondrocyte has been reported, as well as some other cell lines established from rat calvaria, mouse c-fos-induced cartilage tumor and mouse embryonic carcinoma, respectively. Each of the cell lines showed chondrocytic phenotypes (Kitaoka et al., 2001). LVEC cells derived from EBs of human embryonic germ cells were reported to be homogenously differentiated into hyaline cartilage. Three dimensional tissue formation is achieved by encapsulating cells in synthetic hydrogels poly (ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) followed by incubation in chondrocyte-conditioned medium (for the recipe, please see the paper) (Varghese et al., 2006). Periosteum consists of two layers. Fibroblasts are from the fibrous layer and progenitor cells are from the cambium layer. Progenitor cells are supposed to be able to differentiate into chondrocytes. Emans et al. compared the chondrocyte and the periosteum cell as cell source for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) on animals. The results turned out that the condrtocytes are much better for ACI procedure (Emans et al., 2006). 3.3 Scaffolds Biomaterial scaffolds provide a critical means of controlling engineered tissue architecture and mechanical properties; allow cells attach, grow in and proliferation; allow the cell signals travelling through (Freed et al., 2006). In many in vitro or in vivo approaches, cells are grown on biomaterial scaffolds for further research or just for implantation, where new functional tissue is formed, remodelled and integrated into the body. The biomaterials which compose scaffolds are required to satisfy several properties. At first, the material as a support structure must possess enough mechanical strength to protect the cells contained in. Secondly, the material must have some bioactivity to accommodate cells for attachment, growth, proliferation and migration. The material should act as a vehicle for gene, protein and oxygen delivery. Furthermore, the material should be biodegradable for the new cartilage to form and replace the original structure. In this regard, the material should be non-toxic, non-inflammatory active, and also non-immunogenic. Finally, the material should be easy to handle for surgery procedure (Stoop, 2008). 3.3.1 Natural materials Collagen-based biomaterials are widely used in todays clinical practice (for example, haemostasis and cosmetic surgery). Collagen is also be commonly used as main components in tissue engineered skin products. Several commercial autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) products have used collagenous membraneas the replacement for the periosteum to close the defect, such as ChondroGide or Restore (De Puy, Warzaw, Indiana) (Cicuttini et al., 1996; Jones and Peterson, 2006) The .combination of collagen with glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in scaffolds had a positive effect on chondrocyte phenotype. Condrocytes were cultured in porous type I collagen matrices in the presence and absence of covalently attached chondroitin sulfate (CS) up to 14 days in a study (van Susante et al., 2001). Hyaluronic acid is a non-sulphated GAG that makes up a large proportion of cartilage extracellular matrix. In its unmodified form, it has a high biocompatibility (Schulz and Bader, 2007). Matrices composed of hyaluronan have been frequently used as a carrier for chondrocytes. Facchini et al. con ¬Ã‚ rms the hyaluronan derivative scaffold Hyaff  ®11 as a suitable scaffold both for chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in their study. HYALOGRAFT from Italy is one of the European market leaders for ACT. It is a cartilage substitute made of autologous chondrocytes delivered on a biocompatible tridimentsional matrix, entirely composed of a derivative of hyaluronic acid (Marcacci et al., 2005). Fibrin plays a major role in general wound healing and specially during healing of osteochondral defects. Fibrin glue is currently used for the fixation of other chondrocyte scaffold constructs in defects. Some investigators used fibrin glues as a matrix, but owing to the exceedingly high concentrations and protein densities involved, the glue impeded rather than facilitated cell invasion and did not support a healing response (Stoop, 2008). Susante et al. found fibrin glue does not offer enough biomechanical support as a three-dimensional scaffold (van Susante et al., 1999). Another study found fibrin and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) hybrid scaffold promotes early chondrogenesis of articular chondrocytes in vitro. They used the natural polymer fibrin to immobilize cells and to provide homogenous cells distribution in PLGA scaffolds (Shaban et al., 2008). Sugar-based natural polymers such as chitosan, alginate and agarose can be formulated as hydrogels and in some cases sponges or pads. Although these materials are extensively used in in vitro research, their role in in vivo cartilage reconstruction is still limited (Stoop, 2008). Alginate possesses a number of suitable properties as a scaffold material for cartilage tissue engineering. The mobility of alginate allows the ability of cells to be distributed throughout the scaffold before the gelling phase. Its well-characterized mechanical properties are suitable for the transmission of mechanical stimuli to cells. Furthermore, it has been proved its ability to reestablish and maintain the differentiated state of chondrocytes during long-term culture (Heywood et al., 2004). Agarose is a clear, thermoreversible hydrogel which has been applied in numerous studies in cartilage tissue engineering. This hydrogel is supportive of the chondrocyte phenotype and allows for the synthesis of a fu nctional extracellular matrix. Agarose is neutrally charged, and forms solid gels at room temperature. The initial strength of the gel is dependent on the rate of gelling, which in turn is dependent on the ambient temperature. Gel strength is also strongly dependent on the concentration of the gel in solution. Basic science studies involving agarose gel formation have demonstrated that rapid cooling leads to a decreased, more homogeneous pore size. Increasing the gel concentration additionally decreases gel pore size and permeability. A number of studies have used agarose for the investigation of chondrocyte growth and response to mechanical stimuli (Ho MMY et al., 2003). 3.3.2 Synthetic materials Potential synthetic material scaffolds for the tissue engineering of bone or cartilage include: PL (Polylactic acid) PGLA (Polyglycolicacid and copolymers) CF-PU-PLLA (Carbonfibre-Polyurethane-Poly(L-lactide)-Graft) CF-Polyester (Polyester-Carbonfibre) PU (Polyurethane) PLLA (Capralactone (Poly-L-Lactide/epsilon-Caprolactone) PLLA-PPD (Poly- L-Lactic Acid and Poly- p-Dioxanol) PVA-H (Polyvinylalcohol-Hydrogel) ß-TCP (Tricalcium phosphate) CDHA (Calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite) (Haasper et al., 2008) The major advantages of the synthetic polymers are their design flexibility and avoid of disease transmission. Synthetic polymers can be easily processed into highly porous 3-dimensional scaffolds, fibres, sheets, blocks or microspheres. However, there are also disadvantages of some synthetic polymers, such as the potential increase in local pH resulting from acidic degradation products, excessive inflammatory responses and poor clearance and chronic inflammation associated with high molecular weight polymer (Stoop, 2008). Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) have been investigated for use as cartilage tissue engineering scaffolds (Cima et al., 1991; Vacanti et al., 1991). Both, in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated these scaffold maintained the chondrocyte phenotype and the production of cartilage-speci ¬Ã‚ c extracellular matrix (ECM) (Barnewitz et al., 2006; Kaps et al., 2006). In addition, PLGA is used as a scaffold material for matrix-based autologous chondrocyte transplantation clinically for more than 3 years (Ossendorf et al., 2007). 3.4 Biomedical stimulation Growth factors are proved to be able to promote the formation of new cartilage tissue in both explants and engineered constructs (Darling and Athanasiou, 2005). Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) can dramatically increase biosynthesis level of choncroctyes, especially in the presence of mechanical stimulation (Bonassar et al. 2001; Jin et al. 2003). Transforming growth factor-ÃŽ ²1 (TGF-ÃŽ ²1) increases biosynthesis in engineered constructs and also stimulates the cellular proliferation (Blunk et al. 2002; van der Kraan et al. 1992). Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates cell proliferation (Adolphe et al. 1984) and biosynthesis (Fujimoto et al. 1999) in chondrocytes which were cultured under a variety of conditions. 3.5 Mechanical stimulation ACI is considered a proper way for the repair of cartilage defect. However, one of the obstacles to the use of autologous chondrocytes is the limited in vitro proliferation rate of these cells. A lot of stimulations have been found to be effective in stimulating cell proliferation and ECM synthesis, including mechanical, electrical, ultrasound (Parvizi et al., 1999; Noriega et al., 2007) and even laser (Torricelli et al., 2001) stimulation. Mechanical forces due to body movement are experienced by articular cartilage every day. These forces include direct compression, tensile and shear forces, or the generation of hydrostatic pressure and electric gradients. Some level of these forces is beneficial to chondrocytes. (Schulz and Bader, 2007; Shieh and Athanasiou, 2007) There are many studies which have described the design of bioreactor systems, which can apply shear forces, perfusion, tension, hydrostatic pressure, static compression, dynamic compression on cartilage explants, monolayer cultured cells or tissue engineered constructs. (Schulz and Bader, 2007) Previous work on these bioreactor systems has demonstrated that chondrocytes are highly mechanosensitive. A summary of the key studies is provided in Table 3.1. Static compression leads to decreased levels of sulfate and proline incorporation (Sah et al., 1989; Ragan et al., 1999). Type II collagen and aggrecan gene expression increase transiently, but decrease when exposed to longer durations of static compression (Ragan et al., 1999). In contrast, dynamic compression of cartilage explants stimulates sulfate and proline incorporation, while chondrocytes em bedded in hydrogels produce more matrix and form robust constructs when cyclically compressed. (Lee and Bader, 1997; Mauck et al., 2000) Table 3.1. Influence of the different models of mechanical stimulation on the biochemical response of articular chondrocytes. References Type of m