Leadership Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Book Review - Essay Example Divided into three parts and eleven chapters, the book is not mere an expression of speculation or supposition; on the contrary, it is based on the in-depth analyses the authors found out after conducting a comprehensive research on the most dynamic leaders of the world. The researchers personally entered into conversation with these self-motivated and energetic personalities, and discussed various aspects of the nature and style of performing their duties and activities. The authors concentrate upon leadership success program and encourage the readers develop their own leadership development plan on the basis of the points highlighted by them. George & Sims (2003) describe their explored five points, on the basis of which, personal leadership development plan could be created in a successful manner. These five points include exploring of one’s authentic self, determining of one’s core values as well as leadership principles, comprehension of one’s impetus and motivation, preparation of an active and trustworthy team for the achievement of determined goals and incorporating of all strengths of one’s life on the concrete foundations of will power and unabated fortitude. In simple words, exploration of one’s self is the first and the most formidable step in the way to success on the one hand and climbing the steps of leadership plan on the other. Knowledge of self is extremely supportive in respect of deciding oneâ₠¬â„¢s way and in establishing and achieving the objectives of life as well. The genuine success stories of the tycoons including Donna Dubinsky, John Brennan, Carol Tome, Ann Moore and others infuse new spirit of knowing oneself in readers and they look ready for utilizing their gifted abilities in one way or the other. Consists of three chapters, the first part of the book declares leadership as a long journey towards success, where lack of passion and unawareness with one’s purpose serve as the hurdles on the way to success. If one

Technological Advancements in Communication Essay Example for Free

Technological Advancements in Communication Essay Write a 200- to 300-word response to the following questions based on â€Å"Superhero in the Cubicle† in the Electronic Reserve Readings: Q: What technological advancements in communication were discussed in the article? The technological communication advancements discussed in the article, ‘Superhero in the Cubicle’, were IBM Lotus Connections by Big Blue, Smartsheet from Smartsheet.com, Web 2.0 Mashup Server software by Kapow Technology, and Near Time, and Confulence form Atlassian used by John Hopkins University students. Q: Choose two (2) communication types and compare and contrast them. How could these be used in your workplace? IBM Lotus Connections and Near-Time share similarities in enabling the users to blog, wiki, and mashup because these collaborative Web technology tools are equipped with the social computing abilities. Both of these advanced technological tools are both easy to install, without any IT’s assistance, and inexpensive (economical). Near-Time allows the users to sort out the information source and develop new informal channels; in contrast, IBM Lotus Connections does not allow users the same information sorting and creating functions. Making use of these advanced technological tools for wiki, store and retrieve data, and blogging seems practical and beneficial at my workplace; however, my job does not always need these highly developed technological devices to accomplish the work goals. Q: Do these technological advancements in communication follow what is traditionally considered business communication? Why? Although the present business environment adapts to itself to the highly and rapidly changing setting, I do not think these technological advancements in communication mentioned in the article follow the traditionally considered business communication yet. According to the article, it is evident that  these advanced communication tools are present in the current business environment; numerous businesses do not seem to accept and utilize all the tools included in the article to operate their everyday business activities. Perhaps, many businesses, small and big, still consider these advanced tools as the novel commodities. In addition, some companies may still consider these collaborative tools as high maintenance products because the employees may need to spend extra time to become proficient with the technology; thus, the companies may find these tools as a cause for extra expenses that cannot be included in their budget. Reference Axia College of University of Phoenix. (2010). Superhero in the cubicle. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Axia College, Week Three reading, aXcess, XCOM285-Essentials of Managerial Communication Course Web site.

Rene Descartes Second Meditation Evaluation

Rene Descartes Second Meditation Evaluation My Paper is on Rene Descartes Second Meditation. I chose to analyze and critique the concepts and ideas that were presented in Rene Descartes second meditation because it is in the second meditation were Rene Descartes famous adage was produced Cogito, Ergo Sum or I Think Therefore I am and also I find his second meditation the most controversial and most interesting of all his meditations. The second meditation is the most controversial of Rene Descartes meditations because it is here that his first rule of methodic doubt process is clearly introduced which is Accept nothing as true unless you can be sure that it is certain and it is also here that his idea becomes Radicalized because it suggest that one must critique all types of knowledge, that one has to doubt everything including himself and this is what the second meditation is all about because the second meditation is about ones existence. Descartes says that one must never accept anything or any knowledge unless one is certain of this knowledge and for Descartes being certain of knowledge means that there must be no place for doubt, it must be self verifying and it must be indubitable or in other words unquestionable and not open to doubt. The second meditation starts with Descartes doubting existence itself because of the radicalism of his philosophy that assumes everything is false, so in the second meditations Descartes doubts even existence, he says that even our very own existence needs to be doubted so as to arrive at the truth in the end of course of the second meditation Descartes does prove that without a shadow of a doubt that one does exist because one thinks hence the famous saying I think therefore I am. When one reads the second meditation Descartes does sound like someone who is a bit crazy and perhaps someone who had too much time in his hands because to doubt even existence is for me at first just down right absurd and many of us would have the same feeling on this matter maybe because of how we were brought up but it is exactly this kind of thinking that Descartes was trying to destroy he wants everybody to think for themselves and not just accept opinions as truths because if we just accept the texts of the ancient and the opinions of everybody as truths then how can we arrive at certain knowledge if those texts and opinions happen to be false he wants us to discover the truths for ourselves and perhaps he wanted people not to be lazy. When reading the second meditation the philosophy that is included there is definitely a radical one because he doubts existence and that what we perceive as truth may in fact be false, perception for Descartes is deceitful and our mind errs all the time so there is no way for us to be certain of things. We can be certain of our existence however but not this kind of existence were there is the body and the limbs but our existence as a thinking being since for Descartes the body and the things around is maybe just be an illusion created by an evil deceiver who does all he can to deceive us with all this false perception or we can just be dreaming that what we see and feel is all but a dream and therefore not real because how can we be sure that we are not just dreaming right at this very moment and that we are just dreaming everything and everyone around us this concept was a very intriguing concept what if we were just dreaming all this time, this was a concept that is so intriguing that even Hollywood adopted it in their film Inception which delves into dream and reality. The only certainty that we know we exist is that we know we are thinking and no great deceiver or dreams can doubt the fact that we think and therefore because we think we exist but for Descartes it is a thinking existence because it is the only thing that one can be certain of and that everything else we perceive may be false or just an illusion, one cannot trust our senses because are senses may just be an illusion or the senses may just be perceiving an illusion therefore not certain so for Descartes perception cannot arrive at the certitude of truth. Sensation as well is not a good determinant for certitude because one could again just be dreaming. Thinking for Descartes is very important since thinking for him determines ones existence. The act of thinking is the self guarantee of thinking. The act of thinking provides the ground for realizing that one exist. Human beings have a natural propensity to think therefore he or she can prove his or her existence. Thinking can never be false, because it is a process, thinking itself is beyond judgment, the thoughts that come from thinking are always real we only make mistakes in our judgment. Descartes explains in the second meditation using the honeycomb wax as an example of what kind of existence we can perceive and have since the wax changes its form but yet we know it is still the same wax Descartes thought that perhaps this is the true existence we are not just body and limbs but we are beyond that because we can still change and still be the same and this is how our minds works it has something innate that enables us to know it distinctively. The Second Meditation deals with reality and existence, like I mentioned before I thought that Descartes perhaps just too much time on his hands for thinking something so crazy as that everything around us is just an illusion and that we cannot trust out perception. I thought to myself that here is another philosopher saying something controversial just top be noticed but now that I was a little aware of a science called quantum physics and now I wonder if Descartes was actually someone who was way ahead of his time in thinking that everything is just an illusion and that what we perceive is actually false because quantum physics itself says that perhaps what we perceive as real, what our senses perceive as true my actually be false because it may just be an illusion created by our sense perception. With this in mind Rene Descartes is not crazy and his theory was not absurd this despite him being a member of the Rosicrucian group which believed in an invisible church that they built. Rene Descartes Philosophical theory on Existence and Reality was in fact a science which was way ahead of its time. His philosophy on doubting everything so as to arrive at certain knowledge can be seen as something radical and impractical and if we do take him literally then it is no doubt that this philosophy is indeed a radical form of Philosophy and an impractical one at that because one will just waste his time doubting and questioning everything one sees and this is just an impossible task. I think Rene Descartes is someone who was obsessed in knowing the truth and this led him to create this philosophy that before we can have certain knowledge we must first doubt. To have knowledge one must first doubt, this philosophy of Descartes becomes practical if we do not take to the extreme by really questioning everything, I think Descartes main point is that for man to use his reason rather than just accepting opinions, Descartes believes that reason is higher that any kind of opinio n, Descartes wants us to use our reason and there is nothing radical about using our reason. Sources: Rene Descartes Second Meditation

Foreign Essay :: Foreign Language Education Development Essays

Foreign Essay Efnisyfirlit Inngangur 2 Einkenni gà ³Ãƒ °rar menntunar 2 Stiklaà ° à ¡ stà ³ru à ­ uppeldissà ¶gunni 2 Stà ¦rà ° skà ³la og samband vià ° umheiminn 3 Litlir umbà ³taskà ³lar skila betri à ¡rangri 4 Kennsluaà °ferà °ir og uppeldisstefnur 6 Hvernig là ¦ra bà ¶rnin best? 6 Montessori 7 Waldorf 7 Reggio Emilia 8 Ofurnà ¡m (Super-learning) 8 Tillaga um Hà ¡gà ¦Ãƒ °askà ³la 9 Umrà ¦Ãƒ °a og nià °urstà ¶Ãƒ °ur 10 Heimildaskrà ¡ 11 Inngangur Ritgerà ° à ¾essari er à ¦tlaà ° aà ° leita svara vià ° spurningum er varà °a nà ¡m barna à ¡ grunnskà ³laaldri à ¾ar sem aà °alà ¡herslan er à ¡ skà ³laumhverfià ° og kennsluaà °ferà °ir. Leitast verà °ur vià ° aà ° svara à ¾và ­ hvaà ° einkennir menntun og skà ³la sem skila betri nà ¡msà ¡rangri og là ­Ãƒ °an hjà ¡ bà ¶rnum. Meà ° tilliti til skà ³laumhverfis verà °ur kannaà ° hvort stà ¦rà ° skà ³lans skiptir mà ¡li à ­ sambandi vià ° nà ¡msà ¡rangur og là ­Ãƒ °an barnanna. à  sambandi vià ° kennsluaà °ferà °ir verà °ur leitast vià ° aà ° finna leià °ir sem virka vel à ­ nà ¡mi barna og à ­ kjà ¶lfarià ° verà °a kynntar nokkrar kennsluaà °ferà °ir og uppeldisstefnur sem skilaà ° hafa gà ³Ãƒ °um à ¡rangri à ¡ sà ­Ãƒ °ustu à ¡ratugum, meà ° à ¾roska og à ¡huga barnsins aà ° leià °arljà ³si. Aà ° lokum verà °a dregnar saman nià °urstà ¶Ãƒ °ur og farià ° yfir à ¾au atrià °i sem skilaà ° hafa gà ³Ãƒ °um à ¡rangri à ­ skà ³lastarfi. Umfjà ¶llun mun byggja à ¡ erlendum bà ³kmenntum, frà ¦Ãƒ °igreinum og rannsà ³knum à ¡ svià °i uppeldis- og menntunarfrà ¦Ãƒ °i. Einkenni gà ³Ãƒ °rar menntunar Þaà ° hefur alltaf verià ° mikià ° à ¡litamà ¡l hvaà ° à ¾ykir einkenna gà ³Ãƒ °a menntun, en hà ©r à ¡ eftir verà °ur farià ° aà °eins yfir nokkur atrià °i sem lagt var à ¡hersla à ¡ snemma à ­ uppeldissà ¶gunni sem là ½kur svo meà ° à ¾và ­ aà ° kynna hugmyndir umbà ³tasinna sem à ¾Ãƒ ³ttu rà ­kjandi à ¡ sà ­Ãƒ °ustu à ¶ld. à  framhaldi af à ¾và ­ eru svo kynnt nokkur atrià °i sem virà °ast skipta mà ¡li à ­ sambandi vià ° là ­Ãƒ °an og à ¡rangur barna à ­ nà ¡mi og à ¾ykja einkennandi fyrir gà ³Ãƒ °a menntun à ­ dag. à  à ¾và ­ sambandi verà °ur meà °al annars fjallaà ° um stà ¦rà ° skà ³la og kennsluaà °ferà °ir. Stiklaà ° à ¡ stà ³ru à ­ uppeldissà ¶gunni Allt frà ¡ à ¾và ­ fyrir à ¾rjà º à ¾Ãƒ ºsund à ¡rum sà ­Ãƒ °an à ¾egar fyrstu frà ¦Ãƒ °ingar uppeldissà ¶gunnar litu dagsins ljà ³s hefur mà ¶nnum greint à ¡ um hvaà ° helst eigi aà ° leggja à ¡herslu à ¡ à ­ uppeldi og menntun barna og ungmenna. Þà ³tt uppeldisfrà ¦Ãƒ °ingar fyrr à ¡ à ¶ldum hafi haft mismunandi à ¡herslur, bar à ¾eim à ¾Ãƒ ³ nokkuà ° saman um aà ° mennun innihà ©ldi meira en einungis hià ° hefà °bundna bà ³knà ¡m sem felst à ­ lestri, skrift og stà ¦rà °frà ¦Ãƒ °i. Flestar stefnur fyrri tà ­ma innihà ©ldu einhvers konar fà ©lagslegt og sià °ferà °ilegt uppeldi en auk à ¾ess var meà °al annars là ¶gà ° à ¡hersla à ¡ listir, heimspeki, stjà ³rnmà ¡l, mà ¦lsku- og rà ¶kfà ¦rslulist, là ­kamsrà ¦kt og handverk.

Attendance Monitoring System Essay

The main aim of this paper is to develop an accurate, fast and very efficient automatic attendance system using fingerprint verification technique. We propose a system in which fingerprint verification is done by using extraction of minutiae technique and the system that automates the whole process of taking attendance, The study was conducted using a quantitative approach by designing a questionnaire as the data collection instrument based on fingerprint matching biometric technologies. The survey involved 6 employees based on stratified random sampling technique. The results however show that fingerprint biometric identifier was found suitable for the employee attendance management system of the organization. Keywords: Biometrics, fingerprint ,employee attendance, identifier, etc . 1. Introduction In many institutions and organization the attendance is very important factor for various purposes and its one of the important criteria that is to follow for students and organization employees. The previous approach in which manually taking and maintains the attendance records was very inconvenient task. After having these issues in mind we develop an automatic attendance system which automates the whole process of taking attendance and maintaining it. We already know about some commonly used biometric techniques are used for objective identification ,verification are like iris recognition, voice identification, fingerprint identification, DNA recognition ,etc .Biometrics techniques are widely used in various areas like building security,etc. A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges on all parts of the  finger. A friction ridge is a raised portion of the epidermis on the palmar (palm) or digits (fingers and toes) or plantar (sole) skin, consisting of one or more connected ridge units of friction ridge skin. These are sometimes known as â€Å"epidermal ridges† which caused by the underlying interface between the dermal papillae of the dermis A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges on all parts of the finger. A friction ridge is a raised portion of the epidermis on the palmar (palm) or digits (fingers and toes) or plantar (sole) skin, consisting of one or more connected ridge units of friction ridg e skin. These are sometimes known as â€Å"epidermal ridges† which caused by the underlying interface between the dermal papillae of the dermis The term fingerprint is refers impressions transferred from the pad last joint of fingers and thumbs, though fingerprint cards also typically record portions of lower joint areas of the fingers (which are also used to make identifications)[6]. It is believed that no two people have identical fingerprint in world, so the fingerprint verification and identification is most popular way to verify the authenticity or identity of a person wherever the security is a problematic question. The reason for popularity of fingerprint technique is uniqueness of person arises from his behavior ; personal characteristics are like, for instance uniqueness, which indicates that each and every fingerprint is unique, different from one other. Universality ,that means every person hold the individual characteristics of fingerprint. The three basic patterns of fingerprint ridges are the arch, loop, and whorl ï‚ · An arch is a pattern where the ridges enter from one side of the finger, rise in the center forming an arc, and then exit the other side of the finger[13]. ï‚ · The loop is a pattern where the ridges enter from one side of a finger, form a curve, and tend to exit from the same side they enter. ï‚ · In the whorl pattern, ridges form circularly around a central point on the finger. Scientists have found that family members often share the same general fingerprint patterns, leading to the belief that these patterns are inherited  © 2013, IJARCSSE All Rights Reserved Page | 379 Rao et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 3(4), April – 2013, pp. 379-383 2. Attendance Monitoring Model Automatic attendance system using fingerprint verification technique. A fingerprint is captured by user interface, which are likely to be an optical solid state or an ultrasound sensor. Generally, there are two approaches are used for fingerprint verification system among them first one is Minutiae based technique, in which minutiae is represented by ending or termination and bifurcations. Other one is Image based method or matching pattern. Minutiae-based matching: This is the most popular and widely used technique, being the basis of the fingerprint comparison made by fingerprint examiners. Minutiae are extracted from the two fingerprints and stored as sets of points in the two- dimensional plane. Minutiae-based matching essentially consists of finding the alignment between the template and the input minutiae sets that results in the maximum number of minutiae pairings[1] Pattern or Image based matching: Pattern based matching use algorithms to compare the basic fingerprint patterns like arch, whorl or loop between a previously stored template and candidate fingerprint.For this purpose image is required to be alinment in same orientation. In matching process algorithms finds a central point on the fingerprint image and centre on the image. In pattern based algorithm, the template contains the type, size and orientation of pattern within the aligned fingerprint image. The candidate fingerprint image is graphically compared with the template to determine the degree to which the match. 3.Implementation Of Process This process complete in three phase and also phase description is mention below:Phase 1. Fingerprint scanning and registration Fingerprint scans convert people’s fingerprints into digital codes or numerical data that can be recorded in a database. Like facial recognition software, fingerprint scanning matches an individual’s code against an existing database of codes in order to confirm that individual’s identity. Proponents of fingerprint scanning point to the conversion of fingerprints into digital data as a privacy protection measureFingerprint scanning is already in use as an identification system that replaces cards or keys: to log onto computers. Before scanning the fingerprint everyone has to fill the registration form.These form have the some of the basic details of the individual such as  name,father’ s name,mother’s name,date of birth and so on. Fingerprint scanning Registration form  © 2013, IJARCSSE All Rights Reserved Page | 380 Rao et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 3(4), April – 2013, pp. 379-383 PHASE-2:- Fingerprint recognition or authentication Fingerprint recognition or fingerprint authentication refers to the automated method of verifying a match between two human fingerprints. Fingerprints are one of many forms of biometrics used to identify individuals and verify their identity. This article touches on two major classes of algorithms (minutia and pattern) and four sensor designs (optical, ultrasonic, passive capacitance, and active capacitance). The analysis of fingerprints for matching purposes generally requires the comparison of several features of the print pattern. These include patterns, which are aggregate characteristics of ridges, and minutia points, which are unique features found within the patterns.[1] It is also necessary to know the structure and properties of human skin in order to successfully employ some of the imaging technologies.[10]. Minutiae-based fingerprint matching algorithm has been proposed to solve two problems: correspondence and similarity computation. For the correspondence problem, use an alignment-based greedy matching algorithm to establish the correspondences between minutiae. Fingerprint recognition systems have the advantages of both ease of use and low cost.  © 2013, IJARCSSE All Rights Reserved Page | 381 Rao et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 3(4), April – 2013, pp. 379-383 Phase-3:-Attendance update:Employee Attendance Management software is tightly integrated with  the organization’s HR data. The in-time and out-time, lunch and breaks entered by the employees will help the respective authority in charge to keep in track the activities of the employees. ï‚ · Employee Attendance Management System helps in keeping track of the attendance of employees based on various events like shift, late, overtime, permission, holiday working and on duty.[5] Single click view of all time office events like hours worked, late, permission, on duty, overtime, leave of an employee for date or month period can also be obtained from this Attendance Management system. ï‚ · Employee Attendance Management Software helps to monitor the productivity of the employees and also keep a check on the Employee absenteeism which in turn helps in achieving the organization goals. 4. Result The report will be generated with name of the employee matched fingerprint and stored in an attendance system. Attendance log of the month is shown in below table: This software not only prepare the monthly report but also shows the attendance of the individual day. It not only display the name of the present employees but it also display the employee which is absent or late on that particular day.This software also display the name of employees which is in preplan live.The individual attendance reports is shown below:  © 2013, IJARCSSE All Rights Reserved Page | 382 Rao et al., International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering 3(4), April – 2013, pp. 379-383 5.Conclusion And Future Work The proposed system will make way for perfect management of students and staff attendance and produce more accuracy. Future work on this project would include the creating of a matching algorithm that uses to mention and maintain the different type of leave such as on duty leave,leave without pay ,medical leave and soon.Also timely update the leave of the each employees when it take leave. The efficient matching algorithm have to be developed in theory and in code so that our goal of getting faster and more accurate matched image than with pre-existing software. References [1] Jianjiang Feng, â€Å"Combining minutiae descriptors for fingerprint matching†, Pattern Recognition, pp. 342 – 352, April 2007. [2] Peng Shi, Jie Tian, Qi Su, and Xin Yang, â€Å"A Novel Fingerprint Matching Algorithm Based on Minutiae and Global Statistical Features†, IEEE Conference, 2007. [3] Neeta Nain, Deepak B M, Dinesh Kumar, Manisha Baswal, and Biju Gautham â€Å"Optimized Minutiae–Based Fingerprint Matching†, Proceedings, 2008. [4] BioLink 2006. Time and attendance, Retrieved 11thDecember,2011fromhttp://www.m3biometrics.co.uk/Portals/2/downloads/BioTime_Time_and_Attendance.pdf. [5] InfoTronics, Inc. 2008. Biometrics: Advantages for employee attendance verification, Michigan: Farmington Hills. Retrieved 11th November, 2011 from www.mwtime.com/biometrics.pdf. [6] Jain, A., Hong, L., Pankanti, S., Bolle, R., 1997. An Identity Authentication System Using Fingerprints. Retrieved 10th June, 2012 from http://biometrics.cse.msu.edu/Publications/Fingerprint/JainEtAlIdentityAuthUsingFp_ProcIEEE97.pdf. [7] K. Asai, Y. Hoshino and K. Kiji, â€Å"Automated fingerprint Identification by minutiae-network feature- feature extraction process,† IEICE transactions, Vol.J72-D-II, N0.5, pp 724-732, 1989. [8] Chaur-Chin Chen and Yaw-Yi Wang, â€Å"An AFIS Using Fingerprint Classification,† Image and Vision Computing, 2003. [9] Virginia Espinosa-Dur6, â€Å"Fingerprints Thinning Algorithm,† IEEE AES Systems Magazine, 2003. [10] U. Halici, L. C. Jain, A. Erol, â€Å"Introduction to Fingerprint Recognition,†Intelligent Biometric Techniques in Fingerprint and Face Recognition,L.C. Jain, U. Halici, I.Hayashi, S.B. Lee, S. Tsutsui (editors), CRCPress, 1999. [11] Manvjeet Kaur, Mukhwinder Singh, Akshay Girdhar, and Parvinder S.Sandhu, â€Å"Fingerprint Verification System using Minutiae Extraction Technique,† World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 46 2008. [12] Anil K. Jain, Arun Ross and Salil Prabhakar, â€Å"An introduction to biometric recognition,† Circuits and Systems for Video Technology,IEEE Transactions on Volume 14, Issue 1, Jan. 2004 Page(s):4 – 20. [13] L. O’Gorman, â€Å"Overview of fingerprint verification technologies,†Elsevier Information Security Technical Report, Vol. 3, No. 1, 1998. [14]. Eric P. Kukula, Christine R. Blomeke, Shimon K. Modi, and Tephen J. Elliott, â€Å"Effect of Human Interaction on Fingerprint Matching Performance, Image Quality, and Minutiae Count†,

A Brief History of Poaching in Africa

A Brief History of Poaching in Africa There has been poaching in Africa since antiquity- people hunted in areas claimed by other states or reserved for royalty, or they killed protected animals. Some of the European big game hunters who came to Africa in the 1800s were guilty of poaching and some were actually tried and found guilty by the African kings on whose land they had hunted without permission. In 1900, the new  European colonial states enacted game preservation laws that forbid most Africans from hunting. Subsequently, most forms of African hunting, including hunting for food, were officially deemed poaching. Commercial poaching was an issue in these years and a threat to animal populations, but it was not at the crisis levels seen in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The 1970s and 80s After independence in the 1950s and 60s, most African countries retained these game laws but poaching for food- or bush meat- continued, as did poaching for commercial gain. Those hunting for food present a threat to animal populations, but not on the same level as those who did so for international markets. In the 1970s and 1980s, poaching in Africa reached crisis levels. The continents elephant and rhinoceros populations in particular faced potential extinction. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species In 1973, 80 countries agreed to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (commonly known as CITES) governing the trade in endangered animals and plants. Several African animals, including rhinoceroses, were among the initially protected animals. In 1990, most African elephants were added to the list of animals that could not be traded for commercial purposes. The ban had a rapid and significant impact on ivory poaching, which rapidly declined to more manageable levels. Rhinoceros poaching, however, continued to threaten the existence of that species. Poaching and Terrorism in the 21st Century In the early 2000s, Asian demand for ivory began to rise steeply, and poaching in Africa rose again to crisis levels. The Congo Conflict  also created a perfect environment for poachers, and elephants and rhinoceroses began to be killed at dangerous levels again. Even more worryingly, militant extremist groups like Al-Shabaab began poaching to fund their terrorism. In 2013, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimated that 20,000 elephants were being killed annually. That number exceeds birth rates, which means that if poaching does not decline soon, elephants could be driven to extinction in the foreseeable future. Recent Anti-Poaching Efforts   In 1997, the Member Parties of the Convention CITES agreed to establish an Elephant Trade Information System for tracking illegal trafficking in ivory. In 2015, the webpage maintained by the Convention  CITES webpage reported over 10,300 cases of illegal ivory smuggling since 1989. As the database expands, it is helping guide international efforts to break up ivory smuggling operations. There are numerous other grassroots and NGO efforts to fight poaching. As part of his work with the  Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), John Kasaona oversaw a  Community-Based Natural Resource Management program in Namibia that turned  poachers into caretakers. As he argued, many of the poachers from the region in grew up in, poached for subsistence - either for food or the money their families needed to survive. By hiring these men who knew the land so well and educating them about the value of the wildlife to their communities, Kasaonas program made tremendous strides against poaching in Namibia.   International efforts to combat the sale of ivory and other African animal products in Western and Eastern countries as well as efforts to combat poaching in Africa is the only way, though, that poaching in Africa can be brought back down to sustainable levels. Sources Steinhart, Edward,  Black Poachers, White Hunters: A Social History of Hunting in Kenya  Vira, Varun,Thomas Ewing, and Jackson Miller. Out of Africa Mapping the Global Trade in Illicit Elephant Ivory, C4ADs,  (August 2014).What is CITES? Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, webpage, (Accessed: December 29, 2015).

Action Potentials in the Locust Leg essays

Action Potentials in the Locust Leg essays The latency period measured from our representative muscle action potential is 8.2 ms (Figure 1). Figure 1 also shows the duration of the action potential, which was measured to be approximately 5 ms. The amplitude measured from baseline to peak was found to be 0.14 V (Figure 1). Dividing this value by the gain, which was set to 200 for this experiment, gives the baseline-to-peak amplitude of 0.7 mV. Three volts was the threshold voltage required to elicit a muscle action potential. Using Method A to calculate the conduction velocity, it was found to be 2.8 m/s (Appendix 1). Using Method B, the conduction velocity was found to be 3.3 m/s (Appendix 1). Figure 2 shows the relationship between stimulus duration and the threshold voltage required for an action potential to occur. As the duration of the stimulus increased, the value of the minimum voltage required to elicit an action potential decreased. The faster the action potential occurs, the shorter the synaptic delay. Following an action potential, the range for the absolute refractory period in the lab manual exercise was found to be 0-2.9 ms. The range for the relative refractory period was 3-6 ms after the action potential. 2. Jumps were seen in the muscle action potentials recorded in response to varying stimulus voltages because of the summation of action potentials from more than one axon. Arthropods have rapid motoneurons. Fast axons have large diameters and low resistances; therefore, they are able to produce phasic, all-or-none action potentials at high velocities. When the applied stimulus was above the threshold voltage, jumps were observed. In addition, during a fast axon depolarization, a rapid leg twitch was observed. There are also slow motoneurons in the arthropod muscle. According to Fourtner and Pearson (1977), slow motoneurons in muscles of the distal leg segments can produce tonic, graded potentials. Invertebrates usually h...

Using the Spanish Verb Llegar

Using the Spanish Verb Llegar Although llegar typically is translated as to arrive, it has a wider range of uses than does the English word and is often used figuratively. To come is also a common translation. Keep in Mind Llegar usually carries the idea of arriving at a destination, either literally or figuratively.Llegar a followed by ser or another infinitive carries the idea of arrival at a goal or situation unexpectedly or after considerable effort.In terms of pronunciation, llegar is conjugated regularly, although sometimes its spelling changes to accommodate the ending. Using Llegar for Arriving In its most common usage, llegar refers to arrival at a place. The destination is frequently preceded by the preposition a, and de can be used to indicate the origin: Por fin llegamos a Madrid. (We finally arrived at Madrid.)Cuando llego a casa hago mis tareas. (When I get home Ill do my homework.)Llegaron a Mà ©xico los cuerpos de estudiantes muertos en Ecuador. (The bodies of the students killed in Ecuador arrived in Mexico.)Llegaron de diferentes partes de Espaà ±a. (They came from different parts of Spain.)Hay miles de refugiados que llegan de frica. (There are thousands of refugees who are arriving from Africa.) As can the English word arrive, llegar can also refer to the coming of a time: Llegà ³ la hora de la verdad. (The moment of truth is here. Literally, the time of truth came.)Ya llega la primavera. (Spring is already here. Literally, spring already arrived.) Using Llegar for Reaching a Goal Llegar can often refer to the reaching of a goal, physical or otherwise: Los tres mexicanos llegaron a la cima del Everest. (The three Mexicans reached the summit of Everest.)El museo llegà ³ a las 100.000 visitas en menos de un aà ±o. (The museum reached 100,000 visits in less than a year.)Microsoft y Marvel llegaron a un acuerdo para distribuir los videojuegos. (Microsoft and Marvel reached an agreement for distributing video games.)No puedo llegar a fin de mes. (I cant make it to the end of the month.) The phrase llegar a ser typically suggests a long or difficult period of change to become something: Nunca lleguà © a ser doctor. (I never became a doctor.)Diez de estas tribus llegaron a ser la Europa moderna. (Ten of these tribes became modern Europe.) ¿Cà ³mo fue que los computadores llegaron a ser parte de nuestra sociedad? (How was it that computers came to be a part of our society?) Llegar With Infinitives When llegar a is followed by an infinitive, it is often the equivalent of the English to come to. It often carries the connotation that the activity is extreme, unusual, or unexpected. Note how a variety of translations can be used: Algunos seguidores del candidato llegaron a llorar mientras escuchaban a su là ­der. (Some of the candidates followers even cried while listening to their leader.)Los Leones nunca llegaron a ganar un campeonato. (The Lions never came to win a championship.)Llegà ³ a decirme que mi pequeà ±a era mocosa. (He went so far as to tell me that my little one was a brat.)Lleguà © a comprender lo que querà ­a decir. (I even came to understand what he wanted to say.) Idioms Using Llegar Llegar is used in a variety of idioms and set phrases. Here are some examples: La secuela no llega a la suela del zapato al original. (The sequel doesnt hold a candle to the original.)Las negociaciones entre el equipo y Gustavo Torres llegaron a buen puerto. (The negotiations between the team and Gustavo Torres reached a satisfactory conclusion.)La empresa que no construya confianza no llegar lejos. (The business that doesnt build confidence wont get far.)El cantante llegà ³ y besà ³ el santo con su cancià ³n Silencio. (The singer had success on his first try with his song Silencio.)Afortunadamente no llegà ³ la sangre al rà ­o, gracias a la rpida reaccià ³n de mis amigos. (Fortunately, there were no serious consequences, thanks to the quick reaction of my friends.)Despuà ©s de insultarse, llegaron a las manos. (After insulting each other, they came to blows.) Conjugating Llegar Llegar is conjugated regularly in terms of punctuation, but not in terms of spelling. The final g needs to be changed to gu when followed by an e. This occurs in the first-person indicative preterite (lleguà ©, I arrived) and in the subjunctive and imperative moods. In this way it follows the pattern of pagar.

Safe Guarding Babies and Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Safe Guarding Babies and Children - Essay Example ld abuse. The object is to establish the moral responsibility of every individual in the child-care system and create awareness. The article focuses on factors on the agency and individual level that are deemed key to avert tragedies such as this from happening in the future. 1. Responsibilities of local authorities. 2. Multi Agency policies. 3. Valued judgement and effective communication. 4. Targeted and Specialized support. 5. Individual social worker’s responsibilities The article evaluates and explores the methods that can be employed to avoid the mistakes as ascertained by the Laming report. Responsibilities of local authorities: â€Å"Those who sit in judgement often do so with the great benefit of hindsight† (Lord Laming Report, 2003 Page 1. ... In this event the Local authorities outline all disciplinary and inter-agency policies to be implemented by the agencies. Research has shown that multiagency working is more pronounced during the early stages of the case while making enquiries and â€Å"less pronounced and apparent in implementing action plans† (Chahal and Coleman 2003, p.39). Agencies that handle the cases from the Local authorities work on the brief give to them. Therefore it is imperative that professionals from both Local and Agency levels communicate effectively. In Victoria Climbie’s case there was evidence that the front line staff that received her case were not kept up to date on the guidelines as outlined by the Children Act of 1989. The procedure books made available to them were not up to date on the guidelines to monitor and provide care for children who were undergoing abuse. This affects the judgement of the staff and the ability to recognize an emergency or sounding the alarm. A sense of lax amongst caseworkers and front line staff is also prevalent as social work and especially working with children is not seen as an attractive career option. This has been attributed to the callous treatment of social workers by the top executives. Most of the work that social workers put into their work goes unnoticed or unappreciated. London shows a 11 per cent vacancy rate nationally in these sectors while some boroughs show as much as 40 to 50 per cent (Dfes 2003, Every Child matters, The Challenge, p.22). Because of this most front line staff are not adequately qualified to handle such sensitive issues. It is important for agency heads to be qualified in the regulations of social work to be able to empathize with the staff handling the cases and appreciate the work and

Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law - Assignment Example (Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Company 1893 1 qb 256). Acceptance is a final and unqualified expression of assent to the terms of an offer [G.H. Treitel, The Law of Contract, 10th edn, p.16]. The Employer, Conventina Motors, has offered Steven to work for them as a parts distribution salesman. And Steven has accepted their employment offer to work for them. This means a proper contract has been established between Conventina Motors and Steven. Consideration: This means something bargained for and received by a promisor from a promisee. The common types of consideration consists of real or personal property, a return promise, some act, or a forbearance. The consideration by Conventina Motors towards Steven may not only include his salary but also other responsibilities like Steven’s mental, health, emotional and/or environmental safety etc. And likewise Steven’s consideration towards the company can be his loyalty, responsibility and promise to follow the rules and regulation binding on him due to the employment contract. Capacity: In contract law, capacity means a persons ability to satisfy the elements required to enter binding contracts. For example, it often requires a person to have reached a minimum age and to have soundness of mind. Conventina Motors is an established company and Steven is an adult. Therefore both fulfill the required capacity rules to enter into a valid contract. Legality: The contract made, must be enforceable by law. Only then, the contract is said to be legally binding. Conventina Motors is an established company having proper employment contracts with its workers, therefore the contract with Steven is legally binding and has certain obligations that needs to be followed by both the parties in the contract. As discussed above, Conventina Motors and Steven have entered into a legal employment contract with each other. The contract includes rules and obligations that

Relation between service quality and customer satisfaction Essay

Relation between service quality and customer satisfaction - Essay Example The researcher states that a look into the related literature proves that both quality and satisfaction are often used interchangeably as if both are the same construct. However, a closer look reveals that both are different concepts which are very similar to each other. According to many researchers, customer satisfaction is a function of discrepancy between a customer’s previous expectations and the customer’s perceptions regarding the new purchase. In simple words, if the customer feels that the service is better than what is expected, there is customer satisfaction. Now, a look into the concept of service quality proves that it is defined as the comparative function between customer expectations and actual service rendered. Thus, one reaches the notion that while customer satisfaction is a more specific, short-term evaluation that is influenced by actual service quality and customer expectations, actual service quality is more general and long term evaluation. In si mple words, service quality is just one important factor that can ensure customer satisfaction. Here, one point becomes evident; customer expectation is an important factor that can influence customer satisfaction. Now, a look into the related literature proves that customer expectation is the product of a number of factors. These factors range from word of mouth communications from other customers, personal needs of customers, past experiences, and external communications from service providers including the price-quality relationship.    Now, it becomes necessary to elaborate each of these points in detail. First of all, it is common for all customers to develop some expectations about the service to be received based on the word of mouth feedback from ones friends and acquaintances. Another point is the influence of ones personal needs. For example, one customer might visit a sports centre as a way to socialise while another one may visit in order to keep oneself fit. Another p oint of consideration is the fact that some customers develop their own expectations based on their prior experiences in similar situations. That means, the customers are likely to weigh the service against the service they received in the past in order to decide whether the service is satisfactory.    Another important area of consideration is the influence of external communications on customer expectations. External communication means the accuracy of information that comes out through promotion regarding the quality of service. Once the promotional materials provide high expectations and fail to provide the same quality service in practice, there will be customer dissatisfaction. Thus, it becomes evident that the promotional materials should only contain factual, objective information that can be useful for the customers in making informed choices. In other words, the expectations of the customers that are developed through promotion should meet the actual quality of service.    Now, a look into the work by  Iacobucci et al (1995)  proves that both customer satisfaction and service quality are very similar to each other because of the similarities in their antecedents. For example, according to the scholars, the antecedents of service quality are price, back-stage, and expertise. Similarly, the factors that lead to customer satisfaction are timeliness, service recovery, and physical environment  (ibid). Now, a closer look reveals a factor that is rather interesting. All the antecedents of

Internship Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internship - Article Example Since then the concept has gained significant popularity in the operations of different organizations. Research has shown that there is no organization that can survive in the long run without learning. A learning organization is conceptualised as a place where the employees create, acquire as well as transfer knowledge in their operations (Garvin, Edmondson, and Gino, 110). Basically, a generally accepted definition of learning is â€Å"any relatively permanent change in the behaviour of a person that occurs as a result of experience (Robbins, 110). In an organization, employees can exchange ideas that in turn lead to the creation of knowledge that permanently changes their behaviour. This change in behaviour as a result of new knowledge created helps the employees in the organization to keep pace with the changes they may encounter as well as to deal with challenges they may also face in their operations. In order for learning to take place, three factors known as learning blocks should exist and they include the following: (1) a supportive learning environment comprised of factors such as psychological safety, openness as well as appreciation of differences. (2) concrete learning processes and practices comprised of measures that are designed to foster learning, and (3) leadership which mainly reinforces the process of learning. The behavior of leaders influences the learning process of their subordinates. The second article by Kolb Alice Y. & Kolb David A. titled â€Å"Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education† focuses on how experiential learning can be enhanced in higher education. The experiential learning theory manly draws from the work of 20th century scholars such as Dewey, Lewin as well as Pieaget among others. These scholars give experience in the learning process of humans.

Nation State and Transnational Entities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nation State and Transnational Entities - Essay Example This essay stresses that USA is a perfect example of a nation state. Though it is a multicultural society, it is regarded as a nation-state due to the existence of the shared American "culture." It has a territory that is composed of all the states; it also has a government as well as sovereignty. This paper makes a concludion that the European integration process has been characterized by two periods. These are; the Cold War and Second World War. After these two historical events, a majority of the European States recognized the need for cooperation. After the Second World War, Europeans learnt a lesson that encouraged them to test practically benefits that could accrue from European integration. The War had led to reduction of European power. In addition, this decline was an opportunity for the Soviet Union and the US to lead in terms of security, political as well as economic positions. These therefore pushed European leaders to put behind their differences and cooperate. The cooperation was intended to eliminate the causes of war and promote European political as well as economic union. It is worth noting that there were different reasons that motivated them. There was a group made up of states that had been destroyed following the war and were keen on reconstructing their economy as well as reestablish the lost international power. These states were prepared to sacrifice their national sovereignty so as to reach their goals.

Assassinations to Sustain Governments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assassinations to Sustain Governments - Essay Example So, Stalin was evidently using all the harassments against his rivals to sustain his government that otherwise would have lost the public support. 2. Sergei Kirov was one of Stalins closest supporters on the Politburo and was in 1934, the party boss of Leningrad. At the 1934 Party Congress, Kirov changed side and began criticizing Stalin and his cruel policies. Fearless ones agreed with Kirov while other less daring ones stayed silent. Stalins position in the Central Committee was under doubt as Kirov pocketed highest number of votes while Stalin got zero. So, Stalin decided to take action against Kirov, the emerging rival for leadership in the Party. On 1st December 1934, Stalin had Kirov assassinated. On the same day, Stalin passed a law that ordered anyone accused of terrorism and plots against the government was to be arrested and executed immediately after conviction (Furia 8 - 9). 3. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would grab power from him. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated (Furia 8 - 9). 4. Kirov was a potential rival in the party against Stalin. He used to disagree with Stalin over the issue of democracy within the party. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would topple him down from power. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated. He was shot dead on December 1st 1934 by a party member called Leonid Nikolayev (Furia 8 - 9). 5. The assassination of Kirov turned out as expected by Stalin. Whatever Stalins specific role in the assassination of his political rival Kirov, he used the murder as an alleged reason for eliminating

Internship Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internship - Article Example Since then the concept has gained significant popularity in the operations of different organizations. Research has shown that there is no organization that can survive in the long run without learning. A learning organization is conceptualised as a place where the employees create, acquire as well as transfer knowledge in their operations (Garvin, Edmondson, and Gino, 110). Basically, a generally accepted definition of learning is â€Å"any relatively permanent change in the behaviour of a person that occurs as a result of experience (Robbins, 110). In an organization, employees can exchange ideas that in turn lead to the creation of knowledge that permanently changes their behaviour. This change in behaviour as a result of new knowledge created helps the employees in the organization to keep pace with the changes they may encounter as well as to deal with challenges they may also face in their operations. In order for learning to take place, three factors known as learning blocks should exist and they include the following: (1) a supportive learning environment comprised of factors such as psychological safety, openness as well as appreciation of differences. (2) concrete learning processes and practices comprised of measures that are designed to foster learning, and (3) leadership which mainly reinforces the process of learning. The behavior of leaders influences the learning process of their subordinates. The second article by Kolb Alice Y. & Kolb David A. titled â€Å"Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education† focuses on how experiential learning can be enhanced in higher education. The experiential learning theory manly draws from the work of 20th century scholars such as Dewey, Lewin as well as Pieaget among others. These scholars give experience in the learning process of humans.

Assassinations to Sustain Governments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assassinations to Sustain Governments - Essay Example So, Stalin was evidently using all the harassments against his rivals to sustain his government that otherwise would have lost the public support. 2. Sergei Kirov was one of Stalins closest supporters on the Politburo and was in 1934, the party boss of Leningrad. At the 1934 Party Congress, Kirov changed side and began criticizing Stalin and his cruel policies. Fearless ones agreed with Kirov while other less daring ones stayed silent. Stalins position in the Central Committee was under doubt as Kirov pocketed highest number of votes while Stalin got zero. So, Stalin decided to take action against Kirov, the emerging rival for leadership in the Party. On 1st December 1934, Stalin had Kirov assassinated. On the same day, Stalin passed a law that ordered anyone accused of terrorism and plots against the government was to be arrested and executed immediately after conviction (Furia 8 - 9). 3. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would grab power from him. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated (Furia 8 - 9). 4. Kirov was a potential rival in the party against Stalin. He used to disagree with Stalin over the issue of democracy within the party. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would topple him down from power. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated. He was shot dead on December 1st 1934 by a party member called Leonid Nikolayev (Furia 8 - 9). 5. The assassination of Kirov turned out as expected by Stalin. Whatever Stalins specific role in the assassination of his political rival Kirov, he used the murder as an alleged reason for eliminating

Domestic Issues Faced By The United States Of America Essay Example for Free

Domestic Issues Faced By The United States Of America Essay Human Rights human rights in the United States has been criticized for their practices and policies. The record shows that human rights in the United States are complicated and controversial issue. Racial discrimination – Whether they are African American or Native American they are all human beings. Policy advice blacks should be treated equally and can have the same opportunities and protection from the government just like the whites get. Segregation of white and black is a good consideration too. Inhumane Treatment Death Penalty – human rights is the maximum and irreversible denial under the death penalty. It is controversial for its capital punishment. It is inhumane, cruel and unusual violation. Policy advice is to prohibit execution. Prison System – imprisonment of children and teenagers. A lot of mistreatment, rape, sexual abuse etc. Those behaviors are unlawful. Policy advice give medical care, stop prisoner rape, add more security and abolish death sentence. GLOBAL ISSUES FACED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Global Warming – ‘the earth’s temperature is rising’. Policy advice – we have to have a major sacrifices to solve the problem. Global Health Issues – ‘every year millions of people die needlessly because of poverty’. Policy advice – privatization of health system. World Hunger and Poverty Land Rights – ‘owning of land’. Policy advice – build a program to provide land ownership for the poor. Rainforest Destruction – one effect of the banana industry is ‘rainforest destruction and dependent economies. Policy advice – prioritize the local market before exporting. To conclude, it is important to know our rights in the society because each one of us is entitled to have our own niche in this country and even in this world. R E F E R E N C E S Free, Marvin D. Jr. (November 1997). The Impact of Federal Sentencing Reforms on African Americans 28 (2): pp. 268-286. Retrieved on 2007-05-31. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Human_rights_in_the_United_States#cite_note-1 Anup Shah, Food and Agriculture Issues, GlobalIssues. org, Created: Monday, December 03, 2007 http://www. globalissues. org/food/

Accountability Mechanisms in Volkswagen and Nike

Accountability Mechanisms in Volkswagen and Nike An ever evolving set of responsibilities (and accountabilities) for the functioning and welfare of individuals, society and the environment is entrusted to public sector organisations and private business enterprises. Using both positive and negative examples discuss the above statement. Accountability is defined as the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility (Oxford Dictionary, 2016). It is an essential part of all businesses both large and small. The power that one party has which enables them to demand accounts from another party is through various accountability mechanisms. This essay will examine how a small selection of said accountability mechanisms succeeded or failed in the cases of two large corporations Volkswagen and Nike. The environment is entrusted into the hands of businesses. A prime example of when this trust was broken is the Volkswagen (VW) emissions scandal. In this case, the legal accountability mechanism failed miserably. Legal accountability is the obligation that companies have to the law. These accountabilities unlike some others e.g. market accountability are compulsory. The VW emissions scandal erupted on the 18th of September 2015 (Kollewe, 2015). The company was ordered to recall 482,000 cars in the US after the scandal was unveiled. Due to the deliberate illegal installation of a defeat device, VW could cheat emissions testing on several models and was cleared to sell them (Hotten, 2015). The defeat device caused cars affected to excel under normal emissions testing conditions. Its purpose was to recognise test conditions e.g. a locked steering wheel and a stationary test rig and put the vehicles into a safety mode which resulted in the cars emitting a significantly lower level o f air pollutants than they would under normal driving conditions. The rigging of tests allowed VW to manufacture and sell thousands of cars that were advertised as being revolutionary due their low emissions. The stark reality was that when tested out-with normal test conditions, the engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in the US (Hotten, 2015). When the scandal broke, it was unveiled that 11 million cars worldwide could possibly be fitted with the device (Kollewe, 2015). What is questionable, is the fact that the company only suggested that 11m cars could possibly be fitted with the device. One would think that they would know how many times they broke the law considering all the profits that they raked in. This resulted in the emitted pollution totalling almost 1 million tonnes per year (Lee and Vachon, 2016). Roughly the same as the UKs combined emissions for all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture (Mathiesen and Nelsen, 20 16). VW did not take care of the environment here because although their deceit caused them to rake in profits, their carelessness and lack of consideration has resulted in a negative impact on the environment and society at large. In the case of this scandal, the legal accountability mechanism failed because although the law stated that cars could not emit more pollution than a set amount, VW used deceitful ways cunning practices to bypass the law. Since the truth has been unveiled, VW has paid and will continue to pay dearly for their wrongdoings with lawsuits and continued legal action being taken against them. Furthermore, legal accountability is not the only accountability mechanism that failed in relation to the VW scandal. Another one was market accountability, accountability to the output market in particular. The output market is where goods are sold and services are provided. This market is especially important as consumers in such markets can take their custom elsewhere in the event of a companys wrongdoing. As such a large company, VW was trusted by millions of users all around the world. They bought their products because of their brand loyalty and belief. They were drawn in by the advertisements promoting clean diesel and gave up their hard-earned money in order to receive a product that unbeknownst to them was contributing astonishing amounts of pollution into the atmosphere (Jopson, McGee and Campbell, 2016). A study found that US [VW] vehicles would have spewed between 10,392 and 41,571 tonnes of toxic gas into the air each yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. If they had complied with EPA st andards, they would have emitted just 1,039 tonnesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦each year in total (Mathiesen and Nelsen, 2016). The failure of market accountability is equally even more astonishing due to the astounding volumes of pollution that was emitted due to these defeat devices. Not only did VW show a lack of regard for the environment, but they also did not act responsibly with the trust bestowed onto them by the output market society. The market penalized VW for its unsustainable behaviour with many customers taking their custom elsewhere. Volkswagen faces a consumer backlash against its brand (Lee and Vachon, 2016) and deservedly so. The VW scandal is a perfect example of the impact that both legal and market accountabilities can have on a company when they are ignored. On the contrary, public reputational and market accountability succeeded in the case of Nike. The company began their Reuse-a-shoe initiative in 1990 and since then have recycled more than 28 million pairs of shoes and 36,000 tons of scrap material into Nike Grind for use in more than 450,000 locations around the world (Ekstrà ¶m, 2014). The material Nike Grind- is created using the slice-and-grind method. This meant that the shoes were sliced into three separate parts: rubber outsole, foam midsole and fibre upper. The three separate parts would then be ground and refined for use (Nike, 2016). The three different types of Nike Grind can then be used for different purposes, all for benefitting communities and society in general. What is remarkable is the fact that Nike saw an opportunity to make use of all the old trainers that were being incorrectly disposed of. By beginning this initiative, it is easy to see that Nike could build a strong brand loyalty. Consumers are always eager to support an initiative that will better the planet in any way, shape or form and Nike realised this and have succeeded.   Nikes Grind website states: Nikes vision is that our products will be closed loop-that is, they will use the fewest possible materials and be assembled in ways that allow them to be readily recycled into new products. Our long term vision is to create a continuous loop without waste. (Nike, 2016) Nike has been very successful with this initiative and it shows that they care for the environments and the well-being of society as a whole. This point is derived from the fact that all the old trainers were being disposed of incorrectly and this led to an increase in landfill. Also, the burning of the rubber led to increased toxic gases being released into the atmosphere. Nikes decision to begin the Reuse-a-shoe initiative was a great one because it improved the regard with which the company was seen. In addition, their pledge to use sustainable, long-lasting materials designed for professional level performance has only further increased its popularity with millions of consumers around the world (Nike, 2016). Nikes swift action to try and reduce the impact that their old products had on the environment worked in their favour as Nike Grind is now well established and continues to boost the Nike brand image. In conclusion, yes, it is true that society and the environment is entrusted into the hands of public sector organisations and private business enterprises. These are regulated using accountability mechanisms. All companies are accountable in many ways. However, where VW failed in their legal, market and public reputational accountabilities due to their deceitful actions, Nike succeeded in their market and public reputational accountabilities by identifying and devising a way to fulfil its objectives whilst making a positive impact in many communities and society. While, VW fitted the defeat device to cheat emissions testing and eventually make more profit, Nikes outward thinking resulted in even more brand loyalty than they started out with. It simply demonstrates that accountability is an essential part of every organisation and when the accountability mechanisms fail, there are serious consequences. Bibliography Ekstrà ¶m, K.M. (2014) Waste management and sustainable consumption: Reflections on consumer waste. Pg 169-171. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GXLfBQAAQBAJpg=PA170dq=nike+reuse+a+shoehl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=nike%20reuse%20a%20shoef=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Hotten, R. (2015) Volkswagen: The scandal explained. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34324772 (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Jopson, B., McGee, P. and Campbell, P. (2016) Volkswagen faces $15bn hit over US green ad campaign. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/1234f9be-f5bf-11e5-9afe-dd2472ea263d (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Kollewe, J. (2015) Volkswagen emissions scandal timeline. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/10/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-timeline-events (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Lee, K.-H. and Vachon, S. (2016) Business value and sustainability: An integrated supply network perspective. Pg 101-104. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZPzcDAAAQBAJpg=PA102dq=vw+scandalhl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=vw%20scandalf=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Mathiesen, K. and Neslen, A. (2016) VW scandal caused nearly 1m tonnes of extra pollution, analysis shows. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/22/vw-scandal-caused-nearly-1m-tonnes-of-extra-pollution-analysis-shows (Accessed: 13 November 2016). Nike (2016) How its made. Available at: http://www.nikegrind.com/how-its-made (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Oxford Dictionary (2016) Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/accountability (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Siedel, G. (2016) The Three pillar model for business decisions: Strategy, law and ethics. Pg 16-19. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SYXNCwAAQBAJpg=PA18dq=vw+scandalhl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=vw%20scandalf=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016).

Telling the Truth and its Impact in Friendships Essay -- Christianity,

An article by John Piper titled â€Å"Truth & Love† offers up a compelling relation between how the world defines and handles education and relationships to what the bible has to say about it. Piper says, â€Å"I find in place of the words, "education" and "relationship," the words, "truth" and "love."† (Piper, 2011) The way those two are entirely parallel can teach people an enormous amount about how to go about having meaningful relationships. If education is truth, and relationship is love, then they are connected. To love someone is to have a relationship with them, to tell someone the truth is to educate them about something. Therefore, how cruel is it to withhold knowledge, or worse yet, teach them an altered education. To have one without the other is like taking away a vital working part of a machine, it simply wont work like it was created to. Friendships wont work like they were designed if either love or truth is absent. Just as truth supports love, Piper follows that by speaking on how love is equally as supporting to the truth. â€Å"But there is a way to speak the truth in love, and that we should seek. It is not always a soft way to speak, or Jesus would have to be accused of lack of love in dealing with some folks in the Gospels.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ But it does ask about what is the most helpful thing to say when everything is considered. Sometimes what would have been a hard word to one group is a needed act of love to another group, and not a wrong to the group addressed. But in general, love shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-25).† (Piper, 2011) A general misconception that speaking truth in love must be meek and soft spoken is often what keeps people from being bold in love in their relationships. Th... ...itual-well-being/5580-education-and-relation-truth-and-love The bible. NLT Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2010). Interpersonal communication, relating to others. (6th ed., pp. 288-292). *Sources up until this point were congruent with the requirements of the paper, the rest are extras. Ekman, P. and Friesen, W.V. â€Å"The Repertoire of Nonverbal Behavior: Categories, Origins, Usage and Coding,† Semiotica 1 (1969): 49-98 McCornack, S.A. and Levine, T.R. â€Å"When Lies Are Uncovered: Emotional and Relational Outcomes of Discovered Deception,† Communication Monographs 57 (1990): 119-38 iPerceptive. (2011). Honesty quotes. Retrieved from http://iperceptive.com/quotes/honesty_quotes.html Foundation, C. (n.d.). Pondering point: Does this make me look fat?. Retrieved from http://www.charmmdfoundation.org/PonderingPoint/PonderingPoint_RB100909.pdf

Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Essay -- Health Nutrition Exercise Pa

Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Women compose the overwhelming majority of the reported cases of eating disorders. The, desire to be thin consumes many young women who idealize the false and unrealistic model form depicted in popular magazines. Recently, researchers have started to appreciate the role of exercise in the development of eating disorders. This shift has illuminated the striking influence of sports on body image satisfaction in men as well as women. The importance of a fit physique has grown increasingly salient to men in modem society as indicated by the rise of hypermasculine action heroes such as Arnold Schwartzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. One growing sport, bodybuilding, now has the sixth largest sports federation and has come to the attention of researchers. In the last few years, researchers have linked bodybuilding to an overwhelming drive for lean muscle mass coined "reverse anorexia" by Pope, Katz, and Hudson (1993) and "bigameraria" by Taylor(1985). The bodybuilders' obsessional behavior r esembles anorexia nervosa with remarkable similarity except that the drive for enormous muscles replaces the drive for thinness. This alarming psychological syndrome may motivate bodybuilders and weightlifters, to a lesser extent, to relinquish friends, to give up responsibilities, to pursue unusual diets, to overtrain and to risk their health by abusing steroids. Reverse Anorexia in Bodybuilders Bodybuilders who exhibit reverse anorexia strive constantly to gain more lean body mass, but even when successful persist in believing their size is inadequate. Pope et al. (1993) found that 8% of their bodybuilder subjects insisted that they were ver small when they were really big and muscular. This belief aff... ... 148, 917-922. Pasman, L., & Thompson, J. K. (19-8-8). Body and eating disturbance in -obligatory runners, obligatory weightlifters, and sedentary individuals. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 759-769. Pope, H. G., & Katz, D. L. (1988-)., Affective and. psychotic syndromes associated with use of anabolic steroids. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 487-490. Pope, H. G., Katz, D. L., & Hudson, J. 1. (1993). Anorexia nervosa and "reverse anorexia" among 108 male bodybuilders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 34(6), 406-409. Schwartzenegger, A., & Hall, D. K. @ 19-82). Arnold- The education a builder. New York: Pocket Books. Taylor, W. N. (1985). Hormonal Manipulation: A new era of monstrous athletes. Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland. Yates, A. (I991). Compulsive Exercise and the Eating disorders. New York: Brunner/ Mazel, Inc.

Tda 2.4

All pupils have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum. This must also be supported by high-quality teaching and learning experiences. Schools have a duty to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum irrespective of their background, race, culture, gender, additional need or disability. This is, not only the learning happening in the classroom, but everything which happens in the life of the school. Policies on inclusion and equality of opportunity can only be successful if they help to raise achievement and to promote self-identity and good relationships through the participation of all children and young people. Promoting equality of access to the curriculum will maximise the personal achievement of children and young people. Equal opportunity does not mean treating pupils the same, but ensuring that the curriculum meets the individual needs of all pupils. This involves understanding the barriers which exist. Intervention strategies, such as additional support, can then be put into place at an early stage before children fall too far behind. High expectations, of all children, are fundamental to raising achievement. Participation involves everyone within the school. There should be opportunities to talk to children and their parents about all aspects of the school and the curriculum. This could include the development and the review of school policies. Participation can be achieved formally through student councils and parents’ meetings. It may also take place in the classroom when children and young people can be asked about how they learn best, what works for them and what could be improved,. Schools must recognise and support all pupils’ access to everything that is happening in the school. This will promote a sense of belonging and self-esteem. When children and young people are able to participate fully, they feel valued for who they are and the contribution that they make. This can be achieved by acknowledging and reflecting diversity within the school in the methods of teaching and the resources and materials used. Children and young people must also have the opportunity to become independent learners. When they are able to make choices, and have control of their own learning, children are more likely to be motivated and achieve their full potential. This gives children a feeling of self-worth and well being.

Determining Achievements in the Choice of School

Every parent wants what is best for their child. Though parents do not have control over everything in their child's development, education is one they do control. A person's education is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. Because education is so important, what kind of education is best? Whether or not a public or private school is best may be an issue worth addressing. The debate over which is better is a battle that has gone on since private schools were first introduced as an alternative. It seems most people are of the opinion that private schools are superior; the issue is simply if it is worth the money. However, this may not be the case. Therefore, how does one gauge the superiority of a school? This very difficult question has no easy answers. The most common and maybe the only way that researchers can rate and measure the effectiveness of a school is by measuring achievement. The American Heritage Dictionary seems to define achievement as â€Å"something that has been accomplished successfully, especially by means of exertion, skill, practice, or perseverance. This efinition is not exactly what researchers are speaking of when they refer to achievement. Though they all seem to define it slightly different, achievement is refered to as an improvement in overall academic excellence that did not exist before or outside the classroom. Many researchers used achievement tests and SAT scores in longitudinal studies for this measure. These reports seem to suggest that public schools seem to perform at equal levels with private schools. But are SAT scores and achievement tests all that are important to a school and what it can provide for children? This question cannot be addressed with these The fact that I was raised in a private environment seems to suggest that I may not be better off than my private counterparts. Since a young age, I have attended private schools. From Kindergarten through all four years of high school, I have been in home schooling with my other brothers and sisters. I was raised on the idea that private schools are better than public ones. My parents and most of my peers still believe this. I might still think this also but with much less fervor. After high school, I then went on to Meramac, my first public school. It was here that I learned, in that large and diverse environment, and from talking to my friends now at public colleges, that maybe the average public and private system are not so different. I am not saying that high school and college are comparable, they are not. Maybe just the idea that private schools provide a superior education is false. I seem to be getting the same if not better education where I am now, at Meramac, than I would at some private college. I am afraid to ask how much my parents have spent on my education. Would I be I the same place today had I gone to public schools, only having a more However, one must keep in mind that the issue over weather private schools are superior to public ones cannot be calculated for just myself or any other individual. The facts and data stated here are averages, not necessarily the best and most accurate information for all children. Also, not all public schools are the same and not all private schools are the same. Again, the results here are supposed to be averages of each. Many schools are not even addressed. Public magnet schools, independent schools, and special education schools, are some examples. Another thing to bear in mind is that there are many more public schools than here are private ones, thus skewing the data some. With that I mind, I have found six journals written on, or pertaining to, the subject of achievement and whether private or public does a better job of promoting it. However, all of these researchers did not just pick a hundred public students and a hundred private ones, test them, and then see who scored higher. Many variables must be taken into account to make the two groups as equal as possible. This logical step included the factoring out of variables such as economic backgrounds, gender, age, race, IQ, and others. By liminating or lessening these characteristics and others like them, more equivalent groups can be made, with a smaller chance of non school influences affecting score results. Before the mid 1970's, the issue of the better type of school had not been seriously addressed. This may be because most students enrolled in private schools were there primarily for religious reasons. This is why most private schools are Catholic. The Coleman report, released a before the 1980, began the battle that still continues to this day. Their conclusion stated that, after all the data was collected, and all the important ariables accounted for, private schools produce better achievement than their public counterparts. Shortly after this research became public, numerous studies have been documented as stating that their conclusion was false. Some of those studies shall be stated here. One of the first reports that confronted the Coleman report was released in 1981 by authors Goldberger and Cain. This study did nothing but address the validity of the report by Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore, which was a document that contained 233 pages + appendices. They found that â€Å"the method and nterpretations employed fall below the minimum standards of acceptability for social-scientific research†. Goldberger and Cain do not only disagree with the results that Coleman and his associates released but attack them with a fair amount of vemenance. Their research methods, or, their execution of the methods, are replete with flaws. The presentation of their style are one-sided — pro-private. It is as if they decided to write a brief for the proposition that society shift to the subsidization of private schools and away from the subsidization of public schools. Goldberger and Cain therefore, are not saying anything referring to which type of school is better. They are simply stating that the results shown by the Coleman report are not accurate, and therefore, there is simply no evidence suggesting that private is better. However, in 1983, Alexander and Pallas not only discredited the Coleman report but also did a study of their own. Though a little more discrete in their judgments, they again find the Coleman results flawed. They also address the fact that because most private schools are catholic, it would be wrong to generalize the private school data set by including all private schools. Instead they address the issue as a public-Catholic one. Attempting to correct the errors in the Coleman report, they do a study of their own. Using the NLS and HSB studies, they find that there is not a substantial difference in the results and that private schools are not better. They do however, point out their shortcomings; that â€Å"SAT scores are only available for those students who elected to sit for the test† and that the data are only sampled of sophomores and Another study that furthered the argument that public schools are just as good as private ones were one put out by Sassenreth and her colleagues. In 1983 they used a study that was already in progress, SOMPA, to analyze the correlation between the two. Though the study was extremely brief, by comparing IQ's of students already in the survey, they found that â€Å". . . the public schools are able to hold their own, despite having to enroll an student (good or bad) in their residential area and having to offer a wider range of courses†. With 49 public school students and 49 private school students matched by their IQ and with all outside variables taken into account, â€Å"private and public schooling has (on the average) about the same nfluence on academic achievement†. However they are also the only study reviewed which infer that the decision to select a private school might be for other reasons than achievement. Some of the more recent data no longer refers to the Coleman report, suggesting that it is either outdated or has been successfully discredited. In 1991 Gibbons and Bickel use three SAT data sets to compare public to private. Though SAT tests â€Å"were originally designed to measure aptitude rather than achievement† the authors feel that they are just as good a measuring tool as any. They again find that, once accounting or certain variables, â€Å"public high schools appear to perform better than private high schools, at least with Also in 1991 Rock and associates address the issue of trying to ascertain what promotes achievement. Though it does not specifically address the conflict of private versus public schools, it does seem to provide useful information concerning some of the variables addressed by previous researchers and why they were factored out. Before the following variables are accounted for, * Students from private independent schools perform considerably better on all test than students from Students in private independent schools are more likely than public or Catholic school students to be proficient at higher level math problem solving (private independent: 63 percent, public: 18 percent, Catholic: * Students from Catholic schools have higher mean scores I all tested areas (except higher-level math problem solving) then do public school students. Age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, also play a significant role in a students performance. Their data seems to suggest however, that the differences in achievement among public schools and rivate schools seem to stem from variables that are not school related. But what about the things that researchers cannot prove. Many parents, especially those whose children are or have been in private schools, would argue that achievement is only part of the big picture. Lynn Stevens, a public school teacher, has three daughters. Though they all began in public schools, two of them attended private high school. Mrs. Stevens feels that her children received a better academic background in a private school but, due to the variety and larger size of a public school, she feels that they might have suffered. She feels that they might have been â€Å"more involved in a larger variety of things† in a public school. Jennifer and Meredith Stevens, Mrs. Stevens' older daughters, attended Marist, a high pressure, high achievement, private school. Therefore, because it is so competitive, Mrs. Stevens feels it inappropriate to call Marist an â€Å"average† private school,. However, upon discussion of the advantage of social diversity of a public school, Jennifer added that she â€Å"received a more positive influence at Marist† than she would have at Roswell. Jennifer also senses from her youngest sister, now attending public high chool, that there is almost pressure to not do well. Mrs. Stevens also feels that public schools, especially at the elementary level, cannot meet the demands of all the different ability levels present in the large classes. Private schools on the other hand, though not able to help each child as much as possible, can perform a much better job of this with their smaller class sizes. One argument against private schools is that they do not provide a â€Å"real world† type of atmosphere, and that this is a serious disadvantage when the child grows up. Mrs. Stevens feels that this does not necessarily matter. However, because of Amanda's greater opportunity to achieve amongst her peers at public school, Mrs. Stevens would not put her youngest daughter in Marist. Another reason, though not addressed in the interview, for her sending her daughters to private school is due to the religious influence that it provides, which is unavailable in public schools. Basically, it depends on the student, and what will be best for him or her. It seems that for the average student, private schools do not provide better achievement than do public. But what does achievement have to do with the big picture? Will higher SAT and achievement scores roduce a happier, more well rounded, positive, and more self confident youth? Probably not. Every child is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses. The same things hold true with schools. Some private schools are poor just as many public schools are good. The decision whether private schools are worth the money is another issue. Again, it depends on one's own situation. Therefore, though achievement may be part of the decision making process, it should only be a small concern in a sea of other ones. It depends upon the child as to which concerns are large and which ones are small.

A Biography Of The John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice Of The United States

A Biography Of The John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice Of The United States John Marshall: Life and Legacy Before John Marshall, the most basic responsibilities of the judicial system did not exist. In fact, justices could not even overturn blatantly unconstitutional laws. With Marshall, however, everything changed. Through his tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall established the ground rules for the new American government by strengthening the judicial branch and bringing forth the equal three branches of government essential to American politics. Great men often rose from the humblest of beginnings, and John Marshall was no exception. He was born in a log cabin in Germantown, Virginia, on September 24, 1755, the first of fifteen children born to Thomas Marshall and Mary Keith. He was not the only member of his family to rise to greatness; his brother James served as judge for the Circuit Court of Washington, D.C., his brothers Keith, William, and Charles were lawyers, and his cousin Humphrey became a U.S. senator for Kentucky. As a child, Marshall’s education was formative to his future. He was homeschooled by his father for most of his childhood, cultivating a love of classical and contemporary literature that would aid him in his future endeavors. At the age of fourteen, he was sent to Campbell Academy in Washington, where he attended class with future president James Monroe. From 1775 to 1780, Marshall served in the Continental Army, initially as a lieutenant and eventually as a captain; his admiration of his comman der George Washington grew, especially after they endured the harsh winter at Valley Forge together. After the war he studied law at the College of William and Mary and was admitted to the bar in 1780. He began a legal practice by defending clients against British creditors, which prepared him for the long legal and political career he had in front of him. Marshall’s political career was long indeed, and was crucial in forming the newly independent America. It began in 1782 when he won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, a position he would return to in later years. He began to prepare himself for his future as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1785 when he became a city recorder, where one of his duties was to preside over small court cases. Marshall made a name for himself as a fair, intelligent man who ruled based on the common good (Life and Legacy). A few years later, his reputation earned him a role in Virginia’s convention to ratify the United States Constitution; he then used his popularity to encourage others to ratify the Constitution and won by a narrow margin (Britannica). Shortly after this, he turned down several positions such as U.S. Attorney General and minister to France in favor of continuing his private law practice, which was flourishing at the time. In 1798, however, he accepted the re quest of President John Adams to participate as an envoy in the diplomatic mission that later became known as the XYZ affair. Along with Elbridge Gerry and Charles Pinckney, Marshall was sent to France in an attempt to restore harmony between the United States and France, specifically to stop French attacks on American ships. The three men were to meet with the Foreign Minister, the Marquis de Talleyrand, but instead were greeted by several mediators known anonymously as X, Y, and Z. The French agreed to stop the attacks in exchange for an agreement to pay American merchant claims against the French and give a large amount of money to the Marquis. This resulted in a Cold War-like conflict between France and America and culminated in the formal severance of any official alliances with the United States (history.state.gov). During this time, Marshall had been elected Secretary of State and conducted the negotiations that led to America’s continuing isolationism. He served as Se cretary of State for about a year and was then appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, after the first Chief Justice John Jay declined reappointment. Marshall was sworn in on February 4th, 1801, which marked the end of his political career and opened his long and successful legal career. Marshall served as Chief Justice for thirty-four years, the longest tenure of any chief justice, and in this time established the ground rules of American government (Smith). He ruled on over 1000 decisions, writing the opinions for over half of them. This was a major change in Supreme Court workings; prior to Marshall it was common for each justice to write his own opinion for each case, but Marshall’s court only published one opinion. This practice led to an impression of authority from the Supreme Court, as multiple opinions concerning a new and unexplored body of law created a lack of certainty and trust in both the lawmakers and the law itself (Britannica). Marshall’s court was also known for its unanimity and stability; with only the occasional dissenter, the court was able to rule far more effectively and authoritatively than it had with the previous Chief Justices. Because of the capable manner in which Marshall ran the Supreme Court, he was able to rule on coun tless decisions that shaped the very structure of the American government. Marshall’s most famous ruling, and arguably the most important ruling in Supreme Court history, was with Marbury v. Madison in 1803. The circumstances surrounding this case were complicated (PBS). In the controversial election of 1800, Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson defeated Federalist John Adams, causing a few months of political panic for the largely-Federalist Congress before Jefferson’s inauguration. With the help of the Judiciary Act, Adams created several positions for judges and appointed a large number of justices of the peace and circuit judges in his last days and hours of the Presidency; in fact, this was when Marshall received his appointment to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Adams did this with the intention of ensuring that the Federalists would remain in power even with a Democratic-Republican president, since judicial positions were typically filled for life. These commissions were not delivered on time, however, and when President Jefferson took office on March 5, 1801, he ordered that James Madison, his secretary of state, could not deliver the remaining commissions, thus invalidating them. William Marbury was one of the appointees whose commission was not delivered and he requested a writ of mandamus from the Supreme Court forcing Madison to deliver the commissions. Marshall’s court considered several questions when determining its ruling: â€Å"Does Marbury have a right to the commission? Does the law grant Marbury a remedy? Does the Supreme Court have the authority to review acts of Congress and determine whether they are unconstitutional and therefore void (lawnix.com)?† were among the most important. It was decided that while Marbury had a right to the commission and the law granted him a remedy, the court could not write a mandamus for him because the Judiciary Act of 1789 which granted that right was directly contradicted by the Constitution. By ruling this way, Marshall’s court establishe d that the purpose of the Supreme Court was judicial review; that is, the Supreme Court could nullify laws passed by Congress if they were found to be unconstitutional. This important ruling gave the Supreme Court a clear purpose and place in the American government. Marbury v. Madison made clear that the Supreme Court would greatly influence the laws in America, and Marshall kept true to this promise (PBS). In 1816, Congress created the Second Bank of the United States, the success of which caused state banks to resent it when they began to fail in the depression of 1818. Maryland targeted the Bank by imposing taxes on any non-state bank and sued James McCulloch, cashier for the Bank’s Baltimore branch, when they refused to pay this tax. The Supreme Court ruled in this case that Congress was constitutionally allowed to create the Bank and that Maryland lacked the power to tax it. More importantly, it ruled that Congress had implied powers, meaning if the desired end result is constitutional, Congress was allowed to implement any means to achieve that goal, as long as it was not explicitly prohibited in the Constitution. This ruling on McCulloch v. Maryland, combined with Marbury v. Madison, set the stage for the Supreme Court to make many important decisions over the next two centuries. Marshall’s rulings, particularly Marbury v. Madison, have left an important legacy that has been utilized by Supreme Court even until the present day. After Marshall’s court, the next time the Supreme Court declared a federal law unconstitutional was with Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857. The issue to be ruled on in this case was whether Dred Scott, a slave, was still considered a slave after spending time in a free state (PBS). Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled that Scott remained a slave, citing Marbury v. Madison by declaring the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional. A more modern example of utilizing judicial review would be Obergefell v. Hodges, the case in which same-sex marriage was legalized nationally in June 2015. The Supreme Court redefined â€Å"marriage† to be extended to same-sex couples. While the argument can be made that these rulings were immoral or simply wrong, the Supreme Court upheld its responsibility for judicial review, instituted by Marshall. Practically since its inception, Marbury v. Madison has been used to overturn unconstitutional laws. John Marshall’s court changed the American government. Marbury v. Madison chiefly provided a purpose for the Supreme Court; the inception of judicial review permitted the court to overturn any unconstitutional acts of Congress and paved the way for a society grounded in the laws on which it was founded. This brought the judicial branch up to the same level as the executive and legislative branches, creating the three-branch system for which the United States was known. His other rulings, such as McCulloch v. Maryland, created other powers for the government, such as implied powers for Congress. Overall, Marshall’s rulings allowed for a fairer America no longer subject to the whims of the elected officials, but rather one that followed the laws upon which it was founded in 1776.