Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology

Introduction Assistive technology assessment is an evaluation process carried out on disabled students engaged in learning process (Beard, Carpenter and Johnston, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The most fundamental role of AT assessment is to generate data on disabled students, which are later used to recommend an appropriate assistive technology device type (AT) to the learner. Notable to mention is that this assessment process must be conducted globally in order to gather information from variety of sources (Beard et al, 2011). This step entirely relies on information collected from variety of sources worldwide. Such sources include student personal record and information gathered directly through observation by an AT specialist (Beard et al, 2011). Additionally, the AT specialist may also collect information by interview ing the disabled students family members and even fellow friends. Importance of assistive technology assessment Conducting an AT assessment is important since it specifically reveals specific special needs for students with disabilities. On the other hand, the assessment also helps in classifying the disabled based on their unique abilities (Beard et al, 2011). Most importantly, family members and friends also help the AT specialist to collect accurate information about the disabled learner. This is vital especially when making final decision concerning the AT devices type to be recommended for the disabled. The AT assessment also provides an accurate feedback, which best describes the students abilities (Beard et al, 2011). It is also easy for the AT specialist to recommending an appropriate education program teacher to work with the disabled student. IPad has revolutionalized learning for ASD students Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability, which prec isely affects communication and socialization aspect of life (Autismparenthood, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, ASD is a genetic spectrum disorder that can manifests severely in some people while in others it can manifests mildly. It is evident that many students who have ASD face a lot of challenges during learning process. The major challenge they face is communication difficulties with their teachers and other students. The use of iPad has revolutionalized learning processes for students with ASD. This is because, iPad provides a proper venue for both children and adults with ASD to speak out and be heard. iPad is the best technological gadget recommended to people with ASD. This is because it is portable and has varieties of applications. Additionally, it is easy to customize most applications on iPad in the best way it can help the non-verbal child to communicate (Autismparenthood, 2012). It is also possible to download varieties of pictures and symbols, which can guide the child in communication. When the child desires something, it is easy to touch the picture on the screen using the finger and the iPad speaks out. The child can also construct sentences using pictures or symbols in the iPad. The child will only touch several pictures as the iPad reads out. For example â€Å"I want to go out† (Autismparenthood, 2012). According to Autismparenthood (2012), it is evident that iPad helps in transforming the social status of the disabled child, by giving him a chance to speak out. It is also easier for the child to say yes or no to various events. It is also possible for the child to tell people what to do or what he wants by just pointing at a picture on the iPad screen. The iPad also has more entertaining applications like cartoons and songs, which attracts the child to it. The beautiful pictures and symbols on the iPad also help the child learn more and more. Incorporating iPad in lesson plan for ASD students It is possible to incorporate the use of iPad in school lesson plan. This is because learners with ASD will find it easier to communicate with the teacher. However, the lesson plan for disabled learners with Autism should differ with traditional lesson plan.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because, in most cases, the age group of students with disabilities in a class is always different. Therefore, an individualized lesson plan for each student is recommended (Davila, 2012). This helps the teacher focus on each student educational needs at different level. The lesson plan for ASD students should be more repetitive. This is because students with Autism benefit more from repetitive learning. This is because it helps them master and remember new conc epts from the iPad more easily (Davila, 2012). Another education value of incorporating iPad in lesson plan is that it allows the teacher to download new applications that can train learners on spelling and writing skills (Autismparenthood, 2012). Conclusion It is important for the society to advance, embrace and use new technology to support learners who are disabled. It is a wrong for parents to neglect disabled children since, at individual level, they bear unique abilities and skills. References Autismparenthood. (2012). Autism in Children: iPad Revolutionalize Learning. Web. Beard, L. A., Carpenter, L. B., Johnston, L. B. (2011). Assistive technology: Access for all students (2nd Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Davila, M. (2012). Lesson Plan for Teaching Autism. Web. This essay on Referral and Assessment for Assistive Technology was written and submitted by user Puff Adder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Patriots vs. Loyalists Essays

Patriots vs. Loyalists Essays Patriots vs. Loyalists Paper Patriots vs. Loyalists Paper Town Meeting Reflection Essay The town meeting that was held a week ago was confusing but exciting at the same time. Loyalists and Patriots were arguing their opinions of colonial independence. The loyalists wanted to prevent the colonial independence movement but the patriots wanted that independence. So because of the movement, patriots and loyalists began arguing and debating. Some didnt get to say what they were going to say and some had their chance. I think the patriots had better arguments, because hey were more concise about the debates, such as the taxation without representation and the Stamp Act. The loyalists also had good arguments such as taxes were paid in order to protect colonies. During the town meeting, the patriots had some good points for colonial independence. One of the major argument that was mentioned was taxation without representation. Taxation without representation meant that colonists refused to pay taxes to England until they were represented in British Parliament. They were paying high taxes to support a government The Stamp Act was a British act that taxed every British good by making the colonists buy a stamp for every British good purchased. But was later canceled. So when the patriots heard about this they tarred and feathered the British tax collectors. These arguments brought up during the town meeting were convincing because backed up their debates. The loyalists of the town meeting brought up major points like the taxing colonists or everything but were being used to protect them as well. One person said we tax you so we can protect you and your family. The debate started from then on. Patriots got furious, and said we dont need you to protect us, we can protect ourselves. the loyalists responded with if we didnt put a soldier with guns in your houses to protect you, then you might have been dead by now. So the debate went on and on. But ended up with the patriots winning the debate. I dont think the loyalists had a invoicing argument because they kept repeating the same thing over and over, which was we tax you to protect you. Overall the town meeting was great. People had their say about what they dont like about the colonial independence. The loyalists who stayed loyal to the king and Britain didnt have persuading thoughts so I have to say Im going to go with the patriots side. The patriots had lots of good arguments and they were more convincing. Patriots vs.. Loyalists Town Meeting Reflection Essay By lustiness

Regional Innovation Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Regional Innovation Policy - Essay Example Any regional initiative must evolve from a partnership of business, governments, non-profits and education/training institutions. In the Cleveland area, a partnership in North-eastern Ohio undertook a project to identify industry "clusters" within the region that were competitive in the global economy. The project, the Northeast Ohio Regional Economic Development Strategies Initiative, is a partnership of the Akron Regional Development Board or ARDB, Cleveland Tomorrow (a committee of the CEO's of the region's largest companies), and the Greater Cleveland Growth Association or GCGA (the Chamber of Commerce for the City of Cleveland). NOREDSI's goal was to promote industrial clusters in the region, so as to become more globally competitive. This initiative sought to generate a bottom-up, private sector program in which interrelated private firms within an identifiable "cluster" could work together to identify and resolve common needs and concerns. This research identified six industry clusters (metalworking, plastic products and chemicals, motor vehicles and equipment, insurance, biomedical products, and instruments & controls) that were relatively competitive or had competitive advantages in the region. In a series of cluster forums with these industries, private sector participants identified six main issues as barriers to retaining regional competitive advantages. They were: workforce/education; technology/R&D; entrepreneurship; regulatory/tax policies; quality of life; and, infrastructure. Unfortunately for the Cleveland area, the need for human capital development appears to be especially great if its major industries are not to wither. If a region is attempting to be globally competitive, a well-trained workforce is essential to increasing the levels of productivity. One of the public sector's most vital economic development initiatives, first, is to reach consensus with regional industries on the skill sets needed by firms and, then, to adopt policies ensuring that students can attain them in all districts throughout the region. Another very important area is constituted by the services that state and local governments provide to businesses directly. These include promoting entrepreneurial skills and technological upgrading, providing an advanced physical infrastructure, and helping businesses through tax and regulatory relief. Finally, state governments should develop and encourage taxing policies, which benefit regions. The most commonly used example of tax policy designed to enhance the economic development benefits to a region is Minnesota's shared tax base. Put simply, economic benefits (e.g., taxes) generated by a firm's location in a city in the region accrue to all cities in the region. The regional level may be important for firms attempting to achieve global competitiveness. The question arises as to what strategies local communities can commence, and what policies local or state governments can initiate, in order to raise the innovativeness and competitiveness of regional firms. Regional innovation policy and its relationship with the regio

E-Business Report on HMV.CO.UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Business Report on HMV.CO.UK - Essay Example "e-commerce is just, when all is said and done, another kind of business. As with businesses that have come before it, there are countless "right" answers, endless combinations of business models and infinite permutations of key themes and approaches. There will be no magic bullet. No matter how often consultants and academics pretend that business is more science than art, every practitioner knows that business is almost all art, just as the genius of nearly every corporate strategy lies in its implementation." (Rayport, 1999). Indeed, these are strong words that have to be taken seriously when it comes to doing business on the Web. The reason behind these truthful remarks lies in the fact that not long ago, shortly after the increasing popularity of the Internet as a new technology, the infamous "Dot-Com Bubble" made e-marketers think and act much more cautiously regarding the real potentialities of the new technology as a profit-making tool. Rayport states it as follows: "Business models themselves do not offer solutions; rather, how each business is run determines its success. So the success of e-commerce businesses will hinge largely on the art of management even as it is enabled by the science of technology. The scarce resource will be, as it is in practically all of business, the building block of free enterprise: entrepreneurial, and increasingly managerial, talent." (Rayport, 1999). The "Dot-Com Bubble" sprang out of Amazon's new concept of dintermediation that would eventually make successful any online enterprise by eliminating the middleman. (InternetNews.Com, 2001). The concept of reintermediation was not considered into the new marketing mix as InternetNews.Com states it clearly: "Disintermediation is not a myth, but it is just one half of a process that any significant change in technology brings about. The other half is reintermediation, the introduction and reshuffling of players in the supply chain. Access to suppliers and information resources has become easily available; expertise and service cannot be downloaded." (InternetNews.Com, 2001). In spite of the negative effects of the "Dot-Com Bubble", Teri Robinson (2002) finds some lasting benefits of the sudden crash in the e-market. In her article published in E-Commerce Times, Robinson interviewed AMR Research analyst Louis Columbus who emphasised that the concept of integration surfaced to centre stage as a result of the "Dot-Com Bubble". Columbus said that "enterprises found that to develop a comprehensive e-commerce strategy, their applications had to work together seamlessly." (Robinson, 2002). The concept of integration is fundamental for any e-business model in the widest meaning of the word. It means integration at all levels of business operations. On the other hand, Robinson finds other key indirect benefits that surfaced as a real issue as a result of the e-market crash known as the "Dot-Com Bubble": "Referring to the Internet as a once-in-a-generation

Organizational psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational psychology - Assignment Example Administers process organizational tasks and establish work environments. Leaders are mainly mandated with execution of administrative duties, inspiring supporters and creation of underlying common managerial cultures and tenets (Leonard et al, 2013). While managers deal with the underlying intricacy, leaders deal with initiating and adjusting underlying change (Aamodt, 2013). Leaders are majorly mandated with undertaking tasks that pertain to setting a way or idea, aligning populace to share goals, collaborating and motivating. Approaches of studying leadership in I/O psychology are widely categories into Leader-focused, Contingency-focused and Follower-focused approaches. Leader-focused approaches mainly focus on the organizational leaders in determining the underlying features of real leadership. Trait approach defines effective leaders to being having particular traits that are lacks in the ineffective leaders (Hersen & Thomas, 2003). The approach is mainly utilized in predicting leader emergence. Leader emergence is mainly predicted via analysis of the traits such as high intelligence, elevated desires for dominance, lofty self-motivation and communally perceptive (Aamodt, 2013). Behavioral approach as a leader-focused approach mainly emphases on the prevailing behaviors that differentiate effective from the corresponding ineffective leaders. Two main categories of leadership are contemplation and instigating structure. Behavior that is related with category of consideration pertains depiction of subordinates that they leaders value and care about them (Leonard et al, 2013). Moreover, behaviors that are related to initiating structure entail simpl ification of the task performance of the prevailing groups (Aamodt & Aamodt, 2007). Power and influence is also approach of leader-focused that mainly pertains to the means on how effective leaders influence people in line with the underlying organization’s mission and objectives (Hersen & Thomas, 2003). The degree of influence of a leader relies on the social power and corresponding probable in regard to manipulating their subordinates (Messick & Kramer, 2005). The major foundations of supremacy entail forcible power, authentic power, referent power, reward power and informational power. Leaders normally utilize numerous diverse tactics in manipulating others in their respective organization. The common tactics mainly entail rational inducement, inspiring appeal, session, ingratiation exchange, alliance, individual appeal, and pressure and legitimating (Hersen & Thomas, 2003). Contingency-focused approaches of leadership are the most dominant and are mainly based on the lead er’s efficacy on their capability in assessing and adapting to their behavior. The theories within this approach assume that the prevailing leaders are capable of reading the underlying a circumstance and dexterously employ a leadership style that warrant the individuals connections in behavior task at hand (Lowenberg et al, 1998). The main theories in the Contingency-focused approaches are Fiedler’s Contingency theory that outline that effectiveness of a leader depends on the underlying collaboration amidst their features and corresponding characteristics of the condition (Aamodt & Aamodt,

Reducing Plastic Bag Usage In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay

Reducing Plastic Bag Usage In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay The Hong Kong government and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have launched an environmental levy of plastic shopping bags in July 2009 which aims to reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags. After one-year of implementation, it is conducted that limited contribution is achieved. Our organization understands the awareness of the indiscriminate use of plastic bags which burdens the landfills and raises the visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. In this paper, we are writing to suggest two proposed policies in terms of extension of the levy scheme: (1) extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets; and (2) embrace all types of plastic bags into charge. All of these aim to reduce the use of plastic bags more effectively in Hong Kong. Furthermore, we will discuss the effectiveness and concerns of the proposed policies with related references and successful cases from other countries e.g. Ireland, which has already introduced its plastic bag levy in 2002. Lastly, t he paper ends with a recommendation on broadening the scope of the levy scheme by corresponding measures. In 7th July 2009, the Hong Kong government and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) introduced the Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags (the scheme) in order to reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse consumers awareness on the visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. The government proposed the scheme with a levy of 50 cents for a plastic shopping bag in a variety of retail outlets. After one-year of implementation, the government conducted that per-capita disposal figure of plastic shopping bags is over 1.8 per person in 2009 which is lowered than the figure conducted in 2005. The accomplishment is appreciated. (EPD, 2009) After a head start of one-year of implementation, it is potential for the scheme to be extended with a broader scope due to its incomprehensive outcomes and the presence of loopholes. Therefore, we are writing to suggest two proposed policies in terms of extension of the levy scheme which aims to reduce the use of plastic bags in a more effective way. Background information 3.1 Statement to the Problem The indiscriminate use of plastic bags is a major visible environmental problem in Hong Kong. From the Landfill Survey'(2005) which is conducted by EPD, it is estimated that more than 23 million of plastic bags are disposed in the landfill every day. In 2009, EPD took into account to this problem with the introduction of Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags. Nevertheless, according to the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA)(2009), it is estimated that the scheme achieved a limited contribution with only 6% reduction of plastic bag usage after one-year of implementation. The estimation reflects that long-term implementation and extension of the scheme is needed to deal with the problem while the benefit of the extended scheme would probably go directly to environmental protection. 3.3 Our organizations interest with respect to the problem Our environmental organization understands the rising awareness of the indiscriminate use of plastic bags which lead to major visible environmental problem. Our objectives are tackling environmental issues and undertaking research for further advice to government policy in terms of environment protection. The survey conducted by GHK indicated that it takes 20 to 1000 years to decompose the plastic bags in the present landfills. In addition, the usage of plastic bags is increasing simultaneously. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) With respect to the limited contributions achieved from the existing scheme, we have drawn up two policy options for the extension of the existing scheme which aim reduce the use of plastic bags and encourage consumers to change their behavior towards sustainable consumption. Policy options Current policy and situation There are only a total of 41 prescribed retailers registered under the levy scheme and about 3000 qualified retail outlets are subject to the current scheme. They are including supermarkets, convenience stores, and personal health and beauty stores. The number of registered retailers shows that the scope of the levy scheme is limited while 96% of retail outlets are still not subject to the scheme. In addition, it is conducted that 3 million of levy is collected in the first season after implementation of the plastic bag levy. However, a clear proposal is usually absent to tell how the revenue raised from the scheme is spent. According to EPD (May 2007), the definition of plastic shopping bags under the levy is that bags that are made wholly or predominantly of plastic with carrying handles, holes or strings. It turns out with the increasing use of alternative bags or wrapped packages, e.g. laminated plastic bags, non-woven bags and fruit bags. For example, supermarket chains were circumventing the levy and many retail outlets are starting to sell prepackaged products. Proposed policies Broaden the scope of the levy scheme (1)Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets (2)Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge Policy option (1) Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets 4.2.1a) Implementation The current policy apparently shows that the scope of the implement scheme is limited to achieve a more comprehensive goal. With respect to the limitation, the levy scheme should be implemented extensively in all kind of retail outlets in Hong Kong. The remaining 96% of retail outlets, including small-scale, individual neighborhood retail stores and local wet markets should be all covered in terms of the extension of the levy scheme. 4.2.1b) Effects and advantages The extension of the implement scale of retail outlets would further reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse peoples attention to serious environmental problem. Ireland is a successful case among all countries implementations while all kinds of retail outlets are subject to the levy which a 15 Euro cent tax is paid for a plastic shopping bag. Nevertheless, Ireland achieved a dramatic reduction 94% of plastic bag usage is reduced with the effect of the levy scheme. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) 4.2.1c) Concerns and disadvantages Under the extension of implementation, we concern that some small retailers could not afford a computerized or new cashier system to handle the levy (most of the retailers in wet markets). Therefore, it is difficult for them to collect cash manually before submitting the levy to EPD. Apart from that, oppositions from different sectors would be raised, especially for those retailers which plastic bags are necessary used. For example, butchers in Ireland strongly opposed to the levy because of its hygiene reason. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) Therefore, the government should determine whether the exemption is needed for several kinds of retailers with corresponding measures. Policy option (2) Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge 4.2.2a) Implementation We suggested that all types of plastic bags should be embraced into charge. It means that all kinds of bags which are made of wholly or predominantly of plastic, including laminated plastic bags, non-woven bags and fruit bags are all imposed to the scheme even they contain carrying handles, holes or strings. In addition, the levy collected is suggested to go directly to an environmental fund for the expenditure of environmental disposal projects and educational purposes. 4.2.2b) Effects and advantages The scheme fills in the loopholes of the existing policy in terms of the revised definition of plastic bags. All kinds of plastic bags, including wrapped, packing product bags and fruit bags are all applied to the scheme. In Ireland, all kinds of plastic bags are embraced into charge with 15 Euro cents. It achieved with a dramatic reduction (94%) of plastic bag usage. From the successful case of Ireland, we anticipate that the embracement of all kinds of plastic bags into the scheme would effectively reduce the use of plastic bags by consumers and make a link between price value and good environmental behavior among the public. In addition, the levy which goes directly to an environmental fund avoids absence of reporting how the revenue is spent by the General Revenue and gives support to environmental disposal projects. For example, the revenues from the scheme in Ireland are ring fenced in an Environmental Fund which is controlled by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and L ocal Government for administration cost and capitals of environmental program promotion. (Frank, Simon Susana, 2007) 4.2.2c) Concerns and disadvantages We concern that there would be a rise of alternative use of paper shopping bags under the implementation of the proposed policy. As all kinds of plastic bags are subject to the levy, paper bag is the shifting target for both retailers and consumers. We are worrying that a single paper bag produces 2.7 times as much solid waste as the equivalent plastic bag. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) According to the Hong Kong Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association executive vice chairman Ricky Wong Wai-ki, the materials and energy used for producing nonwoven recycled shopping bags is more environmental-unfriendly. (GHK Hong Kong Ltd, 2007) Therefore, the government is responsible for further action on tackling the problem of alternative use of paper bags. Recommendation Indiscriminate use of plastic bag is one of the major visible environmental problems in Hong Kong. The introduction of the Environmental levy on plastic shopping bags is necessary to tackle this problem. However, the limited contribution achieved from the scheme urged for a proper modification and more effective extension. Our organization suggests to extending the scale of the levy scheme to all retail outlets while 96% of them are still not subject to the scheme. Therefore, the enlarged scale of the levy would be an effective way to further reduce indiscriminate use of plastic bags and arouse peoples attention to serious environmental problem. The feasibility of the proposed policy is high in long terms with comprehensive planning and certain corresponding measures (for example: promotions, educational activities and distribution of fabric reusable shopping bags) supported by the government. We are anticipating to accomplishing a good environmental behavior developed among the public with this strong publicity campaign. Implementation(s): Study and learn from foreign successful cases of implementing plastic bag levy (e.g. Ireland) Conduct a comprehensive review with evaluation after 1-year implementation of the levy scheme Consult public, retailers and industries opinions on the extension of the levy scheme Broaden the scope of the levy scheme in terms of scale of scheme and the types of plastic bags a) Extend the scale of the levy to all retail outlets b) Embrace all types of plastic bags into charge Organize educational talks to all primary and secondary schools to promote the reduction of indiscriminate use of plastic bags Giving out fabric reusable shopping bags to students and less privileged families every year in order to encourage consumers to change their behavior towards sustainable consumption Reinforce the existing environmental campaign with sufficient promotion Bring your own bag (BYOB) Conclusion Due to limited contributions achieved in the existing environmental levy on plastic shopping bags, an extension of the levy scheme is necessary to achieve a more comprehensive goal. Our organization suggests two policy options, including the extension of the scale to all retail outlets and embraces all kinds of plastic bags into charge. From the successful case learnt from Ireland, we ensure that the implementations of these similar policies are effective. Therefore, it is necessary for the Hong Kong government to extend the levy scheme in terms of scope in order to achieve a sustainable consumption of plastic bags.

Leonardo da Vinci :: Renaissance Biography Biographies

Childhood Years "Leonardo da Vinci was a renaissance painter, architect, engineer, mathematician and philosopher. He was the greatest genius the world has ever seen." On April 15, 1452 Leonardo di ser Piero was born in Anchiano. From there he moved to Vinci. A famous misconception about this man is his last name. Most people would assume da Vinci is his last name, however, his last name is not da Vinci. Da means from therefore Leonardo da Vinci means Leonardo from Vinci. Instead of explained which Leonardo he was he would say Leonardo from Vinci so as to not confuse anyone. Vinci was a Republic of Florence, and in itself it is equivalent with our boroughs or counties. Leonardo's father, Ser Piero, got a woman named Catarina pregnant. It is likely that she was the daughter of a farmer and therefore he didn't marry her. She gave birth to Leonardo and then Ser Piero married another woman within the year. He was 25 years old when Leonardo was born. His father's occupation was a public notary. Leonardo was christened in Baptismal chapel in Vinci; he was christened by the parson Piero da Bartolomeo to the name Lionardo and not Leonardo. Leonardo lived with his father and his father's first wife in Anchiano until Leonardo was about five years old then they move to Vinci to live with Leonardo's father. Ser Piero and his first wife never had any children and even though Leonardo was illegitimate he was integrated into his father's family. Leonardo went to school in Vinci; his teachers were hopeless to the fact that Leonardo was always questioning and doubting his teachers. Leonardo lived in Vinci until he was 14 then he moved to Florence to begin an apprenticeship in the workshop of Verrocchio. From Florence to France Leonardo stayed in Florence for quite a while. He considered it his home and returned several times throughout his life. Verrocchio was very impresses with Leonardo's drawings so he gave Leonardo a place in his workshop. In this workshop Leonardo got a chance to work with Botticelli, Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi. Leonardo's apprenticeship ended with Verrocchio in June 1472 when he got his name red book of painters from Florence (Campagnia de Pittori). However, in ending the apprenticeship Leonardo did not leave Verrocchio's workshop. In fact Verrocchio and Leonardo worked together on several paintings. The first recorded drawing of Leonardo's was on August 5, 1473.

Life in Mars Essay

For centuries people have speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet’s proximity and similarity to Earth. Serious searches for evidence of life began in the 19th century, and continue via telescopic investigations and landed missions. While early work focused on phenomenology and bordered on fantasy, modern scientific inquiry has emphasized the search for chemical biosignatures of life in the soil and rocks at the planet’s surface, and the search for biomarker gases in the atmosphere. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, and it remains an open question whether life currently exists on Mars, or has existed there in the past. Early speculation Mars’ polar ice caps were observed as early as the mid-17th century, and they were first proven to grow and shrink alternately, in the summer and winter of each hemisphere, by William Herschel in the latter part of the 18th century. By the mid-19th century, astronomers knew that Mars had certain other similarities to Earth, for example that the length of a day on Mars was almost the same as a day on Earth. They also knew that its axial tilt was similar to Earth’s, which meant it experienced seasons just as Earth does — but of nearly double the length owing to its much longer year. These observations led to the increase in speculation that the darker albedo features were water, and brighter ones were land. It was therefore natural to suppose that Mars may be inhabited by some form of life. In 1854, William Whewell, a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, who popularized the word scientist, theorized that Mars had seas, land and possibly life forms. Speculation about life on Mars exploded in the late 19th century, following telescopic observation by some observers of apparent Martian canals — which were however soon found to be optical illusions. Despite this, in 1895, American astronomer Percival Lowell published his book Mars, followed by Mars and its Canals in 1906, proposing that the canals were the work of a long-gone civilization. [2] This idea led British writer H. G. Wells to write The War of the Worlds in 1897, telling of an invasion by aliens from Mars who were fleeing the planet’s desiccation. Spectroscopic analysis of Mars’ atmosphere began in earnest in 1894, when U. S. astronomer William Wallace Campbell showed that neither water nor oxygen were present in the Martian atmosphere. [3] By 1909 better telescopes and the best perihelic opposition of Mars since 1877 conclusively put an end to the canal theory. Missions Mariner 4 Mariner 4 probe performed the first successful flyby of the planet Mars, returning the first pictures of the Martian surface in 1965. The photographs showed an arid Mars without rivers, oceans, or any signs of life. Further, it revealed that the surface (at least the parts that it photographed) was covered in craters, indicating a lack of plate tectonics and weathering of any kind for the last 4 billion years. The probe also found that Mars has no global magnetic field that would protect the planet from potentially life-threatening cosmic rays. The probe was able to calculate the atmospheric pressure on the planet to be about 0. 6 kPa (compared to Earth’s 101. 3 kPa), meaning that liquid water could not exist on the planet’s surface. 3] After Mariner 4, the search for life on Mars changed to a search for bacteria-like living organisms rather than for multicellular organisms, as the environment was clearly too harsh for these. Viking orbiters Liquid water is necessary for known life and metabolism, so if water was present on Mars, the chances of it having supported life may have been determinant. The Viking orbiters found evidence of possible river valleys in many areas, erosion and , in the southern hemisphere, branched streams. Viking experiments The primary mission of the Viking probes of the mid-1970s was to carry out experiments designed to detect microorganisms in Martian soil because the favorable conditions for the evolution of multicellular organisms ceased some four billion years ago on Mars. The tests were formulated to look for microbial life similar to that found on Earth. Of the four experiments, only the Labeled Release (LR) experiment returned a positive result, showing increased 14CO2 production on first exposure of soil to water and nutrients. All scientists agree on two points from the Viking missions: that radiolabeled 14CO2 was evolved in the Labeled Release experiment, and that the GC-MS detected no organic molecules. However, there are vastly different interpretations of what those results imply. The image taken by Viking probes resembling a human face caused many to speculate that it was the work of an extraterrestrial civilization. One of the designers of the Labeled Release experiment, Gilbert Levin, believes his results are a definitive diagnostic for life on Mars. However, this result is disputed by many scientists, who argue that superoxidant chemicals in the soil could have produced this effect without life being present. An almost general consensus discarded the Labeled Release data as evidence of life, because the gas chromatograph & mass spectrometer, designed to identify natural organic matter, did not detect organic molecules. The results of the Viking mission concerning life are considered by the general expert community, at best, as inconclusive. In 2007, during a Seminar of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution (Washington, D. C. , USA), Gilbert Levin’s investigation was assessed once more. Levin still maintains that his original data were correct, as the positive and negative control experiments were in order. Moreover, Levin’s team, on 12 April 2012, reported a statistical speculation, based on old data —reinterpreted mathematically through complexity analysis— of the Labeled Release experiments, that may suggest evidence of â€Å"extant microbial life on Mars. Critics counter that the method has not yet been proven effective for differentiating between biological and non-biological processes on Earth so it is premature to draw any conclusions. Ronald Paepe, an edaphologist (soil scientist), communicated to the European Geosciences Union Congress that the discovery of the recent detection of silicate minerals on Mars may indicate pedogenesis, or soil development processes, extended over the entire surface of Mars. Paepe’s interpretation views most of Mars surface as active soil, colored red by eons of widespread wearing by water, vegetation and microbial activity. A research team from the National Autonomous University of Mexico headed by Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez, concluded that the equipment (TV-GC-MS) used by the Viking program to search for organic molecules, may not be sensitive enough to detect low levels of organics. Because of the simplicity of sample handling, TV–GC–MS is still considered the standard method for organic detection on future Mars missions, so Navarro-Gonzalez suggests that the design of future organic instruments for Mars should include other methods of detection. Gillevinia straata The claim for life on Mars, in the form of Gillevinia straata, is based on old data reinterpreted as sufficient evidence of life, mainly by professors Gilbert Levin, Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez and Ronalds Paepe. The evidence supporting the existence of Gillevinia straata microorganisms relies on the data collected by the two Mars Viking landers that searched for biosignatures of life, but the analytical results were, officially, inconclusive. In 2006, Mario Crocco, a neurobiologist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Borda in Buenos Aires, Argentina, proposed the creation of a new nomenclatural rank that classified the Viking landers’ results as ‘metabolic’ and therefore belonging to a form of life. Crocco proposed to create new biological ranking categories (taxa), in the new kingdom system of life, in order to be able to accommodate the genus of Martian microorganisms. Crocco proposed the following taxonomical entry: * Organic life system: Solaria * Biosphere: Marciana Kingdom: Jakobia (named after neurobiologist Christfried Jakob) * Genus et species: Gillevinia straata As a result, the hypothetical Gillevinia straata would not be a bacterium (which rather is a terrestrial taxon), but a member of the kingdom ‘Jakobia’ in the biosphere ‘Marciana’ of the ‘Solaria’ system. The intended effect of the new nomenclature was to reverse the burden of proof concerning the life issue, but the taxonomy proposed by Crocco has not been accepted by the scientific community and is considered a single nomen nudum. Further, no Mars mission has found traces of biomolecules. Phoenix lander, 2008 The Phoenix mission landed a robotic spacecraft in the polar region of Mars on May 25, 2008 and it operated until November 10, 2008. One of the mission’s two primary objectives was to search for a â€Å"habitable zone† in the Martian regolith where microbial life could exist, the other main goal being to study the geological history of water on Mars. The lander has a 2. 5 meter robotic arm that was capable of digging shallow trenches in the regolith. There was an electrochemistry experiment which analysed the ions in the regolith and the amount and type of antioxidants on Mars. The Viking program data indicate that oxidants on Mars may vary with latitude, noting that Viking 2 saw fewer oxidants than Viking 1 in its more northerly position. Phoenix landed further north still. Phoenix’s preliminary data revealed that Mars soil contains perchlorate, and thus may not be as life-friendly as thought earlier. The pH and salinity level were viewed as benign from the standpoint of biology. The analysers also indicated the presence of bound water and CO2. Mars Science Laboratory Main articles: Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rover The Mars Science Laboratory mission is a NASA spacecraft launched on November 26, 2011 that deployed the Curiosity rover, a nuclear-powered robot bearing instruments designed to look for past or present conditions relevant to biological activity (planetary habitability). The Curiosity rover landed on Mars on Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater, near Aeolis Mons (a. k. a. Mount Sharp), on August 6, 2012. Future missions * ExoMars is a European-led multi-spacecraft programme currently under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for launch in 2016 and 2018. Its primary scientific mission will be to search for possible biosignatures on Mars, past or present. Two rovers with a 2 m core drill each will be used to sample various depths beneath the surface where liquid water may be found and where microorganisms might survive cosmic radiation. * Mars Sample Return Mission — The best life detection experiment proposed is the examination on Earth of a soil sample from Mars. However, the difficulty of providing and maintaining life support over the months of transit from Mars to Earth remains to be solved. Providing for still unknown environmental and nutritional requirements is daunting. Should dead organisms be found in a sample, it would be difficult to conclude that those organisms were alive when obtained. Meteorites NASA maintains a catalog of 34 Mars meteorites. These assets are highly valuable since they are the only physical samples available of Mars. Studies conducted by NASA’s Johnson Space Center show that at least three of the meteorites contain potential evidence of past life on Mars, in the form of microscopic structures resembling fossilized bacteria (so-called biomorphs). Although the scientific evidence collected is reliable, its interpretation varies. To date, none of the original lines of scientific evidence for the hypothesis that the biomorphs are of exobiological origin (the so-called biogenic hypothesis) have been either discredited or positively ascribed to non-biological explanations. Over the past few decades, seven criteria have been established for the recognition of past life within terrestrial geologic samples. Those criteria are: 1. Is the geologic context of the sample compatible with past life? 2. Is the age of the sample and its stratigraphic location compatible with possible life? 3. Does the sample contain evidence of cellular morphology and colonies? 4.  Is there any evidence of biominerals showing chemical or mineral disequilibria? 5. Is there any evidence of stable isotope patterns unique to biology? 6. Are there any organic biomarkers present? 7. Are the features indigenous to the sample? For general acceptance of past life in a geologic sample, essentially most or all of these criteria must be met. All seven criteria have not yet been met for any of the Martian samples, but continued investigations are in progress. As of 2010, reexaminations of the biomorphs found in the three Martian meteorites are underway with more advanced analytical instruments than previously available. The scientists conducting the study at Johnson Space Center believed that before the end of the year they would find in the meteorites definitive evidence for past life on Mars. ALH84001 meteorite The ALH84001 meteorite was found in December 1984 in Antarctica, by members of the ANSMET project; the meteorite weighs 1. 93 kilograms (4. 3 lb). The sample was ejected from Mars about 17 million years ago and spent 11,000 years in or on the Antarctic ice sheets. Composition analysis by NASA revealed a kind of magnetite that on Earth, is only found in association with certain microorganisms. Then, in August 2002, another NASA team led by Thomas-Keptra published a study indicating that 25% of the magnetite in ALH 84001 occurs as small, uniform-sized crystals that, on Earth, is associated only with biologic activity, and that the remainder of the material appears to be normal inorganic magnetite. The extraction technique did not permit determination as to whether the possibly biological magnetite was organized into chains as would be expected. The meteorite displays indication of relatively low temperature secondary mineralization by water and shows evidence of preterrestrial aqueous alteration. Evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified with the levels increasing away from the surface. Some structures resembling the mineralized casts of terrestrial bacteria and their appendages (fibrils) or by-products (extracellular polymeric substances) occur in the rims of carbonate globules and preterrestrial aqueous alteration regions. The size and shape of the objects is consistent with Earthly fossilized nanobacteria, but the existence of nanobacteria itself is controversial. In November 2009, NASA scientists said that a recent, more detailed analysis showed that the meteorite â€Å"contains strong evidence that life may have existed on ancient Mars†. Nakhla Meteorite The Nakhla meteorite fell on Earth on June 28, 1911 on the locality of Nakhla, Alexandria, Egypt. In 1998, a team from NASA’s Johnson Space Center obtained a small sample for analysis. Researchers found preterrestrial aqueous alteration phases and objects of the size and shape consistent with Earthly fossilized nanobacteria, but the existence of nanobacteria itself is controversial. Analysis with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) studied its high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in 2000, and NASA scientists concluded that as much as 75% of the organic matter in Nakhla â€Å"may not be recent terrestrial contamination†. This caused additional interest in this meteorite, so in 2006, NASA managed to obtain an additional and larger sample from the London Natural History Museum. On this second sample, a large dendritic carbon content was observed. When the results and evidence were published on 2006, some independent researchers claimed that the carbon deposits are of biologic origin. However, it was remarked that since carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the Universe, finding it in curious patterns is not indicative or suggestive of biological origin. Shergotty meteorite The Shergotty meteorite, a 4 kg Martian meteorite, fell on Earth on Shergotty, India on August 25, 1865 and was retrieved by witnesses almost immediately. [45] This meteorite is relatively young, calculated to have been formed on Mars only 165 million years ago from volcanic origin. It is composed mostly of pyroxene and thought to have undergone preterrestrial aqueous alteration for several centuries. Certain features in its interior suggest to be remnants of biofilm and their associated microbial communities. [33] Work is in progress on searching for magnetites within alteration phases. Liquid water No Mars probe since Viking has tested the Martian regolith specifically for metabolism which is the ultimate sign of current life. NASA’s recent missions have focused on another question: whether Mars held lakes or oceans of liquid water on its surface in the ancient past. Scientists have found hematite, a mineral that forms in the presence of water. Thus, the mission of the Mars Exploration Rovers of 2004 was not to look for present or past life, but for evidence of liquid water on the surface of Mars in the planet’s ancient past. Liquid water, necessary for Earth life and for metabolism as generally conducted by species on Earth, cannot exist on the surface of Mars under its present low atmospheric pressure and temperature, except at the lowest shaded elevations for short periods and liquid water does not appear at the surface itself. In June 2000, evidence for water currently under the surface of Mars was discovered in the form of flood-like gullies. Deep subsurface water deposits near the planet’s liquid core might form a present-day habitat for life. However, in March 2006, astronomers announced the discovery of similar gullies on the Moon, which is believed never to have had liquid water on its surface. The astronomers suggest that the gullies could be the result of micrometeorite impacts. In March 2004, NASA announced that its rover Opportunity had discovered evidence that Mars was, in the ancient past, a wet planet. This had raised hopes that evidence of past life might be found on the planet today. ESA confirmed that the Mars Express orbiter had directly detected huge reserves of water ice at Mars’ south pole in January 2004. On July 28, 2005, ESA announced that they had recorded photographic evidence of surface water ice near Mars’ North pole. In December 2006, NASA showed images taken by the Mars Global Surveyor that suggested that water occasionally flows on the surface of Mars. The images did not actually show flowing water. Rather, they showed changes in craters and sediment deposits, providing the strongest evidence yet that water oursed through them as recently as several years ago, and is perhaps doing so even now. Some researchers were skeptical that liquid water was responsible for the surface feature changes seen by the spacecraft. They said other materials such as sand or dust can flow like a liquid and produce similar results. Recent analysis of Martian sandstones, using data obtained from orbital spectrometry, suggests that the waters that previously existed on the surface of Mars would have had too high a salinity to support most Earth-like life. Tosca et al. found that the Martian water in the locations they studied all had water activity, aw ? . 78 to 0. 86—a level fatal to most Terrestrial life. Haloarchaea, however, are able to live in hypersaline solutions, up to the saturation point. The Phoenix Mars lander from NASA, which landed in the Mars Arctic plain in May 2008, confirmed the presence of frozen water near the surface. This was confirmed when bright material, exposed by the digging arm of the lander, was found to have vaporized and disappeared in 3 to 4 days. This has been attributed to sub-surface ice, exposed by the digging and sublimated on exposure to the atmosphere. Methane Trace amounts of methane in the atmosphere of Mars were discovered in 2003 and verified in 2004. As methane is an unstable gas, its presence indicates that there must be an active source on the planet in order to keep such levels in the atmosphere. It is estimated that Mars must produce 270 ton/year of methane, but asteroid impacts account for only 0. 8% of the total methane production. Although geologic sources of methane such as serpentinization are possible, the lack of current volcanism, hydrothermal activity or hotspots are not favorable for geologic methane. It has been suggested that the methane was produced by chemical reactions in meteorites, driven by the intense heat during entry through the atmosphere. Although research published in December 2009 ruled out this possibility, research published in 2012 suggest that a source may be organic compounds on meteorites that are converted to methane by ultraviolet radiation. The existence of life in the form of microorganisms such as methanogens is among possible, but as yet unproven sources. If microscopic Martian life is producing the methane, it likely resides far below the surface, where it is still warm enough for liquid water to exist. Since the 2003 discovery of methane in the atmosphere, some scientists have been designing models and in vitro experiments testing growth of methanogenic bacteria on simulated Martian soil, where all four methanogen strains tested produced substantial levels of methane, even in the presence of 1. 0wt% perchlorate salt. The results reported indicate that the perchlorates discovered by the Phoenix Lander would not rule out the possible presence of methanogens on Mars. A team led by Levin suggested that both phenomena—methane production and degradation—could be accounted for by an ecology of methane-producing and methane-consuming microorganisms. In June 2012, scientists reported that measuring the ratio of hydrogen and methane levels on Mars may help determine the likelihood of life on Mars. According to the scientists, â€Å"†¦ low H2/CH4 ratios (less than approximately 40) indicate that life is likely present and active. † Other scientists have recently reported methods of detecting hydrogen and methane in extraterrestrial atmospheres. Formaldehyde In February 2005, it was announced that the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express Orbiter, detected traces of formaldehyde in the atmosphere of Mars. Vittorio Formisano, the director of the PFS, has speculated that the formaldehyde could be the byproduct of the oxidation of methane, and according to him, would provide evidence that Mars is either extremely geologically active, or harbouring colonies of microbial life. NASA scientists consider the preliminary findings are well worth a follow-up, but have also rejected the claims of life. Silica In May 2007, the Spirit rover disturbed a patch of ground with its inoperative wheel, uncovering an area extremely rich in silica (90%). The feature is reminiscent of the effect of hot spring water or steam coming into contact with volcanic rocks. Scientists consider this as evidence of a past environment that may have been favorable for microbial life, and theorize that one possible origin for the silica may have been produced by the interaction of soil with acid vapors produced by volcanic activity in the presence of water. Another possible origin could have been from water in a hot spring environment. Based on Earth analogs, hydrothermal systems on Mars would be highly attractive for their potential for preserving organic and inorganic biosignatures. For example, iron oxidizing bacteria are abundant in marine and terrestrial hydrothermal systems, where they often display distinctive cell morphologies and are commonly encrusted by minerals, especially bacteriogenic iron oxides and silica. Microfossils of iron oxidizing bacteria have been found in ancient Si-Fe deposits and iron oxidation may be an ancient and widespread metabolic pathway. 83] If possible, future rover missions will target extinct hydrothermal vent systems on Mars. Geysers on Mars The seasonal frosting and defrosting of the southern ice cap results in the formation of spider-like radial channels carved on 1 meter thick ice by sunlight. Then, sublimed CO2 – and probably water –increase pressure in their interior producing geyser-like eruptions of cold fluids often mixed with dark basaltic sand or mud. This process is rapid, observed happening in the space of a few days, weeks or months, a growth rate rather unusual in geology – especially for Mars. A team of Hungarian scientists proposes that the geysers’ most visible features, dark dune spots and spider channels, may be colonies of photosynthetic Martian microorganisms, which over-winter beneath the ice cap, and as the sunlight returns to the pole during early spring, light penetrates the ice, the microorganisms photosynthesize and heat their immediate surroundings. A pocket of liquid water, which would normally evaporate instantly in the thin Martian atmosphere, is trapped around them by the overlying ice. As this ice layer thins, the microorganisms show through grey. When the layer has completely melted, the microorganisms rapidly desiccate and turn black, surrounded by a grey aureole. The Hungarian scientists believe that even a complex sublimation process is insufficient to explain the formation and evolution of the dark dune spots in space and time. Since their discovery, fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke promoted these formations as deserving of study from an astrobiological perspective. A multinational European team suggests that if liquid water is present in the spiders’ channels during their annual defrost cycle, they might provide a niche where certain microscopic life forms could have retreated and adapted while sheltered from solar radiation. A British team also considers the possibility that organic matter, microbes, or even simple plants might co-exist with these inorganic formations, especially if the mechanism includes liquid water and a geothermal energy source. However, they also remark that the majority of geological structures may be accounted for without invoking any organic â€Å"life on Mars† hypothesis. It has been proposed to develop the Mars Geyser Hopper lander to study the geysers up close. Cosmic radiation In 1965, the Mariner 4 probe discovered that Mars had no global magnetic field that would protect the planet from potentially life-threatening cosmic radiation and solar radiation; observations made in the late 1990s by the Mars Global Surveyor confirmed this discovery. Scientists speculate that the lack of magnetic shielding helped the solar wind blow away much of Mars’s atmosphere over the course of several billion years. After mapping cosmic radiation levels at various depths on Mars, researchers have concluded that any life within the first several meters of the planet’s surface would be killed by lethal doses of cosmic radiation. In 2007, it was calculated that DNA and RNA damage by cosmic radiation would limit life on Mars to depths greater than 7. 5 metres below the planet’s surface. Therefore, the best potential locations for discovering life on Mars may be at subsurface environments that have not been studied yet.

Critically assess the significance and the implication Essays

Critically assess the significance and the implication Essays Critically assess the significance and the implication Essay Critically assess the significance and the implication Essay Critically assess the significance and the deduction of rank of the WTO in relation to both the Chinese legal system and legal regulations within China and the outside universe, with mention to specific spheres such as rational belongings. China became a member of the World Trade Organisation ( WTO ) on 11 December 2001. For China, accession meant a cardinal measure frontward in its scheme to catch up with the advanced industrial universe by agencies of market socialism. It meant that China could legalize internationally, its career to recover its topographic point at the universe technological and productiveness frontier within the span of a few decennaries. ( Margarinos and Sercovich 2002. Pg.1 ) what sets China apart from the remainder of the universe is the fact that its accession is portion of a larger scheme of monolithic and cardinal reform. The Chinese authorities embarked on the whole accession undertaking non because they are title-holders of free trade and all that the WTO stands for but because they feel it would give them excess purchase to coerce through hard alterations on the domestic economic system. ( Clarke 2003, Pg. 97 ) The footings of China’s accession has been described as a trade whereby, for the interest of important medium and long term common additions, China accepts the hazards involved in restricting the grade of unconventionality in catching up and China’s trade spouses take the hazards entailed in swearing the ability of China’s leading to present on its committednesss. China’s major hazard is the potentially riotous societal deductions of transporting out within about a decennary, a whole version of its economic, institutional and legal construction to a trade name of market-led competition. ( Margarinos and Sercovich 2002. Pg.1 ) It is obvious that the undertaking of doing China’s Torahs and ordinances conform to the WTO demands is a immense 1. Many of the reforms required of China have strong domestic every bit good as foreign constituency therefore it may non ever be easy for the authorities to implement policies that would guarantee conformity with its WTO demands. An issue that has been the subject of many a argument both within China and without is the consequence within the Chinese legal system of China’s execution of its demands under the WTO understandings. ( Clarke 2003, Pg. 98 ) China had about 177 domestic Torahs and ordinances sing custom disposal, foreign investing, rational belongings and services to guarantee conformity with WTO regulations. ( Margarinos and Sercovich 2002. Pg.2 ) China’s pact duties under the WTO understandings may go portion of domestic jurisprudence in three different ways. The first manner is that they could be embodied, in domestic statute law which includes all important beginnings of province norms in China including readings and other paperss issued by the Supreme People’s Court of China and other organic structures. This attack is known as transformation’ and China has adopted the attack on several occasions. A 2nd manner is through specific mention in domestic statute law. This is known as mediated incorporation’ . The Torahs direct tribunals than where aliens are involved and a jurisprudence proviso conflicts with China’s duty under a pact to which China is signatory, the jurisprudence under the pact should be followed. The 3rd manner is a yet controversial manner. It is the procedure by which pact duties merely organize portion of Chinese domestic jurisprudence without holding to travel through on e of the above phases. This is known as direct incorporation. Academics’ positions as to whether this is possible vary but the authorities are by and large of the sentiment that it is non. ( Clarke 2003, Pg. 99-100 ) . After the Torahs are imported’ , Judgess need to be trained, legal establishments and processs need to guarantee that that the Torahs are reasonably and impartially upheld and that legal opinions are enforceable throughout the state. There is besides the demand for commissariats for changeless reform. ( Margarinos and Sercovich 2002. Pg.2 ) .As pointed out earlier, accession to the WTO has meant that China has had to amend domestic Torahs that relate to countries like foreign investing, rational belongings and services to follow with their WTO demands. In this paper, I will discourse the alterations in China’s legal system and legal regulations within China and the outside universe brought on by its accession to the WTO in footings of foreign investing and rational belongings in a command to measure the significance and deduction of China’s accession. Foreign Direct Investment Since 1978 and particularly since its accession to the WTO understandings, China’s Foreign Direct Investment has increased. This is because China has made Torahs and enforced policies to cut down barriers to Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI ) . The tools that China used to make this are revenue enhancement grants and particular privileges for foreign investors and the constitution of Open Economic Zones ( OEZs ) . ( Tseng and Zebregs 2002, Pg. 11 ) Upon accession to the WTO understanding, China made farther committednesss in trade liberalization. It made committednesss for riddance of assorted demands of FDI. These committednesss included the riddance of foreign exchange and trade reconciliation, engineering transportation, local content and export public presentation. China has besides eliminated geographic and other limitations in cardinal sectors such as motor vehicles and the increasing of foreign ownership bounds in its telecommunications, life insurance and besides giving full national intervention to foreign Bankss. ( Tseng and Zebregs 2002, Pg. 13 ) The Impact of Accession to the WTO The accession has decidedly helped hike foreign investing to China. States that were hitherto doubting about covering with China for fright of the unjust and prejudiced Torahs are now more relaxed and have the backup of an international pact. The high duties on imports have been eliminated and the limitations on foreign exchange lifted. Foreign Bankss are besides given more favorable intervention. Intellectual Property One of the three pillars of the WTO is the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ( TRIPS ) . Upon accession, China agreed to follow with the commissariats of TRIPS. To make this, China need to amend rather a few of its Torahs on rational belongings protection. Between 1999 and 2002, in expectancy of its accession to WTO, China undertook a major reform of its Patent jurisprudence in August 2000, its hallmark jurisprudence in October 2001 and its Copyright Law in October 2001. In order to follow with TRIPS, Chinese Government made judicial reappraisal available. They besides made preliminary injunctions available and there was a wider scope of damages available. The sum of amendss awarded to claimants was increased. ( Hong et al. 2005 ) The consequence is that Chinese Intellectual Property Laws are now widely acknowledged to be pf international standard’ with minor countries of non-compliance with TRIPS. Having said that though, there is still a job with enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. There are economic, societal and cultural, political every bit good as institutional grounds for these jobs. Some of the economic factors are that Intellectual belongings is seen as many in the underdeveloped universe to merely protect foreign involvements. There is besides the fact that authorities would desire to protect their ain interest in the economic system. The societal and cultural jobs include deficiency of public consciousness, secondary function of jurisprudence in the society, the deficiency of the construct of single rights every bit good as the haste to catch up with engineering signifier other parts of the universe. Some of the political factors are the penchant for public enforcement mechanisms, th e fact that the Intellectual Property Agency is non unified. The institutional factors are that there are holds in enforcement procedure, there is a deficiency of good trained Judgess and other legal forces and the sum of amendss awarded is still excessively low. The Impact of Accession to the WTO The accession now provides a ground for legal reform. For China, a state known for non using democratic agencies, it gives the people power to inquire for reform as they now have the backup of the universe. Peoples making concern in China can now mention affairs to the WTO difference declaration mechanism. Other Impacts Since accession to the WTO, China has gained favors with the larger universe economic systems like the United States who instantly put China on its Most Favoured Nation List after accession. In footings of the handiness of trained legal forces to manage instances that may originate organize the sometimes drastic amendments of domestic Torahs under the WTO ; China has taken stairss to turn to the job. In March 2002, China held the first disposal of e new unified judicial scrutiny for attorneies, prosecuting officers and Judgess. ( Clarke 2003 Pg 109 ) . Another job that the Chinese Legal System has is that the tribunals are loath to take on sensitive instances. In September 2001, the Supreme People’s Court of China instructed lower tribunals to halt accepting stockholders suits for amendss on certain misdemeanors of China’s Securities Law non because it believed that the stockholders had no rights but because they did non yet have sophisticated adequate processs to cover with these suits. This has nevertheless been resolved as the Court instructed lower tribunals in February 2003 to get down taking on such instances once more. ( Clarke 2003 Pg 110 ) . The good intelligence though is that the WTO does non presume that provinces that are signers to its understandings would hold to the full developed legal systems at the clip they accede. The WTO demands are non that rigorous. Under Article 41 ( 5 ) the TRIPS Agreement ( which has the strictest demands as to legal system ) provides that it does non make an duty a separate enforcement mechanism for rational belongings rights distinct from that for enforcement of jurisprudence in general. The chief job with China’s legal system is the non-availability of independent reappraisal of administrative actions. The tribunals depend on local authoritiess for support and therefore their independency is limited. These jobs were pointed out along clip ago nevertheless, and one can be optimistic that they will be dealt with in due class. Decision It is obvious that globalization with its thoughts of free trade and particularly China’s accession to the WTO has had major impacts on the state. For one thing, foreign investing has increased as investors are more confident that their involvements will be protected and that they now have a signifier of redress quite independent from China’s former non crystalline legal system. Excessive duties and other revenue enhancements have been bit by bit phased out and foreign Bankss are given more privileges. In the country of rational belongings, China has amended its Patent, Copyrights and Trademarks jurisprudence to follow with the demands of TRIPS. Although there still rests jobs of enforcement, portion of which lies in the fact that the Judgess and attorneies are non good qualified, the Chinese Government has taken some stairss towards deciding these issues and there is yet hope. Areas of clash which may take a batch more clip to decide it would look would be for case acquiring China to follow with International Environmental Torahs which is a demand under the WTO Agreement. The fact that some of the alleged innovators of the free trade and WTO motion are non following either is non encouraging. Besides, the fact that China is seen as a Champion of lone Asiatic states but besides most underdeveloped states means that states are likely to emulate their policies. Bibliography Magarinos, C.A. and Sercovich, F.C. ( 2002 ) China’s Accession to the WTO: an Overview of Domestic and External Implications. In C.A. Magarinos, L. Yongtu and F.C. Sercovich ( Eds. ) China in the WTO: The Birth of a New Catching-Up Strategy. London: Palgrave Macmillan Hong et Al ( 2005 ) China Intellectual Property Law Guide Netherlands: Kluwer International Journal Articles Clarke, D. ( 2003 ) China’s Legal System and the WTO: Prospects for Compliance’ , Global Studies Review, 2 ( 97 ) 97-120 Tseng, W. and Zebregs H. Foreign Direct Investment in China: Some Lessons for Other Countries’ , IMF Policy Discussion Paper. Gettable from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/pdp/2002/pdp03.pdf

Profit Center Essay Example

Profit Center Essay Example Profit Center Essay Profit Center Essay The TallTree2 Hotel Casino is a 640-room resort composite having a full scope of Nevada-style gambling with slot machines and table games. Besides the hotel and casino. it besides operates four eating houses. two amusement salesrooms and three gift stores. Because of the economic environment at the clip. TallTree2 wanted to better its underside line by establishing a scope of Particular Events like golf tourneies. packaging lucifers. New Year Parties and a series of cavity. lotto and slot tourneies. Those particular events were specifically designed to counterbalance for the slow periods and generate extra gambling grosss. Terrence Wei. the new belongings president. feels that his section directors appear to be in struggle with each other. The directors of each section have expressed concerns when it comes to running their section under the net income centre attack. Overall. complementary costs and allocated operating expense included in the direct costs pose more of a job in finding the sums to apportion. More specifically. the hotel director complained about capacity restraints. It is hard for this section to recapture all of the chance costs of non selling suites at full monetary value or even above that sum in times of high demand. The director is required to maintain 20 % of the suites in instance a higher roller comes in. If a participant pays for the room. it will be at the $ 45 price reduction rate and non the $ 139 that a walk in client would pay. The nutrient section is presently pricing below the community eating houses. The director argues that he should be able to put his monetary values and run his section on a profitable footing. It is presently running at 15 % loss and the complementary nutrient makes up for 20 % of all eating house gross revenues. As for the drink division. 77 % of gross revenues are complimentary. The director in this section is concerned about the really low monetary values offered. Judy Fitch. president of selling. is concerned that the worksheet provided by Bill Martino does non reflect the grosss generated by the particular events. In order to aline the company’s vision and inducements with those of the directors. the construction of each section needs to be re-evaluated based on current public presentation. The company is decentralized and each section is a duty centre. A duty centre is a division of a company for which a director has the authorization to do determinations. The chief types of duty centres are cost centres and net income centres. A cost centre is a division of a company that is responsible for the maintaining the costs every bit low as possible. Cost centres contribute to a company’s profitableness indirectly like selling. client service or research and development. A net income centre is a division of the company that is accounted for on a standalone footing for the intent of net income computation. The directors of those net income centres have the decision-making authorization related to merchandise or service pricing and operating disbursals. Therefore. the net income centre is responsible for doing its ain net incomes. The end is to reorganise the allotment of costs so that each section is profitable. The particular events target high rollers and should convey more money that they presently bring. The Casino section should still be run as a net income centre. Gambling is the largest beginning of gross for the hotel casino composite. The section director controls the grosss by offering particular publicities and complimentary nutrient. drinks and suites in times of slow periods. The director is non merely responsible for the net income generated but besides for the costs. Finally. the casino controls the bargaining power for the price-setting and complimentary services offered such as nutrient. drinks and suites. The hotel section should be evaluated as a net income centre. The division already has significant control over pricing since it is based on supply and demand and on seasonal tendencies. Besides. complimentary suites merely account for 8 % of the gross created by the section. Because of the high chance costs. room gross revenues account for about 92 % . The Hotel is besides one of the chief income beginnings for the gaming industry. The Food section should be run as a cost centre because 20 % of the gross is generated from complimentary gross revenues and besides because the eating houses are presently running at a 15 % loss. The restaurants’ chief intent is to function gamblers and should non be established as a standalone concern. The eating houses are expected to supply low-priced repasts that will pull more people or retain the current clients on the belongings. The Beverage section should besides be evaluated as a cost centre. 77 % of the beverage’s division grosss come from complimentary drinks served to the casino clients. The casino has major control over which clients receive the complimentary drinks and the director of the section has really small control over the division’s net income. The section should nevertheless be responsible for commanding costs like the staff and the cost of the inputs supplied. The synergism between the different sections makes it harder to measuring those separately. The ood and drink sections have the primary intent to maintain clients in the casino ; they have a encouraging function. The casino should hold the ultimate determination power to make up ones mind how and when the complimentary nutrient and drink are distributed. Alternatively. the nutrient and drink sections should command the costs of making concern. the efficiency and quality instead than to do net income. Particular events should be evaluated on profitableness. It will merely makes sense if each division is run as a net income centre or cost centre consequently. Besides. TallTree2 should take other elements into consideration. The full monetary value of suites should be included as gross. That manner. it will be easier to see the sum deducted for price reductions and complimentary suites. Bill’s statement to include the supplanting costs for hotel and grosss lost during particular events is rational. TallTree2 needs to cognize how much net income is lost so that they can do it up. The figure of suites reserved for high rollers should be revised because the 97 free suites during the Stars and Stripes event could hold been occupied by walk-in clients at the rate of $ 139 darks. If walk-in clients are turned down. those clients are non likely to remain at the hotel or even gamble at the casino in the hereafter. Some quantitative elements should be included like client satisfaction. The event’s success shouldn’t merely be evaluated in footings of profitableness. With the casino and hotel sections being evaluated as net income centres and the nutrient and drink sections run as cost centres. TallTree2 will be more profitable and direction of each sections will non be in struggle with each other.

Establish the topic from the paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Establish the topic from the paper - Essay Example There have been numerous comparisons made of the Federalist Papers to Locke’s theories and also interpretational differences with the Publius political theory by religious groups such as the Muslims. According to Locke’s initiative, an ideal government has as its foundation the natural rights, dignity, and of course unlimited ownership. Self-interest is a dominant trait of political liberalism as people naturally must respect their individual rights while safeguarding the rights of others. The society as a whole must operate according to its needs and not answer to a system modeled on the divine right of kings and queens. Societies, and therefore, governments are best when they become a natural unfolding of the principle of together we stand, divided we fall. Locke deems that a person can give up their right to live by dedication to a cause such as war but property itself cannot be so easily sacrificed since mortality is abstract and property is tangible and acquired as the right of each individual. In short, a governing body can take lives for defense of a system but possessions, such as land, is not under their realm of jurisdiction. The immutable standard of right is contained in a natural state of morality. Morality, in the state of nature, according to Locke, displays no subordination to a ruling dynamic but relies on a natural state of human customs, habits, and most notably, a universal law entombed within the natural human faculty of reasoning. Locke attributes this instinctual inclination of people as a logical avenue of expansion of life in sync with nature. A community consists of a conscientiously guided network, not by rules of compulsion or tyranny, but through the inherent dignity of entitlement scorning superiority. The ultimate standard of a natural state of morality recognizes the sanctity of life through the collective judgment of good or bad behavior or conduct in consideration of all humans.. Society, when striped of all adorn ments, is fundamentally a contract that unites humanity in order to protect their investments, with property ownership being the paramount source of concern. As a community, humankind begins to accumulate more land and more possessions, thereby creating a bona fide and dire need for the protection of these very things. Without a law that is capable of fairly regulating the action of all, society is left open to the corrupted ascendancy of the violation of natural rights. Locke’s society provides the rights, laws, and codes of behavior acceptable to curtail any tresspassing on the people’s perogative to sidestep violence and war. Locke’s ideology of equality adventageouly contributes to society but omits to consider those that are not landowners. Such unfortunates are protected by the rules of the government but their privledges and voice in such matters is diminished. The stability of a society is the strongest indication of a successful centralized authority th at protects the rights and privileges of landowners from arbitrary seizure of possessions. The creation of a division of authority strengthens the checks and balances system on government power over the people. The proper role of people in this manmade law of just, peaceful and protected existence depends on the basic need of interaction and general agreement between each other. The appropriate conduct of people in a society is to take the responsibilities and the duties along with the benefits

Busines Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Busines Environment - Essay Example Suppliers refer to the companies that directly sell electric power (About the Electric Industry, 2011). Thus the electric industry in the UK can be understood to perform its functions effectively with the help of these stakeholders and have proved to be efficient over the years. However, with the increasing levels of competition in the industry, it has been found that customers have changed their preferences of suppliers. Also, increasing level of prices have led to the consumers plan for savings and hence cutting down on consumption. Thus in the recent years, the UK energy prices have been found to fall down (About the Electric Industry, 2011). The current study focuses on a PEST analysis of the UK electric power industry and hence determines the recent changes that have occurred. Earlier the electric power industry in the UK was under the control of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). When CEGB was in control of the electric power in the UK, there was not much competition in the market. There were 12 boards in the regional areas that were in charge of the electricity distribution. Also the prices during this time were lower for the consumers to afford. The system being dependent on thermal generation was responsible for around 70 percent of the total production of electricity. With the process of privatization the controlling board was considered to be privatized. Private ownerships and competitive pricing became parts of the new privatized industry that was created in the year 1990. In the new structure the independence of the generators were limited and central planning was lacking in the development of capacity. The prices for the power supply also increased although for significant power consumers the prices reduced after inflation (Stevens, 1995, pp.52-59). Although the new system have several advantages like reduced labor costs, better customer services, reduced borrowing from government as well as alteration in the business culture,