Jamaican Culture Essay

Probably one of the most lively and rich cultures of the world is of the Jamaican culture. It is perhaps due to its exotic surroundings and the various regions of its origin. Today in Jamaica, there are obvious influences of African, English, Spanish, and Indian. Being only the third biggest island in the Caribbean its impact is huge on the rest of the world. The official language of Jamaica is English. However, most civilians in Jamaica speak patois. Think of it as an extremely slurred accented speech of English with hints of African, Portuguese, and Spanish appearing here and there. Most of the time just knowing English will help you understand what people basically are saying. The religions in Jamaica are wide and varied. However, statistics show that over half (61.3%) of all Jamaicans are Protestant. There is also a good deal of participation in spiritual cults of not-really-defined religion (almost 35%). Religion is highly held in Jamaica and can affect from what people where to what they eat. Sometimes cults in Jamaica resort to violence against other cults. The education system in Jamaica has four basic levels: early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Presently, 703,600 of Jamaica’s estimated 2,650,000 people are enrolled in the education system. About 80% of all teachers are professionally trained. Jamaica currently holds an 85% literacy rate for total population (81% for men alone and 89% for women alone). Currently in Jamaica, only 3% of the enrolled education students are enrolled for college level education, 32% for junior high and high school level, 45% for elementary level, and 20% for ages 3-5 yrs. The majority of the people in Jamaica usually live in or near the cities in low-income housing. However, some still live rurally for agricultural purposes. There are many holidays and festive occasions in Jamaica. Jamaica’s national holiday is its Independence Day on the first Monday every august. Most of  Jamaican culture is expressed through stories, songs, and dances of important figures. Here are just a few examples of Jamaican culture. One old custom now only practiced in rural areas is that of taking the baby’s naval string cord after they are born, waiting 3 days, and burying it in the ground and planting a tree on top of the cord. Another belief is that of a mother cannot get wet the first few days after birth otherwise she will get sick and die. In Jamaica, lavish funerals are required to give respect to the dead for they will rise on the third night after their death. There are also certain characters of folklore. One is Anancy. He is the spider man known for his trickery. There is also the children’s character of Big Bwoy. In Jamaica there is also many festivals. The Gran’ Market is a pre-Christmas celebration. Obeah is a general term for black magic. Kumina is a popular ritual practiced only by certain sects for religion. Dinky-Mini is a dance and song used to help cheer up the family of a dead person. Hosay is a festival particular to Muslim/Indian sects. Most people in Jamaica have somewhat balanced diets and eat depending on religion and season. A typical breakfast is the country’s fruit, the ackee. Lunch is usually light meat or vegetables while dinner consists of goat, pork, seafood, rice, and beans. Skyjuice, coconut juice, and tea are popular drinks. Skyjuice is the American equivalent of a slushy. On average families have about two children in cities but having many more in rural areas, especially on farms. The parents usually work while the children are off attending school. In Jamaica, almost every festival has its own unique dressing design. The most popular and renowned is that of the simple plaid cotton design of Bandana. Women’s dresses are of three tiers (big ruffles) and they are known to be adorned in beads and braid their hair intricately.

Impacts of Casinos

The Negative Impact Many people do not want the casinos in their town and feel that having one will only bring chaos and criminal activity. Some of the misconceptions how a casino will affect a town range from addiction to industry centralization. In the website that Greg Saris has written he states that â€Å"we don't want to get into slot machines and hard-core gambling because it is addictive and destructive in people's lives† (Saris, 2003). It is believed that the impact of a casino coming into a town would be morally ND ethically irresponsible.The people that go to this facility are sometimes categorized as gambling addicts with alarming numbers of them. In California back in 2002 it is said that there were over 1. 2 billion addicts in that state. It is a widespread belief that with the casinos will increase the â€Å"crime, suicide, addiction and human misery' (Saris, 2003). In the article that Kevin Fagan has written it can be seen the comparison between gambling addic tions and a drug (crack-cocaine) (Fagan, 2007). A person may start out n Bingo (class Ill in Nevada) or a simple form of gambling and then may be introduced to slot machines.It is believed there is a great need for medical help since it is referred to as â€Å"a medically designated psychological disorder in its most severe, pathological form† (Fagan, 2007). Douglas Walker has written a book to help us to understand the economics of gambling and the arguments presented. It is general misconception that casinos are an â€Å"industry centralization, the â€Å"factory-restaurant† dichotomy, export base theory of growth, money inflow (mercantilism) (Walker, 2007). Positive Argument There many positive impacts on a towns economics that have been proven over history.Will the positive affects be greater than the negative? Through studies and research it can be seen how beneficial casinos can affect the economic industry. It is believed that casinos will be able to draw in to urists and more income to a city through marketing and incentives to those across the U. S. It will bring more income to a town that otherwise would not have had visitors (Walker, 2007) (peg. 36). Both revenue and income for a small town is greatly increased when a casinos are created. (Ask. Com, n. D. )

Nursing and media

There has been a big interest in the study of popular images of nurses and nursing. Writers have been focused on images of nurses on television, in cinema, in news coverage, and elsewhere. Most of the time, public beliefs of the nursing are shaped by the Images people see on TV. The Stereotypical view of nurses as working only In acute-care, high technology area often portrayed In the media makes It very difficult to provide the different view of nurses working within the community. In reality, stereotypical views of nursing have a negative impact even on nurses who practice in acute care hospitals.Not too many understand that the nurse is there to save patients lives . Most of public see nurses as sweet, kind, attentive and willing to talk, but not especially critical to the effort to rescue them from medical errors and injuries. (Derbyshire & Gordon, n. D. ) We can see fictional portrayals of nurses, for instance â€Å"Scrubs† sitcom. The show character nurse Carla. She is o ften portrayed as strong and competent. She is the only major character on this show I would describe as normal. In one of the episodes a surgeon comments â€Å"Idiot can be a nurse†, and of course, the show instantly hasCarla express her disagreement, but It does not disapprove what a surgeon has said. The other show, Grey s Anatomy portrays nurses In offensive way most of the time. I don't see much respect doctor†enter to the nurses, they don't call them by their names, they yell â€Å"Nurse! † At the end, the hospital finally gave nurses the upper hand. â€Å"Nursing has become more complex in ways that could not have been imaging a generation ago. Nursing and Media Some people may view nursing differently then others. Some may view nursing as negative and some positive. This perception may actually be due to the way the media depicts nursing. One television show or movie may portray the nursing image as loving and caring, where another may portray the image as incompetent or unpleasant. There has been much research conducted over time on the portrayal of nursing in the media and the impact it has on the public’s view. Some research says the public views nursing positively despite the media, while others say the media has a very negative impact on nursing.Whether the media depicts nursing as good or bad, or can influence the public’s views, it is up to the nurses themselves to be aware of their own behaviors and portray nursing positively in real life. People may know the name Florence Nightingale. Nightingale was a nurse seen as an angel due to her work during the Crimean War and is known as the founder of modern nursing. Her imag e embodies the caring fundamentals of nursing. Today, many people may know the name Nurse Jackie – a nurse on a television show portrayed quite differently than Nightingale.Nurse Jackie is seen as a strong-willed nurse who needs the help of narcotics to make it through her day, which is much different from Nightingale’s angelic image. This portrayal raises the question of whether people realize that television shows are fictional and the portrayal of nurses is a dramatic effect and done purely for ratings. Some research has been done to study the affect the media may have on nursing. Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN conducted a study in 2007 and found that despite less-than-authentic portrayals of nurses on some television shows, the media positively influences public perceptions (Howell, 2010).However, some say that the negative portrayal of nursing in the media actually does influence the public’s perception negatively. Marie Quimba, director of professional studies at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, AZ says that many people, especially the less educated and younger population, are influenced by negative imagery in the media (Muehlauer, 2012). There was also a study conducted by David Stanley who is a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia.The study analyzed the stereotypes on television and found that misrepresentations on television are likely to have a profound effect on the public’s perception. Television brings characters into the living room and the viewer is more likely to associate it with reality (Howell, 2010). If the media does affect the public’s image of nursing in a negative way then the question is raised about how the nursing profession can change the public’s perception of nursing.One thing that the nursing profession can do is to get involved in the media and give feedback and input. Cindy Saver, president of CLS Development, Inc. and a regi stered nurse says that nurses must get involved and have a voice to convey their opinions and desires. Saver also recommends that nurses e-mail and write letters to television producers and contact companies that advertise during certain nurse-oriented programs to voice their pleasure or displeasure (Howell, 2010). Other suggestions include portraying nurses more positively in the media.Recently, Johnson & Johnson conducted an advertising campaign concerning nurses and the nursing profession. One of the Johnson & Johnson ads shows a male nurse singing with a pediatric patient during chemotherapy treatment. These television commercials portray nursing in a positive light. They give nurses much well deserved admiration and may help in having a positive impact on the image of nursing. Other positive portrayals come from media sources such as news stories about nurses assisting during disasters, such as in hurricanes and tornadoes.The media is bound to continue to portray the nursing pr ofession negatively for the purpose of ratings; however, the public’s perception of nurses is a combination of what they see in the media and their real life experience. It is, therefore, incumbent on nurses to both affect media portrayal through letter writing campaigns and also to be aware of their own behaviors and how they portray themselves to the public in their everyday life.

Arts and Politics - China, Germany, and the Soviet Union Essay

Arts and Politics - China, Germany, and the Soviet Union - Essay Example China, Germany, and the Soviet Union have been used as the target examples. This end of the article analyses the three choices, looks at their relationship and the reason as to why they were chosen as great choices for this report. In the 19th century, the Russian Tsars were clear in their articulation that revolutions stood in the offing, in the presence if outstanding masterpieces. There are situations in Russia where great artists of various forms were regarded as a threat to the government’ existence through their works of art. Pushkin, for example, as a great author who could express his thoughts in an articulate manner that was deemed as arrogant, with some freedom that made him make fun of official figures. His work, as per the governments, would rather have been used in public service. Art and politics have been closely related from past to present. There are some aspects that clearly point out the relationship between the two. The institutions of art, schemes in ideol ogy and some artists’ political dominance are just but a few. Over years, some authorities have tried to impose controls on ideologies in order to tame artists. Other governments have even attempted to thwart the freedom of expression as rolled out by artists. In China, the communist party pushed at gaining legitimacy in order to win cooperation from artists. The party tried to woo the artists to join in socialist constructions. The Chinese movements and the various notable interactions between the governments and artists place the country as one worthy of analysis for the purpose of this research. The artistic influence has grown in stages in China, with a recent period starting in the 1980’s after Mao’s death. This is a period that saw individual subjectivity on the rise and artists expressing themselves in minimal social reform. Germany has had its issues in the interactions between arts and politics as well. There were early attacks by the government to the artists, some of which indicate the magnitude that the artists had on the political arena. A good situation is in the 1940s when the national socialists banned all art that was in existence prior to 1933. There are examples of artists being forced to join certain groups, with those who refused being frustrated with professional dismissals. Looking at the mentioned issues, their effects and the reasons that led to their occurrence, art is an indispensable weapon in politics despite its autonomy, there is some coexistence that cannot be refuted. Looking at the Soviet Union, there is some inseparability between art and politics. According to Fox (1977), aesthetics and the style of art are led by the political exigencies. The politics of the day in the USSR dictate the Russian art. The styles of art in this country follow the trends that are in accord with the government. The links between art and politics in the Soviet can be traced from Karl Marx to Frederick Engels who asserted the i mportance of realistic representations to the state. The three countries have been able to showcase the tight bond between art and politics clearly as outlined b the examples stated above. A distinct relation is first evident in the manner in which the government controls the works of art. This may be represented vaguely, but political icons have treated artists with great suspicion from the word go, in all situations. In the USSR, the government dictated the styles; in Germany, the â€Å"degenerate art† exhibition indicated the government’s perception towards art and culture. In China, the government literally controlled the artistic movements.     

Corporate Manslaughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Corporate Manslaughter - Essay Example If the director or senior manager is found guilty then the company is also found guilty. But if the director or senior manager is found to be innocent then even the company is found to be innocent. (Bergman, 2003) Involuntary manslaughter is when someone kills without actually intending to cause death or serious hurt but was blameworthy in some way. There are multiple categories of manslaughter. There is also a concept of gross negligence manslaughter. According to the Crown Prosecution Service there are various factors to be taken into consideration before a company can be prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter. The first factor to be considered is that there was a duty of care owed by the accused to the deceased. The second factor to be proved is that there was a breach of duty of care by the charged. The third factor to be proved is that the death of the deceased was caused by the breach of duty of care by the accused. The fourth important factor to be considered is that the breach of duty of care by the accused was big enough to be characterised as gross negligence and therefore an offense. Under the current law it is mandatory to identify a specific individual as a controlling mind who is personally guilty of manslaughter. ... This is the biggest stumbling block in trying to prove corporate manslaughter. In spite of very serious failures by the directors and senior managers of large companies it has been very difficult to prosecute them. One of the reasons is that large companies frequently assign safety decisions to junior managers or to outside agencies. (Bergman, 2003) In the past some large companies have been charged for manslaughter but unfortunately all the cases have failed. The Herald of Free enterprise sank off the coast of Zeeburgge in March 1987 shortly after it had left the port with its bow doors open. The trail collapsed during its initial stages. The judge ruled that there was no sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of the directors or senior managers which possibly could have resulted in the disaster in which 193 passengers were killed. (Bergman, 2003) The Southall rail crash occurred in September 1997 on the Great Western Railway Line at Southall. Six people were killed and over a 150 people were injured. The crash occurred when 1032 Great Western Intercity from Swansea to London Paddington which was operating with a defective Automatic Warning System indicator went through a red signal and collided with a goods train (Southall Rail Crash, 2006). The company was exonerated of corporate manslaughter after Scott Baker J ruled that the liability of manslaughter can only be imposed on the company on the principle of identification. (Simester and Sullivan, 2002) The Crown Prosecution Service tried to impeach the company without prosecuting any individual director or manager. But due to the court ruling the case could not go ahead on this basis. The company was fined 1.5 million pounds after it pleaded guilty to

Responsibility as a Core Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Responsibility as a Core Value - Essay Example Without responsibility, nothing can be achieved because people will look towards each other for action with no one taking action. The sphere of operation of every manager is defined by the allocation of duties and responsibilities. The duties and responsibility will define what actions the employee can take to solve the issue. Managers are leaders because they are endowed the powers and are given a defined responsibility in the business (Snoeyenbos and Humber). In this case, managers may be tasked with ensuring the welfare of the employee is enacted. The movie the smartest guy in the room highlights the necessity of taking responsibility in business and even politically. Responsibility in the film Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room The movie presents challenges faced in the organization if responsibility for the actions is not addressed effectively. The crucial issue depicted in the movie is scandals resulting from the loss of ethics and the power of greed. Despite the existence of fraud, the founder of the company tries to hide the problem by creating a different image. For workers, the company deals with them discriminatory by firing the bottom 15% performers. The strategy is used to increase competitiveness and taking of responsibility for individual performance. The level of competitiveness in the employees is improved by the strategy. However, the strategy does not factor in the role of the managers on the failure in employee performance. Judging by the action of the managers, it is evident that the employees are not accorded the support they require. In addition, the managers are bent on accumulating wealth. The lack of financial and political responsibility makes the whole process difficult and cumbersome for the shareholders. Lou Pai the CEO of the company resigns after stealing about $250 Million despite the department managed by him registering a loss of $1 billion. How can a company division be in losses while the manager of the division accrues a lot of wealth? The issue is straightforward; he does not have any responsibility for the failure of the division. Without responsibility, it is possible for the manager to steal from the company and not be charged. The case also is evident in the spending of the company finances, in gambling. Despite the firing of some individuals, they were not allowed to bear the financial responsibility. The use of public relations to hide the failures of the organization makes the situation complex (Snoeyenbos and Humber 56). Responsibility as a value and The Madoff Affair movie The movie is about Bernie Madoff and the investigation of Martin smith. Madoff is under investigation as the chief perpetrator of a massive financial fraud. Madoff is blamed for stealing $65 billion from investors. Compared to the Enron movie, this moves show the need for holding Madoff for the financial scandal that he instituted. The sentencing of Madoff to a prison term of 150 years marks the climax of the whole proce ss. The Ponzi scheme he operated defrauded investors of over $65 billion. C the sentencing of Madoff is a product of enforcing the responsibility value in the society. The effect of the fraud had a ripple effect in the economy. The success of the whole investigation dependent on the investigation

Managing in a Strategic Business Context - Consultancy Report Essay

Managing in a Strategic Business Context - Consultancy Report - Essay Example (Katherine, 2002) When Mersey Trust intends on making severe changes in its provision, structure and any other aspects, it needs to consider the community; these are the main beneficiaries of decisions made by the trust. The NHS Trust under study has to put in mind that the number of patients is increasing and more needs to be done to reduce waiting times and quality of health care provided to these increasing numbers. They need to ensure that patients have been adequately catered for. (Katherine, 2002) Staff members need to be incorporated in any changes that the Trust intends on undertaking. It should be aware that changes in staff payments or employee conditions are to be kept at minimum in order to reduce friction and possible confrontations that have been seen in the past from similar NHS trusts. The Trust has to face conflicting roles. It has to fulfil its humanitarian aspect of helping out those who need assistance in terms of health care. In addition, it also has to deal with the fact that it still has to consider market forces during its commissioning activities. This can prove to be a rather daunting task. (Legge, 2004) The Trust has to include technological advancements in its administration. Technological advancement should also be incorporated in the organisation’s information system so that accountability and good governance are promoted. Mersey Care has to deal with the increased competition among providers that has arisen after a number of independent health Care service providers have been given the mandate to provide their services to patients. Also, there have been some treatment and diagnostic centres that have been commissioned. This means that the Trust needs to focus highly on commissioning activities. (Black, 2003) There are a number of partners that are involved in health care provision. These need to be incorporate into the management of the Trust. Policies within the

Divorce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Divorce - Assignment Example This paper will look at the consequences of divorce on family life. The foundation of every society is its families. When two parents split up, a family is undermined. Divorce is a terrible scourge which forces families to move out of houses, sometimes change cities or schools, and split into two separate families. For everyone involved this is a severe and traumatic situation. Children are impressionable. They are starting their journey on the path of life and are deeply sensitive to the world around them. They seek patterns and they seek to understand why certain patterns have certain results. Although they may not understand the huge complications underwriting our society, they nevertheless have an inkling of how are world is structured and determined, the family provides this context as does their parents marriage. Divorce can have a serious effect on this. As Socrates writes: ‘Now, do you appreciate that the most important stage of any enterprise is the beginning, especially when something you and sensitive is involved? You, that’s when most of its formation takes place, and it absorbs every impression that anyone wants to stamp upon it. . . . Shall we, then, casually allow our children to listen to any old stories, made up by just anyone, and to take into their minds views which, on the whole, contradict those we’ll want them to have as adults?’1 In the Republic, the guardians are educated as children by the stories they are told. These stories provide moral justification for the actions and inactions of the people around them and are instrumental in their understanding of their own role in the world. But they must not be poems or fanciful stories, Socrates insists. They must tell young people about the truth of the world, not of lies. It is vitally important for parents who are having a divorce to be honest with their children. Lies do not help anyone. Divorce is a traumatic experience. It affects the foundation of society:

Management Information system (journal) Research Paper - 1

Management Information system (journal) - Research Paper Example Communication, however, can be based on wire basel or wireless, whereby wire basel includes coaxial, fiber optic and twisted pairs, while wireless includes sat., mic., cell phone, radio. In networking, protocol includes TCP, HTTP, Bluetooth and USB. System development, on the other hand, can either be long term or short term depending on the nature of the project. In developing a system, there are certain steps that must be followed for it to be a success. The foremost step is the formation of a team that will go through the whole process. This step is then followed by system analysis followed by a feasibility study, a study which analyzes the practicability of the project in various capacities. System design then follows next, which includes buy, lease, outsource and build. This is closely followed by a significant step of coding and testing. User stage then follows whereby the system is tested, documented, training conducted and implementation plan developed. Lastly, operation maintenance and audit comes into play, which marks the last stage of system

'The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very Essay

'The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right and were it l - Essay Example Press became a part of the commercial community in America (Conboy, 2002, p. 43). Sensationalism over the facts was a method by which readership of the newspapers was increased and also played a significant role in modifying public opinion. â€Å"Yellow Journalism† became an important style of reporting (U.S. Diplomacy and Yellow Journalism, 1895-1898, n.d.). This paper deals with the question â€Å"how important were newspapers in the United States in the 19th  century?† Social changes in Europe: Its validity in the context of contemporary USA The Nineteenth century saw the birth of a new Europe. Political and social changes occurred within the system of the continent and this change involved the common mass. The working class of the European countries was subjected to the ruling patriarchal system in which the government decided the right and wrong for the society. The population of each country was treated as subjects who were considered incapable of taking decisio ns and maximizing their own profits. The government took decisions for them that a father would take decision for his child. These decisions were imposed upon them from the outside and maximized the benefit of the government. This pattern of system was questioned with the onset of Liberalism in Europe. Changes in relationship between the government and its people The change in the social system made provisions for the commoners to read and write. They were given access to newspapers which helped them to get elaborate information about the happenings in the society. The common people got the chance to enter the political system and started to have access to political tracts. The establishment of the railways enabled the people to move from one place to another. This was a huge turning point. The freedom of movement of the people across different places allowed them to change their patrons and take employment from the employers of their own choice. In a nut shell, the commoners learnt to safeguard their own interests, make decisions of their own and would not again be subjected to the patriarchal system of government (Hamerow, 1983, p. 119). Edward Carrington was â€Å"a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788† (â€Å"Jefferson’s preference for â€Å"newspapers without government† over â€Å"government without newspapers†, 1787) sent by Thomas Jefferson. In this convention were the delegates that came from the colonies that later constituted the body to govern the United States of America. During this time, Jefferson expressed the importance of the press and its existence to Carrington in one of his letters. He emphasized â€Å"that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them† (â€Å"Jefferson’s preference for â€Å"newspapers without government† over â€Å"government without newspapers†, 1787). Jefferson would prefer to have efficient newspapers without a government in the country. The newspapers would act as effective mode of communication and transfer of information which were the most important necessities for having a stable nation. In his strong opinion, if the government becomes inattentive towards the interests of the public, they become exploitative and the commoners are subjected to exploitation. In this context, it has been aptly described that â€Å"man is the only animal which devours his own kind† (Amendment I (Speech and Press), 1787) and the poor becomes the prey of the richer classes. His radical insights probed into the character of the government and

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Essay Example for Free

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Essay Globalization refers to the increments in the relationships of the people, industries, culture and various activities of economy. The term Globalization refers to the economics and all the global distribution of the production of goods and service which ultimately reduces the barriers of international trade like export fees, import quotas and various other tariffs, Cowen (2003). The Globalization has contributed to the growth of economy in a considerable manner. The globalization have accompanied to economic growth in developed and developing countries through increased specialization and the principle of comparative advantage. Globalization means the transnational change between the ideas, languages, and popular culture of different nations and countries so as to increase the diversity in the economy and enhance the growth of economy. It is argued that the decrease in the inter-cultural contact will increase the possibility of international and intra-national conflict. According to Shoa (2002), the globalization impacts the hospitality industry in prospect to the national as well as international hotel and tourism industry as a new occurrence. Actually, there are many hotels which are dealing with the international players even in the eighties. However, these days, the phenomenon has become so common that some company’s claim fifty percent of their profits will emanate from foreign companies, Pimentel (2008). The major factor behind the higher impact of globalization is that the hospitality sector has attracted international hotels into foreign countries and they are exploring the efficient and cost effective methods of doing business. The economies of scale are not just a theoretical phenomenon. it equally works in the hospitality sector and has considerable impact of globalization on the same. The hotels have realized that the larger they become the lower their production costs and the higher their profit margins. Besides that, the business within the industry will take their business to overseas and they can tap the unexplored markets that would never have been reached in local markets. Another reason that has increased the impact of globalization and has also increased the propensity for globalization within hosp itality industry is increasing competition within local markets. Consequently, in order to expand their respective businesses, the hotels and tourism  industries have started exploring the untapped markets and therefore, the globalization have started impacting the growth and profitability of the overall hospitality sector. However, it is necessary to look for the new markets as the increasing numbers of players in this industry are increasing the internationalism and competition within the hospitality industry. According to McAlister (2005), it is also likely that there are so many competitors which are now entering into new markets because they will allure the global brands. In contract to local brands, international markets would have to tailor their brands to suite specific conditions in the local market. However, with increasing talk about global brands, now international hotels can market their services to a wide array of consumers who happen to be agents of globalization themselves. Most of the consumers are multicultural in this scenario and always looking for ways to move themselves and their resources easily across various parts of the world, Dreher (2008). In this case, the main concern of study is to get the understanding of the impact of globalization on hospitality and tourism sector industries. For this case, there has to be geographical location on which the whole study can be done and further geographical analysis will be based on the same. The location which is chosen for the case is India which is a country in South Asia, Roger (2004). The economy of India is the ninth-largest economy by nominal GDP in the world and fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. According to Smith (2009), the reason for choosing India for this case is that it has very fast growth rate of economy and is considered a newly industrialized country. However, it also has so many challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public health. PEST analysis The concern of the study relates to the impact of Globalization on the hospitality and tourism industry and for the same concern, it is necessary to do the PEST analysis which stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis and describes the conceptual framework which is used for the macro environmental factors and the environmental factors can be analyzed for the strategic management, Cowen (2003). The external analysis can be easily done by the PEST analysis and the overview of the different  macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration has to be done for the betterment of the organization. It is considered to be as a very good strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. PEST analysis of hospitality sector The hospitality industry is very important to analyze as the hospitality sector includes a broad category of restaurants, hotels, event planning, transportation, cruise line, and so many additional fields. This particular industry is a very growing sector and has a considerable contribution to the economy, Jeffrey (2005).The unit of hospitality such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations, management, marketing, and human resources which need to be maintained for the betterment of services. The productivity of the people as well as the location has to be improved for the overall growth of the organization, McGrew(2001). Political Environment . The Political environment refers to the various government policies related to the particular sector which can affect the service and hospitality sector such as the degree of intervention in the economy. The hotel industry as well as tourism industry has a basic backbone of the government support, Ross (2006). The huge amount of taxes has been charged by the government for the different category of hotels and therefore it has a huge impact with the political changes that occur. Any small step taken by the government by changing some law it would seriously affect hotel as well as the tourism industry. Economic the economic factors relates to the interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. In the recent past, the people are willing to pay large amount of money for the services they get and the more the guests pay the more would the hotel and the industry would prosper ,John (2009) as the paying power of the people or customers will increase, the need for the good and luxurious hotels become massive. The economy of India has faced one of the most minimal drops in the whole world  and it has helped the hotel to get concentrated on the foreign travellers which had reduced and the local market being stable was much of a relief to the Indian Hotel Industry. . Social The social factor refers to the changes in social trends as it impacts the demand for the products of the company as well as the availability and willingness of individuals to work with the particular organization, Suryadinata (2000) As the social factor influences the people up to the certain extent which includes the culture and various other social factors within the society. . Technological There are so many software’s which are used for the management of hotel within the hospitality industry and the standards of the hotel has to match with the technology standards of the industry, Jeffrey (2010). The Hotel management software and technologies used have to match the subsequent level of market and industry. As the technology also reduces the manpower and decreases the cost to the company. So, the technology up gradation has always been proved as a boon to the people and the increased productivity of the organization, For example: If a hotel used the printed KOT and BOT and the stewards had to give it themselves to each of the departments. It could be substituted with the direct computerized sending of KOT and BOT to the kitchen or the Bar. In India, tourism is considered to be as one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy and there are so many countries which are investing in the tourism sector for the expansion of industry, Pimentel (2008). On the other hand, while conceding that the uncontrolled growth of this industry can result in serious environmental and social problems. In recent years, there is an argument about the sustainability of the tourism industry and the sustainable development to bring together national and local governments, the tourism industry, trade unions and activist groups to realize this goal, Chapman (2009). It has been also considered that the global tourism industry can be propelled towards sustainability which underpins the drive towards globalization. There are so many countries which are facing burdens and worsening trade because of the  tourism industry and the various agencies working on the international basis such as World Bank, World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) are also involved in the matter of concern for the growth and development of tourism industry and enhance the global presence of the tourism industry, Bruce (1992). However, tourism is often viewed by critics as an extension of former colonial conditions as it has supported and benefitted the international relations of economics whereas it favours the advanced capitalist countries in the North, Turner (2009). Therefore, it has been believed that there are unequal trading relationships and a trend of dependency on the foreign interests, and the division of labour which ultimately relates to the poor countries in the South to becoming tourism recipients and affluent countries in the North to the position of tourism generators. According to the WTTC, there are some certain reasons for the presence of the travel and tourism which includes the following key areas: * The government should accept the travel and tourism industry as a strategic economic development and employment priority * There has to be a move towards the open and competitive markets which supports the technological advancements and activities and at the same time, the liberalization of air transport and deregulate telecommunications in international markets * The barriers for the growth of tourism has to be eliminated and at the same time, the expansion and improvement of infrastructure has to be done for the growth of the tourism industry in a better manner such as development in the increase of airport capacity, construction and modernization of airports, roads and various other tourist facilities Friedman (2008) In many developed and developing countries, more than two-thirds of the revenue comes from international tourism and now a days, the policies of free trade and investment have been launched for the better liquidity in the market , Smith (2006). The globalization and liberalization of tourism will also bring wealth, progress, social achievements and improved environmental standards. It is also significant that the global guidelines could also have the devastating consequences for local and indigenous communities which are based on the social, cultural and ecological manner. The propensity of the tourism industry towards the unrestricted growth and its commoditization of indigenous cultures must be recognized as clearly unsustainable to the industry. The principles of the  tourism are made not only because it is heavily overshadowed by politics of global players but also, the main concern is that the guidelines are to be adopted by the advocates of sustainable tourism at the level of internationalism and the topic remains vague. The tourism industry is overly euphemistic, Tainter (1996). On the other hand, where the companies related to tourism have scrapped or postponed potentially harmful projects, people should know and acknowledge that the projects are scrapped because of the financial crunch, public and private investments in the cut of environmental protection. Moreover, the overall crisis has also resulted in an upsurge of crime and so many social vices related to tourism industry. Overall effects of Globalization Globalization has so many aspects which have their considerable impact on the industry in so many different ways such as: Industrial – The emergence of worldwide production markets and a wide access to the international products for the companies as well as consumers. These are particularly related to the movement of material and goods for the national boundaries , Vierich (2008). Financial – The emergence of the financial markets and the wide access to the financial markets and the overall access to the external financing for borrowers is important and at the same time, the structures have been grown at a very fast pace than any transnational regulatory regime. Competition – The emergence of the global market have enhanced the productivity of the people and increased competition in the market, Graham (2011) Therefore, the market is becoming worldwide and there are so many companies in the hospitality industry which needs to upgrade their products and utilize the technology skilfully in order to face increased competition. Ecological – The challenges of the global environmental challenges which can be solved by the international cooperation, such as climate change, cross-boundary water and air pollution etc. As there are so many companies which are developed in the countries which have very less environmental regulation, globalism and free trade may increase pollution, Barber (2003). Cultural – The overall growth of cross-cultural diversity in the global world can enhance the advent of new categories of consciousness and identities which embodies cultural diffusion, in the different categories of people. There is a desire which has been developed to raise the standard of  living of people within the country and the new technologies have been adopted and the people are participating in a world culture† for the proper transformation of the culture, Dreher (2008). The multiculturalism has to be speeded so as to access the cultural diversity, Gordon (2004). There are some people who may consider the cultural diversity as a danger, since it may supplant the local culture. But there are also some people who consider the multiculturalism to promote peace and understanding between peoples. Conclusion The globalization has their own benefits and effects on the hospitality industry and the other industries as well. The economies of scale are also equally affected as on the larger market base. And this particular reason cannot be ignored as there are lots of further problems which come after the same problem. The further problems can be intercultural difference, organizational structure and looking for investors. The above mentioned problems can be addressed through intercultural understanding, mixing vertical and horizontal organizational structures and marketing homogenous products to investors within the hospitality industry.

Southwest Airlines Essay Example for Free

Southwest Airlines Essay Background Summary Southwest Airlines based in Dallas was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. It is one of the major domestic airliners which provides carrier and transportation service. This company has 35,499 employees and it runs over 500 Boeing 737 aircraft in 67 cities in the US. Southwest’s principal values are: Providing low-fare and short haul service. Offering the highest quality of customer service. Putting a lot of importance on the fair treatment to its customers. Building friendly relationship between its customers and employees.   Southwest Airlines has achieved a great position in the airline industry by adopting five important strategies. First, using the minor league airports which have helped the company to reduce traffic delays and increase passenger convenience. Second, flying one kind of aircraft has helped it to achieve lower training cost. Third, reducing turn-around time by using point-to-point strategy, has avoided the use of complicated reservation process system. Forth, not offering assigned seating and preferential treatment on frequent fliers, has led the company to have better ticket price. Lastly, emphasis on building good relationship between passengers and attendants has been a well valuable factor. Southwest uses a different kind of reward programs. For instance, the reward for frequent fliers includes free flights according to the number of flights; which means if you fly eight round trips or sixteen one way trips, you will get one free round trip ticket. In addition the company offers free drink coupons, toll-free reservations phone numbers, and credit with a preferred partner, which means if you take fifty round trips in a year, you can designate one person to travel with you for one year. Southwest Airlines main competitors are: Continental Airlines, USAir ways, Delta, United airlines, and American Airlines. As you can see in the table below, the current days have been really challenging for the industry. However Southwest has been able to increase its operating revenues. Southwest decided to go public in 1977 with the ticker symbol LUV. The company gained $11,023 million in 2008, and today its stock price reaches $9.83. Its strategy as an egalitarian company has let the company achieve success. However some frequent passengers have raised some questions about the policy of avoiding preferential treatment for its loyal customers. Major problem The Southwest Airlines major problem is the threat to lose some of its frequent customers. The case illustrates two opposite kinds of frequent passengers: The first one is William Mark, who loves almost everything that Southwest provides such as: the opportunity to come earlier and have a great seat, the absence of meals, and the ticket prices. The other one is Liz Bast, who loves the policy of using minor league airports, but has complaints related to the ways of seat assignment, the rules about upgrading restricted tickets, and she wishes to have preferential treatment, especially because she flies more than 100.000 miles per year. The customers like Liz Bast might be looking for another airliner company. Therefore, Southwest needs to figure out one strategy which helps to avoid this problem. Contributing Factors: The threat to lose some of Southwest’s frequent customers is caused by five factors: Recheck-in baggage: Passengers with connected flight who are going to switch to another airline have to pick up their checked baggage and recheck-in with the next airline. No assigned seats for passengers: Southwest used first-come first-served system in seats assignment, which means people who arrived first will get the better seats. This is an issue because passengers might easily change their preferences and fly with other airlines. For example, Liz Bast is a frequent customer of Southwest Airlines, but because she is always busy she comes late to her flights and the company cannot offer her the seat she wanted. Liz’s problem will be solved if she could book a specific seat and this service is not valid at Southwest Airlines. Rewards count on trips number: there is no credit given to passengers on how many miles they flew, but free flights are offered according to the number of trips taken. Therefore, customers could choose Southwest Airlines for only short flights because the length of flight is not a factor in the company reward system. Restricted fare tickets: Passengers with restricted fare tickets cannot use their tickets if they missed the flight without paying the difference even if they were  frequent customers. This strict policy gives the customers a feeling that the company does not value their business. High competition in the industry: 2001 was so difficult for airlines industry, the Southwest’s competitors might be thinking of attracting its loyal customers for their benefits. Advantages and Disadvantages of Potential Solutions First Solution: Southwest Airlines makes an advertisement campaign, which emphasizes not only its low fare but also high quality customer service. Advantages: It will help increase the company’s image and awareness. If the company construct a good advertisement campaign, it will increase its sales and that will lead to increase the company’s revenue It will be a good communication tool for the company to reach out to its costumers and let them know about the company’s value. Disadvantage: The campaign might increase sales, but it would not give what frequent customers really want. The campaign will be costly and it is possible for Southwest to spend a fortune on it and get a little profit. Second Solution: Southwest changes its policies on seat assignment and ticket restrictions in two ways: By paying $25 extra fee, the customers can choose their seat. For frequent customers, who have flown more than five times per year, there will be no charge on their restricted fare tickets if they miss their flight. Advantage: Using this strategy we think that Southwest might retain costumers who expected to be treated with some priorities or differentiation. Likewise, we consider that with this strategy the company might increase its incomes, and also attract some clients of its competitors. Disadvantage: The company identity will be changed from an egalitarian company to a privilege one. Therefore, this policy might confuse clients about what the  real target is. Recommendation: We suggest the second solution, which is to change the company’s policies on seat assignment and ticket restrictions, for five reasons: First, the main problem will be solved by giving clients, such as Liz Bast, the opportunity to decide their seats with extra fee. In addition, this solution will keep the company’s customers more satisfied and at the same time increasing their loyalty. Second, solution number two will increase the company’s revenues. According to The Wall Street Journal1, by receiving extra fee on assigning seats, Southwest could add seven hundred fifty million dollars ($750.000.000) in its year revenues. Third, if you take a look at first solution, you can see that it will increase the awareness of the company products, offers, and strengthen the company’s image. However, it will bring more costs to the company by spending more money on its advertising campaign Forth, it is a long-term solution. By giving an advantage to the customers who make their reservation earlier, Southwest will strengthen its position among competitors, and the major problem will be solved. Finally, with the second solution, Southwest airlines should focus more on its customers reward system and improve it. Moreover, in a very competitive sector where Southwest operates, it must rely on customer’s loyalty and with such reward system it should attract more customers.

Effect of Wi-fi Radiations on Sperms in Vitro

Effect of Wi-fi Radiations on Sperms in Vitro SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION AND ROS. Omkar Pokharkar, Himanshu Patel, Vidisha Bhatt . ABSTRACT: All around the globe, studies are conducted to determine the effect of Wi-Fi on the quality of sperms both in vivo and in vitro. To determine the level of damage to the sperms in vitro, sperm chromatin dispersion test along with semen analysis was performed to map the motility, vitality, morphology and also the fragmentation in the sperms which are exposed and which are not exposed to radiations emitted by Wi-Fi. It was found after exposing sperm samples to Wi-Fi for long durations in a closed cabin placing sperm samples near Wi-Fi router can affect sperm quality to a great extent, reducing motility of sperms and causing DNA fragmentations in sperms. And unexposed samples were in better condition both in terms of motility and fragmentation. This study proved the ill effects of using Wi-Fi on laptops and mobiles on sperms in vitro. Keywords: Sperms, in vitro, fragmentation, DNA, motility, vitality, Wi-Fi radiations, ROS. INTRODUCTION: Wi-Fi radiations from laptops and mobiles can impair or damage sperms. Motility of the sperms are said to be reduced due to prolong exposure of sperms to radiations emitted by Wi-Fi (Wireless fidelity). This study was carried out to verify that radiations affect sperm motility and damages the DNA causing fragmentation. This experiment is to note the motility, vitality and levels of DNA damage after exposing sperm samples to Wi-Fi for certain period of time. DNA fragmentation is a way to accurately map the sperms with fragmented and non fragmented DNA. Sperms with fragmented DNA disperse no halos and sperms with non fragmented DNA disperse big halos and degrading sperms show small halos. If the radiation from Wi-Fi affects motility, vitality and DNA of spermatozoa it would be revealed after performing standard semen analysis according to the criteria set by WHO[1] and Sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this type of study semen samples from 12 fertile men with no recent history of illness aged 22-29 were obtained in wide mouthed collecting jars during the period of sexual abstinence of 3 days. Each of the 12 Sperm samples were washed by swim up method which has high rate of success in obtaining viable sperms, for removal of debris and dead or immotile sperms and only motile sperms were used. This was to make sure that before exposing the samples to Wi-Fi there were all live sperms with good motility and no pre dead or immotile sperms were present to map accurate changes due to radiations. All 12 samples were subjected to semen analysis as per the criteria of world health organization. Motility, vitality, morphology, and ph was observed and noted down [1], this was done before exposing sperms to radiations. These results were compared to the results obtained after radiation exposure. Motility was calculated by using a formula: 100 X (number of motile spermatozoa)/ (total number o f spermatozoa counted). More than 400 spermatozoa per ejaculate were evaluated for estimation of motility. Each 12 Sperm samples were divided in 3 aliquots of 0.5 ml each and out of three aliquot, 2 aliquots were exposed to Wi-Fi radiations for different periods of time, 1st aliquot was exposed to radiation for 1 ½ hour and second aliquot was exposed for 3 hours. These 2 aliquots were labeled as test and one aliquot was considered as control sample and was kept in different room to avoid any radiations or other factors which would influence sperms. The 0.5ml aliquots of sperm samples were placed in tubes. After exposure of Wi-Fi radiations to sperms the motility, morphology, vitality and ph was observed again and results were recorded. The results from pre exposure and post exposure of sperms to radiations were compared later. The samples were exposed to radiations by keeping the samples in a closed cabin near the router of the Wi-Fi and several laptops and mobiles were kept in cl ose proximity with Wi-Fi enabled also the laptops were downloading and uploading data continuously during the time of exposure to max the radiations[2]. The samples were placed in close range of all laptops, router and mobiles; the distance between samples and Wi-Fi sources was about 1-2 inches. DNA FRAGMENTATION TEST (SCD): Then DNA fragmentation or Sperm chromatin dispersion test was carried out on all samples to check the percentage of DNA fragmentations in samples exposed for 90 minutes (1 ½ hour) and samples exposed for 180 minutes (3 hours) and these outcomes were compared with control samples (sample which was not subjected Wi-Fi or any other factor which will affect sperm). The solidified agarose gel tubes were boiled in water using the float at about 90 0C – 100 0C for 2 minutes so that the gel in the tube liquefies and then cool down the tubes at 37 0C for 5 minutes. Then 40  µ liter of semen sample from control samples was added and mixed with liquefied agarose gel tube, similarly 40  µ liter of semen sample from first test sample (Wi-Fi for 90 minutes) was obtained and was mixed with second agarose gel eppendroff. Again 40  µ liter of sample from second test sample (Wi-Fi for 180 minutes) was extracted and mixed with third agarose gel eppendroff. These 3 tubes represent the con trol and test sample suspensions respectively. Three pre coated slides were used to study and compare between 1 control sample (not exposed to Wi-Fi) and 2 test samples with varying periods of exposure to radiations. Then 150  µ liter of suspension from control tube was obtained with micropipette and placed on the coated slide and was covered with a cover slip. Similarly 150  µ liter of suspension from first test sample was obtained with micropipette and placed on second slide and was covered with cover slip. Again 150  µ liter of suspension from second test sample was obtained and placed on the third coated slide. These 3 slides were prepared simultaneously, air bubbles were avoided and the slides were transferred to a fridge to maintain the temperature around 40C–80C for 5 minutes. This step helps in solidification of gel on the slide. Then after 5 minutes, slides were obtained from fridge and the cover slips from the 3 slides were removed carefully such that gel inte grity is not affected. Then the slides were placed on even surface and was overlaid with 1 ml of acid denaturant each and was incubated at 22 0C for about 7 minutes and the solution was drained completely after 7 minutes. Then next step was to overlay 1 ml of lysis solution each on all 3 slides and was incubated for 20 minutes at room temperature. After 20 minutes the lysis solution was drained completely. Lysis solution possesses a pungent odor. Then all 3 slides were washed in slanting position with 20 ml distilled water with help of syringe or a dropper. In the next step all the 3 slides were sequentially dehydrated using dehydrating solution 1, 2, and 3 provided in the kit. Then the slides were allowed to air dry for few minutes. In this time period working stain was prepared using stain solution and stain dilution buffer. Working Stain was prepared by taking 400  µ liter of stain solution and mixing it with 100  µ liter of stain dilution buffer in a dilution tube. So for 3 slides the stain was prepared 3 times. This working stain must be used within 1 hour of preparation. After air drying all 3 slides, 200 -300  µ liter of working stain was overlaid each on all 3 slides representing control and test slides respectively. Then the slides were rocked by tilting in to and fro directions for 3 minutes to maintain even distribution of stain over the slide. After 3 minutes the slides were washed by dipping and moving in a couplin jar or a beaker filled with tap water. Then the slides were kept in slanting position to air dry. This marks the end to the procedure for making sperm DNA fragmentation slides of both control and test samples. Sperm DNA fragmentation was calculated by formula: 100 X (Number of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA)/ (Total number of spermatozoa counted) [3]. More than 500 spermatozoa per ejaculate were evaluated for estimation of sperm DNA fragmentation [3]. This study took around 25 days for completion (6th January – 31st Januar y, 2015). RESULTS: Normal Semen analysis of 12 samples before exposing it to Wi-Fi radiations showed motility percentage around (72  ± 4.18) and after exposure to radiations for 90 minutes the motility rate decreased to about (65  ± 3.2) and the samples exposed to 180 minutes showed further decrease in motility percent which ranged (56  ± 2.89). Similarly vitality percentage of all 33 sperm samples before exposure was about (71  ± 4.07) and after exposure for 90 minutes it shifted to (61  ± 5.78). And also samples exposed for 180 minutes indicated a decrease in vitality ranging from (48  ± 7.98). Morphology defects due to radiations were prominent when compared to the samples not exposed to Wi-Fi. Defective mid piece and several head defects were significant in test samples. On the other hand ph was not affected by radiations and was in the range of 7.2 -8.0 for both test and control samples before and after exposure. Table I. showing differences in sperm motility as the time duration of radiation exposure increased: I. A chart showing motility percentages Table II. Showing differences in sperm vitality as the time duration of radiation exposure increases: II. A chart showing vitality percentages. The principle of DNA fragmentation test lies in dispersion of a characteristic halos, which indicates the status of the spermatozoa. If a big halo is dispersed then the DNA of the sperm is not fragmented. On the other hand when small halo is dispersed by a sperm then it is on the verge of fragmentation/degradation and also when no halo is dispersed by sperm then it is a sign of fragmented DNA or the entire sperm is degraded [4]. DNA fragmentation test also known as sperm chromatin dispersion test was carried out for all 12 samples and the slides were observed under bright field microscope, it was revealed that the samples exposed to Wi-Fi radiations showed high percentages of DNA fragmentation. Whereas Sperm samples unexposed to Wi-Fi radiations showed fewer fragmentations. Fragmentation percentages of unexposed samples were in the range of (10  ± 5.11).Test samples exposed to Wi-Fi radiations for 90 minutes revealed (23  ± 6.1) of DNA fragmentations. On the other hand, samples e xposed to Wi-Fi radiations for 180 minutes showed (34  ± 7.04) of DNA fragmentation. Table III. Showing levels of DNA fragmentations caused due to Wi-Fi radiations: III. A chart showing percentage of DNA fragmentation in sperms. CONCLUSION: From the study conducted above it was discovered that Wi-Fi radiations had detrimental effects on sperm motility, vitality and morphology. Semen analysis of 12 samples proved that sperm motility was greatly reduced as the time of exposure to Wi-Fi radiations was increased. Morphological defects in head and mid piece were noticeable after comparing exposed and unexposed samples using bright field microscope and staining the slides with Giemsa stain. Analysis and calculations of DNA fragmentation caused by radiations revealed that the percentage of fragmentation also increased with increase in time of exposure to Wi-Fi. So from the findings mentioned above it was clear that Wi-Fi radiations from laptops and mobiles could cause damaging effects to sperms and could degrade their ability to stay motile and fertilize the egg. DISCUSSION: There is a rapid progress in fields such as electronics and telecommunication, computers etc making mankind smart and advance. First programmable computer was made by Charles Babbage in 1830’s. And later giant computer named â€Å"ENIAC† was built by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania. Now in 21st century with advancement in technology, a new era of computers and laptops have emerged which are much smaller in size and are portable with wireless fidelity also known as Wi-Fi .It was long known that Wi-Fi radiations had the potential to impair sperm’s ability to function properly and could reduce the fertility of men habituated to use laptop and mobile Wi-Fi for long periods of time and almost every day. This experiment was a recreation of the situation in which sperms get exposed to radiations when an individual works on his laptop or mobile with Wi-Fi enabled. However, this was an artificial way to map the effects of radiations on sperms in vitro. In in vivo, effects of radiations must be much different than the results obtained when performed in vitro. The layers of testes acts as protective covering which absorbs much of the radiations and shields sperms from the devastating effects of radiations but only to some extent where as in in vitro there was not enough biological protection to sperm samples and were little more susceptible to the radiations. The samples placed in tubes were exposed to radiations by keeping the sample tubes in a closed cabin near the router of the Wi-Fi and several laptops (hp, dell and Acer) and mobiles (NOKIA, Samsung) were kept in close proximity (1-2 inches) with Wi-Fi enabled (3G) and also the laptops were downloading and uploading data continuously during the time of exposure to max out the radiations [2]. Samples were not placed beneath the laptop to avoid getting a combined effect of heat and Wi-Fi radiations on sperms because the study was purely about radiations and no t heat + radiations. However, keeping samples beneath laptop with Wi-Fi would mimic a person keeping laptop on his lap. But other factors such as heat would also contribute in DNA fragmentation which was undesirable in this study. It was possible to place the samples beneath the laptop with air conditioner turned on to maintain the temperature under the laptop as equal to room temperature (25-27 0C) even if the laptop generates heat [2]. But In this study, we completely eliminated the chance or risk of other factors which would influence the results. The study was focused only on effect of radiations. The results of this study were quite intimidating. From studies conducted around the world it is scientifically proven that laptops generating heat and Wi-Fi generating radiations for longer periods of time can affect fertility of men and mobiles or cell phones will do the same.[2][5][6][7][8][9][10]. So it is advisable to minimize the time span for usage of Wi-Fi and the connection mu st be disabled/turned off when not in use avoiding radiations and also laptops must be kept on working desks or tables during the use, avoiding the excess heat emitted by laptops which comes in close contact with testes or pelvis area. AKNOWLEDGEMENT: This material is based on the work supported by the Stem cure private ltd, centre for reproductive medicine and stem cell development, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; authors want to say thanks to, Mrunmayee Pande and Ramesh Parmar for assistance, Madhuri Patel for helpful input, Sejal Patel for technical support. Words are inadequate in offering thanks to the entire team of stem cure for encouragement and co-operation in carrying out the research and allowing the use of lab facilities. Authors would also like to thank D.Y. Patil University, school of biotechnology and bioinformatics, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, India. REFERENCES: [1] WHO. (1999). Laboratory manual for examination of human semen and spermcervical mucus interactions (4 ed.). Cambridge, East Anglia, United kingdom: Canmbridge university press. [3] Akira Komiya, T. K. (2014, august 4). Clinical Factors Associated with Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Male Patients with Infertility. (A. E. Calogero, Ed.) The scientific world journal, 2014, 11.

Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Born in Monroeville, Alabama, on April 28, 1926, Nelle Harper Lee is the youngest of three children of Amassa Coleman Lee and Francis Lee. Before his death, Miss Lee's father and her older sister, Alice, practiced law together in Monroeville. When one considers the theme of honor that runs throughout Miss Lee's novel, it is perhaps significant to note that her family is related to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a man especially noted for his devotion to that virtue. Miss Lee received her early education in the Monroeville public schools. Following this, she entered the University of Alabama to study law. She left there to spend a year in England as an exchange student. Returning to the university, she continued her studies, but left in 1950 without having completed the requirements for her law degree. She moved to New York and worked as an airline reservation clerk. Character It is said that Miss Lee personally resembles the tomboy she describes in the character of Scout. Her dark straight hair is worn cut in a short style. Her main interests, she says, are "collecting the memoirs of nineteenth century clergymen, golf, crime, and music." She is a Whig in political thought and believes in "Catholic emancipation and the repeal of the corn laws." Sources Of To Kill A Mockingbird Among the sources for Miss Lee's novel are the following: (1) National events: This novel focuses on the role of the Negro in Southern life, a life with which Miss Lee has been intimately associated. Although it does not deal with civil rights as such - for example, the right to vote - it is greatly concerned with the problem of human dignity - dignity based on individual merit, not racial origin. The bigotry of the characters in this novel greatly resembles that of the people in the South today, where the fictional Maycomb County is located. (2) Specific Persons: Atticus Finch is the principal character in this novel. He bears a close resemblance to Harper Lee's father, whose middle name was Finch. In addition to both being lawyers, they are similar in character and personality - humble, intelligent and hard-working. (3) Personal Experience: Boo Radley's house has an aura of fantasy, superstition, and curiosity for the Finch children. There was a similar house in Harper Lee's childhood. Furthermore, Miss Lee grew up amid the Negro prejudice and violence in Alabama.

Greek Actors :: essays research papers

GREEK DRAMA: the actors The actors in ancient tragedies were hired and paid by the state and assigned to the tragic poets probably by lot. By the middle of the fifth century three actors were required for the performance of a tragedy. In descending order of importance of the roles they assumed they were called protagonist ‘first actor’ (a term also applied in modern literary criticism to the central character of a play), Dueteragonist ‘second actor’ and tritagonist “third actor’. The protagonist took the tile of the most important character in the play while the other two actors played the lesser roles. Since most plays have more than two or three characters (although never more than three speaking actors in the same seen), all three actors played multiple roles. In modern literary criticism, the term protagonist refers to the central character of the play, not the actor. Since women were not allowed to take part in dramatic productions, male actors has to play female roles. The playing of multiple roles, both male and female, was made possible by the use of masks, which prevented the audience from identifying the face of any actor with one specific character in the play and helped eliminate the physical incongruity of men impersonating women. The masks with subtle variations also helped the audience identify the sex age and social rank of the characters. The fact that the chorus remained in the orchestra throughout the play, and sang and danced choral songs between the episodes. Allowed the actors to exit after an episode in order to change mask and costume and assume a new role in the next episode without any illusion-destroying interruption in the play.

Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education As a future educator, there are many pieces of knowledge that I hope to impart on my future students. I also believe that there are many different ways in which to give this knowledge. I relate myself mostly with the Social Re-Constructionists. They believe in a wide curriculum, covering more than the basics, which I feel is very important. One thing that I do find very important is practical educational experiences. As an elementary teacher, I will not get to see this put to much use, but I hope that my students will have future opportunities to complete internships, work-studies, and many other opportunities along those lines. I am also a very optimistic person when it comes to children and their abilities to learn. I firmly believe that every child can learn just as much as another, they just need to go at their own pace and level. Today, too many teachers pass off children that learn slower as problems in their classroom. This is simply not the truth; everyone should have equal opportunities to learn. I believe in giving children feed back. After they complete a test, I want to give them stickers and smiles for good grades, and sit down and talk with them about bad ones in order to see what we can do to fix the problem. I also want to be in constant contact with the parents, no matter how bothersome they are. I also enjoy change. It keeps things from becoming boring and repetitive. I would welcome other teachers and parents ideas to change my classroom and the way I run it. I feel that too many people disagree with my philosophies, when they are things I feel like every teacher should believe in. These are the reasons I want to be an educator. I want to give kids a chance that may not have had one. I want children who have been told they are stupid to realize that it is the other person’s insecurities, not their own problems. That is why I want to teach; I want to teach children that no matter what they want to do, they can do it. My classroom will be very democratic. Everything, except for the basic rules, will be discussed with my students.

There is nothing like “Diminishing returns” in the real world

The Law of Diminishing Returns states that increasing one variable input, while keeping the rest of the variables constant, will eventually yield a result opposite the intended purpose of the variable change. The change will rise at first, reach peak and will eventually skew downwards sooner or later (Tutor2u Website). In economics, when marginal physical product (MPP) starts to decline, diminishing returns to labor occurs. This means that total output will increase at a decreasing rate when more workers are employed. Eventually a decline in marginal product leads to a fall in average product. What accounts for this decline in MPP?The answer lies in the ratio of labor to other factors of production. For instance, a third worker begins to crowd the facilities available. We still have only the one sewing machine. Two people cannot sew at the same time. As a result, some time is wasted, as the operators wait for their turns at the machine. Even if they split up the various jobs, there w ill still be some downtime, since measuring and cutting are not as time-consuming as sewing. In this sense, we cannot make full use of a third worker. The relative scarcity of other inputs (capital and land) constrains the marginal physical product of labor (Schiller 2005, 90-91).Eventually, if we add more workers, this will cause so much congestion that marginal product would become negative and total product would decline. At the extreme, the addition of more and more labor would exhaust all the standing room available and total product would fall to zero. Another example of this is when applying higher amounts of fertilizer in a tract of land, a farmer expects higher yields during harvest time. But, there is just one point that even though you will apply more fertilizer in your soil, the total number of yield will just be the same, if not decreasing slowly.In the real world, the concept of diminishing returns is practically applicable in all aspects of life, not only in economics , where resources are available. For example, if you like pizza, I’ll give you two slices of pizza. That would taste great at first. However, when I require you to eat three whole boxes of pizza, there is this nth number of slice where you would give up eating pizza because you already have enough. If you do not stop eating, chances are: you are going to throw up.Diminishing returns, is supposedly the economic equivalent of negative feedback, which argue that market demand decreases at a point where the need becomes saturated. The initial sales of a new car model stir up considerable market interest; subsequent sales generate increasingly less interest. At some point, the market for that car stabilizes. A glass of lemonade after a round of tennis on a hot day would be quite important to you, and you would probably be glad to pay a child at a lemonade stand, say, a dollar for it. However, the next glass is of less value to you and the third glass, even lesser.The Law of Dimini shing Returns favor no time, person, or place as they allow no particular advantage except the advantage that assure the â€Å"free market† principle. Diminishing returns impede unnatural growth and prevent any given system from monopolizing environmental resources. Thus, there is plenty of opportunity to go around. This means there are chance for everybody: with hard work and intelligence, any child who is born a citizen of the United States can become president; any mom and dad could do business to own huge corporation, and any town can become a Silicon Valley.

Case Study Jane

After reading about Jane I have learned she associates fear with love due to events earlier in her life. No matter how hard Jane tried to impress her father she was never good enough. As Jane grows older her father no longer hits her but instead uses money as his form of abuse. As you read you learn that she later marries a man who displays the same behaviors as her father. Jane forgives him because she associates this behavior as love. Unless Jane recalls what her aunt tried to associate love with she will continue to let herself be preyed on by both her father and her husband. As a result if Jane continues to live the way she is Jane’s unborn child will most likely be a submissive woman or an abusive man. Through the cognitive perspective we see that Jane thinks of the behaviors displayed by her father as love. As time goes on she appears makes little to no effort to change her thought. Because for so long she has thought that these actions are displays of love. Which in turns Jane allows her husband to do the same things as her father did through out her life, because she believes it to be a display of love. Through the behavioral perspective we see that Jane’s likely to continue to forgive her father and husband for there abuse. In turn she is rewarded with money in most cases. This could be the cause of her behavioral actions following the abuse, because she knows she will continue to receive money from her abusers. Through the psychodynamic perspective we learn that Jane’s childhood greatly impacted her life as an adult allowing the same situations to continue even after she has moved away from her father. This causing her to allow her husband to display the same behaviors and she does nothing to change them. The motivation of allowing the acts to continue could possibly be the money that is received after the abuse which she also considers a display of love.

Australian English

1. Australian English (AusE, AuE, AusEng, en-AU) is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language. Australian English began to diverge from  British English soon after the foundation of the  Colony of  New South Wales in  1788. The history of Australian English starts with kangaroo (1770) and Captain James Cook’s glossary of local words used in negotiations with the Endeavour River tribes. The language was pidgin. 2. Varieties of Australian English. Most linguists consider there to be three main varieties of Australian English.These are ? Broad; ? General; ? Cultivated Australian English. General Australian English is the  stereotypical variety of Australian English. It is the variety of English used by the majority of Australians and it dominates the accents found in contemporary Australian-made films and television programs. Examples include actors  Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman,  Nicole Kidman. 3. Broad Australian English is the  archetypal and most recognizable variety. It is familiar to English speakers around the world because of its use in identifying Australian characters in non-Australian  films  and  television  programs.Examples include television personalities  Steve Irwin and  Dame Edna Everage, Pauline Hanson. 3. Cultivated Australian English has many similarities to  British  Received Pronunciation, and is often mistaken for it. Cultivated Australian English is now spoken by less than 10% of the population. Examples include actors  Judy Davis, Robert Hughes,  Geoffrey Rush. 4. The aboriginal vocabulary, which is one of the trademarks of Australian English, included billabong (a waterhole), jumbuck (a sheep), corroboree (an assembly), boomerang (a curved throwing stick), and budgerigar (from budgeree, â€Å"good† and gar, â€Å"parrot†). . The number of Aboriginal words in Australian English is quite small and is confined to the namings of plants (like bindieye and calombo), trees (like boree, banksia, quandong and mallee), birds (like currawong, galah and kookaburra), animals (like wallaby and wombat) and fish (like barramindi). 6. As in North America, when it comes to place-names the Aboriginal influence was much greater: with a vast continent to name, about a third of all Australian place-names are Aboriginal. The Aborigines also adopted words from maritime pidgin English, words like piccaninny and bilong (belong).They used familiar pidgin English variants like talcum and catchum. The most famous example is gammon, an eighteenth-century Cockney word meaning â€Å"a lie†. 7. Non-aboriginal Vocabulary. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Australian population were either convicts, ex-convicts or of convict descent. The convict argot was called â€Å"flash† language, and James Hardy Vaux published a collection of it in 1812, the New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the F lash Language. Most of the words and phrases Vaux listed remained confined to convict circles and have not passed in the main stream of Australian English.There are a few exceptions, of which the best known is swag meaning â€Å"a bundle of personal belongings† in standard Australian. Swagman, billy, jumbuck, tucker-bag and coolibah tree are early Australianisms. 8. The roots of Australian English lie in the South and East of England, London, Scotland and Ireland. To take just a few examples, words like corker, dust-up, purler and tootsy all came to Australia from Ireland; billy comes from the Scottish bally, meaning â€Å"a milk pail†. A typical Australianism like fossick, meaning â€Å"to search unsystematically†, is a Cornish word.Cobber came from the Suffolk verb to cob, â€Å"to take a liking to someone†. Tucker is widely used for â€Å"food†. Clobber has Romany roots and is originally recorded in Kent as clubbered up, meaning â€Å"dressed u p†. 9. Some elements of Aboriginal languages, as has already been mentioned, have been incorporated into Australian English, mainly as names for the indigenous flora and fauna (e. g. dingo, kangaroo), as well as extensive borrowings for place names. Beyond that, very few terms have been adopted into the wider language.A notable exception is Cooee (a musical call which travels long distances in the bush and is used to say â€Å"is there anyone there? †). Although often thought of as an Aboriginal word, didgeridoo/didjeridu (a well-known wooden musical instrument) is actually an onomatopoeic term coined by an English settler. 10. Australian English has a unique set of diminutives formed by adding -o or -ie (-y) to the ends of (often abbreviated) words. There does not appear to be any particular pattern to which of these suffixes is used.Examples with the -o ending include abo (aborigine – very offensive), aggro (aggressive), ambo (ambulance office), arvo (afternoo n), avo (avocado), bizzo (business), bottleo (bottle shop/liquor store), compo (compensation), dero (homeless person), devo (deviant/pervert), doco (documentary), evo (evening), fisho (fishmonger), fruito (fruiterer) 11. arbo (garbage collector) vejjo (vegetarian) gyno (gynaecologist), journo (journalist), kero (kerosene), metho (methylated spirits), milko (milkman), Nasho (National Service –military service), reffo (refugee), rego (vehicle registration), Salvo (member of the Salvation Army), servo (service station/gas station), smoko (smoke or coffee/tea break), thingo (thing, whadjamacallit), 2. Examples of the -ie (-y) ending include aggie (student of agricultural science) Aussie (Australian) barbie (barbeque), beautie (beautiful) bikkie (biscuit), bitie (biting insect), blowie (blowfly), bookie (bookmaker), brekkie (breakfast), brickie (bricklayer), Bushie (someone who lives in the bush), chewie (chewing gum), chokkie (chocolate), Chrissie (Christmas), exy (expensive) 13 . reenie (environmentalist), kindie (kindergarten), lippy (lipstick), vedgie (vegetable) mozzie (mosquito), oldies (parents), possie (position), postie (postman), prezzie (present), rellie (sometimes relo – relative), sickie (day off sick from work), sunnies (sunglasses), surfy (surfing fanatic), swaggie (swagman), trackies (track suit), truckie (truck driver), 14. Occasionally, a -za diminutive is used, usually for personal names. Barry becomes Bazza, Karen becomes Kazza and Sharon becomes Shazza. There are also a lot of abbreviations in Australian English without any suffixes. Examples of these are the words beaut (great, beautiful), deli (delicatessen), hoon (hooligan), nana (banana), roo (kangaroo), uni (university) ute (utility truck or vehicle) 15. American Influence.In the middle of the century, the hectic years of the gold rush in Australia drew prospectors from California to the hills of New South Wales, bringing with them a slew of Americanisms to add to the Aust ralian lexicon. The invasion of American vogue words marked the beginning of tension in Australia between the use of British English and American English. 16. Should an Australian say biscuit or cookie, nappy or diaper, lorry or truck? The answer seems to be that Australian English, like its British ancestor (and like Canadian English), borrows freely according to preference, but on the other hand the British influence is much greater in Australia than in Canada. So Australians get water from a tap not a faucet, but tend to ride in elevators as well as lifts. 17. Their cars run on petrol not gas, but they drive on freeways not motorways.American influence is evident in such words as caucus (in politics), sedan (BrE saloon), station wagon (BrE estate car), truck (BrE lorry), high school (BrE secondary school). On the other hand British English influence is evident in class (AmE grade), cinema (AmE movies), boot (AmE trunk). With foodstuffs Australian English tends to be more closely related again to the British vocabulary, e. g. biscuit for the American cookie. 18. However, in a few cases such as zucchini, snow pea and eggplant Australian English uses the same terms as the Americans, whereas the British use the equivalent French terms courgette, mange-tout and do not care whether eggplant or aubergine is used.This is possibly due to a fashion that emerged in mid-nineteenth century Britain of adopting French nouns for foodstuffs, and hence the usage changed in Britain while the original terms were preserved in the (ex-)colonies. (For some uncertain reason, Australia uses the botanical name capsicum for what both the British and the Americans would call (red or green) pepper. ) Finally, the oddest of all borrowings from America is kangaroo court. 19. Australian English Worldwide. In the 1980s Australian English has hit the international headlines. Films like Gallipoli and My Brilliant Career have won critical acclaim and found large audiences in the United Kingd om and the United States. The â€Å"New Australians† (Turks, Yugoslavs, Sri Lankans and Italians) influenced on the language (pizza, kebab).There is not and cannot be any doubt that there is a great respect for Australian English in the English-speaking world. 20. [pic] 21. Australian Vocabulary These are the best-known Australianisms in the English-speaking world. [pic] 22. [pic] 23. Australia, Great Britain, and America all speak the same language, but you simply have to visit each country to realize that, while they all speak English, it is far from a universal language. The English spoken in Great Britain, America, and Australia has many similarities, but a surprising number of differences as well. The main reason for this is the vast distance between each country.Here are some of the common differences you will find between these three versions of English. Pronunciation between the three types of English is very dissimilar. †¢ In American English the â€Å"r† at the end of the word almost always affects its pronunciation, whereas in Australian and British English the â€Å"r† is often silent. 24. Also, the emphasis placed on the syllables of the word varies from British, Australian, and American English. In Britain, the world adult has the emphasis on the first syllable, whereas in America it is placed on the second half of the word. Australian English is unique in the fact that many words have sounds that are eliminated. †¢ Instead of saying good day, the Australian speaker says g'day.The main pronunciation difference between the three, however, is the pronunciation of the vowel sounds. 25. Differences in Spelling Not only do the three types of English sound different, but they are also spelled differently. In some ways, the spelling reflects the difference in pronunciation. o For instance, Americans use the world airplane to refer to a flying mode of transportation. o In Great Britain, the word is aeroplane, and it is pr onounced with an audible â€Å"o† sound. o Another common difference in spelling is aluminium, which is the UK spelling, and aluminum, the US spelling. Again, the difference shows the difference in pronunciation of the two words.In this instance the Australian spelling is the same as the UK spelling. 26. Another common spelling difference between UK English and American English is the use of -our verses -or at the end of the word. ? For instance, in the UK, colour, flavour, honour, and similar words all end in -our, whereas in America they are spelled with the -or ending (color, flavor, honor). In Australia, the -our spelling is almost universal. 27. Similarly, the endings -re and -re are different between the different English dialects. In America you will go to the theater or fitness center, whereas in Britain you will visit the theatre or fitness centre. Again, Australian English follows the British pattern. 28.There are other common spelling differences as well. For insta nce, in American English, words that sound as though they end with an -ize will always end in an -ize. However, in UK English, they typically end in ise (i. e. realize, realise). Also, British English often doubles consonants when adding a suffix when American English does not, such as in the world traveller. 29. Interestingly, the three languages also have distinct vocabularies. For instance, the â€Å"hood† of a car is called the â€Å"bonnet† in Australia and Britain. Australia has several terms that are not used in either of the other countries, such as â€Å"bloke† (man) and â€Å"arvo† (afternoon).Also, Australians use some phrases that are combinations of British and American terms, such as â€Å"rubbish truck. † Rubbish is commonly used in the UK, and truck is commonly used in America. 30. Grammar As with American English, but unlike British English, collective nouns are almost always singular in construction, i. e. the government was unab le to decide as opposed to the government were unable to decide. Shan't and the use of should as in I should be happy if†¦ , common in British English, are almost never encountered in Australian English. 31. While prepositions before days may be omitted in American English, i. e. She resigned Thursday, they must be retained in Australian English: She resigned on Thursday. Ranges of dates use to, i. e.Monday to Friday, as with British English, rather than Monday through Friday in American English. 32. River follows the name of the river in question as in North America, i. e. Brisbane River, rather than the British convention of coming before the name, e. g. River Thames. When saying or writing out numbers, and is inserted before the tens and units, i. e. one hundred and sixty-two, as with British practice. However Australians, like Americans, are more likely to pronounce numbers such as 1200 as twelve hundred, rather than one thousand two hundred. As with American English, on th e weekend and studied medicine are used rather than the British at the weekend and read medicine. [pic] [pic]

Hybrid technology: shaping society’s future Essay

An Introduction to Hybrid Cars According to TechFaq, A hybrid car depends on two kinds of engines for propulsion power. Most hybrid cars available today use a combination of gasoline and electric engines while some use a combination of diesel and electric engines. Traditional gasoline-powered cars derive their propulsion power from combustion of gasoline. The combustion of gas produces the energy needed to turn the transmission as well as the wheels. Unfortunately, although fossil fuels still delivers the most power per pound, their by-products are harmful to the environment. Fossil fuels are also non renewable resources so as they became more scarce, their prices continued to rise. Electric-powered cars, on the other hand, have a set of powerful batteries for powering the electric motor which in turn rotates the transmission and turns the wheels. Although their by-products are almost pollution free, electric powered cars take a lot of time to recharge and are generally slow. A hybrid car combines the strengths of each type of engine. It produces less pollution and it is more economical than the conventional car while still being more powerful than electric powered cars. Its Components The components of a hybrid car are a fuel tank for the gasoline engine, a cutting-edge gasoline engine that is much smaller, more efficient and produces less pollution than usual gasoline engines, an electric motor/generator which can either draw energy from the batteries to power the car or charge the batteries while the car is slowing down, a set of batteries which acts much like the fuel tank for the electric motor, and the transmission which turns the wheels. It also has Regenerative Braking, Temporary Engine Shut-off, and other features like minimal-drag tires, carbon fiber, and other lightweight materials to reduce overall weight and state of the art aerodynamic designs for the body. All these things make it easier for a hybrid car to drive up inclines and accelerate, attain higher speeds as well as minimize fuel consumption and emissions (TeqFaq). Hybrid Cars and their Effects on Society Sky-high oil prices and an increased awareness of the energy and global-warming crises are helping fuel the hybrid’s gradually increasing visibility, wrote Donaldson-Evans of Fox News. â€Å"It’s part of the popular culture now. You are going to see more offerings,† said Aaron Robinson, technical editor at Car and Driver Magazine. â€Å"Car companies that do not offer hybrids will be seen as behind. † Its Effects on the People’s Buying Habits: According to the Donaldson-Evans report, with gasoline now being sold at higher than $3-a-gallon in much of the U. S. , hybrids are certainly getting more attention than ever before in their short lifespan. (Those sold in the United States are all less than 10 years old. )Almost every major car company that does business in America is offering hybrids or has them in the works. â€Å"Fuel is only going to get more expensive,† Robinson said. â€Å"People are changing their buying habits as a result. † Toyota has also pledged to make a total of one million hybrid cars by the end of the decade. â€Å"The hybrids have been profitable since very early on,† said Toyota Motor Sales U. S. A. spokesman Wade Hoyt. â€Å"We’re not losing money on it. It’s not a charity operation. We see the market as expanding. † Its Effects on the Car Industry The Japanese car manufacturer isn’t the only game in town when it comes to autos powered by gas and electric batteries, however. Ford Motor Company (F) offers the For Escape and the Mercury Mariner SUVs in the fuel-efficient forms, with plans for Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans to go hybrid by 2008. Ford Motor Co. spokesman Monte Doran said sales of the Escape and Mariner hybrids were up 55 percent in the first five months of 2006. â€Å"Ford is researching many different ways to deliver greener miles to consumers,† Doran said. â€Å"Hybrids are a very important part of that: They deliver amazing improvements in fuel economy without sacrificing performance and utility. † Other car makers with hybrids in the works: Hyundai, Nissan and GM’s Saturn and Chevrolet divisions, according to Robinson. Its Effects on Public Transportation The Fox News report went on by relaying how one Yellow Cab taxi driver in San Francisco has been carting passengers around in a Ford Escape hybrid since 2004 and can’t remember what his life was like in the strictly gas-powered world. â€Å"I love it. I wouldn’t go back to a regular cab,† said Paul Gillespie, the driver representative for the city’s seven-member taxi commission. â€Å"It saved me between $4,000 and $5,000 in gas last year. † Gillespie said San Francisco has between 40 and 50 hybrid taxis on the road, and he hopes to see that number climb steadily. â€Å"You’re just so much less noisy and intrusive and stinky,† he said. â€Å"It’s a win-win situation — you’re putting thousands of dollars in drivers’ pockets in addition to reducing CO2 emissions. † In the hybrid’s early days — around 1999 or 2000 — consumers and automakers were hesitant to latch onto the trend in part because of the fear that the battery would die every so often and be expensive to replace. Robinson believes hybrids will one day become so common and so widely used that they’ll just be another feature drivers can choose, rather than a totally different animal, the way they still seem now. It is expected that more and more public transportation vehicles will be using hybrid technology since it is to those vehicles that stop and go more often that hybrids work best as.