The Supreme Court Essay Example for Free

The Supreme Court Essay The Supreme Court made a ruling in Free Enterprise Fund vs. PCAOB saying that Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) will remain â€Å"fully operative as law† with the exception that The Securities and Exchange Commission will be able to remove at will members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Previously they were not able to and was said to violate the appointment clause of the constitution. This changed job security for its five board members ending a three-year battle between a Nevada firm Beckstead and Watts who sued PCAOB in 2006. The accounting firm declared that it was unconstitutional for SEC to appoint its board members rather than the president giving it to much authority unchecks by executives. However, a decision been made by the courts to meet the plaintiffs at the halfway, pointed out that if was against constitutional policy to remove board members completely it would violate separation of powers principle. The courts rest the power with the president to have complete authority to hire and fire PCAOB members. According to Susan Hackett general counsel, this was an important move because it invalidated the PCAOB appointment process and upheld the SOX Legislation. A power move to allow congress and the president to have ultimate ability to control institutions that possess significant insight of companies. This decision in my opinion opens up a fair market and does not allow larger company to push and over power smaller firms. Board members must go through a screening process so not to have bias authorizes in control. Reference Jaeger, J. (June 28, 2010). High Court Ruling only Tweaks Sarbanes Oxley Act. Enforcement and Litigation, 13. Retrieved from http://www.complianceweek.com

Effective Leadership Essay Example for Free

Effective Leadership Essay The delegative leadership style creates a comfortable and inviting work environment, however, the level of authority and boundaries become blurred when the superior does not assert their authority within the office. An analysis as to how I can transcend my leadership skills within a work environment is discussed. And Leader X is offered recommendations on altering her office from one that is geared by the opinions and views of employees, to one that follows and adheres to the direction of one individual; the superior. Introduction In order for one to be an effective and efficient leader, they must possess a variety of characteristics. An effective leader should have vast knowledge of their professional field, superior emotional intelligence, and strong managerial and administrative skills. Extraordinary leaders are not solely expected to guide subordinates in the workplace. Their strengths also rely upon how well they follow the guidance and recommendations of others. Further analysis into the makings of a great leader will explain the importance of these characteristics and how it gears a successful career. Exemplary Leadership Qualities Emotional intelligence, strong managerial and administrative skills are just a few characteristics of a leader. However a leader must strongly have these qualities in order to an exemplary leader and direct their employees to achieve the goals set forth for their positions. As a Secretary, I am in charge of a vast amount of administrative tasks within my office. This is the area in which my leadership skills are put to the test. At any given moment, I could be given three to four tasks that are all important and must be completed in a small amount of time. Prioritizing these tasks can be fairly difficult but I am trusted with this responsibility. Leader X has a strong influence on me and how I wish to conduct myself in a position of leadership. Leader X oversees twenty attorneys and four legal support staff. She has a warm and inviting personality. She is punctual and educated in law and litigation. She encourages her staff to have a lot of input into the day to day decisions made within the office. In the text, Colquitt (2011) defines leadership as the use of power and influence to direct the actions of followers. In order for one to effectively lead, they must possess influence over others. Leader X has been employed within the legal field for more than twenty five years. Her knowledge and experience is what qualifies her as a Senior Counsel within her agency. She possesses all the characteristics of my definition of an effective leader. She has a delagative leadership style which slightly damages her ability to make decisions. Organizational Behavior Another aspect of leadership is the employment of power. Power is the ability to influence the actions and behaviors of others. Colquitt (2011) states an effective form of influence is organizational power. Organizational power consists of legitimate, reward and coercive power. Legitimate power is the â€Å"formal authority† a leader has over others. Leader X is a Senior Counsel and has the ability to direct all the attorneys within our section. Her legitimate authority lies within her position and her responsibility to her employees. Reward power is the capability to compensate others for their work and accomplishments. This power influences others to behave in a manner that will enable them to receive awards. These awards may consist of promotions, pay raises and/or public recognition. Coercive power is not rewarding in anyway. Coercive power is the ability to control another’s actions through the threat of punishment. Colquitt (2011) refers to this method of influence as being founded on fear. An employee can be coerced to behave a certain way if they fear they could be demoted, terminated or suspended for failure to perform to their superior’s standards. Leader X influences her employees to work hard and take responsibility for their actions. Her power creates an increase of productivity from her employees. Contingencies of Power Leaders can often times be hindered within the level of power they possess. Colquitt (2011) labels these situations as contingency factors. There are four factors of contingency that could affect the level and quality of work produced under someone’s command. The four contingencies are substitutability, discretion, centrality and visibility. Substitutability is the availability of alternate resources. When the Leader is the only one with access to the resources, no one will possess a higher level of influence over the subordinates. Leader X has control of her employees’ performance reviews. So, Leader X majorly holds the power to influence the employees work results and behavior. Discretion is the leader’s ability to make decisions regarding any given situation. References Anderson, Mae. (2011). Estee Lauder 4Q up but Shares Fall on Weak Outlook. Associated Press. ABC News. http://abcnews. go. com/Business/wireStory? id=14306228 2011 August 15. Retrieved 2012 April 22. Colquitt, J. A. , Lepine, J. A. , and Wesson, M. J. (2011). Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Pennington, Sylvia. (2012). Balancing act at the Top. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www. smh. com. au/executive-style/management/balancing-act-at-the-top-20120424-1xis4. html 2012 April. Retrieved 2012 April 23, 2012. The Staff of the Corporate Executive Board. (2009). The Increasing Call for Work-Life Balance: Work-life balance is now the second most important driver or employee attraction and commitment, says CEB research. Bloomberg Businessweek. http://www. businessweek. com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090327_734197. htm 2009 March 27[-gt;0]. Retrieved 2012 April 22. [-gt;0] http://www. businessweek. com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090327_734197. htm

Graphene Oxide (GO) as Antimicrobial Property

Graphene Oxide (GO) as Antimicrobial Property Over the past several years scientists have studied graphene materials (graphene, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide) for its antimicrobial properties and its future application in the biomedical field. To date, the exact mechanism for why graphene and its derivatives have antibacterial properties has not been fully understood due to experimental design variables. Scientists have agreed that oxidative stress, phospholipid extraction, and nanoknives all play an important role in the antibacterial properties of graphene materials. There are several techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy that have been used to monitor change in morphology and cell death after exposure to graphene and its derivatives. Through these techniques scientist have been able to confirm that graphene materials are able to promote cellular death in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, leading to its promising future also in pharma ceuticals. Graphene is a two-dimensional hexagonal structure, consisting of a basal plane (along the surface) and lateral edges, that are made up of sp2 hybridized carbons which form a conjugated à Ã¢â€š ¬ system. This à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugated system makes graphene very hydrophobic and able to interact with the hydrophobic cell membranes of bacteria. Graphene oxide (GO) is most commonly prepared using the Hummers method, which consists of a multi-step synthesis. First the graphite material is oxidized to form graphite oxide and then this is exfoliated via sonication to form a single layer of material called GO. Through the oxidation process oxygenated functional groups are introduced into the basal surfaces and lateral edges of GO. On the basal surface of GO, the functional groups of epoxides and hydroxyl groups are present, whereas, the larger groups such as carboxyl and carbonyl groups form along the lateral edges. It is important to note that with the introduction of the oxygenat ed functional groups, the basal plane and lateral edges will need to adopt sp3 hybridized carbons, which results in the formation of defect regions where the à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugated system is broken. The presence of these defects will be explored in more detail below as these areas are critical in the antibacterial properties of GO. In the literature, GO and other graphene materials have demonstrated through both physical and chemical mechanisms they have the ability to reduce bacterial cell count of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria1. Several pivotal studies have been conducted in order to determine the key mechanism behind the antibacterial properties of GO. Nada et.al studied the antibacterial mechanisms using Raman spectroscopy2, Zhang et.al studied the antibacterial activity using mass spectroscopy3, and Yusong et.al examined the effects of extraction of phospholipids from E-coli by graphene nanosheets4.These studies have led to the development of several mechanisms including the cutting of the membrane wall by the sharp edges of the defect sites (nanoknives), phospholipid extraction and oxidative stress. The various experiments to date regardless of experimental design demonstrated that it is not a single mechanism that is responsible for the antibacterial properties of GO but rather a combinat ion of several mechanisms that can contribute to the overall antibacterial properties. Ultimately, it is the breakdown in the cell membrane that causes intracellular leakage of vital proteins, nucleic acids, and cytoplasmic material that results in the loss of reproduction and cell death. The cutting mechanism also referred to in the literature as nanoknives is one of the most important mechanisms that lead to the antibacterial properties of GO. The sharp lateral edges of GO are able to penetrate into the cell membranes inner and outer layer. This leads to the loss of cell membrane integrity and leakage of intracellular materials such as the cytoplasm, nucleic acids, proteins and amino acids. Nada et al used a variety of techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe the cellular changes (deformation or loss of cell membrane integrity) of bacteria, such as E Coli when exposed to varying concentrations of GO material. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine how E.coli reacts to an increasing concentration of GO. From the research done by Nada and team the bands with the greatest change were those of adenine (a nucleic acid) (729cm-1), the S-S stretching vibrations (490cm-1) of the disulphide bonds (found on the surface of the cell) and the amide group (found in proteins) bending vibration at 610cm-1.2 The intensity of each of these bands increased with the increase in GO concentration. This positively confirms that GO had penetrated into the cell membrane, causing the loss integrity and allowing the intracellular material such as adenine and other proteins to leak from the cell. Once this material was leaked from the cell, its vib rational absorption increase the signal in the Raman spectrum intensified. The examined the effects of GO on E. coli using SEM was used to observe the morphological changes in cells after exposure to GO. Figure 1 below, shows the morphological effects on E. coli with increasing GO concentration2. Image A represents the control of E. coli cells. In image B, E. coli was treated with low concentration of GO causing morphological changes seen by the distortion (flattening or squishing) of the rod shape. As the concentration of the GO treatment increases the sharp edges of the GO material are able to penetrate into the cell membrane (as seen in the red arrow in image c) and lead to a loss of cell membrane integrity resulting in the leakage of the intracellular material. 2 This effect was not isolated to only gram-negative bacteria but also gram-positive bacteria as well, in which the thickness of the cell membrane is different however similar results were observed. Therefore, the thickne ss of the cell membrane does not play a critical role in the nano-knife cutting mechanism as GO was able to penetrate both the inner and outer cell membrane walls. The size of the GO also plays a key role in the cutting ability of GO due to the changes in the basal plane and lateral edges. A study lead by Perreault examined how altering the size of GO changed the cell viability of E. coli. GO sheets were altered by varying the sonication time and power in order to obtain GO sizes ranging from 0.65  µm2 down to 0.01  µm2.5 Using live/dead fluorescence staining it was determined that there was no change in cell viability (%living) when the bacteria was not in contact with GO as shown in the control of figure 2.5 The green dots represents the number of colony forming units (CFU) alive and the red dots are dead CFUs. The smaller sheet size of 0.01  µm2 has significantly lower cell viability (30%) when compared to the 0.65  µm2 sheet (73%).5 This phenomenon is explained by the fact that as the size of the GO material is decreased the amount of defects in the sp2 hybridized carbons of the basal plane and edges increases. T he defects are caused by either the addition of oxygen groups or shrinkage in size that destroys a portion of the basal plane. This effect creates additional sharp edges in both the lateral edges and basal plane leading to more nanoknives that are capable of cutting through the cell membrane. This allows for increase areas of interaction with the bacterial. This was also confirmed using SEM where larger sheet sizes (0.65 µm2) showed very little deformation and almost normal cell structure whereas smaller sheets (0.01  µm2) appeared to be flattened and deformed leading to a compromised cell structure5. It is interesting to note that the amount of surface defects also plays a critical role in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that will create oxidative stress to the cell membrane and additional loss of membrane integrity. Therefore, it is impossible to determine if only the physiochemical mechanism of cutting is the single mechanism that impacts cell viabili ty or multiple mechanisms do. In reality, with smaller GO size the loss of cell membrane integrity and intracellular leakage can be attributed to both the nano-knife effect and oxidative stress due to the increase in defects. This mechanism also has been shown to work in combination with other mechanisms such phospholipid extraction in which after cutting into the cell membrane the phospholipids are better able to be extracted by GO. This effect is due to hydrophobic attraction between the phospholipid tails and the à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugated sp2 carbons of the basal plane. This will be discussed in further details in the later sections. GO is highly hydrophobic due to the à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugation of the basal surface which allows it to interact with the phospholipid layer of the bacterial cell membrane. The oxygenated groups on GO provides a hydrophilic portion of the compound that is able to interact with the polar heads of the phospholipids. Yusong et al performed a detailed experiment on this and showed that extraction of the phospholipid molecules via hydrophobic interactions causes cell membrane deformation and collapse.5 There are two main mechanisms for the extraction of the phospholipids depending on the size of the GO material. With larger GO materials, the nanosheet will lie along the cell membrane causing a disruption of the phospholipid membrane; allow the GO material to embed itself into the lipophilic portions of the membrane1. For smaller GO materials, the sheet will lie perpendicular to the membrane and penetrate through the cell membrane (either partially or completely) via the nano-knife mechanism. This further supports the theory that it is not a single mechanism that allows for the antibacterial properties but a combination of several. The extraction of phospholipids occurs in several steps (see Figure 3). The first step involves a slight shifting of phospholipids due to the docking of the GO nanosheet as described by Yuesong (Image a).4 Next the phospholipid head will begin to break through the cell membrane and climb up the GO sheet (image b). This climbing effect is observed as result of the strong attractive forces between the hydrophobic regions of the basal plane and the hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids. This extraction process will continue until the GO material is covered completely with phospholipids with several layers of phospholipids climbing at the same time (image d). The phospholipids will evenly spread over the surface in such a way that the hydrophobic tails will align with the hydrophobic regions of the basal surface and the polar heads will align with the oxygenated functional groups of GO (images e and f).4 The loss of the phospholipids from the cell membrane causes a loss in membrane dens ity which weakens the cell membrane. Due to the loss of density and the penetration of the GO into the cell, cell membrane integrity is lost resulting in the leakage intracellular fluids. This effect can be seen with the aid of TEM as morphological changes are easily identified using this method of analysis (see figure 4)4. Image A represents the initial state in which no morphological changes have occurred when E-coli was treated with GO.4 Over time as the phospholipid extraction occurs, the cell membrane density will decrease as shown in images b and c seen by the Type B arrows. The last step in the process is when cell integrity is lost and the intracellular material begins to leak. This effect is also observed in the images d-f where the cells are transparent due to loss of the cytoplasm4. This confirms that the phospholipid extraction occurs with the aid of the nanoknives leading to loss in cell viability. Another group of scientist lead by Zhangs used mass spectroscopy to map the metabolites of E-coli before and after exposure to GO.3 A typical mass spectrum of E-coli without GO treatment is shown Figure 5a. The most important peaks are at m/z 306 which corresponds to glutathione (GHS), which is an antioxidant commonly found in E. coli, and the membrane phospholipids phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), at approximately m/z 600-8003. As the concentration of GO increased the overall intensities of the GSH, PE and PG all decreased (see fig 5b). This aligns with the previous studies of Yusong in which the extraction of the phospholipids leads to a decrease in cell membrane density. This was clearly observed by the decrease in signal intensities of both PE and PG. In the mass spec results obtain by Zhangs team there was also a decrease in GSH intensity. GSH is a critical antioxidant found in E. coli and will act as a scavenger for any free oxygen radicals that may be present in the bacterias environment. GSH prevents the oxidative breakdown of the phospholipid membrane that can also lead to a loss of cell membrane integrity and intracellular leakage. This finding confirms the previous hypothesis that there are many mechanisms running in parallel that ultimately attribute to the overall antibacterial properties of GO. In this very example, the nano-knives are able to cut into the phospholipid membrane and start the chain reaction of phospholipid extraction. This extraction causes a decrease in phospholipid density which in parallel with the cutting of the membrane by the nanoknives and oxidative stress leads to a loss in cell membrane integrity. This loss in cell membrane integrity leads to a loss of intracellular material such cytoplasmic mate rial, nucleic acids and proteins.. As demonstrated by the mass spectrum results obtained by Zhang et al, oxidative stress occurs when there is a decrease in antioxidant concentration (such as GSH)3. The consumption of GSH occurs in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are typically composed of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anions (O2*), hydroxyl radical (OH*) or singlet molecular oxygen species(1O2)1. When the antioxidants (such as GSH) are depleted the ROS compounds will then cause oxidation of key lipids in the cell membrane, proteins or even nucleic acids. The formation of the ROS compounds occurs due to the very nature of GO. When graphite is oxidized to form graphite oxide, the basal plane obtains additional defects as the result of the loss of à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugation. This loss of à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugation occurs due to the introduction of the oxygenated functional groups such as epoxides and hydroxyl groups which creates sp3 hybridized carbons. The introduction of the sp3 carbons alters the planer geometry of the basal plane by introducing tetrahedral carbons, creating defects in the lateral edges and basal plane. Additional defects can also be introduced as mentioned in the previous section when the size of the GO material is decreased. As the size of the sheets decreases the ability of the GO to stay as a perfect hexagonal structure also diminishes as the structure gets distorted to accommodate the smaller size. The process of oxidative stress begins with the formation of ROS compounds. Oxygen is absorbed to the surface of the basal plane or lateral edges at the defects sites to form surface oxides. These surface oxides release ROS species in the presence of antioxidants as a result of a redox reaction. In the presence of GSH (an antioxidant found in E. coli), the surface oxides found on GO are reduced by an electron transfer from GSH. Another GSH molecule will then donate a proton to the ROS species, causing its reduction and subsequent release of a water molecule.5 The deprotonated GSH molecule will then react with another GSH molecule to form glutathione disulphide. If GSH is not available, the ROS species will then oxidize the lipids in the cell membrane to form as a lipid peroxide radical causing oxidative stress to the cell membrane. This oxidative stress will continue down the cell membrane until the lipid peroxide radical encounters an antioxidant bound to the cell membrane such as V itamin E. It is important to keep in mind that with an increased amount of free oxygen radicals the extent of oxidative stress increases and the overall cell integrity decreases. As mentioned earlier, the size and shape of the GO plays a key role in determine the extent of the oxidative stress. As the size of the GO material decreases from 0.065 to 0.01 µm2 the amount of surface defects increases. Again this is due to the loss of the conjugation and destruction of the basal plane. With the smaller GO material the presence of additional defects allows for the formation of many more surface oxides that can later be reduced to form ROS compounds. These ROS compounds then will continue to deplete the antioxidants and lead to further lipid peroxidation. This effect will continue until enough oxidative stress exists to cause the membrane to collapse and bacterial death to occur. Perreault and team demonstrated this effect when they examined through Raman spectroscopy and cell viability testing that the size of the GO material plays a critical role in the ability of the material to induce oxidative stress. Figure 6 shows that as the size of the sheet decreases, the amount of disorder due to the defects (D band) increases. Therefore there is a direct correlation to number of defects and the ability of GO to form ROS species that interact with GSH. This is further confirmed with the graph in figure 6a which shows the %loss of GSH decreases with the increase in GO size. Therefore it not only the nanoknives that that are influenced by the size of GO but also oxidative stress due to the adsorbed oxygen and ROS formation. As demonstrated through the various studies conducted by Nada et al, Zhang et.al, and Yusong et al the key antibacterial mechanisms of GO are cutting via nanoknives, phospholipid extraction and oxidative stress that contribute to the overall antibacterial properties of GO. The research to date indicates it is not a single mechanism that creates the antibacterial properties of GO but a combination of all factors. How much antibacterial is dependent on the physical size of GO plays and the number of defects in the basal surface and lateral edges. As the size of GO decreases a larger degree of surface defects forms. These defects play two important roles in the antimicrobial properties of GO. First, an increase in surface defects creates an increase in the number of sharp edges that causes a loss of cellular membrane integrity. Directly, the cell membrane is compromised by the penetration of the nano-knives resulting in intracellular leakage of the cytoplasm, amino acids, proteins and n ucleic acids, Indirectly, once the nano-knives cut into the cell membrane it becomes embedded through attractive force between the hydrophobic tails of the cell membranes phospholipids and basal plane promotes phospholipid extraction. This extraction causes a decrease in cell membrane density which further breaks down the membrane causing additional intracellular leakage of key nucleic acids, cytoplasm and proteins. Lastly, the increase in surface defects of the basal plane increases the presence of reactive oxygen species. These species will react with any antioxidant present in the bacterial cell depleting their levels. Once depleted or reduced, the ROS will cause oxidation of the cell membrane lipids leading to a chain reaction of oxidative stress through the cell membrane. This also will lead to a loss of cell membrane integrity and intracellular leakage of key proteins and nucleic acids responsible for cell growth and replication. Without this material the bacteria cell will di e leading to the antibacterial properties observed in GO. With the development of drug resistant bacteria, new and inventive ways to treat bacterial infections need to be explored. GO with its unique chemical and physical properties show much promise as the next antibacterial treatment. Additional studies need to be conducted to determine the cytotoxicity of GO in animals and humans in order to development new treatment therapies. Zou,X.; Zhang, L.; Wang, Z., Luo, Y. Mechanisms of the Antimicrobial Activities of Graphene Materials. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 2064-2077 Nada, S.S; Yi, D.K; Kim, K. Study of antibacterial mechanisms of graphene oxide using Raman spectroscopy. Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 28443; doi: 10.103,srep28443 Zhang, N.; Hou, j.; Chen, S.; Xiong, C.; Liu, H.; Jin, Y.; Wang, J.; He, Q.; Zhao, R.; Nie, Z.. Rapidly probing antibacterial activity of Graphene oxide by Mass Spectrometry-based metabolite fingerprinting Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 28045; doi: 10.1038,srep28085 Yusong, T.; Lv, M.; Xiu; Huynh, T.; Zhang, M.; Castelli, M.; Liu, Z.; Huang, Q.; Fan, C.; Fang, H.; Zhou, R. Destructive extraction of phospholipids from Escherichia coli membranes by graphene nanosheets. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2013, 8, 594-601, doi:10.1038/nnano.2013.125 Perreault, F.; Fonseca de Faria, A.; Nejati, S.; Elimelech, M. Antimicrobial Properties of Graphene Oxide Nanosheets: Why Size Matters. ACS Nano. 2015, 7, 7226-7236

Essay --

Many students from all over the globe seek to take admission in different universities of USA but unfortunately many are unable to do so due to different problems like financial need, etc. So many different foundations have started funding the international students who are meritorious, talented and due to financial need or some other problem can’t afford to take admission. Scholarships for the Indian Students at any University in USAGiven below are some of the scholarships available for admission in Masters’ degree in any university of USA for the international students. Though the list contains mainly those scholarships for the Indian students in which they are eligible. The scholarships available here are: 1. Fulbright Foreign Students Program in USA This scholarship enables graduate students and young professionals from other countries of the world to research and study in US for a year or more at US universities and institutes. Eligibility: Any international candidate who is holding bachelors’ or equivalent degree is eligible for this scholarship Scholarship Amount: Full funding for the duration of study which includes tuition fees, airfare, living stipend, health insurance, etc. How to Apply: The applications are processed by the bi – national Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies. So the candidates need to apply through the Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies of their home countries, but it must be done before the deadline. For more details visit: http://foreign.fullbrightonline.org/about/foreign-fullbright 2. OFID Scholarship Awards for International Students OFID stands for The OPEC Fund for International Development. This foundation offers scholarship to those international stu... ...ime Minister Obuchi. He actually believed in â€Å"people building the next era†. This scholarship is to support innovative and imaginative post – graduate research in the areas of development. Eligibility: Any international candidates who have completed their bachelors’ or equivalent degree and must be a person of high intellectual promises are eligible. The candidate must be within the age of 40 years. Scholarship Amount: Between $ 6,000 and $ 10,000 in two or three installments How to Apply: All the candidates need to submit the application form along with the documents mentioned in the form before the deadline to the address â€Å"Fellowship Programme Section, UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07†. Also an advance copy may be sent by fax to 33.1.45.68.55.03. For more details visit: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=14635&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

ABC, Inc. Case Study Analysis Essay -- Business management Essays

  ABC, Inc. Case Study Analysis †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction A number of problems were made during the recent hiring process. This case Study is an attempt to identify and recommend ways to improve this process. From the information that has been obtained, I believe that a lack of employee experience and a lack of prior planning and follow up resulted in a failure to accomplish all the tasks necessary to hire the new employees in a timely fashion. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Background Carol Robins, a new campus recruiter for ABC, Inc., in early April he was able to hire 15 new trainees who were destined to work for Monica Carrolls, the operations supervisor. From the interviews that were conducted, it appears that Carl was unable to accomplish all of the tasks necessary so that the new hires could begin work. These tasks included documentation, drug testing, material preparation for the orientation, and facility scheduling. Monica Carrolls did contact Carl on May 15 concerning his process with the hiring process. Other employees had failed to keep the paper copy of the master orientation manual current so that it can be quickly copied. Another factor appears the rapid expansion of the company. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alternatives With more than one problem a major focus on a number of different Solutions, such as, Prior planning by Carl could have eliminated some of the issues; however, Carl’s in experience would probably still have result...

The First Inhabitants of America Essay -- American America History

The First Inhabitants of America The First "Europeans" reached the Western Hemisphere in the late 15th century. Upon arrival they encountered a rich and diverse culture that had already been inhabited for thousands of years. The Europeans were completely unprepared for the people they stumbled upon. They couldn't understand cultures that were so different and exotic from their own. The discovery of the existence of anything beyond their previous experience could threaten the stability of their entire religious and social structure. Seeing the Indians as savages they made them over in their own image as quickly as possible. In doing so they overlooked the roots that attached the Indians to their fascinating past. The importance of this past is often overlooked. Most text or history books begin the story of the Americas from the first European settlement and disregard the 30,000 years of separate, preceding cultural development (Deetz 7). The going theory of the First Americans is the ever-popular land bridge hypothesis, which connected Siberia and Alaska. This is believed to have happened at least twice during the ice ages between 32,000 and 36,000 years ago and, again between 13,000 and 28,000 years ago. This repeated connection took place where the eastern and western hemispheres come the closest to one another. The best illustration that I found explaining the land bridge was the analogy made to a seesaw. On one side being the glaciers and on the other side is sea level. When the glaciers get bigger or "go up" the sea level withdraws or "goes down". Basically when all the earth's water is in the form of snow or ice sea level is lowered. At least 180 feet lower to form that Siberian land connection. Direct proof of this... ... ago, but the way it happened is still uncharted territory". The specific date of the first migration into the Americas is unknown but there was likely more than one. The new discoveries and theories presented have given us a better understanding and more possibilities for the First American then ever before. Bibliography Begley, Sharon. "The First Americans." Newsweek Fall/Win. 1991: 15-20. Begley, Sharon and Andrew Murr. "The First Americans." Newsweek 26 Apr. 1999: 50. Claiborne, Robert. "The First Americans." New York: Time-Life Books, 1973. Dixon, E. James. Quest for the origins of the First Americans. University of New Mexico Press. 1993. Nichols, Johnanna. "The First Americans." Discover Jun. 1998: 24. Owsley, Douglas. "The First Americans." Economist 24 Feb. 1998: 79. Wright, Karen. "First Americans." Discover Feb. 1999: 52.

GAP company information

It was the year of 1969 when man has taken its first step toward the moon and â€Å"Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in US in San Francisco. † The fast change in style between teenagers and adult lead to formation of company name called â€Å"GAP†. From Justa single store In 1969. our story Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in 1969. The reason was simple. Don couldnt find a pair of jeans that fit. They never expected to transform retail. But they did. Guided by humility, compassion and a strong desire to win, the Fishers grew their company thoughtfully. ustomers responded.Today, Gap Inc. Is a leading International specialty retailer with six brands – Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and INTERMIX – more than 3,500 stores and more than 137. 000 employees. We're growing globally, and Just within the last few years, we opened our first stores In china and Italy. we're expanding online shopping to customers, too. T oday, customers in about 90 countries can buy our products. While many things have changed since 1969, the principles on which we were founded have stayed the same: creativity, delivering results, doing what's right and lways thinking of our customers first.Key Facts Founded: 1969, with a single store in San Francisco The original brand that brought American casual style to the world. Founded In 1909 In San Francisco, cap offers Iconic, yet modern clothing and accessories for adults, kids and babies. Gap gives customers the freedom to express their individual sense of style. Brand Includes Gap, GapKids, babyGap, GapMaternity and Gap30dy. Franchise stores: More than 350 stores in locations across Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa Brands: cap Intermix Old Navvy PiperlimeAthleta Headquarters World HQ: San Francisco Bay Area Product Design: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London Store Management, distribution and product manufacturing: Worldwide. Stores Total: More than 3,500 stores worldwide Fun Facts The average cost of a pair of Jeans at Gap in 1969? About $7! Gap's 1988 Individuals of Style campaign was the first time the company specifically hired celebrities as models. In 2004, Banana Republic was among the first sponsors of the Emmy-nominated sleeper hit â€Å"Project Runway. † Gap has about 10 miles of storefront windows around the world. Old Navvy was named after a bar in Paris! Retired New York Times fashion editor Carrie Donovan was tapped to be the â€Å"Old Navvy Lady† in 1997 after Joking in one of her columns that she'd be great for TV spots for the brand. After a wildly successful pilot, Gap Factory Outlet was founded and opened its first store in August 1994. Glenn Murphy is our fourth CEO since our founding in 1969. (Bob Fisher served as interim CEO in 2007 before Glenn was hired. ) Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe can be found on Piperlime. com, where she shares her picks on her favor ite fashions from the site. ? Athleta, which has served women thletes since 1998, opened its first full-sized store in 2011. How They Do Business: From the start, Gap Inc. ‘s story wasn't going to be limited to Just selling Jeans. Doris and Don Fisher made certain that integrity would become a hallmark of their business. As they continue to expand their presence internationally, They're more aware than ever how their decisions affect the communities in which they do business. And their philosophy is simple: They seek to make a positive, lasting impact on the people and in the places where they operate.They listen to their customers around the world, and share their expectations. For hey, that means looking deeper into their supply chain to ensure that they take a responsible path throughout the product lifecycle, from the source to their stores. Financial and Strategic Analysis Company Overview The Gap, Inc. (Gap) is a specialty apparel company. The product line of the company consists of casual apparel care products, accessories and fashion apparel. The company distributes its products through its retail stores, internet and catalog stores. The company is also operates wholesale and franchisee businesses.Gap operates company owned stores in the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan and the I-JK. Financial Performance: The company reported revenues of (U. S. Dollars) USD14,549. OO million during the fiscal year ended January2012, a decrease of 0. 78% from 2011. The operatingprofit of the company was USD 1,438. 00 million duringthe fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 26. 93% from 2011. The net profit of the company was USD 833. 00 millionduring the fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 30. 81% from2011 Share Data THE GAP, INC. , Share Data pnce (USD) as on 01-NOV-2012 35. 5 EPS (USD) Book value per share (USD) 1. 56 5. 68 Shares Outstanding (in million) 533 Performance Chart SWOT Analysts THE GAP, INC. , SWOT Analysts Strengths Weaknesses Strong Liquidity Posit ion Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition Wide Geographic Presence Product Recall Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers Decreasing Comparable Store Sales Opportunities Threats Growing Apparel Market Increasing Online Presence Expansion into New Markets Competitive Environment Changing Consumer Behavior Decreasing Shopping Trips SWOT Analysis – Overview The Gap, Inc. Gap) is a specialty retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories. The I-JK, France, Ireland and Japan. The company also has online and catalog stores. The company's broad product portfolio and brand recognition and wide geographic resence provide strong foundation for its future growth . However, intense competition and changing consumer behavior are the major areas of concern for the company. THE GAP, INC. – strengths Strength – Strong Liquidity Position The company's liquidity position strengthen significantly during the fiscal year 2010.The company recorded current ratio of 2. 19 at th e fiscal year ended 2010, as compared to 1. 86 in 2009. Gap had significant increase in its cash and short term investments during the fiscal year 2010. It recorded cash and short term investments of USD 2573. 00 million in 2010, as compared to USD 1715. 0 million during the fiscal year ended 2009. Moreover the company reported a net change in cash of USD 633. 00 million in 2010, as compared to a negative net change in cash of USD 9 million at the fiscal year ended 2009.This was principally due to increase in cash inflow from operating activities. The company' cash flow from operating activities increased 36. 54% to USD 1928. 00 during the fiscal year ended 2010. Increasing cash and cash equivalent represents the companys ability to fund its business opportunities, working capital needs, meeting short term obligations and other capital requirements in the future. Strength – Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition The company's strong product portfolio and brand recogni tion ensures financial stability through a diversified customer base.Gap through its retail and online stores engaged in providing a wide range of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The company markets its products under the well known brands, namely Gap, Old Navvy, GapKids, babyGap, GapBody, Banana Republic, and Piperlime. Under the Gap brand, the company provides denim, khakis and T-shirts, fashion apparel, accessories and personal care products. The company also provides a wide collection f apparel and accessories under the brand names GapKids and babyGap.Under the Old Navvy brand, the company offers apparel, shoes and accessories for both children and adults. The company also provides casual and tailored apparel, shoes and accessories for men and women under its Banana Republic brand. In addition, the company also offers its products through its websites. The company, through its multiple store banners, caters to a wide range of customers across the world. Stre ngth – Wide Geographic Presence The company's wide geographic presence insulates it from the risk of operating in a single economy. Gap operates 3,082 stores across North America, Europe and Asia.In products across several geographies. The company's franchised stores are located in Bahrain, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Oman, Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia. The company also operates its online stores through www. gap. com, www. bananarepublic. com, www. oldnavy. com, and www. piperlime. com websites. The company's global presence enables it to build its brand image and maintain its strong position in the market.THE GAP, INC. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recall The company's various product recalls not only generate substantial negative publicity about its products and business, but also prevent commercialization of other future prod uct candidates. During April 2010, the company recalled its babyGap Marrakesh and Gap Outlet baby one-piece swimsuits . This recall was mainly due to presence of a halter straps that were manufactured too short causing the plastic ring located at the center of the swimsuit to press against the child's throat and obstruct the airway.This poses a strangulation hazard to the child. Weakness – Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers The company is highly dependent on the vendors outside the US, which may adversely affect its ability to meet any urgent requirements. The company purchases private label merchandise from approximately 650 vendors and non-private label merchandise from approximately 350 vendors having facilities in approximately 60 countries. During the fiscal year 2010, approximately 98% of the merchandise was produced outside the US.These outside vendors require to comply with certain vendor conducts and environmental, labor, health, and safety standards in domestic and international markets. Any noncompliance with the standards might delay the delivery of the goods and significantly affect the company's reputation. Thus, the company's high dependence on third party manufacturers may have an adverse affect on its business operations. Weakness – Decreasing Comparable Store Sales The comparable store sales have been decreasing over the past few years, which is adversely affecting the growth of the company.The stores segment accounts for more than 90% of the company's total revenue. During the fiscal year ended 2010, the company generated USD 13,079 million as compared to USD 13,496 million in the iscal year ending 2009, a decrease of 3. 18%. Over the past three years, the comparable store sales figures have been declining as demonstrated by a decrease of 9. 17% in the fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of 2. 19 % in the fiscal year 2008. As a result, Gap recorded a negative CAGR of 2. 97% during the period 2006-2010.The decrease has been pri marily due to a decline in net sales in all the brands due to the weakening retail environment and a shift of consumers from department stores to supermarkets and discount stores. THE GAP, INC. – opportunities The performance of the industry is forecasted to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR rate of 2. 6% during 2006-2011. According to research, the US apparel retailing industry is expected to drive to a value of USD336. 7 billion by the end of 2011. Gap's stores and direct segments provide branded apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children through their retail and online stores.The company offering state of the art products and solutions through their wide distribution channel is likely to utilize opportunity of the growing apparel industry and thereby boost their top line growth. Opportunity – Increasing Online Presence With the rising trend of e-commerce business, there is huge potential for the ompany to increase its profitability through the direct-to-customer segment. In the fiscal year ending 2009, the direct-to-customer segment accounted for 7. 87% of the total revenue of the company and it increased by 8. 4% as compared to the sales at the end of the fiscal year 2010. The company can increase the contribution of this segment to the revenue by increasing its online presence. According to Forrester, online sales are expected to increase 13% to about USD 176. 9 billion in 2010. The growth is forecast to be 10%, 9% and 8% for 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Moreover according to a report published by U. S. Census Bureau the non-store retail sales for the 10 month period from January to October 2010 increased by 12. 7% from the same period in 2009.Such web-based store concept provides consumers the convenience of shopping from home, doing away with the time consuming Journey and saving on the transportation cost. Thus, web sales are expected to register substantial growth in the coming years as e-commerce continues to capture market share from physical stores. The company stands to benefit from the growth trend of e-retail, which is supported by rising internet penetration and increasing familiarity o online shopping. Opportunity – Expansion into New Markets The company has taken several initiatives to enter new geographies in recent financial years.During November 2010, the company opened its firsh Gap store in Italy. This new store is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan's premier shopping district. It also entered into an agreement with Armin Systems Limited to bring Gap stores in Thailand. Moreover during November 2010, the company announced to open its first store in Latin America during the fiscal year 2011. The store will be located in Santiago, Chile. The company also had taken initiatives to launch its Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navvy online brands in Canada, and Gap and Banana Republic online in the UK and nine other European countries.The company also has renewed inter est for a possible foray into India's specialty clothing market through possible venture with Reliance Retail. The company's several initiatives to enter new markets may provide significant exposure to more diversified customer base and strengthen its brand image. THE GAP, INC. – Threats Gap operates in a highly competitive specialty apparel retail industry. It faces intense ompetition from local, national, and global department stores, specialty and discount store chains, independent retail stores, and online businesses, which are dealing with similar products.The company also faces significant competition from the local players in European, Japanese, and Canadian markets. The company's franchisees also faces competition in the respective markets. Increasing global competition in the apparel retailing market may significantly affect the company's market share in the future financial years. Threat – Changing Consumer Behavior Owing to recession, consumers in the US are left with lesser disposable incomes. It is showing in their purchase attitude Consumers tend to reduce their discretionary shopping.According to a consumer survey conducted in the US by Harris Interactive, more than half of adults (54%) say they would reduce discretionary spending during an economic recession and the majority (63%) of adults said they would not make a purchase if there was no deal attached. It clearly states that during an economic recession, consumers would cut budgets, yet will continue to shop when discounts are available. The scenario is a threat to specialty retailers like the company, which ell discretionary products. They will see a decreased footfalls and reduced revenues.In order to attract customers, these retailers will have to spend more on coupons and discounts, which will reduce their margins. Threat – Decreasing Shopping Trips The business of Gap may significantly affected due to decreasing shopping trips of consumers in the US. The US operati ons contributed to 82. 1% of the total revenue of the company in the fiscal year ending 2010. According to a study by Nielsen, outlet shopping trips in the US has shown an average monthly decline of 4% from July 2008 o February 2010.The company has already been recording a decline in comparable store sales over the past few years, which accounts for Change Factors: In the beginning Gap was sell only Levi's products where they have to depend on that particular brand by and large. Later on when they realized depending too much on a particular product may harm the business in the future, they have changed there course of depending on a single particular product . Gradually they have came up with there own product name and different supplier in order to reduce risks. In 1983 Gap purchased Banana Republic