Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Immigration Laws And The United States Essay - 2056 Words

About 28 million individuals moved to the United States between the years 1880 and the late 1920 s. The newcomers living in different nations all through the world chose to leave there foundation of source and move to the United States for different reasons, some of which included flexibility from political and religious mistreatment, starvation, or to experience the American Dream of perceived economic opportunity. Once settled; immigrants were often stereotyped and discriminated against because they were â€Å"distinctive†. Social Justice was nonexistent as Employers often took advantage of immigrants, men were paid less than other workers and women were paid less than men. (Library of Congress, 1990) The numbers of newcomers dropped dramatically in 1924, when Congress passed highly restrictive immigration legislation. (Bankston, Carl L., 1999). As time has passed the United States Immigration laws have made it increasing more desirable for individuals to seek illegal entry as opposed to the legal process. High control and subject to numerical confinements and qualification prerequisites comprising of essential family or work relationship and absence of access to compassionate security, for example, shelter or refugee status have played a noteworthy role.(American Immigration Council, March 2012) Although the United States has historically shown ambivalence toward newcomers who enter the country illegally, the government put forth massive government efforts to curb illegalShow MoreRelatedImmigration Laws And The United States1251 Words   |  6 PagesImmigration laws have resulted in a situation where many illegal immigrants live and work in the United States. Yet, it is an important issue that has been blown out of proportion by the media and politicians. Here in the United States, Syrian refugees have enriched our cultural growth into a more diverse and positive outcome and have enhanced our influence in the World. However, Americans have responded to their arrival with violence and hate towards them. In the late 19th century, the Arab worldRead MoreThe United States Immigration Laws953 Words   |  4 Pagesrace boundaries due to changes in US Immigration laws, changes in the US Criminal Justice system, and the problems of the 20th century being the problem of the color line. Beginning in 1790 many changes started to occur within the US Immigration Laws. The 1790 Naturalization Act gave strong advantages to any â€Å"free white person†, as it â€Å"restricted citizenship to any free white person who had been in the US for two years†. This Act started to encourage immigration from Europe. A new system of slaveryRead MoreImmigration : How It s Changed And Stayed The Same1727 Words   |  7 Pages Immigration How It’s Changed and Stayed the Same Gilardo Gonzalez Ms.Ferguson Ap US History, Block 4 09/06/15 Immigration has changed a lot throughout the years in American history, not only in laws about immigration, but about places where immigrants came from, and the different races that immigrated. These factors have changed throughout history by shaping the social and economic aspects of the United States. Immigration has changed for the better and for the worse. It has goneRead MoreSupport Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act1560 Words   |  6 PagesThe passing of one of the United States’ most restrictive anti-immigration law’s in history was heavily disputed and extremely controversial nation-wide. The conversation surrounding current United States immigration regulations and issues that are aimed to be ‘addressed’ by Arizona’s infamous SB 1070 are currently at a standstill. By changing ways in which opposing parties view the ‘issues’ of illegal immigration in the United States and the effects caused by SB 1070, there is hope for the advancementRead MoreThe Immigration Reform And Immigrant Responsibility Act Of 1996 Essay1378 Words   |  6 Pageslost a United Supreme Court case since January 2010 issue; In such issues as the supremacy cooperative agreement Section 133 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) in adjunction with Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 287 and INA 287(g) (that was the regulations for Immigration Enforcement Authority prior to 2012) that came under â€Å"considerable legal debate concerning the power of state and local police to enforce federal immigration law in theRead MoreThe Problem With Illegal Aliens1291 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Despite the multiple laws and policies that were implemented in the United States, there is still a problem with illegal aliens or immigrants. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars to secure our southern border but, with that being said, the government has charged the Department of Homeland Security to create and implement new and innovative ways to justify and solidify those polices. In this case study, there will be a focus and analytical approach to three of the mainRead MoreImmigration Law Immigration law is a very interesting area of the law in which one has the1600 Words   |  7 Pages Immigration Law Immigration law is a very interesting area of the law in which one has the wonderful opportunity to help people in great need. In the United States, immigration law refers to the different governmental policies that control foreign immigration to the country. Also, immigration law governs the legal status of people already in the country in matters such as citizenship and permanent residency. The United States maintains strict immigration laws; these laws regulate both the rightRead MoreEssay on Informative Speech on Arizona Bill1391 Words   |  6 Pagesa new law which grants the local police greater authority to check the immigration status of people they stop. II. The controversy is whether the Justice Department, Immigration Advocates, and citizens believe this law is unconstitutional. III. States, elected officials and United States citizens support the new Arizona Bill SB1070. INTRODUCTION Everyone look to their left; now look to your right. Chances are one of the students besides you is an immigrant to the Unites States. In 2008Read MoreMexican Immigration And The United States1563 Words   |  7 PagesThrough studying immigration statistical data, it has been found that the highest percentage of mexican immigration has occurred on the most recent decades. However, there was a high percentage of mexican immigration on the years of the 1920s and the 1940s. These two decades were having an increase in mexican immigration due to the establishment of the Bracero Program. This program was started during the 1920s and again in the 1940s, but was later stopped in the 1960s. Between and after, these timeRead MoreImmigration And The United States Essay1368 Words   |  6 PagesIn the 21st century, immigration is one of the most controversial and hotly debated topics. Thus, we have an extremely complex immigration process accompanied with extremely complex immigration laws. Consequently, reform to the United States immigration policy is absolutely necessary to continue to help build America into the most diverse nation on the planet. To reform immigration, three topics must be addressed: what to do with illegal immigrants already in the United States, how to stop future

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Theory Matrix Free Essays

Many of his 14 points are process-driven, such as breaking down barriers between departments will lead to a reduction of waste, errors, and delay. His idea on constantly improving the system of production and service is customer-driven because it focuses on providing the best possible products to customers. Toyota Curran Focuses on parts of the organization, not whole. We will write a custom essay sample on Theory Matrix or any similar topic only for you Order Now He also defined quality as â€Å"fitness for use†, and developed concept of cost of quality. Three basic steps to progress Ten steps to quality improvement The Curran Trilogy Saran’s Praetor Principle Curran was an engineer and he firmly believed that quality does not happen accidentally, therefore all of his theories are process driven – organizations deed to determine who its customers are and plan for quality through every step of the process. Quality planning is the first stage of his trilogy and is basically aligning an organization’s products and processes with customers’ needs. Bausch Lomb Chickasaws He focused on user friendly quality control and emphasized the internal customer. Cause and effect diagram (fishbone diagram) Quality circles He emphasized on the internal customer, meaning that during each step in the creation of a product or service, the department will need to treat the ext department as a â€Å"customer†, so that quality is controlled at every step. This is how Jigsaw’s method is process-driven because every process is tightly connected to the next. His quality requirement is customer-driven because he pushed for the concept of company wide quality control that called for continued customer service. He believe that management should not merely focus on improving a product’s quality, and insisted that quality improvement can always go one step further. Nippon Telephone Telegraph used quality circles. Crosby He coined the phrase â€Å"quality is free† and introduced the concept of zero defects. He also believed in team building approach that is organization wide. Four absolutes of quality management Idea of zero defects He believes in the process of educating the entire workforce about quality principles, so when each failure is well-documented, management can institute formal programs to redesign faulty production processes. His view of how quality is not some vague concept of â€Å"goodness†; you can’t have quality that is good enough, he wants zero defect and it’s customer driven because e said specifications must be set according to customer needs and wants. Glenn L. Martin Company (1912-1961) Figment He introduced the concept of total quality control, which has 40 steps. He promoted the idea of a work environment in which both management and employees have a total commitment to improve quality, and people learn from each others successes. Total quality control in 40 steps (also termed â€Å"company-wide quality control†), which was later known as Total Quality Management. It is process driven because he believed that quality must be actively managed and have the usability at the highest levels of management, therefore, it is important that each employee does his part correctly so the whole process is correct, and quality might become nobody job. How to cite Theory Matrix, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Text Messaging Essay Sample free essay sample

Mobile or cellular phones are now going a modern twenty-four hours necessity to the point where these are a must hold for every teens and grownups. Every human being are turning each twenty-four hours attached to these so- called devices for agencies of communications with other people. occupations and other day-to-day activities that are needed to be accomplished right off. One manner that we are taking advantage of cell phone is the rapid usage rate of text messaging. Though we can state merely by detecting that it is so a must to text or direct an SMS or short message service to person in a twenty-four hours. like for illustration your household whom you wanted to be cognizant of your whereabouts. but for some pupils particularly in high school they tend to be so expressive in directing messages and spreads the mundane occurrence in their life. As coevalss pass by we can detect how the teenager’s life style is with these so called appliance which we call as nomadic phone. We will write a custom essay sample on Text Messaging Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Around us from any corner. you may see 100s of immature people transporting this appliance which we can say that they are being inseparable with it. But in most instances nowadays we can say that it is besides one of the grounds why teens engage in societal interaction where they can show their egos. which may impact their public presentation in school. What are the effects that text messaging has brought to our society particularly in our pupils? That is one of the inquiry that our group may research in this paper. as we go along in this research. Surveys and interviews are to be conducted to travel deeper on what our subject is about to undertake. A. Background of the Study

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Semantic Technology-based Media Publishing Boosts User Engagement

Semantic Technology-based Media Publishing Boosts User Engagement Over the centuries, globalization and various technologies have profoundly changed the way we consume news.Just as a brief comparison, in Medieval times messengers rode far and wide to deliver news and rulers used town criers to inform the (predominantly illiterate) population about the latest laws and local taxation bills. Today, most people around the world have direct access to vast amounts of information and political institutions use social media to engage voters. Technological Advances and MediaTechnology is steadily transforming the way we experience news. It seems only yesterday when we relied on reading the newspaper in the morning and watching TV news in the evening to catch up with local and world events. Nowadays, consumers are constantly exposed to news and news outlets are reaching their audiences through media platforms, mobile apps, email newsletters, social media, podcasts, etc.In this overflow of news and information, media publishers have to go the extra mile to keep users engaged and willing to come back to their online platforms. Just as in Medieval times the town criers dressed in bright colors to catch the eye, media publishers today are applying various strategies to attract readers’ attention. They are also relying on different technologies to be able to accommodate their readers’ interests by recommending relevant content while also looking to maximize ad revenues by serving relevant ads. The Role of Semantic Technology in Media Publishing A recent report from The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism What do News Readers Really Want to Read about shows that, in our high-choice media culture, people rely most of all on a notion of personal relevance to choose the news they consume.Thanks to solutions based on semantic technology, media publishers are able to better engage their readers with the help of sophisticated tools like user-focused recommendations, sentiment analysis and more. These are also the major components of the multi-faceted solution developed by semantic technology expert Ontotext to meet media publishers’ needs.How does it work? A semantic annotation service, with the help of a knowledge base, automatically tags content and extracts specific information from the text, which is later used by the other services in the stack. In the meantime, a sentiment analysis service evaluates how users feel about and react to certain concepts, people, products or topics, based on the comments they p ost.Another major component of Ontotext’s solution is the recommendation services based on the user profiles. They take into consideration various factors such as the semantic fingerprints of the content a user has read and actively engaged with, their liking and disliking of content provided by other users and any other sentiments expressed.Finally, to help media publishers improve their control of the serving of ads and their relevance to the users, Ontotext has built a custom ad serving platform. With the help of semantic analysis, the platform selects out of several candidates the ad that matches best the user’s activity and preferences. Simply put, the more media publishers know about how users consume their content, the more relevant their content and ad recommendations will become. Which is the shortest path to higher user engagement and boosted ad revenues. Click To TweetOf course, as technology continues to get integrated more and more into our lives, the way we navigate the news environment and what drives our interests will continue to evolve.Want to know more about how semantic publishing helps media publishers keep users happy?

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Professor and the Madman essays

The Professor and the Madman essays The Professor and the Madman, written by Simon Winchester, is a biography about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester, who is an author, journalist, broadcaster and foreign correspondent, has written for many magazines and newspapers distributed worldwide. In an interview between Winchester and a host of C-SPAN, Winchester was asked where the idea for the book came, he replies Well, it came to me in a rather bizarre way. I was reading a book on lexicography in the bath one morning, as one does, I suppose, just before breakfast, and it was a booka wonderful book called "Chasing The Sun" by a man called Jonathan Green. And it had a referenceit said, `Readers will be familiar with the extraordinary story of Dr. W.C. Minor, an American lunatic murderer, who was a prodigiously energetic contributor to the OED.' And I remember sitting up in the bath, Archimedeslike, dripping and saying, `Well, I know nothing about this.' Winchesters main foundation for this book is to clarify the tale of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary The formation of the Oxford English Dictionary began in 1857 and took seventy years to finish. Tens of thousands of individuals organized the expansive language into 414,825 exact definitions. The story begins with the grisly murder of George Merrett, by William Chester Minor the former U.S. Army officer and qualified surgeon. On February 17th of 1872 in the early morning William Minor had been sleeping, when he awoke to some noises of someone in his flat. He sat up and saw someone standing at the foot of his bed. He proceeded to chase the individual into the street, and shot at the person as they attempted to flee. He ended up shooting the first person that came into view apparently, and this person was George Merrett. Merrett had never met W.C Minor and had been heading home after a long day at work. W.C Minor was arrested. While in pri...

Friday, November 22, 2019

A Native Role; Gary Snyder as the seer and prophet in ‘Turtle Island’

A Native Role; Gary Snyder as the seer and prophet in ‘Turtle Island’ Charles Altieri writes that in his collection of poetry, Turtle Island, Gary Snyder encapsulates two roles: the seer and the prophet. Altieri describes the two roles vaguely, the seer being one who is able to look past the irrelevant aspects of modern life to a purer kind of experience, while the prophet is able to articulate a traditional way of thinking native to the land of America. It could be argued that due to the vagueness surrounding the description of these two roles it would be hard not to find some continuity between Altieri’s idea and the poems, but regardless the distinction between the two roles can clearly be seen. Two good examples of Snyder acting as seer and prophet are the poems â€Å"The Bath† and â€Å"The Uses of Light† respectively. Before the two poems can be dealt with, it is worth mentioning the title of the collection as incorporating both the vision of the seer and the understanding of the prophet. The name Turtle Island is a direct reference to Native American culture, it being a name for the American continent based off of the creation myths of several Native tribes. In his essay â€Å"Gary Snyder: The Lessons of Turtle Island†, Michael Castro writes that the title encapsulates a â€Å"recurrent theme among its poems and essays [that there is a] need for modern Americans to return to the perception of the earth as a living organism to whom we are related†.[1] Through Castro’s note we can see that in the title, Turtle Island, the seer calls for the individual reader to abandon the ego so prevalent in modern culture, and see themselves as incorporated in a wider system entwined with not only the physical land of America, but also the earth as a whole, while the prophet emphasises that t his wider system is not a modern notion, but a far more indigenous and ancient concept held by the original inhabitants of the American continent. Even in his title Snyder is clearly shown to support Altieri’s idea of the seer and the prophet, setting a standard for the collection as a whole for upholding a clear artistic and symbolic intent. In â€Å"The Bath† Snyder, acting as the seer, challenges modern notions surrounding the family and consciousness, advocating for a collective consciousness and a more naturalistic attitude towards family relations. The poem presents Snyder, his wife, and his young son Kai bathing together, and much of the imagery of the poem could easily be read as inappropriate due to the frank language Snyder uses: â€Å"†¦Washing-tickling out the scrotum, little anus, His penis curving up and getting hard As I pull back skin and try to wash it Laughing and jumping, flinging arms around, I squat all naked too†. [2] This language, focussing particularly on Snyder describing his son’s genitals, serves a purpose other than simply shocking the reader for affect. Rather, it symbolises an openness Snyder and his family have found through their countercultural practices that include Native beliefs, an openness that permits a relationship between father and son that many people, both within the poems context of the 1960s and a contemporary readership, would deem as inappropriate. By removing themselves from the cultural consciousness of the 1960s and accepting a countercultural lifestyle that borrows heavily from Native ideas about the family, Snyder is able to separate the body and sexuality, allowing for a freer relationship between his son and himself. As the seer, Snyder is able to see through the modern misconceptions of sexuality and thus embodies a type of familial experience that is more honest, tender, and open than that of the wider culture of 1960s America. This separation between the body and sexuality that Snyder proposes is continued throughout the poem, and is extended to a collective physicality through a shared consciousness. Throughout the poem there is a refrain that, though changing slightly, is based around the question â€Å"is this our body?† [Snyder, pp.12] As Snyder’s description of the familial bath is moved away from focussing primarily on the physicality of Kai and incorporates more collective actions, such as â€Å"sucking milk from this our body sends through / jolts of light; the son, the father, / sharing mother’s joy† [Snyder, pp.13], and scenic depictions, such as â€Å"The cloud across the sky. The windy pines. / the trickle gurgle in the swampy meadow† [Snyder, pp.14], the separation between Snyder, his wife, and his son becomes blurred and indistinct. The poem’s conclusion presents Snyder’s family as a unified whole, inseparable from each other and aware of their place on the Earth: â€Å"This is our body. Drawn up crosslegged by the flames †¦ Laughing on the Great Earth / Come out from the bath.† [Snyder, pp.14] The progression from the questioning â€Å"is this our body?† to the declarative â€Å"This is our body† shows an acceptance of an innate connection between the family members, as well as between the body and consciousness. While in a modern context the individual is taught to think in a more individual manner, and to stay away from communal thinking, Snyder, as the seer, incorporates Native thinking to show the connectedness of the world, that the individual ego does not exist but rather there is a collective consciousness that exists in many separate bodies. Furthermore, the mention of the â€Å"Great Earth† suggests a link between this collective conscious and the connections that Native culture states exist in the natural world. Acting as the seer in â€Å"The Bath†, Snyder does much to dissemble modern notions of egocentric conscious ness and installs in its place a collective consciousness that allows a more direct approach to experience. The role of prophet, to recognise and articulate a native way of American thinking that outdates America as a nation, can be seen in â€Å"The Uses of Light†, a poem that explores the many ways that light is used in the natural world. In the poem, Snyder records how five different entities use light, progressing from the least relatable to the reader to the most: first the stones, then the trees, moths, deer, and finally a voice one can assume to be that of Snyder himself taking on the perspective of a Native American. In the poem Snyder creates a sense of interconnectedness between these five entities, and also creates a sense that this connectedness, as a belief, is ancient. The first stanza, â€Å"It warms my bones / say the stones†, personifies the stones in a voice that has an elderly, archaic, creaky tone, suggesting a history to this belief that predates not only Snyder, but also perhaps modern American culture. As the first stanza, and thus the base of the hiera rchy of life that Snyder has created in the poem, the stones symbolise how deeply this connectedness is rooted in the natural world. While we, readers immersed in a modern culture and mode of thinking, assume that stones, unlike plant or animals, are not living creatures, Snyder articulates a Native belief that the world as whole entity is a living organism. Life, therefore, is not held only by those organisms that breathe and grow, but is rather a quality everything in our world has in common. The final stanza articulates this sense of Native tradition perhaps the most clearly: â€Å"A high tower On a wide plain. If you climb up One floor You’ll see a thousand miles more.† [Snyder, pp.39] As Snyder, for the greater part of the collection, does not talk about an urban environment, but rather a rural great plains one, we can assume this â€Å"tower† is not a literal anachronistic building, but rather a metaphor. Perhaps Snyder is taking on the viewpoint of a Native American who climbs a hill to survey this â€Å"wide plain†? Light in the poem is frequently used as a means of survival: it warms the stones, it helps the tree grow, and allows the deer to be wary of predators, so perhaps this Native American is surveying the land for survival as well, wanting to â€Å"see a thousand miles more† to search for food or shelter. Through this interpretation Snyder, as the prophet, presents a use of light in accordance with a tradition native to the American land, as well showing how the indigenous people believed in sharing the light with the world as a whole and thus enforcing the connectedness that is so prevalent in Native culture. As both prophet and seer, Snyder floods Turtle Island with Native American belief, and creates a vision of America where a traditional interconnectedness exists as the primary driving force of life. Whether it is through the seer of â€Å"The Bath†, or the prophet of â€Å"The Uses of Light†, the message Snyder presents is always the same, only the means he uses change. This message can be seen as a call back to a traditional way of thinking, turning away from the modern consciousness or mind-set, and accepting a way of life reminiscent of the ancient Turtle Island of the Native peoples. Citations Michael Castro, â€Å"Gary Snyder: The Lessons of Turtle Island†, Criticial Essays on Gary Snyder, ed. by Patrick D. Murphy, (Boston: G. K. Hall and co., 1991), pp.132 Gary Snyder, Turtle Island, (New York: New Directions Books, 1974), pp.12

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Role Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role Models - Essay Example â€Å"Role models demonstrate their commitment to a desired goal and are willing to invest the necessary time and effort to achieve success† (Silver). â€Å"In order for role models to be influential, they must show respect for others† (Silver). â€Å"Role models inspire other with an upbeat, optimistic outlook on life† (Silver). Summary of the article-The article is by Rebecca Morrison who claims that individuals are still susceptible to the influence of others, and especially their friends regardless of their age, strength, independence, or centeredness. The influence of others comes in various forms and can be specific, general, or indirect. Occasional and small negative habits viewed in one’s friend can erode and become sustained in the individual’s life too. It is hard for an individual to recognize that his or her friend is the one negatively impacting their life as they care about them. For one to understand the impact of negative friendship in their life, they need to step back and have a look at their actions and analyze how their life has been impacted negatively. It is possible to make positive change after identifying the negative impact. The changes that need to be made may either be dramatic or simple adjustment. Main ideas- friends with negative habits are capable of influencing one’s life. For one to understand the negative influence a relationship has on them, they need to step back and analyze. If negative behavior is key to the sustainability of a friendship, there is need for the friendship to end for one to lead a healthy life. Additional notes: the author suggests that there is need to evaluate the impact that friendships have own one’s individual behavior. If the influence is negative, there is need to undertake some changes for the benefit of the individual’s life. Summary of the article- the article is written by Susan Krauss Whitbourne. The article

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park Essay

Reflection on the Secluded Paradise in the Community Park - Essay Example In the first step, I had to garner enough information on the accessibility of the secluded paradise. Gathering this information was vital in ensuring I amassed enough information on travelling to the place. I had to search for this information since I figured a reconnaissance study would be appropriate. Therefore, finding a better route to the place would be plausible. Secondly, I searched for information about the place (Kamyab 23). I indulged the use of both primary and secondary data collection techniques. As I received loads of data, I had to sieve the data to attain the vital points. With such a drill, I was able to gather enough information. Instantaneously after amassing data from the primary and secondary sources, I had to embark on the reconnaissance study. This study gave me enough preparation for the actual visit to the place. After a couple of days, I made the official visit to the place to gather more data. I had to indulge many people in the quest for data as I was practically looking for quality data. I also had to compare the pricing and quality of services with other businesses offering the same services (Kamyab, 66). I discovered there was a minute difference in the pricing, as other businesses preferred the same pricing. After collecting information, I set on to write the essay. Since I had all the information, I faced lesser challenges. I had to encompass all the vital information in the essay, giving a stronger outlook. Though the essay had all the vital information, I had to revise several parts. For instance, I had to specify some of the prices in the park. The community park charges from $ 595 to $ 605, prior to a deposit of $ 303. With such a pricing technique, there is a reduction in cancelations.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Social Cultural Trends Essay Example for Free

Social Cultural Trends Essay The four current sociocultural trends that I’d like to focus on are increasing environmental awareness, changing pace and location of life, changing household composition and increasing diversity of workforce and markets. Here at Tobyhanna Army Depot, a green vegetative roof was funded with Research and Development money meant to test easily transferable technologies and verify their impacts. Team Tobyhanna funded three other roofs because of the benefits and to reduce the heat loading from the black roofs in an effort to avoid an expensive air conditioning project. This past summer here was the first one on record as having no complaints about the heat in those areas and it was an unusually warm summer here. Our data indicates 25% reduction in heating costs and we expect cooling cost savings to be even greater. Additionally, we also experienced about 40% reduction in storm water runoff as result of our efforts to improve environmental measures across the entire workforce. Secondly, lots of information and technology forms of communication application are too complicated or hardly worth the trouble for some users especially when people allow these devices to cause undue stressors or pressure. Some reactions to the typology characterize Americans as uninterested in information and communication technology or collectively hostile to cyberspace. Here at Tobyhanna Army Depot, approximately 32% of those with either cell phones or internet say that they need help from someone else to set up or use new electronic gadgets.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Marcel Proust Defines the Self in Remembrance of Things Past Essay

Marcel Proust Defines the Self in Remembrance of Things Past Proust seems to be unique among the twentieth century authors in that his denial of rational thought is through the use of sensation to respond to the problem--instead of experience, for example--by defining the self as a retrievable essence comprised of all past experiences. Our human condition is defined by mortality, contingency, and discontentment. This reality combined with the new outlooks of relationships between our lives and the objects that surround us in our world, have caused authors in the twentieth century to question traditional Western thought. In Remembrance of Things Past, Marcel Proust extends these comparisons to include one's use of memory and sensation as well as objects. By doing so, he temps to answer the question: 'Who or what is the self?' and in looking at this work, we begin our look at the abandoning of reason in order to try and find a solution to our situation. According to Proust, the self is the retrievable essence defined as the summation of all observed experiences and their relationship in and amongst themselves. He represents this idea by establishing the importance of memory and providing a key event in the life of the protagonist whose own quest is a solution to this problem. The novel begins with Marcel's awakening--both literally and metaphorically (in relation to his quest to define the self). At the critical moment between sleep and consciousness, various thoughts pass in and out of his mind. He is disoriented--not exactly sure of his current location as his thoughts are those of experiences from a different place and time. His thoughts are unlike any he has had while awake; his confusion therefore, justifiable: .... ...onsciously, they do have an effect on the way in which we view objects and the opinions we take on others' ideas at present. Quite literally, who we were is all of who we are. Proust defines the self as an essence comprised of layers of hidden memories depicting past experiences. The memory and all that it contains, is stored behind a sort of 'one-way' door. Old events ever change the way that new events will be stored; new events on top of the old will change the way the latter were once viewed. For the most part, the door is locked. It opens only for a split second, given the correct key, if for no other reason than to prove that everything is still there--the self still defined--and nothing has ever been lost. Work Cited Proust, Marcel. Remembrance of Things Past, Volume I. Trans. C.K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin. New York: Vintage Books, 1982.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Sexual Discrimination in the Workplace

Canada is composed of people from all walks of life and from every race, color,creed and ethnic background imaginable. Despite our varied lifestyles and beliefs, we areall equal and are entitled to the same treatment before the law and in the workplace. Although we have this diversity, discrimination is something that unfortunately, mostpeople have to deal with it at some point in their lives. Provincial human rights codes tryto prevent this unpleasantness, by prohibiting any type of discrimination in service,accommodations and employment. Zero tolerance grounds are based on Discrimination by: race, gender, ancestry, place of origin, color, citizenship, creed, sexual orientation,age, family status and handicap. Discrimination can also include harassment based on both race, and ethnic origin, as well as sexual harassment. Despite these codes, discrimination is not guaranteed to never occur. In fact,everyday people lose their jobs or promotions because of discrimination, and women areharassed at work or people with disabilities are denied opportunities. Harassment, whether by a supervisor or co-worker, creates a barriere to equality by demeaning its victims, interfering with their ability to work effectively and, in some instances, even forcing them to resign. Eventhough there is plenty of publicity surrounding this issue, studies consistently show that women continue to face harassment in the workplace. No organization can afford to lose the talent of its female staff because of outdated attitudes, the imposition of higher standards for women, or a failure to give women the opportunity to acquire relevant experience in key areas of the organization. There is a need for employers to take a hard look at lingering stereotypes and misconceptions and to ensure that high-potential women benefit equally with men from career-enhancing. Although it is not often spoken of, there are occasionally occurrences of sexual discrimination against men. Imagine a day-care center where 12 women and one male work. You are a first time mother and for the first time you are leaving your two year old child in the care of someone else for an entire day. Many women would be likely to ask for their child to remain in the care of strictly some females, due to their loving caring nature and maternal instincts. If you think about this it is obvious how males could getdiscriminated against by women, it is just not reported as often because most men do not want all that attention, and feel it would be better to just forget about it. Employers have a responsibility to: I) provide a working environment that is free from harassment and discrimination; and, ii) deal effectively, quickly and fairly with any situations involving claims of harassment or discrimination that come to their attention. Employers could be held liable by a court or tribunal if they or their managers do not act to put an end to discrimination or harassment in their workplaces. There are several questions that are not allowed to be asked of an employee not only surrounding gender. For example questions about or relating to physical characteristics such as color of eyes, hair, height, weight, or requests for photographs. Questions about speaking English or French fluently, unless to do so is a reasonable and bonafide requirement for the position are also strictly prohibited. Questions about or relating to religious affiliation, religious institutions attended, religious holidays, customs observed,willingness to work on a specific day which may conflict with requirements of a particular faith (e. . Saturday or Sunday Sabbath days)are also against the law. The human rights laws however do come in handy as a way for victims to fight back. How a human rights complaint is handled varies from country to country. In Ontario an individual who believes he or she has been the victim of some form of discrimination asserts his or her rights by filing a complaint with the human rights commission. The complaint is then investigated by an officer of the commission who will try to reach a settlement with the parties involved. If the officers attempts to arrive at a settlement fail and it is concluded that the complaint has merit, a recommendation will be made to the Minister of Labor to appoint a board of inquiry. The board will then conduct a formal hearing, where both parties have the opportunity to present their cases. In Ontario, the board of inquiry has the authority to direct the offending party to do anything necessary to comply with the code, such as ordering restitution for monetary loss and awarding up to $10 000 for mental anguish. When a formal complaint to the human rights commission is made, it can get very expensive an time consuming for the company. As a general rule, the commission publishes settlements and awards that are viewed as having a public education value, thus damaging the company†s reputation. Aside from both the cost and the damage to the company†s reputation employers should recognize that promoting an equal opportunity work place can also help motivate employees and improve a company†s performance. Apart from the adverse publicity, human rights laws have penalties such as a monetary awards, public apologies, reinstatement of employees or orders of financial compensation for lost time, expenses incurred, and damages to professional or personal reputation and fires. Human rights officials can also order companies to make a job offer to a complainant, begin an affirmative action program in the company or sen staff to the discrimination awareness seminars. If a company has a government contract , the board may even seek cancellation of that contract. To avoid the above consequences there are five steps that can be followed to ensure equal opportunity in any workplace. The first step is to make a clear corporate commitment to human rights. Senior executives should declare their commitment and be accountable at each tier of the management structure. There should be a written policy on discrimination distributed to every member of the company. The second step is to examine recruiting procedures. Employers should look for anything that may offend the aw, such as unusual language or physical requirements, unless it can be proven essential to the job. Application forms should be reviewed and interviews should avoid any conduct or comments that could be perceived as discriminatory. The third step is to monitor the workplace. Management has an obligation to intervene if there is any evidence of harassment or discriminatory behavior. Consider providing a hotline whereby employees can report to. Harvey†s, which is operated by CARA limited, has a fairly complex yet easy to follow policy, that other companies could follow. It is five page typed policy that was last updated in May of 1995. It defines sexual harassment as â€Å"deliberate and unsolicited and can be offensive sexual comments, gestures or physical contact that are unwanted or offensive either on a first time basis or as a continuous series of incidents. It may also involve favours, promises of favours, advantages in return for giving in to sexual advances or, the threat of revenge for refusing them. It states that flirtation, or a workplace romance between two consenting persons is not harassment. (Cara Operations limited, 1) Teammates who feel that they are being sexually harassed should immediately SAY NO!!!!! The employee is responsible of immediately making sure that the offender is out of line and that the behaviour is totally inappropriate. 2) The employee is encouraged to approach his or her supervisor and/or a member of the Human Resource Team for guidance. 3) The employee is encouraged to immediately file a complaint with the Human Resource Department. There are also five steps that management guarantees they will take when a complaint of harassment is filed. First they will ensure than an examination of the complaint will take place immediately. Next they will advise the alleged person that a complaint has been lodged. Then an interview with all persons involved will take place. Interviews will be taken with any witnesses followed by a clearly, accurately filled out document. On the final page of the policy, there is a section entitled â€Å"corrective action†. It basically states that is an offender is found guilty he/she will be terminated. It also states that if it is found that someone has intentionally wrongfully accused someone then he/she will be terminated as well. Other methods of corrective action that are stated are suspension, or loss of responsibilities. As you have seen sexual discrimination and harassment are two acts that go hand and hand, and unfortunately they are both issues that are delt with much too often. If all workplaces joined together and made similar policies that are strictly enforced, perhaps our world would be a little more equal, and discrimination would be unheard of.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

An Analysis of the Watergate Crisis Essay

The Watergate crisis or scandal shrouded America with an attitude of pessimism. From the people involved and the meaning of the controversy then and now, the Watergate crisis rocked the world with political conflicts and power abuse. It also involved crimes such as obstruction of justice, conspiracy, cover up, lying under oath, espionage, burglary, and concealment of evidence. The scandal was named after the Watergate hotel complex in Washington that housed the rival of President Nixon’s Republican Party, the Democratic Party. The crisis was so powerful that it resulted in the resignation of President Nixon, indictment of the President and his men, and significant media and political effects. The scandal started out with classified documents, clumsy thefts, and a trail of crimes pointing directly to Nixon’s re-election committee. Thereafter, the crisis did not stop at the tactless White House personnel or the famous President’s men. It continued all the way to Nixon himself which caused him his Oval Office. It was perceived as a political crisis created by a leader’s greed, cruelty and paranoia. Ultimately, history accounted that Nixon’s own evil foe was not his political opponents but himself. It was chronicled by several books, articles, and official and federal documents, as well as a Redford-Hoffman movie in 1976. The Watergate scandal served not only as previous catalysts of American political, social and moral changes but now more as reminders or guiding principles of American lives. Historical Summary In the history of American presidential politics, the Watergate incident was taken as the most grave and peculiar crisis or scandal. This is because of the apparent direct involvement in several crimes of the president himself and his men. In his book, â€Å"The Watergate Crisis,† Genovese (1999) described the scandal as unusual and Nixon as an unusual kind of President of the United States (Genovese, 1999). According to Genovese (1999), the cause of the Watergate scandal can be traced from the negative impacts, such as the factions, of the Vietnam War. Nixon had difficulty getting out from the said divisive war and was eventually faced with various protests. Genovese (1999) added that with pressures to stop the protests and get out of the Vietnam war with respect and dignity intact, Nixon unfortunately created a route filled with â€Å"leak plugging, wiretapping, a secret war in Cambodia, and a series of criminal acts that in the end led to his downfall and fed the already significant erosion of public trust in government† (p. 3). The same Genovese book further said that what used to be a general term that referred to the burglary of the offices of the Democratic National Committee in a Washington hotel complex resulted into various linking terminologies and included beneath it are several crimes. The crisis caused the downfall of Nixon while several highest-ranking government officials were made to serve jail terms, hurting the nation as a result (Genovese, 1999). The Watergate Break-in The Watergate break-in or burglary happened on June 17, 1972 (Sirica, 1979). During his round, a security officer of the Watergate Hotel Complex in Washington D. C. identified as Frank Willis saw a tape covering various locks of different doors in the area. Willis discreetly reported the matter to the police and thereafter, five burglars were arrested. The five men were suspected of illegally wiretapping and stealing classified documents inside the office of the Democratic National Committee or DNC (Sirica, 1979). The suspects were identified in the book of Dickinson, Cross and Polsky (1973) as â€Å"Virgilio Gonzales, Bernard Barker, James W. McCord, Jr. , Eugenio Martinez and Frank Sturgis. † The suspects, later uncovered as former CIA and FBI agents, were â€Å"charged with attempted burglary and attempted interception of telephone and other communications† (Dickinson, Cross & Polsky, 1973). Five men and two other suspects, identified as E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and Gordon Liddy, were accused by a grand jury of â€Å"conspiracy, burglary and violation of federal wiretapping laws† on September 15, 1972. It was also discovered after investigation that the suspects’ goal was to plant a bug in the office of DNC Chairman, Larry O’Brien (Lewis, 1972). A multi-investigation conducted by the U. S. Congress, FBI and media revealed that the direct or indirect connection of the seven suspects to Nixon’s Re-election committee. Nixon initially said that his aides were not involved in the case. The cover-up was later disclosed and exposed irregularities and illegal activities of the Nixon Re-election committee. The results of the investigation concluded that the re-election committee â€Å"received covert campaign funds from big companies, played dirty tricks on Democratic candidates during the 1972 election campaign, attempted to use the FBI and other government agencies against political enemies, and set up a secret group to carry out unlawful activities against political enemies† (cited in Scholastic, 1989). In view of this, America and the world were then convinced of a conspiracy linking the President and his men. The suspects who broke into O’Brien’s office and the President’s men involved were tried and eventually convicted in 1973. The following year, the bungled break-in eventually caused Nixon his position as he resigned as the President of the United States on August 9, 1974 (Scholastic, 1989). The Washington Post Investigation The Watergate scandal was publicized by The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein through a confidential but reliable source whom they named â€Å"Deep Throat. † An initial headline of â€Å"Five Held in Plot to Bug Democratic Offices Here,† that appeared at the bottom of the newspaper’s page one on Sunday, June 18, 1972, signaled the Washington Post’s investigation. The two young reporters wrote the arrest of a group of former FBI and CIA agents who â€Å"broke into, illegally wiretapped and stole classified documents from the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate office complex in Washington† (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). Bernstein and Woodward were intrigued with the details of the story and the turn of events. Citing police sources, Woodward wrote that the burglars â€Å"came from Miami, wore surgical gloves and carried thousands of dollars in cash† (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). The break-in appeared to be â€Å"a professional type operation,† added Woodward (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). As told by the Washington post and its reporters, the intriguing yet interesting developments of the story shook Washington for two years, resulted into the resignation of Nixon and eventually created political impacts (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). According to an online compilation of the Watergate events posted at the Washington Post’s site, Woodward and Bernstein became part of the various revelatory articles that the said newspaper published. Thereafter, the succeeding Washington Post coverage of the Watergate scandal further exposed the involvement of several of the President’s men and the ultimate link of Nixon and his campaign funds to the various crimes. The newspaper’s account of the scandal also ran the grand jury investigation that identified and indicted â€Å"All the President’s Men† for their respective involvement in the crimes (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). A significant mark of the Washington Post and â€Å"Bernstein† reporting of the Watergate scandal was â€Å"Deep Throat. † A confidential source by Woodward, â€Å"Deep Throat† was identified only in 2005 or 33 years later as Mark Felt. He was the second highest-ranking FBI official who at the height of the scandal, confirmed or denied information to the two reporters and guided them to pursue specific leads (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 1,† 2008). A string of exclusives by Woodward and Bernstein and the determination of Post publisher Katherine Graham to expose the truth made the FBI finally penetrated the White House denials and the conduct of the grand jury investigation. This momentum led to the loss of job, prosecution and conviction of the involved officials of the Nixon administration and ultimately the impeachment against the President and his eventual resignation on August 8, 1974. Nixon’s successor, President Ford, granted the former â€Å"full, free and absolute pardon† one month later (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 3,† 2008). The Government Investigation The Watergate probe called for the courts, the Congress, and a special prosecutor to investigate its top-to-bottom connections to the White House. According to the same Washington Post online source, the investigation involved Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin and the FBI. Woodward and Bernstein stories reported the eventual breaking out of Nixon’s men from his administration and the disclosure of events that were linked to the scandal. One example was the revelation of secret tapes that further exposed Nixon’s involvement. The deep connection of Nixon resulted into a firestorm of firings called â€Å"the Saturday Night Massacre. † Amid impeachment against the President, he still denied accusations and stayed in his office (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 2,† 2008). The Watergate Scandal and Nixon In his book, Genovese (1999) noted that Nixon was a â€Å"complex, multidimensional figure, a man of many contradictions. † (p. 57). Genovese (1999) said that these characteristics of Nixon and the Watergate crisis were manifestations of â€Å"a period of presidential lawlessness unprecedented in American history† (p. 57). Nixon was an example of a president who initially took an oath to â€Å"faithfully execute† the law but eventually went beyond and broke it (Genovese, 1999, p. 69). As a result, the Watergate scandal created several questions about the American constitution and democracy (Genovese, 1999). Nixon’s initial show of defense rooted from the solid support of his men eventually cracked down and led to his televised resignation. During his televised speech, Nixon states, by taking this action, I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America. I deeply regret any injuries that may have been done in the course of the events that led to this decision. Those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 3,† 2008). Ford was sworn into office the next day but pardoned Nixon a month after. The events did not stop there as the influence of the scandal continued. The interconnecting controversies ignited a fresh and lasting doubt about American politics. It created new American political words and made the Congress approve laws concerning campaign finance reforms as well as investigation on the functions of CIA and several agencies of the government. Woodward and Bernstein’s coverage was turned into a book and a hit movie entitled â€Å"All the President’s Men† which instilled American media with a fresh harmful advantage. The scandal brought lasting and immeasurable effects on American politics (â€Å"The Watergate Story Part 3,† 2008). American Politics and Media Genovese (1999) affirmed the impression of Washington Post mentioned previously and stated that the Watergate scandal changed American politics and the issue of presidential corruption (Genovese, 1999). He added that, because of the crisis, the media became more interfering and subjective, the public became more distrustful and indifferent about its government, the relation between the executive and legislative branches of the government became unpleasant and factious and partisan conflicts became more intense (Genovese, 1999). Conclusion The Watergate crisis left profound and detrimental effects on American politics and history in general. It has resulted into distrust among the government officials and a wider gap between the branches of the government. Another effect of the scandal was that it made the succeeding Presidents more susceptible to the criticisms and suggestions of the public. The Nixon presidency has left a mark on the American politics which harmed the present list of presidents. The scandal has undeniably affected the political agenda of the succeeding presidents who were subjected to the scrutiny of the public. Nonetheless, the scandal also has its positive points to remember. These included the upholding of the freedom and power of the press as well as the effectivity of the justice system. By themselves, Nixon and the Watergate Crisis did not cause the degradation of American politics and decline of trust to the government. Incontestably, however, the fallen President and his scandal did remold the public’s view of the American story from one of presumed good goals to one of outstanding hostility. References Dickinson, W. B. & Mercer Cross, B. P. (1973). Watergate: Chronology of a crisis. Washington D. C: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. Genovese, M. A. (1999). The Watergate Crisis.London: Greenwood Press. Lewis, A. E. (1972, June 18). 5 held in plot to bug Democrats’ office here. The Washington Post, A01. Retrieved from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2002/05/31/AR2005111001227_pf. html Scholastic, Inc. (1989). The Case of Watergate. The Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from Scholastic database. Sirica, J. J. (1979). To set the record straight: The Break-in, the tapes, the conspirators, the pardon. New York: Norton. The Watergate Story Part 1. (2008). The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/part1. html The Watergate Story Part 2. (2008). The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/part2. html The Watergate Story Part 3. (2008). The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/part3. html

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Islam and the West essays

Islam and the West essays One of the most significant ways the world has changed since the terrible crime of September 11 has been a new rise of an ugly strain of Islamophobia throughout the Western world. Amid the terrible agony of the recent terror attack in Bali, it is easy to be tempted, once again, by angry thoughts. The pattern is there: from the horror of 9/11, to the suicide/homicide bombings in Israel, to the flaming frontiers of Albania, Bosnia, Chechnya or Kashmir, all the way down to the recent brutal hostage-taking and killings in a Moscow theater, it is in the name of Islam that innocent people have fallen victim to hideous terrorism and unthinkable cruelty. It is, therefore, well within reason to raise questions as to the very nature of Islam, and almost plausible to see everything in terms of an inevitable clash between "our" world and "theirs." It is plausible, but ultimately wrong. According to Karen Armstrong , the Western world has always had a very unbalanced and negative view of Islam, dating back as early as the twelfth century. At that time Europeans knew very little about Muslims, and began to cultivate a highly distorted portrait of Islam. The reality was very different, in fact Islam began with a very positive message, where respect and freedom were some of the fundamental principles. It was only many years later that the religion was hijacked by old patriarchal attitudes, but the Koran still condemns violence and aggressive warfare, and Muslims are commanded by God to respect everyone, since we all share the same beliefs and the same God. To understand the terrorist attacks we have witnessed recently in many places, we have to bear in mind that what we see is not so much "Islam" mobilized to fight against "the West," but a civilization in severe internal crisis. There are rising movements in Islam, the so-called "fundamentalists, but they do not represent Islam, or even the majority of Muslims. Isl ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Research paper-Chinese housing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research paper-Chinese housing - Essay Example What was once conventional and sustainable way of housing is being replaced with better housing systems that can handle and accommodate better population size. China is struggling with huge population and as such the problem of housing comes naturally. As such it is as if the country is on building steroids. Everywhere across major towns and cities there are constructions taking place. One commentator notes that, china has evolved to become a colossal construction site. Old dwelling structures are being substituted for better dwellings. Even the dwellings that were considered better are also being made to pave way for even better dwellings. All this activity is in favor of producing homes for millions of Chinese citizens in the country. To get a magnitude of the construction taking place, it is an estimated figure that the country will construct in the 20 years more than 50000 sky crappers. With such impressive housing figures, questions are bound to arise on the effects of this constructions. While china has the biggest populace on earth, it also has the oldest medieval Chinese tradition on earth too. The population in the country has always been enormous since the ancient times and hence ancient generations had ways of solving the housing problems. Why then is the country changing housing formulae to a lot of sky crappers and generally high rise buildings. China had traditional Chinese dwelling that promoted neighborliness and good social progress. In dare need of solving human housing problems in china, the government is doing away with such dwellings and each time this is happening one more traditional culture is being killed. In this research paper hence, I have noted with keen interest that there is a short charge on the whole issue of solving housing problems in china. The country is building high rise buildings as a way of mass housing and quick solution to an enormous problem of housing. With that, there might be on comprise

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Healthcare Model Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Healthcare Model Presentation - Essay Example The inequality in the Mexican healthcare is being felt in two folds. The first aspect of the inequality is the urban-to-rural inequality, where the population in the urban areas of the country has a better healthcare access, compared to those living in the rural areas (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). The other aspect of the inequality in the Mexican healthcare system occurs in the form of the rich-to-poor healthcare access inequality, where the rich are better placed to access both high quality and also affordable healthcare services, compared to the poor, whose access to healthcare is hindered by both cost and distance to healthcare service facilities (Ruelas, 2002). Therefore, in addressing the inequality in the Mexican healthcare, both aspects of the rural-urban coverage as well as the rich-poor healthcare disparity are the core issues that must be resolved. Problem statement Healthcare services provision has greatly advanced over the decades in Mexico. Consequently, statistics ha ve shown that the mortality rate has declined, while the birth rate and the life expectancy rates have greatly improved, from a mere life expectancy of 42 years in 1940, to the current 73 years by 2012 (Barraza-Llorens, Panopoulou & Diaz, 2013). While this is a notable achievement of the healthcare system in Mexico, further statistics have emerged to the effect that, 52% of the Mexican population finances their healthcare services out of their pocket (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). This notwithstanding, even the very poor population, especially in the rural areas and the informal settlements around the city prefers to go for the private healthcare provider services, not because the quality of the healthcare is poor, but because the accessibility of such healthcare facilities, especially regarding their locations have left the poor without a choice, but to go for the private services (Barraza-Llorens et al., 2002). This scenario is in sharp contrast with the situation in the urban areas, which are populated by the middle-and the high-class population, where the access to public healthcare services is easily accessible, owing to strategic locations of such facilities within the urban rich regions. Therefore, while the government is striving towards ensuring that the whole of its population is either covered by the public or the private healthcare practice, it has not been able to address the issues of urban-rural, and the rich-poor health inequalities (Ruelas, 2002). Purpose statement Effective assessment of the success of the healthcare system should be based on both the quality of the healthcare services provided, as well as on the burden of paying for such services that is borne by the patients (Barraza-Llorens, Panopoulou & Diaz, 2013). The healthcare system in Mexico is especially problematic in some of the employment sectors, where some employees are covered by a duo-system of both private and public healthcare services, while the other category is uncovered. Further, the distribution of the public

Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Al Qaeda Manual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Al Qaeda Manual - Essay Example The manual demonstrates that Al Qaeda is more than just a religious militant terrorist group set on destroying western interests and attacking western values, it also highlights the difficult task that law enforcement is faced with in the modern war on terror. There is little doubt that the Al Qaeda manual asks its followers to be specifically anti-Western and anti-US. The manual proclaims that "Colonialism and its followers, the apostate rulers, then started to openly erect crusader centers, societies, and organizations like Masonic Lodges, Lions and Rotary clubs, and foreign schools" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.8). These are the symbols that they perceive as American. The manual further radicalizes its readers by tying these activities to religion. "The bitter situation that the nation has reached is a result of its divergence from Allah's course and his righteous law for all places and times" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.9). By casting the Western symbols as anti-Islamic they are able to exploit the centuries old religious fears and furors that have historically pitted Islam against Christianity. 1 Along with being an extremist religious organization, the manual indoctrinates the reader to the military arm of Al Qaeda. The document professes its need for illegal documents and counterfeit currency. These resources are then to be used to commit violence against the US and their interests anywhere around the world. There is no doubt about their propensity for violence when the state that their goals are "Kidnaping enemy personnel, assassinating enemy personnel as well as foreign tourists, blasting and destroying the places of amusement, the embassies and attacking vital economic centers, [and] bridges leading into and out of the cities" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.13). The manual is also quite detailed in the requirements for forged documents. It explains what type of documents are needed, how many to possess, and requires that members' documents have a picture without a beard (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.23). While this non-dated document may be more difficult to implement in today 's world of heightened security, it demonstrates their organizational commitment to doing anything necessary to subvert US interests around the world. 2 There is the question as to whether or not the possession of this document could identify someone as a terrorist and subject them to arrest under the current US Law. The professing of violence against specific targets, advocating illegal activity, and the ties to an organization labeled by the State Department as a terrorist group, would place the person who posses this document at some risk of being suspected of being a terrorist. This brings into question whether I will be at risk since I have downloaded a copy to my computer and I do not have the technology to eradicate it from the disc drive. While I would like to think that justice would win out and an explanation of "used for academic purposes" would be enough, the headlines are full of the innocent people who are still in obscure prisons for terrorist activities. This could be further complicated if I was an Islamic student that was studying in America. This manual not only illustrates the depth of commitment that Al Qaeda h as to its goals, it also shows the difficulty that law enforcement has in regards to its ability to evaluate motivation, intent, and

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing - Research Paper Example Global challenge 1 One of the challenges that an organization is most likely to face in developing and launching its products in the international market is its management efficiency with respect to the production process. This challenge was particularly identified in the development of Hexopater. Management of the production process of a product, whether a locally marketed product or one that targets the international market, has many impacts on the quality of the product to be produced as well as the reliability in the continuous flow of the product into its market. An effective management of a production process begins with development of aims of the production as well as the features of the product, a stage that is crucial and defines the destiny of the product. Inability to develop focused goals that can yield a successful production as well as failure to identify captivating features that will attract customers therefore forms a significant challenge to product launch in the gl obal market. This is because a challenged set of development goals, coupled with poor specification may lead to poor standards that may not be acceptable for clearance across borders (Kumar and Addie, 2006). ... This is because the human resource competence level is reflected in the production process, quality and the image that consumers and even regulatory bodies develop over a product. The overall plan of the production process as well as sales initiatives also determines the extent of challenges that a product can experience in penetrating an international market. Management of the production process is therefore a significant challenge in any product development as it applied to Hexopater (Kumar and Addie, 2006). Global challenge 2 Another challenge facing development of products in global markets is the level of regulations that are instituted by different territories. Though most regulatory measures are meant to check on safety of products to be allowed from other economies, some regulatory measures are done on economic grounds. The impact however remains the same, that regulations undermines the ability to develop and market a product in the international market. An example of such r egulation is the European union’s move to regulate â€Å"tissue related products† (Dodin, 2010, p. 1). This particular regulatory initiative was meant to harmonize laws in the region and to ensure that the developments in scientific processes are monitored and regulated effectively. While the regulations ensured common application of rules in the region, it influenced original regulations in each countries in either way. It either lowered standards for the countries that were highly regulated and raised standards for countries that were poorly regulated. The greatest challenge to new product development in the region would therefore be significant in the countries that were previously less strictly regulated. A firm

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Formulation and Characterization of Microemulsion System

Formulation and Characterization of Microemulsion System Abstract Formulation of a new oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsion composed of Castor oil/Tween 80/Ethanol/Phosphate buffer for enhancing the loading capacity of an anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam has been accomplished. The pseudo-ternary phase diagram has been delineated at constant surfactant/cosurfactant ratio (1:2). The internal structure of so created four-component system was elucidated by means of an analysis of isotropic area magnitudes in the phase diagram. Conductivity (?), kinematic viscosity (kh) and surface tension (g) studies with the variation in ?w (weight fraction of aqueous phase) show the occurrence of structural changes from water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion to oil-in-water (o/w). Along with the solubility and partition studies of piroxicam in microemulsion components, the changes in the microstructure of the microemulsion after incorporation of drug have been evaluated using pH, ?, g, kh and density studies. Piroxicam, a poorly water soluble drug, displayed high solubility (1 .0%) in an optimum microemulsion formulation using Ethanol (55.0%), Tween 80 (26.5%), Castor oil (7.5%), and Phosphate buffer (11.0%). The results have shown that the microemulsion remained stable after the incorporation of piroxicam. Fluorescence spectra analysis taking pyrene as fluorescent probe was performed and the results showed that pyrene was completely solubilized in the oil phases of the bicontinuous microemulsions. The fluorescence spectrum of model drug piroxicam was used to probe the intramicellar region of nonionic microemulsion. The results showed that the piroxicam was localized in the interfacial film of microemulsion systems more deeply in the palisade layer with ethanol as the co-surfactant. Keywords: Microemulsion; Piroxicam; Isotropic area; Spectroscopy; Structural changes Introduction Piroxicam is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory compound with analgesic and antipyretic effects, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and traumatic contusions. However, it has been associated with gastrointestinal side effects. It is possible to minimize these problems by developing drug carriers to prevent the direct contact of drug with gastric mucosal or that allow the topical administration of drug (1, 2). Microemulsions are optically isotropic, transparent and thermodynamically stable homogeneous solutions of oil and water, stabilized by addition of a surfactant and usually a cosurfactant (3, 4). These structures have been considerably investigated as drug delivery and carrier system for a wide range of drugs including analgesics and anti-inflammatory and also used to dissolve lipophilic drugs in aqueous medium or hydrophilic drugs in lipophilic medium (4, 5). Oil in water microemulsions have been described as a reservoir system that can inhibit drug release, increasing the topical effect (6). Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the advantages of microemulsion or the transdermal delivery of drugs (7). First, a large amount of drug can be incorporated in the formulation due to the high solubilizing capacity, with increased thermodynamic activity towards the skin. Second, the permeation rate of a drug from microemulsion may be increased, since the affinity of the drug to th e internal phase in microemulsion can be easily modified, to favor partitioning, using different internal phases and changing the composition of the microemulsion. Third, the surfactant and cosurfactant used in the microemulsion may reduce the various diffusional barrier by acting as penetration enhancers (8, 9). For the selection of components of a biocompatible microemulsion system, the use of non-ionic surfactants has been widely accepted, since these are compatible and retain its utility over a broad range of pH values and may affect the skin barrier function (10-12). Microemulsion comprises different structures (water-in-oil (w/o), oil-in-water (o/w) and bicontinuous) and these help in releasing the drug (13, 14). It is necessary to characterize the microstructure of pure and drug-loaded microemulsion. The changes in the internal structure of a microemulsion can be monitored by analyzing conductivity, viscosity, density, surface tension and the fluorescence probe studies, etc. (15-17). The incorporated drug may or may not influence the microstructure. o/w and w/o microemulsions may show different behavior for the release of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. In the present work, an attempt has been made to construct a microemulsion system, for poorly water soluble non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam, comprising castor oil, a non-ionic surfactant Tween 80, a short chain alkanol cosurfactant (ethanol) and phosphate buffer (PB) pH 7.4. The pseudo-ternary phase diagram has been constructed for the chosen system at a constant surfactant:cosurfactant ratio (1:2). The reason for the selection of the particular oil chosen was that the castor oil has a hydroxyl group in addition to unsaturation, making it more polar. Ricinoleic acid is the main component of castor oil and it exerts anti-inflammatory effects (18). Polyoxyethylene fatty acid, stearic acid, oleic acid are used in emulsifiers in oil/water type creams and lotions. Conductivity, viscosity, surface tension and the fluorescence behavior of the pyrene is employed to investigate the gradual changes occurring in the microstructure of microemulsion. Pyrene is popular fluorescent probe which is used to study the microheterogeneous media. The fluorescence spectrum of Pyrene was used to sense the micropolarity of the o/w microemulsion. In this study, it is analyzed that how stability, optical texture and microstructure of microemulsion formulation, is influenced by piroxicam. To improve the solubility of piroxicam, an effort has been made to develop an optimum o/w microemulsion. It is therefore expected that the use of microemulsion formulation may enhance the solubility of piroxicam and prevent its degradation. Materials and Methods Materials Tween 80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate), absolute ethanol (99.8 ? %) and castor oil were purchased from Fluka. Pyrene (98 %) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Piroxicam was generously provided by Amson Vaccines Pharma (PVT) Ltd and used without further purification. Phosphate buffer (0.01 M, pH 7.4) was used as the hydrophilic phase. Buffers were prepared using NaH2PO4/Na2HPO4. 0.1M NaOH and HCl were used to maintain the pH of the solution. Methods Microemulsion Preparation The pseudo-ternary phase diagram was mapped (as shown in Fig. 1) using oil (castor oil), surfactant (Tween 80; HLB = 15), cosurfactant (ethanol) and aqueous phase PB (pH 7.4) at 25 ±0.01 ?C with constant surfactant:cosurfactant mass ratio (1:2). The temperature was kept at 25 ±0.01 ?C and was maintained by a Lauda M-20 thermostat. Castor oil was first mixed with Tween 80/ethanol mixture; PB was then added to obtain the desired microemulsion compositions. Transparent, single-phase mixtures were designated as microemulsions. All the samples were stable for over 10 months, remaining clear and transparent. Drug incorporation in Microemulsion Eight microemulsions differing from each other by Fw, were selected from the single-phase region of phase diagram (Fig. 2) with compositions mentioned in table I, to study their potential as drug delivery system. All of them show stability over 10 months and remain clear and transparent. Piroxicam was dissolved into the pre-weight oil component of the system at a concentration of 1% (w/w) under stirring followed by addition of remaining components. Microemulsion Characterization Optical Transparency The homogeneity and optical isotropy of pure and drug loaded microemulsions were examined by a Polarimeter (ATAGO, AP-100 Automatic Polarimeter) and visual examination at room temperature. Centrifugation Thermodynamic stability of pure and drug-loaded microemulsions was tested by carrying out centrifugation at 5500 rpm for 20 min using (Hermle Z200) centrifuge. Surface Tension Surface Tension measurements were made at 25  ±0.010C under atmospheric pressure by Torsion Balance (White Elec. Inst. Co. Ltd.) equipped with a ring having circumference of 4.0 cm. The experimental error was about  ±0.05 mNm-1. Density and Specific Gravity Densities and Specific Gravity of pure and drug loaded microemulsions were measured by making use of an Anton Paar (Model DMA 5000) density meter at 25  ±0.01 ?C. The density meter was calibrated before and after each set of density measurement using the density of air and pure water. Refractive Index The refractive indices of the formulations were determined using a refractometer (ATAGO, RX-5000) by placing 1 drop of solution on the slide. pH The apparent pH of all the selected microemulsions and the drug loaded microemulsion was determined using a pH Meter (WTW 82362 Weilheim) fitted with a pH electrode (WTW A061414035). The temperature was maintained at 25 ±0.01 ?C by a Lauda M-20 thermostat. Conductivity Measurements The effect of the amount of water phase of microemulsion was monitored quantitatively by measuring the electrical conductivity. The electric conductivity (?) was measured by means of a Microprocessor Conductivity Meter (WTW 82362 Weilheim) fitted with an electrode (WTW 06140418) having a cell constant of 1.0 cm-1. The temperature was kept at 25 ±0.01 ?C and was maintained by a Lauda M-20 thermostat. Conductivity measurements were carried out by titration of oil and surfactant/cosurfactant mixture with buffer (along the dilution line AB in Fig. 1). Further the conductivity of selected and drug loaded microemulsions was also measured. The error limit of conductance measurements was  ±0.02 ?scm-1. Viscosity Measurements Viscosities were measured with calibrated Ubbelhode viscometer at 25 ±0.1 ?C. For each measurement, the viscometer was washed, rinsed and vacuum dried. To follow the viscous behavior of the microemulsions, flow time was measured for all the selected and drug-loaded microemulsions (1 wt% drug). The error limit of viscosities measurements was  ±3%. Absorption and Steady-State Emission Measurements The absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectra were recorded using a Perkin Elmer Lambda 20 spectrophotometer and a Perkin Elmer LS 55 luminescence spectrometer, respectively, both with an external temperature controlled cell holder at a temperature of 25.0 ±0.1 °C. The fluorescence emission spectrum of pyrene (excitation at 340 nm) was used to obtain the ratio of intensities of the first to the third vibronic peaks (I1/I3). Good resolution of the bands was obtained at the slit width (ex. 5.0nm, em. 5.0 nm). The scan range used was from 350-500 nm. The Photo Multiplier tube voltage was kept at 665V. The concentration of pyrene was 1.0 ?M. The intensities for I1 and I3 are taken at 373 and 384 nm, respectively. The fluorescence emission spectrum of piroxicam at ?exc 370 nm was obtained where the emission and excitation slits were fixed at. 7.0 nm. The scan range used was from 390-650 nm. The concentration of piroxicam was 10.0 ?M. To quantify the solubilization of piroxicam in micellar media of Tween 80-Ethanol system, differential absorbance measurements were made in such a way that drug (piroxicam) solution of a particular concentration (1.0-10-5M) was kept on reference side and the Tween 80-Ethanol-Piroxicam solution on the sample side in the spectrophotometer. Partition Coefficients Oil/buffer partition coefficient was determined by dissolving 20 mg piroxicam in 2ml Castor Oil. Buffer was added in 1:1 ratio (v/v). The mixture was shaken for 10 min and centrifuged for 2 hours. The two layers were separated and the content of piroxicam in aqueous layer (PB) was assayed by UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 371 nm. The final content of drug in the lipophilic phase was calculated by subtracting the content of piroxicam in aqueous phase from initial loaded content of drug in the lipophilic phase. Further, the effect of presence of Tween 80 and ethanol on the partition of piroxicam in oil/buffer was studied by adding 5% (w/v) of each Tween 80 and ethanol. Results and Discussion In the present system, microemulsion was prepared using Castor oil (fatty acid), which induces highly permeable pathways in the stratum corneum (18-20). Tween-80 is a widely accepted non-ionic surfactant, used in many pharmaceutical formulations (21-23). The cosurfactant (ethanol) is used to study the one phase microemulsion region. The presence of alcohol overcomes the need for any additional input of energy. These properties make the components useful as vehicles for drug delivery (24-26). In the absence of aqueous phase, a solution-like oily phase consisting only of surfactant, oil, and ethanol exists. Ethanol interacts with the ethoxylated head groups of the Tween 80 by hydrogen bonding and affects its critical packing parameter (CPP). When water is progressively added to the concentrate it facilitates the organization of the hydrated head groups of the surfactant into a polar core while the fatty acid tails are immersed in the oil continuous phase. The ethanol suppresses formation of lyotropic liquid crystals. Any free aqueous phase is entrapped in the microstructures. Thus, w/o microstructures are formed. Upon further dilution, the reversed nanostructures grow and convert into a bicontinuous phase and finally invert into o/w microstructures without phase separation. Phase Studies Fig. 1 shows the pseudo-ternary phase diagram and area of existence of microemulsion for Tween-80/ethanol/castor oil/phosphate buffer. Microemulsion in the present study formed spontaneously at ambient temperature when their components were brought in contact. Phase behavior investigations of this system demonstrated the suitable approach of determining the water phase, oil phase, surfactant concentration, and cosurfactant concentration with which the transparent, 1-phase low-viscous microemulsion system was formed. The phase behavior, as shown by figure 1, manifests a two-phase region, a three-phase region and a large single-phase region which gradually and continuously transformed from buffer rich side of binary solution (buffer/surfactant micellar phase) of pseudo-ternary phase diagram towards the oil rich region. This stresses a continuous transition from a water rich compositions to oil swollen micelles. The phase study revealed that the maximum proportion of oil was incorporated in microemulsion systems when the surfactant-to-cosurfactant ratio was 1:2. From a formulation viewpoint, the increased oil content in microemulsions may provide a greater opportunity for the solubilization of piroxicam. Eight microemulsions (1-8) were selected from the single-phase isotropic region (Fig. 2), with compositions mentioned in table I. Selected Microemulsion (ME) was further analyzed by conductivity, viscosity, density, surface tension, refractive index and pH. The values of measured parameters have been presented in table II. Conductivity Measurements Conductometry is a useful tool to assess microemulsion structure. Conductivity studies have explained the existence of a characteristic zone with an isotropic microemulsion domain in a continuum. Determination of electric conductivity (s) as a function of weight fraction of aqueous component Fw (% wt) for the oil, surfactant/cosurfactant mixture along the dilution line AB (shown in Fig. 2) has been carried out. The results of variation of s vs Fw (% wt) are shown in Fig. 3 (a). The behavior exhibits profile characteristic of percolative conductivity (27-29). The conductivity is initially low in an oil-surfactant mixture but increases with increase in aqueous phase. As the volume fraction of water increases, the electrical conductivity of the system slightly increases as well, until the critical Fw is reached. At this stage, a sudden increase in conductivity is observed. This phenomenon is known as percolation, and the critical Fw at which it occurs is known as percolation threshold Fp (27). The value of conductivity below Fp suggests that the reverse droplets are discrete (forming w/o microemulsion) and have little interaction. Above Fp the value of s increases linearly and steeply till it touches the value of Kb. The interaction between the aqueous domains becomes progressively more important and forms a network of conductive channel (bicontinuous microemulsion) (30). Rapid increase in conductivity beyond the percolation threshold (Fp ? 6%) up to approximate value of 20% of Fw indicates the existence of network of conductive channels, which corresponds to the formation of water cylinders or channels in an oil phase due to the attractive interactions between the spherical micro-droplets of water phase in the w/o microemulsion. Increasing water content above Fb (Fw > 20%), the s shows a dip in the measured values which may be due to strong attractive forces as system becomes more viscous (16, 30).Fig. 3 (b) depicts the variation of log s vs weight fraction of water (Fw). The change in the slope of log s can be attributed to the structural transition to bicontinuous from w/o (23), nearly at Fw = 6%. The transition takes place once the aqueous phase becomes continuous phase i.e. at Fb. This is in line with the observation made in phase study. Figure 3(a) illustrates occurrence of three different structures (namely w/o, bicontinuous, o/w). The conductivity of the microemulsions containing more than 20 wt% water decreased significantly, probably due to the higher viscosity. The percolation threshold can be determined from the plot (ds/dFw), as a function of the water weight fraction, Fw (% wt) (30). A maximum in the first derivative of conductance Fw at ~12wt % water is observed (Fig. 4) confirming the presence of percolation behavior (bicontinuous microstructure) in this region (31). The electric conductivity of pure selected and drug loaded microemulsion (1.0%) is given in table II. A comparison of two systems shows that drug incorporation does not affect the microstructure of the microemulsion. Viscosity Measurements To avoid the ambiguity of non-Newtonian flow behavior of microemulsion the flow time has been used as an index of viscosity (32). Flow time of oil, surfactant/cosurfactant mixture along the dilution line AB (shown in Fig. 2), was measured as a function of weight fraction of water Fw (wt %) and is shown in Fig. 5. Similar trend has been observed for the viscosity of oil, surfactant/cosurfactant mixture as a function of Fw (Fig. 6). The rapid change in the viscosity is probably due to the change in the microstructure of the microemulsion. The change in the internal structure could be due to either the change in the shape of droplets or may be due to the transition from w/o to bicontinuous microemulsion. It is well known that increase of volume fraction of dispersed phase in microemulsion increases viscosity of the system (33). For the system studied viscosity increases with increase in Fw (wt% of aqueous phase). Difference in the viscosities is more profound for lower water content values in comparison to the dilute system. The microemulsion system is turning to be more viscous with addition of water and thus may help in the slow diffusing of drug at infinite dilution. The microemulsion system thus, shows a structural change from oil continuous system to water continuous, which has higher viscosities than the former (34). The plots of hk (kinematic viscosity), d2?/d2Fw and 1/? d?/dFw versus Fw reflect that the transition occurs at ~11% weight fraction of aqueous phase (Fig. 6). The transition point of surface tension, conductivity and viscosity plots coincides well at ~11% weight fraction of aqueous phase and confirms the presence of percolative behavior. Surface Tension The surface tension increases linearly over the same range of water content (Fig. 7), but two breaks (at ~7.0 and ~20 wt% water) suggest that structure changes occur at these compositions. The surface tension measurements showed increment, when measured as a function of weight fraction of aqueous component, except for the ~12% weight fraction where the value suddenly decreased and thereafter a regular increase was observed. This low surface tension value showed the presence of bicontinuous microemulsion between oil and water rich system, which is because of presence of self-assembled organize microstructure in it (14, 35). The results coincide well with the electric conductivity and viscosity measurements. It can be assumed that the added alcohol (ethanol) is incorporated in the interfacial structure in such a way that more water is on the outside of the oil drops, causing the increase in surface tension. Incorporation of drug showed a negligible change in the surface tension measure ments, therefore indicting the possibility of piroxicam molecules into the palisade layer on the inner side of microemulsion. Fluorescence Measurements In the case of oil-in-water microemulsions, the steady-state fluorescence technique was successfully applied (36). Fluorescence measurements of the hydrophobic probe mainly depend on the polarity of the medium and hence in bicontinuous microemulsions it is a good indication of the polarity of the microenvironment in the microemulsion structure (37). The fluorescence spectra for pyrene molecule in water, individual oil phase, in alcohols, in ethanol/oil and in all the selected microemulsions are shown in Figure 8. There are four principal vibronic bands in the fluorescence spectrum (Fig. 8a), labeled I to IV. The peak intensity ratio I1/I3 in the steady-state fluorescence spectra is a measurement of the relative polarity of pyrenes environment (17). Since pyrene reactant is substantially more soluble in oil phases, I1/I3 is expected to be lower in these phases (38). In the present work, for oil phase, the I1/I3 value is 0.68. In relatively polar methanol and ethanol media, I1/I3 values were found to be 1.20 and 1.09 respectively. Water is a highly polar solvent; the solubility of pyrene in this solvent is less than 2 ?M. Hence the possibility of formation of excimer leading to I3 signal is extremely low in water. Experimentally I1/I3 value is 1.70 was obtained for this medium. Plot of I1/I3 versus weight fraction of aqueous component composition in microemulsion is shown in Figure 9. The value of I1/I3 varies between 0.85 and 0.91, which is comparable to a change from oil to water (0.68 and 1.70, respectively). The I1/I3 fluorescence ratios of pyrene strongly suggest that this probe resides in microenvironments of polarity much lower (oil phase) than that of water or alcohol (39). The polarities of these microphases are similar to those of cosurfactant/oil mixtures (0.94). The following generalizations may be made regarding the fluorescence probe behavior in bicontinuous microemulsions. The I1/I3 values obtained by fluorescence measurements for all the stable bicontinuous microemulsions are closer to 0.88. These results suggest that pyrene is efficiently segregated from the water phase (40). The I1/I3 values in bicontinuous microemulsions systems are closer to the respective pure oil phase. This is due to complete solubility of pyrene in oil phases of the bicontinuous microemulsions. We conclude that all the microemulsions have separate oil microphases, in which pyrene resides. Fluorescence Behavior of Piroxicam The fluorescence spectra for piroxicam molecule in water, individual oil phases, in surfactant/cosurfactant mixture (1:2) and in the optimum microemulsion system are shown in Figure 10. For oil phase the emission maxima (lem) is 465nm. In S/CoS (1:2) system lem is 451nm. Water is a highly polar solvent; the solubility of piroxicam in this solvent is low than 10 ?M. The lem of piroxicam in water is 442nm. The emission maximum in bicontinuous microemulsion system is (462nm) closer to the respective pure oil phase. The results showed that the piroxicam was localized in the interfacial film of microemulsion systems more deeply in the palisade layer. Partition Coefficient Partition coefficients influence drug transport characteristics which involve drug absorption, retention, distribution and elimination. Since drugs are distributed by the blood, they must penetrate and traverse many cells to reach the site of action. Hence, partition coefficients will determine what tissues a given compound can reach. Oil/buffer Partition Coefficients The partition coefficient (log p) of piroxicam in oil/buffer is 5.03 ±0.20. The presence of ethanol (5% in buffer) does not affect the partition coefficient (data shown in table III) whereas Tween 80 (5% in buffer) reduces the log p. The presence of surfactant reduces the concentration of drug in oil. Thus, solubility and partition studies indicate that piroxicam may be present at interface. The drug is entering into the palisade layer on the inner side of droplet which may help to increase the solubility of piroxicam. The partition coefficients were calculated using equation 1 (41); where A(org) is the absorbance of the organic layer, A(aq) is the absorbance of the aqueous layer, Vf(org) is the final volume of the sample from the organic layer, V(org) is the volume of the aliquot from the organic layer, Vf(aq) is the final volume of the sample from the aqueous layer, V(aq) is the volume of the aliquot of the aqueous layer. Micelle/buffer Partition Coefficient Figure 11 shows the differential absorption spectra of drug (piroxicam) in presence of various concentrations of Tween 80 having constant S/CoS ratio (1:2). The buffer-micelle partition coefficient Kc (dm3 mol-1), a useful parameter to quantify the solubilization of piroxicam in micellar media of Tween 80-Ethanol system, can be calculated by using equation 2 (42). Here Ca is the drug concentration (1.0-10-5M), Csmo represents Cs-CMC0 (CMC0 is the CMC of Tween 80 in water i.e. 11.0mM), ?A? is the differential absorbance at the infinity of Cs. Kc can be obtained through intercept and slope values of the straight line plot of 1/?A against 1/ (Ca+ Csmo), as shown in Figure 12. The value of Kc is given in table IV. The dimensionless partition coefficient p is related to Kc as p = Kc.nw, where nw is the number of moles of water per dm3 (55.5 mol dm-3), and is reported in table IV. The standard free energy change of the transfer of additive, from bulk water to micelle can be calculated using the following relation (equation 3): Here T is absolute temperature and R is the gas constant. The value of ?G °p for the piroxicam, using p is reported in table IV. High negative value of indicates the ease of penetration of drug inside the micelles. This is clearly exhibited by the higher values of p and more negative for piroxicam, as shown in table IV. Tween 80 is nonionic surfactant and there is no electrostatic interaction, the hydrogen bonding between the polyoxyethylene groups of Tween 80 and piroxicam makes the complex (Tween 80-piroxicam) more hydrophobic, which corresponds to high ?G °p value. Conclusion The pseudo-ternary phase diagram and area of existence of microemulsion for Tween 80/ethanol/castor oil/buffer was delineated. The conductivity and viscosity studies along the dilution line (in phase diagram) depict the structural transition from w/o to o/w via bicontinuous phase at ~11% ?w (wt% fraction of aqueous phase). Among the eight selected microemulsions, ME was found to be optimum for the incorporation of piroxicam. After the incorporation of the drug, microemulsion remained stable and optically clears with no phase separation. The surface tension and fluorescence studies indicated that the drug may reside at the interface of oil and aqueous phase. The drug is entering into the palisade layer on the inner side of the droplet, resulting in controlled release of drug. Thus, we can conclude that this microemulsion system helps in increasing the solubility of a highly hydrophobic drug, with the help of hydrophobic component of microemulsion and lipophilic part of surfactant. In addition, the formulation can be explored with high concentration of drug. Pharmaceutically usable microemulsion system was prepared from water and castor oil with a constant amount of Tween-80 and ethanol at a mass ratio of 1:2. Its type and structure was examined by measuring surface tension, viscosity, electric conductivity, and the fluorescence techniques were assessed. 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