Othello Essays (1453 words) - Othello, Iago, Emilia, Michael Cassio

Othello Othello, written by William Shakespeare is the story of Othello, the protagonist and tragic hero of the play. A Moor commanding the armies of Venice, he is a celebrated general and heroic figure whose free and open nature will enable Iago to twist his love for his wife Desdemona into a powerful jealousy. Iago is Othello's ensign, and Shakespeare's greatest villain. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a Satanic delight in manipulation and destruction. Passed over for a promotion by his commander, he vows to destroy the Moor. If Iago is an artist of evil, then this scene is the finest canvas he paints. This is the crucial moment in the play, the scene where he, , deceives Othello and induces him to fall. He does so by expanding on the tactics used in prior scenes. Once the seed of doubt is planted in the Moor's mind with a quick Ha! I like not that (III.iii.35) (when they come upon Desdemona and Cassio) and a few probing questions about the ex-lieutenant's relationship to Othello's wife, Iago retreats into the guise he has adopted. He becomes honest Iago, again, as in the brawl in Act II, scene ii--the reluctant truth-teller who must have unpleasant news dragged from him by a determined Othello. The honesty suggested by his reluctance to speak is reinforced by the moralizing tone that he takes with his commander. Iago actually lectures Othello, warning him against jealousy (the green-eyed monster) and insisting that he will not speak slander: he that filches from me my good name / Robs of that which not enriches him / And makes me poor indeed (III.iii.158-61). At the same time, he plays upon the insecurities of the honest, noble African in sophisticated, decadent Venice by lecturing Othello on how Venetian women are deceitful and treacherous by nature. The overall effect is to pour verbal poison in his master's ear--not by lying, but by flavoring truth with innuendo. Othello will later declare that he is not easily jealous, and that assessment of his character seems to be shared by most of the figures around him in the play. The critical response is mixed--some critics insist that his claims to be innocent of jealousy are merely self-justifying, and certainly he slips easily into assuming his wife to be unfaithful. Other critics make the distinction between an inner, self-created jealousy, which he seems to lack, and a deep insecurity and trusting nature, as Iago puts it, which allow a clever manipulator to plant seeds of doubt. Behind his insecurity lies a man uneasy with his place in Venetian society: he may have married a white woman, a daughter of a Senator, but can he keep her? The seizure of the handkerchief is a great coup for Iago in his quest to destroy Othello, and he is aided by his wife, who apparently has no scruples about betraying her mistress in small matters. Shakespeare will eventually transform Emilia into a voice of moral outrage, and by the final scene the audience will applaud her role in Iago's destruction, but for now it is worth noticing that she is only Iago's accomplice. It will take a great shock to inspire outrage against him--a shock which comes too late. The scene ends with Iago triumphant, named as lieutenant (the rank to which he aspired from the beginning) to a man bent on destruction, and ready to join in that destruction himself--because in killing Cassio and Desdemona, Othello is killing himself. And that, of course, has been Iago's goal from the beginning. Othello's wild, violent behavior in front of Lodovico, in which he strikes his wife and abuses her for no apparent reason, demonstrate the perversion of order that Iago has brought about. There is no one to halt Othello's lawlessness, because he himself is the law in Cyprus. Othello's accusations and refusal to accept Desdemona's denials are brutal and unfair, but his language recovers some of the nobility that it had lost in previous scenes. Iago-like curses are replaced by sorrowful laments for what has been lost, and the audience is reminded the heroism and dignity that Othello possessed at the beginning of the play. His cry O, thou weed, / Who art so

Mythologizing Place and Self in Poetry by Robert Kroetsch and Birk Sproxton

Mythologizing Place and Self in Poetry by Robert Kroetsch and Birk Sproxton Introduction Robert Kroetsch and Birk Sproxton are famous Canadian writers. Kroetsch was born in 1927 and died in 2011. He was one of the Canadian postmodernism novelists, poets, and non-fiction writers. Having been born in Alberta, he began his academic writing at Binghamton University. On the other hand, Sproxton was also a Canadian novelist and poet who lived in Red Deer, Alberta (Kroeller 71).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Mythologizing Place and Self in Poetry by Robert Kroetsch and Birk Sproxton specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He was born in 1943 in Flin Flon, Manitoba where he died in 2007. He went to study at Winnipeg before heading to Alberta. He also lectured creative writing at the Red Deer College. The two writers have some similarities in their style of writing and the context of their contents. Genealogy of place and self underpins the works of the two writers. Robert Kroetsch: Seed Catalo gue Kroetsch poetry uses complex or jargon (Davey 3). His language is mythology of the ancient writers and poets. It can be argued that the reason why the poems of Kroetsch are mythical is his style in naming. Naming is thought to be a process that is believed to be a mythical process. Robert Kroetsch authored ‘The stone Hammer’ poems and the ‘Seed Catalogue’. He begins the stone hammer poems by presenting twelve sections of the poems in sequence namely the â€Å"Old man stories†. In the footnote, he informs his readers that the main figure in the poem is a trickster and a teacher who lived in the legends of the Blackfoot Indians of southern Alberta. The trickster is presented as a comic sexual ancestor and a hero. The young man plays various tricks to woo the woman. He manages to successfully woo the woman to receive sexual acts and fellatio by disguising his pennies as a berry. In fact, â€Å"He rushed his prick, like rawhide lariat† (Kroets ch 29). Therefore, he mythologizes sexual antics of the man in the story. The society goes through this behavior. It is natural, indigenous, and inevitable. The trickster is used ironically to depict the characters of the people. On the other hand, Sproxton’s work constructs and conveys his message using simple language that helps to enhance the meaning of a message (Hill 99). Sproxton further uses various writing styles including metaphors and form that fits the time and space. On the other hand, Kroetsch is wordy. His writings lack metaphors thus making his work plain. He is motivated and interested in writing more information that did not make sense (Calder and Wardhaugh 5). Kroetsch has done many works in poetry. Most of them revolve around his lives, as well as his hometown Hearse. Many of his poems in â€Å"The Completed Field Notes† recount how his hometown came into being in the seed catalogue. He described his town Heisler the way it grew up.Advertising Looking for critical writing on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The town was in the middle of parkland and the battle river country. The prelude in the poem indicates that he is referring to this town. He says, â€Å"Once upon a time in the village of Heisler† (Kroetsch ‘Seed catalogue’ 29). He narrates the story of growing up and coming into existence of Prairie. He says, â€Å"No trees around the house†¦only the wind† (Kroetsch 29). Furthermore, Kroetsch narrates how his mother died. This loss made him disillusioned. He was only thirteen years. This deprivation was a fundamental situation that symbolizes death of verbal communication. The crowd who came to give her farewell even hurt him further the way they used language in expressing the loss. They did not care about the feelings the family was going through. He quotes,† I remember the death of my mother. I remember the wake, the crowds of people† (Kroetsch 29). â€Å"I saw the failure of language, the faltering connection between those spoken words and what it was I knew my father felt† (Kroetsch 29). Kroetsch acknowledges through the poem that the death of his mother made him doubt the reality of life (Calder and Wardhaugh 3). He lost the feminine assurance. The relationship between him and his mother was very close. Therefore, he could not believe that actually that could have happened. Kroetsch further uses language to demonstrate the notion of self. In his poem ‘The Ledger’ and ‘Seed Catalogue†, he uses ‘I’ more often to demonstrate the notion of Self, which is an indication of how he centers on individualism (Neuman 176). He is therefore concerned about self-following the way he refers to an individual as well as the place from where he comes. The poem mythologizes the poet’s individual life as he digs deeper into his fami ly history and relationships to establish the roots and the self (McKay 146). Kroetsch is concerned about himself as depicted further from his â€Å"Completed Field Notes† in the poem â€Å"How I Joined the Seal Herd† (Kroetsch 47). In fact, he says, â€Å"I am writing this poem with my life† (Kroetsch 47). He wants the readers to understand the challenges and the absurdity in the life he went through.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Mythologizing Place and Self in Poetry by Robert Kroetsch and Birk Sproxton specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Robert Kroetsch: The Ledger The ledger is a paradox of life in which Kroetsch depicts his life. He employs the concept of double entry and the double column printing in the poem to construct and deconstruct his life. In the poem, he gives a recount of how these entries seldom balance. There are many holes as some pages are torn out either by intent ion or by accident. Therefore, he attempts to cover the spaces by supposing the absence of the torn parts. For instance, he says that everything that he writes is a search â€Å"for the dead†¦for some pages remaining† (Kroetsch 11). Therefore, the poem is the inward journey for his past (Calder 91). Kroetsch retraces his roots by trying to put together piecemeal information from the experiences to have a complete picture of the reality. This search however does not make him find his past. He rather finds the act of finding. Therefore, there seems to be a no answer in his quest of finding his identity. The Ledger poem triggers mixed reactions besides causing confusion in the mind of the readers. Therefore, it requires them to fill the gaps in the text intelligently to find their meaning and reality. It evokes the voices of the ancestor. This is what Kroetsch tries to record to allow him relate the past to the present. Therefore, in this poem, the author’s memory en gages itself in the quest to seek the source or the past, which he calls, â€Å"dreams of origins† (Kroetsch 11). The past is full of unambiguities that are elusive and unresolved but which the memory keeps on pondering. Robert Kroetsch: Stone Hammer In the poem ‘Stone Hammer’, Kroetsch seeks to forge a Canadian identity amidst regional diversity and hostile forces (Kroetsch 3). He delights himself about the prairies with passion. Kroetsch searches his roots and identity. In this poem, Kroetsch is concerned about his family. Therefore, he searches his family’s origin, the national history, and genealogical time. The poem extends to the past generations where a hammer was found. The hammer was very important to the native people who used it to prepare pemmican in the ancient times. Kroetsch writes, â€Å"This stone becomes a hammer of stones, this maul is the color of bone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kroetsch 3). The author frequently refers to his family and the past to illustrate his higher affinity and interests about the past as well as his present. Therefore, the poem is centered on the mythology of his place of origin- Canada. He is more concerned about his place. Therefore, this captured in the poem. Prairies are depicted as the regions where cultural growth is linked to the fertility of the myth of fruition, seeding decay, and renewal. In his collection ‘Completed Field Notes’, Kroetsch presents long poems that juxtapose parts of anecdotes, memory meditations, and documents.Advertising Looking for critical writing on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The vast landscape of Canada is discussed in this postmodernism expression in the poems. There are different kinds of poems such as personal poems like ‘Birthday June 23, 1983’ and ‘I Getting Old Now’ among many others. They deal with a personal history. They are linked with holistic depiction of reality. Other contrasts that existed between the poems of Kroetsch and those of Sproxton are in the construction of sentences. Kroetsch uses jargon and a lot of repetition in his writing. Sometimes, these words and phrases do not have a concise meaning but mere empty words. On the other hand, Sproxton uses words sparingly and with a lot of selectivity to convey a message. In his poems- ‘The Ledger’ and ‘The Seed Catalogue’, Kroetsch shows an â€Å"epiphany of the problematic relationships that exist between selfhood and language† (Kroetsch 29). This poem portrays individual self of the people. Most of his works are a reflection of personal life. For instance, in the ‘Seed Catalogue’, the author says, â€Å"ongoing poem† (Kroetsch 29) as a symbol to illustrate that life is an ongoing phenomenon. Kroetsch tries to find out the reality of life and self-using language. In his poem ‘The Ledger’ and ‘Seed Catalogue†, he employs ‘I’ often to reveal the notion of self, which is an indication of how he centers on individualism. He is therefore concerned about self following the way he refers to an individual as well as the place from where he comes. The poem is about the poet’s individual life as he digs deeper into his family history and relationships to establish the roots and the self (McKay 146). The author is concerned about himself as further depicted from his completed field notes in the poem â€Å"How I Joined the Seal Herd† (Kroetsch 1). In fact, he says, â€Å"I am writing this poem with my life† (Kroetsch 32). He wants the reader s to understand the challenges and the absurdity in life he went through. Sproxton: Headframe 2 The two novelists and poets writing style is shaped from the former novelists. Sproxton’s poems in the â€Å"Headframe 2† in his last sections of â€Å"The Screen Door Revisions† provide readers with an insight why he is doing what he is doing (Sproxton 125). The poet for the ‘Screen Door Revisions’ says that he found â€Å"an old photograph, pieces of story, little fragments of things, so he started digging deeper and deeper† (Sproxton 125). In his first poem â€Å"chronicle 1†, it is clearly indicated that that the Gunslinger is a poet figure who is trying to mythologize prairie places and the self. He says, â€Å"Gunslinger on the nether cheek† (Sproxton 5). The idea that grand narrative of historical Gunslinger is â€Å"subverted, that brave, macho, sometimes dangerous, fighter (historically) is disturbed by Prairie mosquitoes (t hat little fragmentary things he found), he is scratching, and starts searching, digging deeper† (Sproxton 125). Writing about them is an ultimate attempt to mythologize place and self-identity. Sproxton tries to mythologize by supplementing history into genealogy. Autobiographical elements that Sproxton uses also show self-mythologizing. The two poets inquire more on their roots in Canada. Their writing is about genealogy of place and self. In their poems, novels, and books, they seek to know their identities better besides revealing their backgrounds to the readers. This approach characterized a large chunk of their poems, which revealed how both did not believe in the grand narrative of history. Rather, they sort to pursue by themselves the truth about their ancestors and background. Another similarity between the authors lies in their writing styles. In most of their writings or poems, various lines are broken with others being open-ended. They also used vernacular as a ke y component in their writing. For instance, in his book, ‘Collection of Headframe’, Sproxton writes the history and tales about his hometown. He writes in Heisler the hotel, â€Å"Cooley and I rode into the Battle River Valley† (Sproxton 32). His being engraved about his home pushes him to seek more insights on where he came from. For instance, he explores the originality of the Word Flin Flon, which was the town where he was born. He says, â€Å"A skate in the corner in the main Arena Flin Flon† (Sproxton 20). The name originated from a story of a prospector who carried a book called ‘the sunless city† written by Muddock. In the book, an adventurer by the name Josiah Flintabbatey Flotin boarded a submarine that was on its way to Lake Avernus, a bottomless sea whose depth went beyond the center of the earth. He was searching for the unknown, as symbolized by his effort of the discovery of the lake that with an unknown bottom. Therefore, the min eworkers believed that the lake was Avernus. The author of the book seeks to unravel the hidden truths that the people did not know. Sproxton believed in towns that existed through imaginations, He says, â€Å"Towns must be imagined into existence† (Sproxton 23). The author told stories that covered Manitoba to Alberta. Sproxton sums the history, his own life, geography, and the information handed to him through various sources through the poem in the book called Frank slide. The poem depicts the worst natural disaster that hit the Canadian history. A mountain fell down in the town of frank Alberta in the year 1903 claiming the lives of all inhabitants, as quoted in words, â€Å"The face of the mountain falls†¦tumbling still across the valley over the buried village† (Sproxton 27). Moreover, the writers write about the accounts of their fore parents where they address the issue of â€Å"family reunions and what happened over the years as well as other stories tha t range between facts, tall tales, and similar stories of the past† (Sproxton 25). Furthermore, the authors used similar anatomy in their writings. They sometimes exaggerated especially when writing about philosophical issues, as evident in an interview between Christian Riegel and Sproxton in the antigonish review number 132. He contended, â€Å"Headframe is a good example of the anatomy in textual terms† (Rob 3). In the book ‘Headframe’, the author Sproxton disputes over reliance or putting of more weight on vernacular instead of language (Sproxton 7). Addressing the issue of language therefore connects the two authors. In fact, Sproxton argues that the evident misunderstanding between him and other people is brought by the fact that they grew up with people speaking different languages and hence the confusion. His parents were from Saskatchewan farming backgrounds who spoke different languages. Saskatchewan River and lakes are mythologized like that of M ississippi River, â€Å"river runs through Hudson bay and Rupert Land† (Sproxton 74). This is an idea of Canadian shield in a way aimed at writing an epic of a place. For instance, the book starts with a storyteller enquiring to know whether the father was settling in the lavatory. The use of homesteading was taken to imply the application of vernacular though primarily aiming at depicting that the father had stayed there for a long period. This technique in language contextualizes the message to have the touch of lives of the ancient people or rather their originality. Furthermore, another similarity between these two authors is the usage of space in their poetry. The two authors are considered as some of â€Å"the most important imaginative writers of the postmodern movement† (Rob 3). They transformed the way of writing. Theorists such as Jacques Derrida and Ferdinand de Saussure influenced the two poets. The former poets played a crucial role in mentoring and motiva ting the two writers to like and have a passion in writing. The other similarity between these two poets is that they have contributed to the shift of writing styles among the people of Canada. New literary styles that the two writers initiated in Canadian have helped and motivated many Canadians since they revolutionized the styles of poetry to which people adhered. Another similarity between these two authors is the way they wrote their poems. They resorted to writing long poems. These poems were open-ended implying that, they did not provide the reader with specific themes or directions to base the facts (Beran 2). Conclusion In conclusion, the two poets Kroetsch and Sproxton are some of the most known poets who influenced Canadian poets into their writing styles. They are acknowledged as post modernism poets who revolutionized writing styles of poems in Canada. They sort to delve their poems on their place of origin besides exploring their past to find out the truth. They theref ore mythologized space and self in most of their poems. The genealogy of prairies Canada is evident in the way they write their ideas. They have many similarities as they both based their writing on Alberta in Canada. They used vernacular languages, long poems, and wrote about their histories. On the other hand, they also had some differences especially in the away they constructed their poems and the way they used words to communicate their ideas. However, the two poets have played a fundamental role in the poetry industry in Canada and beyond its boarders. Therefore, though the two are dead, the much they have written is enough to speak volumes to the contemporary poets. The two poets have set a good foundation that is worth emulating by any other poet whose sole agenda is to heighten his/her poetic skills. Beran, Carol. â€Å"Review of out of place: The writings for Robert Kroetsch by Simona Bertacco.† Great Plains Quarterly 1.1(2004): 2-5. Print. Calder, Alison. Who†™s from the Prairie?: Some Prairie Self-representations in Popular  Culture. Toward Defining the Prairies: Region, Culture, and History. Winnipeg: U. of Manitoba, 2001. Print. Calder, Alison, and Robert Wardhaugh. When is the Prairie? introduction. History,  Literature, and the Writing of the Canadian Prairies. Winnipeg: U. of Manitoba, 2001. Print. Davey, Frank. Toward the Ends of regionalism. A Sense of Place: Re-evaluating Regionalism  in Canadian and American Writing. Edmonton: U of Alberta, 1998. Print. Hill, Gerald. â€Å"Reading in Completed Field Notes.† Textual Studies in Canada 3.1(2006): 99-110. Print. Kroetsch, Robert. Seed Catalogue. Completed Field Notes. Edmonton: U of Alberta, 2000. Print. Kroetsch, Robert. The Ledger. Completed Field Notes. U of Alberta, 2000. Print. Kroeller, Eva-Marie. History and Photography in Robert Kroetsch’s Alibi. Open Letter. London: Summer/Fall, 1998. Print. McKay, Don. At Work and Play in The Ledger. Open Letter. Lon don: Summer/Fall, 1998. Print. Neuman, Shirley. â€Å"Figuring the Reader, Figuring the Self in Field Notes: Double or noting.† Open Letter 8/9(1989):176-194. Print. Rob, Mclennan. Headframe:2 by Birk Sproxton, 2006. Web. http://poetryreviews.ca/reviews/headframe-2-by-birk-sproxton/ Sproxton, Birk. Headframe 2. Canada: Turnstone Press.

Presidential Bill Signing Statements - Purposes and Legality

Presidential Bill Signing Statements - Purposes and Legality A bill signing statement is an optional written directive issued by the President of the United States upon signing a bill into law. Signing statements are typically printed along with the text of the bill in the United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN). Signing statements typically begin with the phrase â€Å"This bill, which I have signed today†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and continue with a synopsis of the bill and several paragraphs of often-political commentary on how the bill should be enforced. In his article Imperial Presidency 101-the Unitary Executive Theory, Civil Liberties Guide Tom Head refers to presidential signing statements as being documents in which the president signs a bill but also specifies which parts of a bill he or she actually intends to enforce. On the face of it, that sounds terrible. Why even have Congress go through the legislative process if presidents can unilaterally re-write the laws it enacts? Before flatly condemning them, there are some things you need to know about presidential signing statements. Source of the Power   The presidents legislative power to issue signing statements is based in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the president shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed... Signing statements are considered to be one way in which the president faithfully executes the laws passed by Congress. This interpretation is supported by the U.S. Supreme Courts 1986 decision in the case of Bowsher v. Synar, which held that ... interpreting a law enacted by Congress to implement the legislative mandate is the very essence of execution of the law. Purposes and effect of signing statements In 1993, the Department of Justice attempted to define the four purposes for presidential signing statements and the constitutional legitimacy of each: To simply explain what the bill will do and how it will benefit the people: No controversy here.To instruct the responsible Executive Branch agencies on how the law should be administered: This use of signing statements, says the Justice Department, is constitutional and is upheld by the Supreme Court in Bowsher v. Synar. Executive Branch officials are legally bound by the interpretations contained in presidential signing statements.To define the presidents opinion of the laws constitutionality: More controversial than the first two, this use of the signing statement typically has one of at least three sub-purposes: to identify certain conditions under which the president thinks all or parts of the law could be ruled unconstitutional; to frame the law in a manner that would save it from being declared unconstitutional; to state that the entire law, in the presidents opinion, unconstitutionally usurps his authority and that he will refuse to enforce it.Through Republican and Democrati c administrations, the Department of Justice has consistently advised presidents that the Constitution gives them the authority to refuse to enforce laws they believed to be clearly unconstitutional, and that expressing their intent through a signing statement is a valid exercise of their constitutional authority.On the other hand, it has been argued that it is the president’s constitutional duty to veto and refuse to sign bills he or she believes to be unconstitutional. In 1791, Thomas Jefferson, as the nation’s first Secretary of State, advised President George Washington that the veto â€Å"is the shield provided by the constitution to protect against the invasions of the legislature [of] 1. the rights of the Executive 2. of the Judiciary 3. of the states and state legislatures.† Indeed, past presidents including Jefferson and Madison have vetoed bills on constitutional grounds, even though they supported the bills’ underlying purposes. To create a type of legislative history intended to be used by the courts in future interpretations of the law: Criticized as an attempt by the president to actually invade Congress turf by taking an active part in the law-making process, this is clearly the most controversial of all the uses for signing statements. The president, they argue, attempts to amend legislation passed by Congress through this type of signing statement. According to the Justice Department, the legislative history signing statement originated in the Reagan Administration. In 1986, then-Attorney General Meese entered into an arrangement with the West Publishing Company to have presidential signing statements published for the first time in the U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News, the standard collection of legislative history. Attorney General Meese explained the purpose of his actions as follows: To make sure that the Presidents own understanding of whats in a bill is the same . . . or is given consideration at the time of statutory construction later on by a court, we have now arranged with the West Publishing Company that the presidential statement on the signing of a bill will accompany the legislative history from Congress so that all can be available to the court for future construction of what that statute really means. The Department of Justice offers views both supporting and condemning presidential signing statements through which presidents seems to take an active role in the lawmaking process: In Support of Signing Statements  Ã‚   The president has a constitutional right and political duty to play a integral role in the legislative process. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires that the president shall from time to time recommend to [Congress] Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. Further, Article I, Section 7 requires that to become and actual law, a bill requires the presidents signature. If he [the president] approve it he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated. In his widely acclaimed The American Presidency, 110 (2d ed. 1960), author Clinton Rossiter, suggests that over time, the president has become a sort of prime minister or third House of Congress. . . . [H]e is now expected to make detailed recommendations in the form of messages and proposed bills, to watch them closely in their tortuous progress on the floor and in committee in each house, and to use every honorable means within his power to persuade . . . Congress to give him what he wanted in the first place. Thus, suggests the Justice Department, it may be appropriate for the president, through signing statements, to explain what his (and Congress) intention was in making the law and how it will be implemented, particularly if the administration had originated the legislation or played a significant part in moving it through Congress. Opposing Signing Statements The argument against a president using signing statements to alter Congress intent as to meaning and enforcement of new laws is once again based in the constitution. Article I, Section 1 clearly states, All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Not in a Senate and House and a president. Along the long road of committee consideration, floor debate, roll call votes, conference committees, more debate and more votes, the Congress alone creates the legislative history of a bill. It can also be argued that by attempting to reinterpret or even nullify parts of a bill which he has signed, the president is exercising a type of line-item veto, a power not currently bestowed on presidents. Tough the practice pre-dates his administration, some of the signing statements issued by President George W. Bush were criticized for including language that too extensively changing the meaning of the bill. In July 2006, a task force of the American Bar Association stated that the use of signing statements to modify the meaning of duly enacted laws serves to â€Å"undermine the rule of law and our constitutional system of separation of powers.† Summary The recent use of presidential signing statements to functionally amend legislation passed by Congress remains controversial and is arguably not within the scope of powers granted to the president by the Constitution. The other less controversial uses of signing statements are legitimate, can be defended under the Constitution and can be useful in the long-term administration of our laws. Like any other power, however, the power of presidential signing statements can be abused.

Logistic management or supply chain management select one topic only Dissertation

Logistic management or supply chain management select one topic only - Dissertation Example Using case study research method, secondary data will be collected from different literature regarding the selected firms which include text books, journal and news articles. The next section on findings and discussion will analyse the two companies and how and what lean approaches are used to enhance operations in logistics. Finally, all the findings will be summarized and recommendations will be given on research and study. This study analyse the state of two logistic companies and their approach to the lean concept. It was found out that two companies have tried to initiate a number of lean methods’ but still a lot remains to be done. There were significant losses that were covered by the company management in both cases, by effective implementation of lean logistics approach. INTRODUCTION Optimizing a business process is essential to the long term success of the business and its returns. However, this process is complex owing to the diversity of activities, departments, an d varied requirements of each business process, especially the process industries, (Taylor, 2003). This paper conducts a study on the logistics sector companies to analyse their current operations with a lean approach and subsequently suggest improvements to enhance their logistics operations. Research Aim: The purpose of this paper is to study the current state of affairs in the field of lean logistics concepts while giving a brief study upon the theory of constraints which is similar to lean concept of management. Analyse the implication of lean concepts of management on two logistics companies and how have they been able to implement and execute the methods and related technologies. Research objectives To cite the concept of lean theory and theory of constraints with relevant literature To critically review the theory and relate them to practice of the management To recommend for the solutions to enhance logistics operations The paper has been divided into different sections. Sec tion one will refer the relevant literature regarding Lean concepts of management and theory of constraints. Section two will discuss the methodology of research design and techniques used to such implications for the selected firms. Using case study research method, secondary data will be collected from different literature regarding the selected firms which include text books, journal and news articles. Section three would help to analyze the data of the selected firms. Finally, all the findings will be summarized and recommendations will be given on research and study. LITERATURE REVIEW TOC CONCEPT Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Lean concept have become popular in recent years. The objectives of these two are the same – to provide process optimizations and performance improvements. TOC focuses the attention of the management to avoid and eliminate the few present constraints in the system. Lean approach assists managers to improve performances by eliminating all the waste activities. The TOC concepts have proved to be quite profitable by reducing inventories and lead times, and enhancing the operations within a value chain, (Eric, et.al, 1995). Giving a brief about TOC, the TOC views organizations as a source of resources which are actually interlinked with the various activities and processes. TOC further states a constraint as one that has the ability to limit the performance of the system. TOC is of the perspective that in

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Methods - Essay Example me teachers functioning on a split site system since they spend more time travelling from site to site, thus losing contact time with other colleagues. Although departmental meetings are well attended, there are noticeably fewer discussions in the staff room, as break and lunch times are also travelling times. These issues, with their underlying themes, are generic in nature and are relevant in a variety of contexts and are listed below: Action research is about problem solving to extend knowledge (Hult & Lunnung, 1980, West et al., 1995, McConnell, 2000). My research question involves qualitative research, which lends itself to problem solving in a cyclic manner. It involves a planned reaction to a problem, followed by feedback, evaluation, critical reflection and discussion, to redefine issues concerned with the sharing of information. A greater awareness and understanding of an identified problem is developed over time, which should lead to a solution or improved practice. As Cohen and Manion (1994) point out, â€Å"An important feature of action research is that the task is not finished when the project ends. The participants continue to review, evaluate and improve practice.† However, Cohen and Manion’s approach of ‘review, evaluate and improve’ works well with quantitative research, or for one person trying to affect a change. It does not appear appropriate for uniform progression of a group and group activity over a longer period of time. Hence for a group to progress as a unit, emphasis on developing a consensus between its members is important. For these extended studies a conductor is necessary to form an extended cyclic approach including review, evaluate, conduct and improve. Improved practice and the opportunity to develop my own relationships within the group are important to me in order to develop a sense of worth. I have chosen action research as my method as it brings the interviewer closer to the interviewee, hence it lends itself to

Answers to questions on the spread and control of diseases

Answers to questions on the spread and control of diseases List and discuss briefly major public health strategies for communicable disease control. Choose five communicable diseases and discuss what public health strategies will be appropriate in each case. Major Public Health Strategies for Communicable Disease Control The main public health strategies to control communicable diseases include all measures designed to prevent or reduce the incidence, prevalence and consequences of disease (WHO 1984). These measures are included in primary health care and involve participation of community, support from different government, public and private sectors and coordination between these sectors (WHO 1978). The control measures are directed against reservoir or sounce of infection, the root of transmission and susceptible host ( people at risk). i) Controlling Reservoir of Infection. It includes early diagnosis or detection of cases or carriers, notification of disease, isolation, treatment and quarantine. ii) Interrupting Transmission of Disease. This is done by interrupting direct transmission and indirect transmission of infective agent from patient and carrier to susceptible host by changing some part of mans environment. The public health strategies to achieve this includes clean water supply, improving sanitation, proper cooking and refrigeration, improving personal hygiene, controlling vectors and proper handling of secretions and excretions of humans and animals. iii) Protection of Susceptible Host or Patient at Risk This includes active immunization, passive immunization, combination of active and passive immunization and prophylaxis by drugs. iv) Other measures that have interrupted transmission of many diseases in developed countries include legislation for integrated and effective public health programs, improved quality of life and better education. Surveillance follows control measures. Five Communicable Diseases and Public Health Strategies to Control them 1-Chickenpox is acute highly infectious disease caused by varicella zooster virus (VZV) usually in children. It spreads by airborne particles and direct contact. The control strategies are notification, isolation of cases for six days after the rash appears, disinfection of articles soiled with secretion from nose, mouth and skin and using gloves and face mask while attending patient. Antiviral drugs are effective if used in first 24 hours of appearance of skin rash. Human varicella zoster immunoglobulin is given to contacts and immunocompromrised. A live attenuated vaccine is available and used in US and some other countries for children at one year of age. 2-Measles is acute highly infectious disease of childhood caused by a myxovirus. The control strategies include routine vaccine coverage of all children at 9 months and 4 years of age using live attenuated vaccine. Catch up vaccination is done for children who miss out. Successive generations of children are vaccinated. Isolation in initial stages of incubation period and disinfection of articles can help control spread. Notification to local health authorities, epidemiological investigation and health education are also necessary. 3-Diphtheria is caused by corynebacterium diphtheriae and affects upper respiratory tract. Control includes early detection of cases and carriers, notification, isolation in the hospital, and treatment of cases by diphtheria anti-toxin and carriers by erythromycin. Contacts are given booster dose of anti-toxin if they have not received in last two years and surveillance of close contacts is done for several weeks after exposure. On community bases the effective control is achieved by active immunization of diphtheria vaccine at age of six weeks, ten weeks, fourteen weeks, and booster doses sixteen to twenty-four months and five years. 4- Cholera is disease caused by vibrio cholera 01 (El Tor-most or Classical-less common). Main clinical manifestations are acute onset of diarrhea, massive fluid loss and shock. WHO guidelines for control of diarrhea (p192)(ref19) include verification of diagnosis from stool examination, notification to local health authorities, early case finding, establishing treatment centers, rehydration of patients, antibiotics like doxycylcline, OTC or ciprofloxacllin, epidemiological investigation, sanitation, use of clean water and properly cooked food, parental or oral vaccination and health education with diarrhea control program. 5-Enteric fevers include typhoid and paratyphoid fevers caused by Salmonella typhi and S.paratyphi A and B. Disease spreads by ingestion of contaminated faeces, urine, food, water and poor personal hygiene. Control measures includes control of reservoir by identification, isolation, treatment and disinfection; improving sanitation of food water and personal hygiene and using inactivated injectable vaccine and oral live attenuated vaccine. Q2 Select an infectious disease of your interest. Provide a comprehensive account of clinical features, diagnosis, causative organism, mode (s) of transmission. Explain past and current disease prevention techniques used to control the disease with an emphasis on primary and secondary prevention measures. Choose a country that is affected by that infectious disease described. Explain the disease burden, discuss relevant risk factors and discuss limitations or hurdles in the control and prevention of that disease. Answer Cholera i) Definition: WHO defines cholera as Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera (WHO, Fact sheet on cholera 2010). Cholera is caused by vibrio cholera serotype 01. The El Tor bio type more commonly infects than classical bio type. ii) Pathogenesis: Enzyme adenyle cyclase is activated in intestinal wall by enterotoxin of vibrio cholera that activates cyclic-AMP leading to massive secretion of chloride and water from the intestinal endothelium.It infects both adults and children (Robbins, Stanley, Kumar, and Cotran 2010). iii) Clinical Features: Sudden onset of severe diarrhoea without pain, vomiting. Stool is like rice water in color. Severe dehydration, shock and oliguria. Death occurs due to circulatory failure. In most of the cases diarrhoea is mild and occassionally disease is very severe with intense loss of fluid and dilatation of intestine leading to death. It is dangerous when disease occurs in children (Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). iv) Diagnosis: During epidemic diagnosis can be made easily from clinical features. But confirmation of diagnosis requires laboratory methods. Specimen of stool is taken before anti-biotics are given. A fresh specimen of stool or rectal swabs are taken and transported via transport media or put in sterile container. In the laboratory direct microscopic examination with dark field illumination shows shooting star appearance of vibrio cholera against dark background. This test diagnosis in 80% cases of infection. Specimen can be cultured in bile salt agar medium over night and examined under oblique light for colonies. Serological tests like direct haemagglutination test and cholera phage type test are also available for phage typing (Robbins, Stanley, Kumar, and Cotran 2010) . v) Causative Organism: Cholera is caused by vibrio cholera (serogroups O1 and O139 are cause outbreaks), sero-type O1 causing the majority of the outbreaks, while serotype O139 causes less outbreaks and it is limited to South-East Asia. Other serotypes non-O1 and non-O139 cause mild disease only (WHO, Fact sheet on cholera 2010). vi) Modes of Transmission: Use of water contaminated with faeces from water wells, ponds, lakes and rivers for drinking purposes, consumption of contaminated food, drinks, vegetables, and fruits, ingesting cooked food, contaminated due to handling with contaminated hands and exposd to flies. Transmission also occurs due to direct person to person contact when one have contaminated hands and fomites. vii) Incubation period is from few hours to 2 days viii) Prevention: Traditionally the preventive measures include coordination between public and private sectors to achieve clean water supplies, proper disposal of excreta and waste water, safe handling of cooked food, drinks and other edibles protecting them from flies and conteminated hands, behaviroal modification and health education and knowledge about imporatance of personal hygiene. Currently two oral whole-cell killed vaccines Dukoral and Shanchol are commercially available. These are effective and provide more than 50% protection from vibrio cholera (WHO, Prevention and control of cholera outbreaks: WHO policy and recommendations 2008). Management: It includes replacement of fluid and electrolytes using intravenously ringer lactate when vomiting is present and oral fluids when there is no vomiting. Antibiotics, doxycycline 300mg or ciprofloxacillin 1gm or oxytetracycline 250 mg x 6hourly for 3 days reduces duration of diarrhoea and ammount of fluid loss (Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). Cholera in Zimbabwe The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe began in August, 2008. According to WHO update June 9, 2009, cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe slowed down during 2009. The number of suspected cases of cholera was 98424 and number of deaths due to the epidemic reached 4276. According to the information given in this WHO report, 4.3% cholera patients have died due to cholera. The most of the reported cases of cholera (56%) affected Harare and its suburban areas, Beitbridge near South African border and Mudzi near Mozambique border. (WHO, Global Alert and Response 2009). Relavant risks factors are poor personal hygine, contaminated water and food, malnutrition, flies, migration, poverty and over crowding at camps.Limitations and hurdles to control cholera incude poor national efforts to find and control cases due to poor intersectorial coordination, political instabiity, emigaration of population, overcrowding near borders, insecurity and lack of resources for many immigrants to maintain proper food and sanitation, lack of health care providers and overstretched health care system. Q3 Investigate the effect of global warming on the patterns of three diseases of your choice. Look at where these diseases are now found considering where they were not 20 years ago. What has enabled these diseases to spread? (i.e. was it the increase in temperature, the spread of the vector, change to a different vector etc?). Answer Malaria Malaria is a parasitic infection and in humans it is caused by plasmodium falciparum, P.vivax , P.malarie and P.ovale and P.knowlesi. Malaria is transmitted when infected female Anopheline mosquito bites human. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas below altitude of 1500 meters. According to WHO estimates 300-500 million cases of malaria occur every year in the world and more than one million people die annually because of malaria (WHO, Water-related Diseases 2010). Global Warming and Malaria: Global warming is leading to climate change in many regions of the world. There is increase in rains, rise in temperature and increased moisture that favors spread of insect vectors. This leads to increase in transmission of vector born diseases including malaria. Climate change or global warming is moving malaria to higher altitudes. Examples of spread of malaria are in highlands in Eastern part of Africa and Madagascar, Peoples Republic of Korea and the mountains of Papua New Guinea. These areas were malaria free 20 years back; are now experiencing seasonal epidemics. A model of predictions by Martens et al in 1995 showed that 3Â ° C increase in global temperature by 2100 will increase the annual malaria cases by 50-80 million (Martens et al., 1995). Causes of malaria spread: Environmental factors that help spread include temperature between 18Â ° C to 40Â ° C. At temperature lower than 16oC, development of plasmodium inside the mosquito stops. Humidity level of 60% is necessary for mosquito life. Rain provide breeding places. When a female Anopheline mosquito with sporozoites in her salivary glands bites human being it transmits malaria. Transfusion of blood containing malarial parasites and lack of prophylaxis can lead to spread of malaria. Prevention and Control : Chemoprophylaxis is achieved by chloroquine, malarone, doxycycline or mefloquine. Vector control strategies include indoor and outdoor spraying of insecticides, using insecticides treated nets and treatment of mosquito breeding sites with insecticides to eliminate them. The other measures are proper disposal of waste water and filling of waste water reservoirs (Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). Dengue In 1960 there was no case dengue fever, in 1990, the average number of cases reached above 400,000 and in 2005 the number reached above 900,000.In last twenty years geographical distribution of disease and number of cases have increased dramatically. The disease is endemic in south-east Asia, India, Africa, Caribbean and Americas (Mahr 2007). Causative Organism and vector: Causative organism is dengue flavi virus with four serotypes and all produce similar clinical syndrome. Principal vector is mosquito Aedes Aegypti but Aedes albopictus is also a vector in south-east Asian countries (Mahr 2007). Transmission: Reservoir of infection is man and mosquito. Transmission cycle includes man-mosquito-man. All ages and sexes are susceptible. Factors leading to spread of the disease: Increasing population and urbanization lead to improper management of water supply and water storage in open containers. The mosquito breeds in standing water. Air coolers using water and tyre dumps contain stagnant water and act as breeding sites. Global warming leading increased rains causing stagnant water pool thus cause spread of vector. In south-east Asia additional vector Aedes albopictus may also participate in spread of disease (Mahr 2007). Prevention: Main preventive strategies include abolishing Aedies mosquito breeding places and insecticide srpay to destroy adults. No vaccine is available (Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). Clinical features: Incubation period is 2-7 days. Disease can be asymptomatic but it is more severe in infants and elderly. Severe disease is called dengue haemorrhagic fever and causes circulatory failure and systemic complication. Main clinical features are continuous fever for 4-5 days, headache, severe body pains, pain in eyes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and skin rash. Complications like internal and external bleeding occurs(Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). Treatment: Symptomatic, fluid replacement and treatment of shock Japanese Encephaitis (JE) This is a mosquito-borne disease caused by Flavivirus. The vector is culicine mosquito. The disease predominantly affects children aged less than 15 years and has high fatality rate. Effect of global warming on spread of disease: This is a zoonotic disease that infects animals and occasionally human beings. The disease was endemic in Japan, China and Korea 25 years ago but now it is found in large population of South East Asia. The global warming has lead to changes in the environment of South East Asia with increased humidity and increase in rains. This has resulted in increased breeding places of mosquito and spread of disease(Boon, Nicholas, and Davidson 2006). Spread of Disease: Spread is through all serotypes of JE virus. The vector, culicine mosquito breeds in places containing water like rice water fields, water pools in jungles, ditches and fields. The reservoirs of virus are pigs and aquatic birds (Park 2008). Clinical Features: It is a systemic illness with fever, headache, vomiting, photophobia, seizures and paralysis. Control: By vector control using insecticide sprays in the fields, use of mosquito nets and vaccination of population at risk. Q4. Summaries of Readings Nelson K, Williams C. (2007): Early History of Infectious Disease: Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases. In Infectious Disease Epidemiology Theory and Practice, 2nd edition. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, USA. This article describes early epidemics of infectious diseases in ancient civilizations, the gradual development of knowledge of infectious diseases and their control and development of public health measures and their role in infectious disease control in western civilizations. The ancient history of Greece and Egypt mentions epidemics of infectious diseases that killed kings as well as common people in large number. Political unrest and massive dislocation as a result of wars helped spread of diseases. From the writings of early historians researchers think these epidemics were due to smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria and meningococcal infection. The bubonic plague epidemics with other communicable disease caused wide spread epidemics in 160CE and 165-180CE in Europe leading demise of Hans and Roman empires and killing 5 million people. The plague epidemics occurred again in 12th and 14th centuries in Europe and killed massive number of Europeans. In cities people with better immunity survived. Small pox epidemic occurred in 14th century BCE in Egypt. Latter on it was disseminated in Europe. Wars and invasion disseminated it to Americas and killed hundreds of thousand people as they have no immunity against it. At that time it became known that skin lesio ns transmit disease and survivors were immune to re-infection. Deliberate exposure to disease was a practice used in China and India before its use in Europe. Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) in his treatise stated that environmental factors were responsible for occurrence of disease. Claudius Galen (131-201 CE) used ideas of Hippocrates and his knowledge of anatomy and physiology from animals and humans to describe his ideas in his writings. His writings were used in Europe till The Middle Ages. The contagious nature of infectious diseases were known but control measures were ineffective due to lack of knowledge of epidemiology. In case of plague, infected cases were quarantined and possessions and corpses were disposed off. The importance of rats and fleas in the epidemic of disease was not recognized. The lepers were considered as sinners during The Middle Ages. Fracastoro (1478-1553) presented the idea that transmission of infectious disease from one person to another was due to minute particles. The disease was transmitted by direct contact, by fomites and through air. The process of variolation, means intentionally inoculation people to induce immunity was advocated by scientists. Mather (1663-1728) described it in his slave. Edward Jenner (1749-1826) successfully inoculated cowpox in a boy to induce immunity against smallpox. This was first clinical trial of a vaccine. The small pox vaccination lead to its eradication two centuries later. Napoleon vaccinated his army against smallpox. Thomas Sydenham(1624-1689) advocated and differentiated various febrile illness by careful observation and many others adopted same strategy to describe illnesses including infectious diseases. John Snow (1813-1858) and William Budd (1868-1953) performed epidemiology of cholera and typhoid fever respectively before isolation of organisms. The other scientists started careful clinical observation, diagnosis and measure to control and treat patients. John Graunt(1620-1674) documented number and causes of death in London during a third of century, ratio of births and deaths of both sexes and these ratios in rural and urban areas and constructed life tables. The public health data was used to study infectious disease epidemics. It was also used to implement sanitary reform in London and proving cost-effectiveness of public health measures. Analytic use of public health data was introduced by William Far(1807-1883) Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) invented microscope and described bacteria and spirochetes in fecal material and rain water. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) showed that microorganisms cause fermentation and Robert Koch (1843-1910) showed microorganism cause disease. Later on other scientists discovered microorganisms as causative agents for various infectious diseases and the vectors responsible for transmission of causative agent. The yellow fever virus was discovered in 1898 by Reed. It was discovered that yellow fever virus is transmitted by mosquito Aedes aegypti. Malarial parasite was discovered by Alfonse Laveran in 1880. Ronald Ross discovered life cycle of avian malaria and Grassi discovered anopheline mosquito were vector for malaria and avian life cycle was same in humans. The knowledge of microorganisms that cause infectious diseases, the progress in bacteriology, immunology, virology, statistics have helped in understanding of epidemiology of infectious diseases. But still infectious diseases cause many deaths and outbreaks in various parts of the world every year. Discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming and subsequent development of various antibiotics has made treatment of infectious diseases possible. The public health officials and epidemiologists now assist health authorities in control of infectious diseases. Advancements in public health have increase the average life span of Infectious disease challenge: The advancements in genetics, virology and antiviral therapy had modified course of many infectious diseases. The older techniques of diagnosis and management of disease are being replaced with new ones. But still the challenge of infectious disease control remains ahead. Overview of the Control of Disease This article deals with control of infectious diseases during 20th century and challenges ahead during 21st century. During 20th century, there was decline in infant mortality that resulted 29.2 years increase of life expectancy. During 19th century, more than 30% deaths occurred in children under 5 years of age which dropped to 1.4% in 1997. In 1900, leading causes of death were pneumonia, tuberculosis diarrhea and enteritis. While in 1997, the main causes of death are heart disease and cancers. The decline in death rate during 20th century can be attributed to discoveries of 19th century like micro-organisms, improvements in sanitation and personal hygiene. The implementation of mass vaccination programs, invention of antibiotics, disease surveillance and control systems can be due to scientific advancements. Industrialization and mass movement of people towards cites during 19th century lead to epidemics of infectious diseases due to overcrowding, poor housing, poor person hygiene and poor sanitary measures. During 20th century chlorinated water supplies, proper waste disposal, better housing, better animal and pest control, use of disinfectants and application of sanitation measures in ships lead to decline infectious diseases. Mass vaccination programs caused fall in tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus and polio. Measles, mumps and rubella infections were also controlled. Vaccination Assistance Act helped continuous supply of childhood vaccines. Antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs help control TB and other infections. Technological advances lead to serological testing and control of viral diseases. During 21st century continuous need of research into mortality and morbidity is needed to control and treat infectious diseases. Appearance of AIDS and some other infections show evolution in microbes. Molecular genetics show the appearance of drug resistant strains of microbes. For future success public health needs to address these and other upcoming challenges. Chase, A. (1982): Magic shots. William Morrow and Company Inc., New York. This article describes history of development of smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner in 1796, the behavior of political, social, religious forces and scientists related to use of this vaccine in Europe and USA, the history of epidemics of smallpox, WHO campaigns for eradication of smallpox and finally eradication of smallpox. The Chinese and Indians knew before Christian era that material from smallpox lesions can be used to induce long lasting immunity in health individuals while Europeans lacked this knowledge. During 18th century the physicians in Western world started vaccinating affluent people with infected material from smallpox patients (called variolation) this caused active disease in 5-10% of variolated individuals, high mortality and severe complications. This led to banning of variolation practice in some US states. The smallpox was introduced into Europe as a result of Holy Crusade during first two centuries of second millennium. The crusaders infected with smallpox returned back to Europe and spread the disease. The smallpox existed in India, China, Egypt and Greece since thousands of years. Of and on epidemics killed hundreds of thousands of people and blinded and disfigured many due to complications. The smallpox was introduced to Americas by Spanish and European settlers. It was unknown there before so Native Americans did not have immunity against it. It resulted in numerous deaths devastating their civilizations. Edward Jenner, a Scottish physician noted that milk maids developed mild form of disease after they came in contact with lymph and secretions in the lesions of cows with cowpox. This was without complications and subsequently they became immune against smallpox. He was also aware that many people in cattle business inoculate themselves with lymph from cowpox pustules and become immune against smallpox. Jenner inoculated an eight year old boy with lymph from cowpox lesion (cowpox virus) by scratching his skin. The boy developed mild cowpox. After few weeks Jenner inoculated the same boy with lymph taken from smallpox patient, the boy did not developed smallpox. The inoculation of boy with lymph from other smallpox patient also did not cause smallpox in him. Jenner then repeated the experiment on other people and found that all developed immunity against smallpox after inoculation with lymph from cowpox. This was invention of a very safe and effective smallpox vaccine and beginning of immunology. Although during 18th CE smallpox was a major cause of death in Europe killing 15 million people every 25 years. Many influential people opposed use of Jenners smallpox vaccine due to various reasons. Industrial revolution resulted increase in population of poor areas of cities, sanitation issues and epidemics of all infectious diseases including smallpox. The English rich ruling class wanted Jenners vaccine for themselves and their families only. They allocated very small funds for its use in Ireland, and were against mass vaccination of public. The conservative religious riches considered saving poor from smallpox will disturb balance of nature and increase their population. The cost benefit analysis by experts was also used to show that mass vaccination was uneconomical. The English and French armies got vaccination against smallpox. Napoleon favored Jenners vaccine. Malthus and his supporters successfully opposed mass vaccination and other public health measures in Britain. Many of the colleagues opposed smallpox vaccination due to professional jealously with Jenner while other supported recognizing its benefits. The German and Scandinavian ruling class supported and implement ed mass vaccination during early part of 19th century decades before the English did so. In US Dr Benjamin Waterhouse a professor at Harvard visited Europe, became aware of smallpox vaccine and wrote President Thomas Jefferson, Vice-President at that time about the global eradication of smallpox. Jefferson agreed and appreciated the idea. The smallpox vaccine was imported and also prepared in US and small level vaccination was started. There were forces of opposition like England that slowed progress of vaccination. Shattuck Report in 1850 examined state of public health affairs in Massachusetts and stressed periodic vaccination of people along with all the sanitary measures. Immigrants from China and Europe, slaves from South and local poor provided cheap labor and were unable to afford proper housing and sanitation. They lived in crowded dwellings suitable for infectious disease epidemics including smallpox. The outbreaks occurred between 1820-1870 killing hundreds of thousand people. In Europe, during smallpox pandemic during 1870-1875, the dead rate in countries without compulsory vaccination was four times higher than those with compulsory vaccination Smallpox became internationally notifiable disease in 1926. WHO launched campaigns to eradicate smallpox from the world. First two campaigns failed but the third become successful and the last case of smallpox was reported in Somalia in 1977. Bureau of Smallpox Eradication became part of CDC in 1966 to endure safe vaccination against smallpox. The complications of smallpox vaccination are insignificant. World is global village and US and other countries can remain free of infectious diseases if they help less fortune countries to improve sanitation, overcrowding, personal hygiene, safe water supplies and other public health measures. Giesecke J. (2002). Mathematical models for Epidemics. In Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology. London. Mathematical models are used in weather forecasting, economics and sociology. They are based upon certain assumptions, take more important factors as determinants of development and used for predictions and other protocols. These models are also useful in infectious disease epidemiology. Basic reproductive rate (Ro) gives average number of people who gets directly infected by an infectious case during infectious period in a susceptible population. During an epidemic current reproductive rate (R) is used. In an epidemic when R is greater than 1 shows disease will disappear when it is equal to 1, it will become endemic and when R is larger than 1 it becomes epidemic. When a proportion p of a population already immunized, p x R0 people will not catch infection and R p x R0 will be infected. Since epidemic occurs when R p x R0 is greater than 1so increasing secondary immunization level in a population increases value of p x R0 and epidemic does not occur. We can represent this relationship in a simple formula. R p x R0 (R0 -1) / R0 The determinants of Ro are risk of transmission per contact (ÃŽÂ ²), the number of contacts of an average person in a population (ÃŽÂ º) and during of infectivity of a person (D). Mathematically we can show the relationship Ro = ÃŽÂ ² x ÃŽÂ º x D The infections with high infectivity and longer immunity (childhood diseases), Ro estimation can be from average age at infection time. The formula R0 = 1 + L/A where L is average life span of a person and A is age when infection occurred. Researchers discuss a simple model of infectious disease making assumptions that disease occurs in a fixed population with zero latent period having duration of infectivity equal to clinical manifestation of disease. The population of size n can be divided into three proportions namely S, susceptible portion of n; I, currently infected and infectious proportion of n and R, immune proportion of n. Before infection S=1 while I and R are 0. With the spread of epidemic S decreases R increases and I first increases then decreases. Three equations can be setup and during epidemic these will be dS/dt = ÃŽÂ ² x ÃŽÂ º x S x I -(a) dI/dt = ÃŽÂ ² x ÃŽÂ º x S x I-I/D -(b) dR/dt =I/D-(c) Here eq.(a) shows proportion of susceptible people is decreasing. Eq (b) show

Environmental Scanning: Identifying Threats and Opportunities

Organizational environment consists of both external and internal factors. Environment must be scanned so as to determine development and forecasts of factors that will influence organizational success. Environmental scanning refers to possession and utilization of information about occasions, patterns, trends, and relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment. It helps the managers to decide the future path of the organization. Scanning must identify the threats and opportunities existing in the environment.While strategy formulation, an organization must take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. A threat for one organization may be an opportunity for another. Internal analysis of the environment is the first step of environment scanning. Organizations should observe the internal organizational environment. This includes employee interaction with other employees, employee interaction with management, manager interaction with othe r managers, and management interaction with shareholders, access to natural resources, brand awareness, organizational structure, main staff, operational potential, etc.Also, discussions, interviews, and surveys can be used to assess the internal environment. Analysis of internal environment helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses of an organization. As business becomes more competitive, and there are rapid changes in the external environment, information from external environment adds crucial elements to the effectiveness of long-term plans. As environment is dynamic, it becomes essential to identify competitors’ moves and actions. Organizations have also to update the core competencies and internal environment as per external environment.Environmental factors are infinite, hence, organization should be agile and vigile to accept and adjust to the environmental changes. For instance – Monitoring might indicate that an original forecast of the prices of the raw m aterials that are involved in the product are no more credible, which could imply the requirement for more focused scanning, forecasting and analysis to create a more trustworthy prediction about the input costs. In a similar manner, there can be changes in factors such as competitor’s activities, technology, market tastes and preferences.While in external analysis, three correlated environment should be studied and analyzed — †¢immediate / industry environment †¢national environment †¢broader socio-economic environment / macro-environment Examining the industry environment needs an appraisal of the competitive structure of the organization’s industry, including the competitive position of a particular organization and it’s main rivals. Also, an assessment of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry is essential. It also implies evaluating the effect of globalization on competition within the industry.Analyzing the national e nvironment needs an appraisal of whether the national framework helps in achieving competitive advantage in the globalized environment. Analysis of macro-environment includes exploring macro-economic, social, government, legal, technological and international factors that may influence the environment. The analysis of organization’s external environment reveals opportunities and threats for an organization. Strategic managers must not only recognize the present state of the environment and their industry but also be able to predict its future positions.