What statistical measures should be used to assess the commercial Assignment

What statistical measures should be used to assess the commercial viability of an organisational website What would these measures show, and what would they not show - Assignment Example Therefore, commercial viability of an organization can be gauged by examining the performance of its commercial website. Performance of an organization’s website can be checked in terms of legal, technical, and marketing viabilities. According to Clark (2013), examining a website’s operational viability should be free from subjective analysis. In order to foster objectivity, analysis on a website’s viability is conducted though statistical measures. Common statistical measures applied in measuring website’s commercial viability include; central tendency measures like mean, dispersion measures like standard deviation, and linear correlation measures like Pearson correlation coefficients. Website’s viability can be ascertained by acknowledging the number of visitors viewing an organization’s web page. A high number of visitors signify increased attraction of website contents on potential customers. Contrarily, low number of visitors indicates lack of attractiveness by an organization’s website. Monitoring the number of visitors on a daily basis is not only time consuming but also monotonous. Therefore, central tendency measure of arithmetic mean can be used to determine the average number of a website’s visitors over a finite period. Perry (2006) mentioned that arithmetic mean is a representative measure which provides an overview description of a data set distribution. Unlike other measures of central tendency like mode and median, arithmetic mean summarizes behavior of a data set in a representative manner. Measuring website’s viability using mean provides an inference about the average number of persons visiting a web page. Contrarily, use of arithmetic means in statistical analysis has demerits. Arithmetic mean does not describe any relationship between multiple variables that influence the number of visitors entering a website. Undeniably, a central tendency

Britain and Ethnic Divisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Britain and Ethnic Divisions - Essay Example While on one side, it is the cultural conquest, most often referred to as the internal colonialism, the colonies of the Celtic fringe continued to exist from Middle Ages. Whereas, these areas showed a renewed frenzy of nationalism every now and then, English had hardly any nationalism or nationalistic movement. In case of the other ethnic minority, since there was a subjugation of rights, there was a spirit of nationalism among them too. While colonisation of other parts of the world by the English have been history, the settlement and colonisation of the Celtic fringe has been subtle. The first empire of the English was to establish the British. This is possibly the reason why nationalism and ethnicity were not referred to in the context of the British. The Celtic Fringe in British National Development 1536 - 1966. The colonisation started in the sixteenth century and in many cases was very subtle. 'They had been sleep walking towards their extinction. Not knowing what internal colonialism has done to them'. (Ken Saro Wiwa 1 Jan 1996). Internal colonialism is not easily recognised either by the settler or by the conquered. A similar colony was created in the Celtic Fringe by the English. This was to be an integrating effort resulting in the English becoming the British. The English culture became overpowering. ... Though the entire event started as a migration of the English from the lowlands to the rest of the regions, the regions soon become colonies of England. This trend was continued by the English when they colonised many other nation states across the world. English did not thrust their culture or practices on to the people whom they colonised. This also happened in the Celtic fringe (Ellis, Summer 2003) where the original culture of the Irish, the Scottish and that of the Welsh continue to exist in addition to the imperial culture of the English. Ethnic Migration The Ethnic migration, on the other end, resembles more for a want of better living conditions and of course, financial gain. Migration of the people in other countries was towards greener pastures. Large number of ethnic migrants came into the UK. Larger groups are the Caribbean, Black African, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and others apart from white migrants settled elsewhere. All these people contribute to the large scale migration into the country. Nature of work they get themselves into after getting into the country, indicates the type of life they lead and their capability to work. Most of the people end up doing routine and manual work while a few do get into professional work. Figure: 1 Data on nature of work ethnic migrants get into. (National Statistics 2001) Figure 2: Social Class of the ethnic migrants (National Statistics 2001) Similarly the migrants mostly end up in the working class which amounts to almost 73.1% of the total ethnic migrants from 1971 to 1981. The nature of people who come into the country are from either the poor or the low level

Concepts and Theories of Organizational Politics

Concepts and Theories of Organizational Politics Abstract Organizational politics is often defined as Intentional enhancement of self-interest. What it actually means research provides that It is use of power to affect decision making in an organization or self-serving and organizationally unsanctioned behaviors. This definition adds to knowledge of organizational behavior that the people in the organization reflect political behaviors and ability to reflect such behaviors were termed as political skills. These behaviors can be both legal and illegal with respect to their intensity. However, in reality politics take place due to scarcity of organizational resources as everyone will attempt to perform better and want to be rewarded to fulfill personal interest, but as resources are limited it does not happen. Moving forward, it is also said that political behavior can be perceived as politics and at the same time as effective management so, it depends on the perception of a person. Now talking about reasons of political behavior adopted by p eople in the organization there are some individual factors as individuals in organizations may be high self-monitors, high mach personality, possess locus of control or may have job alternatives such individuals found to be indulge in politics. As for as organizational factors are concerned there may be role ambiguity, limited resources, high performance pressure or self-serving serving senior managers which stimulate the process of politicking within the organization. However, there is a reaction to an action so, people used to behave defensively in order to avoid action, blame or change. So, organizations should limit the effects of political behavior otherwise they should have to manage the politics effectively by being clear, straight forward, by being honest in their proceeds in order to match the communicated thoughts with their employees, and using defensive behaviors against dirty political players. Moreover, people in organizations want to be attractive and want to make po sitive image of themselves in the mind of others. This attempt of people of introduced the term impression management in the organization by means of which people manage their impression in minds of others. It helps people to take benefits in different aspects and satisfy their interests, which is likely to be referred as politics. Introduction Pfeffer (1992) defined politics as the processes, the actions, the behaviors through which potential power is utilized and realized. Another author (Dubrin, 2001) defined organizational politics as informal approaches to gaining power through means of other than merit or luck. It could be argued that politics are used primarily to achieve power, either directly or indirectly, e.g., by being promoted, receiving a larger budget or other resources,  ­or gaining desirable assignments. Many people regard organizational politics as something negative (e.g., pursuing self-interests at the ex ­pense of others) and something to be minimized. Consequently, although most people know that organizational politics are common, they avoid saying so when it concerns ones own behavior. It is more common to talk about politics when complaining about a loss to a friend than it is in the context of ones own political interference. When we win on an issue, we call it leadership, when we lose, we call it politics. In many organizations, politics is a taboo subject, which makes it difficult for individuals to deal with this crucially important aspect of organizational reality. Organizational politics are neither good nor bad, although it is important for us to distinguish between ethical and unethical political behavior. Organizational politics When people get together in groups, power will be exerted. People want to carve out niche from which to exert influence, earn rewards, and advance their careers. When employees in organizations convert their power in to action it is describe as to them as being engaged in politics. Those with good political skills have the ability to use their bases of power efectively.1 Defining Organizational politics Organizational politics refers to Intentional enhancement of self-interest by kinicki in 1990, it means that a person with his intention try to influence the others in the organization in order to enhance his personal interests. Furthermore, with reference to the study subjected to Political Alignments in Organizations and Power and Influence in Organizations done by S.B. Bacharach and E.J. Lawler, R.M. Kramer and M.A. Neale respectively in 1998 defines organizational politics as It is focused on use of power to affect decision making in an organizations or self-serving and organizationally unsanctioned behaviors. In explanation a person use his power or authority to influence the decisions made by organization or use his power to serve himself with organizational resources and also to its extreme perform or reflect such a behavior that is prohibited in the organization. Political skills It can be defined as The ability to influence others in such a way as to enhance ones objective2, according to this definition a person if have such an impact on others that they act in accordance with him to achieve his goal or objective. So, if a person used to create required behavior coming from others which at the end help to accomplish that particular persons objectives, the person is said to be have political skills. Political behavior It refers to the Activities that are not required as part of a persons formal role in the organization but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization.3 In simple words such a behavior within the organization that is not required by job or organization but rather exercised in attempt to take advantages in certain conditions. Moreover, this definition is broad enough to include varied political behaviors such as withholding key information from decision makers, joining a coalition, whistle blowing, spreading rumors, leaking confidential information to the media, exchanging favors with others in the organization for mutual benefits, and lobbying on behalf of or against a specific individual or decision alternative. Types of political behavior There are two types of organizational politics that are as follows Legitimate political behavior Illegitimate political behavior Legitimate political behavior Interviews with experienced managers revealed that the political behavior is a major part of organizational life.4 Many manager reports that the use political behavior is both ethical and necessary, as long as it does not directly harms anyone else. So, this type of political behavior is subjected to normal routine politics that take place every single day within the organization. Illegitimate political behavior As described above political behavior is part of organizational life, some managers repot it to be good but to which extent? The intensity of politics done refers to another type of political behavior. So we can say that extreme politics that violates the implied rules of the game in organization reflect to be illegitimate or illegal type of political behavior, such a behavior would likely to be sentenced to punishment. The reality of Politics Organizations are made up of individuals or groups with different values, goals and interests.5 This set up the potential of conflict over the allocation of limited resources, such as departmental budgets, space, project responsibilities and salary adjustments.6 If resources were abundant constituencies within the organization could satisfy their goals. As the resources are limited everyones interests cannot be satisfied. Furthermore, gains by one individual or group are often perceived as coming at the expense of others within the organization whether they are not. These forces create real competition among members for the organizations limited resources. Politics in the eye of beholder A behavior one person labels as organization politics is very likely to seem like effective management to another. The fact is that the effective management is necessarily political, although in some cases it might be. Rather, a persons point determines what he or she classifies as organizational politics. For example, one experimental study showed that power-oriented behavior performed by a permanent employee is seen as more legitimate and less harsh than the same behavior performed by a temporary employee.7 take a look at the following labels used to describe the same phenomenon. These suggest that politics, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.8 In simple words these labels describe that at the same time one may state a political label to be an effective management label. For example, blaming others for a deed is politics on the other hand it may be referred as fixing a person to its responsibility that is an effective management. Let take another example creating conflict in the work setting might be politics but looking from other side it might be am initiative to change or innovation in the organization, and same applies to others. Causes of political behavior      Ã‚   There are following factors contributing to political behavior in the organization.9, 10, 11, 12 Individual factors High self-monitors Internal locus of control High Mach personality Organizational investment Perceived job alternatives Organizational factors Declining of resources Promotion opportunities Role ambiguity Unclear performance evaluation system Zero-sum reward practices Democratic decision making High performance pressures Self-serving senior managers Individual factors High self-monitors These individuals are more sensitive to social cues, they exhibit higher levels of social conformity, and they are more likely to be skilled in political behavior. Internal locus of control The organizations consist of such individuals who are more prone to take a proactive stance and attempt to manipulate situations in their favor, which in sense is politics as an individual try to influence the environment. High mach personality The individual who wills to manipulate, and have desire for power is comfortable at using politics as a mean to fulfill his or her self-interest. Organizational investment Some individuals used to have persona investment in the organization in terms of expectations of increased future benefits, the more that person has to lose if forced out and the less likely he or she is to use illegitimate means. Perceived job alternatives An individual who have more alternative job opportunities due to a favorable job market or the possession of scarce skills or knowledge, a prominent reputation, or influential contacts outside the organization the more likely there is risk that he can take illegitimate political actions. Organizational factors Unclear performance evaluation system Organizations should opt proper performance evaluation system and there should be no subjective performance criteria, no single outcome measure, and there should be no delay in awarding appraisal for a job done. Zero-Sum Reward practices It is also called Win/Lose Approach treats the reward pie as fixed so that any gain one person or group achieves has to come at the expense of another person or group. This particular approach opted by organization enhances the politics in the organization. Democratic decision making In this regard organizations direct managers to behave more democratically, they are told that they should allow employees to advise them on decisions and that they should rely to a greater extent on group input into the decision process, which cause undue influence on organizational practices. High performance pressure In an organization the more pressure that employees feel to perform well, the more likely they are to engage in politicking. Self-serving senior managers When inside the organization the employees see the people on top engaging in political behavior, especially when they do so successfully and are rewarded for it, a climate is created that supports politicking. Declining resources In an organization people may engage in political actions to safeguard what they have. So, they may stimulate conflicting actions and increase politicking. Promotion opportunities As appraisal is part of organizational practices so, it encourages people to compete for a limited resource and try to positively influence the decision outcome. Role ambiguity If the organizational practices fail to clearly define the role of particular job within the working environment, it initiates the politicking as the formal role and behaviors required by the organization are ambiguous. Consequences of organizational politics There are different kinds of employees within an organization so; in respond to organizational politics employees reflect different effects, like some employees show decreased job satisfaction13 and reduction in job performacne14. Similarly, some employees feel an increase in anxiety and stress15 while performing their job in political environment. Furthermore, some employees add to turnover ratio16 of organization as they might resign from their job due to political practices in organization. It is also seen that when employees see politics as a threat, they often respond with Defensive behaviors. Defensive behaviors It can be defined as Reactive and protective behaviors to avoid action, blame or change.17 there are some examples of such behaviors in Avoiding action Over conforming Strictly interpreting your responsibility by saying things like This is the way we have always done it. Buck passing Transferring the responsibility for the execution of a task or decision to someone else. Playing dumb Avoiding an unwanted task by falsely pleading ignorance and inability. Stretching Delaying a task so that one person seems to b stucked in a particular task. Stalling Appearing to be more or less supportive publically while doing little or nothing privately. There are some examples of such behaviors in Avoiding blame Buffing A person tries to cover his back by projecting an image of competence and thoroughness. Playing safe It refers to taking responsibility of such projects which have high chances of success, have risky decisions approved by superiors, and in which one can take neutral position in conflicts. Justifying Developing explanation or apologizing for a task which has negative outcomes. Scapegoating One attempts to place blame on external factors for a negative outcome. Misrepresenting It involves manipulation of information by distortion, deception or selective presentation. There are some examples of such behaviors in Avoiding change Prevention A person tries to prevent a threatening change from occurring. Self-protection A person acts in such ways that he can protect his self-interest during change by guarding information or other resources. Limiting effects of political behavior The worldwide organizations confront the political behavior from the side of employees which sometimes act in good faith of organization but to the same extent it can damage the organizational goals and objectives, in case if the personal interests of a person or group of persons become a hurdle in the way of organizational performance. In response to such violation organizations should take possible measure such as There should be open flow of communication. The employees should be provided sufficient resources to fulfill their interests. The rules and regulations should be defined clearly. The information dissemination should be done such a manner that there should be no addition while passing from one level to another. The political norms should be removed. Hire those employees who reflect lower levels of political skills. Managing organizational politics effectively As politics are major part of an organization, as the organization consists of individuals and group of people. However, politics can be managed effectively if one follows these steps: One should learn the culture and the rules of the game for success in the organization. One should establish credibility and an overall positive impression in the eyes of others present in the organization. One should build a base of support by forming alliances, groups with key players. One should create and implement formal clear policies, procedures so there is no ambiguity. One should be open and vivid while dealing with employees regarding the decisions which influence them. One should be consistent with what he says and what he acts. One should use defensive behaviors to protect themselves against the dirty political players in the organization. Impression management (IM) As people have ongoing interest in how others perceived and evaluate them. For example, people in North America spend billions of dollars on diet, health, club membership, cosmetics and plastic surgery, all this is done to make them attractive to others.18 Being perceived positively by others should have benefits for people in organization. I may result into favorable evaluation, superior salary increase, and more rapid promotion. In political context, it might help to take distribution advantages in their favor. So, Impression management can be defined as The process by which individuals attempt to control the impression others form of them.19 Impression management techniques There are various techniques of impression management which can be opted by people to control their impression others have about them.20 These techniques are as under: Conformity It involves agreeing with someone elses opinion to gain his or her approval is a form of ingratiation. For example, a manager tells his boss, You are absolutely right on your plan to reorganize the office. Excuse Excuse refers to an explanation regarding an unpleasant event caused by a person in order to minimize the intensity of anger. It is a defensive IM technique. For example, a sales manager says to his boss, We were not able to put ad in the paper on time, but no one responds to those ads anyway. Apologies In apology one admits responsibility for an undesirable event and seeks to get pardon for the action, it is a defensive IM technique. For example, an employee says to his boss, I am sorry I made a mistake in report. Please forgive me. Self promotion It is a self-focused technique in which one person highlights his own work, best qualities, downplay others deficit and call attention to his own achievement. For example, an employee tells his boss, I accomplish a task in one week which someone else could not do in months. I am the best performer here. Flattery Flattery is referred as buttering, because while reflecting flattery a person give compliments about others proceeds in an effort to appear perceptive and likeable to him. For example, a new comer says to experienced, you handled that clients complaint so tactfully, I could never do that just you did. Favors It includes doing something nice for someone to gain his or her approval is a form of ingratiation. For example, a sales person says to client, I have got two tickets to theater tonight, take them. Consider it a thank you for taking your time. Association In association one person do more than required to show how dedicated and hard working he is in organization. For example, a person had performed overtime duty he conveyed that message to his supervisor so; he could know he was working hard. Enhancement A self-focused technique in which a person claims that his work done is more valuable than any of other members of organization. For example, a journalist tells his editor, My news on celebrity divorce story was a major boost in sales. Even though the story only made it to page 3 in the entertainment section. References Mintzberg, Power In and Around Organizations, p. 26. See also K. M. Kacmar and R. A. Baron, Organizational Politics: The State of the Field, Links to Related Processes, and an Agenda for Future Research, in G. R. Ferris (ed.), Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, vol. 17 (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1999), pp. 1-39. G. R. Ferris, D. C. Treadway, P. L. Perrewà ©, R. L. Brouer, C. Douglas, and S. Lux, Political Skill in Organizations,Journal of Management (June 2007),pp. 290-320; K. J.Harris, K. M. Kacmar, S. Zivnuska, and J. D. Shaw, The Impact of Political Skill on Impression Management Effectiveness, Journal of Applied Psychology 92, no. 1 (2007). A. Drory and T. Romm, The Definition of Organizational Politics: A Review, Human Relations (November 1990), pp. 1133-1154; and R. S. Cropanzano, K. M. Kacmar, and D. P. Bozeman, Organizational Politics, Justice, and Support: Their Differences and Similarities, in R. S. Cropanzano and K. M. Kacmar (eds.), Organizational Politics, Justice and Support: Managing Social Climate at Work (Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 1995), pp. 1-18; and G. R. Ferris and W. A. Hochwarter, Organizational Politics, in S. Zedeck (ed.), APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, vol. 3 (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2011), pp. 435-459. D. A. Buchanan, You Stab My Back, Ill Stab Yours: Management Experience and Perceptions of Organization Political Behavior, British Journal of Management 19, no. 1 (2008), pp. 49-64. J. Pfeffer, Power: Why Some People Have It-And Others Dont (New York: Harper Collins, 2010). Drory and Romm, The Definition of Politics. C. R. Willness, P. Steel, and K. Lee, A Meta-Analysis of the Antecedents and Consequences of Workplace Sexual Harassment, Personnel Psychology 60 (2007), pp. 127-162. Source: Based on T. C. Krell, M. E. Mendenhall, and J. Sendry, Doing Research in the Conceptual Morass of Organizational Politics, paper presented at the Western Academy of Management Conference, Hollywood, CA, April 1987. G. R. Ferris, G. S. Russ, and P. M. Fandt, Politics in Organizations, in R. A. Giacalone and P. Rosenfeld (eds.), Impression Management in the Organization (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1989), pp. 155-156; and W. E. OConnor and T. G. Morrison, A Comparison of Situational and Dispositional Predictors of Perceptions of Organizational Politics, Journal of Psychology (May 2001), pp. 301-312. Farrell and Petersen, Patterns of Political Behavior in Organizations, Academy of Management Review 7, no. 3 (1982), pp. 403-412. G. R. Ferris and K. M. Kacmar, Perceptions of Organizational Politics, Journal of Management (March 1992), pp. 93-116. Ferris, Russ, and Fandt, Politics in Organizations, p. 147; and J. M. L. Poon, Situational Antecedents and Outcomes of Organizational Politics Perceptions, Journal of Managerial Psychology 18, no. 2 (2003), pp. 138-155. W. A. Hochwarter, C. Kiewitz, S. L. Castro, P. L. Perrewe, and G. R. Ferris, Positive Affectivity and Collective Efficacy as Moderators of the Relationship Between Perceived Politics and Job Satisfaction, Journal of Applied Social Psychology (May 2003). G. R. Ferris, D. D. Frink, M. C. Galang, J. Zhou, K. M. Kacmar, and J. L. Howard, Perceptions of Organizational Politics: Prediction, Stress-Related Implications, and Outcomes, Human Relations (February 1996), pp. 233-266; and E. Vigoda, Stress-Related Aftermaths to Workplace Politics: The Relationships Among Politics, Job Distress, and Aggressive Behavior in Organizations, Journal of Organizational Behavior (August 2002), pp. 571-591. S. Aryee, Z. Chen, and P. S. Budhwar, Exchange Fairness and Employee Performance: An Examination of the Relationship Between Organizational Politics and Procedural Justice, Organizational Behavior Human Decision Processes (May 2004), pp. 1-14. C. Kiewitz, W. A. Hochwarter, G. R. Ferris, and S. L. Castro,The Role of Psychological Climate in Neutralizing the Effects of Organizational Politics on Work Outcomes, Journal of Applied Social Psychology (June 2002), pp. 1189-1207. B. E. Ashforth and R. T. Lee, Defensive Behavior in Organizations: A Preliminary Model, Human Relations (July 1990), pp. 621-648. M. R. Leary and R. M. Kowalski, Impression Management: A Literature Review and Two-Component Model, Psychological Bulletin (January 1990), pp. 34-47. W. L. Gardner and M. J. Martinko, Impression Management in Organizations, Journal of Management (June 1988), pp. 321-338; M. C. Bolino and W. H. Turnley, More Than One Way to Make an Impression: Exploring Profiles of Impression Management, Journal of Management 29, no. 2 (2003), pp. 141-160; S. Zivnuska, K. M. Kacmar, L. A. Witt, D. S. Carlson, and V. K. Bratton, Interactive Effects of Impression Management and Organizational Politics on Job Performance, Journal of Organizational Behavior (August 2004), pp. 627-640; and M. C. Bolino, K. M. Kacmar, W. H. Turnley, and J. B. Gilstrap, A Multi-Level Review of Impression Management Motives and Behaviors, Journal of Management 34, no. 6 (2008), pp. 1080-1109. B. R. Schlenker, Impression Management s(Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1980); M. C. Bolino, K. M. Kacmar, W. H. Turnley, and J. B. Gilstrap, A Multi-Level Review of Impression Management Motives and Behaviors, Journal of Management 34, no. 6 (2008), pp. 1080-1109; and R. B. Cialdini, Indirect Tactics of Image Management Beyond Basking, in R. A. Giacalone and P. Rosenfeld (eds.), Impression Management in the Organization (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1989), pp. 45-71.

Marketing Analysis of Clarion :: essays research papers

Clarion AM/FM CD Player   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Clarion AM/FM CD Player w/ CD Changer Control that I purchased was manufactured in China. The country of origin shouldn’t be all that surprising to me, since China and Japan are probably the two leading manufacturers when it comes to audio technology in the world today. China has long been ahead of the United States on entertainment technology such as audio players or television sets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The intended use is obviously to be utilized as a CD deck to be installed into a car’s dashboard component. The box it is contained in is rather simple; a black backdrop with a frontal view of the deck on the front and a strip of red crossing the box diagonally, fading into the black giving it a luminous appearance. Although this packaging design seems almost overly simple, it is its simple ness that appeals to the consumer’s eye. The black backdrop stands out and the red stripe gives it a sleek look that appeals to car owners looking for a new stereo system to place in their car.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’m not entirely sure how climate considerations or ingredients would figure into a product such as this. As far as the directions for use go, there is a detailed instruction booklet included that contains instructions for setting up the options on the CD Player as well as how to operate its multifunction. There are two languages displayed on the box, English and French, which works well for this area since the proximity to Canada brings in a lot of French-speaking consumers. In other parts of the country however, they may want to add in a Spanish translation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Size and serviceability most probably vary with the place of purchase, the size is adequate for it’s purpose and intended use, there is a warranty you can fill out if you wish, and some places of purchase will install it into your automobile for you. Shipping distance wouldn’t be an issue here since they mass-produce and ship products such as these, and it is not difficult or expensive for a store to acquire more of such a product when it runs out.

Medieval Women and Sexuality Essay

Dame Sirith, arguably the earliest fabliau in English, has often been interpreted as a parody on courtly love. Yet a careful analysis of the dialogues between Margery and Wilekin, the two `lovers-to-be’, exposes the alleged pervasiveness of the `courtly’ tone of Wilekin’s wooing as a construct of the critics. The poet’s main concern lies rather with the successful telling of a comic story and he relegates any `courtly’ elements to a secondary position so as not to upset the narrative balance of the tale. As a consequence, they remain subordinated to the main comic event, i.e. the trick played on the young wife by Dame Sirith and Margery’s subsequent change from a woman who would not sell herself at any price in the beginning, but who is in the end willing to pay anything to be `swyved’. The English aristocracy, like the French, laid claim to courtly conduct as a distinctive criteria for the upper class. Likewise, both the romance and the fabliau flourished among the English; the romance serving to instill courtly ideals, and the fabliau serving to show social realities. The fabliau plot frequently focuses upon infidelity, and the sexual relationship between lovers is graphically revealed, thereby devaluing the idealistic notion that courtly love remain a private matter. For example, Marjerie insists that she will not deceive her husband â€Å"on bed ne on flore†. Her direct reference to a physical consummation on â€Å"flore† or â€Å"bed† provides a sharp contrast to the removed, idealized language of courtly genres. Dame Sirith seems to be based on fundamental elements of sexual deception and the inversion of social hierarchies particularly as constructed in marriage, as it targets and highlights weak and foolish women, the title character plays a go-between for a would-be lover named Wilekin and the married lady of his dreams, Margery. Sirith devises an elaborate ruse to convince the reluctantyoung wife, whose husband is away, to accept Wilekin’s indecent proposal, a strategy that calls for a performing dog as well as a convincing  narrative. A mixture of mustard and pepper, ingested by the dog, makes it appear to weep while the accompanying narrative sets up the duping. Sirith presents the weeping dog to Margery telling her that the dog is Sirith’s daughter, who, having refused the amorous advances of a clerk, was magically transformed into the lacrimose creature standing before her: â€Å"Thenne begon the clerc to wiche / And shop mi douter til a biche†(line 353-55). The narrative is convincing and the desired result is achieved – the bawd successfully dupes the gullible Margery into an affair with her client. Margery’s character is a wife who has been left alone by her husband, the young woman’s marital status elides the marital infidelity so integral to Sirith’s trick. They show that despite the fabliaux’ apparent license, in fact they rely on the woman’s â€Å"no† and the man’s forceful masculinity to counter her resistance†¦ So the tension is great. The sexual encounter at the end of the tale is described with polite euphemisms in the analogues; in Aesop’s version, for example, we are told that the young man â€Å"fulfills his will,† and the emphasis upon the moral is highlighted. Wilkin is set to begin with like a courting sort of guy, but the audience is gently pulled towards the fact that he is a social climber indeed. On his way up the social ladder he would do anything, use all kinds of force needed. On the other hand there’s Margery and her puzzling reaction to him, her moral values and purity. He’s idealised her as a person, she’s untouchable because she’s married, it meant more in those days, like she’s forbidden. Dame Sirith shows moralistic attitudes and not fundamental human values that are at stake. To see Margery’s one set of precepts, namely `be faithful to your husband’,being abandoned†¦ in complete favour of another, obviously more fundamental one, namely `keep your human form’, need not raise a moral dilemma or cause emotional anguish to the reader? It makes me think about the power dynamics being excercised on love and desire during the end of that period in history and how the desire to control such emotions, feelings, desires, thoughts crossed with practices of witchcraft. A power witch may have to make a man desire her for unacceptable forbidden sexual activities and makes me wonder really who is blamed for the existenec of such desires? Who should be and is punished for participating in such activites? Who is excused and how? Who is the victim? Are we, as woman  today, accused of similar â€Å"powers† that excuse men of certain actions? The secrecy of the affair is considered shameful and cheap by Marjeri, as it was not in courtly literature. She is ever faithful until she learns it may effect her by witchcraft that’s when her vanity emerges. Furthermore, she claims to love her husband, and married love clearly is not part of the courtly system. Twelfth century work served to codify proper conduct for courtly lovers, specifically states that â€Å"Love cannot acknowledge any rights of his between husband and wife†and in the canonized romance, marriage is seldom an issue between lovers. You see the plot frequently focuses upon infidelity, and the sexual relationship between lovers is graphically revealed, thereby devaluing the idealistic notion that courtly love remain a private matter. Marjeri’s behavior towards Wilkin, which so clearly mimics courtly behavior, may seem especially puzzling to the reader attempting to reduce her language to univocal meaning. Perhaps she is simply too innocent to understand the implications of the language she employs. She may not be aware that her willingness to do or her statement that she is â€Å"ful fre† could be interpreted by Wilkin as a clear indication that she will grant him sexual favors. But really more likely, we should recognise Marjeri fitting the typical fabliau stereotype of a young, lusty, bourgeois wife, well aware of the plays of meaning in the language she employs. If we see her in this light, then her behavior towards Wilkin seems especially flirtatious, even a little cruel. She uses her language with him as a weapon to gain control and in fact her role as victim is minimized as she proves to be as calculating as her attacker. Certainly, a traditional courtly lover, would be more persistent and more patient, suffering over the lady’s rejection and growing pale and sickly in the process. The audience may begin to alter its expectations about the tale, from one that presents courtly ideals to one that mocks those ideals by contrasting them with social realities.Though Wilkin mimics the conventions of courtly conduct, he can never truly embody them. Rather than lamenting his loss in romance fashion, he takes a direct approach, seeking the assistance of the dame. Wilkin confesses that he is lovesick for Marjeri, and the old woman agrees to devise a trick to help him: Though courtly love in the romance may result in a sexual union, sex is always treated discreetly. The focus is upon the process of earning the  affections of a lover; not upon the physical act. However, in this fabliau, the concept of courtly love is reduced to immediate sexual gratification. The story that Dame Sirit concocts about her weeping dog is used as a trick to make Marjeri have sex with Wilkin, and the result is more akin to rape than love. As a result of the yarn, Marjeri succumbs to Wilkin against her will, for she fears being changed into a weeping bitch. It’s odd, and funny in a way, that she thinks if she gives into him and becoming perhaps a metaphorical bitch is better than being changed into a real one†¦ to do the deed instead of being turned. However her earlier flirtatious behavior indicates her awareness of the newly ironic language she employs and keeps her from seeming pitiable. Because she is aware of the slipperiness of devolved courtly language, Marjeri is able to turn the tables on these tricksters, and, ironically, to keep her dignity intact. Though Marjeri is forced to succumb to Wilkin, she is able to manipulate courtly language, asserting that the seduction is her idea and claiming that her concern is for Wilkin’s well-bei ng. Marjeri and Wilkin illustrate that, in order to be accessible to the rising bourgeoisie, the very nature of the system had to change, and its original intent was left ambiguous. As a literary device in the fabliau, courtly language devolves and becomes a source for rich irony.

HUman CApital Management Essay

However, only since two decades ago, he whole culture of human resource management changed drastically due to extensive influence of internet, wireless connection and Steve Job. This paradigm shift of HRM was mooted by most of the present Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Google and Bloomberg. These companies which was formed about two decades ago changed the landmark of Human Resource Management. Human Resource Department changed role from hiring and administrating workforce for the company to engaging and managing talent and human capital to add value to the organization’s performance and success. The trend was established that human apital or the people of the organization are the core which shall be well capitalised requirement changed drastically. One of it is the performance management of this human capital. This literature analysed on what are the problem faced in measuring performance management or appraisal of staffs, the factors prompting organization to reconsider or overhaul their performance management system and on how organization could improve the performance management system to suit current SHRM environment which the workforce demands. The problems with the appraisal system were found to be standard of performance measurement, more Judgemental n appraising, poor skills of appraiser and the frequency of performance appraisal. These shortcomings are due to the evolving nature of business environment which are caused by globalization, new approach of people management, knowledge economy, generational expectations, technology advancement etc. Discussion to improve performance appraisal leads to aspect of new philosophy of HRM, improved appraisal model, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), and defined roles of managers.

The Effects of The Bombing of Pearl Harbor essays

The Effects of The Bombing of Pearl Harbor essays Many events have happened in the past century to change society and the way the world lives. Some of these things have been for the better and some have been more tragic. December 7, 1941 marked a day in history never to be forgotten, this was the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor affected many people in a way that would change their lives forever. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused many people to lose their lives, it caused American to enter World War II and it also caused the economy to change. The attack on Pearl Harbor began as part of Japans larger plan to conquer Southeast Asia (Arroyo 12). The Japanese wanted to do this to secure oil, rubber, tin and other natural resources that they lacked (Arroyo 12). Since America supplied more than half of Japans supply of these materials Japan was reluctant to push the United States too far, but they also had intentions of getting control of its own sources of raw materials (Attack 1). The attack happened in the early morning of December 7, 1941. President Roosevelt proclaimed this day a date which will live in infamy (Attack 1). The attack took place on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Because of this morning 2,403 people lost their lives (Attack 1). Among these people were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends to many people. Of these 2,403, there were 2,335 which were servicemen and 68 were civilians. In addition a bomb that hit the U.S.S. Arizona killed 1,177 servicemen. Others that suffered injuries were numbered at 1,178 (Remembering 5). In memory of all those that lost their lives there is a memorial above the sunken remains of the Arizona. Many more lives were killed as America entered World War II. By the end of World War II, 104,985 American sailors and marines were wounded and 56,683 were killed (Kennedy 1). ...

Discuss the rationale behind the WS and Essay

Discuss the rationale behind the WS and Essay Discuss the rationale behind the WS and Essay Discuss the rationale behind the WS and PS curves (12 marks) Keynesian macroeconomics assumes that markets are imperfect and this as the result of lack of competition. The implication of imperfect market is that agents are no longer price takers as in perfect markets, but become price setters. In product markets the firms are price setters considering the elasticity of demand which is partly dependant on competition. In the labour market, workers are the wage setters. Through collective bargaining Trade Unions set wage rates, considering the elasticity for demand for labour and the level of local unemployment. â€Å"A worker who is employed in an area of high unemployment earns less than an identical individual who works in a region with low joblessness†. ( www.njfac.org/us19.htm last accessed on the 19th March 2014). When price taking behaviour is accepted, it changes how macroeconomics is analysed as inflation, unemployment, monitory policy, fiscal policy etc. The wage equation (WS) sets a relationship between the wage (WP) and the level of unemployment (E) in the economy, and is considered from the worker’s point of view. WS shows the rates of real wages that would fulfil the level of expectations of workers at different levels of unemployment. The Price Setting equation (PS) also sets up a relationship between the wage (WP) and the level of unemployment (E) but is viewed from the prospective of the firm. PS shows the rate of real wages that would fulfil the expectations of the firm at different levels of unemployment. When the two curves meet, the real wage at the point of intersection will meet the expectation of both the firm and the worker; thus equilibrium is established by the intersection of the PS and WS. When Trade Unions / workers bargain with employers regarding the money wage (W) consideration must be given to the state of employment and the expected selling price level of the product in the future. With employment, the higher the level of employment (E), there is a lower level of unemployment (U) this then provides an opportunity for greater bargaining power in relation to the wage rate. With regards to the expected product price, if it is anticipated that product price will rise during the next period, trade unions will seek a higher wage rate to compensate for the higher prices. Wage setting Real Wage Curve (WS) The wage setting curve is upward slopping, similar to the labour supply curve, but lies above the latter. For any level of employment (E), the real wage implied by the wage setting equation is higher than the wage rate that would prevail at (E) if labour markets were competitive. The gap between the two curves represents the mark up (in real wage) per worker because of market imperfections. Reasons which can explain the mark-up in wage can include the monopoly power of the trade unions and the efficiency wage which is offered by employers. In considering Price- setting, firms will maximise profit when MR (marginal rate) = MC (marginal cost). This is true irrespective of the degree of competition within the market. With an imperfect product market the real wage that will maximise profit is less than the marginal productivity of labour, how much lower will depend upon the degree of imperfection due to the lack of competition. Price setting Wage Curve In the diagram above, the PS curve is depicted by a horizontal line rather than a downward slopping PS curve. This can be justified by making the assumptions f a constant MPL and constant mark-up, Є/(1-Є). The constant MPL also means that there is a constant output per worker (APL). The fixed output per worker is divided between profit and real wage. However if the mark-up is also constant, this means profits per worker is constant. Therefore, the real implied wage per worker is also constant, thus the flat PS curve. The labour market is in equilibrium when the WS and PS curves intersect: Wws = Wps At this point the real

The Best French Grammar Books to Buy

The Best French Grammar Books to Buy A time-tested method to learn a new language is the grammar book. Reading and writing in books is an efficient way to become familiar with a new language. But some books are more efficient than others. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of French grammar books alone available on the market. With many claiming to be the best, the most concise, or the most complete, picking one book over another can be an overwhelming task. There is also the matter of learning preferences and levels to consider. Regardless of a grammar books quality, it if isnt tailored to your level it wont be effective. After a review of dozens of French grammar books, we have identified a range of books as our  favorites. These books do not all have the same approach or format, and they target learners ranging from beginner to advanced. This list includes books that we use every day as well as the ones we keep around because they have been so helpful in the past. Top Grammar Books Le Bon Usage:Originally published in 1936, this is the bible of French grammar- the most thorough French grammar book that exists. It has been republished more than a dozen times and is a must for translators. This is the book that native speakers refer to when they want to understand or explain some aspects of French grammar. (French only)Le Petit Grevisse: Previous editions of this very abridged version of  Le Bon Usage  were called  Prà ©cis de Grammaire Franà §aise. It covers advanced French grammar but is less complicated than its unabridged parent. (French)Intermediate French for Dummies: Laura K. Lawless is the author of this workbook which covers high-beginning to intermediate grammar. It includes lessons and practice exercises. (English explanations and bilingual examples)Collage: Rà ©vision de Grammaire: Although it is nowhere near as thorough as the Grà ©visse books, Collages explanations are clearer than those in the books already mentioned in this list. There a re also lots of examples and practice exercises. (French explanations and examples with bilingual vocabulary lists) Manuel de Composition Franà §aise: As the title indicates, this book focuses on helping you improve your French writing skills, but it also includes excellent grammar explanations, with an emphasis on verbs and vocabulary. (French)Langenscheidt Pocket French Grammar: This tiny book offers very concise yet detailed explanations of beginning-to-intermediate French grammar which are not easily found elsewhere. It also has sections on effective communication, synonyms, idioms, false cognates, and more. A very handy little book. (English)Berlitz French Grammar Handbook: A good reference for upper-beginner level students, this handbook explains basic-to-intermediate French grammar, verbs, and vocabulary. (English)Essential French Grammar: This little book de-emphasizes grammar to concentrate on communication, offering just enough grammar to help you work on speaking and understanding French, without getting bogged down in the details. (English)English Grammar for Students of French: If yo u dont know the difference between pronouns and prepositions- in French or English- this is the book for you. It explains French grammar points alongside their English counterparts, using simple language and examples to compare and contrast the grammar in these two languages.  Its like a mini-grammar class for French students. (English)

After the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, are police officers Essay - 1

After the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, are police officers a threat to minorities - Essay Example ic Garner in Staten Island where the two African Americans were killed by police officers under worrying circumstances have regenerated the issue of racial profiling and police brutality against the minority. After being accused of engaging in the sale of untaxed cigarettes in the Island of Staten, Garner was put in the illegal choke by a police officer eventually killing him. Brown on the other hand was suspected by police officers as he walked with a friend in a St. Louis suburb with the cop eventually killing him despite being unarmed and following the order (Singer, 2014). It is important to note that there exists sharp division regarding the issue across the minority blacks and majority whites with the views equally drawing from race association. The deaths of these two individuals at the hand of police officers is a clear testament that police officers are a threat to minorities because the men were unarmed and killed irrespective of any signs of resisting arrest. Those opposing the issue of race to play a role in the death of Garner and Brown are not a surprise that they all hail from the white race. A survey conducted by Pew Research Centre in 2014 indicated that only 16 percent of the white majority attributed race to play a role in the deaths of the two blacks (Pew Research Center, 2014). While majority of the whites opposing the role of race in the deaths stand with that decision, they fail to present supportive evidence relating to the cause of the deaths. Some say the deaths resulted as a result of mare accidents while others argue that the suspects might have failed to comply to the orders making the police officers to become annoyed and eventually over reacting. Considering the concept based on accidents, it fails to hold ground as police officers are fully trained in handling suspected criminals and interrogating them in a more professional manner. Inflicting pain to a suspect through the use of an illegal choke or shooting an unarm ed suspect is

Learning to walk in the Customer's Shoes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Learning to walk in the Customer's Shoes - Essay Example During the technology boom years of the 1990s, TI became a product- and technology-centric organization taking advantage of the demand of the times. However, when the technology bubble burst with the change in market demands, TI’s technology-centric business had to drastically reengineer itself into a customer-centric one to be able to effectively compete for new business. This necessitated a re-orientation of the entire TI organization, which was effectively accomplished by BTS USA, a global supplier of computer-based simulations for learning. Human resource development is involved in three main areas: individual, occupational, and organizational development. Development of the individual addresses skill and career development. Occupational and group development addresses the integration of cross-functional individuals through a team building program, or for informing and training employees about new products and services. Organizational development involves the introduction of a new culture or ways of operating, such as introduction of a customer care program or quality management which requires the involvement of all individuals or groups in the organization (Wilson, 2005, pp. 15-16). In order to effect the change from technology- to customer-centric, TI had to conduct training on all three areas. The approach it took of first training its executives is the right approach. Senior management must lead the way in organizational change by providing both the leadership and commitment of the necessary resources. Documented b est practices show that senior management must make the organization’s objectives as their personal objectives and must be able to measure their own achievements, they must fully understand the process that the organization has to go through, and they must provide necessary support, empowerment and authority down the line (Cooper & Edgett, 2003). Had TI decided to train its front-line

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) Case Study

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) - Case Study Example The concept of merger immediately took notice because of the inevitable benefits provided by the strategy. Most mergers have expanded their operations and surpassed the achievements that the observers have predicted. Primarily, Alliance Boots is wholesaler and retailer of pharmaceutical goods. The company controls a wide chain of pharmacy spread all across Europe. At present, the company maintains 17% of its total target market (BBC News, 2005). Moreover, Alliance Boots is the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in UK covering 40% of the market. Its wholesaling and retailing activities are undertaken by subsidiary UniChem. With its vast operations, the company employs approximately 100,000 workers in more that 3,000 retail stores in which 2,700 have pharmacies. In addition, the firm has established 380 retail depots to boost its operations. This has made Alliance Boots one of the largest retailers in terms of retail space (Alliance Boots, 2006). Boots Group Prior to the merger, Boots is bannered by Boots the Chemist, which was regarded as a dominant retail pharmacy operating in UK. Most of the company's outlets are situated in high streets and in highly urbanised areas. From a traditional pharmacist, the company has expanded its business portfolio and ventured to photo processing, opticians, and selling of home appliances. The increasing pressure caused by competition has limited the chances of Boots to improve its performance. It was evident that the company illustrated signs of stagnation and such weak showing eventually created the drawing board that led to the inevitable merger with Alliance UniChem. Alliance UniChem In terms of operational scope, UniChem was bigger and its more established reputation has enabled the firm to occupy markets in Europe. Its major aim is to deliver healthcare service and improve the health situation in most of the locations. The business primarily thrives on retailing and wholesaling pharmaceutical products. UniChem has been relying on its core strategies built on the aspects of expansion, innovation and performance enhancement. Aside from these concepts, the company valued the satisfaction of the customers and other stakeholders. The Merger Because of Boots' financial conditions, it was speculated by financial analysts that the merger with Alliance UniChem is already at work. It was surprisingly announced in October 2005 that the merger was officially created. Part of the announcement was the financial considerations made by both parties. Both companies were valued at 7 billion British Pounds and a split of 50.2 and 49.8 were divided among Boots and Alliance respectively. Basically, the merger was undertaken with the expected intervention of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It was reported that 96 stores were sold to comply with the requirements of OFT. In truth, the merger was pictured as a takeover by Boots, which acquire the whole share capital of Alliance UniChem. This was manifested through the issuance 1,332 Boots Group PLC shares for each Alliance UniChem shares held. After this process, the merging firms adopted the name of Alliance Boots PLC. This was done, accordingly, to reduce the time and paper works needed because of the merger. Most important, both firms remained intact only under the supervision of the parent company (OFT, 2001). Objectives Essentially, the purpose of the merger is to combine a supplier in Alliance UniChem and a customer in Boots. The strategy was

Health Promotion Planning Background Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Promotion Planning Background - Assignment Example romotion relate to a focus on upstream approaches, a focus on non-victim blaming approaches since as they show understanding of the influences of health and concentration on the evidence- based practice (McKenzie, Neiger & Thackeray, 2012). Besides this the roots include participation and empowerment of the people on health care, equity through acting fairly and proper distribution of facilities and ethical principles. Ethical principles refer to autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice in health administration. The seven areas of responsibility of health education specialists relate to asset needs, assets and capacity of health education, planning health education, implementing health education, conducting evaluation and research related to health education, administering and managing health education, serving as health education resource person and communicating and advocating for health education (McKenzie, Neiger & Thackeray, 2012). Among these areas, planning for health education, implementing health education and administering or managing health education are important for health educators and specialists. Planning effective health education programs ensure that potential participants for support are recruited, the logical scope for program is developed and measurable program objectives are drawn. Implementing health education programs is important as it ensures that the selected methods and media are suited to implement programs, monitoring and adjustments are made on activities and competence in carrying out programs is exhibited (McKenzie, Neiger & Thackeray, 2012). Administering or coordinating provision of health education services is an important area as it involves development of a plan, facilitation of cooperation among personnel , formulation of practical modes of collaboration among health agencies and organization of internal training

Tax Credits in Rhode Island Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tax Credits in Rhode Island - Research Paper Example It also includes real estate costs, utilities, labor costs, and taxes that are considered significant factors in business climate evaluation. In this area, Rhode Island has the largest prospect to enhance its reputation in national rankings. Rhode Island’s comparatively lofty tax burden and intricate regulatory structure are two major areas that have made business impossible within the island (Bardach 23). Several proposals have been forwarded with the intention of easing the pressure on businesses. One of these suggestions involves the introduction of tax credits to ease the tax burden and encourage local and foreign enterprises to thrive in the island. The following sections attempt to discuss the pros and cons of introducing such a macroeconomic policy as well as its effects and viability within Rhode Island. Elements such as a high tax burden and intricate regulatory setting have made it challenging the government to develop an appealing environment for commerce. Rhode Island’s business tax burden can be considered one of the highest globally. Based on the KPMG study entitled â€Å"Location Matters†, Rhode Island recorded higher than normal rates for its tax rate index at 28.4%. This figure was significantly higher than all the New England states (Bardach 26). The workforce quality, cost of doing business and business climate in Rhode Island has been cited by different surveys as being below standard while it has performed exceedingly well in terms of quality of life, access to capital and education levels.

Global study 300 Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global 300 - Case Study Example obalization, which has led to opening up of economies to global competition, giving room to ideas, goods, capital and people to interact and move freely between countries. Free market, justice to all people, and personal freedom are elements of neoliberalism. It relates to Washington consensus in the sense that it encourages economic policies that aimed to reform and repair the damaged economies of third world countries. He thinks so because via education and government accountability poverty can be eliminated but the movie End of Poverty disagrees because corruption and poor policies to eradicate poverty does not exists. In sum, government is not committed to eliminating poverty. Globalization has destabilized the economies of poor states and uncovered people to harmful competition. Their concern is rational and understandable especially since the gap between the poor and the rich has become more prevalent in recent ages. Poverty can be deliberated in various ways, for instance, relative to a nation’s individual average consumption level or in terms of well being of citizens It is a believe that nations that they have the responsibility to protect its population and resources. It is controversial because states have failed to protect their population which have resulted in murder and massive

Tax Credits in Rhode Island Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tax Credits in Rhode Island - Research Paper Example It also includes real estate costs, utilities, labor costs, and taxes that are considered significant factors in business climate evaluation. In this area, Rhode Island has the largest prospect to enhance its reputation in national rankings. Rhode Island’s comparatively lofty tax burden and intricate regulatory structure are two major areas that have made business impossible within the island (Bardach 23). Several proposals have been forwarded with the intention of easing the pressure on businesses. One of these suggestions involves the introduction of tax credits to ease the tax burden and encourage local and foreign enterprises to thrive in the island. The following sections attempt to discuss the pros and cons of introducing such a macroeconomic policy as well as its effects and viability within Rhode Island. Elements such as a high tax burden and intricate regulatory setting have made it challenging the government to develop an appealing environment for commerce. Rhode Island’s business tax burden can be considered one of the highest globally. Based on the KPMG study entitled â€Å"Location Matters†, Rhode Island recorded higher than normal rates for its tax rate index at 28.4%. This figure was significantly higher than all the New England states (Bardach 26). The workforce quality, cost of doing business and business climate in Rhode Island has been cited by different surveys as being below standard while it has performed exceedingly well in terms of quality of life, access to capital and education levels.

Guilt vs Acceptance Essay Example for Free

Guilt vs Acceptance Essay The power and impact that guilt can have on one’s life can be a positive and negative experience depending on how the individual deals with their situation and whether or not they learn a lesson from their mistake. The novels A Separate Peace by John Knowles and Fifth Business by Robertson Davies share the theme of guilt in their storylines through events and relationships but differ as to how to the characters cope with their reactions through reflection and confrontation. A Separate Peace tells the story of a young boy by the name of Gene Forrester who in an act of jealousy and competitiveness pushes his friend Phineas out of a tree. Fifth Business surrounds the character Dunstan Ramsay, who as a child, ducks a snowball with a rock hidden within thrown at him by his friend Guy. The snowball hits Mary Dempster at the back of the head, causing her brain damage and the premature birth of her baby Paul Dempster. Both plots surround two men who look back at their lives and how a single negative event affects their childhood. What would appear to be an insignificant moment of the past evolves into a lifelong mental scar that poisons the characters with guilt and the desire for acceptance. The novels’ protagonists share encounters in childhood fueled by competitive friendships; however, Gene Forrester accepts responsibility for his actions and is able to move on while Dunstan Ramsay does not and lets his memories and guilt plague his life. The two novels are similar in the aspect that both Gene Forrester and Dunstan Ramsay are involved in childhood incidents that curse them with guilt. In the novel A Separate Peace, Gene Forrester subconsciously moves the branch he and his physically and socially superior friend Finny are standing on. Finny falls and is heavily injured and the casualties lead to his early death later on. â€Å"†¦and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud† (Knowles 60). Gene Forrester feels solely responsible for this terrible accident and feels extremely guilty. â€Å"If Phineas had been sitting here in this pool of guilt, how would he have felt, what would he have done? (Knowles 66). In the novel Fifth Business, a rich and jealous enraged friend Percy Boyd Staunton pursues Dunstan Ramsay. When Percy throws a rock concealed in a snowball at Dunstan’s head he ducks and lets it strike the pregnant Mary Dempster. This accident is the cause of the premature birth of Paul Dempster and the destruction of Mr. and Mrs. Dempster’s marriage and family. â€Å"I stepped briskly†¦in front of the Dempsters just as Percy threw, and the snowball hit Mrs. Dempster on the back of the head† (Davies 2). Dunstan feels responsible for Mrs. Dempster’s mental health, Paul Dempster’s physical health, and their ruin as a family. â€Å"I was contrite and guilty, for I knew the snowball had been meant for me, but the Dempster’s did not seem to think that† (Davies 3). Both characters suffer from these self-inflicted negative occurrences and struggle with the realization of what they have done and how it affects those involved. Another similarity between A Separate Peace and Fifth Business is that both Gene Forrester and Dunstan Ramsay have intimate friendships infused with jealousy and competition. These poisoned relationships both ignite the impactful events that occur in their childhoods. Gene feels in constant competition with Finny, who appears to be good at everything. â€Å"That way he, the great athlete, would be way ahead of me. It was all cold trickery, it was all calculated, it was all enmity† (Knowles 53). He is superior in appearance, physical capability, personal stamina and respect gained from popularity amongst the other boys at the school. â€Å"I couldn’t help envy him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little† (Knowles 25). Dunstan knows that Boy Staunton wishes to be the best in everything. He aspires to be the most handsome, most successful in a romantic relationship, most successful in a career and most popular. â€Å"Percy Boyd Staunton†¦the only man who accepted his watch with an air†¦it was a fine effect, and as I grinned and clapped, my stomach burned with jealousy† (Davies 97). He feels aggressive resentment for Boy as he lives the life that Dunstan secretly wishes he could himself. â€Å"Boy wore a gorgeous pullover of brownish-red†¦and his demeanor was that of the lords of creation. A pretty girl with shingled hair and rolled stockings that allowed you to see delightful flashes of her bare knees was with him, and they were taking alternate pulls on a flask that contained, I am sure, something intoxicating†¦I was filled with a sour scorn that I now know was nothing but envy†¦I didn’t really want the clothes, I didn’t really want the girl or the booze, but it scalded me to see him enjoying them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Davies 113). The two novels capture the intensity of the character’s conflicted relationships with their closest friends as their constant struggle for a balance between hatred and respect fails to cease. The novels A Separate Peace and Fifth Business differ from each other within the main character’s thoughts and reflections on their memories. Gene Forrester accepts jostling the tree limb so Finny would fall, but understands the particular incident as a fragment of the past with no lasting effect on his life. Dunstan Ramsay however, remains attached to his guilt and responsibility for letting the snowball hit Mrs. Dempster and his actions haunt him for the remainder of his days. Gene Forrester revisits his old school and although experiences memories of fear from the past, it is only an echo not a current emotion. â€Å"Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear that I have lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it† (Knowles 10). He has not severed his feelings of regret towards the incident nor does he see Finny’s untimely death as unimportant but instead is able to appreciate his strong connection with this part of his past and can learn from his childhood errors. He understands that the experience matured him and was a crucial step in the climb of growing up. Gene visits the site where Finny fell with confidence and seeks the gratification of knowing that those years trapped at Devon school with an injured friend are behind him. â€Å"This was the tree, and it seemed to me standing there to resemble those men, the giants of your childhood, whom you encounter years later and find that they are not merely smaller in relation to your growth, but that they are absolutely smaller, shrunken by age† (Knowles 14). Dunstan Ramsay on the other hand, does not revisit sites from his past every 15 years but instead dedicates his entire life to the study of Saints and Mary Dempster’s impact on his life. He does not permit himself assessment of his child-self’s mentality during the accident and therefore, is never able to gain the satisfaction of learning from his mistakes. â€Å"Ramsey†¦You have paid such a price, and you look like a man full of secrets-grim-mouthed and buttoned-up and hard-eyed and cruel, because you are cruel to yourself. It has done you good to tell what you know; you look much more human already† (Davies 220). Instead of visiting places of his past or confronting those involved with his childhood, he sees his memories through a haze of anger and anxiety. An event that should have seemed insignificant and even negligible after so many years, is still important to him in his daily life and the emotions he felt 40 years ago have not changed but intensified. The fear and guilt he felt as a child is still fresh in his mind. â€Å"Cursing what seemed to be a life sentence†¦my association with Mrs. Dempster†¦It was as though I were visiting a part of my own soul that was condemned to live in hell† (Davies 182). The two characters, although faced with similar situations, choose different paths for their lives, which separate them from each other. A final contrast between the characters Gene Forrester and Dunstan Ramsay in the novels A Separate Peace and Fifth Business is the difference in their reaction to the event in their past. Both Gene and Dunstan suffer guilt about a single action in their childhood. Gene confronts his emotions and immediately tells Finny what happened, while Dunstan keeps the truth of the event a secret. While Finny is still recovering from his fall, Gene immediately visits Phineas after the accident and tells him the truth. Although he feels he makes things worse, it gives him a peace of mind and helps him to move on. â€Å"Finny, I’ve got something to tell you. You’re going to hate it, but there’s something I’ve got to tell you†¦This is the worst thing in the world† (Knowles 66-67). Gene is able to move past his guilty conscience of causing Finny’s fall and is able to focus his attention to mentally recovering and pushing forward in life. †¦in spite of everything, I welcomed each new day as though it were a new life, where all past failures and problems were erased, and all future possibilities and joys open and available, to be achieved probably before night fell again† (Knowles 105). Dunstan however, bottles up his thoughts and emotions concerning the events that occurred on the night Mrs. Dempster was hit on the back of t he head with a snowball. He does not tell anyone about the stone in the snow until the later years of his life. â€Å"Nevertheless this conversation reheated my strong sense of guilt and esponsibility about Paul, the war and my adult life had banked down that fire but not quenched it† (Davies 136). Dunstan keeps everything to himself and seeks out no help for his troubled mind and the stories and truths that are trapped within it. â€Å"The snow-in-the-snowball has been characteristic of too much you’ve done for you to forget it forever! † (Davies 270). The two outcomes of the two character’s lives is a reflection of how they handle the injury of the innocent and how they come to face the consequences of what they have done. The novels A Separate Peace and Fifth Business both display the lives of men who suffer a great deal in their childhood from unhealthy friendships and a singular bad event. Gene Forrester and Dunstan Ramsay share similarities in the occurrences of their lives but differentiate from each other in how they dealt with it. Gene faces his victim Finny with the truth of the accident, being that he deliberately jounced the limb so his superior friend would fall, and is therefore granted elation from his confession and a peace of mind. Gene matures free of guilt and the residue of the horrific event is but a memory he can briefly recall in his mind but not linger on. Dunstan Ramsey takes a different route, and on a downwards-spiraling path of shame, he lives a solitary life, left to face his childhood troubles every day, making ancient memories a constant reality. He matures with many emotional scars and does not feel any release from his inner torments. In conclusion, the two novels depict contrasting scenarios of self-reproach, one displays a character’s positive liberation of guilt and one shows a character’s negative manifestation of guilt.

Chemical Structure Of Fructooligosaccharides

Chemical Structure Of Fructooligosaccharides Introduction Modern people are increasingly interested in their personal health, and expect the foods they eat to be tasty and attractive also healthy and safe. As interest in the link between diet and health gathers pace, many people seek ways to feel well and stay healthy by eating nutritionally foods. Non-digestible carbohydrates such as oligosaccharides, dietary fibers, and resistant starch have various physiologic functions and the promotive effects of many non-digestible carbohydrates on well being, better health and reduction of the risk of diseases have been well examined. Among non-digestible carbohydrates, the functional oligosaccharides present important physicochemical and physiological properties beneficial to the health of consumers, and for this reason, their use as food ingredients has increased rapidly. The functional oligosaccharides are intermediate in nature between simple sugars and polysaccharides and are claimed to behave as dietary fibres and prebiotics. These compounds as non-absorbable food ingredients are microbial food supplements and may benefit the host by selectively stimulating salutary bacteria in the large intestine. The best known functional oligosaccharides include fructooligosaccharide, glucooligosaccharides (GOS), isomalto-oligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides and maltitol. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are non-digestible carbohydrates that represent one of the major classes of bifidogenic oligosaccharides. They are compounds of a vegetable origin and are found in varying concentrations in many foods such as asparagus, onions, artichokes, garlic, wheat, bananas, tomatoes and honey. Their chemical structure consists of a chain of fructose units with a terminal glucose unit linked by ÃŽÂ ²-(2â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢1) glycosidic bonds, that means they cannot be hydrolysed by human digestive enzymes which are specific for ÃŽÂ ²-glycosidic bonds. The length of the chain ranges from 2- 60. There are three categories of FOS, each of which is structurally distinct: inulin, has a polymerization degree of 2 about 60 monomers of fructose, with an average of 12 units; oligofructose is produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of inulin and is defined as a fraction of oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization lower than 20, although commercial products tend to have a mean value of 9; these FOS are produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of inulin and consists of fructosyl chains of different lengths, with glucose and fructose terminals. Finally, scFOS (short chain fructooligosaccharides) are specifically defined as mixed chains of fructosyl with a glucose terminal unit; they have a maximum of 5 units and are derived from sugar through natural fermentation processes, producing 1-kestose (GF2), nystose (GF3) and 1-fructosylnystose (GF4) in which the fructosyl units (F) are linked at the ÃŽÂ ²-(2â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢1) position of sucrose (Figure 1). FOS are water-soluble and their sweetness is 0.3-0.6 times that of sucrose, depending on the chemical structure and the degree of polymerization of the oligosaccharide. FOS are highly hygroscopic and their water holding capacity is greater than that of sucros. The viscosity of a FOS solution is higher than that of sucrose at the same concentration because the greater molecular weight of FOS. The enhanced viscosity of the gastrointestinal content may delay the rate of gastric emptying and the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Their thermal stability also is greater than of sucrose. FOS are highly stable in the normal range of food pH (4.0-7.0). FOS can substitute sucrose as regards many of its properties, including solubility, freezing and fusion point and crystalline properties. It has been estimated that the caloric value of FOS ranges from 1.5 to 2.0 kcal/g, which represents 40-50% of that of digestible carbohydrates such as sucrose. Fructooligosaccharides have interesting properties: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low sweetness intensity: this property makes them useful for various kinds of foods where the use of sucrose is restricted due to its high sweetness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Calorie free; i.e., the human body lacks the necessary enzymes to hydrolyze the beta bonds, so that they are not hydrolyzed by the digestive enzymes. Thus, since these substances can not be used as an energy source in the body, they are safe for diabetics and people on slimming diets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-cariogenic, since they are not used by Streptococcus mutans to form the acids and insoluble ÃŽÂ ²-glucans that are the main causes of dental caries. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They behave as soluble food fibre from a physiological point of view. They are non-digestible carbohydrates of a vegetable origin that reach to the large intestine, where they can be fermented by the colonic flora to promote the growth of bifidobacteria and prevent the growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The bacterial degradation of FOS occurs in two stages: in the first stage, the monomers are hydrolyzed by bacterial beta-oxidases. In the second, the monomers released ferment anaerobically to produce volatile fat acids (SCFA) such as acetate, propionate and butyrate, and gases (H2, CO2, CH4). These properties, together with their other beneficial physiological effects (low carcinogenicity, prebiotic effect, improved mineral absorption, and decreased serum cholesterol, phospholipid and triacylglycerol levels) defend the addition of FOS to foods as infant formulas which, in any case, have only very low quantities of these nutrients. Experimental 1 Impact of a jelly containing short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides and Sideritis euboea extract on human faecal microbiota. (Mitsou et al., 2009) 1. Materials Methods 1.1 Subjects Sixty-four healthy adult volunteers (26 men and 38 women) aged 22-51 years (mean age: 33 years) enrolled. Elimination criteria were a history of gastrointestinal disease and chronic diseases (i.e., diabetes, hyperlipidemia, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases), a history of extreme dietary behaviors, epileptic seizures, consumption of antibiotics and other medication 2 months prior and during the investigation period. Smoking patterns were recorded prior to the study. 1.2 Feeding regime Placebo food was a commercial dessert (jelly, lemon flavored) in powder form containing 86 g sugar, 10 g gelatin, 2.20 g citric acid, 1 g sodium citrate, 0.5 g flavors and 0.3 g colors per 100 g of product. Experimental functional food (jelly) provided additionally 15 g sc-FOS and 0.9 g S. euboea extract per 100 g of product (respectively, 5 g and 0.3 g per jelly portion daily). Powder from aqueous extract of S. euboea was produced using a spray drier. The sc-FOS tested was Actilight ® 950P, a mixture of FOS comprising 37% 1-kestose (GF2), 53% nystose (GF3) and 10% 1F-ÃŽÂ ²-fructofuranosyl nystose (GF4) (Bà ©ghin Meiji Industries, Neuilly sur Seine, France). Jotis S.A. Food Industry provided both the placebo and experimental food product. The experimental and placebo food were supplied in a powder form (100-g packages) and volunteers were asked to prepare 3 portions of jelly per 100-g package according to manufacturers instructions. Subjects were free to eat one portion of the jelly at any time of day. 1.3 Experimental design Subjects were instructed to preserve their usual diet and fluid intake during the study with the exception of additional prebiotics and probiotic supplements. Volunteers were assessed for restriction of probiotic and prebiotic consumption during a period of two weeksprior to the intervention. One pre-treatment faecal sample was taken before treatment period begun (day 0). During the intervention, subjects were randomly assigned to two groups according to feeding regime (placebo group, sc-FOS+extract group) and consumed, respectively, one portion of placebo or experimental jelly daily for 30 d. Neither the subjects nor the researchers were informed about the type of jelly ingested (doubleblinded). Faecal samples were obtained after 2 weeks (day 15) and 4 weeks (day 30) of the treatment period. Stool sampling took place also at the end of the follow-up period, 2 weeks after the dietary intervention (day 45). 1.4 Gastrointestinal symptoms Gastrointestinal side effects were evaluated during the treatment period (day 1-15 and day 16-30) using a daily questionnaire in which symptoms (i.e. abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence) were marked from 0 (no symptoms) to 3 (severe symptoms). The 15-d symptom score (sum of symptom intensity during a 15-d period) was graded as 0 = no symptoms, 1-15 = mild symptoms, 16-30 = moderate symptoms and 31-45 = severe symptoms with possible range for each 15-d symptom score estimated at 0-45 and for total symptom score at 0-135. 1.5 Sample collection Faecal specimens were collected rapidly into sterile plastic containers and transferred under anaerobic conditions (GΆ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ bag anaer, 45534 Biomà ©rieux ® SA, Marcy-lEtoile, France), to a laboratory for microbiological analysis. 1.6 Bacterial enumeration Approximately 1 g of the specimenwasweighed and diluted in 9-ml pre-reduced peptone physiological saline (PPS), containing 0.1% bacteriological peptone (OXOID Basingstoke, Hamshire, England) and 0.85%NaCl. After homogenization, serial 10-fold dilutions of the homogenateswere performed in PPS under anaerobic environment (BACTRONà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 1.5 Anaerobic Environmental Chamber, SHELLAB, Cornelius, Oregon). Columbia blood agar was used for the enumeration of the total mesophilic aerobic and anaerobic microflora (incubation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at 37  °C for 48 h). Enumeration of total coliforms and E. coli was performed on Chromocult ® Coliform agar (Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) and bacterial counts of enterococci were performed on Slanetz and Bartley medium (LabM Limited, Lancashire, UK) after aerobic incubation at 37  °C for 24 and 48 h, respectively. Rogosa agar (Merck KGaA) and Wilkins-Chalgren anaerobe agar (OXOID), supplemented with 5% (v/v) defibrina ted horse blood and G-N anaerobe selective supplement (OXOID),were used for the enumeration of Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroides spp. respectively, after anaerobic incubation at 37 °C for 48 h. Clostridium perfringens was enumerated on Perfringens agar (LabM Limited) supplemented with D-cycloserine (400 mg/L) (LabM Limited) after 24-h anaerobic incubation at 37 °C. Finally, Beerens agar was used for the enumeration of Bifidobacterium spp. (anaerobic incubation at 37 °C for 72 h). Bacteria were characterized on the basis of colony appearance, Grams stain, catalase reaction and cell morphology. Since Rogosa and Beerens agars are likely to support growth of non-Lactobacillus and non-Bifidobacterium species respectively one representative isolate from each colony phenotype in these media was further identified to the genus level by molecular methods as described previously. Colony counts were obtained and expressed as a log10 of the colony forming units (CFUs)/g fresh faeces. 1.7 Statistics Bacterial counts between the feeding groups at each sampling time (day 0, 15, 30 and 45) prospectively were compared using repeated measures ANOVA (RM-ANOVA) for parametric and the Friedman test for non-parametric data, after age adjustment and Bonferronis adjustment for multiplicity. Bacterial counts into each group were compared prospectively using paired-samples t test for parametric and the Wilcoxon signed ranks test for non-parametric data. Comparison of colonization levels was based on log10 transformation of viable bacterial counts. Correlations between initial bifidobacterial levels and increases in bifidobacteria counts in sc-FOS+extract group at day 15 and 30 were tested by the Spearman correlation and a linear regression analysis was performed for the best prediction of the dependent variable. Digestive symptom intensity was expressed as a 15-d score (day 1-15 and day 16-30) as well as the number of evacuations, watery stools and diarrheic days. Comparisons between study groups and intragroup analysis were performed by the Friedman test for nonparametric data, after age adjustment and Bonferronis adjustment for multiplicity. The statistical analysis of the results was performed by the software program SPSS ® for Windows Release 11.5 and the significance threshold was set at 5% (P 2. Results Fifty-two volunteers (23 men and 29 women) aged 23-50 years (mean age: 34 years) managed to complete the study. Dropoutwas due to antibiotic consumption during the investigation period. According to randomized design of the study, 23 volunteers ingested the placebo and 29 volunteers consumed the experimental jelly. No significant differences were detected between the placebo and the sc-FOS+extract groups in terms of age (mean age: 33.78 years vs. 34.28 years), sex distribution (10 men and 13 women vs. 13 men and 16 women) or smoking patterns (13 non smokers and 10 smokers vs. 20 non smokers and 9 smokers), respectively. 2.1 Bacterial populations In thewhole study population, no differences in intestinalmicroflora were observed between smokers and non smokers, while genderspecific comparisons revealed higher initial total anaerobe bacterial (9.56 ±0.46 vs. 9.26 ±0.61 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.047) and bifidobacterial levels (8.87 ±1.37 vs. 8.19 ±1.83 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.007) in females than males. Overall, no significant differences were observed in viable counts of aerobes between the two feeding groups (Table 1). A trend towards lower levels of total aerobes at day 30 (8.13 ±0.96 vs. 8.61 ±0.92 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.077), which turned into a significant difference at day 45 was observed in functional food group compared to the placebo. Bacterial levels of total coliforms and E. coli were statistically different between the placebo and sc-FOS+extract groups at day 30, while group-specific analysis revealed higher levels of total coliforms and E. coli only for the placebo regime at day 30 compared to the baseline and day 15. Enterococci counts were not significantly influenced by the ingestion of the functional jelly compared to placebo during the study period. In sc-FOS+extract group, enterococci were significantly decreased after 30 d of ingestion (6.77 ±1.29 vs. 6.29 ±1.24 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.038) compared to the baseline. No significant overall viable counts differences were detected between the study groups in the case of total anaerobe mesophilic microflora, Bacteroides spp., Lactobacillus spp. and C. perfringens (Table 1). Total anaerobes were estimated in comparable densities in the two study groups during the entire research period. Higher levels of total anaerobes were detected in the functional food group at day 15 (9.87 ±0.58 vs. 9.38 ±0.56 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.001) and day 45 (9.66 ±0.62 vs. 9.38 ±0.56 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.015) compared to pre-treatment counts. Bacteroides and lactobacilli did not demonstrate significant differences at any sampling time between the feeding groups. Increased Bacteroides population was detected in sc-FOS+ extract group after 15 d of consumption and two weeks after the end of the nutritional intervention compared to initial counts (8.71 ±0.54 vs. 8.30 ±0.81 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.010 and 8.80 ±0.60 vs. 8.30 ±0.81 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.002, respectively). Ingestion of the experimental food in comparison to placebo was related to a trend for lower levels of C. perfringens at day 15 (4.16 ±1.24 vs. 4.78 ±1.23 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.065). Analysis of bacterial counts demonstrated an overall significant effect of feeding regime in Bifidobacterium spp. levels (Table 1). The enumeration data presented a significant bifidogenic effect of the functional food preparation compared to the placebo after 15 and 30 d of consumption and a non-significant higher level of faecal bifidobacteria in this group 2 weeks after the end of ingestion. Furthermore,faecal bifidobacteria counts were significantly higher at 15 (9.54 ± 0.83 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.002) and 30 d of intervention (9.34 ±1.04 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.027) and two weeks after the treatmentperiod (9.33 ±0.61 log10CFU/g faeces, P = 0.015) in the sc-FOS+extract group, compared to pre-treatment levels (8.79 ±0.93 log10CFU/g faeces). During the 15 and 30 d of dietary intervention, respectively 24 and 21 cases of healthy volunteers consuming the experimental jelly gave increased bifidobacterial counts, with mean increase being estimated at 1.06 log10CFU/g faeces and 1.14 log10CFU/g faeces for two and four weeks of intervention. Figs. 2 and 3 indicate a correlation between initial levels of bifidobacteria and positive change in these bacterial populations after 15 (R2 = 0.747, P = 0.000) and 30 d (R2 = 0.712, P = 0.000) of functional food consumption. Subjects with lower baseline bifidobacterial counts gave larger increase on ingestion of experimental jelly. 2.2 Gastrointestinal symptoms No significant differences were observed for gastrointestinal symptoms and characteristics of evacuation during the 30 d of dietary intervention (Table 2). During the first two weeks of the study, a trend for greater flatulence score (6.88 ±6.94 vs. 3.57 ±4.72, P = 0.070) was observed in functional food group and five cases of moderate flatulence symptoms were reported in this group instead of none in the control group. Table 1 Faecal bacterial countsa (log10CFU/g faeces) in sc-FOS+Sideritis euboea extract group (n = 29) and placebo group (n = 23) during the 30-d dietary intervention and 2-week posttreatment period. aAll values are mean ±S.D.; CFU, colony forming units; sc-FOS, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides. b-fSignificantly different from placebo: bP = 0.042, cP = 0.018, dP = 0.040, eP = 0.001, fP = 0.027; gSignificantly different from baseline (day 0) (P Figure 2. Correlation between the initial levels of bifidobacteria and increase in bifidobacteria after consumption of a jelly containing sc-FOS+Sideritis euboea extract for 15 d. Bacterial counts are expressed as log10CFU/g faeces; CFU, colony forming units; sc-FOS, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides. Figure 3. Correlation between the initial levels of bifidobacteria and increase in bifidobacteria after consumption of a jelly containing sc-FOS+Sideritis euboea extract for 30 d. Bacterial counts are expressed as log10CFU/g faeces; CFU, colony forming units; sc-FOS, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides. Table 2 Gastrointestinal symptoms and characteristics of evacuations in sc-FOS+Sideritis euboea extract group (n = 29) and placebo group (n = 23) during the study (0-15 and 16-30 d).a Symptom intensity was graded as 0 = no symptoms, 1-15 = mild symptoms, 16-30 = moderate symptoms and 31-45 = severe symptoms. The possible range for each 15-d symptom score is 0-15 and for total symptom score 0-135. a All values are mean ±S.D.; sc-FOS, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides. 3. Discussion Results indicated a significant bifidogenic effect of the experimental jelly during the intervention. Differences in levels of total coliforms/E. coli and total aerobes were detected between the two feeding groups at day 30 and 45, respectively. Total anaerobes, lactobacilli, Bacteroides spp. C. perfringens and enterococci were not significantly influenced by the ingestion of the functional food compared to placebo during the study period. The present study demonstrated a strong and selective stimulation of bifidogenesis in healthy volunteers after 2- and 4-week consumption of an experimental jelly compared to the placebo. In our study, high levels of bifidobacteria persisted within the sc-FOS+extract group two weeks after the end of the intervention, a finding that proposes an extended prebiotic effect of sc-FOS. Another results indicated a decrease in total aerobes in sc-FOS+ extract group compared to the control group two weeks after the end of intervention and no significant differences in enterococci counts throughout the entire study period. Previous data from studies that used culture-based enumeration techniques proposed no significant effects of both inulin and oligofructose consumption on total viable counts of aerobes and an unexplained transient increase in aerobic microflora after ingestion of 4 g sc-FOS. A significant difference in enterobacterial counts between the two dietary groups was detected at the cessation of the 30-d intervention, which could be attributed rather to the significant increase of total coliforms and E. coli densities in the control group. Bacterial counts for Enterobacteriaceae were not significantly affected by the ingestion of sc-FOS, such as Actilight and Neosugar. Analysis of digestive symptoms indicated that, compared to placebo, consumption of the experimental functional jelly related only with a trend for greater flatulence during the first two weeks of dietary intervention. A 7-d ingestion of sc-FOS correlated with minor bloating at doses from 2.5-10 g/d and with excess flatus at 20 g/d In general, excess flatus and/or bloating are the most common gastrointestinal symptoms during sc-FOS ingestion, but they are usually characterized as limited and very mild. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the prebiotic potential of a jelly containing sc-FOS and S. euboea extract in healthy volunteers. The product was well-tolerated, with no severe gastrointestinal side effects. Future applications of the experimental food could be focused on people with abnormal intestinal microbiota. Experimental 2 Fructooligosaccharide fortification of selected fruit juice beverages: Effect on the quality characteristics (Renuka et al., 2009) 1. Materials Methods 1.1 Preparation of FOS syrup FOS was produced by the transfructosylation of sucrose using FTase enzyme obtained by submerged fermentation using Aspergillus oryzae MTCC 5154 1.2 Preparation of fruit juice beverages Ripe pineapple, mango and orange fruits were procured from the local fruit market. The fruits were washed, peeled, crushed and passed through pulper to obtain pulp. In case of oranges, the fruits were peeled and passed through a screw type juice extractor to obtain orange juice. Based on the initial sucrose content of each of the three fruit pulp/juice, sugar syrups were prepared by mixing 135, 35, and 195 g of sucrose in 5847, 5947, and 5947 g of water for pineapple, mango, and orange fruit juices respectively to achieve uniform sweetness. To each of the sugar syrups prepared, citric acid (18 g), FOS syrup (2000 g) and respective fruit pulp/juice (2000 g) were added. The prepared fruit juice beverages were heated to 90 and hot filled into presterilized bottles and were allowed to cool. Another set of fruit juice beverages containing only sucrose without any added FOS was prepared and used as control. 1.3 Characterization and storage studies of fruit juice beverages Fruit juice beverages were stored at ambient (25  ± 2 à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ C) and refrigeration (4 à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ C) temperature for 6 months and were analyzed for colour, changes in the FOS content, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, pH and sensory qualities at regular intervals of 2 months. 1.4 FOS content A known volume of fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS was centrifuged at 8000 rpm for 20 min. The supernatant was filtered through 0.45 m cellulose nitrate filter (Millipore India Pvt ltd.) and appropriately diluted with triple distilled water and analyzed by HPLC. 1.5 Sensory evaluation Sensory evaluation was carried out by hedonic scale consisting of 10 points (1-10), where 9-10 = excellent, 7-8 = very good, 5- 6 = good, 3-4 = fair, 1-2 = poor. An internal panel of seven expert members evaluated the products for colour, appearance, taste/flavour, mouth feel and overall acceptability. 2. Results and discussion 2.1. Retention of FOS in the fortified fruit juice beverages Figure. 4 presents retention of FOS in the fortified fruit juice beverages as a function of storage time. At the end of 6 months of storage, a significant amount of FOS was retained in the fruit juice beverages stored at refrigeration temperature in comparison with those stored at ambient temperatures. There was a noticeable change in the acceptable quality characteristics after 4 months storage at ambient temperature. Fruit juice beverages in general are fast moving commodity and generally do not remain unsold for more than 2-4 months. Thus, the present study clearly indicates that fruit juice beverages can successfully be fortified with FOS with existence of 4 months at ambient temperature. Figure 4. Effect of storage period on FOS content (g/100 g) of fruit juice beverages. : Pineapple, : Mango and : Orange juices fortified with FOS. 2.2. Characterization of fruit juice beverages during storage The changes in pH, TSS ( à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Brix), and titratable acidity of the fruit juice beverages, when analyzed using ANOVA were not statistically significant at the 5% level between time zero (initial) and 180 days (6 months) of storage at ambient and refrigeration temperature. The pH of the fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS was in the range of 3.23-3.57 as against the control (3.30-3.82). Similar observations with respect to the changes in pH as a function of storage time and temperature have been made. TSS ( à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Brix) of the fruit juice beverages varied from 15 to 16 à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Brix and was stable throughout the storage period (4 à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ C 25  ± 2 à  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ C). The stability of the TSS could be due to the heat treatment prior to storage. Titratable acidity of fruit juice beverages varied from 0.23 to 0.35 g citric acid/100 mL juice. The acidity was fairly constant throughout the storage. The fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS have stability over storage and the beverages kept all the good sensorial properties, as compared to control. Results also showed that there was no visible change (Pà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥0.05) in the colour during storage. 2.3. Sensory evaluation No significant changes were detected in the overall quality of the fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS in comparison with that of control by the panelists after 4 months of storage at ambient temperature (Table 3). Sensory qualities of the fruit juice beverages stored at ambient and refrigerated temperature was studied on the basis of the consideration that a minimally acceptable product should be equivalent to rating 5 (colour, consistency, taste, flavour and overall quality) of its sensory quality. Fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS were found to be acceptable up to 4 and 6 months based on the evaluation of overall quality at ambient and refrigeration temperature respectively. 3. Conclusion The changes in the present day consumers life style have led to a vital change in the marketing trends of food sector. Todays consumer being more health conscious is seeking products with greater health benefits and there is a great demand for health foods. The present study showed that fruit juice beverages can fortified with FOS with existence of 4 months and 6 months at ambient and refrigeration temperature respectively. There were no undesirable changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS. Overall quality of the fruit juice beverages fortified with FOS for 4 months of storage at ambient temperature was acceptable as indicated by sensory analysis. Constant pH, TSS, TA and viscosity of fruit juice beverages clearly indicates that there is no spoilage either due to microbial or enzymatic reaction.