Keyur P. Biology...Science Rasmussens Encephalitis The Human Immune Sy

Keyur P. Biology...Science Rasmussen's Encephalitis The human immune system is an amazing system that is constantly on the alert protecting us from sicknesses. Thousands of white blood cells travel in our circulatory system destroying all foreign substances that could cause harm to our body or to any of the millions of processes going on inside. Now imagine a condition where this awesome system turns against the most complex organ in the human body, the brain. Deadly as it is, this condition is known as Rasmussen's encephalitis. The meaningful research on Rasmussen's encephalitis was begun (unintentionally) by Scott Rogers and Lorise Gahring, two neurologists, who were at the time measuring the distribution of glutamate receptors in the brain. Later on when more provocative information was found they enlisted the help of James McNamara and Ian Andrews, epilepsy experts at Duke University Medical Center. The details on Rasmussen's encephalitis were very bleak at the time when the men began their research. All that was known is that Rasmussen's encephalitis was a degenerative disease of the brain that caused seizures, hemiparesis, and dementia normally in the first ten years of life. The seizures that were caused by Rasmussen's encephalitis were unstoppable by normal anti-seizure drugs used conventionally. What the worst part of the disease was that the pathogenesis for it were not known and even worse was how it developed. The first clue was delivered when Rogers and Gahring were trying to register the distribution of the glutamate receptors using antibodies, that tag on to the receptor itself. The proteins that make up the glutamate receptors(GluR) are only found inside the blood brain barrier(BBB). Glutamate and a few related amino acids are the dominant form of excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of mammals. If one of these GluRs happens to wander into the actual bloodstream, that is outside the BBB, it would be considered an outsider and destroyed immediately. So if these GluRs were put into the normal blood stream then the immune system would produce antibodies which could then be used in the searching for the glutamate receptors. In order to test this theory the researchers injected the GluRs into the blood stream of a normal healthy rabbit hoping to produce good results. At this point the experiment took a dramatic turn, after receiving a few doses of the protein two of the three rabbits began to twitch, as though they were suffering the pain of an epileptic seizure. Now the help of McNamara and Andrews was enlisted. When McNamara and Andrews examined the brain tissue of the rabbits, they saw what seemed to be a familiar inflammatory pattern, clumps of immune cells all around blood vessels. This description exactly matched the description of persons suffering from Rasmussen's encephalitis, moreover something as this would never be found in a healthy brain. A healthy br ain has its blood capillaries enclosed in the BBB membrane, so such a case as the one mentioned above would not be possible. As protective as the BBB is, it can be breached by something like a head injury. What was happening was that the antibodies which were out to get the GluR proteins were somehow finding a way into the brain and directing an attack towards all GluR receptor proteins in the brain itself. After some more examinations Rogers and McNamara decided that these attacks were the cause of the seizures that are often experienced by sufferers of Ramussen's encephalitis. Then if the case is of antibodies in the bloodstream, than sufferers of Ramussen's encephalitis should have them in their bloodstream and healthy normal peoples shouldn't. When this was actually tested the results were positive that Rasmussen sufferers did have these antibodies in their bloodstreams and healthy people did not. These were not only the right kind of antibodies but, the very antibodies that caused the seizures in people and rabbits. Thus when these antibodies were removed by plasma exchange(PEX) it caused a temporary relief from the seizures but soon the body starts making more antibodies of the type and the seizures start once again. After all the examinations two questions remained, why does the body mount an immune response against one of its own brain proteins,

The eNotes Blog Louise Erdrich Wins 2012 National BookAward

Louise Erdrich Wins 2012 National BookAward It was a good morning for author Louise Erdrich, as she was announced the recipient of 2012s National Book Award for her novel  The Round House.   Like much of Erdrichs other work (Love Medicine, The Red Convertible),  The Round House  concerns the life of a Native American family in crisis and a culture in jeopardy. The Round House  is the story of a crime. Geraldine Coutts, an Ojibwe woman living on a reservation, is attacked. Neither her husband, Bazil, nor her thirteen-year-old son, Joe, were present when she was assaulted. Geraldine will not tell them who did it or or why; nor will she tell the police. Although Joe desperately tries to get her to tell him, or anyone, what happened, Geraldine refuses. She will not even leave her bed. Essentially motherless, Joe is left to fend for himself, although he is far from ready for the weight of adult  responsibilities. Joes father, Bazil, is a tribal judge but justice moves too slowly for the teenager. He begins his own investigation which ultimately leads him to the Round House, a sacred place of worship where, eventually, secrets are revealed. Runners Up: Speculation about who would win this year was a bit more contentious than in years past, as there were many strong contenders, both critically and popularly. One of those considered a good bet was Junot Diazs  This is How You Lose Her.   Ã‚  Nine stories intertwine, but at the center is Yunior, a young hardhead whose longing for love is equaled only by his recklessnessand by the extraordinary women he loves and loses: artistic Alma; the aging Miss Lora; Magdalena, who thinks all Dominican men are cheaters; and the love of his life, whose heartbreak ultimately becomes his own. While Diaz is undoubtedly disappointed by his loss, he certainly has a lot to console him, as this year, the 44-year-old writer was given a MacArthur Fellowship. You can listen to an interview with Diaz about that prestigious appointment here. A long shot, but a strong critical and popular favorite was not a novel but a memoir.  The Boy Kings of Texas  is about the experiences of Domingo Martinez as he grew up in the border town of Brownsville, Texas. The book is Partly a reflection on the culture of machismo and partly an exploration of the author’s boyhood spent in his sister’s hand-me-down clothes,  The Boy Kings of Texas  delves into the enduring and complex bond between Martinez and his deeply flawed but fiercely protective older brother, Daniel, and features a cast of memorable characters. Charming, painful and enlightening, this book examines the traumas and pleasures of growing up in South Texas and the often terrible consequences when two very different cultures collide on the banks  of a dying river. One of the stories from the work was featured in a must-listen segment of last weeks episode of  This American Life.  You can listen to the full episode here, or queue it up to Act III to hear Martinez read Mimis in the Middle. In another episode of the autobiography, the 13-year-old Domingo is a helpless passenger in his mothers car as she and Domingo follow his father, who is driving a truck full of marijuana, all of them hoping they do not get caught. Christmas is coming up, you know. How about adding one of these, or all three, to your wish list?

Living With a Cardiac Pacemaker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Living With a Cardiac Pacemaker - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that the device ensures that individuals have more energy. In addition, they experience less shortness of breath. The use of a pacemaker has many benefits: it normalizes the heart rhythm of the person and improves their quality of life, among other things. Physicians recommend demand pacemakers in a variety of cases based on the cardiac problems. As a result, the potential benefits may vary from one person to another. The device is usually implanted inside the upper chest. The primary objective of using the device is to monitor the heart rate. The device transmits an electrical signal when necessary in order to stabilize an irregular heartbeat. However, the device is not a cure. Instead, it merely serves to prolong the life of the patient.This study highlights that  Jim has a right to be concerned about the implications of using the device. He has to determine if the product will have a positive or negative impact on his health. As a truck driver, h e should be concerned about the impact of electric or gas powered appliances on his health. In addition, he cannot use some tools without undermining his health. The device should not be in close contact with magnetic or electromagnetic fields. However, the couple should not alter their travel plans. He can still engage in swimming and gardening. His participation in these physical activities should be closely monitored.

Analysis of Earned Income Tax Credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Earned Income Tax Credit - Assignment Example Various states have hence established their highly effective EITCs so as to act as the direct supplements to the federal credit. Responsible for a number of societal transformations: The main purpose of the chartbook is the aspect of taking the best possible descriptive data based on the early childhood growth and the related social elements while making them accessible to all the low-income earners. Offers support to better and comprehensive federal plans: The EITC as well as the CTC (Child Tax Credit), which entirely flows to the low- and average-income families each and every year, tend to provide a wide range of work, educational, health, and income benefits to the recipients.   External Macro-intervention is a broad concept that tends to determine rippling up of the organization’s economic and policy levels. It generally means the external assessment of all the policy interventions and instruments that impact on the dynamics of conflicting elements such as humanitarian interventions, military interventions, and developmental interventions, among others. It refers to the core of skills and knowledge with regards to the social perspective. It assists while making some assessments and decisions regarding the appropriate conditional client intervention. It majorly involves individuals, communities, and groups experiencing the vulnerability and disadvantages that are characterized by some sort of disparities.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The company has a total of 37 aircraft, and more than 9000 employees. Annually, Virgin Atlantic serves 4.5M passengers to major cities globally. The company has grown rapidly. Now serves 31 destinations worldwide, and has a made its mark in pioneering many innovative services packages and has gone ahead to set new guidelines in its industry. The company has continued expanding with the same vigour it began. Although the company has a massive growth streak, Virgin Atlantic is considered customer oriented, with more emphasis on their money value and has offered uniqueness in service delivery and high quality service. The enterprise faces an aggressive competitor in the airline business, British Airways. Virgin Atlantic is one of the most successful business venture taken up by the vast Virgin Group of companies. This report seeks to address in detail, the aspects of some of the concepts and human resources strategies which Virgin Atlantic airways has implemented to achieve such success in employee satisfaction and subsequently in their business field. They seem to have perfected all the five models of Human Resource. These include teamwork, organization culture, performance management, learning, development, and leadership. This report however focuses on how two practises have help improve their employee and system as well as critically analyzing Virgin Atlantic on the these bases of the theories. Virgin Atlantic is passionate about exploration, taking risks, challenging conventions and looking for solutions and that made it the company it is presently. That is how it has developed its perfect brand. An innovator established the brand and made it such a perfect setting to developed ones career. Virgin Atlantic has taken the creativity and innovation seriously and it is considered a place where great service is of concern. The company establishes a comprehensive framework for the career of the employees from the very beginning.

Cultural Research of Nayar of India

Cultural Research of Nayar of India This research paper provides insights into the Political Organization, Gender Relations, and Beliefs and Values of the agrarian state and cultural practices of the Nayar people of southwestern India. By understanding the Nayar culture, people may better understand and appreciate cultural differences between the Nayar culture and that of their own. In the essay, Some Aspects of Nayar Life Panikkar (1918) states, The Nayars are at present an essentially agricultural population. The vast majority of them are peasant proprietors owning small farms. Rice and coco-nuts are the chief things cultivated, though in North Malabar pepper and card oman have also their share (p.285). It should also be noted that states are much more complex and stratified than chiefdoms, so it is not feasible to rely solely on kinship as a recruitment method. In state systems, land ownership and occupation are at least as important as kinship as a system of organization; the state itself becomes a key institution of organization. (Nowak, et al., 2010, ch.7.8, n. p.). Of particular interest is the fact that the Nayar as with other caste societies, marry within their own caste. While this similarity with other endogamous societies helps to preserve the class of people, the Nayar marriage practices vary considerably from other agrarian states and caste for which I explain later. Political Organization The political system among the Nayar people has as with most cultures that have been the target of colonialism and capitalism, seen considerable change over last several hundred years. Much of the former kinship, matrilineal and political structures and systems of the Nayar culture have all but vanished. Kathleen Gough (1952), stated that Later in the nineteenth century, more deep-rooted economic changes took place, and these have increased in momentum until all the traditional groupings of caste, village and lineage are dis-integrating (p. 79). The political and economic influence during the later part of 19th century by the British probably had the most notable impact on the Nayar people. European military forces and government structures as well as the introduction of machines played a significant role in the changing political and economic structures and systems as well as building of permanent roads and railroads. The introduction of new trading opportunities, realignment of jobs, tighter controls to ensure peace, increased use of monetary currency, and broader reaching governmental jurisdiction across caste and villages played a vital role in redesigning the Nayar culture and politics as well. Evidence of this breaking down of prior systems has been described as The expansion of trade, the introduction of new technological devices, and the opening up of new occupations, produce new economic classes between which there is mobility, and which to some extent cut across the affiliations and ranking of caste. (Gough, 1952, p. 81). Through the elimination of caste ranking, socioeconomic and sociopolitical class rankings no longer limit Nayar people from changing class levels and limits have become more aligned with performance and education. With the introduction of formal government, monetary systems, increased import and export as well as technological advances, the former Nayar methods of controlling the distribution of wealth, food and other trade labor as well as class distinctions have resulted in a more capitalistic society. Along with these changes, the Nayar people are increasingly integrating practices common in more advanced capitalistic and socialistic society forms of government, business, and family relationships. Gender Relations Anthropologists studying the Nayar society of southwestern India continue to struggle with defining certain aspects of gender relations in a western context. One such area of significant interest and difficulty is in contrasting Nayar marriage with marriage in western society and terms. While marriage may be seen by many as a cultural universal even in consideration of variations such as polygamy, the Nayar marriage purpose and experience is quite different from marriages in most other societies. Perhaps, such significant differences would be more understandable if a different term other than marriage was used to represent Nayar marriage. One example of the differences in Nayar marriages as stated by Miriam Koktvedgaard (2008) was that The Nayar of India practiced a form of non-fraternal polyandry in which several men were simultaneously the husbands of one wife. Usually only the first husband underwent a ritual marriage with the woman before she entered puberty (p.11). This cultural practice appears to be an extraordinary characteristic of the Nayar unlike most other marriage constructs. Not so much perhaps as a woman having multiple simultaneous husbands although rare, but having ritual marriages with a woman that has not reached puberty. In order to further elaborate on the marriage of girls that have not yet reach puberty, I should explain that Before a girl reaches puberty, a Nayar girl is married to a man as a rite of passage. The man she marries has no rights to the girl, and she has no obligation to him. When she is older, the girl is allowed to enter into other marriages and have children with those husbands. (Nowak, et al., 2010, ch 7.8, n.p.) Anthropologist suspect that by maintain a loosely committed marriage relationship with both men and women being sexually active with other mates or spouses, it allows men to stay away for long periods of time with little affect on the family system. Another characteristic of the Nayar gender relationship was with regard to the definition of the domestic unit or nuclear family in that The central Nayar domestic unit consisted of a mother, her daughters and their children; husbands and wife did not set up house together (Koktvedgaard, 2008, p. 11). While for some it may be difficult to show proper respect for the differences in marriage practices and to fully comprehend how the standard definition of a domestic unit that does not include a husband or father could exist, these are important distinctions remain. Interactions by an outsider with beliefs that differ from Nayar gender relations and beliefs could easily produce criticisms or a sense of condemnation which could quickly derail otherwise honest attempts at gaining progress or cooperation. It has been recognized however that the influence of British colonization and the exposing of criticisms and by force that the matrilineal change to patrilineal form of family organization has been made. Beliefs and Values Over thousands of years of considerable influence by mainstream religious faith denominations such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism, the Nayar have been substantially un-phased in adopting one of the recognized religions. Evidence of the lack of adoption of a primary religion by the Nayar is stated as Nothing shows so much the extreme persistence of primitive culture, even in the face of higher civilising agencies, than the wide and almost universal acceptance of spirit-worship, and the almost entire absence of religious life among the Nayars after at least twenty centuries of contact with Hinduism Panikkar, (1918), p.277. While the Nayar do use Hindu temples for worship and ceremonies, the nature of these particular practices are not recognized under any Hindu creed or other religion for that matter. The Nayar belief in magic and spirit worship continues although they are recognized leaders in literature and music within their culture and subsequently would not be considered uncivilized. Another characteristic of the Nayar people is where they fit within a caste society. A caste is an endogamous social grouping into which a person is born and within which a person remains throughout his or her lifetime. It is an ascribed position. (Nowak, et al., 2010, ch 7.8, n.p.). Within these groupings, marriages and other interactions which were tightly controlled even forbid physical touch across caste. With the capitalistic evolution and exposure to western culture, the adherence too many of the cross-caste practices continue to see change. The impact on discussions or considerations concerning life, business or religion with Nayar people considering both the likely absence of common religious beliefs and belief in magic and spirit worship could be significant. Consider a Christian believer entering into discussion with a Nayar community by condemning Nayar core religious beliefs in hopes of collecting contributions for acquiring land for a new church. In this example, it is unlikely this approach would succeed given criticism of beliefs as a basis for support. If religious beliefs vary as significantly as I have described, what is valued is also in conflict. These differences would then become obstacles in coming together towards common goals if not taken into consideration prior to presenting a position introducing mutually beneficial outcomes in which both parties increase items or results of value. Conclusion The Nayar depended largely on rice for food and to a lesser extent vegetables, fish, and poultry. The formation and growth of families was largely relative to the amount of land they owned and the class of house. The ownership or family structure that developed as a result was more of a community or corporate type of ownership model which was significantly linked to the women and her side of the family in years past. The Nayar are heavily involved in politics and other forms of industrialized production observable by the number of local printing businesses while continuing their tradition of agriculture. In many ways, the Nayar people and culture has adopted many aspects of American and European culture. By gaining a better understanding of the Nayar political organizations, gender relations, and beliefs and values, people from other cultures will better understand and appreciate the cultural differences. This enhanced awareness will be beneficial in helping to offer solutions to problems in government, business growth, housing, and as other forms of industry are introduced or sought out.

Anxiety Disorders :: essays research papers

Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is a feeling of tension associated with a sense of threat of danger when the source of the danger is not known. In comparison, fear is a feeling of tension that is associated with a known source of danger. I believe it is normal for us to have some mild anxiety present in our daily lives. Everyday that I can think of I have some kind of anxiety though out that day. Anxiety warns us and enables us to get ready for the ‘fight or flight’ response. However, heightened anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning. Anxiety can be seen with several other emotional disorders including the following: Acute Stress Disorder Panic Attack Agoraphobia Phobia Anxiety Disorder Due to Medical Condition Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder There are many characteristics associated with anxiety. Frequently, people with anxiety experience tightness in their chest, a racing or pounding heart, and a pit in their stomach. Anxiety causes some people to get a headache, to sweat, and even make them have the urge to urinate. Severe anxiety, which can be described as an episode of terror, is referred to as a panic attack. Panic attacks can be extremely frightening. People who experience panic attacks over a prolonged time period may become victims of agoraphobia, which is a psychiatric disorder that is closely associated with the panic disorder. Patients with Agoraphobia avoid certain places or situations such as airplanes, crowded theaters, a grocery store or anyplace from which escape might be difficult. It is said that Agoraphobia can be so severe that it has made certain individuals housebound.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some people argue that there is a genetic basis for these anxiety disorders. Research shows that there is strong evidence for a genetic basis for anxiety. If a person has anxiety, more than ten percent of his or her relatives will also suffer form some form of anxiety if not the same form that they have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been found that anxiety disorder affect males and females differently. Females are known to be twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than males. On the other hand, an equal number of males and females are both seen for the treatment of their anxiety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ages that the people have anxiety attacks vary but, anxiety problems commonly begin when people are in their twenty’s. This is something really great to know when you are only a year a way from being twenty.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 93-97

CHAPTER 93 Franklin Square is located in the northwest quadrant of downtown Washington, bordered by K and Thirteenth streets. It is home to many historic buildings, most notably the Franklin School, from which Alexander Graham Bell sent the world's first wireless message in 1880. High above the square, a fast-moving UH-60 helicopter approached from the west, having completed its journey from the National Cathedral in a matter of minutes. Plenty of time, Sato thought, peering down at the square below. She knew it was critical that her men got into position undetected before their target arrived. He said he wouldn't be here for at least twenty minutes. On Sato's command, the pilot performed a â€Å"touch-hover† on the roof of the tallest building around–the renowned One Franklin Square–a towering and prestigious office building with two gold spires on top. The maneuver was illegal, of course, but the chopper was there only a few seconds, and its skids barely touched the gravel rooftop. Once everyone had jumped out, the pilot immediately lifted off, banking to the east, where he would climb to â€Å"silent altitude† and provide invisible support from above. Sato waited as her field team collected their things and prepared Bellamy for his task. The Architect was still looking dazed from having seen the file on Sato's secure laptop. As I said . . . an issue of national security. Bellamy had quickly understood Sato's meaning and was now fully cooperative. â€Å"All set, ma'am,† Agent Simkins said. On Sato's command, the agents ushered Bellamy across the rooftop and disappeared down a stairwell, heading for ground level to take up their positions. Sato walked to the edge of the building and gazed down. The rectangular wooded park below filled the entire block. Plenty of cover. Sato's team fully understood the importance of making an undetected intercept. If their target sensed a presence here and decided just to slip away . . . the director didn't even want to think about it. The wind up here was gusty and cold. Sato wrapped her arms around herself, and planted her feet firmly to avoid getting blown over the edge. From this high vantage point, Franklin Square looked smaller than she recalled, with fewer buildings. She wondered which building was Eight Franklin Square. This was information she had requested from her analyst Nola, from whom she expected word at any moment. Bellamy and the agents now appeared, looking like ants fanning out into the darkness of the wooded area. Simkins positioned Bellamy in a clearing near the center of the deserted park. Then Simkins and his team melted into the natural cover, disappearing from view. Within seconds, Bellamy was alone, pacing and shivering in the light of a streetlamp near the center of the park. Sato felt no pity. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag, savoring the warmth as it permeated her lungs. Satisfied that everything below was in order, she stepped back from the edge to await her two phone calls–one from her analyst Nola and one from Agent Hartmann, whom she had sent to Kalorama Heights. CHAPTER 94 Slow down! Langdon gripped the backseat of the Escalade as it flew around a corner, threatening to tip up on two tires. CIA agent Hartmann was either eager to show off his driving skills to Katherine, or he had orders to get to Peter Solomon before Solomon recuperated enough to say anything he shouldn't say to the local authorities. The high-speed game of beat-the-red-light on Embassy Row had been worrisome enough, but now they were racing through the winding residential neighborhood of Kalorama Heights. Katherine shouted directions as they went, having been to this man's house earlier that afternoon. With every turn, the leather bag at Langdon's feet rocked back and forth, and Langdon could hear the clank of the capstone, which had clearly been jarred from the top of the pyramid and was now bouncing around in the bottom of his bag. Fearing it might get damaged, he fished around inside until he found it. It was still warm, but the glowing text had now faded and disappeared, returning to its original engraving: The secret hides within The Order. As Langdon was about to place the capstone in a side pocket, he noticed its elegant surface was covered with tiny white gobs of something. Puzzled, he tried to wipe them off, but they were stuck on and hard to the touch . . . like plastic. What in the world? He could now see that the surface of the stone pyramid itself was also covered with the little white dots. Langdon used his fingernail and picked one off, rolling it between his fingers. â€Å"Wax?† he blurted. Katherine glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"What?† â€Å"There are bits of wax all over the pyramid and capstone. I don't understand it. Where could that possibly have come from?† â€Å"Something in your bag, maybe?† â€Å"I don't think so.† As they rounded a corner, Katherine pointed through the windshield and turned to Agent Hartmann. â€Å"That's it! We're here.† Langdon glanced up and saw the spinning lights of a security vehicle parked in a driveway up ahead. The driveway gate was pulled aside and the agent gunned the SUV inside the compound. The house was a spectacular mansion. Every light inside was ablaze, and the front door was wide open. A half-dozen vehicles were parked haphazardly in the driveway and on the lawn, apparently having arrived in a hurry. Some of the cars were still running and had their headlights shining, most on the house, but one askew, practically blinding them as they drove in. Agent Hartmann skidded to a stop on the lawn beside a white sedan with a brightly colored decal: PREFERRED SECURITY. The spinning lights and the high beams in their face made it hard to see. Katherine immediately jumped out and raced for the house. Langdon heaved his bag onto his shoulder without taking the time to zip it up. He followed Katherine at a jog across the lawn toward the open front door. The sounds of voices echoed within. Behind Langdon, the SUV chirped as Agent Hartmann locked the vehicle and hurried after them. Katherine bounded up the porch stairs, through the main door, and disappeared into the entryway. Langdon crossed the threshold behind her and could see Katherine was already moving across the foyer and down the main hallway toward the sound of voices. Beyond her, visible at the end of the hall, was a dining-room table where a woman in a security uniform was sitting with her back to them. â€Å"Officer!† Katherine shouted as she ran. â€Å"Where is Peter Solomon?† Langdon rushed after her, but as he did so, an unexpected movement caught his eye. To his left, through the living-room window, he could see the driveway gate was now swinging shut. Odd. Something else caught his eye . . . something that had been hidden from him by the glare of the spinning lights and the blinding high beams when they drove in. The half-dozen cars parked haphazardly in the driveway looked nothing like the police cars and emergency vehicles Langdon had imagined they were. A Mercedes? . . . a Hummer? . . . a Tesla Roadster? In that instant, Langdon also realized the voices he heard in the house were nothing but a television blaring in the direction of the dining room. Wheeling in slow motion, Langdon shouted down the hallway. â€Å"Katherine, wait!† But as he turned, he could see that Katherine Solomon was no longer running. She was airborne. CHAPTER 95 Katherine Solomon knew she was falling . . . but she couldn't figure out why. She had been running down the hall toward the security guard in the dining room when suddenly her feet had become entangled in an invisible obstacle, and her entire body had lurched forward, sailing through the air. Now she was returning to earth . . . in this case, a hardwood floor. Katherine crashed down on her stomach, the wind driven violently from her lungs. Above her, a heavy coat tree teetered precariously and then toppled over, barely missing her on the floor. She raised her head, still gasping for breath, puzzled to see that the female security guard in the chair had not moved a muscle. Stranger still, the toppled coat tree appeared to have a thin wire attached to the bottom, which had been stretched across the hallway. Why in the world would someone . . . ? â€Å"Katherine!† Langdon was shouting to her, and as Katherine rolled onto her side and looked back at him, she felt her blood turn to ice. Robert! Behind you! She tried to scream, but she was still gasping for breath. All she could do was watch in terrifying slow motion as Langdon rushed down the hall to help her, completely unaware that behind him, Agent Hartmann was staggering across the threshold and clutching his throat. Blood sprayed through Hartmann's hands as he groped at the handle of a long screwdriver that protruded from his neck. As the agent pitched forward, his attacker came into full view. My God . . . no! Naked except for a strange undergarment that looked like a loincloth, the massive man had apparently been hiding in the foyer. His muscular body was covered from head to toe with strange tattoos. The front door was swinging closed, and he was rushing down the hall after Langdon. Agent Hartmann hit the floor just as the front door slammed shut. Langdon looked startled and whirled around, but the tattooed man was already on him, thrusting some kind of device into his back. There was a flash of light and a sharp electrical sizzle, and Katherine saw Langdon go rigid. Eyes frozen wide, Langdon lurched forward, collapsing down in a paralyzed heap. He fell hard on top of his leather bag, the pyramid tumbling out onto the floor. Without so much as a glance down at his victim, the tattooed man stepped over Langdon and headed directly for Katherine. She was already crawling backward into the dining room, where she collided with a chair. The female security guard, who had been propped in that chair, now wobbled and dropped to the floor in a heap beside her. The woman's lifeless expression was one of terror. Her mouth was stuffed with a rag. The enormous man had reached her before Katherine had time to react. He seized her by the shoulders with impossible strength. His face, no longer covered by makeup, was an utterly terrifying sight. His muscles flexed, and she felt herself being flipped over onto her stomach like a rag doll. A heavy knee ground into her back, and for a moment, she thought she would break in two. He grabbed her arms and pulled them backward. With her head now turned to one side and her cheek pressed into the carpet, Katherine could see Langdon, his body still jerking, facing away from her. Beyond that, Agent Hartmann lay motionless in the foyer. Cold metal pinched Katherine's wrists, and she realized she was being bound with wire. In terror, she tried to pull away, but doing so sent searing pain into her hands. â€Å"This wire will cut you if you move,† the man said, finishing with her wrists and moving down to her ankles with frightening efficiency. Katherine kicked at him, and he threw a powerful fist into the back of her right thigh, crippling her leg. Within seconds, her ankles were bound. â€Å"Robert!† she now managed to call out. Langdon was groaning on the floor in the hallway. He lay crumpled on his leather bag with the stone pyramid lying on its side near his head. Katherine realized the pyramid was her last hope. â€Å"We deciphered the pyramid!† she told her attacker. â€Å"I'll tell you everything!† â€Å"Yes, you will.† With that, he pulled the cloth from the dead woman's mouth and firmly stuffed it into Katherine's. It tasted like death. Robert Langdon's body was not his own. He lay, numb and immobile, his cheek pressed against the hardwood floor. He had heard enough about stun guns to know they crippled their victims by temporarily overloading the nervous system. Their action–something called electromuscular disruption–might as well have been a bolt of lightning. The excruciating jolt of pain seemed to penetrate every molecule of his body. Now, despite his mind's focused intention, his muscles refused to obey the command he was sending them. Get up! Facedown, paralyzed on the floor, Langdon was gulping shallow breaths, scarcely able to inhale. He had yet to lay eyes on the man who had attacked him, but he could see Agent Hartmann lying in an expanding pool of blood. Langdon had heard Katherine struggling and arguing, but moments ago her voice had become muffled, as if the man had stuffed something in her mouth. Get up, Robert! You've got to help her! Langdon's legs were tingling now, a fiery and painful recovery of feeling, but still they refused to cooperate. Move! His arms twitched as sensation started to come back, along with feeling in his face and neck. With great effort, he managed to rotate his head, dragging his cheek roughly across the hardwood floor as he turned his head to look down into the dining room. Langdon's sight line was impeded–by the stone pyramid, which had toppled out of his bag and was lying sideways on the floor, its base inches from his face. For an instant, Langdon didn't understand what he was looking at. The square of stone before him was obviously the base of the pyramid, and yet it looked somehow different. Very different. It was still square, and still stone . . . but it was no longer flat and smooth. The base of the pyramid was covered with engraved markings. How is this possible? He stared for several seconds, wondering if he was hallucinating. I looked at the base of this pyramid a dozen times . . . and there were no markings! Langdon now realized why. His breathing reflex kick-started, and he drew a sudden gasp of air, realizing that the Masonic Pyramid had secrets yet to share. I have witnessed another transformation. In a flash, Langdon understood the meaning of Galloway's last request. Tell Peter this: The Masonic Pyramid has always kept her secret . . . sincerely. The words had seemed strange at the time, but now Langdon understood that Dean Galloway was sending Peter a code. Ironically, this same code had been a plot twist in a mediocre thriller Langdon had read years ago. Sin-cere. Since the days of Michelangelo, sculptors had been hiding the flaws in their work by smearing hot wax into the cracks and then dabbing the wax with stone dust. The method was considered cheating, and therefore, any sculpture â€Å"without wax†Ã¢â‚¬â€œliterally sine cera–was considered a â€Å"sincere† piece of art. The phrase stuck. To this day we still sign our letters â€Å"sincerely† as a promise that we have written â€Å"without wax† and that our words are true. The engravings on the base of this pyramid had been concealed by the same method. When Katherine followed the capstone's directions and boiled the pyramid, the wax melted away, revealing the writing on the base. Galloway had run his hands over the pyramid in the sitting room, apparently feeling the markings exposed on the bottom. Now, if only for an instant, Langdon had forgotten all the danger he and Katherine faced. He stared at the incredible array of symbols on the base of the pyramid. He had no idea what they meant . . . or what they would ultimately reveal, but one thing was for certain. The Masonic Pyramid has secrets left to tell. Eight Franklin Square is not the final answer. Whether it was this adrenaline-filled revelation or simply the extra few seconds lying there, Langdon did not know, but he suddenly felt control returning to his body. Painfully, he swept an arm to one side, pushing the leather bag out of the way to clear his sight line into the dining room. To his horror, he saw that Katherine had been tied up, and a large rag had been stuffed deep into her mouth. Langdon flexed his muscles, trying to climb to his knees, but a moment later, he froze in utter disbelief. The dining-room doorway had just filled with a chilling sight–a human form unlike anything Langdon had ever seen. What in the name of God . . . ?! Langdon rolled, kicking with his legs, trying to back away, but the huge tattooed man grabbed him, flipping him onto his back and straddling his chest. He placed his knees on Langdon's biceps, pinning Langdon pain fully to the floor. The man's chest bore a rippling double-headed phoenix. His neck, face, and shaved head were covered with a dazzling array of unusually intricate symbols–sigils, Langdon knew–which were used in the rituals of dark ceremonial magic. Before Langdon could process anything more, the huge man clasped Langdon's ears between his palms, lifted his head up off the floor, and, with incredible force, smashed it back down onto the hardwood. Everything went black. CHAPTER 96 Mal'akh stood in his hallway and surveyed the carnage around him. His home looked like a battlefield. Robert Langdon lay unconscious at his feet. Katherine Solomon was bound and gagged on the dining-room floor. The corpse of a female security guard lay crumpled nearby, having toppled off the chair where she was propped. This female guard, eager to save her own life, had done exactly as Mal'akh commanded. With a knife to her throat, she had answered Mal'akh's cell phone and told the lie that had coaxed Langdon and Katherine to come racing out here. She had no partner, and Peter Solomon was certainly not okay. As soon as the woman had given her performance, Mal'akh had quietly strangled her. To complete the illusion that Mal'akh was not home, he had phoned Bellamy using the hands- free speaker in one of his cars. I'm on the road, he had told Bellamy and whoever else had been listening. Peter is in my trunk. In fact, Mal'akh was driving only between his garage and his front yard, where he had left several of his myriad cars parked askew with the headlights on and the engines running. The deception had worked perfectly. Almost. The only wrinkle was the bloody black-clad heap in the foyer with a screwdriver protruding from his neck. Mal'akh searched the corpse and had to chuckle when he found a high-tech transceiver and cell phone with a CIA logo. It seems even they are aware of my power. He removed the batteries and crushed both devices with a heavy bronze doorstop. Mal'akh knew he had to move quickly now, especially if the CIA was involved. He strode back over to Langdon. The professor was out cold and would be for a while. Mal'akh's eyes moved with trepidation now to the stone pyramid on the floor beside the professor's open bag. His breath caught, and his heart pounded. I have waited for years . . . His hands trembled slightly as he reached down and picked up the Masonic Pyramid. As he ran his fingers slowly across the engravings, he felt awed by their promise. Before he became too entranced, he put the pyramid back in Langdon's bag with the capstone and zipped it up. I will assemble the pyramid soon . . . in a much safer location. He threw Langdon's bag over his shoulder and then tried to hoist Langdon himself, but the professor's toned physique weighed much more than anticipated. Mal'akh settled on grabbing him beneath the armpits and dragging him across the floor. He's not going to like where he ends up, Mal'akh thought. As he dragged Langdon off, the television in the kitchen blared. The sound of voices from the TV had been part of the deception, and Mal'akh had yet to turn it off. The station was now broadcasting a televangelist leading his congregation in the Lord's Prayer. Mal'akh wondered if any of his hypnotized viewers had any idea where this prayer really came from. † . . . On earth as it is in heaven . . .† the group intoned. Yes, Mal'akh thought. As above, so below. † . . . And lead us not into temptation . . .† Help us master the weakness of our flesh. † . . . Deliver us from evil . . .† they all beseeched. Mal'akh smiled. That could be difficult. The darkness is growing. Even so, he had to give them credit for trying. Humans who spoke to invisible forces and requested help were a dying breed in this modern world. Mal'akh was dragging Langdon across the living room when the congregation declared, â€Å"Amen!† Amon, Mal'akh corrected. Egypt is the cradle of your religion. The god Amon was the prototype for Zeus . . . for Jupiter . . . and for every modern face of God. To this day, every religion on earth shouted out a variation of his name. Amen! Amin! Aum! The televangelist began quoting verses from the Bible describing hierarchies of angels, demons, and spirits that ruled in heaven and hell. â€Å"Protect your souls from evil forces!† he warned them. â€Å"Lift your hearts in prayer! God and his angels will hear you!† He's right, Mal'akh knew. But so will the demons. Mal'akh had learned long ago that through proper application of the Art, a practitioner could open a portal to the spiritual realm. The invisible forces that existed there, much like man himself, came in many forms, both good and evil. Those of Light healed, protected, and sought to bring order to the universe. Those of Dark functioned oppositely . . . bringing destruction and chaos. If properly summoned, the invisible forces could be persuaded to do a practitioner's bidding on earth . . . thus instilling him with seemingly supernatural power. In exchange for helping the summoner, these forces required offerings–prayers and praise for those of Light . . . and the spilling of blood for those of Dark. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power that is transferred. Mal'akh had begun his practice with the blood of inconsequential animals. Over time, however, his choices for sacrifice had become more bold. Tonight, I take the final step. â€Å"Beware!† the preacher shouted, warning of the coming Apocalypse. â€Å"The final battle for the souls of man will soon be fought!† Indeed, Mal'akh thought. And I shall become its greatest warrior. This battle, of course, had begun long, long ago. In ancient Egypt, those who perfected the Art had become the great Adepts of history, evolving beyond the masses to become true practitioners of Light. They moved as gods on earth. They built great temples of initiation to which neophytes traveled from around the world to partake of the wisdom. There arose a race of golden men. For a brief span of time, mankind seemed poised to elevate himself and transcend his earthly bonds. The golden age of the Ancient Mysteries. And yet man, being of the flesh, was susceptible to the sins of hubris, hatred, impatience, and greed. Over time, there were those who corrupted the Art, perverting it and abusing its power for personal gain. They began using this perverted version to summon dark forces. A different Art evolved . . . a more potent, immediate, and intoxicating influence. Such is my Art. Such is my Great Work. The illuminated Adepts and their esoteric fraternities witnessed the rising evil and saw that man was not using his newfound knowledge for the good of his species. And so they hid their wisdom to keep it from the eyes of the unworthy. Eventually, it was lost to history. With this came the Great Fall of Man. And a lasting darkness. To this day, the noble descendants of the Adepts soldiered on, grasping blindly for the Light, trying to recapture the lost power of their past, trying to keep the darkness at bay. They were the priests and priestesses of the churches, temples, and shrines of all the religions on earth. Time had erased the memories . . . detached them from their past. They no longer knew the Source from which their potent wisdom had once flowed. When they were asked about the divine mysteries of their forebears, the new custodians of faith vociferously disowned them, condemning them as heresy. Have they truly forgotten? Mal'akh wondered. Echoes of the ancient Art still resonated in every corner of the globe, from the mystical Kabbalists of Judaism to the esoteric Sufis of Islam. Vestiges remained in the arcane rituals of Christianity, in its god-eating rites of Holy Communion, its hierarchies of saints, angels, and demons, its chanting and incantation, its holy calendar's astrological underpinnings, its consecrated robes, and in its promise of everlasting life. Even now, its priests dispelled evil spirits by swinging smoke-filled censers, ringing sacred bells, and sprinkling holy water. Christians still practiced the supernatural craft of exorcism–an early practice of their faith that required the ability not only to cast out demons but to summon them. And yet they cannot see their past? Nowhere was the church's mystical past more evident than at her epicenter. In Vatican City, at the heart of St. Peter's Square, stood the great Egyptian obelisk. Carved thirteen hundred years before Jesus took his first breath–this numinous monolith had no relevance there, no link to modern Christianity. And yet there it was. At the core of Christ's church. A stone beacon, screaming to be heard. A reminder to those few sages who remembered where it all began. This church, born of the womb of the Ancient Mysteries, still bore her rites and symbols. One symbol above all. Adorning her altars, vestments, spires, and Scripture was the singular image of Christianity–that of a precious, sacrificed human being. Christianity, more than any other faith, understood the transformative power of sacrifice. Even now, to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus, his followers proffered their own feeble gestures of personal sacrifice . . . fasting, Lenten renunciation, tithing. All of those offerings are impotent, of course. Without blood . . . there is no true sacrifice. The powers of darkness had long embraced blood sacrifice, and in doing so, they had grown so strong that the powers of goodness now struggled to keep them in check. Soon the Light would be entirely consumed, and the practitioners of darkness would move freely through the minds of men. CHAPTER 97 â€Å"Eight Franklin Square must exist,† Sato insisted. â€Å"Look it up again!† Nola Kaye sat at her desk and adjusted her headset. â€Å"Ma'am, I've checked everywhere . . . that address doesn't exist in D.C.† â€Å"But I'm on the roof of One Franklin Square,† Sato said. â€Å"There has to be an Eight!† Director Sato's on a roof? â€Å"Hold on.† Nola began running a new search. She was considering telling the OS director about the hacker, but Sato seemed fixated on Eight Franklin Square at the moment. Besides, Nola still didn't have all the information. Where's that damned sys-sec, anyway? â€Å"Okay,† Nola said, eyeing her screen, â€Å"I see the problem. One Franklin Square is the name of the building . . . not the address. The address is actually 1301 K Street.† The news seemed to confound the director. â€Å"Nola, I don't have time to explain–the pyramid clearly points to the address Eight Franklin Square.† Nola sat bolt upright. The pyramid points to a specific location? â€Å"The inscription,† Sato continued, â€Å"reads: `The secret hides within The Order–Eight Franklin Square.'† Nola could scarcely imagine. â€Å"An order like . . . a Masonic or fraternal order?† â€Å"I assume so,† Sato replied. Nola thought a moment, and then began typing again. â€Å"Ma'am, maybe the street numbers on the square changed over the years? I mean, if this pyramid is as old as legend claims, maybe the numbers on Franklin Square were different when the pyramid was built? I'm now running a search without the number eight . . . for . . . `the order' . . . `Franklin Square' . . . and `Washington, D.C.' . . . and this way, we might get some idea if there's–† She stalled midsentence as the search results appeared. â€Å"What have you got?† Sato demanded. Nola stared at the first result on the list–a spectacular image of the Great Pyramid of Egypt– which served as the thematic backdrop for the home page dedicated to a building on Franklin Square. The building was unlike any other building on the square. Or in the entire city, for that matter. What stopped Nola cold was not the building's bizarre architecture, but rather the description of its purpose. According to the Web site, this unusual edifice was built as a sacred mystical shrine, designed by . . . and designed for . . . an ancient secret order.

General Electric Essays

General Electric Essays General Electric Essay General Electric Essay The firm operates In four primary business segments; Energy, Technology Infrastructure, Capital Finance and Consumer / Industrial. Headquartered In Fairfield, CT, General Electric has grown over the past 122 years into a financial behemoth realizing revenue in excess of $146 billion in 2013. Throughout its existence, General Electric has demonstrated an inconsistent record in terms of ethical governance and responsible business practices. Leek many of its peers, the firm endured a number of scandals, particularly in the late uses and Into the sasss. In response to these Issues and In accordance with the Serbians-Solely Act passed In 2002, General Electric has transformed Its business practices and Is now recognized as one of the more respected players in the world of corporate governance and honorable business practices. Contemporary business practices exercised by the firm have earned numerous accolades including: #6 Best Global Brand (Interbrain) #10 Most Admired Company (Fortune) #180 Greenest Company (Newsweek) To understand how this corporate evolution occurred, we need to understand the organizational structure and managerial best practices utilized by General Electric and the nature of the legislation that necessitated this institutional change. What is Serbians-Solely? The Serbians-Solely Act of 2002 (SOX) is a federal law that mandated new or enhanced standards for all U. S. Public company boards, management and public accounting firms. Drafted In response too number of high-profile corporate scandals that occurred In the late SASS and early sasss by LLC_S_ Senator Paul Serbians and U. S. Representative Michael Solely: the legislation imposed several powerful exchanges designed to curb corporate malfeasance and to protect investors. The most significant of these mechanisms included indivi dual certification of corporate financial statements by top management, increased penalties for fraudulent activity and the separation of auditing and consulting functions in outside business agencies. Mum. Sallow. Com) The overarching effect of this legislation was the increased scrutiny of flannel statements submitted by publicly traded companies and growing corporate auditing expenditures. (Sadism,2007) Board Composition: structure and governance General Electric has been a progressive company in terms of Board composition and governance. (see composition matrix- attached)For decades, the company has demonstrated a desire to promote diversity In governance from three primary perspectives: gender, race and age. : In Dalton, General Electric had historically satisfied many of the obligations outlined in the Serbians Solely legislation well in advance of its passage including listing the definition of individual committees and the number of committee meetings. (General Electric Annual Report 2000) One potential conflict that exists with the General Electric governance strategy is the ambition of President / CEO and Chairman roles. This is a practice that the company has exercised since Ralph Cordoned combined these responsibilities In 1958 challenge that exists within the Board structure of General Electric is the lack of term limits. Nominated individuals are approved annually through a majority of votes present and may continue to serve indefinitely. This issue was debated recently when shareholders proposed a 15 year term limit of Board service along with separation of the CEO / Board Chair role. The measure was defeated in a lopsided vote held during the companys April 2013 Board meeting. (Casts, 2013) re-sox (2000) * no mission or governance statement listed post-sox (2003) The role of Gees Board of Directors is clear: to oversee how management serves the long-term interests or shareholders and other stakeholders. Today (2013) The primary role of Gees Board of Directors is to oversee how management serves the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. Board Size 19 15 17 Inside vs.. Outside # of Committees 7 5 # of Meetings 10 13 14 Audit Committee Consisted of outside directors. Held 5 meetings in 2000. Reviewed the activities and independence of Gees independent auditors as well as the firms financial reporting recesses. Composed of independent directors. Held 11 meetings in 2003. To review the activities and independence of Gees external auditors the activities of Gees internal audit staff Also reviewed Gees system of disclosure controls and procedures. Composed of independent directors. Held 12 meetings in 2013. Primary responsibilities include: selection of independent auditor, review the independent audit, oversee the firms financial reporting activities and accounting standards. Tenure unlimited Compensation Combination of cash stock. $75,000 annual base plus $2,000 per meeting . Compensation committee. Removed contingent service reward of 5,000 shares. Combination of cash, stock other. 250,000 base. Average compensation = $302,457 The moral of the story as it relates to Board structure and Governance within General Electric is that while the firm did work to shore up its regulatory and oversight positions post SOX; the company had exercised the basic principles outlined in the legislation for some time. Performance Metrics Executive General Electric has functioned for decades under the philosophy of hiring, motivating, rewarding and retaining its executive leaders through compensation. The many has maintained an executive compensation model that includes salary, bonuses and stock options as the vehicle to achieve this goal for decades. While the total compensation packages at the highest levels of leadership are not as lucrative as they once were General Electric has adapted its compensation policies in order to remain competitive and compliant in an evolving business environment. 2000- Jack Welch In the year 2000, Jack Welch stood without peer in the world of American business. Recently named Manager of the Century by Fortune Magazine, (Calvin, 1999) General Electric increased revenues to nearly $130 billion. During this year Mr.. Welch earned $16,700,000 in salary and bonus. In addition, Mr.. Welch was granted 3,000,000 stock options which became exercisable upon retirement as well as 850,000 restricted stock options. The later options were granted by the board in appreciation of 20 years of service to GE. Furthermore, Mr.. Welch was granted a split-dollar life insurance policy contingent upon execution of a personal consulting contract (up to 30 days annually) at the discretion of the acting CEO. Final terms of the consulting contract and retirement package are not listed, but the value is estimated to be north f $420 million. 2003 Jeffrey Melt Jeffrey Melt emerged as the new CEO of General Electric following a highly publicized succession process in 2001. Perhaps due to his relatively short tenure to this point, but more likely due to the passage of the Serbians-Solely Act; overall executive compensation was revised at General Electric in 2003. In addition to a more responsible base salary, executive bonuses and stock options were much more clearly outlined and defined in the 2003 proxy statement. While the Board Compensation Committee does state: We rely upon Judgment and not rigid deadlines or formulas or short-term changes in our stock price in determining the amount and mix of compensation elements for each executive officer official documents include an element of specificity not previously available to investors. Mr.. Melt was paid a $3,000,000 base salary and bonuses totaling $4,325,000 a 10% increase from the previous year. In addition, Mr.. Melt was granted 250,000 performance share units in lieu of stock options. This is the most significant change related to executive compensation policies that occurred at General Electric post SOX. Recognize the unique position of the GE CEO. The committee believes that the CEO of GE needs no retention compensation, and that his equity compensation should be focused entirely on performance and alignment with investors. This change in policy effectively linked 50% of the Coos equity compensation directly to the companys cash generation performance; the remaining 50% would only convert to shares if specific shareholder return metrics were met. In short; the better the performance of the firm the better the compensation for Mr.. Melt. Finally, select executives at GE (including Mr.. Melt) were granted 3-year performance incentive awards. These awards would be paid only upon achievement of unlisted specified goals related to: earnings per share, revenue growth, return on total capital and cumulative cash generated. 2013 Jeffrey Melt Today, the evolution of executive compensation continues at General Electric. The 2013 Proxy Report provides a thorough and defined description of all elements and metrics used to determine final executive compensation. Following essentially the same compensation model initiated in 2003, Jeffrey Melt realized total compensation (including projected pension value) of $20,592,769. Leadership, Ethics Firm Values General Electric is a perfect case study in the evolution of an American business. Formed in 1892 primarily as an electric company, the firm has grown into a global dynamo. Today the company operates in several areas including finance, appliances and power systems. This type of evolution and growth does not happen by accident, it is the result of visionary leadership a quality that has existed within GE for a century. Founded by one of this countrys greatest innovators, General Electric has embodied the vision of Thomas Edison since its inception. The company has dabbled, innovated and revolutionized a number of industries throughout its existence. This truth is a testament to the men that have lead the organization throughout the years. (see past leaders attached) More recently, present-day General Electric has been molded primarily by two individuals who utilized their personal skill to direct the company through a challenging time. Jack Welch (1980 2001) Jack Welch Joined GE in 1960 as a Junior chemical engineer. Early in his tenure, Welch considered leaving the organization citing a frustration with an overwhelming bureaucracy that existed within the firm. Welch was convinced to stay and worked his ay up the ranks becoming Chairman and CEO in 1980. Welch became one of the most successful executives in the history of the United States during his tenure, growing the value of the company by 4000%. He accomplished this by imposing leadership efficiency practices throughout the company. Welch promoted strong businesses by limiting bureaucratic inefficiencies, trimming inventory and closing factories. His governing philosophy at GE was that a company should either be number 1 or number 2 in a particular industry or it should get out of that business. Welch adopted Motorolas Six Sigma quality program in 1995 to further streamline operating efficiencies. In addition, Welch instituted a rigorous method of assessing organizational performance and leadership termed Session C. The goal of this organization. During Jack Wheels tenure, General Electric became wildly profitable and became recognized as the preeminent organization in terms of operating efficiency and profitability. Mr.. Wheels methods, while successful were generally autocratic and focused on two specific issues: profitability and legal compliance. Jeffrey Melt (2001 present) Jeff Melt was groomed to lead General Electric from a young age. Millets father worked for GE in the Aircraft Engines Division. After receiving his A. B. In Applied Mathematics from Dartmouth College, Melt earned an M. B. A. From Harvard. Jeffrey Melt formally Joined General Electric in 1982 and began his professional ascent. Following a public and high-profile transition; Melt was challenged with the difficult task of replacing legendary GE CEO Jack Welch in 2001. Melt was immediately dealt two unparalleled challenges upon assuming the position the terrorist attacks of September 1 1, 2001 and to a lesser extent the public backlash attached to the prominent accounting scandals that occurred at the turn of the century. Melt began to create an impact immediately, adopting a more people- oriented approach to management than the efficiency-minded approach that had governed GE for the preceding two decades. Melt launched a series of effectiveness-oriented measures that encouraged innovation and risk-taking. Melt also began to look to developing markets in search of opportunity. Finally, Jeffrey Melt moved Gees operational focus to areas not previously considered: concentration on long-term growth over short-term gains, infrastructure development with an emphasis on green energy and increased marketing efforts focused on social responsibility. The contrast between these two vastly different yet extremely effective leaders provides an interesting snapshot of the effects of the evolution in American business following the corporate scandals of the late sasss and early sasss. While General Electric was not directly attached to a major scandal during that era, the timing of Gees leadership transition was fortuitous. While there is certainly room for a chicken vs.. Egg debate regarding the change in managerial philosophy at GE; the change in leadership at the top of the company definitely provided an opportunity to shift course in the post-SOX business world. Corporate Sustainability Social Responsibility Similar to many traditional American manufacturing powers, General Electric did not exercise sustainable business practices for the bulk of its existence. This, of course, was not uncommon in American industry. However, at the turn of the century, the first mention of social responsibility appeared in a GE company document. Integrity: the Spirit and the Letter of Our Commitment was a comprehensive document outlining the companys policies related to privacy, supplier relationships, working with governments, environment, health and safety. The initial draft of this document was essentially a rule book seeking to achieve legal compliance in the various nations where General Electric conducted business. The following year, (2001) two share owner proposals sought to amend and bolster the Integrity statement Share Owner Proposal No. 2; which attempted to improve the quality of life for employees and their communities by allowing collective bargaining, eliminating discrimination intimidation and promoting free labor, as well as Share campaign initiated by the General Electric Company that downplayed the dangerous effects of PCs dumped in the Hudson river by the company. The GE Board of Directors voted against both proposals. The reality of the Boards actions demonstrates that the early years of General Electrics sustainability and social responsibility programs were based in superficial statements only. In 2003, General Electric launched an interactive, electronic version of its Annual Report. This new medium included a section devoted to the Citizenship initiatives active within the company. The two paragraph overview acknowledged the need for a modern corporation to practice environmental compliance, leadership in corporate provenance and high ethical standards. The document lists various social programs supported by the organization and its employees including nebulous philanthropic and volunteer efforts. While a step in the right direction, an outside observer may still question the level of commitment GE expressed to its sustainable programming. The strategy did not contain the measurable, quantifiable objectives required to effectively execute a large-scale sustainability program. (Epstein, 2003) Today, General Electric has created and maintains a robust, independent website dedicated to corporate sustainability. Www. Sustainability. Mom outlines Gees commitment to long-term sustainable business practices including: internal processes, (people, governance, compliance and health safety) sustainability initiatives (health, energy climate, water and natural resources) and progress (public policy, grassroots activism, lobbying, human rights and research). Most importantly, the site lists and outlines performance metrics used to govern thei r processes including the GRIP 63 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The end result of the GE sustainability program has been a complete remake of the GE brand identity.

History 600

History 600 History 600-1850 Essay Five Pillars of Islam – core practices and beliefs of every Muslim. Found clear expression in the Quran. Undergirded Islamic practice and gave the imperial system a doctrinal and legal structure and broad appeal to diverse populations. Caliphate – political institution of the early Islamic state. Signified both the political and spiritual head of the Islamic community. Rose as the successor to Muhammad’s leadership. Muhammad – former trader. Went to Mecca where God gave him revelations. Preachings ad messages from God became central to Islamic faith. Quran – 114 chapters (suras). Word of God that flowed through Muhammad. Teachings/foundational text of Islam. Sharia – Islamic law. Crucial foundation of Islam. Covers all legal aspects of practical and spiritual life including legal principles for marriage contracts, trade regulations, prayer, pilgrimage rites, and ritual fasting. Reflects work of generations of religious scholars rather than soldiers/bureaucrats/courtiers. Shiites – â€Å"members of the party of Ali†. Dissidents of Sunni. Felt Ali should have been proper successors. Believed his descendants (imams) have religious and prophetic power and political authority. Caliph – Empress Wu – only female ruler in Chinese history. exploited the examination system to check the power of aristocratic families. Consolidated courtly authority by creating groups of loyal bureaucrats. Challenged Confucian beliefs that subordinated women. Eunuchs – castrated males who protected the royal family. Wielded much court power in Baghdad and Tang Empire. Worked alongside official bureaucracy and imperial court. Eunuch bureaucracy mediated between the emperor and provincial governments. Silla – one of the â€Å"Three Kingdoms† in Korea. Gained control over the entire peninsula and unified it. Dispatched annual embassies to the Chinese capital, regularly sent students and monks → literary Chinese became the written language of Korean elites, not vernacular. Prince Shotoku – introduced Buddhism to Japan. Promoted both Buddhism and Confucianism, which led Japan (like China) to be accommodating to numerous religions. Shinto – native religious culture of Japan. Prince Shotoku was credited for introducing the above faiths to them. Charlemagne – king of the Franks in northern Europe. Controlled much of western Europe. Ruled for 40 years. Often travelled 2,000 miles a year on campaigns of plunder and conquest. Heir to Rome. Karim – loose confederations of shippers banding together to protect conveys. Armed convoys of ships escorted commercial fleets in this system. Aided in trade and made shipping less dangerous. Genghis Khan – Mongol waunched series of conquests southward across Great Wall of China. Ultimately built a permanent empire by incorporating peoples and some of their ways. Now, Afro-Eurasia regions were connected by land and sea. Jacquerie – 1358 French revolt. Peasantry that went on killing rampage of nobles and clergy. Insisted that they should no longer be tied to the land or have to pay for the tools they used in farming. Sufism – highly mystical and communal

Revolutionizing the Retail Sector Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revolutionizing the Retail Sector - Case Study Example The two systems incorporated advanced technology during their upgrade. Consequently, they reduced the costs that organizations incurred as they used the systems (Heidari, 2008). Additional challenges that the invention of the quantum blade and the retail blade system solved entailed rising ownership costs, incompatibility and in efficiency of systems as well as rising operational costs. Problems Digipos faced with regard to system upgrades Digipos experienced several challenges while designing systems that could reduce cost of operations within businesses. Consequently, the company has struggled to cope with changes in technologies that could tackle the desires of clients. Thirdly, Dogipo’s products were incompatible with other technologies. Additionally, the management wanted to reposition the company as leaders when designing technological products that served the needs of the retail businesses. Digipos was facing stiff competition from other companies that designed technolo gical systems that could be used in the retail environment. Besides, they were unable to design systems that were simple to use. According to Heidari (2008), the challenges that the company faced caused dissatisfaction among the users of the company’s systems. ... As a result, the company formulated systems that set the stage for exemplary results. Consequently, the management embraced the use of advanced technologies while designing systems. This facilitated the design of quantum blade and the retail blade system. Following the inventions, the company engaged in research that enabled the management to design systems that reduce the cost of operation within businesses. Additionally, Digipos designed systems that used reliable hard drives. This method was effective because consumer prefer systems that are reliable when reducing cost of operations (Stair & Reynolds, 2012). People embraced the use of the Quantum Blade and the Retail Blade system because the systems are affordable and simple to upgrade. Digipos has also designed systems that are compatible with systems manufactured by other companies. Digipos is equally succeeding because it focuses on the needs of clients while designing systems. They are also providing clients with several alter natives. In order to reduce the total cost of operation, the company has opted to upgrade their systems in phases to cope with the changes in the technology. It is equally evident that the systems designed by the company can handle difficulties that retailers face while adjusting their systems (Sennewald & Christman, 2008). It was previously costly for small businesses to install systems manufactured by Digipos. However, this changed with the invention quantum blade and the retail blade systems. These systems are inexpensive and easy to upgrade. Compare and contrast the Quantum Blade to the Retail Blade The Quantum Blade and the Retail Blade

Public Finance(please pick a topic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Finance(please pick a topic) - Essay Example High government levels manage broad tax bases preeminently. In case the subnational governments become essential suppliers of goods and services, higher level jurisdictions are supposed to share a given amount of their incomes with these subnational governments. This enables bridging the gap between incomes and spending organized locally (Wildasin, 123). When budgets are supposed to be balanced, various constraints might result in subnational spending. According to Wildasin (125), the first constraint is the capacity of income rising of these subnational governments becomes limited. The second limitation is the occurrence of horizontal and vertical income sharing. Tax effectiveness grounds determine the optimal size of these subnational governments. The conformations of subnational incomes play a vital role in determining autonomy level over the expenditure management that the subnational governments enjoy. For example, mobilization of the local revenue is enhanced when essential tax bases are controlled by the subnational governments. This enables these governments to take legitimacy over using these resources and managing them to their needs and preferences (Wildasin, 126). Subnational governments are expected to reduce their spending management autonomy when there is reliance on revenue sharing, used in financing subnational spending that can be vertical or horizontal. In addition, fiscal decentralization may be more than delegation (Wildasin, 128). Additionally, subnational governments turn out to be spending agents of higher government levels that have inadequate decision making autonomy over the ways public funds are used up. The advantage of distribution in expenditure management is increased accountability and transparency in service delivery. This is by bringing the spending done by the public sector nearer the taxpayers. Wildasin (130) states that policy making autonomy over shared incomes enables