How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay

A Learning Organization is a culture that nurtures learning. As such, processes encourage interaction. The entire infrastructure is one that prioritizes interaction that facilities learning. Creativity and problem solving techniques are inherent in learning organization and the appropriate skills and motivation are available for the learning organization to strive (Background Information, Module 3). When we consider social networks and social media, we can be left wondering if communication can truly be at the optimal level through social networks and social media. The reality is that technology and the communication that is embedded in it is growing exponentially. The concept of social learning has roots in a social constructivist approach, where learning is a self-directed, problem-based, and collaborative process (Bang and Dalsgaard, 2006). Through involvement in activities, learners must attempt to solve a problem according to their own process. Now, this may seem simple if learners were physically amongst each other to share the processes. However, the social networks and social media do allow for a very supporting learning environment. One thing that should be understood is that although there is a plethora of technological resources available, individuals must be able to tap into these resources in order to make use of social networks and social media to then, support a learning environment. Resources are information assets: media, people, places, or ideas. However, such resources are not learning materials until learners actively use them (Hannafin, Land, and Oliver 1999, p. 119). The internet, as a technological platform is a prime example of collaboration at its’ best. In his Techlearning blog of March 5, 2008, Steve Hargadon identified trends spurred on by the â€Å"two-way† nature of the Internet. These are trends that have significant impact on learning and education. According to Hargadon, there is a â€Å"new publishing revolution† arising from a shift in content creation for the Internet. At first, the Internet was a one-directional presentation medium where users received and read passively. Now the Internet is becoming an interactive platform, also known as Web 2. 0, based on contribution and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, file sharing, social networking, and other forms are revolutionizing how we create online content. In his blog entry, Hargadon discussed how he replies to questions that people ask about content overload. His response reflects how social networking and social learning flow into one another naturally, as social constructivism suggests they will. He said, â€Å"It is in the act of our becoming a creator that our relationship with content changes, and we become more engaged and more capable at the same time. † In other words, by participating we learn to become. Touro University boasts the Threaded Discussion Forum, which allows at ones’ fingertips the ability to communicate in the convenience of one’s’ own time and place, as well as the response of back and forth communication of their classmates and professors. Students can then â€Å"blog† or communicate through other platforms like Skype. â€Å"Virtually† the only missing ingredient in all of the communication forums technology has to offer is the personal face to face where we are physically there to communicate with one another. One can argue that such spatial communication really do not add anything unique to what can be facilitated virtually. Other companies are likewise making strides in this direction. Microsoft offers its Office-based sharing technology, SharePoint. IBM implemented the use of blogs (26,000 registered), wikis (100,000 users), social bookmarking (DogEar), and social networking tools in their organization. IBM even owns 50 islands on Second Life for use in orientations, classes, and meetings! Change is inevitable. We see that technology continues to evolve, along with how people connect and contribute to the creation of content within virtual communities. We either adapt, or fall behind. In his January, 2008 paper, David Wilkins explores the importance of supporting social networks in the workplace, or â€Å"Workplace Communities. † Wilkins reviews social learning on the job in terms of improving employee development, performance, and growth, as well as its effect on workplace innovation. Wilkins shows a number of ways in which workplace communities support employee development, performance, and growth. They provide a mechanism for apprenticeship models, connecting less-skilled workers with their more experienced colleagues through social networking technologies. Communities can add an â€Å"Ask an Expert† feature to their network, to make it possible to leverage the expertise of individuals or groups. This forum echoes the Touro experience as professors respond to our Threaded Discussions, never in an evaluative manner, but in a way in which a professional and friendly dialogue is encouraged. Communities foster ownership of learning, according to Wilkins. The social aspect of communities can facilitate the â€Å"meeting† of content consumers with content producers through social networking. This social aspect of content provides an avenue for additional social networking and mentoring opportunities, and further empowers the workforce by providing opportunities for them [the consumers] to contribute, resulting in significant increases in the volume of content. This has the dual benefit of helping with both retention and productivity, while also moving the organization toward a deeper, more ingrained use of learning and knowledge. † (Wilkins, p. 6) Communities allow for the generation of a range of content types that appeal to different learning styles, levels, and objectives. Online resources include blogs and wikis, audio, and video. They may also include traditional learning courses and materials, and typical Office documents. Through sharing information, the workplace community provides access to immediate, relevant, and appropriate content suited to the needs of the individual. An extension of traditional training and development modes, communities offer a fluid way to support employee performance development and efficiency. Success requires free flow of ideas, and support by stakeholders, for communication between networks. It takes time to establish these conditions, and a carefully thought-out plan is essential. Indeed, a learning organization can thrive with the utilization of social networks and social media. These are convenient for everyone and are conducted in ways that are perhaps even more powerful, productive, positive, and as simple than face to face platforms. Certainly, the convenience and quality I have received within the on-line learning organization is top-notch, and great enough for me to dismiss any idea of traditional places of learning. Without the technology, individuals will truly be left behind as the technological race pushes forward. Reference http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html

Prison Term Policy

Darrell Cook In the criminal Justice field, laws has been set and made to ensure the safety and the protection of the citizen of today. When criminals commit a crime they will be punish and will be prosecuted under the law of the crime that they have committed. When it comes to police policy, it is written to assist the courts in the sentencing, depending on the type of crime that was made.Every year the prison policies are changed, criminals that are convicted of a crime may face a longer sentence than a arson that is currently in prison for the same crime, because of the prison policies have changed. Therefore, the prison policy for convicted felonies is being reviewed by the state legislature and must be voted on, so that the bill can be passed. As a criminologist, I have done my research on arm robberies and robberies occurs when someone property is taken by force; meaning when an armed robbery is using some type of weapon to take possession of something from someone.According to my research, Armed Robberies isn't Just taking something from someone that doesn't along to you; its more than that, it's a violent offense when someone is using a firearm or some other type of weapon. When a weapon is including in an arm robbery, it is viewed a more seriousness crime, even when a person is using a fake weapon they still will be charged as an armed robbery. So in my opinion, my recommendation would be to double the maximum prison term for repeat offenders. As first time offenders I don't believed it should be double Max prison term, because in today society you have young teens that are committing arm robberies.When it moms to the young teens, there has to be a question to why they are committing such felony like this. The teens of today are committing these crimes because they are trying to keep up with the latest foot wear and clothes, because their parent's can't afford it. But I do believe and recommend that if these teens continue to commit these crimes over a nd over that they also can receive the Max prison term, like they say â€Å"if you can do the crime you can do the time†. In each state the length of sentence is different for a person that commits and convicted of arm robbery.As the criminologist, this bill going to be voted on rather to double the maximum prison term for anyone that is convicted of robbery. I think it will be a good ideal for the legislature official to review the statistics of armed robberies and the ages of the convicted felonies that commit these violent crimes. Also compare all other normal robberies that are not violent crimes. I also think that citizens of the community should be able to speak about this bill and see what they have to say about this bill being passed. Www. mygeorgiadefenselawyer. Com/Georgia-criminal-offenses†¦ /robbery

Report on Data Management Essay

Introduction HR data would need to be stored by all organisations due to either legal requirements or internal purposes. This report will uncover types of data and methods of storing them. The last segment of the report will cover legislations that affect HR data as ‘there is a substantial and complex amount of EU and UK legislation that has an impact upon the retention of personnel and other related records’(Retention of HR records, 2013) Why Collect HR Data HR data can be collected for various reasons in an organisation. There are two reasons listed below: Productivity: appraisals records are collected so  that managers can assess the productivity of their staff and team. It can also be useful for employees to know their potential within the team and can use it for their career progression. Legal Compliance: Payroll data would be important for the HM Revenue and Customs to calculate taxes whereas health and safety records can help the company to improve their environment and allow them to be compliant with the Health and Safety Act. Also certain data can be used as evidence in any legal proceedings that the company may have to face. Types of HR Data and how it supports HR ‘Monitoring records enables personnel to amend or reformulate policies and procedures.’(Personnel data and record keeping, 2011) Below are 2 types of data that HR collects:  Recruitment and Selection- records on staff turnover and vacancies can be important for HR as it informs them when and for which team to recruit for and also allows them to see the trend in each team depending on its staff turnover. This would also include appraisal records which would inform them if an employee or team needs training. Absence Data-the absence reports, complied from the absence data gives HR an indication of which department is suffering most from high absentees and allows them to rethink the working patterns. It also helps them to calculate the cost of absenteeism to the organisation. Data Storage and its Benefits Data can be stored in several methods. However, below are 2 key methods which can be used along with their benefits. 1. Manual / Paper based- keeping records on paper in a filing cabinet Files cannot be destroyed with any virus Information can be accessed without any password restrictions Members do not need to be PC literate to find data 2. Computerised filing More than one user can access the information at the same time Large volumes of data can be stored and accessed easily  Data can be used to compile reports and identify trends with the latest programmes on computer Most companies prefer their records to be stored electronically as it is efficient and easily accessible. However, there are  certain companies which use both methods as certain records do not need to be stored for a longer period of time, hence can be filed away in cabinets. Essential UK legislations relating to recording, storing and accessing HR data There are several legislations that affect the retention of HR data. Below are two such legislations. Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) DPA applies to most HR records, whether held in paper or on computer. DPA controls how personal information of living individuals is used by organisations, businesses or the government. It came into force on March 2000. There are 8 data protection principles the data controller needs to comply to in order to handle data correctly: 1. ‘adequate, relevant and not excessive 2. fairly and lawfully processed 3. processed for limited purposes 4. accurate 5. not kept for longer than is necessary 6. processed in line with your rights 7. secure 8. not transferred outside EU without adequate protection’ (Employment Law FAQ, 2013) Every company that processes personal information must be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), unless they are exempt. The ICO, which is UK’s independent supervisory authority, ensures that the DPA as well as other data protection/retention legislations are followed by organisations and it can prosecute them for not doing so. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) The FOI came into force on January 2005. It gives the public a right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, however there are few exceptions to these right as not all personal records can be obtained by public, such records can be requested under the DPA. Government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces are few of the public authorities. Conclusion This report explains that recording and storing data is very important. Every  company has a different method and reason of storing data; however, handling data correctly is important for all. There are several legislations that can affect the data retention and not complying with these legislations can have an adverse effect on the company’s reputation. Reference List CIPD, 2013.Retention of HR Records.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets [Accessed 13 June 2014] ACAS, 2011. Personnel data and record keeping.[online] Available at: www.acas.org.uk [Accessed 12 June 2014] CIPD 2013. DP04: What is data protection and what are the eight data protection principles?.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk [Accessed 17 June 2014] Activity 2 Analysing Absence Data in Examinations Team Introduction The report includes findings and analysis of different reasons of absence within an Examinations Team from May-December in 2013. The final segment of the report concludes the analysis along with recommendations to overcome the core reasons of absence. Absence Level in Examinations Team There are two apparent findings from the graph (data in appendix 1), the high levels of absence from May-June due to stress and from October- December due to viral problems: May-June: due to peak season of exams, the examinations team is required to do ample preparations from planning, supervising and marking exams to attending board meetings. This therefore, becomes very stressful for the team as ‘the most common cause of stress†¦is workload’ (Barometer of HR Trends and Prospects, 2013) and as each person is only trained in their individual role there are issues of ‘presenteeism’. October-December: during this season many people fall sick due to bad weather. However, the outbreak of the Norovirus in 2013 could also be the reason for the viral problems to increase. Also, due to Christmas parties in December it further causes the virus to spread from contaminated food. Conclusion The study indicates that stress and viral issues were two implications the examinations team suffered from in 2013.Stress is a common issue in several workplaces as mentioned in the Absence Management report by CIPD and it can be costly. To overcome the issue, two possible recommendations are: Stress- 1. Hire temporary staff during busy period 2. Train team members to share workload and prevent presenteeism, where employees feel forced to come into work. Viral Problems- 1. Give free flu vaccination to employees 2. Communicate awareness regarding the virus Appendix 1: Number of Employees Absent by Reasons in 2013 (a) Musculoskeletal- back, neck and other muscle pain (b) Ear, Nose, Dental pain and skin disorder Reference List BPP. (2013).Appendix 1 of Number of Employees Absent by Reasons in 2013. London: BPP CIPD, 2013.barometer of HR trends and prospects 2013.[online] Available at: www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports[Accessed 18June 2014]

Corporate Secretaryship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Secretaryship - Essay Example vided into the law of companies which are public nature and on companies which are private in nature, it serves the dual purpose of being both a very effective as well as a comprehensive piece of legislation. The primary purpose of enacting this legislation was to increase the competitiveness of the UK in the field of international trade and also ensure the creation of an effective legal and regulatory framework within which business within the UK operates and also promotion of enterprise, promoting growth and provide the right conditions for investment and employment and create them as and when necessary.3 The Act is a comprehensive code of company law. It restates and replaces most of the Company Law provisions of the 1985, 1989 and 2004 (Audit, Investigations and Communities Enterprise) Acts and also introduces a wide range of changes to a number of areas such as formation of company, directors’ duties and liabilities, shareholders’ rights, share capital maintenance etc. The intention is for all parts of the Act to be implemented by October 2008 although some parts may be introduced before than and others are already in force.4 Behind the 1300 sections of the Act lie 4 key themes which are ensuring the enhancement of shareholder engagement and a long-term investment culture; ensuring better regulation and a Think Small First approach. Through the Act, it is expected that it will now become far easier to set up and run a company; and also provide flexibility for the future.5 The advent of the Companies Act, 2006 will bring about a number of changes for companies during 2007 and 2008.  One such change will be the abolition of the need to appoint a company secretary for a private company.6 Part 12 of the Act of 2006 deals with the role that company secretaries have to play in any organization, Sections 270-280 from a part of Part 12 of the Act. The head note to Section 270 states that, a Private company not required to have secretary. With the sub sections

SAMSUNG electronics (public relation) Research Paper

SAMSUNG electronics (public relation) - Research Paper Example Statement of the situation: Samsung needs to improve its public relations in order to increase the sales of its new products and to maintain its brand image. Since there are a large number of subsidiaries to Samsung electronics, appropriate public relation strategies are needed in order to resolve potential problems. Samsung always tracked the latest technologies and moved accordingly. The company’s status varies from field to field. Samsung has never looked back since it has entered into DRAM or Dynamic Random Access Memory business in 1983. Despite of being dominant over other electronics companies existing today, the company always adopts policies, which can lift their reputation among the people. Its current policy of emphasizing on innovations is mainly encouraged by the future situations. The company is well alert on the matter of future downfall due to a fierce competition from the Chinese electronic manufactures in the field of memory chip making and electronic devices due to their policy of aggressive market expansion and low manufacturing cost. Therefore Samsung electronics need to have a strategic public relations plan, which will improve the company’s brand image. Since there are many branches and networks operating all over the world, the company can’t ensure the better working conditions of each of its employees. This can cause disinterest among employees towards the company’s goals and this will affect the public relations management of the firm negatively. Key strategies: The key strategies of Samsung’s new policy in improving public relations are: To be able to gain trust among the people so that they are always ready to depend on the company’s technologies spontaneously and without much effort from the company’s side. To be able to promote its name to increase the sales to considerable amount. This is not a difficult task keeping in mind that they are the dominant force in the market. To concent rate mainly on the changes that are required to withstand the future crisis basically from rivals as well as customers preferring other brands. To ensure better relationship with the consumers, by providing them the facilities they require. Strategic objectives: To achieve 100% customer satisfaction so that customers feel that Samsung’s latest technology is better than any product of the other companies. This will improve the public relations of Samsung electronics. To achieve 100% employee satisfaction. This is one of the best methods in improving public relations, that is, by gaining complete support from the employees. Having a strong commitment to the public as Samsung has invested in a sustainable electronics recycling program by teaming up with Global Electric Electronic Processing (GEEP) Key publics: Customers: As the main feature in any business organization is its customer, customers should be well aware of the new policies of the company. Since it is dominating over the electronics device departments, there will not be any lack of trust among the customers. The present customers that we have are more than satisfied with Samsung electronics and this paves a new way for the future prospective customers. With

Introduction to Managerial Accounting Research Paper

Introduction to Managerial Accounting - Research Paper Example In addition, what price should be charged to the product to replace the production costs and earn a profit that is optimal? In addition, they have to plan how to finance the operations and how to manage the available cash. That is important in keeping the activities of the business to work smoothly. Â · Decision making. Managers need managerial accounting information when they decide whether or not to commence a certain project. Managerial accounting will help them compare the benefits of various opportunities and help them decide which ones to choose. Â · Performance measurement. Managers have to compare the budgeted figures to evaluate the performance of the business to actual results of the operation. They will have to use certain techniques of managerial accounting such as standard costing to assess the performance of various departments (Weygandt, Kieso, & Kimmel, 2010). Managerial accountants keep record financial information for their firms that are used by the management team of the company to aid in the process of decision-making. Managerial accountants do develop budgets, perform asset, cost management, and create necessary reports to be used by the Directorate team. In every company managers to significantly depend on the data provided by managerial accountants to develop business strategies that are effective. Owners of small business make most of the decisions within their company. The data offered by managerial accountants can affect the liability of the owner to make business decisions that are sound (Weygandt, Kieso, & Kimmel, 2010). The main purpose of managerial accounting in business is to support decision making by collecting, processing, and communicating helpful information that would assist the managers. The information would help the managers to plan, control, and evaluate the processes of the business and strategy of the company (Albrecht, 2007).

Ethical Business Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Business Model - Essay Example The import of this is that not only is business ethics model an indispensible aspect of organizational management, but it is also imperative of an organization to define and designate its model of business ethics. A Proposal on a Business-Based Ethics Model to Guide Decision Making In the Workplace According to Ashcroft, Dawson and Draper (2007), one of the best business-based ethics models that can be used to guide decision making in the workplace is the organizational or company culture. Organizational or company culture refers to the intangible business environment that leaders and executive managers as major decision makers dispense. In this model, these policy makers use the organization’s culture to perpetuate the mission, objectives and goals on how employees are to approach their work or duties, in the course of helping the organization attain its goals. In this regard, virtues that are to help further positive and stronger organizational culture are to be emphasized, with these virtues being trust, integrity, professional behavior, diligence, leadership and flexibility. It is imperative that the healthcare organization in this instance seek, determine and use the most appropriate way of inculcating these virtues upon the staff. On the part of the executive managers and leaders, there will be a need to weave these very virtues into the healthcare organization’s culture, so as to ensure that employees comprehend and adhere to ethical organizational or business principles (Weber, 2001). The task above can be achieved by employing different approaches. The company can for instance use organizational manuals and informal meetings to teach employees on organizational culture. The merit that consistently characterizes the use of intra-organizational manuals and meetings is the opportunity they give the management to explain the significance of ethical business behavior and to evaluate the gains that have been realized from the steps made. In lin e with this proposal is the need to open up workshops and training programs which will go a long way in helping the personnel understand the essence of business ethics. It is only through this understanding that the personnel can grasp the entire picture on the importance of incorporating organizational ethics into decision-making and work performance. Likewise, it is only when the personnel understand the import of business ethics that the restructuring of organizational can run smoothly, from an intrapersonal volition and without the risk of sabotage. The Anticipated Impact of Putting Company or Organizational Culture into Place to Be In a Healthcare Organization It is a fact that the proposed business ethics model is likely to bring with it, positive values in the organization. One of the most anticipated changes that the organizational/company ethics model will bring about is the shifting of the hospital or the healthcare organization’s from focusing on quantity and mere profit making, to being driven by the dictates of, and cause for patient-based care. This is because, globally, healthcare organizations place patient-satisfaction and the accordance of quality, ethical and patient-friendly care as the center-most point of concern and efforts. Organizational/ company ethics model comes in handy in ensuring that this remains a reality, given that organizational ethics demand the fusing of organizatio

Chapter 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Chapter 2 - Essay Example nderstanding with respect to the way in which solar energy represents a potential to serve as an effective form of renewable energy in the coming decades. Solar energy is one of the most promising forms of alternative energy that is yet to be explored to its full potential. However, alternative energy could not be used without an understanding of some specific requirements, such as, geographical location and policy (Goh et al, 2014; Liu et al., 2013). Yet, regardless of the promise that solar energy seeks to provide, the fact of the matter is that it still represents a litany of drawbacks; drawbacks that will be discussed at some depth further in the analysis. For this very reason, individuals are necessarily discouraged from using it and the level of research that takes place is limited with respect to the means by which this energy is stored after it is collected. However, with all that being said, it must also be understood that this is still a relatively new technology. Within these lines, it can further be expected that developments in solar energy could necessarily lead to a breakthrough in which it could reduce or entirely negate many of the negative drawbacks that have thus far been evidenced. It is of no question that technology has heavily impacted the way in which processes take place within the modern world. The changes in technology over the past hundred years have been profound; giving of mankind the ability to fly, orbit the Earth, visit the moon, create the Internet, build the computer, and perfect the internal combustion engine. Nanotechnology is a topic that has a high level of relevance with respect to the development of the world. Essentially, nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter; either in the atomic, molecular, or super-molecular state (mnyusiwalla et al, 2003). In such a way, the developments within this sphere could vastly contribute to the increased efficiency of different processes; even going so far as to ensure that

Christ Crowned with thorns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christ Crowned with thorns - Essay Example The use of a lone candle shows an intimacy between the torturers and Christ. Because the Jews were the one who crowned Jesus with thorns, this event must have taken place after Pilate turned Him over to the Jews. The realism in this painting makes me feel great compassion for the Christ shown. Unlike other paintings, Stom used his paintbrush smoothly. â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† can be recognized as a painting, but not with harsh visible strokes. Stom obviously studied humans closely. The Christs muscles, ribcage, and face are realistically human. The crown upon the Christs head is delicately placed, blending into the background of darkness. If one word was used to describe this work of art, it would be seamless. The whole painting flows into a seamless scene of Christ and his crown of thorns. â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† does portray a symbolic message. The light, which is a candle, closest to the Christ represents Jesus light to Christians. A light to show the way toward Christianity and heaven. The darkness represents individuals lost doomed to end up in hell. The men around Jesus represent skeptics of Christianity, even after hearing Jesus message or seeing Jesus light. The black and white represent the chasm between heaven and hell. Heaven and hell are complete opposites, just like light and darkness. Since I am a Christian, this painting makes me feel hope. This painting reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made for sinners. I also feel a great compassion for the Christ in the picture. It makes the crucification of Jesus more real to me, not just an abstract idea. I feel that for Matthias Stom to paint this picture, he must have been a Christian as well. This painting had to be inspired by more than being a Caravaggisti. Matthias Stoms â€Å"Christ Crowned with Thorns† fits into history as a painting influenced by Caravaggio. The naturalism, minute observation of detail mixed with dramatic light and

Hcs 430 Week 2 Essay Example for Free

Hcs 430 Week 2 Essay Regulatory Agency paper Name HCS/430 Legal issues in Health Care: Regulations and Compliances September 27, 2010 Instructor Regulatory Agency paper The Joint Commission is an agency that maintains partnership with the government to help improve the standards of health care within the United States. The Joint Commission accredits health care organizations and health care programs by setting standards to help improve the quality and safety of health care. The Joint Commission work closely and collaborates with government officials and legislation by ensuring health care organizations in the United States meet specific guidelines, set by The Joint Commission, which health care services provided are delivered with the highest quality and safety for the patients they service. Generally, health care organizations elect to have the joint Commission evaluate their facility through surveyors who work under a Board of Commissioners that is made up of health care experts that advocate for consumers. History The history of The Joint Commission dates back to the early 1900s. Earnest Codman M.D. created a system that would help hospitals track their patients from the beginning of admission through discharge. The proposed result system help hospitals determine if the patients care was successful. The results influenced future patient care. By 1917, the American College of Surgeons proposed a certification program for hospitals. The first minimum standards for hospitals were also developed in 1917.Very few hospitals met the proposed standards. By the 1953, the American College of Surgeons transformed their hospital certification program to the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission started accrediting hospitals in that same year. The Joint Commissions sponsors included the American College of Physicians, the American Hospital Association, and the American medical Association (The Joint Commission, 2010). Through the years, many notable changes were made, including the accreditation program for all health care organizations. Standards were developed for every accreditation program and updated each  year. In 1987, the Joint Commission organization changed to the Joint commission on Accreditation of Health care Organizations (JCAHO) to reflect the organization’s mission. During the 1990s the organization focused on performance improvement and measurement outcomes. By the early 2000s, the Joint Commission designed pathways that focused on improving the accreditation process and establishing goals for improving the patient safety and quality of care. Source and Scope of Authority The Joint Commissions main source of authority is governed by the Board of Commissioners that consists of a diverse group of health care experts. The corporate members include the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the American Dental Association, the American Hospital Association, and the American Medical Association. The Joint commission also works closely with Congress to improve the quality and safety of health care (The Joint Commission, 2010). Structure The structure of the Joint commission is made of a diverse group of health care experts that seek to improve health care services. The Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners and the corporate members collaborate on setting standards and requirement for health care organizations for improving health care and safety practices within the United States. The Joint Commission has set multiple standards for different health care programs. The standards and requirements must be approved by the Board of Commissioners. The Joint Commission also consists of several board committees’ that have specific areas of interest, such as executive, accreditation, performance measurement, standards, survey procedures. The Joint Commission also has a Board of directors who help provide consults to health care and focuses on global accreditation. The board members also serve as liaisons to many groups and committees that are affiliated with the Joint commission (The Joint Commission, 2010). Day-To-Day Responsibilities The responsibilities of the Joint Commission are to set standards to help improve the quality of health care services and provide safety guidelines for health care organizations. Their mission as a nonprofit organization is to continuously improve health care (The Joint Commission, 2010). The Joint  Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations by surveying facilities to ensure health care standards, performance measurements, safety guidelines have been implemented and carried out for better patient. The Joint commission sets standards and guidelines in compliance with federal laws to evaluate health care services. Health care organizations generally volunteer to seek accreditations from the Joint Commission by allowing expert surveyors evaluate their facility. The surveyors are made up of a multi-disciplinary team that spends an average of two days inspecting health care facilities. The purpose for the inspection is to evaluate a health care facilities standards, staff, regulations, policies and procedures, and quality improvement, and performance measurement. The Joint Commission surveyors generally look to see if the organizations governing board is taking part in ensuring that the facilities has facilitated safety and quality assurance program. In order for a health care organization to qualify for an accreditation, they must certain requirements. The requirements that health care facilities must meet before applying for an accreditation are, the organization must be located the United States and governed under the United States government, the facility works on improving quality of care, the facility has an indication of services provided, the facility addresses the standards set by the Joint Commission, the facility meets the requirements Medicare and Medicaid. Other responsibilities of the Joint Commission are to strengthen the safety of patients and build the trust and confidence of communities. The Joint Commission is constantly addressing specific areas to help hospitals improve their performance measurement. Effects on Health Care The Joint Commission has a direct effect on the health care system. The standards developed by the Joint Commission help health care organizations improve their care they provide. An accreditation from the Joint Commission is a seal of approval that is an indication to patients that the health care facility focuses on quality care and the safety of their patients. According to Ernest, (2009, p.48) â€Å"evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality value†, However, Ernest, (2009, p.48) also argues that The Joint Commission has placed the needs of the facility it inspects above those of  their patients. This is an indication that some of the standards set are burdensome to health care organizations and deemed unnecessary. According to (Doctors lash out, 2007), JCAHO requirements that become implemented are sometimes at odds with the real needs of patients even though they are supposedly driven to en sure patient safety. They take control away from the physician/nurse-patient relationship where it should be. Example of Agency Carrying out Duties An example of an agency carrying out its duties would be the Joint Commission and their mission to improve the health care and safety for patients. Health Care organizations, such as hospitals must comply with federal and state laws to protect the health and safety of their patients. A hospital that provides different services must meet the regulations and standards set for each service provided. The duties are carried out play a role in governments funding toward health care, such as Medicare and Medicaid. These government funded programs set certain standards that hospitals and other health care organizations must adhere to in order to qualify for reimbursement. The Joint Commission has set standards that must be carried out by health care organizations compositions, structure, and daily functions. Basically, a health care organization must carry out their duties because of the responsibility that encompasses the health care system a whole. Conclusion The Joint Commission is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of health care and the safety of all patients. Their mission is to continuously improve the health care services within the United States. The Joint Commission has helped improve the quality of health care and how it’s delivered through a series of standards and regulations that health care organizations must comply with in order to meet the accreditation that symbolizes excellence in health care delivery. Through much collaboration with a diverse team, health care and health care safety will continue to improve through the ongoing effort and dedication from the Joint Commission.

Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions?

Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions? Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions from Equality Laws as Judicial Remedy? Freedom of conscience and religion is a fundamental right as stated in Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights[1]. The key issue here is that there is no explicit reference to conscientious objection, which leads to a clash of ideals between freedom of thought, conscience and religion which may lead to individuals being permitted to discriminate against others and the principle of equality, which can only be dealt with via conscientious exemptions granted by the court. Therefore the purpose of this essay is to determine whether equality prevails over freedom of religion and whether the courts should grant conscientious exemptions from equality laws. Freedom of conscience and religion allows an individual to practice and change their religious or non-religious beliefs without interference from the government. However exercising ones right to manifest their religion or belief can overstep the mark and be inappropriate, an example being the case of Lee v McArthur[2]. In this case, the appellants were appealing an earlier ruling which stated that the appellants directly discriminated against a customer by not supplying a cake decorated with the message support gay marriage. The court upheld the original decision and gave the ruling that the bakery did in fact directly discriminate against the customer as it was a case of association with the gay and bisexual community and the protected characteristic was the sexual orientation of the community. This was a landmark case as it featured many democratic and political principles such as the right to free speech, the right to manifest ones beliefs, and the principle of equality. The rulin g also proved that, on this occasion as well as many others, equality does take precedence over freedom of conscience and religion, and that the court believed granting conscientious exemption could not be justified. The Equality Act 2010[3], in essence, is the statute that which places the limitations on the right to freedom of religion and one which all employers especially ones which provide goods and services must uphold. This is where the courts must show particular care as to defining the limits of freedom of conscience and religion as they must give particular regard to the legislation and its aim of protecting certain characteristics from discrimination in particular, sexual orientation, and religious and non-religious beliefs. One example where equality came up against freedom of religion was in the case of Hall v Bull[4]. This is a case where a same-sex couple were refused a double-bedded room by Christian hoteliers. The ruling given by Lords Neuberger and Hughes was that the couple were in fact directly discriminated against as he hoteliers were applying the criterion that their legal relationship was not that of one man and one woman, a criterion that cannot be distinguished from s exual orientation. The fact that there are a number of cases with similar rulings is more evidence that freedom of religion will not be favoured above equality, suggesting that courts are unwilling to grant conscientious exemptions. Conscientious objection has been around for many a year now, as historically humanists and religious people alike have exercised their right to refuse military service at times of conscription. One of the many ways to protect freedom of conscience and religion is by the granting of conscientious exemptions, and it is also one of the many varieties of exemption that can be granted by law[5]. This raises the question as to why the courts have not done more to protect the right to freedom of conscience and religion and grant such exemptions from equality laws. There have been a number of cases where the courts have granted conscientious exemptions, as well as being opposed to it in others. The very first case where the issue of the applicability of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the Convention to conscientious objectors was in the case of Bayatyan v Armenia[6]. In this particular case, a Jehovahs Witness was initially convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to prison for refusing to perform military service for conscientious reasons, which he then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The Court noted that a shift in the interpretation of Article 9 was necessary and that, being in the situation of the applicant, Article 9 was applicable to his case. The Court also noted that, by convicting the objector, Armenia had been in violation of Article 9 of the Convention. The Ruling in the Bayatyan case was a significant step in the direction of granting conscientious exemptions in relation to the refusal of engaging in military service. However, it is still debated as to whether courts should grant conscientious exemptions in relation to non-military services. In the case of Eweida and others[7], the complainants ( E, C, L and M) complained that the domestic law of the United Kingdom failed to protect their right to manifest their religion. In the applications of E and C, the complainants refused to remove their respective crosses as they were committed to their Christian faith. Their respective employers did not allow them to remain in their positions, with E not allowed to remain in her post while visibly wearing the cross, and C being moved to a different post which then ceased to exist. L was employed by a local authority as a registrar or births, deaths and marriages. However, as a Christian, she believed same-sex civil partnerships were contrar y to Gods law, and therefore refused to be designated as a registrar of civil partnerships, resulting in the loss of her job. M was employed by a private company with a policy of providing services to equally to opposite-sex and same-sex couples. However M refused to commit to providing counselling to same-sex couples, resulting in disciplinary proceedings being brought against him. The ruling given in the application of Eweida was that while the employer had a legitimate aim of wishing to project a certain corporate image, the domestic courts had given it too much weight[8]. However in Cs case, the judgement made was that interference with her freedom to manifest her religion was necessary in a democratic society and that there had been no breach of Article 9[9]. The reason for this was that asking her to remove the cross was of a greater magnitude than that applied in respect of E, since it was for the protection of health and safety. It was also noted that hospitals were better placed to make decisions about clinical safety than a court, especially one where no direct evidence was heard. The judgement given in the case of L was that there had been no breach of Article 14 in conjunction with Article 9 of the Convention as the local authoritys policy aimed to secure the rights of others, which were protected under the convention as well as Ls right to manifest her religion[10]. As in the case of M, the most important factor was that the employers action was intended to secure the implementation of its policy of providing a service without discrimination. This then allowed the state authorities to benefit from a wide margin of appreciation, which was not exceeded. Therefore, the ruling was that there was no breach of Article 9, taken alone or in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention[11]. The main issue with all applications within the particular case, as with many other cases, was striking the right balance between the right to manifest ones religion and providing a service equally to everyone. Brian Barry is one theorist who holds the view that conscientious exemptions can rarely be justified and that it is hard to steer a path between the position that doing (or avoiding) X is so important that all should do it, and the alternative position that people should be free to decide for themselves whether to X[12]. This suggests that a path must be found if freedom conscience is to be taken seriously. Even more evidence to suggest that freedom of conscience will not be taken seriously in court and that the principle of equality will always trump the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The clash between the right to thought, conscience and religion and the principle of equality has been and will be continuing for a very long time. Early evidence suggests that equality does prevail, as domestic and European courts have shown in their judgements of many human rights cases. As with the majority of cases, the complainant is usually an employee who may have been given disciplinary action by their employer. The key issue was whether there is a fair balance in each particular case and whether or not there was a wide margin of appreciation. Each case has different set of facts and what must be known is the circumstances surrounding the facts of the case e.g. was there a policy within the company that restricts one to manifest their religion, can it affect the health and safety of others, and are there other colleagues who wear religious materials but were not disciplined. As courts have shown to be more towards equality, and the fact that one case is completely different t o another, conscientious exemptions should not be granted as judicial remedy. However, whilst conscientious objection is as of now a right under Article 9 of the Convention[13] in relation to refusing to engage is warfare, it is still not explicitly stated so therefore such exemptions from equality laws should not be granted as judicial remedy. Bibliography Cases Bayatyan v Armenia (2012) 54 EHRR 15 Eweida and others v United Kingdom (2013) 57 EHRR 8 Hall v Bull[2013] UKSC 73 Lee v McArthur [2016] NICA 39 Legislations Equality Act 2010 EU Treaties Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights, as amended) (ECHR) art 9 Books B Barry, Culture and Equality (2001) 46, 50 (as cited in Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143) Journal Articles Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143 [1] Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights, as amended) (ECHR) art 9 [2] Lee v McArthur [2016] NICA 39 [3] Equality Act 2010 [4] Hall v Bull[2013] UKSC 73 [5] Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143 [6] Bayatyan v Armenia (2012) 54 EHRR 15 [7] Eweida and others v United Kingdom (2013) 57 EHRR 8 [8] Eweida (n 7) [94-95] [9] Eweida (n 7) [99-100] [10] Eweida (n 7) [106] [11] Eweida (n 7) [109-110] [12] B Barry, Culture and Equality (2001) 46, 50 (as cited in Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143) [13] (ECHR) art 9 (n 1) Atrial Fibrillation: Basic Pathophysiology Atrial Fibrillation: Basic Pathophysiology Introduction Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia; it involves the two upper chambers of the heart known as the atria. During atrial fibrillation the normal pulses generated by the sinoatrial node are overcome by the electrical pulses that are generated in the atria and pulmonary veins, which leads to irregular impulses being conducted to the ventricles, and therefore irregular heartbeats are generated. AF is identified by rapid and oscillatory waves that vary in amplitude, shape and timing instead of regular P-waves. Electrocardiograms are therefore used commonly to diagnose AF in patients. Arterial Fibrillation can present asymptomatically meaning that it can present in a patient but show no symptoms, it is considered to be non life threatening in many cases although it can result in heart palpitations, fainting, chest pain and in chronic cases congestive heart failure. The risk of stroking is also increased due to the fact that blood may pool and form clots in poorly contracting atria. Patients with AF are usually given blood-thinning medication such as warfarin to stop clots forming. Atrial fibrillation can occur in the absence of structural heart disease, known as lone AF, although this only occurs in approx. 15% of cases. Commonly AF is associated with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, pulmonary disease, valvular heart disease and coronary heart failure. Basic Pathophysiology of Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation usually begins with increased premature atrial contractions (ectopic beats) progressing to brief runs of atrial fibrillation usually that are usually self-terminating, over time these episodes can increase in duration and sometimes become persistent. During this progression structural changes in the atria occur as well as biochemical changes in the atrial myocytes. Pathophysiological adaptation of the atria to fibrillation has been broadly termed remodeling. More specifically, the changes primarily affecting the excitability and electrical activity of the atrial myocytes have been termed electrophysiological remodeling. The primary change in the structure of the atria is fibrosis, which is usually considered to be due to the atrial dilation, although in some cases genetic influences and inflammation can also be a cause. In 1990 Sanfilippo stated that atrial dilation was not a consequence of AF although more recently in 2005 Osranek stated that atrial dilation was not a consequence of AF. Dilation is due to almost any structural abnormality of the heart, such as hypertension, valvular heart disease and congestive heart failure; this structural abnormality causes a rise in intra-cardiac pressures. Demonstrating the strong relationship between atrial fibrillation and structural heart disease. Once dilation does occur it begins sequences of events that lead to the activation of the rein aldosterone angiotensin system and a subsequent increase in matrix metaloproteinases and disintegrin, leading to remodeling of the atria and fibrosis. Fibrosis is not limited to muscle mass of the atria, it can occur in sinus node and atroventricular node also, relating to sinus node dysfunction (sick sinus syndrome). During normal electrical conduction of the heart the SA node generates a pulse that propagates to and stimulates the muscle of the heart (myocardium), when stimulated the myocardium contracts. The order of stimulation is what causes correct contraction of the heart, allowing the heart to function correctly. During atrial fibrillation the impulse produced by the SA node is overcome by rapid electrical discharges produced in the atria and adjacent parts of the pulmonary veins. When AF progresses from paroxysmal to persistent the sources of these conflictions increase and localise in the atria. Principles of Catheterization and Ablation The fundamental aim of catheter ablation is to eliminate ectopic beats that arise most often in the pulmonary veins and less often in the superior vena cova and coronary sinus. This is accomplished through catheter insertion into blood veins in order to reach the heart, isolation of abnormal heart tissue and ablation of this abnormal heart tissue through the use of radiofrequency, cryoblation or high intensity focused ultrasound. Rate Control and Rhythm Control Despite ablative techniques and antiarrhythmic drugs available, management of common rhythm disturbance remains a problem. Rate control is the preferred treatment for permanent atrial fibrillation and for some patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, if they are either over 65 years of age or have coronary heart disease. Rate control is usually done through the use of pharmaceutical drugs (usually beta blockers or rate limiting calcium channel blockers) in order to slow ventricular heart rate and stop the atria from fibrillating. Rhythm control is most commonly used for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and in some cases of persistent atrial fibrillation if the patient is either less than 65 years of age, has lone atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure. Rhythm control is usually achieved through the use of either a cardioversion (electrically or pharmacological) or the use of pharmaceutical drugs (usually beta blockers) in order to maintain sinus rhythm. T his treatment is needed for a longer time in order to stop reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation. [http://www.cks.nhs.uk/atrial_fibrillation/management/detailed_answers/first_or_new_presentation_of_af/rate_or_rhythm_control#-391784). Atrial fibrillation is treated most commonly pharmaceutically although if the drugs cannot control the AF or if the patient is having a bad reaction to the medication, catheter ablation therapy allows for greater control of heart rate and rhythm than drug therapy although it does present more risk to the patient. Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation Electrically isolating arhythmogenic thoracic veins is the most important aspect of this procedure. The application of radiofrequency energy to an endocardial surface is used to cause cellular electrical destruction with the loss of cellular electrical properties, essentially the destruction of abnormal electrical activity [39,40]. This technique can be enhanced through the use of larger ablation electrodes, [41-46] allowing the creation of deeper lesions. During the procedure a physician will map the area to locate abnormal electrical activity, this is facilitated through the use of electroanatomic mapping system (fig 2) allowing for better navigation when the catheter is inserted into the artery. Reported success of radiofrequency ablation is dependent on the severity of the condition and ranges from 65% to 85% and patients presenting with complications is 5%.[cryostat] Cryoblation The most used format of cryoblation is the cryoballoon approach. This involves a deflectable a deflectable over-the-wire catheter with an inner and outer balloon inserted, allowing for anatomical variance this balloon is available in two sizes (23mm and 28mm). The guidewire is positioned in the distal part of the pulmonary vein, the deflated balloon is then progressed to the pulmonary vein ostium. Using the central balloon marker the balloon position is then estimated before inflation, once the desired position is found the balloon is inflated; pressurized N20 is then delivered to the tip of the catheter via an ultrafine injection tube down a central lumen in the inner balloon, working like an expansion chamber. Sudden expansion of the liquid gas causes evaporation and absorption of heat from tissue and low temperatures are then achieved (Approx -80dc). An occlusion angiogram is then performed in the central lumen of the catheter to ensure good balloon pulmonary vein contact. Cryobla tion is then started for at least five minutes under the condition that optimum pulmonary venous occlusion is achieved. The most important issue when using this technique is to establish optimum contact between the pulmonary vein antrum and the balloon. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) High intensity ultrasound is used in percutaneous ablation of atrial fibrillation through the use of a steerable balloon catheter. The high intensity focused ultrasound balloon is positioned at the ostium of the pulmonary veins and forms a sonicating ring to ablate pulmonary vein antrum when high intensity focused ultrasound is delivered. An arrhythmia-free rate of 59%-75% was achieved by HIFU balloon in several studies investigating its effectiveness in atrial fibrillation ablation.15-17 Commercially Available Devices and Systems Medtronic GENius Multichannel RF Generator This generator is used for the creation of endocardial lesions during cardiac ablation procedures for the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias. The generator delivers temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy, utilizing five radiofrequency energy mode selections: bipolar only, unipolar only, and combination energy mode selections of 4:1, 2:1, and 1:1. This system must be used with a catheter that is single use and sold separately to the device. The generator automatically recognizes the attached Cardiac Ablation Catheter and loads preset default temperature, time, and energy mode setting parameters. Ablation parameters such as ablation duration, energy mode, target temperature and channels can also be manually selected. Medtronic Cardiac CryoAblation Device The CryoConsole contains both electrical and mechanical components as well as exclusive software for controlling and recording a cryotherapy procedure. This system requires catheters that are purchased separately such as Medtronics Artic front cryoablation catheter (Fig. 3). This system stores and controls the delivery of the liquid refrigerant through the coaxial umbilical to the catheter, recovers the refrigerant vapor from the catheter under constant vacuum, and disposes of the refrigerant through the hospital scavenging system. Multiple features are built into both the CryoConsole system and catheters to ensure safety. Epicor Cardiac Ablation System Price The Epicor LP Cardiac Ablation System delivers High Intensity Focused Ultrasound using algorithms designed to precisely deliver energy up to 10mm. Unlike the other treatments high intensity focused ultrasound has the ability to create lesions from the inside out, depositing energy at the endocardium first and then building the lesion back up to the surface. The ability to focus HIFU cardiac ablation energy helps reduce the risk of tissue disruption, charring and collateral damage as well as overcome procedural limitations that have historically been associated with other ablation technologies. Conclusion In terms of ablation the umbrella terminology of Atrial Fibrillation does not take into account the complex nature of the disease. If a patient presents with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation they may only require a single catheter to be used, however if this condition becomes more continuous/chronic the patient may require multiple catheters and 3D navigational software. The three techniques described in this report appear to be similar in terms of their success rate, radiofrequency and cryoablation have a success rate of approx. 65-85% while High intensity focused ultrasound has a success rate of approx. 59-75%, this perhaps indicates that high intensity focused ultrasound may not be as effective in treating atrial fibrillation as radiofrequency and cryoablation although it is worth noting that these figures are taken from different research studies at different times and involve different patients that could be presenting greater or lesser a severity of atrial fibrillation.

Free Trade in Agriculture and Food Security

Free Trade in Agriculture and Food Security Introduction Food insecurity has been threatened many countries in the world with an indication the high rate of hunger, 842 million people (UN, 2014). Countries that do not have a good food security system would be vulnerable to social problems. Conversely, countries with good food security system will create productive and prosperous citizens. Some of the causes of food insecurity are limited access of food, the lack of food availability, and low of purchasing power. One solution to those problems is conducting trading activities of agricultural products. International institutions such as the WTO and FAO keep continue on encourage free trade toward developing countries. Free market means open competition. However, there is an imbalance of competition which is weak states are forced to compete against advanced states. The IMF has also imposed the Washington Consensus formula toward developing countries that was not always successful. This paper tries to reveal some of the failures of free trade in agriculture, as well as some improvements that could be done. Government subsidies in developing countries for certain sectors (education and health care) must be maintained. In addition, the supporting agricultural infrastructure in developing countries must be prepared in advance until they really deserve to compete. Developing countries should be allowed to impose tariffs when their balance of payments extremely deficit. Hunger and Food Security MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) finish in 2015. The first goal of MDGs is eradication extreme poverty and hunger. Poverty and hunger have close relationship because major cause of hunger is poverty. In other words, to alleviate hunger must eradicate poverty as well. According to the data from United Nations, the number poor people in 2010 has halved than 1990 with definition of poor people is someone lived below US$1.25 per day. However, nowadays there are still 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty. Unfortunately, achievement in reduce of the poor people not accompanied by achievement in hunger alleviation. Roughly 842 million people are estimated undernourished and more than 99 million children under five years old are still underweight and undernourished. Food security is prominent concept in hunger issue. World Food Summit 1996 provide concept of food security when â€Å"all people, at all time, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life† (FAO, 1996). There are many aspects which have correlation with hunger issue, such as economic and security. Amartya Sen (1981, pp.1-8) said people starve because they do not have enough food entitlement. They are unable to produce foods, goods, or services which would enable them to access sufficient food. It means food security is not only about food availability, but also access in terms of household economic capacity and political condition in a particular country. One of empirical examples country which has lack food security is South Sudan. Actually, South Sudan land has good soil which 70% is suitable for farming, but only 4% were utilized. Besides that, conflict with Sudan makes food distribution not smooth (Diao et al, 2012). On the other hand, countries like Singapore and Switzerland has good rank in Global Food Security Index (GFSI), fifth and sixth position respectively. Despite both countries do not rely on their national economic on agriculture sector, those countries have good infrastructure, trading system, and purchasing power (EIU, 2014). Global Food Governance In ancient era, most people consumed what they produced, but today more people are no longer directly involved in the production of their own food. Instead, they are connected through extensive and complex mechanism of food chain distribution (Smith, 1998, p.208). Innovations in transportation, technology of food preservation, and logistics are supporting factors for the emergence of long-distance trade relations. Nowadays, international trades have been made interdependence relationship among food producers and consumer around the world. International trading, especially for agricultural products contain a series of laws, norms, customs, and contract which influence availability and security of food in many countries. There are many efforts from multiple and intergovernmental to organize and coordinate the production and consumption of food in this era of globalization. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is one of the United Nations bodies which aims to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, increase production, processing, marketing and distribution of food and agricultural products, promoting rural development; and eradicate hunger. World Trade Organization (WTO) is the international institution which regulates interstate commerce issues. WTO multilateral trading system is governed by an agreement which contain the basic rules of international trade as a result of negotiations among member states. The approval of a contract among countries member bind the government to obey the implementation of trade policies in their respective countries. Although signed by the government, its main purpose is to help producers of goods and services, exporters and importers in trading activities. Institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and UNDP (United Nations of Development Programme) also have contribution in terms of strengthen government capacity in food security programme. Besides them, there are International NGO, such as Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and One Acre Fund (OAF). Overall, states are important actor, how they manage their country and fulfil food needs for their citizens. In competition there is usually a party who wins and loses. Conflicts between producer and consumer countries potentially threaten international organizations such as the WTO, bilateral and regional relations between countries as well. The relationship between food and agricultural trade gives an overview of the mechanisms of globalization. The food is also associated with many other sectors such as environment, biology, ecology, and human welfare and the globalization of world order any food could threaten these values (Cooke at al., 2008). Can Free Trade Improve Food Security? Trade among nations could bring good impact. According to WTO, trade gives wide range of benefits from promoting peace, reduce costs of living, until endorse practice of good governance. Like other Breton woods institutions who promote liberalization, privatization, or reduce any kind of government interference, WTO endorse free trade system. In 1996 World Food Summit made declaration in Rome. Commitment number four state â€Å"we will strive to ensure that food, agricultural trade and overall trade policies are conducive to fostering food security for all through a fair and market-oriented world trade system† (FAO, 1996). That document explains that free trade market can help many countries which suffer hunger at that time. The concept of free trade system has been existed since 18th century when Adam Smith launched his book in 1776 â€Å"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations†. One of concept on that book is ‘invisible hand’. Smith stated that giving people freedom to produce and exchange products (free trade) and opening markets to competition would bring opulence for nations. Following Smith theory, in 1817 David Ricardo introduced his theory named â€Å"comparative advantage†. If some particular countries do not have absolute advantage products, they still have opportunity to make trade transaction with specialized themselves in particular products. At least there are five benefits of free trade: good quality products and prices, economic growth, efficiency and innovation, competitiveness, and fairness (Boudreaux, 2013). The logic thinking of free trade system assumes that competitive situation would bring many advantages especially availability of variant good quality products with affordable price. Each party (an individual, a company, or a nation) will compete to make competitive products. One way to make it happens, is create effective and efficient process of goods production. Besides that external factor like infrastructure and political stability also have influence. Shortcomings of free trade in agriculture Through World Food Summit in 1996 FAO endorse free trade. That declaration targeted the decreasing of the number of hunger people become half their present level before 2015. Unfortunately, based on global hunger index data from 1990 until 2014, only 26 countries reduced their score hunger index by 50% or more such as Kuwait, Thailand, and Vietnam. Some country like Sudan and Zambia were stagnant. Furthermore, four countries (Swaziland, Iraq, Comoros, and Burundi) even had worse condition than 1990 (IFRI, 2014). One of countries has big score of hunger index is Gambia. Rice is the main food of Gambian people. Most farmers there are women, but they did not get much benefit from their agricultural activities. This is because the transportation, marketing systems, infrastructure and subsidies for them inadequate. Between 1966 and 1984, the government of Gambia receive aid from foreign governments and international aid agencies, but it made Gambia dependence from aid. Starting in 1986, the government remove subsidies, price controls and import tariffs, and made several deregulation policy. This is a series of requirements which is imposed by the IMF for loans. As implication of lax regulation, frequency of import rice at low prices rose, consequences people prefer to buy the less expensive rice (Moseley et al., 2010). Many countries involve in free trade agreements. These agreements can be bilateral type or multilateral free trade area such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area), and GAFTA (Greater Arab Free Trade Area). Mexico is member of NAFTA since 1994, after 20 years join in trilateral free trade agreement with USA and Canada, trade volume rose significant. However, many problems appear as well, such as environment issue, wages, and economic growth for Mexico The increasing of Mexico GDP from 1960 to 1980 reached almost doubled. It is raising the living standards of Mexico people. In the early 1980s Mexico experienced a crisis, and handled by the neoliberal ways. Some ways were fiscal and monetary policy tight and provide a great space for the deregulation of international trade and investment fields. Unfortunately, that policy inhibits the growth and development of the Mexican economy. Since 2000, countries in Latin America experienced a 1.9% increase in per capita per year. As a result, the poverty rate has declined from 43.9% in 2002 to 27.9% in 2013. However, economic growth in Mexico 1% below the average of the regional countries, so these results are not significant effect on the reduction of poverty, 52.3% in 2012 and 52.4% in 1994. Without economic growth, it would be difficult to reduce poverty in a developing country like Mexico (Weisbrot, 2014). Imbalance in free trade liberalization One of popular theories about liberalization is Washington Consensus. John Williamson (2000, p.255) reemphasized and clarified his concept about Washington Consensus. Washington Consensus focus on policy reforms that reduced the role of government, through several ways such subsidies restriction, privatization, deregulation, and liberalization of finance and trade. He said that Washington Consensus not the same with neoliberalism and market fundamentalism. It does not mean liberalize as much as you can or privatize as fast as you can. For example, subsidies can still be given to push economic growth and has impact on poverty level reduction. Targeted food subsidies as well as the medical and educational program can reduce the number of poor people Based on WTO Agreement in agriculture in 1994, member countries agree to ease market access and reduce or removing tariffs. Developing countries begin to open their market and removing tariff like many developed countries did. Nevertheless, developed countries had much higher subsidies to begin with. So they still have an advantage. The industrialized countries of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) have historically paid enormous levels of subsidies to their own farmers at levels that developing countries are unable to match for their own farmers (often because of obligations to liberalize their economies under programmes of structural adjustment) (Clapp, 2014, p.16). In fact, industrial countries still maintain high protection in agriculture through an array of very high tariffs, tariffs more than 15%. On the other hand, industrialized countries market hard to access for small scale farmers from developing countries. Furthermore, they have to survive on lower or even without subsidies (IMF, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion, based on all the things mentioned above, it is necessary caution in liberalizing the agricultural product like rice products in Gambia. International organization and the government have to anticipate the bad impacts from its policy, and make sure that the life of local farmers is protected. Common problems that occur in some developing countries are poor supporting infrastructure and political instability. Those basic problems have to be solved first before certain countries decided to join in the free market. Simultaneously, developing countries government could provide subsidies for basic sectors such as education, food, and health. International organizations such as the IMF should be cautious in giving loans, so the prerequisite of loans does not deteriorate the economy of a recipient country. Furthermore, developing countries that have involved in free trade but experienced extreme balance of payments deficit as a result of too many imported goods, can perform the review to impose tariffs. Bibliography Smith, D. W. (1998). â€Å"Urban food systems and the poor in developing countries† Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers,Vol.23, No.2, pp. 207-219. Sen, Amartya. (1981)Poverty and famines: an essay on entitlement and deprivation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The Pros and Cons of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Essays

An increasing number of universities and private companies are now offering free online college classes, many of which focus on computer science education. Technological advancements have enabled millions of students worldwide to participate in these free classes. This research paper will briefly describe the history of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), investigate the pros and cons of MOOCs as they relate to computer education and examine the potential ethical issues surrounding MOOCs. Free technical training and coursework, specifically MOOCs, provides the opportunity to bridge the higher educational divide and increase the technology skilled labor force but raise serious ethical concerns regarding intellectual property ownership and the privacy of personal information. The cost of a college education in the United States has increased 538% since 1985 (Jamrisko & Kolet, 2013). In the wake of the most recent recession, universities have seen their endowments shrink, public funding for state universities has decreased, the job market has diminshed and consequently, graduates are having a difficult time repaying their student loans (Yardi, 2012). As a result, there is a demand for more affordable higher education pathways. The creation of free, online college courses has provided a possible solution in the quest for an alternative to the traditional, expensive higher education path. The goal of free higher education for all is a lofty but admirable one. As the number of MOOC providers and course options increase, it is important to examine and critique the methods used to achieve this goal. Review of the Literature History of MOOCs Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online, tuition free courses that ... ...s? Retrieved from http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/10/05/will-mooc-help-you-open-career- doors/pmjHbLCghsH0lEbulWC9VL/story.html Number of Students. (2014, January 17). Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/about/community Robbins, J. (2013, March 25). The ethics of MOOCs. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/sounding-board/ethics-moocs Schmidt, P. (2013, June 12). AAUP sees MOOCs as spawning new threats to professors’ intellectual property. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/AAUP-Sees-MOOCs-as- Spawning/139743/ Weigel, M. (2014, January 2). MOOCs and online learning: Research roundup. Retrieved from http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/moocs-online-learning-research- roundup Yardi, Moshe. (2012). Will MOOCs destroy academia? Communications of the ACM, 55(11), 5.

Mysterious Statue of a Boy in the Park :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

As soon as I entered the park, I went looking for the statue of the little boy that I remembered so well from last summer. I knew it was on the south side of the park, but I was not sure exactly where. As soon as I began my quest, I could faintly smell roses, a smell so familiar from the endless warm summer days that Jordan and I would spend next to the rose garden, in front of the statue. I knew I was getting close. Next, I saw the roses in the distance from where I was, walking towards the stairs that lead to the rose garden. I remembered walking in the same general direction. I was closer. Then I got to the stairs. As I was walking down the steps I looked to my right. There was a statue of a beautiful woman, not the right statue. Finally, I looked to my left, and there it was. My heart skipped a beat. I could remember the very first time I saw that statue. It was a hot day in mid-July when Jordan and I first stumbled upon it. Last summer while I was living in the dorms, Jordan was my best friend; we spent every waking moment together. One day we decided to walk in the park, we got to the rose garden and were talking about the roses until we saw the little boy. We were both so amazed by the statue, yet we could not figure out why. Starting from that moment, we spent a great amount of time at the statue last summer. As I walked up to it, I could almost see Jordan standing next to the statue turning to say something about it to me that we had not noticed before, but that was last summer. Like I said, Jordan was a very close friend of mine, but when I moved back to Michiga n last year, we grew apart. Standing by the statue I could remember sitting next to it for hours just talking, and looking at the statue with him. The first thing I did was get up very close to the statue and examine it once again. It is of a boy who is between the ages of twelve and fifteen, he is mostly naked, covered only with a cloth hanging by a thin belt over his genitals. Mysterious Statue of a Boy in the Park :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place As soon as I entered the park, I went looking for the statue of the little boy that I remembered so well from last summer. I knew it was on the south side of the park, but I was not sure exactly where. As soon as I began my quest, I could faintly smell roses, a smell so familiar from the endless warm summer days that Jordan and I would spend next to the rose garden, in front of the statue. I knew I was getting close. Next, I saw the roses in the distance from where I was, walking towards the stairs that lead to the rose garden. I remembered walking in the same general direction. I was closer. Then I got to the stairs. As I was walking down the steps I looked to my right. There was a statue of a beautiful woman, not the right statue. Finally, I looked to my left, and there it was. My heart skipped a beat. I could remember the very first time I saw that statue. It was a hot day in mid-July when Jordan and I first stumbled upon it. Last summer while I was living in the dorms, Jordan was my best friend; we spent every waking moment together. One day we decided to walk in the park, we got to the rose garden and were talking about the roses until we saw the little boy. We were both so amazed by the statue, yet we could not figure out why. Starting from that moment, we spent a great amount of time at the statue last summer. As I walked up to it, I could almost see Jordan standing next to the statue turning to say something about it to me that we had not noticed before, but that was last summer. Like I said, Jordan was a very close friend of mine, but when I moved back to Michiga n last year, we grew apart. Standing by the statue I could remember sitting next to it for hours just talking, and looking at the statue with him. The first thing I did was get up very close to the statue and examine it once again. It is of a boy who is between the ages of twelve and fifteen, he is mostly naked, covered only with a cloth hanging by a thin belt over his genitals.

Intel

Intel's strategy in DRAMS was to focus on product design and to be the first to market with the newest devices and DRAM technology. This allowed them to be a leader and charge significant price premiums, and proved to be a successful strategy for the first four generations of DRAMS. However, over time this became less effective as product life cycles shrank, so the time for competitors to offer a competing product became faster and once the competition â€Å"caught up† then prices would fall dramatically. In this industry, patents were ineffective at blocking competition.In addition to product design, Intel established itself as a leader in process technology. Because cutting edge product design ultimately meant more complex semiconductor technology, Intel needed to invest large amounts of capital to keep its manufacturing capabilities at a level that could support new innovations and complex production. It also took time for Intel to become comfortable with new production tec hnologies, during which yields (a key driver to manufacturing costs) would fall as they worked out new problems and optimized the processes.There are several factors that led to Intel's dramatic decline In DRAM market share teen 1974 and 1984, the ultimate reason being that Japanese competitors were able to introduce new products more rapidly which reduced Intel's position as a leader in the market since competitive offerings would follow so quickly after introduction of a new Intel device. Because of the high capital investments needed to produce new DRAMS, it was necessary to be first to market to be able to take advantage of higher prices as a market leader before competitors introduced similar technologies.One reason Japanese firms could introduce products more quickly is that they strategically invested heavily in manufacturing capabilities. By comparison, Japanese firms invested 40% of their sales revenue into plant and manufacturing equipment while U. S. Firms invested 22% of their sales revenue. Additionally, several of the Japanese firms created relationships and collaborated closely with equipment manufacturers, such as Nixon, to create and access superior production equipment before it was available in the united States.As a result of getting superior equipment, Japanese competitors had much higher production yields for DRAMS than U. S. Companies (as high as 80% for Japanese companies compared to maximum 60% for U. S. Impasse). Finally, Japanese competitors were also more adept at both developing process technologies and ramping up production capacity for DRAMS – for instance, their production yields were as high as 70-80% vs.. 50-60% for US firms in the sass, and this was a factor in driving costs.Intel leadership did not Immediately recognize the potential opportunities for microprocessors and their use in personal computers, but once this was discovered, the Intel team set several strategies In place to become a market leader. Their bigges t competitor, Motorola, had been selected as AppleS standard. Therefore when IBM entered the PC market, Intel and Motorola were huge competitors to become the innovation, but also invested heavily in sales and marketing efforts.Intel's decision to launch the sales effort, â€Å"Project CRUSH†, to gain design wins was instrumental in paving the way for Intel's future success in the microprocessor market, particularly because this sales campaign led to Intel securing a contract with MOM. Intel's DRAM strategy seemed to be â€Å"If we build it, they will come†, whereas the new microprocessor strategy was more â€Å"If we build it, let's make sure they come†. Intel's strategic partnership with IBM was hugely instrumental in Intel's strategy to gain a competitive advantage in microprocessors.IBM led the market in the personal computer market in the early sass and Vim's strategy to expand rapidly and gain market share provided the perfect environment for Intel to grow in tandem. Whereas Intel did not invest in defensive efforts and technology to maintain its competitive advantage in DRAMS, despite winning a major contract with IBM for microprocessors, Intel continued to invest in aggressive marketing against its competitors?particularly Motorola?to maintain its competitive advantage.Another strategy that Intel employed to gain a competitive advantage in microprocessors was to create a network effect and develop a network of suppliers to help produce chips for Intel. Intel learned from its experience with DRAMS production that it was expensive to ramp up production capacity and made a decision for microprocessors to license with other companies to produce chips to meet demand. Although this strategy meant that Intel only received a fraction of the total revenues and profits, Intel was able to meet demand in the rapidly growing PC business and could continue to win contracts and grow overall market share.Leadership also continued to invest in Inte l's internal production capabilities so that Intel could produce a higher proportion of later models of microprocessors in-house to gain more profits. This strategy bought Intel time to really establish itself and the top supplier of microprocessors and also work on its manufacturing capabilities so that by the time Intel produced the 386, it was ready to produce the 386 without licensing. This required major investments and attention to improving internal sources and operation coordination, but Intel was able to make business decisions, such as higher price setting, that covered this investment.

Manufacturing Plan For Wing Of PAV

Manufacturing processes are differed according to the fabrication techniques such as sheet metal forming and machining processes. For the wings of a new personal air vehicle (PAV); skins ands ribs are produced by sheet metal forming process and spars are produced by machining process. Finally all produced parts are assembled together to produce final wing structure. In addition, since the components that build up ailerons and flaps are very similar to wing structure, manufacturing techniques applied for skins, ribs and spars are also valid for them. Since there should be actuator and hinge fittings to connect ailerons and flaps to wing structure, they are considered in machined parts manufacturing process section. SKIN MANUFACTURING Manufacturing process of skins is shown in Figure -1; Figure-1 [1] Tools for sheet metal forming Operations; Stretching Dies, Drill fixtures, drill plates, holding tools First Cut Aluminums Raw Materials are cut by shearing machine or hand router to get available sizes for manufacturing with much enough excess portions. Heat Treatment Blanks are then solution heat treated to provide necessary mechanical properties to the parts. Heat treatment operations are done according to the design requirements which are defined by engineering drawings. Heat treatment processes are applied to make parts generally T4, T5 or T6 tempers. Stretch Forming – Skins On the stretch press, skins are stretch formed and their tooling holes are marked. After removing the skins from stretch presses, the marked tooling holes are drilled for succeeding assembly operations. An example of stretch forming process is shown in Figure – 2. Figure – 2 [2] Skin Routing Routing operation could be done with two techniques; The first one is using a routing shell tool which has two parts which have exactly same form of the skin. The skin is then located in between them which is fixed with the tooling holes previously opened after stretching and a hand router is traveled around the tool to shape the skin to its final contour. A photo of a router shell is shown in Figure – 3. The second technique is using a five axis gantry routing centre with flexible vacuum assisted table. The skin is positioned with the aids of vacuum assisted columns as shown in Figure -4 and tooling holes are used to set the machining coordinate axes. Figure – 3 [3] Figure – 4 [4] During routing operation, tack holes are also drilled. Also during routing operation, excess portions like access openings or some pockets are removed from the skin. Surface Treatment Surface treatment operations are also defined by the engineering drawings. Some of the surface treatment operations applied are rinsing for cleaning, chromic acid anodizing, primer and coating for corrosion prevention. Primer coating and painting are also called as Chemical Conversion Coating (CCC) which is beneficial for fatigue prevention. In our case, chromic acid anodizing is applied to 2024 skins for preventing corrosion and paving the way for painting. Before chromic acid anodizing, fine holes should be masked to keep dimensions accurate. A typical anodise process would consist of a solvent wash and/ or an alkaline clean to remove any oils or greases from the surface. followed by a de-oxidiser stage to remove the natural oxide film from the surface, followed by chromic acid. This gives you a clean oxide free surface which once anodised will give better adhesion of the anodised layer. There is a water rinse stage between each tank to prevent contamination of the bath solutions. From there you have two choices, spray directly onto te anodise ‘honeycomb' structure which will give good paint adhesion, or seal the anodised layer for enhanced corrosion protection but poorer paint adhesion. Painting Finally, primer, top coat and final paint are applied on the skin. RIB (SHEET METAL) MANUFACTURING Manufacturing process of ribs is shown in Figure – 5; Figure – 5 [1] Tools for sheet metal forming Operations; Hydro press forming dies, Drill fixtures, drill plates, holding tools The main difference of manufacturing of ribs from skins is hydro press forming process instead of stretch forming. Hydro press Forming After heat treatment, blanks become ready to be formed. In aerospace industry fluid cell forming (hydro press forming) is frequently used for forming operation. That is mostly because of the reality that aircraft parts are manufactured in small quantities and parts are mostly different in geometry. Therefore it is necessary to manufacture a different tool for every part and that is very costly. Although the machine is quite expensive, to decrease the tooling costs, hydro press forming is preferred since only male dies are necessary to form parts instead of male-female die combination. That is illustrated in the figure. Also another advantage of hydro press forming is that, on the table of the press machine, several tools, with the blanks on them, could be located randomly at once. In one cycle all the parts are formed simultaneously. Also in general press machines are equipped with two tables which make it possible to decrease set up time to half. Some photos related with hydro press forming are shown in Figure – 6. Figure – 6 [4] SPAR, HINGE, RIB AND FITTING MANUFACTURING Manufacturing process for machined parts, spars, hinges, ribs and fittings is shown in Figure-7; Figure – 7 [1] Tools specific to machining operations; Milling fixtures Machining If necessary those parts which will be machined on milling centers, are firstly cut from blocks of raw material to their required stock sizes. They are mostly skin milled. Skin mill is done to obtain a smooth flat plane to locate the stock on the milling machine table. After skin mill, some holes are drilled on the stock for the sake of transportation and fastening on the machine tables or fixtures. For complex milling operations in which there are more than one stages of operations, it is common to use a milling fixture, see Figure -8. Another reason for use of milling fixtures is that in aerospace industry manufacturing tolerances are so tight and geometries are mostly very complex that is why it is necessary to provide same machining conditions and set up for every single part. Milling fixtures are tools, on which stock material is located and clamped. Their main functionality is that they hold the machined part tightly throughout the machining process which prevents machining def ects and dimensional inaccuracies. , Figure – 8 [4] To obtain required dimensional tolerances, some holes require boring. Boring operation removes only a small quantity of material therefore before boring operation the hole must be drilled very close to the final dimension of the hole diameter. Dimensional accuracy of the machined parts are generally checked with the utilization of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM). These machines are very precise such as they are capable of measuring ten thousands of a millimeter in three dimensional spaces. Although they are quite expensive and they need an air conditioned, humidity controlled and vibration isolated chamber, they are the most accurate and flexible measurement equipments. Shot Peening Machined parts are exposured to shot peening operation. That process is done to remove and minimize the existing surface cracks on the machined parts. Machined parts are generally bear high amount of repetitive tensial and compressive loads and these repetitive loading is mostly the main cause of fatigue failure. Surface cracks are the mostly affected defects from repeated loading and they tend to grow under these conditions. That is why they must be removed or minimized to prevent them to grow and increase the fatigue durability of the part. Surface treatment As explained before both chromic acid anodizing, primer coating and painting are the surface treatment operations applied on the parts to make them resistant to corrosion. Another advantage of these chemical conversion coating processes is that they make the part more durable to the fatigue, since they penetrate to surface cracks, scratches and holes. For instance, pitting is a corrosion type which is more susceptible to such surface defects. Therefore surface treatment processes both provide a protective coating in corrosive environments and they generate a smoother aerodynamic surface, which is a requirement to decrease air drag, especially for the outer surfaces which are in contact with the air during flight. ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS Assembly Operations are shown in Figure – 9; Figure – 9 [1] Tools for assembly operations; Assembly and sub assembly jigs and fixtures Assembly Jig In aerospace fabrication processes, since the parts have very complex geometries and position tolerances are so tight, it necessary to use a fixture to locate parts in their required positions and apply assembly joining operation in these positions without letting them to move. For an air plane wing a single assembly jig could be used for this purpose, see Figure – 10. Figure – 10 [5] Spars are located on the jig. They must have a planar smooth contact surface and they must have previously opened tooling holes. Those holes are used to pin the spar on the jig and some clamps are used to fix the spar in its position. Ribs are located. They are installed on the jig with the utilization contacting surface of spar and some other location surfaces and they are pinned from their tooling holes. Clamps are used to fix ribs in their location. Some of the holes are transferred from ribs to spars or the contrary. Bottom skin is loaded on the jig by the aid of tooling holes on the lugs at each lateral short edge. To wrap the rib spar assembly the skin could be pressed by some belts or some header plates could be used to bring the skin to its required form and clamp it to hold it in its required position. Some of the tack holes on the skin are fastened with clecos, which is a temporary fastener. Pilot holes are drilled to their final sizes and countersinking is applied to locations where countersunk rivets and bolts will be used. After drilling and countersinking is applied parts are separated to remove chips. Before putting parts together again, sealant is applied. Sealant is a viscous chemical isolation material which is a polymer in general (polyurethane, polysulfide, etc). It is applied when it is still in fluid form and it solidifies as a result of chemical reaction which takes place as soon as the sealant is exposed to air. They are used to prevent fluid leakage into internal structural components. This leakage could result catastrophic failure since corrosion which erodes material would work against the mechanical strength and stiffness of the structure. For different purposes and for different locations specific types of sealants are applied. For instance polysulfide based sealant is applied to the surfaces where there is fuel content. For fuel tanks these polysulfide based sealants are used since they withstand the attack of sulfur compounds that are present in fuel. After sealant application, outer skin is brought to close the wing and it is fastened with blind rivets and bolts since it will only be possible to reach rivet from one side. When riveting and bolting completed the wing is removed from the assembly jig and it is sent to paint shop for the application of top coating and painting. After that manufacturing and assembly operations will be completed.