Biology of Prostate Cancer

Biology of Prostate Cancer PDG The Biological basis of illness and therapeutics Cancer of the prostate Introduction Malignancies are currently responsible for more deaths in the UK than ischaemic heart disease (Cummings et al 1998). Half of these malignant deaths are from the â€Å"big four† – Lung, Bowel, Breast and Prostate (World Cancer Research Fund 1997). These cancers are almost unknown in developing countries but the incidence reverts to the UK norm within one or two generations of immigration, which argues strongly for the presence of environmental factors. If this is true then these malignancies should be theoretically preventable. Prostate cancer is the current most prevalent male cancer, accounting for about 30% of all new cases and also for about 14% of all malignant deaths (Montironi 2001). The incidence is increasing, this may, in part, be due to the increasing age of the male population. Increasing consumption of red meat and fats are associated with an increase in risk, and a diet of vegetables and salads (especially tomatoes) is associated with a lower risk. It appears that Vit E supplements significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease (Heinonen et al 1998) Pathophysiology of the disease The prostate is a walnut sized gland which is situated just below the male bladder. It is primarily responsible for producing the seminal fluid and it also produces some hormones. In malignancy, there are several different forms. The neuroendocrine form (small cell type) can occur but it is not as common as the focal neuroendocrine type. (Di SantAgnese 2000) Prostate cancer is thought to arise primarily from one or more (usually a series) of genetic mutations in the DNA. This can either be inherited or acquired. (Hague et al 1996) In the UK the majority of prostatic malignancies are thought to be mutations occurring at directly at the tumour site rather than being genetically inherited.(Bingham et al 1998) The genetic mechanisms can involve either the activation of an oncogene or the inhibition of a tumour supressor gene. The mechanism is not simple, and it is thought that about four to six stepwise mutations in the DNA are responsible for the genesis of prostate cancer. The actual mechanism of the acquired genetic mutation is thought to be when an oncogene is translocated and fused with the activity promoter of another gene, this mechanism is often found when specific tumour markers are detected in the blood (viz. PSA). A similar mechanism is implicated in the more aggressive forms of prostatic cancer where the oncogene combines (and thereby inhibits) a tumour supressor gene. Demonstration of abnormal amounts of proteins such as PSA are useful in detecting the presence of micro-metastases when the disease process is thought to be in remission. The original sequence of the DNA is thereby changed. The actual mechanism can be by translocation (as described above) or by insertions or inversions which are more usually due to errors of RNA translation. All of these mechanisms ultimately exert their effect by interfering with the proper regulatory controls of the protein manufacturing abilities of the cell One of the main pathological features of malignancy is the neovascularisation that almost universally occurs. It is thought to begin in Benign Prostatatic Hypertrophy (BPH), and progresses through the pre-malignant into the frank malignant state. (Bostwick et al 2000) This is thought to be a result of the increase in detectable levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). The levels of VEGF are highest in the most malignant forms of the disease, and is amenable to external hormonal manipulation. The commonest sites of metastatic disease are in the bone and the liver. (Mazzucchelli et al 2000) There is considerable evidence to support the implication of oncogenes in the aetiology of this cancer. Oncogenes such as c-myc and c-erb-B of have been found, as have supressor genes such as p27(Kip1) and pp32R1/2. Oncogenes have also been implicated in the formation and regression of the metastatic form of the disease. (Lijovic et al 2000) There appears to be a genetic association with the cancer as 10% of sufferers have a family history of the disease (Selley et al 1997) Modern management of prostate cancer The management of prostate cancer is primarily dependent on the clinical staging. There are several different types of staging currently employed. The commonest is the Gleason staging (I-IV) with III being the clinically commonest presentation. Significant factors in the staging are: Neuroendocrine differentiation Angiogenesis Perineural invasion Proliferation markers Other factors also play a part including the PSA and other blood borne entities. The first two factors are arguably the most important. We have learned a great deal about the detection and treatment of prostate cancer in the recent past, but the mortality figures do not reflect the increase in our knowledge. The two overriding clinical factors are early detection (ideally in the pre-invasive state) and the identification of the other prognostic factors. Chemoprevention is a field that is gaining in momentum at the present, but it is still largely experimental. (Montironi et al 1999) The current mainstay of treatment at present is hormonal manipulation A recent paper by Armstrong (et al 2001) looks at the current role of cellular immunotherapy in the field of prostate cancer management. This is a field which also holds exciting practical prospects for tumour management. It involves giving the patient vaccines prepared from antigenically active tumour cells or activated lymphocytes. Specifically cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are used to identify and then destroy the tumour cells. They do this by being programmed to recognise a specific protein on the surface of the malignant prostate cell. Clinical trials have shown that this method of treatment is at its most effective when first line (hormonal) treatment has reduced the size of the tumour to a residual amount, which is at high risk of relapse. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, this method appears to suffer from a developing tolerance to the malignancy by the lymphocytes. This is currently the focus of intense research activity. ( Hwu et al.1999) A more recent development still is an offshoot of this type of treatment and that is the use of gene modified vaccines. This involves vaccines which contain genetically modified cells. The most effective found so far are those which work by making cells increase the production of cytokines in close proximity to the tumour cells. (Alvarez-Vallina et al 1996) This appears to increase the antigenic appeal of those cells and thereby render them more amenable to attack from the immune system. This avoids the difficulties with the side effects that were seen when cytokines were given systemically. (Gao et al 2000) Other mechanisms for gene therapy involve the ingenious use of viruses to transfer the altered DNA into the malignant cell. In prostate malignancies, their use has been disappointing because of problems with side effects, but the theory is also promising (Relph et al 2004) PSA and related proteins such as prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are commonly helpful in monitoring the progress or relapse of the disease (Montie 1997) PSA is being experimentally exploited by being coupled to enzymes such as thymidine kinease. This can be placed in the body by a retrovirus and therefore infects all cells but is only activated in prostate cells. They are refered to as the Trojan Horse Vectors and appear to very successful in early trials. Proponents of the technique refer to it as performing a genetic prostatectomy. More modern techniques still involves the detection of prostate cells in the bloodstream using a reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction. This is thought to be a particularly sensitive assay for the prediction of surgical failure (Olsson et al 2003) The downside to these treatments involving genes, is that the mechanisms of protein synthesis and regulation are unimaginably complex. Attempts to cure one malignancy may unwittingly cause another by a process called Insertional mutagenesis, where the desired effect in one cell is hindered by an unwanted malignant change in another. (Armstrong 2001) Conclusions The advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of prostate cancer have been spectacular in the last decade. Interventional genetics now are on the brink of offering a real chance of survival to patients with resistant disease. Patients with widespread disease are usually desperate to try any form of novel treatment. Although the theory and understanding of many of the oncogenic processes are already well advanced, it is vital not to give a patient false hope of cure. (Bingham et al 1998) To this end the Dept. of Health has set up a new governing body in the shape of he Genetic Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC) to consider and oversee all new and proposed treatments. The major hurdles that remain in this field are how to effect the stable and specific transfer of genes into tumour cells, how to ensure the safety of both patients and staff and to define exactly where the best place is for gene therapy alongside the mainstream treatments today. (Montironi 2001) References Alvarez-Vallina L, Hawkins RE.2002 Antigen-specific targeting of CD28-mediated T cell co-stimulation using chimeric single-chain antibody variable fragment-CD28 receptors. Eur J Immunol; 2002 26: 2304-2309 Armstrong, David Eaton, and Joanne C Ewing 2001 Science, medicine, and the future: Cellular immunotherapy for cancer BMJ, Dec 2001; 323: 1289 1293. Bingham SA, Atkinson C, Liggins J, Bluck L, Coward A. 1998 Phytoestrogens: where are we now? Br J Nutr 1998; 79: 393-406 Bostwick DG, Grignon D, Hammond EH, Amin MB, Cohen M, Crawford D, et al. 1999 Predictive factors in prostate cancer. College of American Pathologists Consensus Statements 1999. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2000; 124: 996-1000. Cummings JH and Sheila A Bingham 1998 Fortnightly review: Diet and the prevention of cancer BMJ, Dec 1998; 317: 1636 1640. Di SantAgnese PA. 2000 Divergent neuroendocrine differentiation in prostatic carcinoma. Sem Diagn Pathol 2000; 17: 149-161 Gao L, Bellantuono I, Elsasser A, Marley SB, Gordon MY, Goldman JM, et al. 2000 Selective elimination of leukemic CD34(+) progenitor cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for WT1. Blood 2000; 95: 2198-2203 Hague A, Butt AJ, Paraskeva C. 1996 The role of butyrate in human colonic epithelial cells: an energy source or inducer of differentiation and apoptosis? Proc Nutr Soc 1996; 55: 937-943 Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Virtamo J, Taylor PR, Huttunen JK, Hartman AM, et al. 1998 Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90: 440-446 Hwu P, Yang JC, Cowherd R, Treisman J, Shafer GE, Eshhar Z, et al. 1999 In vivo antitumor activity of T cells redirected with chimeric antibody/T cell receptor genes. Cancer Res 1999; 55: 3369-3373 Lijovic M, Fabiani ME, Bader J, Frauman AG. 2000 Prostate cancer: are new prognostic markers on the horizon? Prostate Cancer Prostatic Diseases 2000; 3: 62-65 Mazzucchelli R, Montironi R, Santinelli A, Lucarini G, Pugnaloni A, Biagini G. 2000 Vascular endothelial growth factor expression and capillary architecture in high-grade PIN and prostate cancer in untreated and androgen ablated patients. Prostate 2000; 45: 72-79 Montie JE, Meyers SE. 1997 Defining the ideal tumor marker for prostate cancer. Urol Clin North Am 1997; 24: 247-252 Montironi R, Mazzucchelli R, Marshall JR, Bartels PH. 1999 Prostate cancer prevention. Review of target populations, pathological biomarkers and chemopreventive agents. J Clin Pathol 1999; 52: 793-803 Montironi 2001 Prognostic factors in prostate cancer BMJ, Feb 2001; 322: 378 379. 1997. Olsson CA, Devries GM, Raffo AJ, Benson MC, OToole K, Cao Y, et al. 2003 Preoperative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for prostate-specific antigen predicts treatment failure following radical prostatectomy. J Urol 2003; 155: 1557-1562 Relph K, Kevin Harrington, and Hardev Pandha 2004 Recent developments and current status of gene therapy using viral vectors in the United Kingdom BMJ, Oct 2004; 329: 839 842. Selley S, Donovan J, Faulkner A, Coast J, Gillat D. 1997 Diagnosis, management and screening of early localised prostate cancer. Health Technology Assessment 1997; Sikora K 1994 Current Issues in Cancer: Genes dreams and cancer BMJ, May 1994; 308: 1217 1221. World Cancer Research Fund. 2003 Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Washington, DC: WCRF, American Institute for Cancer Research 2003 PDG 12.9.05 Word count 2,206

Peer Pressure and Drinking Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

High school is normally the time when teenagers begin to dabble in the world of alcohol – to discover their limits and develop habits and this experimentation carries over into college. That is the norm and its not a bad thing, but of course there are a few exceptions. In high school I never went to a single party, was never invited to one, and barely ever even heard about them. It was something that none of my close friends were a part of and the thought of drinking never really crossed my mind. I was so busy with my school work, my job, and the cross country team that I didn’t have much spare time, and when I did I wanted to relax and hang out with my friends. My parents raised me in the faith of the Catholic Church and this background gave me a strong moral base. I always laugh and I have fun doing the simplest things so it was easy for me to find activities to be a part of besides drinking. It was only the summer after high school graduation that I began to fe el peer pressured to drink and the fact that I am always sober started to make me feel a bit isolated. When high school began, none of my close friends had ever drunk alcohol or had any interest in it, but as years went by, more and more of them began to try alcohol. Drinking is a personal choice and I had no problem with them experimenting, but by the end of my senior year some of my friends began to try and convince me to try it myself. Everyone knew that I am conservative when it comes to that sort of thing and people joked about me going crazy once I got to college and was no longer governed by my parent’s strict rules. Unbeknownst to them, this kind of talk repeated over and over, though I always denied it, began to make me feel curious. However I couldn... ...ound. So I always try to make everyone feel included, although I am still one of the more quiet people in the world. Lastly, my parents have taught me to work hard for the rewards that I gain. This has always been a major driving factor in my desire to do well with my schoolwork and in sports. I know that if I work hard enough I can do well and if I don’t get the results I want, it is no one’s fault except my own. With regards to drinking, I know that my parents would have been disappointed in me if I made the decision to start drinking in high school. When I take into account all the wonderful lessons they have taught me and all the love they have given me, it never made sense to make them unnecessarily upset. As clichà © as these things sound, I honestly know that these morals have helped guide me through my life and helped me make the best decisions I could.

A critical exploration of incorporated and unincorporated business structures and an examination of potential consequences to managers and directors for ignoring provisions of the equality act 2010.

Introduction An important first step in any business decision is deciding the type of structure of the company. There are several business structures which may include sole proprietorship, partnership, corporations and unincorporated business structures (Bhushan 2008). The first section of this analysis is going to focus explicitly on unincorporated business structures; highlighting some of the benefits of establishing an unincorporated entity such as simplicity, low cost and flexibility and the risks of running unincorporated businesses. The paper will also discuss the benefits as well as the drawbacks of incorporation. The second section will explore on the employment law, and the Equality Act 2010 in particular. It will examine some of the provisions of EA 2010 and discuss the potential consequences for managers and directors where provisions of the EA 2010 are ignored. Defining incorporated and unincorporated organizations Before exploring further, it is important to first define incorporated and unincorporated organizations. Incorporation is generally defined as the creation of an organization’s legal identity, separate from its members (Behrenfield et al. 1989). On the other hand, an unincorporated entity refers to a collection of individuals coming together for a specific purpose (Davis & Lawrence 1963). The main distinguishing feature is the lack of a separate legal personality for unincorporated forms. Even though unincorporated entities may operate under a common name, they do not have a legal structure (Gansler 2013). Thus, the law does not distinguish between the organization and its members. Unincorporated business entity may take on three main forms: a sole proprietor, partnership, or unincorporated association (Oleck & Stewart 2002). To an entrepreneur seeking to start a business, understanding the benefits and the drawbacks of setting up unincorporated business structure as well as the challenges of incorporation is very important. Familiarity with the benefits and challenges encountered with each approach will help guide investment decisions. This will help in developing a better understanding of the various challenges, risks, and the concerns and conflict that the entrepreneur might face with each approach. Benefits and the costs of incorporation versus the advantages and the risks of running unincorporated entities The choice of whether to operate an unincorporated business entity or to incorporate the business is not an easy one. Each approach to business has its own advantages and disadvantages. This requires some form of analysis whereby one weighs the benefits and the costs of incorporation against the advantages and the risks of running unincorporated entities. One particular point that is worth noting is that, unlike unincorporated forms, incorporation limits personal liability. This particular factor sets corporation apart from all other forms of businesses. Unlike an unincorporated entity, a corporation is an independent legal entity which is separate from the members controlling, owning or managing it (Williams et al., 2000; Davies & Lawrence, 1963 & Lazier 2009). In other words, incorporation will shield the owner’s personal assets from business debts and claims. This is not the case with an unincorporated business entity as the sole proprietor or partners are subjected to unlimited personal liability for the firm’s obligations (Williams et al., 2000; Davies & Lawrence, 1963 & Lazier 2009). That is, the owners or individuals carrying out the activities of the unincorporated entity will be personally liable for the acts and liabilities of the entity. For example, if for some reason, the firm becomes insolvent or runs into debts; then all of the firm’s assets as well as the personal estates of the business owners/partners will be applied in the satisfaction of the business debts. However, the business assets will first be applied and any indebtedness due or rather not covered by the business assets will be recovered from the owners/partners personal estates (Carter 2014). This means that the personal assets for each individual running the entity will exposed to the creditors once the business has exhausted its assets and insurance. Another point of divergence lies with the filing of tax. Owners of unincorporated business structures are required by law to pay income taxes on all net profits of the business regardless of the amount taken out by these owners (Lazier 2009 & Oleck & Stewart 2002). On the other hand, a corporation is taxed as a separate entity. It is subjected to special corporate tax rates, separate from an individual shareholders tax. However, if a portion of the corporation’s after-tax income is distribute to the shareholders in the form of dividends, then a separate tax will be charged dividend received by each shareholder (Laurence 2014). The separate level of taxation can be beneficial in some cases. The corporate owners are not required by law to pay personal income taxes on profits that they do not receive (Williams et al. 2000). And, given that corporations are subjected to a lower tax rate than most individuals for corporate income between $50,000 and $75,000, the owners of the corpo ration may benefit from a low combined tax bill compared to owners of unincorporated business earning the same profit (Laurence 2014). Perhaps another advantage of incorporating a business lies in its ability to attract investment capital. Unlike most of the unincorporated business forms, incorporation allows the business to sell ownership shares through the company’s stock offerings (Gansler 2013). This can be of great benefit especially where the need for attracting more investment capital arises. This advantage also makes it easy to hire and retain key employees by allowing employees to purchase company’s stock through employee stock options. This is particularly beneficial to the firm as it helps in aligning employees interests with those of the shareholders (Bickley 2012). However, business that have no intention of â€Å"going public† or issuing stock options may not find this added expense worthy. Yet another benefit that is worth mentioning is that the business will have an unlimited life in the event of death of the owners. Corporations may last for centuries even in the absence of the original owners (Davies & Lawrence 1963). The business will continue to act a separate legal entity which can freely transfer ownership interest from one person to another (Carter 2014). But for unincorporated entities, the business may come to an end in the event of death of the owner. It is clear that there are enormous benefits with incorporating a business compared to running an unincorporated business. However, there are several drawbacks to incorporating a business as well. One particular drawback relates to the high cost involved in incorporation. The corresponding filing fees charged for incorporation and the extra administration costs and the considerable organizational and overhead costs incurred by the corporation can be extremely high (Carter 2014). Besides the high cost involved, the process of incorporation is normally very lengthy due to the huge amount of paperwork which must comply with regulations. Unlike many other business forms, incorporated business forms have many formalities and regulations that they must comply with such as recording shareholder rights, establishing a board of directors, maintaining corporate minutes, corporate records and filings (Davies & Lawrence 1963). On the other hand, unincorporated business forms benefit from simplicity, low cost and the flexibility associated with their structures. It is easy and less costly to set up an incorporated business entity compared to a corporation. Continuing maintenance costs are minimal and there is a greater flexibility in terms of conversion of the entity to other forms as the business grows (Bhushan 2008). Also, the length of time and the amount of paperwork involved in setting up an incorporated entity is very minimal compared to incorporating a business. Another consequence of incorporating a business is that it is subject to greater regulation and supervision by government bodies. For example, financial corporations such as banks and trust banks, credit unions, investment and holding companies, insurance companies and many others are supervised by the Department of Financial Services (PWC 2008). Supervision include an examination of the licensing and registration requirements and chartering among many others. Regulations governing incorporations are also highly complex. Establishing a bank in the US requires one to conduct discussions with regulatory advisors, lawyers and federal and state supervisory officials due to the highly complex banking regulations (PWC 2008). On the other hand, unincorporated entities are not subjected to greater supervision and extensive regulations as corporations. And since they are not governed by any statute, unincorporated business entities have more flexibility with regard to how the entity should be structured. The owners can take all the actions of an individual. However, this lack of regulation could be a problem when a dispute arises since there is no formal statute for addressing it (Lazier 2009). The choice of whether to incorporate or run an unincorporated entity is clearly a complex decision which can only be made with consideration of a number of factors such as the projected business risks/liabilities, the need for attracting addition investment capital, need for regulations among many others. The choice of whether to set to incorporate the business or set up an incorporated business structure will most likely depend on the projected risk and liabilities of the business. For example, if the business is going to engage in high risk activities such as trading stocks, then it would be best to incorporate the business in order to provide for personal liability protection. However, where the risk is minimal, it is prudent to consider establishing an unincorporated business entity. Nonetheless, I will advise the couple setting up the retail business to incorporate as the risks of running an unincorporated business may outweigh the risks of incorporating it due to many unforeseen costs arising especially where lawsuits are involved. Plus there are the benefits of attracting additional investment through company stock offerings and issuing of stock options to employees which will also have the effect of aligning employees’ interests with those of the shareholders. While incorporating may be time consuming and costly due to the high filing fees, the extra administration costs and the considerable organizational and overhead costs incurred by the corporation; the benefits are greater in the long run compared to running an unincorporated business entity. Assessing potential consequences for managers and directors where the provisions of EA 2010 are ignored. An important part of running a business is understanding the various employment legislations which may have significant consequences on managers and directors of the company if ignored. One particular employment legislation of great interest in this analysis is the Equality Act 2010. The Act requires employers to take reasonable steps to protect their employees from discrimination and harassment in various areas including age, disability, religion, belief, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and pregnancy or maternity (GOE 2010). For example, part 5 of the Act which covers provisions relating to equal pay create an implied sex equality clause in employment contracts (GOE 2012). These provisions require employers to ensure equal pay for both the male and female gender where the contractual nature of the work is the same (EHC 2011). In general, the act places duty on employers to protect the rights of each employee by ensuring that they are not being discriminated against in the various areas highlighted above. It requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to working arrangements to prevent job applicants or employees from any form of discrimination (Jacobs and Jerald 2007). Ignoring the provisions of the EA 2010 will lead to severe repercussions. Managers and directors that choose to overlook some of these provisions will face severe court penalties. In addition, the legal costs incurred may be extremely high. The legal bill for the employer starts right at the moment when the employee expresses grievance and files a claim of harassment, discrimination or victimization (Muyi-Opaleye 2014). It should be remembered that the cost of hiring employment lawyers is very high and the legal bill can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, estimates put the current defense costs of a single claimant lawsuit at $250,000 and a jury verdict of $200,000 (Heathflieid 2014). The settlement costs may fade in the face additional indirect costs that are often hard to quantify such as the losses resulting from damages to a firm’s reputation, the costs resulting from the loss of employee morale and distraction of organization’s staff as internal investigations are conducted (Heathfield 2014). There is also the loss resulting from the amount of time spent in defending against the claim. The managers/directors may incur indirect costs such as the loss of reputation which can also affect the firm’s reputation. Where such cases attracts publicity, the managers and directors may suffer from reputational damage irrespective of whether the claim was found to be valid or not. It should be remembered that reputation is a matter of perception and that the firm’s reputation is a function of reputation of key stakeholders including managers and directors of the company (Shah 2013). A strong positive reputation among the managers and directors of the company will result in a firm’s strong positive reputation and vice-versa (Burns 2012). If the managers and directors continue to allow for unfairness to go unchecked in the workplace, then this can cost them as well in terms of consumer demand. Consumers may react by choosing to do business elsewhere. This will have a significant adverse effect on the company’s bottom line as sales will significantly decrease thereby decreasing revenue and net returns. Companies cannot afford to lose a share of the market by allowing unfairness to go unchecked in the workplace (Burns 2012). The other indirect additional costs may have severe repercussions on the firm as well. Employee morale may decline to levels that their productivity are significantly affected (Burns 2012). Employees will feel that their grievances are not being addressed by the managers and directors of the company, thereby creating disengaged employees. Eventually, this will have a negative effect on the company’s bottom line. It is clear that the risk to the managers and directors for ignoring provisions of the EA 2010 are significant. From the very high costs of defending lawsuits to the hard-to-quantify indirect costs arising from reputational damage, loss of employee morale, and distraction of organization’s staff. It is imperative that the employer addresses employees concerns related to their employment contracts in order to avoid lawsuits and ensure a pro-active diversity workforce. If the employer fails to address employee concerns, proves evasive or provides unequivocal answers; it may lead to a tribunal drawing inferences which could be enough to establish a â€Å"prima facie† case of discrimination (Muyi-Opaleye 2014). Besides the lawsuits that may arise when a case of â€Å"prima facie† case of discrimination is established, the management may be ordered by the employment tribunal to undergo equality and diversity training. The Equality Act 2010 provides the employment trib unal with wider powers to order changes in workplace (GOE 2012). Conclusion There is no denying that the consequences of overlooking this employment legislation are enormous. The managers and directors may choose to ignore the provisions of EA 2010 at their own peril. The risk of ignoring these provisions is high from costly lawsuits to the hard-to-quantify indirect costs arising from reputational damage, loss of employee morale, and distraction of organization’s staff. The managers/directors of the company also run the risk suppressing overall job performance, forcing otherwise qualified and innovative individuals out of the labour force, and losing the lucrative consumer market to competitor firms. Reference Behrenfeld, W.H. and A.R. Biebl, 1989. Business Entities. New York: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. Bhushan, Y.K., 2008. Fundamentals of Business organization and management, New Delhi: Sultan Chand and Sons Inc. Bickley, J.M., 2012. Employee stock options: tax treatment and tax issues. Congressional Research Service. Available from http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31458.pdf [viewed on 4th December 2014] Burns, C., 2012. The costly business of discrimination: the economics costs of discrimination and the financial benefits of gay and transgender equality in the workplace. Center for American Progress. Carter, C., 2014. Advantages and disadvantages of incorporating a business. Chron. Available from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-incorporating-business-364.html [viewed on 5th December 2014] Davies, R.N. and K.H. Lawrence, 1963. Choosing a form of business organization. durham, north carolina: small business studies. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University School Of Law. Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), 2014. Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice: Employment Statutory Code of Practice. Available from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/EqualityAct/employercode.pdf [viewed on 5th December 2014] Gansler, D.F., 2013. Guide to legal aspects of doing business in Maryland, A joint publication of the office of the Attorney General and the Department of Business and Economic Development. Government Equalities Office (GEO), 2010. Equality Act 2010: public sector equality duty what do I need to knowA quick start guide for public sector organizations. Government Equalities Office (GEO), 2012. Equality Act 2010 – employer liability for harassment of employees by third parties: A consultation Heathfield, S.M., 2014. Prevent employment discrimination and lawsuits. Available from http://humanresources.about.com/od/discrimination/qt/prevent-employment-discrimination.htm [viewed on 5th December 2014] Jacobs and Jerald A., 2007. Association Law Handbook. ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership, 4th ed. Laurence, B., 2014. How corporations are taxed: learn the benefits and drawbacks of corporate taxation, Available from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-corporations-are-taxed-30157.html [viewed on 5th December 2014] Lazier, K., 2009. Benefits and disadvantages of incorporating an unincorporated association. Association of Corporate Counsel. Available from http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=49d3dabe-8f35-4e5e-b971-5c2c93c79b73 [viewed on 5th December 2014] Muyi-Opaleye, D., 2014. Archive for the ‘Equality Act 2010’ category: asking and responding to questions of discrimination. Employment Law Blog. Available from http://employmentlawblog.fieldfisher.com/2014/asking-and-responding-to-questions-of-discrimination [viewed on 5th December 2014] Oleck and Stewart, 2002. Nonprofit Corporations, Organizations & Associations , Prentice-Hall, Cum. Supp. Price Water-house Coopers (PWC), 2008. A regulatory guide for foreign banks in the United States 2007–2008 edition. Price Water-house Coopers Shah, A., 2013. The costs of discrimination. The London School of Economics and Political Science. Available from http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/diversity/2012/03/the-costs-of-discrimination/ [viewed on 5th December 2014] Williams, C., Barton, D. and Coltrain, D., 2000. Selecting a business structure: an informational guide to forming businesses. Kansas State University, Department of Agricultural Economics.

Queering Heterosexuality Essay Example

Queering Heterosexuality Essay Example Queering Heterosexuality Essay Queering Heterosexuality Essay Women Gender and Sexuality Studies Course title: Queer Gender paper subject/title: ‘Queering’ Heterosexuality Heterosexuality is universally described as having a desire or sexual contact with someone of the opposite sex from ones own. This particular definition of heterosexuality for the most part, has remained relatively unquestioned. In turn, this has allowed heteronormative cultures and beliefs to assume heterosexuality as the norm. Marginalizing people who do not fit within heterosexual norms perpetuates the exclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual individuals, as well as, heterosexual individuals that participate in sexual practices that are not in alliance with commonly held notion of heterosexuality. The focus of this paper will be to use Nikki Sullivan’s writing, A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory in order to identify the ways in which Lizzie Borden’s 1986 film Working Girls, ‘queers’ heterosexuality. Analyzing heterosexuality through Sullivan’s writings and Borden’s film, allows for the universal understanding of heterosexuality to be challenged. Heterosexuality is consistent with dominant group membership and with beliefs, values, and institutions that support and are supported by that group. Therefore, the institution of heterosexuality constructs restrictions and allows for little element of real choice. Within heterosexuality, males are the only ones that are given the ability to choose. Males are in the dominant, profiting, and controlling position in heterosexual relationships, whereas females are understood to serve, pleasure, and assume females to abide by the decisions that males make for them. Following the lives of a group of female sex workers, Lizzie Borden’s 1986 film,  Working Girls  juxtaposes paid â€Å"straight† sexuality with lesbianism. Molly, the main character in the film, is the only female who is known to be a lesbian. However, even though Molly is  a lesbian and has sex with men, what she is doing is engaging in a performance of heterosexuality. This is just the same as her engaging in a performance of sexual service for money. Since money is being exchanged in response to sexual practices, this already ‘queers’ the notion of heterosexuality. The concept of sex as a commodity that is sold by women and consumed by men is something that bears further feminist analysis. In her film, Borden illustrates that there is nothing straight about sex work. Selling sex is believed to be quite outside the normative codes of heterosexual conduct, whereby sex is privileged as something you do for love or reproduction. So therefore, the exchange of money for a sexual service is a defining characteristic that is believed to be a queer act. This means that any sexual practices that are not done out of love or for reproduction are only done for pleasure, which is not in congruence with heterosexual practices. In the film Working Girls Borden illustrates that within the sex work industry, certain women come up with complex and provocative theories of femininity and sexuality when describing their jobs. Due to the jobs they have and the position they are placed in relevance to men, these women are given the ability to have real choice and choose their sexual partners. These women make their own personal choices to engage or not engage in certain sexual acts with their clients. An example of this is seen in the film when a client of Molly’s commands her to suck his penis and she responds back to him that she will not do anything she does not want to do. Molly’s response challenges the social and sexual power of men dominating women, therefore deconstructing the heterosexual knowledge that men are in control. In heterosexuality, the male is always the victor, however in Borden’s film the females are the ones in the position of the victor because they are the ones in control of the men. This can be seen in the film by having a woman, Lucy deal with all the money the women make. Lucy is in the dominant controlling position, which threatens the traditional understanding that the man is in charge of the house. Not to mention that, in the sex work industry females, sex workers and pimps, financially profiting from the sexual interactions they have with males, their clients. Christine Overall, a feminist theorist Sullivan refers to in her writings, aims to envision a more compatible relationship between heterosexuality and feminism. By making a conscious and informed choice to partake in heterosexual practices without agreeing to endorse the heterosexual institution, this could be identified as a form of feminist praxis (Sullivan, 126). The sex workers in the film, may not voice that they are feminists, however they still make conscious and informed choices to participate or not in sexual practices with their cliental. Overall outlines a number of reasons as to why the choice to participate in heterosexual practices need to be observed as a justifiable option for feminists. Furthermore, Sullivan relates Overall’s thesis to a statement made by Segal, All feminists could, and strategically should, participate in attempting to subvert the meaning of ‘heterosexuality’, rather than simply trying to abolish its practice†¦to acknowledge that there are many ‘heterosexualities’†¦We need to explore them, both to affirm those which are based on safety, trust, and affection†¦a nd which therefore empower women† (Sullivan, 127). Both Overall and Segal, challenge the notion that there is only one definition of heterosexuality, by introducing the belief that there are various different forms of heterosexuality among us. But rather than simply encouraging women to choose to participate in heterosexual practices on their own terms, Segal invites women to play an active role in subverting heterosexual norms by ‘queering’ traditional understanding of gender and sexuality. Throughout the film, sex workers interact in heterosexual practices that differ from commonly held notions of heterosexuality. At one point in the film, Molly must deal with a man that gets turned on by wearing women’s panties and getting smacked in the ass with a paddle. Sexual practices that are executed this way go outside of the box of what heterosexuality is widely described to be. Pleasures produced by practices such as fisting, anonymous sex, bondage, and so on, functions to ‘shatter identity and dissolve the subject’ (Sullivan, 156). This is because such practices work against the logic of heteronormative sex, a practice that ultimately serves as an act of reproduction. These types of practices are non-reproductive and open up a sort of polymorphous perversity, enabling us to rethink pleasure and sexuality. After analyzing Nikki Sullivan’s writing, A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory in order to identify the ways in which Lizzie Borden’s 1986 film Working Girls, ‘queers’ heterosexuality. Using Lizzie Borden’s film to analyze the sex work industry, has placed it at the crossroads of feminism and queer theory; thus, providing a unique vantage point to critique the regime of heterosexuality from various aspects. Various activists in a variety of social groups have fought to, and continue to challenge heteronormative behaviors and beliefs. Heterosexuality continues to be challenged daily in many different ways, some of which were previously discussed.

Business Proposal Project and Macroeconomic Policy and Implications

Business Proposal Project and Macroeconomic Policy and Implications University of PhoenixEconomics in Health CareBusiness Proposal Project and Macroeconomic Policy and ImplicationsIn recent weeks the administration along with the Board of Directors voted to expand the holdings. After viewing several localities and considering a multitude of business ideas, the decision was made to invest in an urgent care center. The locality was selected when discussions turned to the International market. Foreign investment was one of the requirements. Several of the doctors have spent time in Italy, had developed a fondness for the city of Genoa.A closer look at the pros and cons of doing business in a foreign country brought about a desire to build a medical urgent care center and move forward with the plans for expansion of holdings. As reported by the web page on Italian-American citizenship, Italy has an affordable health care system and a high standard of medical assistance. Italian doctors are well trained and very passionate about their profession, and the private hospitals are comparable with any throughout the world.English:The National Health System of Italy, called the Servizio Sanitarioi Nazioanale (SSN), (Italian American Citizenship, 2009) offers inexpensive health care to all European citizens. The center administration feels is a good fit for this type of market.Cost to Patients and ReimbursementItaly stands with regard to current health care charges in order to anticipate what price to relate to urgent care services. Urgent care is not common for private facilities in Italy and is usually offered at public health care locations (United States Diplomatic Mission to Italy, 2007).In order to determine how reimbursement will be obtained it is important to look at the both the National Health System (NHS), private insurance, and private pay. The urgent care center will be required to undergo credentialing of staff in order to become eligible...

Critically evaluate an artefact of a marketing communications campaign Essay - 2

Critically evaluate an artefact of a marketing communications campaign (advertisement, brochure, poster, etc) for either a graduate traineeship or a masters degree - Essay Example Advertisements have also been found by Gronhaug, Kvitastein and Gronmo (1991) to come in many different forms and versions. This however does not mean that any form of poster at all can be selected for any product or service. Proctor, Proctor and Papasolomou-Doukakis (2002) indicated that there are several factors that ought to be considered in designing a poster for advertisement purposes. Because the factors are many, different writers and reviewers have tried to discuss some of the most salient factors at one point in literature or the other. In this paper, various works of literature are reviewed, based on which four important thematic factors that ought to be considered when undertaking marketing communications campaign have been discussed. To ensure practicality, the literature and factors have been used to critique a specific artifact in the form of poster for a Masters degree. At the end of the paper, the strengths and weaknesses of the attached advertisement are going to be identified as they apply to the four thematic factors considered. Shankar (1999) stated that â€Å"consumers interact with advertising for a variety of reasons whilst different groups show varying degrees of understanding towards the function and purpose of advertising† (p. 5). The understanding that this claim gives is that any piece of advertisement must factor in the different needs of customers, noting that not every consumer will be looking for exactly the same thing from a piece of advertisement. When advertisement is seen as a tool or component of marketing, then the advertiser would want to achieve this task of satisfying the varying needs of customers by incorporating very elementary factors of competitive marketing (Shankar, 1999). In competitive marketing, there are four major elements that a marketer would want to give emphasis to and these are place, product/service, price and promotion. To make

CRJS406(2) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJS406(2) - Research Paper Example Even though these characteristics are simple concepts, in some instances it is not easy for investigators to discern their meanings or uniquely identify them to a source. Hence, the aim of this paper is to discuss how investigators can identify class and individual characteristics evidences and their significance to the court process. Class and Individual Characteristic Evidence Class Characteristics evidences are those that no matter how painstakingly they are scrutinized, an explicit identification can never be realized, and they are thus categorized within a group or cluster (Brown, 2001). Under class characteristic evidences, there is commonly the likelihood of having in excess of one source for the material discovered, and they are applied in narrowing down a catalog of possible items or suspects. For instance, there are thousands of polyester fiber with definite shapes, outlines and colors; however, all of them have similar chemical nature, which makes it hard to identify the i tem as the specific one in a crime scene (Brown, 2001). Secondly, while human hair possesses similar class characteristics under microscopic observation whereby the medullas are either disjointed or nonexistent, the color and size pattern varies from all over the whole scalp in just a single person. This then makes it hard to positively point out that a hair sample belongs to a particular individual. Other forms of class characteristic evidences include blood samples, soil samples, and paint, in addition to glass fragments (Gardner, 2011). Conversely, individual characteristics evidences are those, which can be positively identified from a particular individual or a particular source due to existence of adequate microscopic inscriptions or even accidental markings (Gardner, 2011). Individual characteristics have unique physical qualities that are exceptional to a certain evidence item mainly due to natural variations, inadvertent damage and natural dress in. Some examples of individ ual characteristic evidences comprises fingerprints pattern, striation marks located in firearms, shoe prints, and blood or semen DNA code. Others include glass pieces whereby broken edges match each other, in addition to pattern formed by ejectors or firing-pin marks of fired cartridges (Buckles, 2010). Class Characteristics and Court Class characteristics evidences mainly aid in the buildup of circumstantial evidences during cases, and during substantiation of alibi false. This is because class characteristic evidences can offer a distinct negative or a positive substantiation that a certain portion of the evidence did not emerge from a source (DuPre, 2013). For a case to have good chances based on presentation of class characteristic evidence, the investigator should have a bigger number of classifying features, or otherwise massive amounts of diverse types of class evidence. Hence, class evidences are important mostly in proving of definite negative in court. For instance, in ra pe the identifying features like hair strands, blood samples, and semen samples can be proved not to come from a certain individual. Class Characteristic and Investigator The value of class characteristic evidences for an investigator rests in its capacity to substantiate events using facts that are