A Historical Overview of Christianity

Christianity is not one faith in its practice, but a diverse array of faiths that have evolved over two thousand years. What these faiths share in common is the central figure of Jesus Christ. In his day, Jesus was a polarizing figure.He was born and raised in the Jewish tradition, but was shunned by many when he proclaimed himself to be the long awaited messiah. How could a messiah come from such humble roots? He was not the image of the messiah most people at the time expected.For the Romans, Jesus posed a threat to their rule. Jesus never set out to upend the Roman state, but his growing popularity was seen as a threat none the less. Eventually he was arrested on trumped-up charges and brutally crucified.In the decades following his death his small group of apostles began constructing what we now know as the New Testament. They related the events of his life including the miracles he performed, his crucifixion and his resurrection. These writings were combined with the much older Jewish Torah and Talmud to form the Christian Bible of today.The Apostles also formed the early Christian church as a separate entity from traditional Judaism. In its remarkable history that church would suffer centuries of persecution then would rise to the heights of political and social power. It also would endure many splits. The largest single denomination within the Christian church is Catholicism.The Protestant Reformation of the middle ages would eventually spawn hundreds of new denominations. The history, theoretical perspectives and rites of each of these denominations differs from the others. All are ultimately focused on Jesus Christ as the savior through which man can be given eternal life in heaven.†¢ Subtopic 1: theoretical perspectives and development of the theologyTraditional Christian theology views God as a three-faceted entity. God the Father, God the son (Jesus) and God as the Holy Spirit comprise what is known as the godhead.In 675 A.D., The Council of Tr ent concluded that â€Å"Although we profess three persons we do not profess three substances but one substance and three persons (Stanford University, 2008). Judaism, by contrast, does not recognize Jesus as God. Although many first century Jews viewed Jesus as a heretic or even a false prophet, most now accept that he was a prophet but not that he was the messiah.Christianity is heavily influenced by Judaism. The books of the Torah form Christian conceptions of the beginning of the world, the sinfulness of man and the promise of a coming messiah. Jesus himself preached in the Jewish synagogues and often cited Old Testament prophecy.St. Augustine of Hippo, argued that philosophical reflection complemented theology, but only when these philosophical reflections were firmly grounded in a prior intellectual commitment to the underlying truth of the Christian faith.(Stanford University, 2008)The Jews of the first century doubted that Jesus could be the messiah that had been promised i n the book of Isaiah. He was a carpenter from humble origins. His parents were unmarried at the time Mary began pregnant with Jesus.The family faced ostracization as a result. Joseph, the baby’s earthly father, had considered sending his wife away before the baby was born. Since he and Mary had not yet had sex, Joseph suspected that the pregnancy was the result of an affair. According to the Christian bible, Joseph was convinced not to send her away by a vision from God and consultation with Jewish elders. The baby was to be the messiah born of a virgin.If the Jewish community doubted the humble beginnings of the young messiah, some of his early teachings raised even more concern. While Jesus recognized that the Jewish people were the chosen people of the Old Testament the messiah was not to be reserved to them. Jesus came to atone for the sins of all people. Those of any culture who accepted him in faith could receive this atonement.Judaism had already existed for centuries by that time. During this span of time theologians had created hundreds of specific rules regarding worship and everyday life. For many Jews piety was judged in concordance with obeying of these rules. Jesus challenged this assumption.By working on the Sabbath and performing other acts that broke the rules, Jesus sent a clear message that true faith was about much more than obeying the rules. He told the elders that they could not â€Å"earn their way† in to heaven. In doing so he challenged the well-established social order.As Jesus had faced skepticism and outright hostility, so too would the early Christian Church. Theologians such as St. Paul would face resistance from all sides. The Jews, particularly the elite classes, strongly disagreed with the proposition that Jesus was the messiah.The ruling Romans saw a threat that could erode their empire from within. There was also dissent within the early church as it struggled to find its theological underpinnings.   

Ethical System Table

Directions: 1. Fill in brief definitions of each primary ethical theory. 2. Identify alternate names or variations of each ethical system based on your reading of the text and supplemental materials. Match the real-world examples listed below with the corresponding systems. The first one has been completed for you in the table. a. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they like the taste of it. b. I believe that if sand is going to be eaten, it should be available for everyone to eat. c. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is the right thing to do. . I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is good for one’s health. e. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they decide they want to, regardless of whether it is someone else’s sand. f. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they want to because they are free to make the decision themselves. g. I believe I will eat sand because it is the standard meal for my communi ty. 3. Develop your own workplace example that fits with each system. Present each workplace scenario in a substantial paragraph of approximately 40 words. Although the table field will expand to accommodate your workplace examples, you may list them at the end of the table; make a note in the table to see the attached examples, however, so your facilitator knows to look for scenarios below the table. 4. Format references according to APA standards and include them after the table. |Ethical Theory or |Brief Definition |Other Names for Theory |Real-world Example|Workplace Example | |System | | | | | Duty-based Ethics |Regardless of consequences, |Deontology, pluralism, |C |It is my duty to follow through with | | |certain moral principles are |moral rights, rights-based|I believe people |instructions my boss gives me, even if I | | |binding, focusing on duty rather | |should be able to |do not agree with the concept. It is my | | |than results or moral obligation |Categorical imperative |eat sand because |moral obligation to respect authority | | |over what the individual would | |it is the right |figures. | | |prefer to do (Trevino & Nelson, |Golden rule |thing to do. | | | |2007, Ch. 4). | | | | | | | | | | |In ethics, deontological ethics, | | | | | |or deontology (Greek: deon meaning| | | | | |obligation or duty), is a theory | | | | | |holding that decisions should be | | | | | |made solely or primarily by | | | | | |considering one's duties and the | | | | | |rights of others. Some systems are| | | | | |based on biblical or tenets from | | | | | |sacred. | | | | |Consequence-based |â€Å"†¦an ethical decision should |Consequentialist Theories |B | | |Ethics |maximize benefits to society and | |I believe that if |I know that we signed a contract for a big| | |minimize harms. What matters is |Utilitarianism |sand is going to |new client but we can’t announce it until | | |the net balance of good | |be eaten, it |next month. The benefits to morale of the | | |consequences over bad† (Trevino & | |should be |company and employees outweigh the | | |Nelson, 2007, Ch. 4). | |available for |consequences of making an early | | | | |everyone to eat. |announcement. I should make the | | | | | |announcement. |Rights-based Ethics |Rights are considered to be |Contractarianism |A | | | |ethically correct and valid since |Social Contract |I believe people |Employees have the right to expect a safe | | |a large or ruling population | |should be able to |working environment since that is part of | | |endorses them (Ridley, 1998). | |eat sand if they |the social contract in modern America. | | | | |like the taste of | | | | | |it. | |Human Nature Ethics |Ethical values that are hard coded| |D | | | |into people as being part of the |â€Å"Common Courtesyâ₠¬  |I believe people |A co-worker has the need to switch shifts | | |human race. Natural tendencies | |should be able to |to care for a sick family member. If the | | |instead of man-made law for making| |eat sand because |other individual doesn’t have a pressing | | |decisions. | |it is good for |engagement it would be nice to switch the | | | | |one’s health. |shift and help them out. | | | | | | |Relativistic Ethics |Moral disagreements are caused by |Moral Relativism |F | | | |the fact that everyone in theory | |I believe people |Based on the position someone has in a | | |is right in their own way. |â€Å"When in Rome, do as the |should be able to |company it may not be appropriate for them| | |Individuals only have to be true |Romans do. |eat sand if they |to have visible piercings or tattoos when | | |to themselves and no one else. | |want to because |a more professional demeanor needs to be | | | | |they are free to |maintained. Others may be able to since it | | | | |make the decision |doesn’t affect their performance or the | | | | |themselves. |company image in their position. | | | | | | |Entitlement-based | | |E | | |Ethics | | |I believe people | | | | | |should be able to | | | | | |eat sand if they | | | | | |decide they want | | | | | |to, regardless of | | | | | |whether it is | | | | | |someone else’s | | | | | |sand. | |Virtue-based ethics | | | | | | |The virtue ethics approach focuses|Community ethics, |G |The quality control team in our company | | |more on the integrity of the moral|professional |I believe I will |has to carry food handlers and safety | | |actor than on the moral act |responsibility |eat sand because |cards. I should be able to trust that food| | |itself. In virtue ethics, |The Disclosure Rule |it is the standard|provided as sample meets the standards of | | |character is very much defined by | |meal for my |the guidelines that they accepted when | | |one’s community (Trevino & Nelson,| |community. |getting that certification. | | |2007, Ch. 4). | | | | Reference Trevino, L. K. , & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Ridley, Aaron. (1998). Beginning Bioethics. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Advantages of the UK Membership in the EUass Assignment

Advantages of the UK Membership in the EU - Assignment Example The statement â€Å"There is little persuasive evidence that membership of the EU has been beneficial to Britain over the past 30 years† is 100 percent false. The main purpose of the formation of the European Union is to create a single market economy. In comparison, each European Union member state which includes the United Kingdom is likened to each state which includes California. Also, the European Union is likened to the United States. The United Kingdom economy has increased as a result of the single European Dollar’ replacement of the different currencies of each state. Tony Blair took the lead in encouraging the ministers to accept a single European Union currency.There are many advantages to joining the European Union, First, manufacturers and retailers will be able to increase their customer base. First, with the single European Union currency called the European Dollar, companies in the United Kingdom can now sell their products and services to other members of the European Union more easily. Since the single European dollar is used in more states in terms of land area than the United Kingdom sterling, the United Kingdom will be able to increase its sales by expanding its product lines and work into Germany, France, Netherlands and the like   (Grice, 1999).   Second, all European Member states are implementing strict privacy of communication laws unlike in the United States where data is generally freely given. EU privacy law translates to eliminating delicate employment questions like age, military service, religion, and marital status when applying for a new job.

Medieval vs. Rennaissance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Medieval vs. Rennaissance - Assignment Example Thisis very distinct of the period of Renaissance as people were never content with a certain amount of knowledge and power. Thus, in the painting, God is seen above everyone else, seeing how He is to judge each person according to his or her actions. In the painting â€Å"The Flight & Failure of St. Anthony†, one can see the many struggles one goes through and daily battle to choose the good. Here, the saying, â€Å"with great knowledge comes great responsibility†, isthe underlying message Bosch wanted to send. Also, in the â€Å"Death of the Miser†, we can see that life on earth is somehow prolonged or extended by the use of medicine and medical advancements that eases one’s suffering of any illness. However, as death is inevitable and is a part of life, as humans were never meant to live forever, no technology can fathom mortality. Indeed, all these three works of Bosch depicts the milieu of the Renaissance where people’s lives, actions and beliefs are influenced by the power they recognize they have. This knowledge and power makes it more trivial to choose the good despite the attractiveness of evil options around us. Moreover, these paintings just illustrates how people really longed for knowledge & power during the Medieval times, that being deprived from it made them want both so bad to the extent of compromising morality and

Analysis of Guess Whos Coming to Dinner Film Essay

Analysis of Guess Whos Coming to Dinner Film - Essay Example Outside of Dr. John Prentice, Joey constitutes perhaps the most central and important character in the film. Her characterization is such that she is distinct from virtually every other character. Clearly, the most significant difference between Joey’s character and the others is her lack of racial prejudice. Not only is her relationship with John a significant aspect of this theme, but she also demonstrates a professed love for the house-made, Tillie. While one may argue that she shares this trait with John, she is ultimately portrayed as blissfully unaware that others might feel tension at her inter-racial relationship. John even states, â€Å"It’s not that our color difference makes no difference to her, it’s that to her, there is no difference.† At a number of points throughout the film she breaks through this naivetà ©, making a number of subtle and clever comments at the expense of her mother; for instance, when her mother first encounters John, Joe y states that her mother should sit down because of her perceived shock at John being a negro. It is this knowledge that is hidden directly under her bubbly and superficial outward demeanor that is perhaps Joey’s most interesting character element. Another important character element is Joey’s happiness. Her mother makes a speech attesting to her happiness as a youth, which still pales in comparison to her happiness with John. This differentiates her from the other characters, who are depicted as tired and experienced, and also functions to increase audience sympathy for her union with John in the face of her family’s apprehension. Conversely, Dr. John Prentice is characterized throughout the film in a slightly different way than Joey. Perhaps the significant element of his characterization is the frequent reference made to his importance – Joey’s father’s assistant first states this and it is later mentioned by Monsignor Ryan.     

Assignment two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment two - Essay Example It would also be wise to talk to the director of the Human Resource department to inform him or her that the ad that was placed in the newspaper had errors (Professional Advertising, 2011). To applicants who applied for the coding position, it would be extremely fair to send them an apology letter telling them of the mistake and how sorry the company feels for inconveniencing them. The firm should also place the old ad in the same newspaper and make sure that it is cancelled and beneath it should be the correct advertisement (Professional Advertising, 2011). In conclusion, the correct ad should also state the cancelation of the previous ad, and explain that the new ad is the correct advertisement. Just to spice up matters, the new ad should incorporate brilliant ideas so that the readers do not get the wrong impression. For instance, the ad could be colorful with easily understood language that would make the reader enjoy reading the

EC 313 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

EC 313 - Essay Example Firstly, the ASF (Aggregate Supply of Funding) will remain constant with respect to any interest rate changes therefore we will depict it as a vertical line as shown in the above graph. Suppose that due to certain shocks in the economy, the APE line shifts to the right. The increase in APE will require funding to support it but the ASF will remain unresponsive to the change. As consumers move to gain funding, the lenders will drive up the interest rates. Increase in interest rates will crowd out the demand and the output and price levels will remain unchanged. What if the amount of gold in an economy increased or decreased. Based on the quantity of gold the ASF line would shift to either left or right. If ASF had a rightward shift than it implies that there will be an excess of funding in the economy. Thus the lenders will be willing to provide their money at lower level of interest rates. This lower level of interest rates will induce the consumers to spend more therefore increasing ADF. Now ADF will cross ASF at a decreased interest rate level and both will exceed the GDP level. Increase in a funded demand will cause the firms to increase their prices. This increase in Price Level brings a fall in ASF which will also decrease APE. Prices will continue to move in upward direction until & unless interest rate, APE & ASF return to their original level. Prior to the Great Depression of 1929, the classical macroeconomics functioned as it was required. There were no economic slumps and employment and GDP’s were stable throughout the period. The assumption of classical macroeconomists regarding the invisible hand was proved to be almost true. There was no need for government policies or intervention to control the economy and macroeconomics was taking care of itself. Suddenly, the Great Depression of 1929 made its way in the economy and plunged economies in state of chaos. Some faltering economies almost experienced a decline of 30% in their GDP and as much

Chinese Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chinese Popular Culture - Essay Example This has lead to the turn of events among the citizens of the country whereby the workers have been laid off from their duties in various state owned companies. The presence of unemployment in the People’s Republic of China has led brought about the growth of personal challenges for unemployed workers and human resource policy challenges for the government. The unemployed population must find a way to cope up with the sudden change of their livelihood by searching for a similar means of making a living. In this paper, will focus on how college graduates deal with unemployment and how crime and corruption, along with social stability and mobility play a role in the PRC today. Furthermore, a detailed explanation of how unemployment creates serious problems with access to housing, education, and basic social services in the People’s Republic of China (Latham, 1-35). The employment situation in China for new college and university graduates seems to be unusual compared to t he present working group. The presence of the graduate unemployment crisis in China portrays the possibility of the wasteful investment of scarce resources. This is due to the factor that plenty of capital has been invested in educating unemployed graduates, which could or else have been invested in job-creating productive programs in the country. The presence of a large population of unemployed graduates makes the job market be very competitive. Furthermore, the graduates are also to be blamed in this issue because they always have negative expectations under the pressure of seeking jobs. According, to surveys done by various research houses in the People’s Republic of China most of the graduating students prefer to get an employment contract first, then they would later reflect on pursuing a new job position which is what they really desire to be employed for an average of two years. This assumption by the graduating students makes it possible for the emergency of the under employment and high turnover in the job market. In addition to this, the students will have lower levels of job satisfaction, job involvement, work commitment, and internal work motivation. Therefore, these issues will also bring the issue to the employers at the long run (Sato, 40-45). The People’s Republic of China seems to be experiencing the extreme increase of college graduates has outpaced the structural transition and rashly shifted the labor supply from semi-skilled manufacturing workers to more knowledge- intensive service professionals. This makes it the main reason for experts in the field and various scholars to emphasize that China requires extensive vocational training and industry engineering skills, which will help the country in solving its need for having manufacturing workers. Recently, a debate has emerged that economists say that the current situation of unemployment in China seems to portray that the country is running out of surplus labor. The presence of the unemployment population among the youth is a very complex social problem whereby it must be solved urgently. In the People’s Republic of China, the youthful population is termed to be highly educated because most of the youth are graduates. According to the nature of the economic status of the People’s Republic of China, the graduates are unwilling to choice factory work whereby they opt to compete for office-based positions. It is evident that graduates are four

The Common Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Common Law - Essay Example He meant to convey that what has been formed by the institution of lawmakers is actually an embodiment of the prevailing affair with times across a general culture of the nation in association with legal theories with which people have sought political involvement depending on the relevance and impact lawful matters create upon their lives. Though some degree of sociological approach may be reflected in the overall statement of Justice Holmes, a historical school of jurisprudence substantiates most of its meaning. This Holmes justifies explicating â€Å"The law embodies the story of a nation’s development through many centuries ... In order to know what it is, we must know what it has been, and what it tends to become.† Believing that law operates as a function of history, Holmes likely proposes that the accounts of any period, especially of the past, are amply significant in the foundation and intended accomplishments of a good and sensible

International relation class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

International relation class - Essay Example declare war on America minutes after they pulled out of the talks but several circumstances hindered the passing of the maessage in time leading to what became the worst attacks on Japanese soil. The concept of the film is based on the conflict that led to a great loss of life due to lack of amicable ways to resolve the conflict that existed. The theme of international relationships is prevalent as poor relations between the two nations had disastrous consequences. International relations can be defined as the relationship between countries and the roles government and non-governmental agencies play in fostering these relationships (Carlsnaes, 2013). The film highlights the importance of positive international relations to the growth of a country and the importance of proper conflict management techniques within international circles. Countries and nations need to co-exist together and respect the sovereignty of each other. There is also a need to have conflict resolution forums to ensure conflict between nations are resolve in a way that will have minimum negative effect to the countries relations (Baylis,

Learning Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Learning Portfolio Essay During the semester, I have had to develop a unique study structure that was going to maximize the efficiency with which I utilized my study time. Before starting the course, I read the study handbook so that I could get a rough idea of what the course entailed and the nature of information I would be required to familiarize myself with. This enabled me to identify other relevant sources of information besides the books suggested in the recommended reading list. In the process of reading these materials, I took brief notes of the ideas and points that appeared noteworthy. Being in a non-English speaking country, obtaining relevant books and other resource materials was somehow challenging. I learned to utilize the internet to get books and journal articles from electronic libraries and databases. I also had to subscribe to various journals so that I could get updated news about the course since I realized that criminology is a dynamic topic and it requires one to get case studies and briefs. After the onset of the course, I had to develop effective study habits so that I could organize my time while staying on top of my work. I realized that in order to succeed, I had to make the right decisions about managing my time and resources. I had to give my studies the priority they deserve and I did not let friends or family dictate to me on what aspects of my life were more important than others. My concentration and grasping ability is at its peak during the morning hours, at quiet and cool surroundings which do not offer any distraction. I engaged in discussions and debates surrounding the course material since I know getting the perspective of my fellow students and their contributions on the points I might have missed is very important. Concerning my assignments, I always make sure I have completed them on time and I review them before every class. I also co-relate assignment content and what is in my notes to ensure that I have completed them satisfactorily. I rely on my notes for this because they are very comprehensive since I review and update them after every class; usually including paraphrasing content in my own words and including examples. These study strategies I adopted during the semester are very effective, and after cross-checking with my fellow students and a collection of study guides available in the internet, I found out that they are still very relevant. Of course, I know there will always be ways of improving them as challenges mount. For example, I found out that I had actually misunderstood some concepts and ideas I had assumed I fully understood, so I need to liaise with my professor and study group more. When I started this course, I did not have a clear understanding of what was really expected of me. I did not know if what I was doing was right or wrong, so I had to get the help of my fellow students, friends who had already graduated from the course and my professor to help me learn how to express my points and ideas. I always want to feel that I am living up to expectation, so I always seek feedback to help me identify areas I can improve on. I have formed a consistent effort to request my colleagues and supervisors so that I can refine my perspective regarding key concepts and ideas. In my attempt to be an all-rounder, I specify the kind of feedback I need from my colleagues, professors and supervisors at work. I do not just ask for a critique of the quality and quantity of effort I put in my studies or my work, but I also seek to find out other people’s perception of how effective or ineffective my interaction with other people and the system is. I also gave some of my essays to friends and colleagues to read; and used their criticism and opinions to improve on my essay writing skills. I feel that I can use the feedback I obtain regarding my study and work strategies and quality to improve by developing plans of action based on it on a regular basis. Feedback is effective only if it is involved in the review of strengths and weaknesses so that the actions taken can be specifically tailored to build on my strengths and work on my weaknesses. It is however important to note that feedback can only be genuine if the seeker also reciprocates by giving feedback to the people he or she seeks opinion from. Even though some people may not like getting feedback on their performance especially if it is negative, I try as much as possible to reciprocate by giving genuine feedback to those willing to acknowledge it so that I can receive an equal measure in return. I would be honest if I say that this course has been an eye opener for me. Through planning my time to fulfill course requirements like attending to classes and completing my assignments in time, I have learnt to be more organized not only in class but in other spheres of my life. The need for efficiency made me engage in research in an attempt to identify better, faster and more effective reading styles, and I perfected these on this course. I have attained a better reading speed and I have become better in both written and spoken English. Through research and preparation for writing my essays, I have improved on my writing skills a great deal. I have learnt several referencing styles and I could even take a chance at professional writing as of now. Criminology requires articulate presentation of ideas, facts and arguments; and this course has increased my analytical skills and the depth of my thinking. In the past, I have sort of been what social scientists would call a right brain thinker. To me, an occurrence or a phenomenon was true or false, black or white. But the course has taught me to think from different perspectives. This has been a big change for me bearing in mind that I have been quite opinioned about criminology issues; but I have learned to pay attention and get many sides to any event. Starting university has had an enormous impact on my academic, personal and work life as well. Being a student and working at the same time is a challenge for many people. I work and study; and since I realize that both are important to my life, I don’t let one take the time of the other. I do not take time off to study or skip classes to work or because I worked late; but I do take some hours off to catch up on my assignments and to engage in extracurricular activities to refresh my faculties and also to write my essay. As far as my private life is concerned, my academic engagements have made it necessary to study on most nights and weekends; but the experience has been good since I have gained the ability to see things from an academic and professional angle and reason likewise. This course has definitely induced a lot of changes in me. For starters, I have learned to be flexible to divergent thoughts and ideas, and since I have learned so much in the process, I have found out that some of the opinions I hold regarding other people and occurrences are not necessarily justified. With an increase in knowledge comes a change in heart, and the new ideas, concepts and facts I have learned have changed my opinion and attitude a great deal. Since the beginning of this course, I have continually learned that there is so much information out there for me to absorb and apply in my essays, arguments and in my professional life. Information for real has the capacity to change someone’s beliefs. The more I am challenged, the more I have become aware of the need and the virtue of being able to tolerate the values, beliefs and attitudes of other people. By virtue of the amount of literature I have had to cover, my attitude towards work has changed. Work, be it academic or professional, is no longer an obligation to me, but an opportunity to improve my vistas of knowledge and my capacity to interact with people, information and real life circumstances. In other words, the course has given me an opportunity to grow in character as a person. Through the study of moral values as they apply in criminology and psychology, I have learned that morality is a very personal issue; and that not a single person can rationally claim to have more superior values as compared to others. In as such, my attitude to people has changed a lot, and I am no longer quick to judge the actions of others without first establishing the motives behind their actions. Creative and research and essay writing has taught me the importance of respecting intellectual property. I have come across so much written material in this course; materials which have increased my knowledge base in ways I could not have imagined. It is a matter of fact that people somewhere took their time to do research, derive facts and write them down plus their relationship to and application in real life situations. It is not only responsible but also ethical therefore to respect their rights to their work by responsibly using these works. Responsible use of literary material is achieved by avoiding plagiarism. This entails proper use of resources and the application of correct referencing techniques to cite the contribution of existing literature in any produced essays or research papers. I had never done any referencing before, but the resources providing guidelines for referencing available at the university website helped me a lot in learning how to responsibly utilize literary materials without abusing intellectual property. As I pointed out earlier, I did not know what was expected of me before actually joining this course. As the course progressed, I came to realize that it is actually a very interesting course. Even though it is quite challenging in terms of difficulty in comprehending some of the concepts taught, I do not regret taking it. The course has made me understand people better and have valuable insight on the motivations people have while committing some of the activities they commit. As I said earlier, I had to work as I undertook this course. The responsibilities could have been overwhelming for most people and their families, but the experience brought me closer to my wife who supported me throughout the duration of the course and has still continued to support me. In terms of my professional experience, the course has opened up my mind and conscience. I have met a lot of interesting people and the experience has made me a better communicator, improving the relationship between me and my work colleagues. I am a very ambitious person and I want to continue growing professionally, that is why I decided to further my education in the first place. My ambition sometimes brings me at odds with my colleagues, but I have known how to effectively handle their aggressions. I hope that these skills are going to push me up the professional ladder, even though this is going to take some time considering the system of my place of work.

Marks And Spencer Strategy Analysis

Marks And Spencer Strategy Analysis Executive summary Marks Spencer is one of the UKs leading retailers with over 21 million people visiting their stores each week. However, in the fiercely competitive market environment, operational management strategies are quite important for retailers to obtain a competitive advantage and access to greater income. This report will introduce the history of MS and different market segment in MS, and analysis how MS can running there business in the competitive environment. Some operation management theories are applied in the process of analysis. Instruction Marks Spencer is one of the UKs leading retailers with over 21 million people visiting their stores each week. Now they sell stylish, high quality; great value clothing and home products and outstanding quality food. However, in the fiercely competitive market environment, operational management strategies are quite important for retailers to obtain a competitive advantage and access to greater income (Chase, 2001). First, it will introduce the history of MS and different market segment in MSà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’and have an overview of Porters models of competition. Second, analyze how MS can running there business in the competitive environment, trying to explain more different market segment in MS and how the different market segment works together, analyzing their competitive advantage in this cloth industry. Finally, it will use Porters global generic strategy to analysis MS, discussing how MS attract different customers by using different strategy in the global environment. Discussion and Analysis Introduction about MS and Overview of Porters Models of Competition Martha is a retail business founded by a Jewish immigrant in United Kingdom 1884. 1884, 21-year-old Michael à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marcos in Kekegaite open-air market of United Kingdom Leeds City had opened a unique small stalls, which is the embryonic form of Marks and Spencer. Marcos. He displayed goods by category and price tag, getting rid of the bargaining traditional transactions. Most notably one is a billboard in his stall: Do not ask the price, a penny can be. This simple and eye-catching slogan quickly spread among the people in the middle and lower classes. By 1894, the British Spencer Tom with 300 pounds, and Marcos had co-founded Marks Spencer. The company from the early 20th century has become a national chain store. In 1926, MS in all major cities in United Kingdom has established a branch to become the UKs largest retailer. Until today, MS is still one of the worlds most profitable retailers (John Stanley, 1991). Porters competitive strategy theories are mainly five force model, general strategies, value chain, diamond system and industrial clusters. 1) Five Forces model provides a very useful analytical framework to study the competitiveness of industry, competition in the corresponding morphology and how to design a strategy. Porter believes that the intensity of competition in any industry is generally affected by five kinds of factors. The industrys competitive position and comprehensive degree lead to economy structure changes within industry, to determine the intensity of but from industry inner competition and determine the ultimate profitability within the industry. The companys core strategy should be to choose the right industry, as well as the industrys most attractive competitive position. 5 kinds of factors are the threat of potential entrants, threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of buyers, suppliers and the bargaining power of existing competition within industry. 2) The general strategy theory: Porter believes that the struggle with the five forces of competition, each company should only have two basic types of competitive advantage, namely, low-cost and product differentiation, which both with a special scope of business combination can be drawn from three types of successful strategic thinking, these three ideas is the overall cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and centralized business strategy. 3) Value Chain: Value Chain is an essential tool for analysis of source strengths. It can dissociate a variety of business activities with the value of transmission methods in order to understand the cost features of enterprise, as well as existing and potential differentiation sources. Business activities are independent and dependent. 4) Diamond system: the State plays an important role in the success of enterprise competition. Thus, Porter makes an extension of his research into the national competitiveness. In response to this theme, Porter puts forward the analytical framework of Diamond System (also known as diamond theory). He thinks factors that may strengthen their national enterprises to create competitive advantages include factors of production, demand conditions, business strategy, structure and competitors, related industries and support for industry performance. 5) Industrial clusters: regional competitiveness has a great impact on competitiveness of enterprises. Porter through the study of industrialized countries finds industrial cluster is a common phenomenon in the process of industrialization, in all developed economies, are it is clear that a variety of industrial clusters. Industrial cluster is defined as a specific area, with competitive and cooperative relations, and geographically concentrated, with interactive relevance enterprise, specialized suppliers, service providers, financial institutions, related industries such as manufacturers and other relevant bodies composed of groups. Complex ity and depth of different level of industrial clusters is different (Francisco J, 2009; Mohr, 2002). Analyze market segment and competitive advantage of MS In 1992, the company has 280 chain stores in the United Kingdom with sales of 75 billion dollars. From the view of Sales category, MS accounts for 15% of the UK clothing sales, food sales 4.6%. Guinness World Records reveals that volume of the companys flagship store in London MarbleArch is 3700 dollars per square foot. MS offers clothing having exquisite style, quality and value for money and household items, as well as outstanding quality foods, all products undergo rigorous screening, from more than 2,000 suppliers around the world. M S in the UK and other countries, more than 75,000 employees in the UK, currently has 622 stores in the international context, MS is also actively developing business. In the 07 and 08 fiscal year, sales exceeded 90 billion pounds. From a market positioning perspective, since the 20th century, 30 years, MS makes middle-class as a sale object, and make every effort to provide them with quality-price ratio appropriate goods. For customers to eat well a nd well dressed has always been motto of MS, which is also main historical reason for 100 years of food and clothing at the same time. After the First World War, due to a shortage of materials, a penny sales strategy is difficult to sustain. MS decisively changed its thinking, making sell project focused on clothing and food, and expanding rapidly, with unprecedented turnover. Until 20 the eighties and nineties, MS gained unprecedented praise in terms of quality, service, diversification. However, from 1998 to 2001, MS operating profit had been on the decline. MS decided to change strategy, developed a new program in overseas sourcing and manufacturing goods. This saved a lot of costs, and profits began to improve. With the emergence of electronic commerce, MS also creatively establish a website, combining traditional retailing with e-commerce. This allows people to see a century-old shop in the face of challenges, courage to change themselves and innovative vigor (Jemmeson, 1997). Most traditional retail stores are selling a variety of brands of goods, of course, there are also some traditional retailers also selling a small amount of own-brand goods, such as designers for Target to sell tailored specialty products. MS has sold almost all own-brand goods. And it has also characteristic of its own brand, types of goods is not exhaustive, but rather selective to provide customers with the best-selling inexpensive goods. At present, 80% of MS operating goods have the brand of St. Michael. MS approach is: from store to collect from the customer views and demands for commodities, and then from Marthas technical development department for product innovation and design (or with the manufacturer to design), and then delivered the manufacturer to produce the final re MS Sales through distribution systems. Thus, Martha has become the worlds largest no plant manufacturers. MS persists in shaping its own brand into image of a healthy environment, in its own brands contai ns a fair trade, sustainable, non-genetically modified products, animal welfare and so on. Almost 100% of sales of own-brand are a biggest difference for MS with the general retailers. This unique brand strategy makes its own brand has become endemic in the United Kingdom as part of shopping culture, while Marks Spencer thus have unmatched brand equity. Marks and Spencer is known to the world due to a standardized and information-oriented management style of supply chain management and suppliers to make it a truly meaningful win-win situation. Standardization is Marks and Spencers consistent style, product quality, type and design of store layout, product display, and even the staff of the service program has a meticulous standard. Standardization Management greatest advantage is that we can save a lot of management costs, while consumers can enhance the overall impression of the Marks and Spencer, giving them a home away from home shopping experience. Marks Spencer has achieved a paperless management, which ensures that all over the world Martha chain can continue to run in an orderly manner. Marks Spencer and suppliers have far more than a general partnership, but rather become a complicit relationship to work. Marks and Spencer has nearly a thousand of suppliers, and suppliers Dibos companies having more than 100 years cooperat ion, with more than 60 suppliers with more than 50 years of partnership. On the one hand, Marks Spencer suppliers guarantees strict demands on product quality; the other hand, Marks and Spencer takes it as its responsibility to help suppliers reduce costs, care providers technological transformation and staff welfare (Tony Grundy, 2003). As a result, suppliers are also with the development of the development of Marks Spencer. Close cooperation of both sides ensures Marks and Spencer to achieve its corporate objectives provide its goal customers with high-quality product within the ability to purchase. Customer satisfaction business philosophy: customer satisfaction has always been Marks and Spencers business philosophy. Customer firstly thinks a lot of commodities with high-quality and low price, which is Marks Spencer sought-after standard. Customers are also increasingly focusing on product design and after-sales service, so Marks Spencer has also taken a series of measures accordingly. In recent years, Marks and Spencer pay more attention to understanding customer needs, internal management structure to take the simple and rapid decision-making mechanism, the focus from how to buy to how to sell. Customers buy Martha not satisfied with the goods that can be unconditional refund. Carried out on the part of the membership-based customer and sales records of the Commissioner of the members on a wide range of information, including birthdays, clothing numbers, special preferences, and settlement accounts. Marks and Spencer will be in the form of time by phone to inform new member s of the listing, the monthly will be in the form of a letter seeking the views of members. 1999 opened on-line shopping service, but also a cadre of loyal customers, people satisfaction with Marks and Spencer increasing. Oxford Street is a well-known British commercial street on the number of stores, the London crowd to get on the top spot. MS in such a competitive market environment also pursues their usual high quality of goods and services, and provide an elegant display of the environment. In this area, Marthas main competitors are facing the department store, and Saier Fu Leach youth-oriented casual relaxed style of the shops, in addition to including many other stores. The advantage that MS is different from these competitors is its depth and breadth of product portfolio and a unique marketing strategy (David Campbell, 2009; Lowson, R.H. 2001). Strategy Theory and Practice Analysis about MS M S retail as an industry has its own specific competitive structures, which can be analyzed from the Porter five forces of competition: 1) Entry threat. The low-cost of commercial retail enterprises, lead to lower barriers to entry the retail industry, retail businesses are always faced with the threat of new entrants. 2) Replacement threat. As the retail business operated products, the technical content of most is not high, more likely to imitate, so facing a greater alternative threats. 3) The bargaining power of suppliers. From the most developed countries show that, in the retail business and manufacturing enterprises bargaining in retail enterprises grow in power. 4) The bargaining power of buyers. As the retail business more and more abundant supply of commodities, increasing the power of buyers, which forced more and more retailers adopt the low-cost, low-cost, high-quality service strategy, retailers profiteering opportunities less and less. 5) Existing competitors. At pres ent, the existing competitors in the competitive retail industry has become a variety of forms, a variety of tissue types, regions and business scope of the three-dimensional cross-competition. Facing fierce competition, M S retail businesses have successfully used a variety of competitive strategies to improve their competitiveness. To face the future social development, to further advantage, M S should be good at using the Porters competitive theory, adopting strategy and measures suited to the situation on their own (Dinesh, 2008; S. Ambec, 2002). (A) Differentiation strategy Competitive differentiation is the basic strategy, to pursue I have what people dont have, my superior that what people have customer value that is different from other competitors. Differentiation strategy is that the business through the characteristics production makes their product or service unique, and thus consumers are willing to pay a higher price. Successful examples adopting differentiation strategy are such as the United States Norton department stores, its different, nuanced human service has won praise from consumers, so that no rival can match. Commercial retail enterprises implement differentiation strategy with mainly the work to be undertaken: first, accurate positioning for the enterprise. The main way to differentiate their market position, that is, to determine a companys market position is different from other enterprises or image. Second, establish and run enterprises to brand image. Large-scale commercial retail enterprises shall include at least the brand con notation of the brand of goods, services, brands, and on the basis of the previous two derived from the three-tier corporate brand meaning. Retail business once chooses differentiation strategy, it must be based on its own seeking to establish a brand image to reflect this brand image on the one hand business activities, on the other through the advertising campaign to promote this brand image. Third, long-term to maintain brand image. After companies establishing their own unique brand image, they should make long-term planning to maintain its own brand image (Harry J.P., 2000). (B) Cost leadership strategy Cost leadership strategy is to low operating costs or fees. Retail business goals taking cost-leadership strategy is to become the industrys low-cost firms, which tend to have economies of scale, proprietary technology, preferential supply of commodities prices, lower transaction costs and management fees and other advantages. When enterprises have become a cost leader, they can effectively compete against the other forces of competition, obtaining advantage in competition. The most successful retailer using cost leadership strategy the worlds largest retailer, Wal-Mars. The 20th century, 80s, it began to lease satellite transmission, integrated global marketing data, the commodity management, logistics and distribution, global procurement and data processing of all applications of advanced modern information technology to significantly reduce the cost, annual savings of more than competitors) 750 million of dollars in spending. Commercial retail enterprises can be achieved through t he following areas cost leadership (Voss, 2003). First, they can through cost analysis identify the greatest impact factors on the business cost, controlling systematically cost. Second, it is to establish alliances among commercial enterprises, reducing procurement costs and jointly developing the market. Third is using capital operation, expanding the enterprise scale. Through joint, mergers, acquisitions, joining, enterprise implements chain operations, the rapid expansion of operation scale, to achieve business activities standardization, specialization, centralization. Fourth is scientific management with application of advanced technology. Retail enterprises further reduce business costs through the use of POS (selling real-time systems), MIS (management information systems), EDI (electronic data interchange), EOS (Electronic Ordering System) and other modern management techniques (Shankar, 2004). (C) Objectives accumulation strategy Retail enterprises to implement the strategic objective is to choose one or the accumulation of a group of market segments as part of its services, target markets, strategic optimization, to seek their presence in the target market on the competitive advantage. Because it takes a specific consumer group focused to meet their needs, so companies can be more economical than the other competitors, more thoughtful to meet their needs (Mittal, 2004). In addition, the strategy also adopted by the choice of the target market to find the weakest link in the existing competitors cut into, to avoid a competitor with a strong head-on collision. Select the target build-up strategy, first, to conduct market research and market segmentation. According to differences in consumer demand will be divided into different consumer market segments, so that enterprises can more effectively meet their needs. Second is to determine the target market. Not all segments have value to enterprise. Companies shoul d choose a potential market segment as its target market that will not conflict with a strong competitor. Generally speaking, potential market segments should also have the following three conditions: 1) adequate, the reality of unmet demand or potential demand; 2) Enterprise has ability to provide products or services to meet these needs, and helping the can map; 3) Business in this market segment can achieve certain competitive advantage. Third, accounting for the characteristics of the target market, it is to develop practical sales strategy, including determining the number of sales outlets, choice of a commodity business scope, pricing strategies. In addition, the in the implementation process of objectives accumulation strategic, the cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy can also be used at the same time. Conclusion MarksSpencers is a leading retailer of clothing, food, home ware and financial services. Marks Spencer is one of the UKs leading retailers with over 21 million people visiting their stores each week. However, in the fiercely competitive market environment, operational management strategies are quite important for retailers to obtain a competitive advantage and access to greater income. It could supply goods whatever customer needs timely whether it is the variety of food products or clothing style. This paper first introduces the history of MS and different market segment in MSà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’and have an overview of Porters models of competition. Second, analyze how MS can running there business in the competitive environment, trying to explain more different market segment in MS and how the different market segment works together, analyzing their competitive advantage in this cloth industry. MS is changing the business strategy timely when market environmental change, while the contin uous improvement on strategy goes along with the change of customer demands. Finally, it uses Porters global generic strategy to analysis MS, to face the future social development, to further advantage, discussing how MS attract different customers by using different strategy in the global environment. The outcomes through analysis and discussion give a useful help to retail industry. The experience of the old brand department store tells the world that they can create their own lands as long as the constant innovation even in a traditional industry. Recommendations Through the above analysis, MS has made a great progress, getting over lots of difficulties. However, in todays fiercely competitive market environment, MS should also adopt optimal strategy to obtain a stronger competitive by reducing human and material costs by exploring overseas cheap labors and improving their quality of service and giving full play to their creativity.

Glutamate Transporter Excitatory Amino Acid Experiment

Glutamate Transporter Excitatory Amino Acid Experiment Abstract N-(2-18F-Fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate(18F-FPGLU) is a potential amino acid tracer for tumor imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). In this study, the  relationship between glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in rat C6 glioma cells line and human SPC-A-1 lung adenocarcinoma cells line was investigated. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU in C6 cells increased significantly after induced by ATRA for 24, 48, and 72 h, which was closely related to expression of EAAC1 in C6 cells (R=0.939). Compared with the SPC-A-1(NT) control cells, the uptake of 18F-FPGLU on EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells significantly decreased to 64.0%. In the PET imaging of 18F-FPGLU of SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA)-bearing mice models, the uptake of 18F-FPGLU in SPC-A-1(shRNA) xenografts was significantly lower than that in SPC-A-1 xenografts, with Tumor/Muscle ratio of 1.67  ± 0.1 vs. 3.01  ± 0.3 at 60 min post-injection. The result s suggest that transport mechanism of 18F-FPGLU in glioma C6 and lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells lines mainly involves in glutamate transporter EAAC1, which is an important transporter of 18F-FPGLU in tumor cells and may be a novel hallmark of tumor glutamate metabolism PET imaging. Keywords: N-(2-18F-fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate; tumor imaging; glutamate transporter; excitatory amino acid carrier 1 Introduction As the most commonly used positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for tumor diagnosis, 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) also has certain false negative and false positive results(Shreve et al. 1999; Fletcher et al. 2008). It has been reported that 18F-FDG negative tumors may use a different metabolic pathway called glutaminolysis(DeBerardinis et al. 2007; Ward et al. 2012). Glutamine and glutamate play key roles in the adapted intermediary metabolism of tumors(Gao et al. 2009; Rajagopalan et al. 2011; Shanware et al. 2011). Several 18F-labeled glutamic acid and 18F-labeled glutamine have been used for metabolic PET imaging of tumor in humans (Baek et al. 2013; Venneti et al. 2015). High uptake of these amino acid tracers in tumor cells is likely related to the increased expression of amino acid transporters. For example, the upregulated system ASC, especially ASCT2 might contributed to the uptake of 18F-labeled (2S,4R)-4-fluoro-L-glutamine(Ploessl et al. 2012), and 18F-fluoro glutamic acid (BAY 85-8050) transport involved in Na+-dependent XAG- and Na+-independent XC- systems with XC- possibly playing a more dominant role, but both of them showed defluorination in vivo(Krasikova et al. 2011). 18F-labeled (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (BAY 94-9392), another derivative of glutamic acid, whose transport was due mostly to upregulation of system XC-, a potential biomarker for tumor oxidative stressà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’can be useful for detecting system XC- activity in vivo and is considered to be a potential tracer for tumor imaging(Koglin et al. 2011). Our recently developed novel N-18F-labeled glutamic acid, N-(2-[18F] fluoropropionyl)-L-glutamate (18F-FPGLU), seemed to be a potential amino acid PET tracer for tumor metabolic imaging, with high tumor-to-background contrast in several tumor-bearing mice models. Preliminary studies showed that 18F-FPGLU was primarily transported through Na+-dependent high-affinity glutamate transporter system XAG-(Hu et al. 2014), but the accurate transport mechanism is unknown. Glutamate transport system includes Na+-dependent excitatory glutamate transporter XAG- system and Na+-independent glutamate transporter XC- system(Avila-Chà ¡vez et al. 1997). System XC- (xCT) is overexpressed on tumor c ells and is a potential biomarker for tumor oxidative stress. As an important member of XAG- system, excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1), also called excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3), localizes to the post-synaptic structure of neurons and surrounding glial cells as regulator of excitatory neurotransmission, and also exists in peripheral tissues, perhaps as metabolic regulators(Bailey et al. 2011). The expression of EAAC1 was known to be regulated by several mechanisms that modify carrier abundance on the plasma membranes and was markedly induced by all tans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in rat C6 glioma cells, which led to strikingly stimulate amino acid influx(Bianchi et al. 2008). However, EAAC1 transporter may be a potential biomarker for tumor molecular imaging. It has not been reported so far. This study investigated the relationship between EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in C6 rat glioma cells line and SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU was assessed in ATRA-treated and untreated C6 cells lines, and also in shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 cells and the non-targeted (NT) control cells in vitro. Further prospective researches of PET imaging of tumor-bearing mice models with C6, SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) xenografts were performed to reveal the correlation between the uptake of 18F-FPGLU and the expression of EAAC1. Materials and methods Materials All reagents, unless otherwise specified, were of analytical grade and commercially available. All chemicals obtained commercially were used without further purification. Inveon small-animal PET/computed tomography (CT) scanner was purchased from Siemens (Germany). Synthesis of 18F-FPGLU The synthesis of 18F-FPGLU from 4-nitrophenyl-2-18F-fluoropropionate (18F-NFP) via a two-step reaction sequence has been described in detail by the earlier paper(Hu et al. 2014). Cell Culture and Animal Models The C6 rat glioma cells, SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were obtained from Shanghai Institute of Cellular Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China). The cells were cultured in culture flasks containing DMEM medium(for C6 cells) or RPMI 1640 medium (for SPC-A-1) supplemented with 10% FBS and 1% penicillin/streptomycin at 37oC in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 95% air. 24 hours before the experiments in vitro, C6 cells lines or SPC-A-1 cell lines were trypsinized and 2105 cells per well were seeded into 24-well plates. All animal experimental studies were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Utilization Committee (IACUU) of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University (approval No.[2013]A-173). All efforts were made to minimize animal suffering, to reduce the number of animals used, and to use alternatives to in vivo techniques, if available. The nude mice were obtained from Laboratory Animal Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou, China). The C6, SPC-A-1 and EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) tumor models were made using previously described methods(Deng et al. 2011). Tumor cells (2-5-106) were injected subcutaneously and allowed to grow for 1 to 3 weeks. When the tumor reached 6-10 mm (diameter) micro P ET/CT scans were done. C6 induced by ATRA The rat glioma C6 cells were treated by all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) 12 h after the passage. Culture medium was substituted with fresh medium (containing DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS) in the absence or in the present of ATRA at a concentration of 10 ÃŽ ¼M from a 10 mM stock solution in DMSO according to the literature16. After the treatment of ATRA for 24, 48 and 72 h, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to monitored the mRNA and protein expression levels of EAAC1 in ATRA treated C6 and non-treated C6 cells. Generation of shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down cells. The method of generation of shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down cells was similar to the literature(Youland et al. 2013). SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells was used for shRNA-mediated EAAC1 knock-down experiment. SPC-A-1 cells were transduced with lentivirus ecoding EAAC1-targeted short hairpin RNAs (shRNA). shRNA sequences were selected from human EAAC1 mRNA NM_004170 and the shRNA fragments were cloned in a lentivirus vector pGLV3 plasmid with the sequence 5-GCATTACCACAGGAGTCTTGG-3. A non-specific targeting (NT) shRNA for control was cloned in the same lenvirus plasmid backbone. Lentiviral packaging was performed with trans-lentiviral packaging mix in 293T cells according to the manufacturers instructions. SPC-A-1 cells were plated on 6-well plates at 2-105 cells per well. After 24 hours, medium was aspirated and replaced with 100 ÃŽ ¼L of virus-containing solution was added to each well and incubated at 37oC for 24 h. Cells were selected with puromycin and monitored for green fl uorescence protein (GFP) expression. The EAAC1 mRNA expression level was monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The EAAC1 protein expression level was quantized by western blotting. qRT-PCR for the expression of EAAC1 Relative expression levels of EAAC1 mRNA in C6 and SPC-A-1 cells were calculated using the fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) (Stratagene Mx3000P Real time PCR, Agilent). Total cellular RNA was isolated with the Rneasy mini Kit (TAKARA). 1 ÃŽ ¼g of RNA was synthesized to cDNA in a 20 ÃŽ ¼L reaction system with reverse transcriptase buffer, RT Enzyme Mix and primer MIX (Bestar qPCR RT kit, DBI). Conditions for reverse transcription were 5 min at 65oC, 5 min on ice, then 60 min at 37oC and 10 min at 98oC. Oligodeoxynucleotide primers of EAAC1 gene for PCR amplification was 5-AGTTCAGCAACACTGCCTGT-3 (forward) and (5-GTTGCACCAACGGGTA ACAC-3(reverse). PCR was programmed as follows: 2 min at 94oC, 20 s at 94oC, 20 s at 58oC à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ then 20 s at 72oC à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ for 40 cycles. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as a initial control and each sample was amplified in triplicate. The relative expression of EAAC1 mRNA compared with GAPDH was calculated by comparative threshold method (2 -ΔΔCt ). Western blotting for EAAC1 Cells were lysed in a detergent-containing buffer with protease inhibitors for 20 min at 4oC. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH) was used as a reference protein. After solubilization, cell lysates were collected and centrifuged at 14000 rpm for 10 min. The supernatants were transferred into new tubes, quantification of proteins was performed with Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit (Thermo) and aliquots of 25 ÃŽ ¼g were loaded on an 10% gel for SDS-PAGE. After electrophoresis, proteins were transferred to polyvinylidene difluorideà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ PVDFà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °membranes (Millipore) . The membranes with EAAC1 or GAPDH were departed at the middle position, and were blocked and incubated with deferent antibody, respectively. Non-specific binding sites were blocked with an incubation in Tris-buffer saline containing 5% of bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 1h at room temperature. Then the blots were exposed to EAAT3 antibody (rabbit monoclonal antiserum, 1:1000, Abcam) or anti-GAPDH rabbit monoclonal antibody(1:3000, Abcam) diluted in blocking solution for at 4oC overnight. After washing, the blots were exposed for1h at room temperature to goat anti-rabbit IgG HRP diluted 1:5000 in blocking solution. Cellular uptake of 18F-FPGLU Cells were plated in 24-well plates (2x105cells/well) and uptake studies were performed at 24 h after the passage. The cellular uptake of 18F-FPGLU studies was similar to the methods described previously(Krasikova et al. 2013). The medium was aspirated and the cells were washed 3 times with 1 mL warm PBS. 18F-FPGLU was dissolved in PBS solution and was added to each well (74-111 KBq/0.2 mL/well). After incubated with 18F-FPGLU at 37oC for 30 min, the radioactive medium was removed and the cells were washed 3 times with ice-cold PBS. Then, the cells were dissolved in 0.5 mL of 1 N NaOH and the activity was measured by ÃŽ ³ counter (GC-1200, USTC Chuangxin Co. Ltd. Zonkia Branch, China). The cell lysate (25ÃŽ ¼L) was used for determination of protein concentration by BCA protein assay. The uptake data are based on the amount of activity added to each well and the total amount of protein in each well. Each experiment was done in triplicate, averaged and was repeated 5 times on different days. The uptake of 18F-FPGLU was assessed on the ATRA-treated or untreated C6 cells, and on EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells or SPC-A-1(NT) control cells. The relative uptake ratios were calculated compared to the control cells. Small-animal PET-CT imaging Small-animal PET-CT imaging studies with tumor-bearing mice were carried out using the Inveon small-animal PET/CT scanner (Siemens). 3.7-7.4 MBq of 18F-FPGLU were injected intravenously in conscious animals via the tail vein. The mice were anesthetized with 5% chloral hydrate solution (6 mL/kg) and were kept warm throughout the procedure. Imaging started with a low-dose CT scan, immediately followed by a PET scan. PET images were acquired at 30, 60, 90, 120 min post-injection. For a comparative study, mice were kept fasting for 4 h and were anesthetized with 5% chloral hydrate solution (6 mL/kg) and imaged with 18F-FDG (3.7 MBq) at 60 min after intravenous injection. The images were reconstructed by two-dimensional ordered-subsets expectation maximum (OSEM). For each small-animal PET scan, ROIs were drawn over the tumor and muscle of the thigh on decay-corrected whole-body coronal images using Inevon Research Workplace 4.1 software. The quantification was performed according the meth ods described previously(Hu et al. 2014). Radioactivity concentration within a tumor or other tissue was converted to MBq/g and then divided by the administered activity to obtain an imaging ROI-derived percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g). Then, the ttumor/muscle (T/M) and tumor/brain (T/B) uptake ratios were calculated, respectively. Immunohistochemistry Expression of EAAC1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded rat brain tissues and C6 xenograft samples. Immunohistochemistry experiments were carried out according to the literature(Wang et al. 2013). Normal rat brain tissues and C6 glioma tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin overnight at room temperature. Tissues were then dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, and cut into 3-ÃŽ ¼m sections. After antigen retrieval, tissue sections were subject to immunohistochemical incubated with antibodies against EAAC1(Abcam), DAB was stained before mounted onto microscope slides. Tissues were analyzed with a Nikon E800M microscope. Statistical analyses Data were expressed as mean+/-SD. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software, version 16.0 (SPSS Inc.), for Windows (Microsoft). Student t test was used to assess differences in the magnitudes of samples from two measurements. A P values of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significant. A scatter plot was drawn with the relative mRNA expression and the relative uptake of 18F-FPGLU in C6 cells treated with ATRA for 24h, 48h, 72h. Spearman correlation analysis and a linear regression analysis was performed between them. Results EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in C6 cells induced by ATRA The EAAC1 mRNA relative expression levels in ATRA-treated C6 cells assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) are shown by Figure 1A. Compared with the untreated C6 cells, the EAAC1 mRNA relative expression level in ATRA-treated C6 cells treated with ATRA at 10 ÃŽ ¼M for 24, 48 and 72 h was increased to 1.72  ± 0.11à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’3.22  ± 0.22à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’4.0  ± 0.21 times, respectively( Fig. 1A). Meanwhile, the western blotting results also showed that EAAC1 protein expression in ATRA-treated C6 cells was increased gradually(Fig. 1B). Corresponding with the high EAAC1 expression in ATRA-treated C6 cells, 18F-FPGLU uptake was significantly increased to 1.47  ± 0.11à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2.14  ± 0.29à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2.12  ± 0.16 times in C6 cells treated by ATRA for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively(Fig. 1C). There was a high correlation between the relative EAAC1 mRNA expresion and the relative 18F-FPGLU uptake in ATRA treated C6 cells (R = 0.939, Fig. 1D). To summ arize, EAAC1 expression was markedly induced by ATRA in C6 cell lines. As a result, there was more 18F-FPGLU uptake in ATRA-treated C6 cells line which has more EAAC1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Figure 1 PET imaging on C6 glioma-bearing mice Small-animal PET-CT scan was performed on C6 glioma-bearing nude mice models 1h post-injection of 18F-FPGLU. PET-CT fusion imaging of the mice models demonstrated that 18F-FPGLU could intensely accumulate in C6 glioma (Fig. 2A). The tumor/brain uptake ratio of 18F-FPGLU on C6 glioma-bearing mice was higher than that of 18F-FDG at 1h post-injection of radiotracers(n = 3, P < 0.05, Fig. 2B). However, the tumor/muscle uptake ratio of 18F-FPGLU in C6 glioma-bearing mice was lower than that of 18F-FDG (n = 3, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that widely diffuse EAAC1 transporter staining was shown in C6 glioma, however there was minimal EAAC1 staining in normal rat brain write matter tissue (Fig. 2C). Figure 2 EAAC1 expression and 18F-FPGLU uptake in EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells The influence of EAAC1 expression on 18F-FPGLU uptake was specifically investigated using RNA interference-mediated EAAC1 knock-down SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Lentivirally delivered shRNA significantly reduced EAAC1 mRNA expression in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells, as compared to the non-targeted (NT) shRNA control cells (SPC-A-1(NT) cells), EAAC1 shRNA reduced EAAC1 mRNA expression by 72% in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells (P < 0.01) (Fig. 3A). At the protein expression level, EAAC1 shRNA significantly decreased EAAC1 expression in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells by 59.6% (P < 0.01) (Fig. 3B). Knock-down of EAAC1 expression was associated with a significantly lower 18F-FPGLU uptake by 36% in SPC-A-1(shRNA) cells (P

A Magical Forest Essay -- Papers

A Magical Forest The sun is high above me and I walk into the forest in front of me, which I hear calling me. I hear birds chirping and twittering, singing a song. This makes me wonder about birds and where their songs come from. How ancient the song I am hearing really is. As I take a step into the forest, I notice at first the trees, stretching high above the ground, as if in competition with one another, to see who will reach the sky first. Their roots are long and strong, going deep under the ground, indicating that they have lived in the area for a long time, for centuries. As I look up, I notice first their leaves. Although they are green, they have a tinge of gold reflected in the sun making them bright and radiating their light around the forest. Looking down the tree, in the day of the forest, I can see a faint glow. I see that the colour of their thick, soft trunks is different from the common tree. They are silver, reminding me of the winter cold. The scent in the air is of the soil and the trees, and the flowers that grow in the fields and seep in from around the forest. The elfin, unusual flowers that grow within the forest can also be smelt. There is a pure scent in the air. Never smelt by a human in today's day and age, as there is too much pollution and chemicals in the air. I feel tempted to walk up to the tree and feel it. As I reach out my hand and stroke the trunk, I realize that it feels smooth as if I had been stroking a baby's cheek. The feeling is beautiful and relaxing. As I look down, I see flowers that I have never seen before. They have unusual colours, never seen before; taking on extraordinar... ...strength of love to enfold you. A love that will last within your heart and make you experience even the devils love. The whole feel of the changes in the forest and what I saw and smelt makes the experience rare and unique, and heavenly to feel. The taste that is left in your mouth from a fruit off one of those trees is sweet and warms up your insides leaving you happy and content. It fills you up and is a good replacement for both food and drink. If you walk into the forest in distress, you walk out of the forest in peace. As you enter the forest, you enter a morning of gold. As the night embraces the forest, you see a night of silver. That is where I wish to go. There, where all living beings are in peace and provide love for each other, like the stars that shine vibrantly in the sky, cheerful and welcoming. A Magical Forest Essay -- Papers A Magical Forest The sun is high above me and I walk into the forest in front of me, which I hear calling me. I hear birds chirping and twittering, singing a song. This makes me wonder about birds and where their songs come from. How ancient the song I am hearing really is. As I take a step into the forest, I notice at first the trees, stretching high above the ground, as if in competition with one another, to see who will reach the sky first. Their roots are long and strong, going deep under the ground, indicating that they have lived in the area for a long time, for centuries. As I look up, I notice first their leaves. Although they are green, they have a tinge of gold reflected in the sun making them bright and radiating their light around the forest. Looking down the tree, in the day of the forest, I can see a faint glow. I see that the colour of their thick, soft trunks is different from the common tree. They are silver, reminding me of the winter cold. The scent in the air is of the soil and the trees, and the flowers that grow in the fields and seep in from around the forest. The elfin, unusual flowers that grow within the forest can also be smelt. There is a pure scent in the air. Never smelt by a human in today's day and age, as there is too much pollution and chemicals in the air. I feel tempted to walk up to the tree and feel it. As I reach out my hand and stroke the trunk, I realize that it feels smooth as if I had been stroking a baby's cheek. The feeling is beautiful and relaxing. As I look down, I see flowers that I have never seen before. They have unusual colours, never seen before; taking on extraordinar... ...strength of love to enfold you. A love that will last within your heart and make you experience even the devils love. The whole feel of the changes in the forest and what I saw and smelt makes the experience rare and unique, and heavenly to feel. The taste that is left in your mouth from a fruit off one of those trees is sweet and warms up your insides leaving you happy and content. It fills you up and is a good replacement for both food and drink. If you walk into the forest in distress, you walk out of the forest in peace. As you enter the forest, you enter a morning of gold. As the night embraces the forest, you see a night of silver. That is where I wish to go. There, where all living beings are in peace and provide love for each other, like the stars that shine vibrantly in the sky, cheerful and welcoming.

A Better Understanding of Major Characters :: Essays Papers

A Better Understanding of Major Characters (1) In many plays, the minor characters['] only purpose is to establish a main aspect of a major character. A "foil" is a minor character in literary work who by the similarities and differences in what he or she does (as compared to a more important character). [Frag - 1] It is to help the audience and reader get a better understanding of the more important character. In the play Hamlet , [sic] foils are used to establish a major point that would be hidden if they were not used. There are many foils[,] but Hamlet/Laertes and Hamlet/King Hamlet will be the only ones explored in this essay. [Very weak thesis -- What point is this essay going to try to make about them?] (2) King Hamlet and Hamlet, father and son, not only share the same last name, but also have many other similar characteristics. Both men share the belief that King Hamlet was hurt so terribly by Cladius that it ruined and ended his life in the living world. [This suggests that he had a life in some other world. As I think about it, I guess he did -- in the world of ghosts. But then, do ghosts have a "life?" As I think about these things, my eyes have kept reading, and now I am lost. Had the writer gone on to explain, I couldn't complain, but the writer dropped the topic.] The cause of both of their deaths was due to poisoning, by this horrid man. These two loving men are very well liked by everyone around them. The similarities of the King and his heir to the throne puts [SV Agr - 1] into perspective the fact that Cladius is a horrible man who both of them were terribly wronged by. ["Perspective" needs more explanation -- what perspective? Or do you simply mean "emphasizes "?] (3) Not only do these two have very similar characteristics, but they are very different in many ways to. [H 50] King Hamlet was a very serious man who always went through with deeds that needed to be done. [Examples?] On the other hand[,] Hamlet is a very indecisive man. This is proved by the fact that he was very hesitant to fallow [sic; H 50] through with his father's request to avenge his death.

Evil being Dr Jekyll’s alter ego Mr Hyde Essay

† In each of us, two natures are at war- the good and the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them one must conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose- What we want most to be we are† (Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 1885) Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Born in 1850 into a middle class family in Edinburgh, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Father expected his son to follow in the family tradition and become an engineer. Stevenson, however had other ideas. He was fascinated by literature, but to please his family he studied law, yet he never practised as a lawyer fulfilling his ambition to become a writer. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was a product of Robert Louis Stevenson life. Stevenson’s childhood was blighted by illness and as a result he spent much of his time at home under the care of his much loved nurse Alison Cunningham who told him stories of ghosts, body snatchers and heaven and hell. Stevenson as a result became fascinated by the idea of good and evil in every person. Stevenson’s ill health continued for most of his life and as a result he took laudanum and morphine as well as cocaine for chest problems and depression, other factors which may well have affected his life style and his writing. The Stevenson’s family home was in Edinburgh, but as he grew he travelled more and further, London, Bournemouth, France and the continent. Stevenson’s choice of London as the setting for Jekyll and Hyde was the result of the extreme social divide he witnessed there, the wealth and poverty been vividly displayed. The wealthy affluent London being safe like the character of Dr Jekyll whilst areas of social deprivation were constantly under treat of crime evil and disease, evil being Dr Jekyll’s alter ego Mr Hyde This essay will discuss how the Victorians viewed their rapidly expanding cities. It will also explore how Stephenson uses contrasting scenes and weather descriptions to portray good and evil. As a result of the industrial revolution Victorian Britain saw a massive movement of people from the countryside to major cities. Hugh numbers of houses were built to accommodate these people, but towns quickly became over crowded and unhealthy places. Filthy conditions and the spread of disease was rive amongst the poor and working classes. There was high unemployment and no suffrage for the poor, as a result the middle classes felt a revolution was imminent and felt fearful. Robert Louis Stevenson illustrates a divided city in Mr Utterson and Mr Enfields Sunday walk through the streets of London. They travel through a small quite street, it is described using metaphors â€Å"like a fire in the forest† indicating this street is well kept, a sharp contrast to others in the area, the shutters are described as freshly painted, the brasses well-polished and generally clean. This indicates that the inhabitants here are doing well. And yet at the corner of the same street stands a two story building. The building has only a door on the lower storey, the lack of windows indicating this building has something to hide. It is described as baring the features and marks of prolonged neglect. Stevenson uses the words sinister and sordid to describe this building. The fact that a building of such neglect stands on the same street as the affluent properties gives the reader the sense that everything is not going to be as it first appears in this novel. Stevenson uses this description of a affluence street with the uncharacteristic building an unlikely feature of this street, to prepare the reader for the dual character of Dr Jeklyl on the surface a good respectable person, who is able to turn into a alter ego the evil cruel Mr Hyde. Weather descriptions are used by Stevenson in The Carew Murder Case to depict the depraved nature of Mr Hydes character. The maid in the opening paragraph witnesses the murder of Carew. Stevenson uses graphic detail in his description of the weather on this night to create the atmosphere and set the scene. The association between lightness and goodness is clear; the night is described as been cloudless and lit by a full moon. The moon light on Carews face allows the maid to see his face, which she describes as pleasing to watch, a face breathing innocence and old world kindness. His beauty and innocence giving the impression of goodness. This description of Carew makes his fate all the more shocking and sets the scene for the dramatic moment when the maid witnesses the violent murder of Carew by Mr Hyde. Hyde is described by the maid as the complete opposite to Carew, a man she had previously conceived to dislike having an animalistic appearance. Stevenson continues to use weather descriptions to create a sense of foreboding as Mr Utterson travels through the streets of London to the home of Mr Hyde. Though it is nine in the morning the weather is described as foggy ‘like a great chocolate coloured pall lowered over heaven’ and ‘dark like the back end of morning’, the use of fog and darkness implies a veil to hide and conceal evil. He continues saying that the fog is broken up yet for a moment giving ‘a haggard shaft of day light’ this being only a brief relieve from the ‘mournful reinvasion of darkness’, reinforcing the idea of evil doings and the sorrow associated with this. By using weather descriptions in this way the city of London clearly becomes a dramatic backdrop for Hydes crimes. Victorian society was stricictly religious and therefore encouraged people to hide their sins and repress their desires. In this novel Stevenson offered Victorian society not only a psychological horror but a recognision that there is evil inside all of us, not perhaps to the extremes of Jekyll and Hyde but there is a side we hide, a suggestion that we all have a dual personality! Stevenson uses symbolism to create powerful images, for example doors are tradionally powerful and mysterious symbols they represent public and private spheres, things hidden and reveales. Stevenson refers to doors five times in the opening chapter of this novel. What is also relevant is that the Victorians had a â€Å"front door /back door† rule: the front door represented repectability so only those considered important and of high social status entered though the front door. The back door was used for those considered socially inferior, like servants. Stevenson uses this rule to emphasise Hydes’s social inferiority as he is not admitted through the front door of Jekylls home. What is significant here is that although the reader knows Jekyll and Hydeare one and the same, when Jekyll becomes the depraved Hyde he is evil and socially inferior, a lesson in immorility?

Policy Suggestions for Reopening Dual Language Essay

This empirical research will be presented to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan for the purpose of studying the possibility of reopening Chinese and English dual language kindergarten schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2004, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan had forbidden the operation and establishment of bilingual and English kindergarten schools. English could only be integrated in songs, plays, and activities but it could not be taught in the Chinese and English bilingual format and use as a medium of instruction. Kindergarten schools are not also allowed to hire any foreign teachers. All kindergarten teachers must be a natural born Taiwanese citizen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same year, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education cited three reasons for implementing this educational policy. First, they feel that at the preschool stage children should master their primary language. Second, they are so concern with the quality of teaching as they found out that most foreign teachers who worked as English teachers in kindergarten schools do not have sufficient knowledge on early childhood education. These teachers are only hired because they are native English speakers. Third, although Taiwanese students officially begin learning English on the third grade, they do not lag behind their counterpart in other Asian countries. However, there is not enough research to prove the positive effect of banning the dual language kindergarten. The research cited by the Ministry of Education to support their policy is discussed in the review of literature. Review of Related Literature Research Supporting the Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The research used by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan as a basis in supporting its policy was conducted in 2001 by Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Chaing Jen Ru. These professionals were invited to conduct a study on the possibility of integrating English in the kindergarten curriculum and hiring foreign teachers to teach in the kindergarten level. In this research, Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan pointed out that language learning for children requires the use of both the expressive and thinking abilities. If the medium of instruction is strictly in English alone, the content of communication between the teacher and the students would be very limited. She also indicated that preschool children fail to accurately pronounce and comprehend a foreign language in comparison to the adult learners. Furthermore, she also stated that learning a foreign language could interfere in the learning of the mother tongue. In terms of hiring foreign teachers, Cheung (2001) felt that foreigners who are working as kindergarten English teachers do not have the required skills and knowledge on early childhood education. Their knowledge is only limited to the teaching of the English language. In addition, hiring of foreign teachers would result in the decrease of job opportunities for students who have completed their education degrees from the teacher preparation institutions. However, the findings of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Cheung may not be objective and conflict of interest is evident as a result of her employment in one of the early childhood teacher preparation institutions. Besides, in the policy statement published by the Ministry of Education to the public on October 10, 2004, it was stated that the research was based on the neuroscience, linguistics and English education findings which indicated that learning English at an early age does not guarantee that children will learn better. The Ministry of Education also argued that teenagers learn a foreign language more efficiently than preschool children due to their more mature cognitive development. It is also stated that imposing the â€Å"No Chinese† kindergarten education would result in communication difficulty, emotional disturbance, conflict of values and problems in culture identity which could affect the development of Chinese language learning. Furthermore, the language barrier would limit the breath and dept of children’s learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lu & Chen (2003) who are researchers in Taiwan also supported the previous findings and argued that it is inappropriate for preschool children to learn a foreign language and culture at an early age. They believed that China would be the strongest country in terms of economic stability and the Chinese language would be the next universal language. Hence, parents should not be anxious to have their children learn English at a young age. They further stated that there is no critical period in learning a second language so it is not necessary to start learning at preschool age. The researchers also believed that having a good command of the native language is the foundation for learning a second language. The absence of an American or British accent is not an important matter to consider in learning the English language. Therefore, it is unnecessary to study English at an early age to avoid speaking with a foreign accent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides the two researchers and one government statement above, the book â€Å"My Child Can’t Speak Chinese† (Cheung, 2004) is also frequently cited by people who are against using English as the only medium of instruction in the kindergarten education. In this book, Cheung depicted her daughter who tends to combine the English and Chinese syntaxes when speaking Chinese after attending an English only kindergarten school. In the book, the arguments to ban the English only teaching in kindergarten school is understandable considering that children in Taiwan speak Chinese at home and kindergarten is the first education that they have experienced outside their homes. The use of English as the only medium of instruction in their first school may give the children the wrong impression that English is the formal school language. They may also think that their Chinese language is less important. These thoughts could possibly lead to the confusion of culture identity and negatively affect the learning of the Chinese language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an international student who had studied in various classes with native English instructors and have worked as the sole foreign teacher in an American school, I understand the anxiety that a child may feel in an English only environment based on my personal experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Armed with a first hand experience in obtaining an education in an English only school under instructors who are native speakers of the English language and with an experience of being a foreign teacher in an international school, I can strongly understand and clearly see the point in the policy made in not allowing the operation of the English only kindergarten schools. However, in as much as I could empathized with the policy makers, I also felt the inadequacy of the study that was conducted before arriving at a recommendation to close and prohibit the existence of dual language kindergarten schools. There are many dual language kindergartens in the United States and I have taught in an English-Chinese dual lingual public school in New York, P.S. 184M, Shuang Wen School. This is the first dual lingual and bicultural public elementary school in the east coast. Children at Shuang Wen have regular English classes as other public school students and start learning Chinese from the kindergarten level and continue studying until the sixth grade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Shuang Wen’s website, there is a report cited that almost 100% of their students exceeded the required grade level standards of the New York State examination for Math and English. With Shuang Wen’s success, one could only ponder as to why American students are allowed to enroll in an English and Chinese bilingual program since kindergarten while the Taiwanese students in Taiwan have to be deprived of this opportunity. I went through literature reviews by searching and reviewing dual language related literatures on databases of ERIC, ProQuest, Education Full Text, Digital Dissertations taken from the Teachers College as well as the TC Catalog (EDUCAT). The summary of my findings are written below. Research on Dual Lingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dual lingual education literature reviewed is presented here in the following sections: bilingual education has no harm, the benefits of bilingual education, the best bilingual education-dual language program, and the current situation of dual language programs. Bilingual Education Has No Harm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrary to the findings of the researchers in Taiwan, Norbert (2005), Schambach (2006), Garcia (2006), and Pearson (2007) claimed that bilingual education has no harm to children at all. All the misconceptions were bias. For instance, Cheung’s (2003) worry concerning her daughter’s combined usage of English and Chinese is actually unnecessary. The combined usage of language was part of a learning process that children want to experiment in order to determine which of these two languages the listener’s â€Å"strongest language† is. This method would also enable the children to communicate effectively with their listener (Garcia, 2007). Moreover, the capability of switching between two languages could increase children’s cognitive flexibility (Steward, 2004). In terms of the concerns about the lost of identity and delay in the development of the children’s first language, it was discovered that bilingual children do not have any identity issues because in the bilingual education, children’s culture are respected and recognized (Farmer, 1998 & Schambach, 2006). Some children may develop two identities since they are educated in using two languages and two cultures but this helps children to be more adaptable to the global world and prepare them better to be global citizens. Moreover, Schambach pointed out an example of an identity issue whereby an immigrant child, who emigrated from one country to another, felt totally lost when not being accepted in the new country and treated as a foreigner upon return to the country of origin for a short visit. This situation can happen to Taiwanese children if the government is not open to the education that the parents expect for their children in Taiwan. About 77% of parents in Taiwan hope that the government would allow the integration of English in the kindergarten curriculum (Wu & Cheng, 2002). The main reason for the immigration to the United States of Taiwanese families is to provide better education for their children. If Taiwanese government fails to meet parents’ expectations, there is a strong possibility that Taiwanese family immigration would lead to a problem on the identity issue for the next generation. The Benefits of Bilingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After clarifying that bilingual education creates no harm to children, many researchers pointed out that bilingual education can enhance the development of children’s cognitive and social skills (Chan, 2003; Garcia, 2007; Norbert, 2005; Steward, 2004; Thomas, 2003). Chan (2003) compared 31 bilingual preschoolers and 29 monolingual preschoolers’ performance on 3 cognitive tasks and 4 theory-of-mind tasks. The results showed that the advantage of the bilingual learners in the theory-of-mind development hinges mostly in their cognitive development e.g., inhibitory control, reasoning and metalinguistic awareness. Garcia (2007) quoted the research of Peal and Lambert’s work with French and English bilinguals and English monolinguals and suggested that the intellectual experience of acquiring two languages contributed advantageously to mental flexibility, superior concept formation and a generally diversified set of mental abilities. She also cited Padilla’s reasoning that bilinguals are cognitively advanced because they are able to process information provided in one language and produce allied information in another language. Padilla used Keats and Keats’ report of a study as an example which German-English bilinguals, who did not demonstrate the ability to conserve weight in a Piagetian task, were trained to conserve in one of the two languages. Results from English and German post tests indicated that the concept was acquired in both languages. This suggests the possible increased in the flexibility of bilinguals during conceptual acquisition. Steward (2004) cited the finding of Willig who pointed out that students in the bilingual programs scored either the same or higher on the achievement tests in both languages in comparison with children in monolingual education. Steward also agreed with Cummings, Hakuta and Gold’s opinion that the bilingual program has increased children’s cognitive flexibility. Thomas (2003) further stated that the cognitive stimulus from the bilingual program led to enhanced creativity and analytical thinking. He also presented the result taken from Houston in 2002 that native English speakers, who had been in the two way dual-language programs for four years, scored between 63rd and 70th percentiles in total reading scores in the Stanford 9 whereas the scores of students in the monolingual English program hovered around the 50th percentile. This is a remarkable finding that could be used to infer that if Taiwanese children, who are native Chinese speakers, are educated in a bilingual program since preschool their intellectual capability might surpass students in a Chinese only program after four years. After reading all the benefits that bilingual education can bring to students, I continued to research for the definition of bilingual education and its best practice. The Best Bilingual Education Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barrera (2004) defines bilingual education as using two languages to learn. Schambach (2006) said a bilingual person means he can use two languages freely in any given situation. In terms of the best practice for bilingual education, Garcia (2007) pointed out that in teaching two languages, it would be best to separate them instead of combining them together. For example, at home each parent should speak a different language to the child and at school, different teachers should speak different languages. Children tend to learn the language in order to communicate. Norbert (2005) further strengthened the importance of separating two languages when teaching. Scofield (2007) specifically talked about the importance of a relaxed environment that is enriched with comprehensible language as well as the usage of gestures, mime, and real objects to illustrate speech and to provide input. He also suggested singing songs and rhymes and having group activities to create a conducive environment for the learners. In terms of time allocation for teaching each language, Steward (2004) cited Willig’s research result which showed that students in the alternate immersion program, wherein the day is divided into two halves each entirely in one language, have the best performance in the tests of both languages. This kind of program is also called dual language program. Current Situation of Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Barrera (2004), there are more than 270 dual language programs in the U.S. and the interest in these programs keeps growing as fast as the waiting lists. In Barrera’s research, she concluded that the most successful dual language program resulted when students learn one language in the morning and another one in the afternoon. There must also be a continuing non-repetitive lesson in the morning. In the succeeding morning, students must proceed to the next lesson in the other language. The important characteristics of a good dual language program as suggested by Barrera includes: a minimum of six years instruction; a focus on the core academic curriculum; high quality language arts instruction in both languages; integration of the languages into the instructional thematic units; separations of the two languages for instruction with no translation and no repeated lessons in the other language; use of each language in 50 percent of the instructional time; an addictive e.g. adding a new language at no cost to students’ first language; bilingual environment that has the full support of school administrators, teachers and parents; and an active parent-school partnerships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, regardless of all the benefits of dual lingual education as shown in the research, some politicians in California still think that English should be the one and only dominated language in United States. Hence, they brought up Proposition 227 to replace the bilingual and dual lingual education to total immersion method to help immigrant children learn English as fast as possible. Nevertheless, many researchers discovered that bilingual education has helped children learn English faster than the total immersion method (Krashen, 2005; Manyak, 2006; Monzo, 2005; Olson, 2007). Bilingual education has likewise helped students build more positive self identity by providing a sheltered learning environment (Monzo). Recommendation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After learning from the studies conducted by some researchers, the Taiwanese government must reexamine their educational policy that resulted in the total ban of bilingual kindergarten education in Taiwan. I recommend that the Taiwanese government conduct an empirical study on the possible effects of dual language kindergarten education in Taiwan and recruit volunteer participants to determine if the Chinese and English bilingual kindergarten education should be reopened as an educational option for Taiwanese children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would also like to suggest a research design which includes the preparation of the curriculum, teachers’ preparation, students’ selections and students’ evaluation. Curriculum   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to conducting a research, the Education Ministry of Taiwan must initially design a Chinese and English dual lingual curriculum for kindergarten pupils. The easiest and most efficient way is to translate the current kindergarten curriculum into English. In this method, the traditional Taiwanese values are neither changed nor altered and the English language was only used as a medium of instruction. This consistent and continuing curriculum, which is part of the current dual language program, has been proven to be the most beneficial way for students’ learning. Teacher Preparation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, the government must prepare all the teachers who will be involved in teaching the dual language program. The selection of teachers who would teach the Chinese curriculum is not as difficult as selecting teachers who could teach the English curriculum. For the Chinese curriculum, experienced teachers can be selected among a roster of kindergarten teachers. Since the current law forbids the hiring of non-Taiwanese citizens, it would not be easy to immediately hire English instructors. There may be few Taiwanese people who could teach using the English fluently, have a solid background in early childhood education and fully understand the Taiwanese culture. Since learning the language while keeping the Taiwanese cultural background are two major purposes of the dual language program, I would suggest to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan to hire Taiwanese Americans or Taiwanese people who have studied abroad for a long enough period of time and have attained a good level of English fluency. The qualification to become a kindergarten teacher in Taiwan should not be based on the nationality but on the teacher’s English capability and understanding of Taiwanese culture. With regards to having a solid knowledge on the background of kindergarten education, I believe that teachers can be prepared within few months of extensive workshops as I became a primary teacher at an award winning independent primary school in Connecticut after a week of intensive training and continuing professional development throughout the school year. In my job, I performed well as a foreign teacher. Through experience, I personally felt that it is possible to prepare any teacher for the background knowledge. Further research on this issue could be conducted to be assured that only the most qualified teachers are selected for the program. Students’ Selection and Follow-Up Plan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participating pupils should be voluntary and the opportunity to be a participant should be well broadcasted to all the parents who have children who are about to be enrolled in kindergarten schools. Students should be chosen from families of a mixed social economic status to represent the common student population in public kindergarten schools. Plans must be undertaken for students who are currently attending kindergarten so a continuing dual lingual elementary education can be achieved until the fifth grade as suggested by Garcia. Garcia discovered that the positive effects of dual language education will be manifested after 6 years of continuous education. The greatest challenge here is that all dual lingual elementary schools in Taiwan are private schools and therefore the tuition fees are not affordable by every family. For this problem, the government could either give vouchers or subsidize the tuition fees of the children who have attended the dual lingual kindergarten so they could study in private dual lingual elementary schools. In addition, the government can also put an effort to open a public dual language elementary school in each grade level to accommodate the education needs of these students. Data Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students’ cognitive development and academic performance will be assessed through standardized testing and observation from teachers and parents. Data analysis will focus on the findings to determine if advance cognitive development and better academic performance were achieved by students who were given the dual language program in comparison with the dual language students’ performance in the United States and Canada as studied by Barrera (2004) and Chan (2004). To avoid overstressing students, the test will be carefully designed and will be taken semi-annually. Likewise, students’ progress will be recorded for six years. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education is the best investment for the future of a country. With the influx of globalization and stiff economic and business competition, it is time for people of Taiwan to be armed with an education that could be comparable not only to their neighboring Asian countries but also to the western countries as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The progress of the country highly depends on its young citizens and the best way for the young citizens to be competitive is by providing them with an educational tool that will enable them to communicate with other people across the globe. English has been considered as the universal language in many parts of the world. There are no negative effects in learning a foreign language as shown in many research studies. Hence, it is time for the government of Taiwan, specifically the Ministry of Education, to study their policies and reconsider the option of reopening bilingual kindergarten schools in Taiwan. 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