Friday, September 6, 2019

Bpo Attrition- the Problem and Its Solution Essay Example for Free

Bpo Attrition- the Problem and Its Solution Essay Human Resources In Indian Business Process Outsourcing Organizations- Attrition. Is there any solution? Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is likely to be the next big thing for services in this decade. The industry is very diverse, with several sub-segments, each displaying its own unique characteristics. The BPO players need to be excellent in every facet of operations as the market is highly competitive at every level and re-defining itself every day. Being a People-Centric industry what are the people issues that, the HR will have to handle? What are the challenges faced by HR in dealing with them? HI Before this, one needs to gain an understanding about BPOs and what businesses are Indian companies doing in this segment? BPO is based on the premise that whatever competencies are not very important for an organization   (not their core competencies); outsource or ask somebody else who is adept at doing it, to do it for the organization. In this way the organization can concentrate on its core competencies and not worry about on trivial issues, which are not strategic in nature. But these days we even find organizations outsourcing their core competencies or the core business aspects to BPOs to gain the advantage of cost cutting and quality issues. Typically, BPO would include call centers, problem solving in insurance sector to other sophisticated activities like research and other back office dealings. India has the advantage of low cost, highly qualified English speaking labour, thus most of the BPO ventures in India are call centers, although of late, companies are entering into high-end areas like research. But for sometime at least we can assume that most of the companies would be doing the call center kind of business. Most of these kinds of jobs get done in the night in India to account for the 12-hour time lag between US and India. Over a period of time the biological rhythm of the employee changes, causing various kind of disorders like indigestion, fatigue, headaches etc. so the health of the employee is a major concern for the HR, more so because most of them are graduates in their early twenties. In addition the jobs are monotonous, often nerve wracking. So it is a challenge for HR to adequately rotate the jobs of employees and provide them with enough time to refresh, so that they are able to deliver service of highest quality. Although many companies are targeting fresh graduates, they are not able to retain them. Attrition continues to be high 35%. HR has to ensure that a proper career path is chalked out so that graduates increasingly see this area as a potential career for them. Clients in US, UK and other European Countries are very quality conscious and as increasingly complex jobs get outsourced, it becomes important that HR ensures right quality people are selected and the right quality of training is provided to them. This ensures that later they do not face embarrassing time from their clients. There has been enormous requirement in this sector for manpower and huge salaries are up for taking. The times are good for this industry, but one has to keep in mind that this industry is still in its way to figure out in the growth stage. One cannot predict the future so easily and the sour experience of software companies is still fresh in minds. So a little bit of caution is to be exercised in this matter and proper trends have to be forecast by the HR to ensure that they do not go the software way when ultimately the industry stabilizes. Attrition †¦ A major problem rocking the Industry. Some Facts to Ponder about†¦ * 95% companies in the industry have Attrition problems * The small-sized and medium-sized companies loose more people * Turnover rates are as high as 30% in some reputed BPOs and over all around 35% in the Industry. Employees move to smaller companies for exciting opportunities and greater identity and move to large companies for defined roles, clearer career paths and better HR systems. Loyalty towards their employer or towards the organization has slowly seems to have disappeared. Executives know that fast-moving markets require fast-moving organizations that are continually refreshed with new talent, and they have become quite adept to outside hiring. Even companies are quite comfortable with bringing in talent; they remain distinctly uncomfortable about seeing talent leave. The competition to headhunt employees with good performance ratings of other organizations is an open ploy. The mediators (so called Consultants) make this job easy for the organizations by gaining the data bases of employees and they lure the employees by offering huge pay packages finally making them to move from their job. One of the biggest assets of the BPO Industry is manpower. So, the biggest challenge in this industry is to attract and retain knowledgeable manpower. Today, BPO companies are facing a shortage of knowledge workers because the rate at which they lose employees is almost ouble the rate at which they hire. A major proportion of the turnover issue is attributed to the movement of manpower to the Companies who lure them by offering either better pay or higher designation. The average stay of an employee in bpo companies has dropped to one year. In such a scenario where companies are fighting to combat global business competition, and struggling to survive, employee turnover comes as a double blow. And the issue of managing employee separation often gets ignored. Just because a business is dependent on Communication skills, for instance, doesnt mean that it has to go to great lengths to retain its employees. If theres a large pool of people with good communication skills available, it might want to focus on recruitment rather than retention. Moreover, since new hires have lower salaries than long-term employees, the company is able to keep a lid on compensation levels. Cooperating with competitors is another way of dealing with retention. Because of the intensity of talent-war, companies instinctively view retention and recruitment as competitive exercises. But history shows that cooperation, even among competitors, can be one of the most effective ways of dealing with talent shortages. A New concept called Anti Poaching agreement between BPO organizations is on the Move. According to this agreement, the parties getting in to the agreement will share their employee databases with each other and so will restrain employees to shift in to each other companies. Lets hope that this works good for the BPOs. Frequent job-hopping of employees is not good for any one, neither for the company nor for the employee in terms of Growth.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Antimicrobial Activity of Pyrimidine-5-carboxylic Acid

Antimicrobial Activity of Pyrimidine-5-carboxylic Acid Antimicrobial activity of synthesized, novel hydroxamic acid of pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid and its complexes with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal ions Bhawani Shankar, Rashmi Tomar, Madhu Godhara, Vijay Kumar Sharma ABSTRACT Four metal complexes of new hydroxamic acid, 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal ions have been synthesized. The hydroxamic acid and its metal complexes were characterized by simple analytical techniques such as repeated melting point (M.P.) determination, elemental analysis, running their thin layer chromatography for single spot, and spectroscopic techniques such as I.R., H1-NMR and UV-Vis. (only for metal chelates) spectroscopy. Antimicrobial activity of the hydroxamic acid and their metal complexes were screened against two species of bacteria and two species of fungi by Serial Dilution Method. Metal complexes were found more active against both bacteria as well as fungi in antimicrobial screening test. Keywords Hydroxamic acids, antimicrobial activity, metal complexes INTRODUCTION Hydroxamic acids show a wide spectrum of biological activities and generally have low toxicities à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids are very well known for their antibacterial à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º3à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antifungal à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º6à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º7à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antitumor à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º8à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º9à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , anticancer à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º10à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , antituberculosis à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º11à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and antimalerial à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º12à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  properties. Hydroxamic acids are inhibitors of enzymes such as prostaglandin H2 synthatase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º13à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , peroxidase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º14à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , urease à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º15à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and matrix metalloproteinase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º16à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Cinnamohydroxamic acids are used for treatment of the symptoms of asthma and other obstructive airway diseases which inhibit 5-lipoxygenase à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º17à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . A number of hyd roxamic acid analogues have been shown to inhibit DNA (dinucleic acid) synthesis by inactivating the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º18à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Naturally occurringhydroxamic acid, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) is a powerfulantibiotic present inmaize à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º19à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Antiradical and antioxidant properties of hydroxamic acids have also been observed à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids play important role in many chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, analytical, and industrial fields à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º21à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º25à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . These diverse biological activities of hydroxamic acids are due to their complexing properties towards transition metal ions à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º26à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º27à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Siderophores are Fe(III) complexes of naturally occurring hydroxamic acids, involved in the processes of iron transport from the environment to the living organisms à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º28à ¯Ã ‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º29à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Hydroxamic acids after deprotonation acts as bidentate ligands and octahedral complexes are formed through the co-ordination of two oxygen atom of the –CONHO- group. This type of co-ordination have been studied with Cr(III), Fe(III), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) ions in solid state as well as in solutions, indicating the formation of octahedral complexes à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º30à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . We report herein the synthesis, structural features and antimicrobial activity of new hydroxamic acid, 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) as well as their metal complexes 4a-d with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) metal salts. EXPERIMENTAL Reagents and methods All chemical used in the present investigation were of analytical reagent grade. 1,3- Di-p-tolylbarbituric acid was synthesized by previously known method in the laboratory. Copper acetate monohydrate, nickle acetate tetrahydrate, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate were purchased from E-Merck. Triethyl amine and ethyl chloroformate were purchased from Spectrochem. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride potassium hydroxide and diethyl ether were obtained from S.D. fine chemicals limited, India. All the synthesized compounds were analysed for C, H and N by elemental analyser, model 1108 (EL-III). H1-NMR spectra (400MHz) were recorded on JNM ECX- 400P (Jeol, USA) spectrometer using TMS as an internal standard. IR absorption spectra were recorded in the 400-4000 cm-1 range on a Perkin-Elmer FT-IR spectrometer model 2000 using KBr pallets. UV-Vis. spectra of metal complexes were recorded in DMSO solvent at room temperature on Simadzu Spectro Photometer model no. 1601. Melting poi nts were determined using Buchi M-560 and are uncorrected. These reactions were monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC), on aluminium plates coated with silica gel 60 F254 (Merck). UV radiation and iodine were used as the visualizing agents. Synthesis of the hydroxamic acid 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) Synthesis of ligand 3 was carried out in two steps as follows: Step 1: Synthesis of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). Ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2) was synthesized by the reported method of Kuhne et al à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º31à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . 1,3- Di-p-tolylbarbituric acid à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5g, 0.016 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and triethyl amine à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2.30ml, 0.0168 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.10gà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  were dissolved in 20 ml of dichloromethane (DCM) and the solution was cooled to 00 C. Then ethyl chloroformate à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1.60ml, 0.0165 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  was added drop-wise over half an hour. The mixture was subsequently stirred for 12 hours at 00C, then, allowed to warm to the room temperature for 7 hours. The product is extracted in chloroform and dried over Na2SO4. Further, chloroform was evaporated to dryness and crude product was recrystallised from ethyl alcohol to yield pure 2. Step 2: 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) from ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). Synthesis of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) was carried out by adopting a method similar to that described by Griffith et al à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º32à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The mixture of hydroxylamine hydrochloride à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º1.87g, 0.026 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  and aqueous potassium hydroxide à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º2.19g, 0.039 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  was added drop-wise to a methanolic solution of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º5g, 0.013 mol. à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The solution was stirred at room temperature for 72 hours and then acidified to pH 5.5 using 5% HCl solution. After filtration the solvent was removed in vacuo to yield a solid. The crude product was recrystallised from hot water to yield pure compound 3. Synthesis of metal complexes Synthesis of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3). Copper acetate monohydrate à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.136g, 0.00068 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  in cold water was added with stirring to 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º0.50 g, 0.00136 mol.à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  in EtOH (20 ml) in a round bottom flask. The contents were stirred for about 6 hours and then reduce to half volume under vacuo. Yellowish brown precipitate of 4a was appeared after adding petroleum ether. The precipitate was filtered, washed with small amounts of Et2O and dried over CaCl2 in a vacuum desiccator. Similarly, complexes 4b of Ni(II) , 4c of Co(II) and 4d of Zn(II) with 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) were synthesized by taking nickle acetate tetrahydrate, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate respectively. Infrared Spectra In the IR spectra (Table 1), carbonyl stretching vibrations of hydoxamic acid exhibit a medium sharp intensity band in the region 1660 cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º33à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . This band has shifted towards negative region 1626-1609 cm-1 in the metal complexes indicating the coordination of the ligand with the metal ion through oxygen of the carbonyl group. The symmetric N-O stretching vibrations, obtained in the region 1120 cm-1 in the IR spectra of ligands, have shifted to lower side in the IR spectra of their metal complexes suggesting the coordination of ligand to the metal ion through oxygen of the N-O moiety à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º34à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . The presence of water molecules within coordination sphere of all chelates were supported by broad bands in the region 3450-3280 cm-1 and 850-800 cm-1 due to stretching and deformation modes of coordinated water molecules, respectively. The appearance of new band in the IR spectra of metal chelates in the region 551-519 cm-1 is probable due to forma tion of M-O bonds à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º35à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Table 1. IR spectral data of hydroxamic acid 3 and its metal complexes 4a-d. Compound à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(C=O)cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(C-N) cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(N-O) cm-1 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®(M-O) cm-1 3 1660 1349 1120 4a 1609 1327 1036 551 4b 1624 1355 1023 519 4c 1626 1384 1023 540 4d 1629 1350 1025 541 H1-NMR Spectra The hydroxamic acid 3 shows a one proton singlet at 1.14 due to –NH-O proton, probably due to magnetic anisotropy of the neighboring carbonyl group, electronegativity of nitrogen and H- bonding à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º36à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . One proton singlet in hydroxamic acid 3 appear at 2.49 due to –N-OH proton à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º37à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Due to proton exchange in D2O this signal disappeared in the spectra indicating the possibility of –OH proton. Six protons multiplet for two Ar–CH3 group protons of hydroxamic acid 3 appear at 2.01 – 2.09. The hydroxamic acids 3 show a one proton singlet due to –C5H proton at 5.26. A multiplet due to eight protons of aromatic rings, Ar-H was observed at 7.17 7.20. H1-NMR of metal complexes 4a-d was not taken due to very less solubility in suitable organic solvents. UV- vis. Spectra Cu(II) complex In the electronic spectra of Cu(II) complex, 4a, three absorption bands in the region. 13157, 16949 and 23809 cm-1 have been observed, which correspond to the transitions 2B1g → 2A1g, 2B1g → 2B2g and 2B1g → 2E1g suggesting distorted octahedral geometry à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º38à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º40à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Ni(II) complex The electronic spectra of Ni(II) complex, 4b, exhibit three bonds in the region 13333, 16129 and 20833 corresponding to the transitions 3A2g → 2T2g(F), 3A2g → 3T1g(F), 3A2g → 3T1g(P) respectively which show an octahedral geometry for these complexes à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º41à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º42à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Co(II) complex In the electronic spectra of Co(II) complex, 4c three absorption bands in the region 12903, 14925 and 20200 cm-1 were seen, which may correspond to the transition 4T1g→ 4T2g(F), 4T1g ­ → 4A2g (F) and 4T1g → 4T1g(P), respectively, indicating an octahedral geometry à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º43à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º44à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Zn (II) Complex No significant absorption was noticed in Zn(II) complex, 4d, above 400nm probably due to diamagnetic nature and completely filled d- orbitals. In the Zn(II) complex only transitions due to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °* and nà ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ °* were seen. Antimicrobial activity Synthesized ligand 3 and metal chelates 4a-d were tested for their antimicrobial activity against two bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and two fungi Aspregillus flavus and Aspergillus niger by adopting Serial Dilution Method à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º45à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ .. The micro-organisms were cultured in nutrient agar medium à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  which was prepared by taking 6.0 gm peptone, 1.50 gm beef extract, 1.0 gm dextrose, 3.0 g yeast extract, 1.50 g agar (for slant) in 1 liter distilled water for bacteria and 10.0g peptone, 20.0g dextrose, 20.50g agar (for slant) in 1 liter distilled water for fungi. Measured quantities of the test compounds were dissolved in propylene glycol. First set was prepared for primary screening by taking 1ml (2000 µg/ml) of seeded broth (obtained by 1:100 dilution of the incubated micro-organism broth culture) in 10 well cleaned sterilized test tubes and gradual dilution process was continued for all the ten tubes using a fresh pipette each time. All the above sets of tubes were incubated at 37oC for 24 hours for bacteria and at 28oC for 96 hours for fungi. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined at the end of incubation period. Active synthesized compounds, found in the primary screening were further tested for secondary screening by taking 1ml (1500 µg/ml) of seeded broth against all microorganisms. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this present work synthesis of 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydroxamide (3) was carried out by adding an aqueous solution of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and potassium hydroxide drop-wise to a methanolic solution of ethyl 2,4,6-trioxo-1,3-di-p-tolyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (2). The solution was continuously stirred for 72 hours at room temperature, which on acidification give crude solid. (Scheme I). Compound 3 on stirring with different metal salts, gave corresponding metal complexes 4a-d (Scheme II). All the metal complexes obtained were solid and stable at room temperature and insoluble in most of the common organic solvents. The spectroscopic and analytical data (Table 2) are in good agreement with theoretical values for the ligand and metal complexes. Table 2. Analytical data and physical properties of the hydroxamic acid 3 and metal complexes 4a-d. S.No. Compd Molecular Formula Color Percentage Elemental Analysis Calc./ (Found) M.P. /D.T. (oC) Yield (%) C H N 1 3 C19H17N3O5 Dark Pink 62.12 (61.90) 4.63 (4.52) 11.44 (11.28) 1560C 85% 2 4a à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºCu(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Yellowish Brown 54.87 (53.27) 4.33 (4.30) 10.10 (9.90) 2480C 71% 3 4b à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºNi(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Light Pink 55.22 (54.70) 4.39 (4.25) 10.13 (10.10) 2700C 70% 4 4c à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºCo(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Pink 55.20 (54.70) 4.35 (4.25) 10.16 (10.20) 3220C 75% 5 4d à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºZn(C19H16N3O5)2.2H20à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Brown 54.67 (53.80) 4.32 (4.30) 10.07 (9.89) 3100C 70% Antimicrobial Activity The newly synthesized hydroxamic acid 3 and its metal chelates 4a-d were tested for their antimicrobial activity against two bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia Coli and two fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. The experimental results of MIC values (Table 3) show moderate activity of all the compounds against both bacteria and fungi. Further, it has been found that the metal complexes were more active than hydroxamic acid. This increased antimicrobial activity of the complexes as compared to the hydroxamic acid is probably due to the fact that chelation increases the lipophilicity of the complexes, which subsequently enhances the penetration through the lipid layer of cell membrane and restricts further multiplicity of the microorganism à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ º46à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ . Among the metal complexes, Cu (II) complex 4a was found most active against both bacteria and fungi. The higher antimicrobial activity of Cu (II) complex may be due to higher stability constant of copper complexes. Table 3. The minimum inhibitory concentration ( µg/ml) MIC values of hydroxamic acid 3 and their metal complexes 4a-d. S.No. Compound Bacteria Fungi Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Aspergillus niger Aspergillus flavus 1 3 325 325 250 325 2 4a 125 125 250 250 3 4b 325 500 500 325 4 4c 500 250 250 325 5 4d 500 250 250 250 CONCLUSION Four new metal chelates, 4a-d with ligand 3 have been synthesized and characterized. Octahedral geometries were proposed for the prepared metal complexes. All the synthesized hydoxamic acids and their metal chelates were screened for antimicrobial activity. A comparative study of the MIC values of the ligand and its complexes show that complexes exhibit higher antimicrobial activity than free ligand. Among the metal complexes, Cu (II) complex 4a was found most active against both bacteria and fungi. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT One of the authors Ms. Rashmi Tomar is grateful to UGC, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, for providing fellowship. 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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Importance of Age Discrimination in Employment Regulations

Importance of Age Discrimination in Employment Regulations Abstract This dissertation discusses the rationale for age discrimination legislation, examining both evidence of age discrimination and incentives for employers to discriminate based on age. Questions concerning the justification for and effectiveness of age discrimination legislation are likely to become progressively more significant in light of a rapidly aging population in the United Kingdom, and an often misunderstood and victimized youth. This dissertation presents a summary, critical review, and synthesis of age discrimination legislation. At the outset, it traces out the background of age discrimination and discusses implementation of the new law. It then reviews the existing research on age discrimination in relation to younger and older workers- research which addresses the rationale of legislation, its effectiveness and criticisms. Finally, it looks for answers from the United States and draws a conclusion. In writing this dissertation it was found that empirical tests and certainly commentary on age discrimination were far less numerous, more varied and sometimes less direct than those relating to race or gender discrimination. Neumark believes that there are two reasons for this: research on age discrimination had and continues to have less urgency, because older groups generally do not suffer the sizable pay differences associated with gender and unemployment rate disparities, and; regression-based empirical methods for gender and race are not thought to affect productivity as with age discrimination.[1] Introduction Discrimination: Treatment and Equality Unfair discrimination takes several forms, some more invidious than others. Fortunately, the Framework Directive forbids both direct and indirect forms of discrimination. Direct discrimination arises, for example, where due to the victim’s gender, age, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation, that individual would not be treated with the same opportunities and benefits as another individual in comparable situations. In other words, direct discrimination is where an individual is treated less favourably on a forbidden ground, such as age, than another person would be treated. Indirect discrimination on the other hand, occurs where a seemingly neutral practice or rule puts individuals of a particular age, for example, at a specific disadvantage compared with other individuals, and where it is not objectively justifiable. On this basis, two central components relating to discrimination emerge: treatment and equality. The treatment component suggests that discrimination is often due to the failure to treat a person as an individual: The point is not always appreciated by those who write about discrimination, perhaps particularly by those writers who lack personal experience of discrimination. To them it is a puzzle that the remedy for discrimination is seen politically as a matter of groups rather than individuals, for in the traditional debates of liberalism, the wrongs of inequality of opportunity, for instance, are wrongs done to individuals and the remedies are equally atomistic. But discrimination has displaced simple injustice in the language of social and political oppression precisely where it transcends the individualism of traditional liberal values and acknowledges that group-related wrongs are in issue †¦ The issues here are often obscured by the valid assertion that discrimination is what it is in virtue of treating someone as a member of a group rather than as an individual. In contrast, in allocative situations the proper thing to do is to allocate by the merit, ability, need, capacity of the individual concerned rather than on the basis of average (or stereotyped) properties of members of that group †¦ In this sense discrimination is the failure to individuate, that is to treat on an individual basis.[2] Nonetheless, it is the principle of equality which underpins anti-discrimination legislation. Bernard Williams propounds the idea that the central ethical basis of discrimination seems to be that even though human beings may be unequal in their skill, intelligence, strength or virtue, ‘it is their common humanity that constitutes their equality.’[3] All of us share common humanity and are entitled to be considered equally on the grounds of individual merit rather than on the grounds of group stereotypes or suppositions. Nowadays, this is not simply a moral idea but it is also an economic and social necessity.[4] Furthermore, the demands of our modern technologically progressive society for a skilled and working population imply that it is not only unfair but economically damaging to discriminate unduly on the grounds of generalisations and stereotypes. This point was expressed succinctly be Andrew Smith MP, the Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportuni ties: To base employment decisions on pre-conceived ideas about age, rather than on skills and abilities, is to waste the talents of a large part of the population. In ten years time, for example, more than a quarter of the workforce will be aged over fifty. This is a huge resource- for businesses and for the country- which could be wasted unless we tackle the way stereotypes based on age wrongly exclude people from jobs and training. It is a resource that we cannot afford to waste.[5] Age Discrimination The Age Discrimination in Employment regulations, taking effect in 2006 will make discrimination on the grounds of employment unlawful. Currently, however, discrimination on the grounds of age is not unlawful in the United Kingdom, insofar as it does not amount to discrimination on other grounds, for example sex discrimination. In Secretary of State v Rutherford, for example, a man, who was aged 67, was dismissed by his employers on redundancy grounds.[6] Any person older than 65 years, in conjunction with Sections 109 and 156 of the Employment Rights Act is not entitled to redundancy payment. In the Employment Tribunal’s opinion, a higher proportion of males worked beyond retirement age than women, therefore, the legislation was seen to be discriminatory against men. Although the judgement was reversed, the case clearly illustrates the relationship between age and sex. Preceding the 1997 general election, the Labour Party was faithful to age discrimination legislation. However, following the General Election, it was decided that a non-statutory route was more favourable. It was thought that ‘on balance, there was no consensus of opinion on legislation and a strong case for legislation was not made during the consultation.’[7] Thus, following a consultation, the Government introduced the Code of Practice on Age Diversity on Employment in 1999, rather than legislation on age discrimination. This tactic was a failure, as the following survey suggests. A survey was conducted in 2000 on the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment. Of 800 companies interviewed in a Department for Education and Employment survey, only 1% introduced a change as a direct result of the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment and just 4% believed that a future change was likely.[8] Two thirds, 68%, of the respondents believed that a future change linked to the Code was unlikely, with a quarter, 27%, uncertain as to whether they will introduce the change or not. The main reason given for no change was the credence that their company practice and policy already meets the guidelines. The survey intended to cover a cross section of randomly selected employers, with results weighted to imitate the profile of companies in Great Britain. When asked directly about the Code, 29% of companies were aware of the Code, with awareness being notably higher in large companies, where 60% were aware of it. Nonetheless, only a quarter, 23%, who knew of the C ode had actually seen a copy of it. In one survey, 86% of all respondents favoured a statutory approach to age discrimination in employment, compared with 13% preferring a voluntary one.[9] Gender and race discrimination have been the principal focus of researchers studying discrimination and are thus by far the most vociferously debated. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis and understanding of age discrimination is crucial. The simplest definition of age discrimination, which highlights much of the empirical work on race and gender discrimination, is aversion on the part of employers for hiring from precise subgroups of the population, as in the Becker employer discrimination model.[10] Neumark believes that such ‘discriminatory tastes are most easily interpreted as based on animus.’[11] He also states that discrimination may be based on ‘incorrect stereotypes,’ which cause employers to treat employees differently, for instance due to age; a feature which is isolated from productivity or costs.[12] That said, Neumark recognises differential treatment based on age for reasons other than animus or stereotypes, but warns that interpreting whet her such treatment is discriminatory is notoriously complex.[13] The tension lies in distinguishing between differential treatment based on age and factors that happen to be related to age but are not necessarily driven by age related considerations per se. The Government’s consultation document failed to sufficiently define age discrimination; it simply stated: It is hard to define age discrimination succinctly. The consultation made it clear that there can be both direct and indirect forms of age discrimination in employment. The most obvious forms are where people held strong, stereotypical views about a person’s capabilities to do a job or to be developed because of their age.[14] There is an inherent difficulty with arriving at an acceptable definition because the concept of discrimination implies that there is a discrete group who are being discriminated against, yet, in the context of age discrimination, ‘everyone has some age.’[15] In other words, to define age discrimination in terms of discrimination on the basis of age is unacceptable, because it identifies the discrete group as the entire population. The Government’s consultation document does not define these distinct groups but speaks of discrimination as it affects large numbers of workers. As Sargeant notes, the mistake with this approach is that it fails to recognize solutions which might be age specific, for example, the solutions for discrimination against younger workers might be different to the discrimination against older workers.[16] A comparative analysis of age discrimination in the European Community offers the following definition: Direct discrimination: measures targeted at older workers based solely on grounds of age, and no other factors, such as abilities or health. These measures use specific age limits to exclude older workers from, for example, training and employment schemes, or from applying for jobs †¦ Indirect discrimination: measures which are not directly age-specific, but which have disproportionately negative impact on older workers, compared with other age groups. This hidden discrimination usually has the most widespread negative impact on older workers in employment.[17] However, age discrimination does not take place simply in relation to older workers; it also takes place in relation to younger workers also, as the following discussion will demosatrate. Main Body The New Law The age component of the European Employment Framework Directive is to be implemented by the United Kingdom Government in October 2006. Consultation was resolved in October 2003. The Regulations are intended to afford protection for a number of different categories: people who are working (including agency workers and self employed workers); work applicants; people undertaking for or applying for employment training; people undertaking or applying for further education or higher education courses; members, or applicants for membership, of trade unions or a trade or professional bodies. The protection will apply to both direct and indirect discrimination, including victimisation and harassment. The current state of the transposition of the age discrimination provisions vary from member state to member state. Some member states, including the United Kingdom, have utilised a delay in transposition, taking advantage of the provision outlined in Article 18. The United Kingdom government has taken an approach that includes both detailed consultation and active awareness raising; which is welcome. It is also reviewing wider equality issues and has sought a delay to enable it to embark on this work. For this reason, there is considerable uncertainty over the detail of the age legislation because it is not known how the government will implement Article 6 of the Directive Article 1 Equal Treatment and Employment and Occupation Directive, provides that the purpose is to provide a general framework for combating discrimination in relation to a number of grounds including age.[18] The Directive does, however, cover a number of other areas besides age. The Preamble refers to equal treatment and the right to equality before the law and protection against discrimination, as recognised by the UN and ILO declarations. Article 3 informs that Article 1 will apply in relation to conditions such as access to employment, access to vocational training, employment and working conditions and membership of employers’ or workers’ organisations. Article 4 permits the discretion that a difference of treatment may be justified where there is a ‘genuine and determining occupational requirement, provided that the objective is legitimate and the requirement is proportionate.’ Article 6 refers to justifications in differences of treatment due to age. It follows that differences in treatment may be justified if ‘they are objectively and responsibly justified by a legitimate aim including legitimate employment policy, labour market and vocational treatment.’ Examples of such differences were provided as: where there are special conditions for access to employment and training, including dismissal and remuneration for young people, older workers and persons with caring responsibilities in order to promote their integration into the workforce; fixing minimum conditions of age, professional experience or seniority for access to employment or certain advantages that are linked; fixing a maximum age limit for recruitment which is based either on the training requirements of the post, or the need for a reasonable period before retirement. In order to set in context the problem of age discrimination and therefore the benefits of the new legislation, it is necessary to refer to statistical evidence. One in four people in their fifties and sixties report that they have experienced discrimination in work or when applying for a job[19] and one in five people are discouraged from applying for a job due to ageist recruitment advertisements.[20] In addition, almost a million people over fifty who would like to work are not working.[21] The Government estimates that the economy will benefit by over  £1 billion during the first twenty years with the new age legislation.[22] Similar figures are mirrored in an interview of 150 people, where 78% of older workers, who had been victims of ageism, said that the experience continued to stay with them and ‘scar’ their lives.[23] The same survey revealed that 71% found that ageism effected their mental wellbeing, with one in three believing that it had affected their marr iage. The delay in transposition of the Directive, in terms of the United Kingdom government, was taken in order to enable it to conduct consultation and awareness- raising. In this respect, AGE has called upon the member states to establish an independent body with powers to promote awareness and ensure compliance on age. The Directive does not make such a provision but it is undoubtedly important for employers to receive advice and guidance. The United Kingdom government has created an advisory group on the Directive, from a range of stakeholders and a taskforce on the creation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. These bodies intend to compliment the government’s Age Positive Campaign, to promote positive attitudes amongst employers. BT has welcomed the new legislation, already instigating a proactive approach to employing older workers: A work environment that actively supports all our employees is central to BT’s culture, and equality of opportunity- regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, disability or age- is championed throughout the company †¦ Encouraging diversity and developing an inclusive culture is vital to our strategy of creating customer-focused business †¦ Promoting diversity and inclusion is for us a way of establishing a meritocracy within the company and is a means of ensuring that we have the right people in the right jobs. In many ways our commitment to diversity and equal opportunities has gone beyond the business case.[24] It has introduced a portfolio of flexible options to support a decade of retirement for its employees and this has seen an increase in its proportion of employees aged over 50 from 13% to 24% in three years.[25] If this is an indication of support by employers about the new legislation, it is to be welcomed.[26] Such rapid and early changes are highly advantageous to employers, since they can gain a comprehensive insight of the laws in advance and are thus more likely to avoid claims of age discrimination and associated costs. Certainly, the United Kingdom, along with other industrialized countries, has a rapidly ageing population. Therefore, age discrimination legislation will become increasingly more important. In 1971, half of the population was aged under 34.1 years,[27] with the median age rising to 38.4 years in 2003.[28] This is owing to declines in both fertility rates and mortality rates, for example, between 1971 and 2003, the number of under-16s fell by 18% while the number of people aged 65 and over rose by 28%.[29] [30] Continued population ageing is inevitable during the first half of this century, since the number of elderly people will rise, as the relatively large numbers of people born after the Second World War and during the 1960s baby boom became older.[31] Indeed, projections suggest that the number of people aged 65 and over will exceed the numbers aged 16 from 2013. [32] Furthermore, the working age population will also fall in size as the baby-boomers move into retirement and since relatively small numbers of people have been born since mid- 1970s.[33] Another report, by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development claimed that if nothing is done soon, standards will fall.[34] This is one demographic argument in favour of the new legislation: there is a need to retain older workers in the workforce, because there will be a reduction in the number of young people entering it. The other demographic argument is to raise the retirement age, so as to stop people becoming an economic burden on a reducing workforce.[35] Never before has age discrimination legislation been so essential! It was reported in Equal Opportunities Review that the Irish Labour Court awarded  £6,000 to a legal secretary, who claimed that she had been discriminated against on the grounds of age.[36] At the time of the hearing, Ireland was the only European country that had protection against age discrimination in its employment legislation. The case represents the first age discrimination case to be decided by a European Court. It therefore presents favourable optimism for enforcing the new legislation.[37] The complainant was employed by a law firm, as a legal secretary for eleven months. The complainant alleged that her dismissal was due to the respondent’s decision to employ a younger person. The dispute was initially based on whether the complainant was a temporary or permanent employee, but she had never been presented with a written contract of employment and the court motioned that, in any case, this was of no value if the reason for her dismissal was based on age. The Court discovered that, prior to the complainant’s dismissal the partners of the firm had decided to redesign the job, which meant being trained to provide a quasi-legal and secretarial service. It emerged that the complainant was not considered for the new job, despite her experience and suitability for the new post. The Court observed that the complainant’s dismissal was arose because the new post had been designed for a younger person and that, the complainant, by reason of her age, did not m eet the prerequisite. It was therefore held that the complainant was discriminated against by reason of her age. The new legislation is welcomed more so when one looks to current policies employed at work on age discrimination. From one report, it emerged that just over half of the employers- 63 out of 122 respondents- had a written policy mentioning age diversity.[38] The remainder of employers did not yet have a policy on age diversity or indeed age discrimination.[39] Where the policies did exist it emerged that age discrimination was just one part of a list of possible grounds of discrimination. An example of such a practice was characteristic of Nottingham Primary Care Trust.[40] Age was included in the equal opportunity policy stating, ‘no employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, age, race, martial status, disability, religion, sexual orientation, sexual assignment, creed, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins.’[41] It also emerged from the report that 30% of organisations in the public sector had an age policy, and public sector organisations formed just 23% of the respondents.[42] Just 27% of the respondents adopted the government’s Code of Practice, despite an increasing number, 63%, being aware of it.[43] Furthermore, it was found that just 56% monitored the age profile of their workforce.[44] However, although legislation is an important start, combating discrimination also needs a broader approach. Indeed, the Directive explicitly calls on the member states to consult with stakeholders when transposing the Directive. In addition to legislation, member states should develop initiatives to inform individual workers and employers about their new rights and responsibilities, and to change employer and social attitudes towards age issues. Without this, the Directive will be less effective, as the House of Lords observed: Few employers operate overtly ageist recruitment and retention policies (except in so far as they use fixed retirement ages). Age discrimination is frequently the unconscious outcome of an employer’s more general human resource management policy and procedure †¦ the eradication of unconscious discrimination will require a fundamental cultural change on the part of employers and workers.[45] Failure to acknowledge the new legislation, coupled with its novel influence, could create ‘an explosion of unnecessary tribunal cases,’ according to the CBI.[46] The Employers Forum on Age claims that employers could be exposed to litigation costs for unfair dismissal and discrimination claims of up to  £193 million in the first year of the legislation alone.[47] A survey of 500 firms revealed that two-thirds of firms observed a rise in dubious employment tribunal claims and that companies feared the problem will escalate with the implementation of the new age legislation. Certainly, John Cridland, the CBI deputy director general, remarked: ‘In the current compensation culture, there’s a risk that people will take advantage of legal clarity.’[48] 44% of companies have little confidence in employment tribunals, believing the system to be ineffective.[49] This, of course, has the knock-on effect of costly charges of discrimination claims being brough t by employees. In order to prevent such costly proceedings, United Kingdom businesses should prepare and protect themselves in advance of the age discrimination legislation, just as BT has done. Combating age discrimination is certainly a new concept for many member states, indeed the United Kingdom. There is evidence that a number of governments and social partners do not yet recognize the reality of age discrimination and perceive it as similar to the other grounds of discrimination.[50] Certainly, one powerful criticism is that the Directive takes a negative and retrospective approach to discrimination, in line with other areas of discrimination protection. It appears that the extensive use of the discretionary power within Article 6 of the Directive, seeks to validate differences on the grounds of age as a legitimate criterion for discrimination.[51] The fact that these exceptions were spelled out in the Directive is interesting. Sargeant believes that it is perhaps indicative of the way that age discrimination should be treated differently from other types of discrimination.[52] Sargeant continues: There appears to be an economic or business imperative that suggests that more harm will be done if discrimination does not take place, rather than an imperative that states that age discrimination is wrong and can only be justified in exceptional circumstances. Effectively, widespread discrimination is to be allowed to continue except those forms which are held not to be for the economic good of the business.[53] The lack of understanding on the issue, is highlighted in the prevalent malpractice among member states, for example, age limits in human resource management.[54] In its report on EU Proposals to Combat Discrimination, the House of Lords Select Committee was highly critical of the draft Framework Directive’s failure to tackle discrimination effectively, particularly in relation to Article 6.[55] In the Committee’s opinion, the draft failed: To achieve the Commission’s goals of providing clear limits and certainty in the field of age discrimination. As drafted, there is a strong possibility that it would do more harm than good, effectively legalising age discrimination throughout the Community. There appears to be no coherent pattern in the list of justifications. Equally, it is unclear what ages will be covered, and what comparisons will apply in judging age discrimination. The draft framework Directive will give no protection to the growing proportion of the population which is over the age of retirement. It appears that the determination to tackle age discrimination is not uniformly strong. It is therefore vital that the Action Programme and similar measures should place particular emphasis on building awareness of the issue. At the same time the government should seek to ensure that any exceptions to the principle of equal treatment irrespective of age are clearly defined and justified. There have been minor improvements in the drafting of the Directive, but the substance of the criticisms remain. A wide latitude is given to the member states about the scope and limits of the legislation and there is a concern about the effectiveness of the right in the sanctions for infringement that are ‘effective, proportionate and dissuasive.’[56] Moreover, dilemmas are resulting from an uneven transposition. As stated previously, some member states have asked for a delay in transposition. Whilst the United Kingdom’s reasons may be justified, this undermines the essence of a Directive. A Directive aims to regularize the legal systems of member states, insofar as possible so that the same material conditions are in force throughout. A Directive is binding on the member states as regards the overall objective to be achieved. A recent case suggests why States need to work closely on these issues. Easyjet and British Air Line Pilot’s Association, have reported a complaint that three member states have banned pilots over the age of 60 from their airspace, due to health and safety grounds, despite there being no correlation with any other countries in the European Union. To emphasise this point further, in some Member States, such as Germany, Portugal, and Luxembourg, there has been little or no progress reported in the transposition process.[57] In other member states, such as France, Italy and Austria, there has been technical compliance with the legislative requirements of the Directive but nothing to promote awareness of age discrimination and engagement of stakeholders.[58] Other member states, such as Ireland and Belgium, have widened the scope of the legislation into the field of goods and services, while others, notably the United Kingdom, have asked for a delay.[59] It seems that the Council has missed the opportunity to adopt a single unified Directive, which is not on miscellaneous grounds.[60] On the other hand, the House of Lords have expressed their anxiety in relation to implementing the new legislation in such a short time frame and that the delay is not long enough: We are concerned that the timescale for the implementation of the legislation on age discrimination will allow employers and workers at most two years to revise their procedures and expectations to conform with the new legislation. This is a very short period given the scale of the cultural shift required, and it may impose a part

Essay --

During exercise, in order to obtain energy, muscles have to burn carbohydrates and lipids, which causes the production of heat. The increase in metabolism during exercise increases the body’s core temperature (Burton, 2004). Circulating blood flow is used to transport the excessive metabolic heat produced by the working muscles. The heat is transported to the surface of the body and it is released to the environment. Radiation, convection or by evaporation of sweat, are the three main ways the body gets rid of excessive heat (Fortney, 1985). The hypothalamic neurons control the body temperature (Soare, etl,2011). These neurons modulate the autonomic and hormonal control of heat production and heat loss. This allows for the constant maintenance of core body temperature when the environment temperature changes (Soare, etl,2011). When the core body temperature is at an ideal temperature, the internal organs and the bodily systems work at their best. The ideal temperature to be at is 98.6 F. Having it below 96 F or over 100 F the organs and systems will not work properly. Exercise sessions performed 2-3 times a week can help improve cardiovascular fitness (White, 2013). Not being active enough increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other disorders. Over time, exercise reduces cardiovascular risk, reduces blood pressure and decreases insulin resistance (Cohen, 2013). The cardiovascular system is a direct beneficiary of increased physical activity. Exercise can minimize the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system and improve circulation, heart function, blood fat lipid levels, and reduce blood pressure. On the other hand, people who live a sedentary life are more prone to cardiovascular disease (Exercise for ... ...s that exercise will have on the body. Oxygen demand increases when doing a physical activity. This causes the person to breath heavy. During exercise, the respiratory rate will elevate and might remain elevated after heavy exercise for up to 1–2 h. During strenuous exercise, the heart rate and stroke volume increase to about 90% of their maximum values. The body can never use oxygen at a higher rate than the rate at which the cardiovascular system can transport oxygen to the tissues (Burton, 2004). Staying physically fit will lose body fat, increase energy, and improve confidence (Bergen, 2013). To prevent weight gain, 150-250 minutes of moderate exercise a week is recommended. People that exercise have decrease in body fat and an increase in quality of life. Their energy level was also measured and they scored higher than the controlled group (Burnham, 2002). Essay -- During exercise, in order to obtain energy, muscles have to burn carbohydrates and lipids, which causes the production of heat. The increase in metabolism during exercise increases the body’s core temperature (Burton, 2004). Circulating blood flow is used to transport the excessive metabolic heat produced by the working muscles. The heat is transported to the surface of the body and it is released to the environment. Radiation, convection or by evaporation of sweat, are the three main ways the body gets rid of excessive heat (Fortney, 1985). The hypothalamic neurons control the body temperature (Soare, etl,2011). These neurons modulate the autonomic and hormonal control of heat production and heat loss. This allows for the constant maintenance of core body temperature when the environment temperature changes (Soare, etl,2011). When the core body temperature is at an ideal temperature, the internal organs and the bodily systems work at their best. The ideal temperature to be at is 98.6 F. Having it below 96 F or over 100 F the organs and systems will not work properly. Exercise sessions performed 2-3 times a week can help improve cardiovascular fitness (White, 2013). Not being active enough increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other disorders. Over time, exercise reduces cardiovascular risk, reduces blood pressure and decreases insulin resistance (Cohen, 2013). The cardiovascular system is a direct beneficiary of increased physical activity. Exercise can minimize the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system and improve circulation, heart function, blood fat lipid levels, and reduce blood pressure. On the other hand, people who live a sedentary life are more prone to cardiovascular disease (Exercise for ... ...s that exercise will have on the body. Oxygen demand increases when doing a physical activity. This causes the person to breath heavy. During exercise, the respiratory rate will elevate and might remain elevated after heavy exercise for up to 1–2 h. During strenuous exercise, the heart rate and stroke volume increase to about 90% of their maximum values. The body can never use oxygen at a higher rate than the rate at which the cardiovascular system can transport oxygen to the tissues (Burton, 2004). Staying physically fit will lose body fat, increase energy, and improve confidence (Bergen, 2013). To prevent weight gain, 150-250 minutes of moderate exercise a week is recommended. People that exercise have decrease in body fat and an increase in quality of life. Their energy level was also measured and they scored higher than the controlled group (Burnham, 2002).

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Replacement Advertising on the Web - Is it Legally and Ethically Essay

Replacement Advertising on the Web - Is it Legally and Ethically Acceptable? Summary ======= This report discusses the legality and ethics of a new piece of software launched in February 2001, which allows ISP's to overlay advertising banners on any web page on the net with adverts sold by, and controlled by them. Investigations led to discussions about Copyright infringement and European Competition Law. Many examples of Case Law were also investigated for their possible links with issues arising from the use of this software. Introduction ============ This report is being written to try to understand the issues raised, both legally and ethically, by the release of a new piece of software (Fotino) onto the Internet market. In an attempt to answer whether this software is an acceptable addition to the world of the web, only replacement advertising as facilitated by Fotino software will be considered. This is due to the fact that since my investigations into this subject began other software packages have come to light, which may be able to perform this function in a slightly different way. The problem posed by this software has required investigations from both a practical and theoretical standpoint, in that in practice the software has not yet been adopted by any of the Internet Service Providers (ISP's) and so cannot be fully investigated along this route, yet from investigation I have been able to see the software in action from it's marketing campaign. From a theoretical point of view I have investigated existing laws and cases that I think may be used in the future, either for or against the use of this software, should any of the legal and ethical issues raised be fought in a court of law. This report is being written for anyone who may have an interest in developing technologies and how they affect both the technological world and society as a whole, ethically and legally. This report will raise issues about the catch-up situation of the legal system and the fast developing world of the internet. Due to the speed at which the world of computers develops I do not feel that this report will provide answers to the problem, but will merely provoke discussion and thought about many issues. The Managing Director of Meltingpoint Technologies - the company who developed the Fotino software, has requested a c... ...opean Community Law. London: Blackstone Press Ltd. pp 250-267. Web Sites --------- Hunt, J, 2001. Guardian Unlimited [online]. UK: Guardian. Available at: URL:http://wwwguardian.co.uk/archive/article/0,4273,4136232,00.html [Accessed 18th February 2001]. Lambert, J, 2001. Electronic Telegraph City News Headlines [online]. UK: Electronic Telegraph. Available at: [Accessed 24th February 2001]. (Author unknown), 1997. Lawtel Case Law [online]. UK: Lawtel. Available at: [Accessed 4th March 2001] (Author and year unknown), Analysis - Agency-client Contracts [online]. UK: Marketing Law. Available at: [Accessed 20th February 2001]. Case Law -------- Cooper v Stephens [1895] 1 Ch 567 Shetland Times Ltd v Dr Jonathan Wills [1997] FSR 604 Sinanide v La Maison Kosmeo [1928] 139 LT 365 Spectravest Inc v Aperknit Ltd [1988] FSR 161 United Brands Co. v Commission (Case 27/76) [1978] ECR 207 Volk v Etablissements Vervaecke Sprl (Case 5/69) [1969] ECR 295 Statutes -------- The Copyright Act 1956 The Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 s 16(1), s 17(2), s 20 European Competition Law Article 85(1) European Competition Law Article 86

Monday, September 2, 2019

External Factors Essay

External factors are a number of influencing factors which are not controlled by the company but will impact pricing decisions. It includes of legal, consumer trends, technological, and competitors. Our company focuses on technological and competitor as external factors that influencing price setting on matcha collagen biscuits. Competition factors can look into three areas which are monopoly competition, perfect competition and oligopoly competition. Monopolistic competition is a situation where a single company or group controls the entire output of the market for a given type of product or service with any buyers. Besides, a monopoly is protected from competition by high barriers to entry and the product it produces has no close substitutes. Example of monopolistic competition is water service which supplier of water has no substitutes. Perfect competition is a market structure where there are a large number of buyers and sellers. There are a perfect knowledge of market condition and the price which no individual firm has any influence on the market price. The products in perfect competition are homogeneous which they can be substituted easily. Therefore, the company can entry or exit the industry without affecting the market. An oligopoly competition is a situation in which a particular market or industry is dominated by a small number of firms which compete against each other. There is an element of interdependence in the decision-making of these firms. Example of oligopoly competition are newspaper industry, petrol stations, and airlines. Our product’s price is influence of external factors which is perfect competition. This is because there are many firms produce an identical and homogeneous biscuit in the biscuit market such as Munchy, Tiger, and Jacobs. Besides, they are many sellers in the biscuit market which are Kraft, Julie, and Munchy as well as there is no dominating firm. Therefore, our company is considered as price takers which accepts market price determined by the forces of market demand and supply. Furthermore, all buyers and sellers have perfect knowledge about the prices of biscuits in the market. Hence, our company cannot simply set the price of matcha collagen biscuits to maximize its profit, this will cause our product easily substitute with another brand of biscuits. Moreover, our company has complete freedom of entry into and exit from the biscuit market without affecting the entire market. Technology is a business enabler that has a revolutionary impact on the actual conduct of business. It contributes to achieving desired business productivity and efficiency. Under technological, our company using advanced technology on manufacturing operation to produce matcha collagen biscuits. Examples, our company used the latest techniques and machinery in order to increase the production as well as maximize capacity. Furthermore, the creation of databases and electronic communications in our company have enabled vast quantities of information to be shared and quickly distributed within the company. Moreover, our company’s customer service department used communication technology to talk to customer but will also have access to internal systems, such as technology to simplify credit control and stock control. Therefore, shifts in technology and advances may affect costs, quality and overall innovation of our product which becomes a major factor of setting the right price f or matcha collagen biscuits.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Returning to School Essay

Returning to school was one of the important decisions, I have made about my future. I will be discussing my reasons for returning to school. Such as setting a good example for my children and getting a higher education. Returning to school was a very important decision for many reasons that include setting a good example for my children and carrier advancement. I firmly believe in leading by example, and I want them to see that if I can do it, they can do it as well. I am determined to be the best role model that I can possibly be. My decision in obtaining a Higher education is the key for my present and future as it will be for them. Without it I have gotten about as far as I can with my current employer and I would be left with the feeling as if I have sold myself short. If I get a college education, I will have something to help me get the job that I want and deserve. Even though higher education, Reasons on returning to school because Setting an example for my children and Getti ng a higher education. I have had several jobs over the years. The majority of them have been in nursing in one form or another, my current job is a Certified Nursing Assistant at a nursing home, and prior to that I was a Certified Nursing Assistant doing private duty for over ten years. I am working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration in Long Term Care. I know that once I receive my degree I will be qualified for a variety of jobs. The job that I would like the most would be a Administrator in a nursing home. I want to help others who don’t have the means to help themselves. Most of all I can’t stand seeing elderly people who are not properly cared for, especially those who just don’t seem to care about their well being. This is not the first attempt I have made to return to school, this is actually the second. I tried returning to school once before while working and partying before I had kids. At first everything went fairly well but over a short period of time I realized the work load would prove to be too much. I was working eighty plus hours every two weeks which did not allow for me to have the proper amount of time to spend studying so I had to end up dropping out. Pursuing a degree in Healthcare Administration in Long Term Care can help in many ways. It will help me develop communication skills. After reviewing the description of Healthcare Administration in Long Term Care and talking it over with my academic advisor, I decided to go with it. With this degree I could start my own business. Work for a non-profit organization. Also I could simply decide to pursue a management position with my current employer. I have a wide range of work I can find with this degree. I know I picked the right degree and the right time to return to school. The benefits of obtaining a college degree have been obvious. Getting a higher education to get a better job and higher salary is definitely a benefit. Setting an example and being a role model for my four children is reward enough.