A Deeper Understanding of the Stressors of Psoriasis Professor Ramos Blog

A Deeper Understanding of the Stressors of Psoriasis Society dictates of how beauty should be defined when it comes to how proportionate the person’s facial features are as it fits the golden ratio, and more importantly, how flawless a persons skin has as visibly seen by the eyes of the beholder. Nevertheless, the skin is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the body from external harsh environment. Skin problems and illnesses are frequently noticeable and visible to others that even a physician can generally diagnose what a person has by looking at the abnormal skin level. The social stigma customarily correlated with different types of skin conditions is hard for people to cope with their skin issues and diseases, as well as negative reaction they receive from others. Moreover, many people suffer from variety of skin problems whether it is hereditary, autoimmune, infectious, environmental, or of unknown cause. Thus, it is the goal of this paper to look into a deeper understanding of one of the prevalent skin d iseases, such as psoriasis, though untreatable, yet can be prevented as long as the underlying causes are known intracellularly and externally. Fig. 1. Healthy skin and skin with psoriasis. â€Å"Growth and Shedding of Keratinocytes in Psoriasis.†Psoriasis Plaque, PubMed Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0030407/ Normally, the skin regenerates itself about once a month, or approximately every twenty-eight days (Pagano 18) or 4 weeks as shown in Fig. 1 in a healthy skin (Growth and Shedding of Keratinocytes in Psoriasis). However, in psoriasis, the process speeded up; the skin attempts to renew itself every three or four days instead of the twenty-eight days. The surface area becomes red, inflamed, extremely sensitive, visibly raised, and scaly (19). The word psoriasis is from the Greek word psora, which means â€Å"itch† (Raychaudhuri et al. 61). Psoriasis is a long term, immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID , a disease that lacks definitive etiology) that occurs from the hyperproliferation of skin cells, thus thickening the layer of skin, which causes erythema or redness, scaly silvery plaques, itching, and bleeding. It is genetically inherited from a mother or father who has the disease. Psoriasis is not an unusual disorder; a prevalence of 2%-4%, with a peak incidence between 15 and 25 years age and without sex predilection, has been reported (45). Fig. 2. Common affected areas in psoriasis. â€Å"Main Features of Psoriasis.†Psoriasis E-Chart.HC-HealthComm, loc. 63, hc-healthcomm.com The manifestation of psoriasis can be triggered by many factors. It can be triggered by external and internal environmental factors in genetically susceptible individuals. These factors include infections, drugs such as allergic drug reaction, antimalarial drugs, lithium, beta blockers, interferon alpha, withdrawal of systemic corticosteroids, local trauma (Koebner’s phenomenon), and emotional stress, as these correlates with the onset or flares of psoriatic lesions (Weinberg 11). These lesions are distributed symmetrically and frequently occur on the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp. These plaques can be intensely pruritic and bleed when manipulated, referred to as Auspitz sign (12). Thus, emotional stress, drugs, and infections can trigger clinical signs and symptoms experienced by psoriatics such as itching, bleeding, and lesion at the more prominent body sites such as the knees, elbows, back, and scalp as shown in fig. 2. Fig. 3. Pathophysiology of psoriasis at a cellular level. â€Å"Evolution of Psoriasis and Immune Factors.† Psoriasis E-Chart.HC-HealthComm, loc. 51, hc-healthcomm.com In many diseases that most people suffer, it seemed psychological distress plays a huge role in the exacerbation of the disease. Doctors and many people believe psychological ‘stress’ to be a major triggering factor in many skin diseases, specifically psoriasis (Shuster 614). The correlation between skin and mind may be a result of the skin’s role as biological structure of transmitting information, and perhaps also the social response to the infectious nature of skin disease in the recent past; consequently a disorder of the skin may have a very severe effect on the mind (615). He infer this is the basis of the erroneous belief that mind is a significant etiological aspect in skin disease. Moreover, he believes that there is a strong proof that both mind and ‘stress’ transform certain skin circulatory and immune responses but in a direction which might be anticipated to improve psoriasis (615). Therefore, based on the belief by many expertise in the field of medicine, psychological stress can worsen psoriasis. There are many cases have been reported that stress can exacerbate psoriasis. Scientific research reports roughly 40% of cases in the beginning or worsening of psoriasis, psychosocial stress has been reported to play an important role (Gupta et al. 166). A few studies have been published that about 80% of patients with psoriasis are stress reactors. Many psychosocial intercessions have been reported to be a vital addition in the typical therapeutic management of psoriasis (166). Based on the study of 127 patients with plaque psoriasis who got admitted to Dermatology inpatient unit, the psychosocial stress measures such as major life events, psychological or personality factors, social support, and minor daily stressful events or hassles were used to evaluate the severity of the disease of psoriatic patients (168). Based on the result of the dermatologic measures that were done, it revealed that the high stress reactors (i.e. stress exacerbates psoriasis) had extensive psoriasis on he ad (face and scalp), neck, upper extremities, and genital area which are classified as â€Å"emotionally charged† because psoriasis in these anatomical parts are more likely to induce emotional reactions in the patients †¦ In retroactive study, the high stress reactors also reported a larger number of flare-ups of their psoriasis during the 6 months prior to admission (170). In this study, the psychocutaneous traits have identified the high stress reactors from the low stress reactors (i.e. less significant link of stress and psoriasis). The high stress reactors had more disfiguring psoriasis because it affected many regions of their body. Aside from what Gupta and his colleagues had mentioned above, another scientific study suggests that stress can cause psoriasis. Based on Al’Abadie et al research on the effects of stressful life events on the beginning and progress of psoriasis, their studies showed that psoriasis patients’ disease is affected by stressful events differing from 40 to 80% based on whether it is an acute or chronic stress, and based on patients self reports or responses based on standardized check-lists (199). They also added that stress can affect the immune system directly through neuroendocrine changes or indirectly through poor healthy habits in regards to diet and sleep, or by taking drugs such as alcohol and therefore lowering their immune system (199). They found that chronic stress of everyday struggles can worsen psoriasis (200). The results of the study supports that the experience of stress may take a significant part in the onset and exacerbation of psoriasis. Many credible researchers continue to emphasize stress as one of the causes of the progression of psoriasis. In the study performed by Griffiths and Richards, they stated that psoriasis suggested as a psychosomatic disorder wherein stress or psychological distress is a cause in expressing the disease. Also, in their article, â€Å"Psychological influences in Psoriasis,† emotional stress was mentioned as the most convincing precipitating factor in psoriasis (338). The result of their study reported over 60% of a sample of psoriasis patients who attended a specialty clinic were convinced that stress was the main reason to the cause of their psoriasis, and this was not related to the clinical severity of their condition as measured by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) (338). In addition, they also examined the Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory (PLSI) which is another way in rating everyday life struggles or recurring substandard stress associated with having to live with pso riasis. They were able to identify that the two main factors to stress in psoriasis were â€Å"engaging in anticipatory and avoidance coping behavior, and belief of being evaluated on the basis of their skin† (qtd 339). Furthermore, they deduce that if psoriasis patients engage themselves in anticipatory and avoidance coping behavior which is not related to their skin condition, then it might be hypothesized that â€Å"thoughts related to stigmatization and rejection may be influencing such behavior† (qtd 339). In other terms, psoriasis patients are expecting horrible situation when they are not aware that this will actually happen. One good example would be a psoriasis patient will not take her children to a public water park for fear of being asked to leave the premise due to the fact that they have psoriasis even though this might never have occurred to them in the past. They tried to avoid this kind of situation because they feel being stigmatized because of the cl inical condition of their skin. Therefore, emotional or psychological stress of daily struggles with psoriasis manifests the progression of the disease. Fig. 4. Commonly affected areas of psoriasis and types of treatment. Armstrong, April W. â€Å"Psoriasis is a Common Condition Where the Skin Gets Red and Scaly; Psoriasis can Cause Itching, Discomfort, and Sometimes pain.† JAMA Dermatology, vol. 153, no. 9, Sep. 2017, p. 956. There are different types of treatment for psoriasis (see fig. 4). It can be topical medication, phototherapy, biological agents, oral medication, and diet. Though psoriasis can be stress related, having psoriasis self-help groups and group therapy that help the psoriatic patients to deal with the daily stresses related with their disease should be part of the whole therapeutic programs (Gupta et al. 172). The dermatologist should tailor the treatment plan based on patient individual needs since everybody has different and unique biochemical makeup. Though there is no cure for psoriasis, all the possible treatment mentioned above can possibly prevent the onset and exacerbation of the disease. Topical medications are used to treat the symptoms of psoriasis. Salicylic acid, corticosteroids and vitamin D analogues are few of the topical agents used to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. Raychaudhuri states that due to increased water loss and increased formation of keratinocytes in the skin, the skin becomes dry and itchy (246). Salicylic acid emollients are applied on the psoriatic skin to moisten the epidermal layer and prevent it from pruritus or itching (246). On the other hand, inflammation of the skin is another symptoms experienced by psoriatic patients. Since psoriasis can be an autoimmune disease, the keratinocytes in psoriasis are not well regulated causing an inflammatory response. Vitamin D has many important roles in immunity and the absorption of calcium according to Fett (163). Vitamin D supplement added in diet of psoriasis patients has a moderate or greater improvement in psoriasis in at least 50 percent of patients in five separate studies that have been r eported (164). Some psoriatic patients who take higher doses of vitamin D supplements completely resolved their disease (164). Vitamin D analogues are used to strengthen the immune system, and it binds to intracellular vitamin D receptors to regulate the genes responsible in the proliferation of keratinocytes and keratin (Raychaudhuri 249-50). The same effect as vitamin D ointment happens when corticosteroid is used to treat inflammation in psoriasis. Corticosteroid, a steroid hormone, is produced in the adrenal cortex regulates inflammatory response. It attaches to glucocorticoid receptor in the cell and regulates the gene responsible in inflammation (248). Therefore, the symptoms of psoriasis such as itching and inflammation can be treated with salicylic acid, vitamin D compounds, and corticosteroid topical agents. Another treatment used to relieve the symptom of psoriasis is by the use of phototherapy. Ultraviolet (UV) light therapy is used as a phototherapy to slow the growth of the affected skin cells in psoriasis (Raychaudhuri 170). Since psoriasis is a T cell mediated disease, the abnormal functioning T lymphocytes attacks the skin cells causing an inflammatory response by increasing the keratinocyte proliferation and keratinization (Dolgin 1219). Thus, with phototherapy, it slows down the process of the T lymphocytes in attacking the keratinocytes. Aside from the topical agents and phototherapy, diet also plays a vital role in the treatment of psoriasis. It is very essential to maintain the proper pH balance in the chemistry of psoriasis patients. Diet assists in the maintenance of a proper acid-base homeostasis of the chemical activity in the body according to Pagano (71). He suggests that psoriatic patients should be on the basic (alkaline) side than the acidic side as nature demands. The body chemistry that is leaning more towards the alkaline is more resistant to all kinds of disease (71). Furthermore, he recommends eating alkaline-forming foods such as raw carrot, celery, beets, parsley, romaine, lettuce, and spinach juice extracts, and avoids acid-forming foods such as strawberries, citrus fruits, citrus juices, and avocados (73-75). He mentions that a person’s blood should be always on the slight alkaline side (pH 7.3-7.5) to maintain the ideal health and immunity (71). Therefore, psoriatic patients should be awar e of their diet to maintain alkalinity in the blood and body chemistry to have a better resistance to disease and strengthen their immunity. Psoriasis is a very serious disease when it comes to the personal well being of a person who suffers from it. Knowing the possible stressors of psoriasis can help psoriatic patient treat its symptoms before its onset and exacerbation. Though the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, bacterial or viral infections, toxic drugs, and psychosocial distress are few possible stressors of psoriasis. These stressors can cause the skin cell to behave erratically causing itchiness and inflammation of the skin. Many clinical studies have suggested that psychosocial stress can cause the exacerbation of psoriasis. Furthermore, a good mental attitude towards the disease is important to look at because they need a strong support group as they live their life daily with all the struggles they experience with the disease. In addition, different types of treatments such as topical agents (salicylic acid, vitamin D compounds, and corticosteroids), phototherapy (ultraviolet light), and diet are used to tr eat itching, inflammation, and other symptoms of psoriasis. Diet plays a very important role in alleviating the symptoms of psoriasis as long as the body chemical atmosphere is within the alkaline side for it aids a person from being resistant to diseases and increase its immunity. A deeper understanding of the stressors of psoriasis can help many people to win their battle with psoriasis. Al’ Abadie, M. S. et al. â€Å"The Relationship Between Stress and the Onset and Exacerbation of Psoriasis and Other Skin Conditions.† British Journal of Dermatology, no. 130, 1994, pp. 199-200. The article discusses the relationship between stress and beginning and progression of psoriasis. Dr. Mohammed Sami Al’ Abadie has worked in Dermatology since 1989, obtaining his PhD in Dermatology from Sheffield University, DSBD Diploma in Dermatology from University of Wales, working as a consultant Dermatologist since 1997. He is also a senior lecturer and visiting professor of medical students from Birmingham University, and has published numerous specialist papers in peer review journals in Dermatology. The article is important to utilize in the research paper due to one possible cause of psoriasis is stress. Armstrong, April W. â€Å"Psoriasis is a Common Condition Where the Skin Gets Red and Scaly; Psoriasis can Cause Itching, Discomfort, and Sometimes pain.† JAMA Dermatology, vol. 153, no. 9, Sep. 2017, p. 956. The article talks about common symptoms experienced by psoriatic patients. Dr. April W. Armstrong is an Associate Dean of Clinical Research at Keck School of Medicine at USC. She also serves as Director of Clinical Research for the Southern California Clinical and Translational Research Institute. In the Department of Dermatology at USC, she serves as Vice Chair, Director of Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research, and Director of the Psoriasis Program. The article is very useful in knowing the symptoms of psoriasis. â€Å"Evolution of Psoriasis and Immune Factors.† Psoriasis E-Chart.HC-HealthComm, loc. 51, hc-healthcomm.com The article accounts for the pathophysiology of psoriasis and anatomical areas affected by psoriasis. The information provided by this article can be helpful in knowing what really is going on at the cellular level in psoriasis. Fett, Rebecca. Healing Arthritis and Psoriasis by Restoring the Microbiome: The Keystone Approach. Franklin Fox Publishing, 2018, pp. 163-164. The author helps us understand the root causes of the autoimmune diseases, for instance, the psoriasis. She affirms, based on scientific research, that the balance of bacteria in an individual’s microbiome can have a huge impact on inflammation throughout the body. She also reveals the importance of a low-starch and microbiome-restoring diets for people who are suffering psoriasis. The author is a science writer with a degree in molecular biotechnology and biochemistry from the University of Sydney. She previously spent ten years as a biotechnology patent litigation attorney in New York, where she specialized in analyzing the scientific and clinical evidence for immune-targeting biologic medicines. I will use this source to support my research paper regarding the connection or roll of diets in psoriasis. Griffiths, C. E., and Richards, H. L. â€Å"Psychological Influences in Psoriasis.† Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, no. 26, 2001, pp. 338-339. The article explains how patients with psoriasis experience psychosocial activities like high anxiety level, depression, worry and avoidance of social activities. It also suggests that one of the main sources of stress experienced by patients with the said skin condition is due to apprehension of how others will react to their disease, which leads to avoidance behavior and extreme worrying. C. E. M. Griffiths OBE (Order of the British Empire) is Foundation Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester, Director of the Manchester Centre for Dermatology Research and Head of the Dermatology Theme of the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. He is also an Honorary Consultant Dermatologist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. On the other hand, H. L. Richards of Mercy University Hospital, Cork is also a researcher with an expertise in Positive Psychology, Health Psychology, and Clinical Psychology. I will use this source to get more inf ormation between the relationship of psoriasis and stress. â€Å"Growth and Shedding of Keratinocytes in Psoriasis.†Psoriasis Plaque, PubMed Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0030407/ Gupta, Madhulika A. et al. â€Å"A Psychocutaneous Profile of Psoriasis Patients Who Are Stress Reactors: A Study of 127 Patients.† General Hospital Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 3, May 1989, pp. 166-173. PubMed, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0163-8343(89)90036-4. Gupta and his colleagues have identified some psychocutaneous distinctiveness that clinically differentiates psoriatirc who report that stress aggravates their disease (high stress reactors) from the psoriatics who do not report a considerable relationship between stress and their psoriasis (low stress reactors). The high stress reactors have more distorting illness as result of severe psoriatic flare ups in â€Å"emotionally charged† body parts. Madhulika Gupta is a scientist and affiliated at Division of Maternal, Fetal Newborn Health, Children’s Health Research Institute, and assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Biochemistry in the Schulich School of Medicine Dentistry in Western University. She is a very credible author that I can utilize in my research as it relates to the stressor of psychosocial influence to the exacerbation of psoriasis. â€Å"Main Features of Psoriasis.†Psoriasis E-Chart.HC-HealthComm, loc. 63, hc- healthcomm.com Pagano, John O. A., D.C. Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative. John Wiley Sons, 2009, pp. 18-19, 71, 73-75. Dr. John Pagano defines in his book what is psoriasis and its etiology. He discusses the importance of diet and mental attitude in overcoming psoriasis. He also reveals how acid-forming diet, stress and any negative emotions such as hatred, anger, fear and the likes can aggravate the psoriatic condition. The author is a chiropractic physician in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, for forty eight years. His motivation to conduct research on and study psoriasis is due to His first encounter with his psoriasis patients while doing his internship at a hospital in Denver has motivated him to conduct research on psoriasis to alleviate the suffering of the people with the said disease. He wants to prove that psoriasis and other skin problems or diseases can be controlled and healed naturally. I strongly believe that the author is a reliable source and his book will be able to help me on my research paper to validate some claims and answer questions regarding the causes of psoriasis, and how it c an be treated. Raychaudhuri, Siba P. et al. Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Intervention, and Complementary Medicine. Taylor Francis Group, 2018, pp. 37, 61, 170, 246, 248-250. The authors present information on pathophysiology, disease epidemiology, and genetics of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They cover the current treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which includes topical preparations, light therapy, and the idea of total care. In addition, they discuss the numerous nutriceutical supplements and functional foods available for psoriasis and its accompanying inflammatory conditions. Siba P. Raychudhuri, MD, FACP, FACR, is the chief of the Rheumatology Division at the VA Medical Center in Sacramento, California, and a senior faculty in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of California, Davis. Smriti K. Raychaudhuri, MD, is a professor of medicine and medical microbiology at California Northstate University College of Medicine. She is also the director of the Cellular and Clinical Immunology Research Laboratory at the Sacramento VA Medical Center, California. Lastly, Debasis Bagchi, PhD, MACN, C NS, MAIChE, is the chief scientific officer at Cepham Research Center, Piscataway, New Jersey; a professor in the Department of Phamacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Texas. I will use this source to explain the pathophysiology of the disease process of psoriasis. Shuster, Sam. â€Å"Stress and Psoriasis.† British Journal of Dermvatology. vol. 100, no. 5, 1979. pp. 614-615. The article discusses the relationship of stress and psoriasis. Dr. Sam Shuster is a British dermatology educator, consultant, and researcher. He is an honorary consultant at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital since 2009. Consultant on various pharmacological and chemical industries worldwide, television and radio programs on medical and general topics. The article provides information about how stress affects psoriasis. Weinberg, Jeffrey M. Treatment of Psoriasis. Birkhauser, 2008, p. 11. The book expounds the pathopysiology of psoriasis and the triggering factors of it. The author describes, as well, the different types of psoriasis like erythrodermic psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, nail psoriasis, oral psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. He also discusses the different ways to treat psoriasis- oral therapy, topical therapy, UV and laser therapy. Furthermore, he points out some medications that can trigger psoriasis. The author is a Dermatology specialist in Forest Hill, New York. He attended and graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1993. This book will be helpful to fully understand the disease process and treatments

The Right Way to Stake a Tree

The Right Way to Stake a Tree Tree staking is never done with the intention of harming a tree. On the contrary, staking a tree reflects a desire to promote root and trunk growth and may protect a young tree from severe weather damage.  But improper staking can hurt a tree. Fast Facts The three cardinal sins of tree staking:Staking too highStaking too tightlyStaking too long Risks of Staking Some tree planters dont understand that rather than help a trees root and trunk growth, improper tree staking can have negative consequences and could undermine a supportive trunk and root system. When an artificial supporting system is attached to a sapling, it prevents the wind-bending exercise needed to make trunk cells more flexible and to encourage spreading root support. The tree will put most of its resources into growing taller but discourage growth in trunk diameter and root spread. When the stakes are removed, a lack of trunk and root development could make the tree a prime candidate to be broken or blown down in the first good windstorm. It would have lost the supportive protection of natural development. Improper Staking Although trees staked improperly will grow  taller, trunk caliper or diameter will decrease, a loss that will result in a weakness the tree cannot overcome during  stressful  weather  conditions. Related to trunk diameter is taper, the reduction in trunk diameter from the butt to the top. A tree grown under natural conditions develops a genetically coded taper or trunk form that serves for a lifetime. Staking a tree causes less trunk taper and possibly even a reverse taper. Under this restricted condition, a trees xylem, the woody vascular tissue that carries water and minerals throughout the tree, will grow unevenly and yield a smaller root system, resulting in problems with water and nutrient uptake. The same thing can happen if the tree rubs on or is girdled by overly tight stake ties. Then, after the stakes are removed, the tree will be more likely to snap in high winds. When to Stake Most correctly dug balled and burlaped trees or container-grown  tree seedlings and saplings dont need staking. If youre planting bare-root seedlings  on a questionable site, you might consider staking them for a short time. If trees must be staked, attach  the stakes to the tree as low as possible but no higher than two-thirds the height of the tree. Materials used to tie the tree to the stakes should be flexible and allow for movement all the way down to the ground so that trunk taper develops correctly. Remove all staking material after roots have established. This can be as early as a few months  after planting but should be no longer than one growing season. Notes From a Horticulture Expert Linda Chalker-Scott, who has a doctorate in horticulture from Washington State University, says there are several reasons why people improperly stake trees: Containerized nursery trees often are staked for stability, and many consumers don’t understand that the staking material should be removed upon transplanting.Oral and written information from some retail nurseries instructs customers to stake their trees, whether or not they should. These instructions are sometimes incorrect and unnecessary.Some landscape architect specs describe outdated staking procedures that are followed by landscape installation companies.Little to no aftercare is provided for many tree installations. Without a management plan as part of an installation agreement, staking materials wont be removed at the appropriate time, if ever. According to Chalker-Scot: The first two practices are probably responsible for most incorrect staking in home landscapes, while the last two factors are probably responsible for most incorrect staking in public and commercial landscapes.

Comparing Policies of UK and Germany Research Proposal

Comparing Policies of UK and Germany - Research Proposal Example (Hofmann 78) For short term visits to engage in non work business activities, U.S. citizens do not need a visa to enter Germany. For longer term work assignments on the other hand, Germany offers a broad selection of employment authorization visa categories. (Gunlicks 67) As is the case with Germany, U.S, citizens do not currently need to have a visa to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) for short business visits. The individual may remain in the UK for up to six months. However, the UK government recently announced that it is considering the introduction of a new business visa that would reduce a permission to remain from six months to three months. (Schulte- Peevers 92) The UK has a number of specialized programs available for various types of work such as; training and work experience, business entrepreneurs, highly skilled migrants; however, the workhorse option for most companies sending U. S. citizens to the UK is the work permit Scheme. Under this system, a work permit may be issued for up to five years. Work permits are generally issued only where the job requires relatively advanced skills and or experience, or where resident labor is unavailable. The work permit Scheme is divided into two tiers; Tier One and Tier Two. (Szarka 83) Tier One work permit applications are exempt from any requirement to recruit for the position within the European Economic Area (EEA), which consists of the 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. (Boehmar- Christiansen 84) Tier Two applications do not fall within the various Tier One categories automatically come within Tier Two. For Two workers, the employer must document that it conducted a recruitment search for the position and was unable to find a suitable employee from either the UK or EEA labor market. (Chick 100) With both Tier One and Tier Two applications, once the work permit has been issued, in most cases an individual will apply for entry clearance to the UK at the British Embassy in his home country. The individual may then come to the UK to take up the contemplated employment. (Goodman 87) Under Germany, good option for multinational corporations allows transfer of personnel to Germany if it can be shown that the German company has employees working abroad; allows for a replacement of these employees, so that if five German employees are working abroad, five employees can be brought into Germany; valid for one year; extensions available for up to three years; no labor market opinion required. (Hofmann 82) Short term assignments on the other hand allows persons to enter Germany for up to three months in any 12 month period for specific purposes; a good choice for persons responsible for software installation, machine delivery or equipment repair; no labor market opinion required. (Szarka 90) Moreover, U.S. citizens enjoy a privileged status in Germany; in special cases, a work permit may be issued regardless of the requirements above; a labor opinion is required. (Chick 105) b) Why different/ Similar Different since UK's work permit is divided into two tiers and once the work permit has been issued, the individual is required to apply for entry clearance to the UK at the British Embassy in his home country and thereafter he or she may come to UK to take up the contemplated employment thus inconvenient. (Schulte- Peevers 96) c) Which better, and

Responses To Post Of Students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Responses To Post Of Students - Essay Example Even if the questions are well formulated, where D&I fails in an organization, the people who should provide the most relevant information, those minority members most affected by discrimination, would not be expected to candidly divulge their true sentiments or reactions in the survey or interview. There is a compulsion to outwardly conform to the majority expectation in order to keep one's job, although what they feel and think is contrary to what they express. Only when D&I is effective and the underrepresented can feel free to express their honest opinions can such a survey be considered reliable. The situation, therefore, yields a reverse outcome that follows a convoluted logic – that is, where the results show negative comments on D&I effectiveness can it be said that D&I has actually been effective.The post does not say, however, what these baseline measures pertain to – whether it refers to increase in job satisfaction, added productivity, reduced operating cost , and so forth. The selection of appropriate measurements becomes more challenging when one considers that most of these attributes are normally and more significantly influenced by factors other than diversity and inclusion. For instance, increased manpower cost is typically related to rising salaries and wages. Much of the elements in diversity and inclusion efforts defy quantification, because of the difficulty of isolating the impact of specific measures, and the complete absence of a measurable component.

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management

Barriers To Effective Supply Chain Management supply chain management Abstract Purpose -The aim of this paper is to have a qualitative analysis of benefits,barriers and bridges to effective strategic supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach The author use a case study approach .Interview was conducted from Supplier, SC manager and retailer . Findings- Results shows that customer satisfaction is consider as the primary benefits by all chain partners. And primary barrier and bridge is adequate information system and human factors. Research limitations/implications Due to the resource and time constraint the findings of this research are only based on supply chain of a single organization. Practical implications -This paper provide a understanding of how managers ,suppliers and retailers view benefits .barriers and bridges of SCM. Originality/value Keywords Supply chain management, Strategic management, Relationship marketing Paper type Research paper Introduction In todays business world competition is very fierce. Due to the Globalization, advance technology, and Increase customer demand , organizations need to raise there bar of performance continuously. As Thomas Edison said, If there is a better way, find it. So managers must keep his advice in mind. And supply chain management is a better way to compete in market. Supply chain management is the management of activities from availability and procurement of raw material , their processing into finish goods and then distribution of these goods. The purpose of this encompassing process is to enhance the business of the company and satisfy customers. By Sandra Maria Stammberger Christopher argues that the real competition is not company against company, but rather supplies chain against supply chain. For example, Wal-Mart and its suppliers will battle Carrefour and its suppliers in consumer markets around the world. This study has looked at benefits and barriers to supply chain integration. Vital bridges to supply chain success are also explored. SCM can reduce inventory, improve productivity, enhance quality, and reduce both product development and fulfillment cycles. As attractive as the potential benefits of supply chain management appear; the barriers or roadblocks to achieving them appear equally ominous such as internal external turf protection, inadequate information system, poor collaboration among the chain partners etc. And bridges/solutions are the mirror image of the most of the barriers (e.g., poor management leads to barrier; careful management is the bridge). The purpose of the study is to provide an understanding of the benefits, barriers, and bridges to successful SCM. For this purpose data is collected from the supplier ,SC manager and retailer of PEPSI (Gujranwala). We conclude that there are numerous benefits of SCM but to achieve these benefits we have to overcome two main barriers that is technology and human barrier. Focus of managers and scholars must not be on any specific barrier, but rather consider these two in combination for strategic supply chains to be successful . We hope that the research methodology given in this study provide some useful insight to help managers and their companies as they make headway along the arduous journey to supply chain leadership This research article is comprised as follows: literature of SCM in terms of benefits, barriers, and bridges followed by research methodology.And the main part of article includes findings from in-depth interviews , and conclusion with some suggestions for future research. In this way this article provide valuable insight into the state and direction of supply chain practice research. Background: benefits, barriers, and bridges An enormous amount of material has appeared in current years about supply chain management in both academic journals and trade press. Driving forces of supply chain management The driving forces of SCM stem from two sources: external pressures and potential benefits from strategic SC alignment. External pressures include such forces as advances in technology and increased customer demand across national borders (Mehta, 2004); maintaining lower costs while meeting these diverse needs (Cook and Garver, 2002); and intensified competition utilizing relationships among vertically aligned firms (Togar and Ramaswami, 2004). These pressures have begun shifting the focus of individual firms vying for market presence and power to supply chains competing against supply chains (Bhattacharya et al., 1995). Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges have been identified by Top ten benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Increased inventory turnover Internal and external turf wars Information transperancy Increased revenues SCM cost reductions Poor SCM planning Collaborative planning Product availability Lack of SCM vision IT architecture /internet Responsiveness Executive commitment Formal performance tracking Economic value added IT deficiencies Adopt strategic SCM vision Capital utilization Organizational structure /culture Attention to human factors Decreased time to market Lack of SC measures Suppply base reduction Reduced logistics costs Lack alliance guidelines Segmented customers: Poor SCM understanding Shared investment/benefits Benefits of strategic supply chain managemen Increased inventory turnover: Inventory turn reflects how frequently a company flushes inventory from its system. In SCM company has relations both with supplier and customer so they receive material on time and deliver goods to customer on time. So inventory turnover increases. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Increased revenues SCM cost reductions: Main source of cost saving is inventory management. Through SCM it is possible to reduce your inventory level and leads to cost saving. Other ways of reducing cost: Better trade relations and lower transaction cost Enhance asset utilization via shared resources Better product design that cost less (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Product availability: Involvement of supplier in new product development process can solve many problems like communications and new ideas are generated in collaborative design efforts rather than non-colleborative. In todays marketplace there is a need to have the right product available at the right time and right place at a lower cost than the competition. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Responsiveness: Responding to customers in a courteous, personal and understandable way is vary important.Quickly response to customers requests is possible through collaboration with chain partners.Close relationship with partners enables them to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events.Supply chain responsiveness requires exceptional/outstanding manufacturing and logistical flexibility to meet unique or special requests.And it is possible through integration. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Economic value added: There are two view points from which share holder value can be measured. 1) Internal view point (Economic value is used) 2) External view point (Market capitalization is used) EVA is calculated by deducting the cost of capital from its operating profit. Drivers of shareholder value are : Operating cost reduction ,fixed capital and working capital efficiency and revenue growth. There is no doubt that supply chain strategy affects all these drivers directly or indirectly. These are some of the strategies: Lead time of all incoming products is reduced by having partnership with the suppliers . By integrating processes .internal lead time can be reduced. By having a strong relation with distributor information flow from demand size is improved. (Christopher, M., Ryals, L. (1999)). Capital utilization: Capital utilization refers to how a companys assets are best used. Capital utilization is dollars of revenue generated in relation to dollars invested in assets such as account receivables, inventory etc. Examples of supply chain management connection: Demand planning Transportation management Inventory management Accurate forecasting (Timme, S.G. and Williams-Timme, C. (2000) Decreased time to market Successful companies create supply chains that respond to the sudden changes in market. Effective supply chain enables a firm to respond to the short term changes in demand and supply in the market because of collaborative relationship with suppliers and distributors. (lee(2004) Reduced logistics costs: In an integrated supply chain ,efficiency and effectiveness of operations can be improved by managing the movement of material throughout the firm in an organic and systematic way. This allow the firm reducing their purchase cost ,transportation cost and inventory and warehousing cost.( La Londe, B.J. and Masters, J.M. (1994), Emerging logistics strategies: blueprints for the next century, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 35-47. La Londe, and Masters,). Barriers to effective supply chain management Internal and external turf wars: Conflicts within the departments and within organizations are fundamental barrier to SC collaboration. In most of the companies all departments such as marketing, finance , operation work independently. But when managers make decisions they only consider their own department and ignore the impact of their decision on other departments and on whole organization. And same is the case with supply chain partners each partner work only for its own interest. So A tug of war begins as each department and partner pull the organization in their favor. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001) Poor SCM planning: Supply chain management is a way to combine process and entrepreneurship. The concept of SCM begins with customer and integrates all activities from raw material procurement to finished product distribution. In many organizations SCM fails due to insufficient forecasting and poor planning process. For correct forecasting, planning process must involve appropriate players and relevant information. Andraski, J.C. (1998). Lack of SCM vision: One of the major barriers to SCM collaboration is that chain partners dont have clear and common vision of SCM. They hold different beliefs and values and supplier and customer dont share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Lack of SCM vision: Lack of trust is one reason that channel partners are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001), Executive commitment: Top management should here be understood as the group of people that together constitute the highest management executive authority in a company. Top management is in a position to play an important role in successful SCM collaboration. A prerequisite for performing SCM is top management support. Almost all of the barriers such as incompatible technology ,conflict among supply chain members ,lack of employee willingness to share information can only be overcome with top management support. According to (Moberg et al., 2003) training and education are Important factors for top management to encourage and intensify. (Sandberg, Erik1; Abrahamsson, Mats(2010)) IT deficiencies: As because of globalization suppliers and customers are located all over the world so integration has become a major challenge .Lack of integrated information system is a major barrier as sharing of information is not possible without integrated information system. IT is like a nerve system of SCM. ( E.W.T. Ngai a,*, A. Gunasekaran b ,(2004) Organizational structure /culture: Organization culture and structure are also very crucial barrier to SC collaboration. If an organization is working independently for a long time then its very difficult for it work in collaboration with other chain partners. Lack of SC measures: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance.(Brewer and speh ,2001;) Measuring supply chain performance Lack alliance guidelines: Each channel partner in the supply chain has a separate plan for activities such as production plan and schedules. If an organization only have understanding of their on process and they dont have understanding of their customers and suppliers processes then there is a gap exist and organization cant improve their processes as external processes have an influence on internal processes. Lack of same performance measures across different departments and across the channel partners leads to conflicting behaviors both internally and externally. ( Barratt, M. (2004a) Poor SCM understanding: Employee dont have understanding of how SCM is beneficial for the organization and how it will benefit their job .This poor understanding is one reason they are not willing to contribute in SCM implementation. Bridges to effective supply chain management Information transperancy: ( yu zhenxin (2001) Each member of the supply chain should have complete information about the other members. If members are willing to share information then this leads to the improve performance of the whole system . Collaborative planning: Planning should be made with the involvement of all parties involve in the supply chain. Such as demand forecasting, production schedules etc may not be effective without the involvement of all partners. IT architecture /internet: With the passage of time SCM is becoming more and more complex and require online communication system .In order to enhance the buyer- supplier relationship different information technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange ,Internet And World Wide Web Are Used. Formal performance tracking: In order to have a strong collaboration among the supply chain partners it is crucial to measure the supply chain performance. (Brewer and speh ,2001;). Measurement of supply chain performance can help in Reducing cost ,Identify and target those segments of market which are more profitable((Lambert and Pohlen, 2001),better and improves decisions and test and employ new strategies Adopt strategic SCM vision: Chain partners should have clear and common vision of SCM. They should hold same beliefs and values and supplier and customer share common goal. (Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P. and Vos, B. (1999), Attention to human factors: A fundamental factor for the successful SCM collaboration is the human factor . People resist changes and they dont want to share information with others .So attention must be paid to human factors first as their willingness to implement effective SCM is the key to success. . (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thumb for determining maximum number of supplies. It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Segmented customers: Organization should collaborate only with those suppliers and customers who are strategically important for the business. This segmentation play a very important role in successful collaboration.(Tang and Gattorna, 2003). Segmentation of customers is done on the basis of their buying behavior and services needed. Different supply chains are made for different segments. A different strategy and supportive culture and leadership style is required for different supply chains. To serve the segmented supply chain a further step is to segment the suppliers according to their abilities. Shared investment/benefits: For SCM to be more effective and successful there is a need to share benefits resulting from integrated SCM. Benefit sharing is as much important as information sharing . even though reliable and trust worthy information is available ,there should be a need to fairly allocate benefits among members otherwise it weakens their relationship. (Fawcett, S.E. and Magnan, G.M. (2001)). Methodology SCM removes the boundaries of the organization therefore it is known as boundary spanning activity (Bowersos et al,1999) . To Have a macro picture ,information is collected through channel analysis. In this way more generalized view about the benefits ,barriers and bridges can be obtained. Case studies The case study method is used for answering questions regarding what, why, and how related to SCM implementation. This method put emphasis on in detail qualitative analysis. In order to have a cross-channel analysis interview is conducted from supplier ,SC manager and retailer. A structured ,face-to-face interview was conducted and Confidentiality was ensured .Structured interviews are those conducted when it is known at the outset what information is needed. The interview has a list of predetermined questions to be asked. The interview guide was divides into general questions and questions about the benefits ,barriers and bridges faced by the organization. Average interview duration was 1 and half hour. And face-to-face interview helps in repeating and rephrasing questions if not understood by respondents, and clarify doubts. Interview consist of Open-ended questions. Results and discussion Top five benefits ,barriers and bridges Benefits Barriers Bridges Customer satisfaction Inadequate information system Adequate information system On time delivery Lack share risk and reward Sharing of risk and reward Response to customer request Lack willingness to share information Willingness to share information Order fulfillment lead time Lack employee empowerment Senior management interaction Cost reduction Measuring customer demand Supply chain training Benefits Customer satisfaction: Company customers are satisfied because company is in a position to fulfill their needs, deliver goods on time and at low cost through integrated SC. On-time delivery: The development of closer, cooperative relationships with chain partners together with the establishment of integrated systems and processes make it possible to consistently deliver goods and services to customer at the right time and at the right place. Respond to customer requests: Business analysts have been saying for years-that customers matter most. So response to customers need as quickly as possible is very important for the success of business. One way of doing this in todays competitive market is to develop strong relationship with suppliers, retailers and distributers. This collaborative supply chain enables all parties to respond to their customer speedily. Order fulfillment lead times: Supply chain integration also reduces order fulfillment lead times by having exact quantities on-hand when needed . Cost reduaction: One way of cost reduction is to reduce cost of inventory. Another is sharing of resources with your chain partners and also by reducing product development cost through integrated process. Some other benefits includes: Handle unexpected challenges More open and trusting relationships enable more accurate information to be shared on more timely basis. This helps in making Supply chain partners better able to foresee their collaborators needs and handle unexpected events (e.g unique or special requests ) Productivity One of the most important benefit due to which organizations are adopting SCM is to increase revenues and decrease costs. Productivity is the ratio of Outputs/inputs. if planned and managed correctly, changes in supply chain relationships can help in producing same outputs with low cost of inputs and ultimately revenue increase . This doubleimpact of supply chain management is motivating factor for organizations to build strong relationship with chain partners in order to constantly reduce the costs of purchased items and to work with them to improve their processes in ways that increase productivity. Product innovation lead times, Collaborative product development help to minimize product innovation lead time. Involvement of all the partners results in higher quality,lower cost and less time to market. To gain these benefits there should be a need to build strong relationship base on trust and communication is necessary to share technology, co-locate personnel, and accept supplier-generated design improvements. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Barriers Inadequate information system: Inadequate information system is that lack in quantity and quality of information if not enough information is shared or the information shared is of little value strategic SCM may fail. Lack of willingness to share risk and rewards: As employee dont have clear understanding of what SCM is and how will benefit their job so they are not willing to share their risk and reward. Lack willingness to share information: Lack of trust is one reason that people are not willing to share information openly .because they have fear that if they share their weaknesses with their chain partners then they might use their weaknesses against them in near future. So Trust is pre-requisite in effective supply chain management. Lack employee empowerment: Lack of employee empowerment is a barrier to SCM to be successful. As employee empowerment is one way to motivate employees to participate in making SC collaboration successful. Employee empowerment is a form of decentralization it means giving employees the power to make decisions regarding their job and tasks. One of these decisions includes making purchasing decisions .i.e. when and how much is to be purchased..This will leads to successful implementation of Just-in Time manufacturing concept. Measuring customer demand: Accurately forecast customer demand is very important for successful SCM integration . In case manufacturers and distributers fails to accurately forecast customer demands then there are chances of stock outs and organizations face difficulties in maintain adequate inventory level. Some other barriers includes: Organizational boundaries There are two kind of boundaries in any organizarion intra and inter-organizational boundaries. These boundries should be removed for successful supply chain integration. For successful supply chain integration intra and inter -organizational boundaries should be removed. inter -organizational boundaries overcoming the company boundaries and working closely with suppliers and customers. (i.e., functional, business process, information/materials flows, and information/communication technology integration) intra -organizational boundaries Integration between different discipline and functions, such as manufacturing, distribution, marketing, accounting, information, and engineering. Measuring SC contribution, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Measuring Supply chain contribution is very important . these four measures can be used to measure supply chain contribution. Delivery: percentage of entire order deliver to the customer when he or she wanted it. Quality: for this purpose Customer satisfaction and customer loyaty is checked. Customer satisfaction includes giving customer what they expects. Customer loyaty is the percentage of customers who still purchase their products after purchasing once. Time: order fulfilment lead time is effected by inventory level. For total order-fulfilment lead time, first The time spent in inventory should be computed for each part of the supply chain (supplier, manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer) and then added. Cost: measure cost along the supply chain is to measure efficiency in value added or productivity. One measure of efficiency is as follows: Efficiency = sales cost of materials / labor + overhead Lack resources for SCM Resource constraints represent Serious hurdle in supply chain integration efforts Although companies are trying to best utilize the people resources that they have, but due to their nature of always trying to do more with less, create problem of lack of resources. e.g The managers who are Conside to be best for handling supply chain initiatives because of their experience, work ethic, creativity, technical knowledge, and personal credibility are always in high demand. interviewed managers identified other critical resources constraints including capital and technology Bridges Adequate information system: EDI LINKAGES: ERP system is a single unified system in which several computer hardware and software components are used . This unified system helps in cross functional integration (e.g between all departments , accounting departments, as well as marketing, strategic management, and human resources, in addition to warehousing, Information Technology, logistics, and production. ). Organizations adopt ERP system in order to integrate data and process into a single unified unit rather than trying to synchronize data and process across different systems Sharing of risk and reward: Interview manager also highlighted the point that in order to build closer relationship they share both Risk and reward with their chain partners. Frequent communication: Open and clear broad line of communication should be develop (Mohr and spekman (1994)) Senior management interaction: Top management is responsible for integrated supply chain management. Only senior manager can remove the walls between the organization and between the organizations. Supply chain training: As supply chain is becoming more popular and technology focused ,the individuals directly involve with it are required to give additional training. Some ways of giving training to individuals are On the job training Take classes out of work Online training Some other bridges includes: Suppply base reduction, Vendor managed inventory (vmi), Use of total cost analysis, Common goals and shared mission statement, Use of cross-functional teams and cross-functional processes Suppply base reduction: Supply base reduction is use by the firms to enhance quality , increase responsiveness , and reduce cost . Coke has adopted N+1 rule of thum for determining maximum number of supplies.It means they have just 1 more supplier then required. VENDOR MANAGED INVENTORY (VMI). Supplier is responsible for managing inventory at customer s location .Customer is not required to reorder .Its the duty of supplier to maintain the stock of customer at optimum level. Use of total cost analysis As we all know that Competition in todays markets is much more then before.so in order to compete in market , organizations need to offer products at low price and high quality. Through SC collaboration it is possible to reduce Total production cost . by having long term relationship with supplier, supplier reduce the cost of their supplies.in this way total production cost is reduced. Common goals and shared mission statement For SCM cooperative efforts to be successful, increase understanding and respect for partners businesses is very important. This process involves common golas and shared mission statement.When they all have a common goal , combine efforts are made to achieve that goal .And decisions are made for the success of each party. Use of cross-functional teams and Cross-functional processes Effective supply chain requires coordination across businesses and within the business. Coordination within the business is possible through Cross-functional teams and process. . For example, a cross-functional team is often used to plan and control the master schedule for manufacturing. The team consists of representatives from marketing/ sales, production, human resources, and accounting/ finance. The team develops a forecast of future expected orders, plans the capacity of manufacturing, and schedules customer orders. Everyone then agrees to work toward executing this plan. Without a cross-functional team of this type, marketing makes a forecast, production uses a different forecast to plan production, and the capital is not made available to provide the capacity needed. Clear Alliance management guidelines. alliance management techniques, none of the interviewed firms have every one in place. Clear roles and responsibilities are defined and communicated. Risks and rewards are shared on a mutually acceptable basis Technology linkages can be used to routinize information exchange. Overall product quality Through supply chain integration it is possible to shift the responsibity of quality to the supplier. Better quality is assured by supplier certification programs . Conclusion and Limitations This article attempts to identify potential benefits ,barriers and bridges of successful implementation of SC integration . Results shows that all chain partners are enjoying many benefits from SC collaboration. Primary benefit mentioned by all chain partners is Customer satisfaction. In supply chain ,Supplier want to satisfy their customer (i.e. manufacturer) and manufacturer want end user to be satisfied. So for this purpose they must be aware of what customer expects from the product or service and then make efforts to meet their expectations . SC manager ,supplier and retailer do not share the same values and beliefs regarding the primary barrier and bridges of supply chain management. SC manager identify human factors as the primary barrier to SC collaborati

The Machine Gunners Part Two – Wolf Invasion

‘Come back alive major, you are our best pilot. Do Germany proud'. Hitler saluted General Wolf Schmidt. ‘Yes sir. Those British dogs will never know what hit them. They will pay for not accepting Nazi rule'. Wolf came from a wealthy family from Berlin. His dad owned a really important wine company. Wolf was bought up like a stubborn rich kid. He had graduated from Witshaufen Cadet School (one of the toughest army training schools in the world). He was also the best pupil in the history of the school. At the school, he never messed around with ‘riff raff'. He never went back home after that. He stayed and became one of the soldiers at the school, as it also was a military base. He was always either training or was out on a mission. The general's reaction time was amazing. It was beyond normal human levels. Wolf also had a wife and a kid. He didn't really care too much about his wife but thought the world of his son (he is his only weakness). To him his wife was only there to produce him a male heir to all his money and land (kind of like in medieval times). His son's heart wasn't stained with blood as his was. He was a sweet little boy and Wolf kept him away from the army and any type of fighting. He never really saw much of him anyway, enough to have the kid's respect though. Hitler and Wolf were like brothers. They both felt the same way about people. They both had the same ideas and they both wanted power. ‘So long my friend'. Wolf ran to his fighter and climbed in. There were seven planes in the squadron (one person per plane) and wolf was squadron leader. His squadron also was fresh from the military school and this was their first proper mission. Wolf decided on saluting Hitler one more time. After about three minutes they were given the all clear, so they made there way to the runway. ‘Lets go destroy those English b*******'. Once they were at a decent altitude the squadron got into formation (a flying V). Wolf was at the front and middle. After about an hour or so Wolf saw the British coast. This island will soon be part of the German empire. They shall all suffer. Suddenly a stream of bullets came out of nowhere. Wolf quickly pulled his plane away from the bullets and before he knew it, he was in a vertical rise. Somehow he managed to pull out of it before it was too late. His fighter was not meant to go too high; the pressure would have made it explode. He looked around the surroundings but he could not find what shot the bullets. Next he checked his squadron. One plane was missing. Bruno! The fool! He was never too good at dodging. I was then informed that the remains of his plane were just off the coast. Great, just great (!?). Even if he managed to bail out of his plane he could not survive, he cannot swim. ‘Come on men. Never lose your concentration. There's someone out there and we cannot see who it is and neither can our radar. Our country needs us. We shall reach our destination in 10 minutes' Wolf informed the remaining pilots. ‘Sir, I see a group of Spitfires on the radar at a bearing of 340o at a range of 36 km and closing. They've spotted us general'. Wolf was actually pleased. He was a very strict soldier and always did what he was required to do. Although Wolf's heart was evil, he always believed in fair fights. Each battle he was into him was only a fight of superiority. He was always looking for someone better than him and was still yet to find one. ‘Yes, I see them. Prepare yourself boys. This is what you've been trained to do now do it. Let's avenge Bruno! Get into battle formation'. The Spitfires were now visible with the eye and so the battle began. Wolf recognised the leader of the other squadron and decided to take him out first. It looked like the other leader was going to do that anyway so both fighters flew towards each other. Wolf now began to fire the machine gun at him, but somehow he managed to dodge it. After that he did not have another chance to fire, as both ships were too close to each other. The general decided on flying past him instead and began to turn around. He then heard an explosion. ‘S***. We've lost Peter. Focus boys focus!' he exclaimed. Next he saw that the British planes were teaming up on one of his guys. ‘Cowards!' he thought. There was nothing more that he couldn't stand (apart from Jews and other ‘weak people') apart from an unfair battle while in fighter planes. As quick as a dart he made his way to them and took out the two Spitfires. That kill distracted his other pilots. The British noticed that to and before Wolf knew it there were four other explosions filled with the thoughts and flesh of the brave soldiers that died. Wolf wasn't affected as much as a normal human would be when they saw the death of their partners. All that was going through his mind was that he should keep his judgement clear and then he realised what to do. Why should he play by the rules if no one else would? He then fired a missile at a Spitfire and began to fly toward another. He made sure that he was going at full speed and then he ejected. As he was falling he saw two explosions. One of a missile and a Spitfire and another of his plane and another Spitfire. It was too early to parachute and he was closing in on the ground at an alarming rate. He had no choice but to use the parachute. It saved his life. He still hit the ground hard but he kept his life. He then stood up and said, ‘I am German. I will be ok, right after this quick nap'. Wolf then fell onto the ground and fainted. Wolf woke up stiff and cold. It looked as if it was the night. He could not feel a bone in his body. He had to inform everyone that he was still alive and that they should come and pick him up. He couldn't do anything sitting down so it only made sense to stand up. Once he stood up he realised that he had dislocated his ankle. It hurted too much and if he moved it would just get worse. There was nothing else he could do but just fall back to sleep, as calling for help would mean surrendering. He woke up next morning noticing that he was hungry. It felt like ages since he last had food. Somehow he had to get up and find some, but how. Then he realised what he could do. He reached down for his bad ankle and somehow he pushed it back into place. The noise it made would make someone sick. ‘That feels a lot better' Wolf told himself. Now to look for food. It turned out that he was lucky as he landed on a farm and that there was food virtually everywhere and while he got his strength back he could hide in the cornfields so nobody could see him. A week passed and Wolf was feeling a lot better. He was completely used to everything but there were two things that were still bothering him and both were to do with water. The lack of drinking water (he was beginning to run low on his emergency water) and that he really needed a shower. One morning Wolf decided that it was time he must go. He must begin his trip back to Germany now; if he came back any later they might accuse him of spying for England. First he must go to the nearest town and get some basic needs. Only then can he go back. Wolf checked in his map to find out which town was the nearest, Garmath. ‘Prepare to face the oblivion Garmath, prepare' he said. It took him ten minutes to get to the town of Garmath. He looked around to see anything that could be of use to him and then he saw it, the local shop. He entered the shop casually, closed the door and made his way to the counter. Everyone in the shop (about three people) were looking at him, must have been the odour that was with him. He the pulled out his silenced Lugar (his gun) and shot the cashier. Because of the silencer on the end of his gun, it did not make that that much noise, but enough to get the attention of everyone else in the shop. He was forced to shoot them too, if he did not they would call for help. Someone in the shop had a rucksack on. It would be useful so he emptied it out and filled it with some of the contents of the shop. After that he took all the money out of the shop's till and from the customers. He had no idea how much money it would cost to hire a boat. He then hid his gun and casually made his way out of the shop feeling great about himself. Now he had to look around, get familiar with the town and try to find the port. Surely this town must have one. While he was looking around he found a massive house. Actually, it was a destroyed by a bomb, massive house. A perfect hiding place. It looked like nobody was using the place so no one could possibly find him there. He went in to the grounds and dumped his stuff somewhere in the ruins where no one in the street could see. Then he saw a boy running towards the other side of the grounds. He must have spotted me. I must kill him! Wolf ran as fast as he could towards the boy. While he was running Wolf saw what looked like a disguised bomb shelter. The kid was fast; there was no way Wolf could catch up with him before the kid got to the shelter. Ten seconds later Wolf was running into the shelter but it was probably something that he should not have done. ‘Quick! It's a Jerrie!' The same kid quickly dived for a machine gun. What the hell was going on? Since when did the British give their children German machine guns? Wolf decided on putting his arms up. He did not want his brains blasted out of his skull; his country still needed him. ‘Unarm him' the boy said. He must be the leader of this gang. His gun and army knives were taken from him. Then he realised how stupid he had been, as the machine gun was not cocked. Thirteen year olds had outsmarted him. There were five boys and one girl there. The girl looked as if she acted like a boy, but at the moment she was behaving a like a girl (perhaps she had split personality?). ‘Chas, he looks tired, maybe we should let him sit down' the girl said. So that's what the gang leader's name is. ‘And perhaps I could give him something to eat too. He looks as if he hasn't had a decent thing for a month'. ‘Girls' all the boys apart from the big one said at once. Perhaps she is their maid. If she is then why is she wearing the clothing of a middle class girl? I must escape from here. It was almost as if the big kid could read my mind as he walked to the door and blocked it. ‘Alright, let him sit and eat, Audrey' Chas said. Another name I have found out. The big guy pointed the gun at me to make sure that I did not act ‘smart'. He cannot fire the gun in here. If he did the bullet will work like a pinball and we will all be killed. I cannot let that happen. The girl then gave me some soup. It has been ages since I had some warm food. I must warn them not to shoot the Lugar! ‘Please, do not shoot. The bullet will work as pinball' I informed them in a German accent. ‘We do not care. I will not miss if I do shoot' the big guy said. ‘Please put the gun away Clogger. It's not as if he can do anything anyway' a small guy said. WHAT! This cannot be right. He looks exactly like Ralph, my son. The resemblance is amazing. There is one difference however. This boy looks as if he has no one for him in this world. He does not look as confident as Ralph and looks weaker, both mentally and physically. How could this be? The odds against this happening are at least thirty billion to one if not an even lower possibility. Thinking about it was hurting my head. I had to somehow prevent these kids tell adults about me. First I have to make peace with them. ‘My name is Wolf. Wolf Schmidt. I come from Germany. My plane exploded a little while ago and I have been living in field since. I wish to get back to Germany but do not know how. Please help me' I told them after my soup was finished. ‘We shall have to think about that. Until then you cannot leave our fortress' Chas said. ‘My name is Chas. This is Audrey' he pointed at the girl. ‘And those four are Nicky, Clogger, Cem and Carrots. I will leave you to guess which one is which'. ‘What are we going to do with him' Cem said. Cem looked like a lanky boy. Being with the crowd he was with he was more than a lanky boy. As long as this gang were together and as long as they had the machine gun and the fortress it looks like they could do what ever they please. ‘We cannot let him go. He might tell someone about Fortress Capereto' Carrots continued. ‘But how can we keep him here? What if he outsmarts us? If he catches us off guard who knows what he will do' Audrey explained. I could tell that her boyish personality was in control now. ‘I shall do nothing of that sort. I am your prisoner now. It is all in the Geneva Convention' I told them. Little did they know that that was exactly what I was going to do? I had to get rid of Chas and Clogger, without them the group would fall to pieces and then I could do what I want to them. For the next couple of hours I told them about my life. I didn't tell them too much, just enough to let them know I was a good soldier. I never told them how good I was. I never managed to finish the story of my life, so I told them I'd finish it tomorrow. The little guy, Nicky, was growing on me. Out of all of the kids I met today I liked him best. I didn't know why but I was starting to feel something for him. Must be because he reminds me so much of Ralph. During the day I found out that he had nearly the same personality as Ralph as well. Over the night I thought over the plan I was going to use to escape. To escape I need to catch the children off guard and make sure they don't tell anyone about me. That was the obvious thing, but while I was in England I might as well have some fun. If the British managed to take out the best German fighter, (even if they did gang up on me) they could easily wipe all the fighters out. I need to weaken the British army while I'm here. Then I could escape and get back to Germany. ‘If there is one thing that I have learnt out of all this' I told myself. ‘Is that I am a genius'. It turns out that Clogger and Ralph, I mean Nicky are staying in this fortress with me. I was tired so I then fell asleep on a spare bed (if you would call it a bed) that they gave me. I woke up next morning by the sound of birds. Blast them! Couldn't they let me have some peace and quiet? Don't get me wrong I normally wake up early, but with the little sleep I've been getting it's getting hard to stay up. It turns out that everyone was already awake. It also turns out that Chas and the rest of the people who went home yesterday had already turned up. ‘What is the time?' I asked them. I had gone for a long time without having a proper idea of what the time was. ‘I would also like to know the date it is today'. ‘The time is 11 am and it is 4th January today' Cem told me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It had already been half a month since I took off from Germany. I really hope Ralph is ok. Another thing I can't believe. How could I not wake up till 11 ‘o' clock? During the day I carried on telling them my story and after I finished each one of them told me theirs. Clogger was the only one who never told us his life story. He didn't feel as if he had to. It turns out that Nicky's parents have all passed away, and that the wrecked home where I was going to make my head quarters was his home before his mother died. Wolf felt so sorry for him. It also turned out that he was apparently ‘dead. During the next month they got to know each other better. Wolf was still looking for the right moment to escape. He was so annoyed that he didn't have the chance already. The boys were even taking him out now. Having a prisoner cramped in their fortress was not a good thing to do so they decided that they would take him on outings. Places nobody else went so that nobody would see them walking around with a German. Another reason for that was that it would be suspicious for them to see Nicky if he is meant to be dead. One time when Carrots took me out I had my chance to escape, it was then that I realised that it would be better if I stayed with them for the time being. They might somehow get me a boat in the future. If I do escape they have already warned me that they will tell everyone about my existence in England. If they did that I would never be able to leave the country. Carrots and I were separated when this happened. By now I knew my way back to the fortress so I just walked back. I could've finished Carrots off but they knew I was with him and then I would be caught and I would never make my way back to Germany. Now they trust me a lot more. I have been living in Garmath for 3 months. They trust me enough to let me go out once a week by my self, but I had to come back by a certain time or they would raise the alarm. I had some respect growing for the kids. They were tough in their own way. Nicky was like a son to me and I was like a father to him. I had even told him about his resemblance to Ralph. He was pleased about that. Clogger still never trusted me. He could see right through me. He knew what my plan was. I had to get rid of him but I still have not had the chance to do that either. When I woke up next day it looked like I could go out by myself today. Clogger was also coming out too, but not with me. Just to make it even better I saw something unguarded. It was something was actually dangerous, my pistol. No one was looking so I quickly snatched it and hid it in my clothing. It was the chance that I was waiting for all this time. I can now get rid of Clogger. This all had to be perfect. I could not do this wrong. If I did I would probably never get another chance again. We left around the same time as each other and we were both heading for the woods in the ground. He was going to the town on the other side of the woods as he was meant to be in Scotland and I was going to the cliffs, which are also in that direction. ‘Hey Clogger, please come over here. I feel sick' I lied. He was actually falling for it. He was walking closer to me. ‘What's your problem?' he asked me. ‘You are' I replied. I got out my gun and I did it. It was all over in a couple of seconds. He never knew what was coming to him. I decided on burying his body so nobody would ever find him for a long time. I then carried on with my trip to the cliffs. Once I got home everyone was wondering where Clogger was. I told them that I had not seen him. They were all getting worried. Especially Nicky, I had never seen him like this before. ‘I'm sorry Nicky' I thought to myself. Clogger was like a brother to him. They all stayed at the fortress late but they all had to go, their own loved would be worrying about them now. I was told to keep a good eye on Nicky. Funny how there was a violent storm that night. Actually it wasn't, Nicky was getting really scared. I had to stay up and comfort him. After all, it was my fault that he is scared and he is like a son to me. Obviously, Clogger never came back. He was gone for good. Chas knew what I did. I could see it in the look in his eyes. What could he say though, his friend had murdered another friend and the only person he could tell was even more friends who wouldn't believe him if he told them. I had to get rid of Chas. This time for two reasons. As a friend, I should put him out of his misery, and as his enemy, I feel that he must die (he could get in the way of the Nazi cause in the future). I thought that Nicky's attitude would change but he missed Clogger too much. It had to be done. There was no other alternative for me. Chas remained cold to me. I could tell that the pressure was building up inside of him. He was going to tell someone soon and he had to be dealt with, quick. I really hated taking the lives from children but it had to be done. Chas was as easy to dispose of as Clogger was. I even buried them in the same place and had their own funeral, one that only I attended. There were tears flowing down my eyes, but the only thing that kept me going was the fact that sooner or later, I would go back to Germany. 1/2 a year passed and Nicky and I were more closer to each other than ever. The rest of the gang didn't come as often now. There was no point. I decided not to kill them in the end. I would not be able to live with myself. I could now do as I please. On one occasion I thought I should warm up before I go to Germany so I broke into a military base. Only a small one; I would have no chance in the bigger ones. Once I got in I decided on what I could do. Why hadn't I thought of it before? Was I going soft? I stole into the weapons hanger and I found the mother of all weapons. The latest explosives out and they had a lot of them. This is exactly what I needed. I refilled my Lugar wit ammo and I also took some other weapons including grenades. Now how was I to carry all of this? I know, I can ‘borrow' one of their vans. I got a van and filled her up with even more weapons. Then I drove the van out of the base. The mission wasn't over yet. I had to lay three explosives in the various buildings. I sprinted towards the buildings and planted them. Once I got back I realised that I only needed to detonate one so that's what I did. The explosion took out the building and set off the other ones. All three explosions had joined up with each other and were nearly as big as the base. This is what I lived to see, and was trained to do. It was time for me to take off. Mission accomplished. Bruno had been avenged. When I got back I hid the truck out of site from the fortress and the street. No one can know about it. Later that day everybody else came over. I was pleased. I waned to spend some time with my friends. What was even more important was what they had to say. According to them Winston Churchill was going to come to Garmath tomorrow. This was my chance. I could become a hero in Germany when I get back. Everybody was going to see him enter Garmath so I told them that so would I. I also told them that I would stay in the crowed so no one noticed. They were also talking about the base that I took out. Apparently their enemy, Boddser Brown, had a dad who worked there and was on duty at the moment of the explosion. I was busy that night working on my plan. This was probably the most important thing that I have ever done. I could not screw this up. All I have to do is plant a land mine where the car is going to drive over. Once it hits the mine, BANG, and he's gone. It's that simple. Little did I know that this was going to be the biggest mistake I have ever made. As usual I woke up before Nicky. I woke him and told him that I was going for a walk and that I would be back in an hour. Then I went to my weapons base and took a mine. This is it, I thought. I am about to become a hero. The man who took out the British single-handed. There was one bad thing I never noticed, Nicky was watching. I quickly ran towards the town hall where Churchill was going. I planted a mine right in his parking space. The crowds were gathering so it was unlikely that I was seen. After that I went home and got Nicky. His face was whiter than usual. ‘Are you ok, son?' ‘Yeah I'm fine. Let's go dad' he replied. Too bad I was too excited. Otherwise I would have known that he knew. ‘There's Winston Churchill's car Nicky. Let's wave and say hi' I told him. He wasn't in the mood to. ‘I know dad. Bye bye. I'll wait for you on the other side' he told me. What was he doing? S***! He was running towards the mine. It was all over. Nicky died a hero and a martyr, dying to save the country that he lived in. He was always remembered in England. They even named that day after. Wolf was in so much grief. He even handed himself in. Wolf was transported back to Germany. He was dying to see Ralph but when he saw him he grew even sadder. Ralph wanted nothing to do with him. General Wolf Schmidt later died of grief. That was the story of some of the bravest people ever to walk this planet. It is still remembered by all the family and friends of the story.

Philippine Science Centrum Essay

Student participants learned science concepts from the exhibits and one minute of interaction appeared to have a fruitful learning outcome. Teachers recognized that the exhibits would be useful to their teaching after trying out the exhibits themselves and were certain the visit would help students in their academic advancement. Learning in an informal context through the exhibits can occur and that visits to the PSC are useful. For more than 2 decades, the Philippine Science Centrum presently located in Marikina City has never ceased in offering new features and exhibits year after year. With its internal capacity in interactive exhibit development and fabrication, the PSC has the luxury of producing customized exhibits with locally-sourced materials. Having a ‘hair-raising’ experience with the Van de Graaff exhibit, mimicking the ‘Matrix Move’ at the Wonder House, making an illusion of floating in the air at the Anti-Gravity Mirror, experiencing ‘airlessness’ of the outer space at the Human Gyro, etc†¦are some of the amazing ‘moves’ one will experience at the Science Centrum. To the more than 3 million visitors composed mostly of students and teachers who were engaged and got interested in science through PSC’s exhibits, their experience leaves an indelible mark in their psyche. Post-visit comments, blogs and even press releases attest to the visitors’ educational and entertaining experience at the Science Centrum. How about the other millions of students, teachers and people in all walks of life in the countryside, in the provinces and towns, will they be able to experience the amazing science exhibits in their locality? The Philippine Science Centrum made sure they be given opportunity to be ‘edu-tained’ by the hands-on science modules. As early as 1995, the PSC mobilized its first mobile exhibition, the Adventures in Discovery – Traveling Science Centrum (AIDTSC) to bridge the gap of distance and bring the Science Centrum to the regions. The maiden exhibition in Lapulapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu Province was a blockbuster wherein the AID-TSC no longer found its way back to Metro Manila – it was bought by the City Mayor to be permanently installed in the city and became the centerpiece of the Lapulapu City Center for Excellence. The PSC replicated the 40 science modules of AID-TSC and continued to visit other towns and provincial capitals. Due to unrelenting requests and clamor for month-long exhibitions from various entities in the provinces, the 2nd set, â€Å"Sci-Fun Caravan† was produced and mobilized in 2002. After the successful exhibitions of the 2 mobile exhibitions (from 2002 to 2006) and the assessment that the PSC beneficiaries are larger in numbers at the regions, the PFST Board of Trustees decided to redirect PFST and PSC’s resources to assemble and produce 7 sets of mobile exhibitions starting in 2007. It is also targeted to mobilize 9 traveling sets by 2016 wherein 3 sets will be assigned to each of the three major island-groups of the country: 3 in Luzon, 3 in Visayas and 3 in Mindanao. At the moment, the PSC is right on schedule wherein the 3rd set: â€Å"Science on the Move† was mobilized in 2007, the 4th set: â€Å"Science Works! in 2009, and the 5th set, â€Å"Science Sparks!† was completed and mobilized last year. For the 3rd set, the packaging design of â€Å"pack and go† was introduced wherein the main exhibit is boxed to keep it safe when in transit and its cover when inverted serves as the exhibit stand/platform when in ‘exhibit mode’. The 5th set, aptly known as â€Å"Science Sparks!† deals on energy, electricity and the environment. The 6th PSC mobile exhibition which focuses on Electronics and Communications is now on the initial phase of research and development. It is targeted to be completed by the 2nd quarter of 2014. As the number of PSC’s traveling sets increase, the number of students and teachers ‘touched by the amazing and exciting world of science’ also increases. With 5 sets, the average annual attendance is already at 500,000 visitors. This justifies PFST and PSC’s thrust of exposing and creating interest in science to more students at a ‘faster pace’. From Abra to Samar to Siargao Island and to Lanao del Norte, the mobile exhibitions have already visited 150 towns, provincial cities and capitals with a combined attendance of more than 3.1 million visitors. By 2016, this number is targeted to reach 6 million. Producing the 9 sets of traveling exhibitions is PFST’s top priority but keeping the Science Centrum constantly upgraded with new and exciting interactive exhibits is still a ‘must-do’. The Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology (PFST), a non-profit private organization, manages and operates the Philippine Science Centrum and its traveling exhibitions. PFST is recognized by the Department of Education as a vital partner â€Å"in promoting and developing scientific and analytical thinking among students and promoting quality science education. On the other hand, the Department of Science and Technology recognized the impact of the Philippine Science Centrum by directing its regional offices to install its own Regional Science Centrums. DOST accorded PFST the â€Å"Outstanding S&T Foundation Award† in 1996 and the GAWAD LIDER Award for Exemplary Leadership – Institution Category in 2007. The Philippine Science Centrum received from the Association of Science and Technology Centers based in USA the 2011 Roy L. Shaper Leading Edge Award for PSC’s rapid response and recovery during typhoon Ondoy and as an Outstanding Science Center outside of the United States of America.