Lay-Off due to Economic Difficulties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lay-Off due to Economic Difficulties - Essay Example In this regard, as a human resource professional tasked to evaluate and propose recommendations for the situation, the following discourse would initially present a description of the facts, the relevant law, application of the law, and suggestions of handling the issue. Recommendations would be proposed in the form of a memo addressed to the supervisor. Description of Facts 1. Advance Notice of 60 calendar days Company ABC employs 100 employees and is therefore covered by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) in cases where lay-offs are being reflected on at least 33% of their work force. Supposedly, ABC must provide a 60-day notice to the employees being laid-off. But since ABC plans to lay-off only 25% and that the reason for laying off is economic difficulties, the 60-day required notice is thereby not required. In one of the frequently asked questions posted in the US Department of Labor, the exception to giving a 60-day notice is hereby addressed: â€Å" if an employer believes their situation is the result an economic crisis, it may apply the unforeseen business circumstance exception; however, there could be a burden on the employer to prove why it could not plan 90 days in advance† (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). During the termination meeting, the only time period indicated was that the benefits of the employees would be terminated at the end of the month. Therefore, there was no stipulated number of days from the time the employees were informed up to the time their services would be terminated. This does not violate any labor law because as the Department of Labor disclosed, â€Å"the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has no requirements for notice to an employee prior to termination or lay-off. In certain cases, employers must give the workers advanced notice of mass layoffs or plant closure. The Warn Act provides specific information on advance notice, employer responsibility and workers rights during mass layoffs or plant closure† (U.S. Department of Labor, N.D.). 2. Severance Pay Company ABC will offer a severance package that depends on gender and members of the union. As indicated: â€Å"because men generally are the heads of households and support dependents, ABC is going to offer them more severance pay than women.   Some employees are union members and their CBA provides less severance than the Company plans to offer, so management is going to be nice and give them the higher severance amount† (Case Facts, N.D., par. 1). According to Employee Issues (2011), under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state equivalents, â€Å"severance pay is generally considered to be a matter of agreement between employers and workers or employers and unions† (Employee Issues.com, 2011). 3. Age of Employees being Laid-Off By suggesting the inverse seniority policy, ABC could face violations of wrongful termination due to Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission revealed that â€Å"the law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment† (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, N.D. ). Application of the Law Since ABC is planning to lay-off a lesser percentage of employees than the prescribed 33% threshold, it is not covered by the 60-calendar days notice for the employees due to be laid-off. However, their

Corporate Social Responsibility and branding Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility and branding Essay 1. Introduction In this chapter the background of the thesis will be presented and discussed. Moreover, a literature review, research problem and research questions will be introduced in order to get an understanding of the study purpose. This is followed by the limitations and disposition. 1.1 Background The companies of today are very aware of what the public and other stakeholders demand from the companies ´ way of handle their responsibilities (Burchell, 2008). In order to form a strategy for the protection of their brand image and reputation many companies find themselves engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility activities (Kotler and Lee 2005), from now on abbreviated CSR. The desire of doing well and doing good in the society in which the company is operating have been of increasing interest world wide during the last decade. As a result, corporate reporting on social responsibility initiatives can more often be found in companies ´ marketing strategies (Kotler and Lee, 2005). Even though CSR activities are increasing among today ´s organizations there is still lack of a general universally definition of this concept (Crowther and Capaldi, 2008). But in a broad perspective CSR is understood and described as the way companies integrate social, economic and environmental matters into their internal organization (values, culture, decision making and strategy), which leads to establishment of better society, wealth and better practices within the company (Horrigan, 2010). Considering the breadth of CSR it can subsequently be described in many different names: corporate responsibility, corporate sustainability, corporate accountability, corporate citizenship, sustainable development etc (Benn and Bolton, 2011). In a shorter explanation, CSR can therefore be explained as the relationship between a corporation and its stakeholder (Crowther and Capaldi, 2008). Already in 1972 the American professor in Business Administration, Dow Votaw, stated that the amount pages on social responsibility written in our time would fill up a small library. As it turns out, he was right. CSR is here to stay. The idea of taking responsibility beyond what the law demands has increased since the millennial shift (Borglund, DeGeer and Sweet, 2012). Especially big organizations, both in the public and private sectors, are engaging in these kinds of activities (Burchell, 2008). The benefits of a company ´s usage of CSR activities can lead to a better position in the market and a positive return on investment. On top of that of course the benefits for society, such as improvement of life or a cleaner environment (Kotler and Lee, 2005). On the other hand, many view CSR mainly as a step towards a reputation as a responsible business and as good citizens (Burchell, 2008). Either how, risks by avoiding to use this concept can lead to lack of legitimacy for the organization. Meyer and Rowan (1977) also claim that when having a business it is important to be accepted and to be legitimacy in the environment as well as having effective and structured internal processes to survive. According to Grusch (2006) consumers actively scrutinize the local behavior of international companies. Their out-sourced ventures are also being observed, and information regarding possible bad behavior reaches the ears of the public much more quickly than it used to. Consequently, to the stakeholders awareness and other factors that can have an impact on a companys survival, it is therefore important for companies to establish competitive advantage. Differentiation is a way to secure competitive advantage. By using a differentiation strategy a company ´s key strengths and core competencies builds up, and this is where CSR has an important role for a company ´s brand as it gets differentiate by incorporating it in the corporate image. This kind of action can generate to better brand attitudes and in the long run this will result in brand loyalty (Grant, 2008). 1.2 Literature review 1.3 Problem discussion As stated in the background, CSR is a burning question among today ´s companies. Stakeholders are starting to put more pressure on companies ´ responsibility in the society they are operating in, therefore, in order to get a competitive advantage CSR has become a major tool in their marketing strategy (Kotler and Lee, 2005). A branding law defined by Werther and Chandler (2005) shows that CSR will evoke attitudes towards the brand. Are these attitudes positive it will be lead to positive purchase decision and loyal customers, which give companies competitive advantage (Roper and Fill 2012). In Kotler and Lee ´s book (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility – Doing the most good for your company and your cause, they are describing examples of well-known organizations that have used CSR to increase their brand value. It has therefore been a shift focus in the CSR debate, nowadays it is more a debate of how CSR activities should be used and how effective it can be used as a branding tool, rather than if companies should use this concept or not (Smith, 2003). Based on the debate the question that arises is therefore: in what way should CSR activities be used in order to be effective for a positive attitude towards the brand? Today there are many studies relating to the area of CSR. Research does suggest there is a positive relationship between CSR and consumer attitudes towards brands and companies (Creyer and Ross 1997; Ellen, Mohr and Webb, 2000; Lacey and Kennet-Hensel, 2010). It is also shown in studies that CSR activities influence how the consumer behave when a certain brand appear in their mind (Becker-Olsen et al., 2006; Nhattacharya and Sen, 2004). However, most of these studies are focusing on people and brand perception in developed countries. The literatures were more specialized of how the CSR influences image of the brand in the western world and how the western public persuaded the brand of the CSR activities. When doing literature research, the amount of research studies about CSR in developing countries were of a narrow amount. No study could be found about CSR ´s link to branding in a developing ´s countries perspective, further, about how the locals ´ (employers of the company and the consumer in the developing country) brand perception of CSR activities are. As the real life stories in Kotler and Lee ´s book (2005) showed that CSR has an effective link to the brand. However, most of the organizations were conducting the CSR activities in the country they operated in and the society had a good knowledge of what CSR is. Likewise, a study showed that the brand would be effected and look different if the consumers were aware of CSR of the companies (Boulstridge and Carrigan 2000). So the question that can be asked and discussed is if it will appear an effective link to a company ´s brand in a country that is not developed? A research gap is therefore identified. If we place and conduct a study conducted in a western world in a developing country ´s context, would the outcome be the same? Would there be a similar link between CSR and branding there? 1.4 Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to get a deeper understanding of the link between a company ´s CSR and its branding in a developing country. Based on the purpose the following research questions will be presented: 1. What kind of CSR activities are being used to effectively increase positive attitudes towards the company ´s brand? 2. In what way is a company ´s CSR linked to its brand in the Philippines? 3. And how do these attitudes create value for the brand? 2. Methodology In this chapter the research methodology applied in this thesis will be discussed. A description regarding the method design of the study will be explained in the following order: research design, data collection, validity and reliability and data analysis. 2.1 Research approach There are three type of studies identified by Yin (2003): exploratory, explanatory and descriptive. An exploratory research design tries to define the research question and form the hypothesis. A descriptive research in the other hand, tries to describe a different characteristic of a phenomena that arises. When doing a descriptive case study the data collection is being guided by theories. When conducting the explanatory research design it is about how it explains course of events and relate how things happened (Yin, 2003). According to Yin (2003) this thesis can be seen as a descriptive research as it will focus on describing what impact CSR has on branding. When using a descriptive research the problem is structured and understood, which means that existing literature about the topic of CSR and branding (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2010). And this kind of research is mainly done when a researcher wants to gain an even better knowledge of a specific topic (Gill and Johnson, 2010). Due to the research purpose, which is to investigate how CSR influences on a company ´s brand in the Philippines this research method fits the best among the three other ways. 3.2 Research design I chose case studies method, because it enhances the understanding of what is going on in a particular case and it can involve a detailed investigation (Yin, 2009). This information that is gained from case studies are therefore relevant to answer some of my problem and research questions as I want to investigate companies ´ CSR activities and observe these activities in order to understand its impact on the brand which is the data collection in my first section of the study. By a case study approach observations of a companies ´ activities can be captured, which is in a way impossible to capture through questionnaires and interviews (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010). 3.3.1 The case study In the beginning of March I will travel to the Philippines to carry on an eight weeks field study which will give me the opportunity to study some Swedish/International companies ´ CSR activities and how these activities affect their brand perception by interviewing the consumers and workers in country. The case study will therefore obtain information to fulfill my purpose. The choice of companies: The information obtained will be from companies that use CSR activities in the Philippines. In order to fill the research gap I will be aiming for to study companies with well-known CSR activities. 2.3 Data collection A qualitative method will be used in order to collect the information for this thesis. Regarding to Trost (2005) a qualitative method is described as a method where the interviewer gathers the information on the interviewee ´s feelings, thoughts and experiences. Hence, to the search of a deeper understanding of how CSR affects the brand perception, this qualitative approach fit the purpose of the thesis because it can give me a deep information regarding the employees ´ and consumers opinions and feelings towards CSR in the Philippines and the brand which is the aim of this study. 2.3.1 Qualitative interview design Semi-structures face-to-face-interview. 4.4 Validity in qualitative research â€Å"Descriptive validity refers to the degree to which the actual description holds true† (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010 p. 210). Bias: When interviewing the respondents a â€Å"lifting† description of the brand can appear, because they have been chosen to do this certain interview about the companies’ actions. Language is the basic tool of interviewing, and may especially be important in qualitative interviewing (Kvale, 1989). The interviews will be conducted by me in English and since communication is a very important in order to get the information it can appear some small misunderstanding as English is not my mother language. But by conducting a face to face interview, the body language and face expression will increase the validity of the interviews. REFERENCES Kotler, P., Wong, V., Saunders, J. and Armstrong, G. (2004). Principles of Marketing, 4th European edition. New Jersey: FT- Prentice Hall. Burchell, J. 2008. The Corporate Social Responsibility Reader. London and New York: Routledge. Kotler, P. and Lee, N. (2005)  ´Corporate Social Responsibility – Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause ´, Hoboken, New Jersey. Crowther, D. and Capaldi, N. (2008). The ashgate research companion to Corporate Social Responsibility. MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall Suchman, M. C. (1995) Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches. Academy of Management Review, Vol 20;3, p 571-610. Benn, S. and Bolton, D. (2011). Key Concepts in Corporate Social Responsibility. SAGE Publications Ltd: London Werther, W.B. And Chandler, D. (2005)  ´Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility as Global Brand Insurance ´, Business Horizons 48:317-24. Boulstridge, E and Carrigan, M.†Do consumers really care about corporate responsbility? Highlighting the attitude behavior gap.† Journal of communication management, (2000): 359-360 Gill, J and Johnson, P, 2010, Research Methods for Managers 4th Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd Ghauri, P and Gronhaug, K, 2010, Research Methods in Business Studies 4th edition. Pearson Education Limited. Trost, J, 2005, Kvalitativa intervjuer. Studentlitteratur, Lund. Halvorsen, K. (1989). Samhà ¤llsvetenskaplig Metod. Oslo: Studentlitteratur AB Yin, R.K, 2009, Case Study Research – Design and Method. London: SAGE Ellen, P.S., Webb, D.J. Mohr, L.A. (2006). Building corporate associations: consumer attributions for corporate socially responsible programs. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34 (2), 147-57. doi: 10.1177/0092070305284976 Creyer, E. H., Ross, W. T., Jr. (1997). The influence of firm behavior on purchase intention: Do consumers really care about business ethics? Journal of Consumer Marketing, 14(6), 421–32. doi: 10.1108/07363769710185999

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) Case Study

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) Case Study ABSTRACT Consanguinity in marriages can lead to many genetic abnormalities in the offsprings. The children are affected in varying degrees of severity. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome is an example of a genetic abnormality wherein there is an absence of apoptosis of lymphoproliferative cells, hence leading to enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen and associated autoimmune abnormalities. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome arises early in childhood in people who inherit mutations in genes that mediate lymphocyte apoptosis, or programed cell death. In the immune system, antigen-induced lymphocyte apoptosis maintains immune homeostasis by limiting lymphocyte accumulation and minimizing reactions against self-antigens. In autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, defective lymphocyte apoptosis manifests as chronic, nonmalignant adenopathy and splenomegaly; the expansion of an unusual population of CD4CD8T cells; and the development of autoimmune disease. Most cases of autoimmune lympho proliferative syndrome involve heterozygous mutations in the lymphocyte surface protein Fas (CD95, Apo1) that impair a major apoptotic pathway. Here, we report a case of a 10 year old child with recurrent multiple swellings in the head and neck region. Keywords Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, apoptosis, generalized lymphadenopathy INTRODUCTION Lymphadenopathy in children with no known infectious or malignant cause constitutes a challenging diagnostic dilemma. A recently described entity that deà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nes some children with previously unexplained lymphadenopathy is the autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). The clinical antecedents to ALPS entail various syndromes of familial chronic nonmalignant lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, including pseudomononucleosis, pseudolymphoma, and the Canale-Smith syndrome.1 Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) is a rare inherited disorder of disrupted lymphocyte homeostasis characterized by chronic splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy of early onset, hypergammaglobulinemia (Ig G and Ig A), autoimmune phenomena, and expanded populations of T cells, called double negative T-cells (DN) T cells.2 Impaired Fas-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes in vitro is a principal feature of the autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). It is a disorder characterized by generalized, nonmalignant lymphadenopathy,hypergammaglobulinemia, lymphocytosis, splenomegaly, and autoimmune phenomena. A distinct feature of ALPS and an early clue to its nature, is the occurrence of markedly increased numbers and percentage of T cell receptor (TCR)-ab CD42 CD82, double negative (DN) T cells in the circulation and lymphoid tissues. 3 We report the case of a patient who had come to our department with multiple swellings in the head and neck region. CASE REPORT A 10 year old male patient had come to the Department of Oral medicine and Radiology with the chief complaint of pain in the lower right back region of the jaw since a day. The patient had pain and swelling in the lower right back teeth region since a day which was moderate to severe, intermittent, aggravates on having food and relieves on its own. His past medical history revealed bilateral neck region swellings at the age of 1 and a half yrs for which he was treated with oral medications. History of developing a swelling in the axilla following BCG vaccination and was diagnosed as BCG adenitis and was treated for the same. At the age of 6 yrs he developed bilateral neck swellings for which he was referred to a pediatrician in 2009. Hematology report revealed normochromic normocytic anemia with neutrophilic lymphocytosis, FNAC of the cervical lymph node suggested necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis and was treated with oral antibiotics. At seven and a half yrs of age patient developed bilateral cervical lymphadenitis with abscess formation which lasted for 8 to 10 months which healed with scarring. Patient gives a history of a severe form of chicken pox , scars have remained all over the body. ESR was elevated at 110. Ultrasound of abdomen revealed mildly enlarged inguinal lymph nodes with mild hepatomegaly. The patient’s axillary and inguinal lymph nodes biopsy specimen was given for histopathology and immunohistochemistry analysis. A report of reactive lymphadenitis was obtained. Skin biopsy of rashes on lower limbs revealed lymphocyte perivasculitis. Patient also gave a history of joint pain of his lower limbs. His HIV status was negative and his random blood sugar was within normal limits.Ultrasound of abdomen and neck done recently revealed multiple mesenteric and non necrotic cervical lymphadenopathy. On general physical examination, patient appeared malnourished, lethargic with protruded abdomen and generalized healed scars of chicken pox were also observed(Fig. 1 and 2) and scar in left inguinal region.On extraoral examination there was a well defined swelling on face on the right side extending superiorly from the mid third of the face, inferiorly to the submandibular region, mesially from the corner of the mouth and distally below the ear lobule (Fig.3). On palpation, swelling was soft to firm in consistency, tender on palpation with rise in surface temperature. On inspection of the neck, there was a diffuse swelling of the submental and submandibular lymph nodes , raising the ear lobules. On the left side of the neck lymph enlarged node seen one below the ear lobule and another on the lateral aspect of neck, associated with scar of previous biopsy (Fig. 4). On palpation, bilaterally submandibular and submental lymph nodes were palpable measuring approximately 3x3cm , firm to hard in consistency, fixed, tender on palpation and all cervical lymph nodes were palpable and tender, variable in size. On intraoral examination, on inspection there was vestibular erythema and obliteration with swelling in relation to 55 on the buccal vestibule and on palpation swelling was firm in consistency, with vestibular tenderness was elicited. On hard tissue examination, presence of mixed dentition and deep dental caries with tenderness on percussion positive with 55. The diagnosis of acute exacerbation of chronic periapical abscess with 55 with buccal and submandibular space infection was considered. With the history of consanguineous marriage of his parents, his younger sibling having similar and milder symptoms with BCG adenitis, generalized unexplained lymphadenopathy, severe form of chickenpox, joint pain of lower limbs and vasculitis of skin lesions and based on the histopathology and immunohistochemistry reports of the lymph nodes a diagnosis of autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease was given. The treatment given to the patient was syrup naprosyn 125mg for 5 months 6ml b.d. The treatment planned for him was Fas mutation for confirmation Tab Wysolone (1mg/kg/day) with inj Methotrexate (15mg/m2 ) as a steroid sparing agent Tab Shelcal/calcitriol sachet  ½ sachet /month (50 mg/kg/day). The patient after 1 month follow up post treatment, there is no reduction in the size of lymph nodes. His blood reports revealed marked increase in the level of immunoglobulins. Presently the patient complains of inguinal pain and swelling since 6 months , which has not regressed even after treatment and he is unable to walk due to the pain. But the patient, on consequent follow up visits, General appearance of the patient has improved. (Fig. 5,). He showed decrease in the size of the lymph nodes except for residual scars of the fibrosed lymph nodes in the right lateral cervical regions. (Fig.6, 7, 8) DISCUSSION The autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a rare disease. ALPS is a rare inherited condition that affects both sexes. ALPS generally does not lead to death and most individuals with ALPS are able to live normal lives. ALPS is a disorder associated with abnormal lymphocyte apoptosis, lymphoproliferation, and autoimmunity. Lympho proliferation in ALPS patients is generally benign, but they are at increased risk for the development of Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is characterized by massive lympho adenopathy, splenomegaly, autoimmunity including episodes of immune hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia,and neutropenia. ALPS patients have lymphocytosis and a number of lymphocyte abnormalities, including the marked expansion of T lymphocytes that express alpha/beta T-cell receptors, but neither CD4 nor CD8 surface markers (TCR alpha/beta+; CD4–; CD8– cells).4 ALPS  is subdivided into: 1) Type Ia,  ALPS  with mutant  Fas; 2) Type Ib,  lymphadenopathy  and mutation in the ligand for  Fas  in one patient with  systemic lupus erythematosus; 3) Type II,  ALPS  with mutant caspase 10; and 4) Type III,  ALPS  as yet without any defined genetic cause. 5 In type 0 disease, homozygous Fasmutations usually cause a complete deficiency of the Fas protein and a severe form of the disease.In ALPS type I, heterozygousFasmutations (ALPS type Ia)or, more rarely, heterozygous mutations in the gene for Fas ligand (ALPS type Ib)are usually associated with a partial defect in apoptosis mediated by Fas and its ligand. ALPS type II, which is characterized by resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis despite the presence of normal Fas ligand and Fas, with caspase 10 mutations. In ALPS type III, Fas-mediated apoptosis is also normal,and the genetic defect is unclear. Patients with ALPS type III may not have all four classic features of the syndrome — lymphoproliferation, excessive numbers of double-negative T cells, hypergammaglobulinemia, and autoimmune manifestations. Many cases of ALPS type III are sporadic, precluding the use of a genetic approach to identify the molecular defect 6 A study done by Michael Sneller et al 7 to study the lymphocyte apoptosis, revealed that ALPS was identified in 9 unrelated individuals with moderate to massive spleenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, hypergammaglobulinemia and autoimmunity, B cell lymphocytosis and an increase in the population of D4/CD8 T cells. All these findings coorelated to our case in which there were similar findings. Somatic heterozygous mutations of Fas can cause a sporadic form of ALPS by allowing lymphoid precursors to resist the normal process of cell death. as (also called apo-1 and cd95) is a cell-surface receptor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily (Fas is the sixth member, TNFRSF6). Fas initiates a cascade of events within the cell that culminates in the death of the cell (apoptosis). This process involves the formation of the death-inducing signaling complex, consisting mainly of the Fas associated death domain and the caspase 8 and caspase 10 proteins. The constellation of lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and autoimmune cytopenia, however, was described by Canale and Smith in 1967, Weisdorf and Krivit and others noted that similar patients had decreased proportions or function of lymphocyte subsets.8 This heterozygous dominant mutations of Fas were found in children with the autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS),which is also known as the Canaleâ₠¬â€œSmith syndrome. 4 ALPS manifestations usually appear in the first 5 years of life (median onset at 3.5 years). The most frequent presentation of ALPS is a benign lymphoproliferation limited to lymphoid organs.9 Enlargement of spleen and lymph nodes is the most prominent feature of the lymphoproliferation in nearly all ALPS patients. Autoimmunity is the second most salient feature of ALPS. Autoimmune cytopenias account for more than 80% of the autoimmune manifestations and are, essentially, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and, sometimes, neutropenia.9 Fas and FasL are members of two superfamilies of complementary receptors and ligands that are important in immune regulation. These membrane-spanning receptors have 20%-25% amino acid identity and contain variable numbers of extra- cellular cysteine-rich domains (CRDs) regions approximately 40 amino acids in length with six cysteine residues in conserved positions. There are four CRDs in the p55 TNFR and three in the Fas protein. These two receptors share a 70 amino acid intracellular death domain that transduces signals for cell death.10 CONCLUSION The diagnosis and management of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) remains a challenge to the oral diagnostician. Knowledge of immunological aspects of oral diseases is a new frontier for any oral healthcare professional. These patients require prompt treatment and long term follow-up, by multiple specialists that are familiar with ALPS. It is imperative that all cases with oral manifestations are reported. The diagnosis of Autoimmune lymphoproliferative disorder should be kept in mind as one of the differential diagnosis in a patient with generalized lymphadenopathy with the history of consanguinous marriage in the family. This case report is one more effort in this direction.

Is Penn State tuition too expensive? :: Journalism Journalistic Essays

Is Penn State tuition too expensive? The Pennsylvania State University is one of the biggest state universities in the nation, with over 40,000 students currently enrolled in that university system. It is also a very old school, with its 150th birthday coming up in the year of 2005. Over the last one and a half century, Penn State has produced the most number of alumni in the world. In my major, meteorology alone, famous alumni such as Jon M. Nese, Greg Forbes, and Joe Bastardi are contributing their invaluable knowledge to the world in the science of meteorology. They are often seen in the national broadcasts. These are some of the major factors attracting perspective students to attend Penn State. Do you ever think about the cost of attending Penn State since Penn State is one of the most expensive public institutions in the United States? Let’s consider how expensive Penn State is for students. Is it worth as much as $20,000 per year for in-state residents, and is it worth as much as $30,000 per year for students living outside of Pennsylvania? More and more students change their final decisions due to the expensive cost of attending specific colleges or universities. Towards these issues, I will perform a detailed evaluation so that students can be informed about the cost of tuition at Penn State. First of all, comparing the price tags of going to Penn State and other similar colleges will provide a basic sense on how expensive Penn State is relative to others. For Midwestern public universities that have nearly the same sizes in enrollment compared to Penn State, the tuition of Penn State is by far more expensive than those Midwestern colleges. Let’s consider Michigan State University, with an enrollment of nearly 35,000. The in-state tuition for Michigan State University is about $6,700, while the out-of-state tuition is close to $16,700 (Michigan 2004). On the other hand, Penn State—University Park, has a student population of nearly 34,000 students. The in-state and out-of-state tuitions at Penn State are at least $2,000 more than the tuitions for attending Michigan State (PSU Registrar 2004). Penn State’s annual tuition is 30% more expensive than some public universities in the Midwest. One may argue that the difference in tuition is due to the locati on of the universities. This is not true at all, and I will provide evidence that will show that there is a weak or no correlation between the public university’s location and the tuition rate.

Magnesium Essay -- essays research papers

Magnesium is the twelfth element on the periodic table. It is located in the second group called the alkaline earth metals. Natural magnesium contains three different isotopes, and there are twelve others that are recognized. Seawater is a rich source of magnesium in the form of salt. Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust. Magnesium readily ignites upon heating in air and burns with a dazzling white flame. To extinguish the flame water should not be used. Alkaline earth metal salts in general, are less soluble in water than the corresponding alkali metal salts. Some are even so insoluble that they resist weathering and leaching action in rainwater. Alkaline earth metals are extracted from the mineral ores like they have been for many decades. This second group of metals is also less reactive than the alkali metals. They do not need to have a specific storage procedure like that of the corresponding elements. These alkaline metals react with acids, and in certain temperatures of water. They are also harder than their alkali friends. In general, they have a gray-white luster that tarnishes quickly in the air to form a tough, thin oxide coating. The coating protects the metal, particularly magnesium, from further oxidation. This allows alloys of these metals to be used as low-density structural materials. Magnesium is one of the two most important alkaline earth metals. It is found in seawater. Today, though it is chiefly produced by electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride. It has many uses. Magnesium is an important material that is a chief component in a number of high-tensile-strength, low-density alloys. These properties allow the alloy to be very valuable in air and spacecraft construction. Also, the alloyed metal is used to make a large variety of other products, such as, artificial limbs, vacuum cleaners, optical instruments, recreational skis, wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, and outdoor furniture. Magnesium is also found in asbestos. Asbestos was used in insulating materials up until it was found to cause cancer and other types of lung diseases. The unalloyed metal of magnesium is used in photographic flashlight powders, incendiary bombs, and signal flares. This special element also has many important roles in the body. The most vital need for it is on the cellular level. It is as important as calcium, and is found in bone... ... nuts, pecans, and cashews contain some of the highest amounts of the element from edible nuts. Many types of fish contain the element too, specifically salmon. Also fruits such as dried apricots or avocados hold the element well. Eating these foods proves to be beneficial to the body in the ways already stated and many more in the long run. As you can see, magnesium is a special element that is extremely useful in our lives. We come across every day, completely unaware that it is there or even what it is. Most elements are like that though, never thanked or recognized for the important roles they play in our world today. Life without elements wouldn't be life at all. Without elements, such as magnesium, we would find ourselves without many of the conveniences and advancements in civilization that are currently available to us. Society, as a whole, (not just chemistry students) should learn more about these elements and appreciate all that they have given them for without them, life wouldn't be the same. With new advances in space exploration and more experimental research, we are sure to find many more elements which will make the life to come almost an effortless exsistance.

J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings Essay -- J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them† (Tolkien, The Two Towers 233)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense. He creates symbolism and meaning by mastering his own world and his own language. To understand the symbolism of The Ruling Ring, or The One Ring, one must understand the events, which take place from the time of the ring’s creation until the time of it’s destruction. One must also develop an understanding of the characters and events that are important in the story. In this paper, we will learn the background of Tolkien’s life and the history of the One Ring. The history of the One Ring will include it’s creation, it’s effect on mortals, and it’s destruction. By learning the One Ring’s history, one c an understand its symbolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an English scholar and storyteller, became interested in language at an early age. During his schooling, Tolkien was mostly interested with the languages of Northern Europe. His interests included both ancient and modern languages. Tolkien’s interest in language leads to his profession and his own hobby. He invented languages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the One Ring starts before the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† The ring is created in the book â€Å"The Silmarillion.† The creation of the One Ring is found in â€Å"The Silmarillion† after the fall of Morgoth. At the time, Sauron wants to control all of the people in Middle Earth. To gain control of the people, Sauron convinced them that he had good intentions. Eventually the people sided with Sauron, and created the Rings of Power. Sauron created the One Ring in secret so he would be able to control the other rings. This gave Sauron control of the people. The creation of the One Ring, and the essence of it’s power follows here. â€Å"And their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only as long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven Rings was very great, and that which should g... ... end of time. Bibliography Adams, Robert M. The Land and Literature of England. New York: W W Norton and Company, 1983. Bloom, Harold. Modern Fantasy Writers. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995. Grotta, Daniel. The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978. Dodsworth, Martin. The Penguin History of Literature. England: Penguin Books, 1994. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien and the Critics. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien New Critical Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucy, 1981. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. New York: Bantam, 1994. Shippey, T.A. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1995. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. Tree and Leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Tyler, J.E.A. The Tolkien Companion. New York: Pan Books, 1976. J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Essay -- J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Rings J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them† (Tolkien, The Two Towers 233)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense. He creates symbolism and meaning by mastering his own world and his own language. To understand the symbolism of The Ruling Ring, or The One Ring, one must understand the events, which take place from the time of the ring’s creation until the time of it’s destruction. One must also develop an understanding of the characters and events that are important in the story. In this paper, we will learn the background of Tolkien’s life and the history of the One Ring. The history of the One Ring will include it’s creation, it’s effect on mortals, and it’s destruction. By learning the One Ring’s history, one c an understand its symbolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an English scholar and storyteller, became interested in language at an early age. During his schooling, Tolkien was mostly interested with the languages of Northern Europe. His interests included both ancient and modern languages. Tolkien’s interest in language leads to his profession and his own hobby. He invented languages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the One Ring starts before the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† The ring is created in the book â€Å"The Silmarillion.† The creation of the One Ring is found in â€Å"The Silmarillion† after the fall of Morgoth. At the time, Sauron wants to control all of the people in Middle Earth. To gain control of the people, Sauron convinced them that he had good intentions. Eventually the people sided with Sauron, and created the Rings of Power. Sauron created the One Ring in secret so he would be able to control the other rings. This gave Sauron control of the people. The creation of the One Ring, and the essence of it’s power follows here. â€Å"And their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only as long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven Rings was very great, and that which should g... ... end of time. Bibliography Adams, Robert M. The Land and Literature of England. New York: W W Norton and Company, 1983. Bloom, Harold. Modern Fantasy Writers. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995. Grotta, Daniel. The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978. Dodsworth, Martin. The Penguin History of Literature. England: Penguin Books, 1994. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien and the Critics. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien New Critical Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucy, 1981. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. New York: Bantam, 1994. Shippey, T.A. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1995. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. Tree and Leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Tyler, J.E.A. The Tolkien Companion. New York: Pan Books, 1976.

Book Review on The Lucky One Essay

In the blink of an eye, something happens by chance – when you least expect it sets you on a course that you never planned, into a future you never imagined. What if someone had saved your life before you even met? How far will you travel to find love? Will you engage in a journey of love and luck that will change your life forever? Will you take the quests to happiness when you know to yourself that you will be taking risks and that the journey you will take is a trial-and-error thing? For him, that was all possible. He was a wonderful man. And when a man is that special, you know it sooner than you think possible. You recognize it instinctively; there will never be another one like him. He was Logan Thibault, a one of a kind man who sets out a journey to find a girl, who was believed to be his lucky charm. Meeting her embarks the roller coaster ride of love, luck, fortune, romance and big secrets. Literary Work and Comment The literary work of Nicholas Sparks is a brilliant one. He had narrated a story of love and romance, of luck and journey. But like any other stories, this depicts lives of people. This is less dreamy and is more realistic even at times pragmatic – in spite of the belief in a lucky charm. The story revolves around the life of a U.S. Marine during his third tour of duty in Iraq and the photograph he had found. That was a photo of a smiling young woman half buried in the dirt. His first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm. Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives. Theme and Purpose This story is melodramatic and is more realistic. The author has always written stories where happiness and tragedy meet, full of little coincidences that may change people’s lives forever. The stories he wrote often are sentimental, since they are always about quests for love and romance and all about sadness as well. The author had presented us how a marine lived his life during the times when he was on a duty in Iraq. A lot of scenes in the novel were inspired with the timely events that had happened in Iraq back in 2008. During that time, that war in Iraq dominated the front pages of newspapers and is headlines on almost all television networks all over the world. But then, what the author is pointing out here is that stories about military men and personnel are often personal and focuses on their families or the struggles they faced upon returning home. Thus, the author wanted the readers to have a picture on their minds on what a marine officer is encountering mainly the preparations before the war, during the battle and after their duties. The author wanted us to be more aware on how a marine fought battles. He wanted his readers to experience, even by just reading his work, how to deal things when you are in a real battle in a vast battlefield. Bottom line of it all, the author wanted us to picture out strengths and determination from the main characters of the story. He wanted us to know and feel that pursuance on a certain thing you are into could give you a prosperous life. He is giving us an example, for us to reflect on ourselves, how to deal with problems. Problems are our enemies and every day we are dealing with it. We are living in a great battle field and for you to win and conquer it all, we must have strengths in ourselves and be determined enough to pursue everything we ought to do. We must believe that we can beat every problem that will come in our way. This are just spices in gaining a fruitful life ahead. Techniques Used The author had offered us a good story line. This story is surely be loved by avid romance novel readers most especially because of the beautiful plot he had created. The twists and turns of events are unpredictable that will surely make you crave for more of his works. The very first thing I had noticed was the flashback technique the author had used which is very common for all stories; using this may not let readers enjoy because they already know this kind of technique. So he had come up with a technique that you will notice from this certain novel and that is by using the voice of the characters. The author is writing in the limited third-person omniscient, thus allowing the reader to feel almost â€Å"first-person† closeness with the character, while still allowing all the characters to participate. Each chapter is told through the perspective of a single character. For example, in chapters labeled â€Å"Thibault,† only Thibault’s thoughts are included. Anything another character does is seen through his perspective, one that Thibault must only assume. If he’s talking to Beth, he can intuit what she’s thinking, but the readers are never allowed to know for sure. Until, of course, the next chapter arrives (perhaps labeled â€Å"Beth†) where she might reflect on what she’d actually been thinking. It’s a powerful form of writing and the author had used it effectively. He had overcome the challenge to make each character’s voice distinct enough to be immediately recognizable. In other words, the readers were able to â€Å"know† who’s talking, even if the chapter hadn’t been labeled at all. There was a learning curve associated with this. It made the development of the relationship between Thibault and Beth a bit more difficult (since it was only through one person’s eyes at any given time), but on the other hand, it made the characters themselves a bit easier to craft. And some voices were more difficult than others. Then, of course, there’s the challenge of keeping the story â€Å"linear.† That’s a bit tougher to do when writing with this form of literary voice. This kind of technique used by the author is somewhat confusing at first but as you go on reading the story, you will gradually understand and grasp the technique implied. It is so great that someone had done this kind of technique in writing because not all writers, regardless of what genre they are into, are good in narrating stories with this kind of technique. Opinion This is a great story indeed. Nicholas Sparks had written such a beautiful romance novel. His work is elevated by a very persuasive manner of storytelling. Readers are not expected to read his books because they are true but because they ought to be true. The story is very well plotted. The sequencing of events as well as the techniques used is very much commending. Sparks writes in such a way that it keeps you informed, seduced, captivated, and never bored. The chapters move along swiftly and it is written so well that you are not struggling to make it through each chapter. Each chapter would focus on a particular character and the chapter would be titled with their name: Thibault, Beth or Clayton. I loved that we got to delve into every characters lives. Everyone was explored with the same amount of back story. You never felt a lack of information. The storyline stays true and builds to an exciting climax. Sparks knows how to build a story and keep a reader anxiously turning pages. This is my first time to read a Nicholas Sparks novel and I surely bet this wouldn’t be the last because I had enjoyed reading it. The way he presented his work to his readers is so much appealing that you will surely crave for more.