The comparison of the topic of genocide presented in the two movies Research Paper

The comparison of the topic of genocide presented in the two movies about the Holocaust - Research Paper Example Through this paper, the discussion will present the ways, in which American movies have presented the European event, and more importantly, how the perception of topics like genocide in the holocaust has been altered by the presentations of American film. The two movies are representative of the events of the holocaust, mainly because both deal with the events covered, from a different point of view. Further, previously developed viewpoints about the events of the holocaust have been altered by the release of the different media accounts. It is important to note that the Nazi holocaust is different from the holocaust –which is the media presentation of the holocaust – in the American society. The main issue, in this case, is that some aspects of the events, including the area of genocide have been altered, as a way of safeguarding the interests of the audience. Comparison between the Diary of Anne Frank and the Pawnbroker During the period between the conclusion of the war and the start of the 1960s, the events of the holocaust had no considerable influences on America’s film industry. Similar to the case of other art forms, the theme spurred less interest. The case is evident from the fact that, only a few – and often not successful – books covered the subject. This case could be the result of the view that the events did not warrant artistic exposure, but were those to be left to historians only. In 1956, the first movie on the events of the holocaust was made, by the name of ‘Night and fog’, which also had little influence in America, possibly, because it was done in French. Following the context narrated before, ‘the diary of Anne Frank’ was staged, first as a play in 1956, and later cast as a movie in 1959, which caused major influence in the presentation of the holocaust. The Pawnbroker tries to present a connection between the sufferings of the Jews at camps, to the case of the Afro-Americans s uffering at Harlem. The problem with attempting to develop a relationship between the two is that it destroys the historical record of the event. The movie shows the story of a professor who lost the wife and children at detention camps, and is shown as one running a pawnshop at Harlem. The many deaths are a clear representation of the deaths taking place at the death camps, which points to the genocide. Further, the account of the disturbing deaths of the wife and the children, bring to the viewer, a feeling closer to that experienced by the victims of the genocide. The movie goes ahead to expose the viewers, to the highly painful past of the survivor of the genocide, Mr. Sol Nazerman. Emphasis is channeled towards the impact of the past, on the survivor’s present life, which cripples his life in a traumatized manner. Sol’s life portrays the torture suffered by Jews; especially the many deaths taking place there, which were many to the level of warranting the situatio n to be referred as genocide. Therefore, this movie presents the genocide that took place during the holocaust more representative of the historical event, when compared to the case of the diary of Anne Frank. Through the diary of Anne Frank, the topic of genocide – which was aimed at the Jews – is generalized; in a way that, it is presented not to

Crime Prevention and Social Complexity of Crime Essay

Crime Prevention and Social Complexity of Crime - Essay Example In other words it can be understood that crime is very much a human act and if we take out the civilization clause from the dictionary of human society and make it equivalent to the savagery, this crime is not exactly something which can be termed inhumane. It's something present in very nature of humans and they technically possess every characteristic of an animal. It is a threat that is comparable to anything that has been faced by the society in past but is actually a very intelligent form of threat that waits for the opportunity to transform its ability into an act of crime under the influence of desire. Hence this phenomenon of crime is basically an action which involves at least two human beings with one being the perpetrator and the other one is the victim. Crime prevention is another part of the solution that has to tackle the social complexity of crime. Though the legal procedures and enforcement agencies are very much present to redress the problem, they have miserably failed to provide something which will have some long term impact. They actually provide security either through prosecution or through prevention. Prosecution leads to arrest and a whole lot of legal procedures including the judgment and imprisonment. Prevention deals with stopping a criminal from committing something heinous. The option of committing a crime is to be closed. Hence the target issue is the creation the hindrance for a criminal through wide spread precautionary measures being implemented through every single home to any of the working place or public place present in the locality. The important point is to shield oneself from being a victim. The crime and its different techniques have to be made understood to each and every person. Right from the begin ning i.e., during childhood, one should be made aware of the prevention procedures and the importance of it has to be made a part of the complete thought process. But still after this much precaution the outcome of these procedures has been found to be very much limited and the crime rate is on its way to rise and rise. The most important thing is to act against the cause that make a criminal rather than reducing the opportunities for him to commit some crime. We have to realize that this criminal has been developed from this society only and the problem is in the social pattern and due to these patterns we have to face certain people who have got out of the normal way of social life and are acting against the group of which it is a very important part. So the new crime prevention should deal with the very cause of creation of a criminal and factors fuelling its growth. Crime Prevention Plan of the new society The humans have reached to the current age of information after getting a number of destruction and wars. Initially, it had to fight adversities of earth and its surroundings and after the formation of some civilization, it

Examining The Importanceof Key Performance Indicators Construction Essay

Examining The Importanceof Key Performance Indicators Construction Essay The Latham Report, also known as Constructing the Team was published by Sir Michael Latham in 1994 to highlight the inefficiencies of UK construction industry at that time. The industry was underperforming as a whole, generating low profitability and unable to meet clients satisfaction. Latham Report served as a wake-up call for the nation and underlined the immediate need to reform. Sir John Egan picked up from where Latham left off and published the Egan Report, also known as Rethinking Construction in 1998. Egan Report (1998) identified five key drivers of change which are committed leadership, a focus on the customer, integrated processes and teams, a quality driven agenda and commitment to people. Sir John Egan also challenged the industry to reduce its construction cost and time by 10% annually. Egan Report concluded that, if the UK construction industry is to meet new challenges and opportunities, it must transform itself, and KPIs were highlighted as a tool for attaining this (Cooper, 2004). The first set of UK Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) was published in 1999 with three main objectives (Constructing Excellence, 2006): Key Performance Indicators can be rather confusing to those who have little knowledge in business management. It is believed that the benefits of KPIs are yet to be fully exploited by the construction industry ever since the publication of Egan Report. KPIs are not new to the industry but they are either not recognised or kept away by the management teams (Parmenter, 2007). Nowadays, the term KPIs has become one of the most over-used and little understood terms in business development and management (Ibis, 2010). According to KPIs expert David Parmenter, KPIs represent a set of measures focusing on those aspects of organisational performance that are the most critical for the current and future success of the organisation (Parmenter, 2004). When used correctly, KPIs are able to tell an organisation what to do to improve performance dramatically. However, the organisation can only succeed when the company leaders and staff are all together focusing on KPIs. Each business industry has a different set of KPIs for companies to use to measure their success. In the construction industry, companies use indicators such as the number of safety incidents in a specified time period, profitability of construction projects or reviewing cost of construction materials against the predetermined budget (Vitez, 2010). Cox et al. (2003) state that KPIs are compilations of data measures used to assess the performance of a construction operation. They also state that KPIs could be the methods management uses to evaluate employee performance of a particular task. These evaluations typically compare the actual and estimated performance in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality in terms of both workmanship and product. In order to measure performance or calculate the effects of any given change on the construction process, one must first determine the appropriate KPIs to focus on to measure its impact (Cox et al., 2003). Performance indicators can be defined by either the quantitative results of a construction process, for example  £/unit, or by qualitative measures such as worker behaviour on the job. Accurate analysis of construction performance can be only performed after the KPIs are determined and monitored (Cox et al., 2003). Before any Key Performance Indicators are determined, it is vital to identify what the organisations goal is (Visitask, 2010). After the goals are identified, KPIs will act as a measure of progress towards those goals. Whatever the KPIs may be, they must be critical to the success of the organisation (Reh, 2010). After the KPIs have been defined and the way to measure it has also been determined, a clear target has to be demarcated which should be understandable by everyone in the organisation (Visitask, 2010). The target should also be specific so that every individual are able to work together towards accomplishing it. To achieve a particular target level of Key Performance Indicator for a company, every department along with the company leaders have to work in synergy towards it (Visitask, 2010). In short, KPIs help an organisation define and measure progress toward organisational goals. Once an organisation has analysed its mission, identified all its stakeholders, and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals and KPIs are those measurements (Reh, 2010). Measuring performance allows an organisation to objectively determine what is working and what is not (Ling and Peh, 2005). There are many ways to use KPIs in the business and industry. According to Constructing Excellence (2006), the main ways that KPIs are used in the construction industry are: CIPFA (1996) describes benchmarking as a tool for self improvement. It suggests that organisations are often prompted to use benchmarking when they want to reduce cost, achieve more with the same or fewer resources, prepare for competitive tendering, improve quality of service, or change culture of the organisation. Benchmarking can be used in a host of ways. For example a company can compare its performance internally, by benchmarking processes in one office against the same processes in another; or it can undertake similar work externally by examining how it compares with its direct competitors (Pickrell and Garnett, 1997). When choosing a target for benchmarking, it is best to benchmark similar organisations in the same industry, in similar marketplaces, of a similar size and if possible, working in a similar locality. Such an approach provides not only more meaningful and focused targets for improvement, but also data and more general information about what competitors are achiev ing (Cooper, 2004). However, sometimes it is necessary to go beyond the sphere of ones own industry to identify the best practice in the business (McGeorge and Palmer, 1997). KPIs are a type of performance measurement tool. It allows management to measure the performance of a company in a certain area such as profitability. KPIs can help a team to work together to achieve a common set of measurable goals, and provide a very quick way of seeing the actual performance of a goal or strategic objective (RapidBI, 2009). According to Constructing Excellence (2006), KPIs can also be used as a marketing tool. For example, Contractors can use KPIs to prove that they have excellent safety records to promote themselves in front of clients when tendering. Besides, KPIs can help companies to make decisions quicker when there are accurate and visible measures to back them up (RapidBI, 2009). In the construction industry, KPIs help managers to find weak areas in their operations that can be improved, leading to faster construction completion times and fewer employee safety incidents (Vitez, 2010). Moreover, constructions companies who use KPIs in their operations usuall y have more flexible operations than their competitors (Vitez, 2010). Although not realised by many people, KPIs actually play a part in providing sustainable construction. There are environmental KPIs that measure impact on the environment, energy use, waste, and impact on biodiversity which are all crucial to sustainability. Benchmarking can provide an objective analysis of how successful an organisation is performing and allows a company to identify its position in the market (Ling and Peh, 2005). By benchmarking against best practice in the industry, one can identify potential areas of growth or weaknesses and use lessons learnt to make targeted improvements. In long run, companies who benchmark will be able to deliver clients expectations and increase clients satisfaction. Besides, benchmarking can help to lock an organisation into continuous performance improvement, and to develop a culture in which it is easier to admit mistakes and make changes (CIPFA, 1996). Pickrell and Garnett (1997) claim that benchmarking can help to reduce overheads and increase profitability of a company. It also enables companies to really understand their business processes. The most important thing of all about benchmarking is that it allows better companies to demonstrate that they are capable of delivering good services and products, thus developing a barrier to the poorer performers in the market. When this happens, poorer performers will strive to improve their performance by means of benchmarking the better ones and consequently the overall performance of the industry is increased as the market gets more competitive.

Effects of Catalase Over-expression on Aging :: Biology Age

Introduction What exactly causes the infirmities of old age? According to the free-radical theory of aging, oxidative damage caused by ROS (reactive oxygen species) is the main culprit. This paper focuses on a study that partly supports this theory by showing that murine life span can be extended by an overexpression of human catalase in mitochondria. The specific paper that this is based on is Extension of Murine Life Span by Overexpression of Catalase Targeted to Mitochondria by Samuel E. Schriner et al. Another paper that was used in the construction of this paper is The Anti-Aging Sweepstakes: Catalase Runs for the ROSes by Richard A. Miller. These scientific papers are summaries of the experiments carried out by Schriner and his group dealing with the topic of catalase-overexpression and its effect on murine lifespan. However, it is important to remember that this is a topic still under much debate. Though these experiments do not provide us with a definat cureall for aging, it is believed by many that the data aquired from them point us to one of the major culprits of aging and age related diseases, ROS's. Why the fuss over R.O.S.? Attempts to prolong longevity have been a major endeavor in science and several hypotheses have been proposed about the major causes. Scientists have focused on the role of reactive oxygen species in longevity through investigations using mice models. Reactive oxygen species’ role in aging processes is also known as the free radical theory of aging. Scientists have found that reactive oxygen species attack molecules of biological systems and are the main cause for the functional decline of organ systems that lead to eventual death. Various experiments were conducted to investigate the role of reaction oxygen species using transgenic mouse models. Specifically, the purpose of these experiments are to determine if minimizing the level of ROS (reactive oxygen species) in certain organelles in mice have any effect on the overall health and lifespan of the mouse. The hypothesis was tested by amplifying a certain gene in mouse DNA that expresses catalase, an enzyme that breaks down the ROS’s. However, prior to beginning the experiments, transgenic mice are necessary for the experimentation. Development of a Transgenic Mouse A transgenic mouse is a mouse that has had a specific gene, in this case the human catalase gene, inserted into its genome.

Payroll Accounting Cycle Essay

The Payroll Accounting Cycle or Payroll Cycle is basically a process for recording time and attendance and converting that data into payroll calculations and payroll disbursements (Robertson, 2003). This cycle covers all activities related to payroll from hiring and firing to pay distribution. The payroll cycle has four basic stages; recruitment, which covers the identification of vacant positions, advertising for the vacancies, and selection of a candidate for hire, time and attendance, which is a record of all the work hours of the employees, salary distribution, which involves the depositing of paychecks into the employees account, and unfunded liability, which determines the unfunded annual leave and separation pay (Payroll Cycle, 2005). The most important internal control process in the Payroll Accounting Cycle is the division of duties (Bierstaker, 1997). Under this control process, the main tasks should be handled by different people.  This means that processes such as the hiring and firing of personnel and the management of labor relations, the supervision approval of work time, the preparation and timekeeping of payroll, the payroll check preparation and related payroll reports as well as the payroll distribution and actual custody of checks and its subsequent distribution to employees, should all be handled by five separate auditors to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the Payroll Cycle (Robertson, 2003). Another specific internal control in the Payroll Cycle is by implementing authorization requirements. This basically acts as a checks and balance feature in the Payroll Accounting Cycle (Bierstaker, 1997). In this control process, the pay base data, which is the data on which pay is based including factors such as hours, piece rate volume, and incentives, and personnel hiring and firing decisions, should all be initially approved by a supervisor or an independent department (Robertson, 2003). Providing that all these controls are implemented properly, there should be no relative weaknesses in the Payroll Cycle. There are probabilities however that the internal control systems will fail to detect material misstatements. The methods that can be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the Payroll Accounting Cycle of a business involve careful auditing, risk assessment and control risk assessment (Bierstaker, 1997). In conducting control risk assessments it should always be remembered that if the control risk is assessed very low, substantive audit procedures can be limited in cost-saving ways. If it is assessed very high, substantive procedures will need to be designed to lower the risk of failing to detect material misstatement in the account balances (Robertson, 2003). There is no perfect Payroll Accounting Cycle and control measures should always be implemented and audited periodically.

Graphic Novel Deconstruction Essay

This essay will deconstruct Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel The Sandman Volume#1 Preludes and Nocturnes (1991), in order to gain an understanding of narrative is presented through the use of image. It will also comment on the codes and conventions within the chosen text. Preludes and Nocturnes is the collection of eight comics in the Sandman series, with Neil Gaiman writing for a regular series for the first time. As such Preludes and Nocturnes is somewhat a work in progress, as the creative team honed their work. If read from cover to cover you will see a marked improvement in the writing over the course of the volume culminating in a much more tightly wound climax than at the beginning. The first chapter Sleep of the Just is a good place to start looking at the panel construction of the narrative. On the page (Tab. 1) we see the first three panels over-laying the fourth panel. The first two panels are narrow and rectangular and the third is square. The gutters are very narrow and not a lot is happening in the panels. This indicates that panel-to-panel, not a lot of time has passed between transitions. However rather than use moment-to-moment transition the creators have used subject-to-subject as a method of keeping a moderate pace for the reader to become interested in what they are seeing on the page. This is continued throughout the eight panel page. Alternatively, the creators could have shown the first two panels as one, allowing the dialogue to take place straight away as the car pulls up to the mansion. The panel could then be expanded showing the mansion in more detail and allowing for the removal of panel three completely. We already know the man is here for a reason, therefore we make an assumption he will leave the car and knock on the door. ) This would potentially allow for the removal of Panel Four, going straight to the man knocking on the door and the door being answered. This would then clear up what is a relatively cluttered page and make the narrative much more direct. Dialogue and pacing are used to high degree throughout this chapter sometimes appearing cluttered and confused, and sometimes this is compound by the unusual panel shapes employed. However this has been used to great effect (Tab. 2) The thin oddly constructed/shaped panel’s one and two, are almost seen as though they are slices of Burgess’s insanity and obsession. Subject-to-Subject transitions are used to aid pacing in what otherwise would be a lengthy a page due to the amount of dialogue. Although the majority of the spoken word is short, there is a lot of it to read. A six panel page is probably right for this instance however more conventional panel shapes would probably aid the reader more. The caption box in the first panel is used in parallel to what is in the picture; the reader doesn’t actually see the words of the spell tolling in his head, but they are given a sense of the psychological effect it takes on Burgess. On the very next page closure is used perfectly. Burgess demands for the being to come forward and with each chant, that being becomes more corporeal with the end result, the creature arriving in the room. The dialogue used is interdependent to the imagery. Without one or the other the reader wouldn’t be able to pick up the full picture of what is happening. To speed this page up you could probably remove the panels with Burgess and just have the three panels of the creature appearing with the dialogue situated around him, as if surrounded by people. In (Tab. 3) we can see a classic example of moment-to-moment transitions, twelve panels depicting and old man dreaming of becoming young again as he walks along a dark corridor before realising he is in a nightmare of his own making. Twelve panels on a fifteen panel page seems like a lot, however it serves to really ramp up the tension in the terms of the narrative as this is a turning point for the whole story. Interestingly the transitions used serve as the opposite to what is actually happening; the de-aging process of decades in just a few seconds or minutes intensifies the dream/nightmare feel. For the sake of quicker pacing you could perhaps take a few panels out here and there, showing a larger passage of time between the transitions and the de-aging process, however you would then run the risk of losing the tension build up. An interesting point to note is the dialogue for Morpheus, his speech bubbles are jagged black items with white text, that serve the purpose of defining his character as not of this earth and more important than any other speaker. (Tab. 4) poses some interesting issues. Panel 1 bleeds in from the top of the page to the half-way point with the next two panels over laid. However here is where it can get confusing for a reader who reads from left to right on a single page. Panels 4-6 do not follow the traditional design of a comic book. Rather than continuing the dialogue under panels 1-3 they extend onto the next page and initially this is confusing as the readers first thought is to go down the page. It is almost as if the writer wants you to stop and think for a moment. This layout is continued through panels 7-13 and in panels 10-12 the structure becomes jagged indicating Cain’s fractured mind finally snapping and lashing out at his brother Abel, the word â€Å"IRVING † capitalised and coloured in red accents this. This section uses several different types of panelling ranging from aspect-to-aspect (panels 1-4 7-8) subject-to-subject (5-6 9-13. ) This unusual layout has been created because of the opening dialogue, Lucien the Librarian stating that â€Å"It has been a strange century. † The creators probably felt that they could accentuate this by creating this page layout. It would have worked much better if it had been done over a single A2 sheet but restrictions prevent this so readers would have to be careful to make sure they read the page right. It would flow better if the panels with Cain and Abel had been left out entirely or at least placed on a separate sheet. Again closure is shown on the final panel with blood spatter getting that message across loud and clear. (Tab. 5) brings good examples of word specific text in subject-to-subject panels, also note the colour change to black and white, given in context with each panel it conveys the message that all is well and the world is resting. The use of Morpheus’s coat as a panel enveloping Arkham Asylum is used to indicate that he is back in control of the dream realm and is repairing the damage done by his captivity. Throughout the Preludes and Nocturnes there has been a constant improvement in the way it is presented and written. In particular as the narrative continues, there are subtle changes in colours, from really quite dark to eventually ending up with a white background as Morpheus goes about his quest to right the wrongs done to him. The writers also moved to more traditional conventions of comic books in respect to panelling moving away from the sometimes claustrophobic and cluttered panels in the early chapters to the more familiar boxy panels that most sequential art uses, however that is not to say the gothic inspired artwork doesn’t have its place, in the early stages of the story, entrapment and imprisonment were key themes. As the creative team honed their skills the works became more coherent and easier to understand. It is easy to see why this series is so popular.