Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank

Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 for their efforts in creating economic and social development for the masses below.The Chairman of the Nobel Committee said in his prize announcement speech that poverty is reduced if large groups of people work towards it, and microfinance is one such method. Muhammad Yunus is one person who had the leadership and the vision and took an initiative to translated those visions into practical action, and benefitted people in Bangladesh and other countries. He established the idea to give loans to poor people who had no financial security. Muhammad Yunus was given the award because he established a model for many other organizations to follow.He had the vision that every man, no matter how poor, has some talent within him that he can pursue for his own economic uplift. This is especially true for the women in the society who deserve to get an equal opportunity to men to acquire the necessary finances to pursue t heir talents. Microcredit is one of the methods that Muhammad Yunus thought could help in the erosion of poverty from the world. (Cozyinhel, 2006)Muhammad Yunus gave a speech about the microfinance revolution. In this video, he talks about how he came up with the idea of microfinance. He explained how when Bangladesh was formed, it faced a lot of problems, economy was sliding down and famines struck too. He was an economics teacher at that time and he felt terrible for not being able to use all that he teaches to help the people of his country. He wanted to remove people from this frustration and agony and the one thing that caught his attention most was the ruthlessness of the money lenders in a small village.He researched into how many people in the village actually went to these money lenders for money and found out how less they borrowed. He realized how entrenched the money lending system was in the roots and this led him to the solution that he came up with. He thought that if he gives the mere amount of money to people from his own pocket, they can return that to the money lender and they will be free. So the basic idea he had in mind was to free the people from the money lenders.He did this initially as a onetime action and later wanted to expand this into a systematic system. He then thought of an idea to go to a bank and ask them to lend that amount to the villagers, which blatantly refused to lend money to the poor people because they were not credit worthy. He then convinced them to allow him to be the guarantor and lend money to the poor.This was agreed upon and he kept growing this system. He is of the opinion that during the entire process, all he did was to struggle against mindsets (Calit2ube, 2007).He was also of the opinion that banking system was unjust because it excluded the poor and the women, so he decided to put his maximum focus on lending money to the women. Again at this point, he faced a struggle of mindset because women themselves were scared and unwilling to take the money and use it to create something. But he said that this was not the voice of the woman but the voice of fear and if worked upon patiently, these fears can be removed. Ultimately, they started lending to women and the impact on the families was much stronger than lending to men.Keeping this in mind, Grameen Bank thus started lending 97% to women only! Grameen Bank was owned by these poor women, who were the shareholders and on the Board of Directors, and it worked for the poor women too. Grameen Bank went to the poor, the women and the rurals. They worked on the philosophy, â€Å"The less you have, the more attractive a borrower you are for the Bank† (Calit2ube, 2007).He thus started a system that was then established all over the world. Muhammad Yunus is of the opinion that poverty is not created by the poor people, it is created by the system, by our mindsets and by our institutions. Microfinance enabled people to change their lives , it gave a mere 15$ to enable people to move away from a begging position to a dignified position.In an interview with Charlie Rose, Muhammad Yunus said that the system was to give money to poor people without collateral and a guarantee. The existing financial system served to only top one third people who have a huge amount of money and lent money to those who had money to give you collateral.They decided to give money to those who have no money to start with. It worked so well and expanded all over the world because there always was a crying need for it and nobody had ever paid attention to it (Rose, 2007). He has a strong conviction that such a system if grown exponentially can eradicate poverty from this world because poverty is artificially sown in the society and once that seed is removed, it can be eliminated.

The production and use of ATP in living organisms

Adenosine Triphosphate, also known as ATP, is the molecule responsible for the energy that we, and all other organisms, need to survive. It is produced primarily in the processes of aerobic and anaerobic respiration by oxidative and substrate phosphorylation. 4 molecules of ATP are produced from 4 ADP and 4 inorganic phosphates in glycolysis in the cytoplasm of every cell, by the oxidation of a triose phosphate into two molecules of pyruvate.In anaerobic respiration these are the only 4 ATP molecules produced per molecule of glucose as there is no oxygen available for the link reaction or electron transport chain to occur in the cytoplasm, instead the pyruvate molecules are reduced into either lactate in muscles or ethanol and CO2 in yeast. However 2 ATP molecules are used in the phosphorylation of glucose at the start of glycolysis so the net product of anaerobic respiration is just 2 ATP. In aerobic respiration the pyruvate molecules move into the mitochondrial matrix where they un dergo the link reaction, releasing one CO2 molecule and one NADH each.This leaves two acetyl co-enzyme A molecules which enter the Krebs cycle to release another 2 CO2 molecules, 1 ATP, 3 NADH and 1 FADH each. So far we have a net production of 4 ATP (subtracting the 2 used in glycolysis). The electron transport chain is where the majority of ATP is produced. 10 NADH and 2 FADH (produced from glycolysis, link reaction and the Krebs cycle) are oxidised to NAD and FAD, releasing 12 hydrogens. These hydrogens are split into protons and electrons.The electrons are passed from carrier to carrier in the bilayer of the inner membrane of the mitochondrial cristae, releasing energy at each one. This energy is used to pump the protons through the carriers into the intermembrane space, creating a gradient. Due to this gradient, the protons flow from the intermembrane space back into the matrix by ATP Synthase in the inner membrane. This movement of protons allows 28 ADP and 28 inorganic phosph ates to form 28 ATP molecules, while the protons and electrons are left to react with oxygen to form H2O.Overall, respiration produces 32 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, making it a very efficient source of energy. A small amount of ATP is also produced in photosynthesis, specifically in the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis in the thylakoids of chloroplasts. Once photoexcitation has taken place, the two electrons released from a chlorophyll molecule move along the electron transport chain, losing energy at each carrier. This energy allows ADP and inorganic phosphate to form ATP in the same way as the electron transport chain in aerobic respiration.As you can see the production of ATP is not simple, but it is necessary due to its large number of uses in living organisms. I have already mentioned the use of ATP in glycolysis in the phosphorylation of glucose, but ATP is also required in the light independent reactions of photosynthesis in the stroma. RuBP is converted i nto 2 GP molecules by the fixing of CO2. These GP molecules are then reduced to two GALP by the oxidation of NADPH to NADP and the energy released by the breaking down of an ATP molecule into an ADP and an inorganic phosphate.Some of this GALP is used in the making of glucose, while most of it is recycled back into RuBP again by the energy released from the breaking of a single bond in an ATP molecule to produce ADP and inorganic phosphate, thus allowing the cycle to continue. An ATP molecule is able to provide energy due to the fact that breaking bonds releases energy. But for bonds to be made, energy is required. This is a key use of ATP in living organisms as it is essential that we can synthesise certain molecules in our bodies for growth, repair and energy stores.These synthetic reactions can also be called condensation reactions, in which two small molecules are bonded to form one larger molecule and water, for example amino acids to proteins, glycerol and fatty acids to lipid s, nucleic acids to DNA etc. Another more obvious use of ATP is in muscle contraction in animals to allow movement. The enzyme ATPase is released due to the calcium ions released in skeletal muscle tissues when an electrical impulse is received by the central nervous system.This breaks down ATP into ADP and inorganic phosphate, releasing the energy required to pull the filaments of muscle tissues and therefore for the muscles to contract. ATP is also largely used in active transport of substances against a concentration gradient. ATP binds to a carrier protein bonded to a molecule or ion in low concentration on one side of a membrane, causing it to split into ADP and inorganic phosphate and causing the protein to change shape. This change in shape opens the protein to the other side of the membrane, releasing the molecule or ion into the higher concentration on the other side.The phosphate is released from the protein, allowing it to return to its original shape and for ATP to again form from ADP and phosphate. An example of this in plants would be the active transport of mineral ions into the xylem from the endodermal cells in roots, creating a lower water potential in the xylem so water can move from the endodermal cells into the xylem to the be used in cells for processes such as photosynthesis. An example of active transport in animals is the absorption of glucose in the small intestine.A sodium potassium pump requires ATP to pump sodium out of the epithelial cells of the intestine and into the blood stream, against a concentration gradient. This creates a concentration gradient of sodium from the ileum to the epithelial cells, causing sodium ions to move into the epithelial cells by facilitated diffusion by a sodium glucose co-transport protein, bringing with it any glucose molecules in the intestine. These are not the only examples of ways in which ATP is used but they are the most common and most important ones and highlight how hugely important ATP is for all living organisms.

Management Information System and Users Essay

Every person in the organization is a user of the MIS. The people in the organization operate at all levels in the hierarchy. A typical user is a clerk, an assistant, an officer, an executive or a manager. Each of them has a specific task and a role to play in the management of business. The MIS caters to the needs of all persons. The main task of a clerk is to search the data, make a statement and submit it to the higher level. A clerk can use the MIS for a quick search and reporting the same to higher level. An assistant has the task of collecting and organizing the data, and conducting a rudimentary analysis of integrating the data from different and disciplines to analyze it and make a critical comment if anything adverse is found. The MIS offers the methods and facilities to integrate the data and report the same in a proper format. An executive plays the role of a decision maker. He is in of responsibility and accountability a position of a planner and a decision maker. He is responsible for achieving the target and goals of the organization. The MIS provides facilities to analyze the data and offers the decision support systems to perform the task of execution. The MIS provides an action Ââ€" oriented information. The manager has a position of responsibility and accountability for the business results. His management role expands beyond his management function. He is a strategist and a long-term planner. He is a person with a foresight, an analytical ability and is expected to use these abilities in the functions of top management. The MIS provides information in a structured or unstructured format for him to react. The MIS caters to his constant changing needs of information. The user of the MIS is expected to be a rational person and the design of the MIS is based on this assumption. However, in reality the impact created on individuals by MIS is difficult to explain. The nature of the impact in a few cases is negative. However, this negative impact can be handled with proper training and counseling. It is observed that at lower level, is a sense of insecurity. As the MIS takes away the drudgery of search, collection, writing and reporting the data, the work vacuum, so created is not easily filled, thus creating a sense of insecurity.

How Language Transformed Humanity Essay

The evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel states, in his speech, that language is the most powerful, risky and revolutionary characteristic of the human being ever evolved. The purpose of the speaker is to inform about the great and potent features of this trait. Pagel explains to us that when we talk, we are able to transfer thoughts in someone else’s mind and vice-versa using such a form of telemetry. In other words this process is similar to what happens between TV remote control and television. According to this biologist language is one of the most subversive means that we can use to express ourselves. One very representative example is the censorship and the awareness that we have to pay attention to when we say or write anything. Going on, Mr Pagel poses two important questions: he asks the reason why language evolves itself, and why it evolved in our species and not in others. The answer is that only human beings have a special feature named â€Å"social learning†, which lets us improve ourselves by watching and copying the actions that someone else did. Such a revolutionary characteristic could also prevent us from making the same mistakes and allows us to do the same action better than before. So we make progresses, whereas the smarter animals remain doing some activities over and over again, without big advancements. As a result of the social learning or, as anthropologists call it, cumulative cultural adaptation we can make stuff, and all the things that surround us are consequences of this process. Now we are moving towards a critical point, which is: â€Å"Why do we have language? †. First, Mr. Pagel states that social learning is visual theft. We can learn stealing ideas and benefit from the best qualities of someone else, without working on something or persevering on it. Secondly he reveals us that when human beings discovered this aspect of social learning (thousands of years ago) arose a dilemma: â€Å"How can we preserve our best ideas and avoid that others steal them? †. Our ancestors could have behaved in the following ways: concentrating themselves in small groups so as to bequeath the acquired information to offspring. But the result would have been isolation and a slight improvement. Or they could have created a system of communication to start cooperating with one another and share everything useful. Obviously they had chosen the second option and in this way language was born. So the solution to the previous dilemma is communication. Then Mr. Pagel points out how peculiar the fact is that we have 8000 different languages spoken on Earth. More surprising is that the greatest density is located in the smallest areas such as islands. This is related to the tendency of people to isolate in small groups in order to protect identities and cultures. On the other side nowadays we communicate a lot more than in the past. But our modern world founded on connectivity and cooperation is limited by the variety of languages. This raises the question: â€Å"is it possible in our globalized and standardized world to have all these different languages? †. Mr. Pagel has no answer but it seems inevitable that our destiny might be a one language world.

Tata Nano developing international markets Essay

Tata Nano developing international markets - Essay Example The company has generated approximate revenue of US$ 96.79 billion in 2013 (Tata Group, 2014). The income of the company accounts to almost 3.2% of total GDP in India. In January 2008, vehicle manufacturing segment of the Tata group, Tata Motors has launched a new car model named Tata Nano. The chairman claimed at the launching ceremony that Tata Nano was â€Å"people’s car†. The company advocated that the car would benefit the middle and lower middle income classes of the nation, who were unable to afford expensive cars (Tata Group, 2014). In addition to that, the vehicle was said to be manufactured after considering all safety standards, generated less pollution and highly fuel efficient in nature. The car has gained high success in the Indian automobile market. However, it should be noted that the product has acquired a global recognition and is regarded as cheapest car in the world. This research paper aims to study ways through which Tata Nano can be launched in ot her international markets. The context of the paper will also present an appropriate outline of the marketing plan for introducing the car in a new international market (Abeles, 2001). The non-blue zones in the above world map are markets where Tata Motors are yet to enter. Hence, it is evident that there are numerous new markets where Tata Motors can expand its business. Some markets from the above where Tata Nano is still not traded are: The political authorities of most world nations are actively promoting their domestic automobile industries. This is because progress of automobile industry of a nation helps in enhancing domestic income by generating higher employment opportunities (Alesina and Rodrik, 1994). It also helps in accumulating productive foreign direct investment and stimulates technology transfer within country borders. The government authorities in several countries have introduced new energy conservation policies for the automobile sector. In addition, the

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 6

Business law - Essay Example by Chemie Grunenthal GmbH in the 1950s and it was an anti-convulsive drug that made users sleepy and relaxed and was seen as a substitute for tranquilisers (Kelsey, 2012). During the testing, there were no issues identified, it was tested on animals and it became apparent that the drug could be used as a means of expanding the portfolio of the company that developed it (Jacoby and Youngson, 2004). The drug eventually became available to the members of the public and it became popular with pregnant women. This is because it had the ability to suppress morning sickness during pregnancy. So more and more pregnant women used it during pregnancy. In May 1961, a baby was born in a hospital in Australia and the baby died shortly (Jacoby and Youngson, 2004). In a space of three weeks, two other babies were born in the hospital and they all died. The obstetrician managed to identify the commonality in the deaths was Thalidomide (Jacoby and Youngson, 2004). However, Nobel Laureate, Sir Ernest Chain stated that â€Å"of course, it was a tragedy... it could not be foreseen... no one was to blame... even if you do all these things (drug tests)... there is still a risk factor... you cannot guarantee safety in any case – safety is an illusion† (Kalter, 2003, p172). In the United States, the Thalidomide case formed the basis for the authorities to place a strict liability rule framework for the design, bystander and workforce risk issues (Stapleton, 1994). In English law though, the Law Commission report showed a strong support for placing a strict liability on companies and producers and this called for claimants burden of proving fault to be eliminated (Giesen, 2009). After much debate in the United Kingdom, the European Commission Council Directive 85/324/EEC was released to member states and they were required to introduce strict liability on manufacturers (Giesen, 2009). Based on this, the UK implemented Part 1 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (Roach, 2012). Prior

Ethics (relating to information technology) Essay

Ethics (relating to information technology) - Essay Example An action may be legal but unethical or illegal but ethical." (Any classification of ethics is considered as being the study of particular values and customs of a person or group, and applied ethics are most commonly used in the information technology field. This is an "applied discipline of philosophy that attempts to apply ethical theory to real-life situations. The lines of distinctions between meta-ethics, romantic ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics are often blurrybut it can also depend more on general normative principles, such as possible rights of self-rule and right to life." (Frauenheim, 2006). The applications here are enormous, and the issue of ethics is one of the most major and significant within this. The given article relates very strongly to the issue of ethics then, as it discusses how ethics is presented relating to e-businesses: due to the convenience that is brought to the table by these e-businesses, the issue of ethics changes quite a bit, because now the general public does not have to leave their home and drive anywhere anymore, they can simply access everything that they need from their computer in the comfort of their own home.