Management and Business Measurement Process Essay

Darien Walker’s approach to audit Mercedes Benz U. S. International (MBUSI) exemplifies the business measurement process method. Walker begins with a strategic analysis of her client by conducting research on the SUV market and MBUSI’s business and strategic objectives. Some important external forces in the industry include economic factors such as international oil prices, employment rate, interest rates, and inflation. Though faced with taxation and tariff complications, MBUSI enjoys a strong relationship with the state of Alabama government. The merger with Chrysler Corporation, on the other hand, poses several risks. Unionization and additional disclosures under GAAP reporting may significantly impact on the company’s operations. The elevation of competition in the SUV segment may also lead to decreased market shares of the M-Class, however, high product quality and customer satisfaction would ensure the M-Class a niche within the market. Assembly and supply chain management are MBUSI’s core business processes, and a number of controls have been placed throughout these processes to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency. MBUSI excels in its assembly line management through collaboration with workers and suppliers, as well as establishing and monitoring of key controls. The company also enjoys a superb supply chain, mainly due to its close, integrated relationships with its suppliers. In addition, resource management processes, such as procurement and information management, are also crucial to the success of the company. From Walker’s risk-based strategic systems approach to audit MBUSI, there are two key takeaways. First, Walker’s comprehensive strategic analysis on MBUSI demonstrates that auditors must conduct extensive research about the client’s business and the environment of which it operates in. The BMP audit approach would not otherwise work if auditors fail to become familiarizedwith the business entity. An example to demonstrate this point is the fall of Enron. Due to the gas industry’s complex business nature, Enron’s financial statements tend to be vague and confusing. By further obscuring its financial statements, Enron fools its auditors through easy manipulations. In hindsight, however, if the external auditors understood Enron’s business structure and industry, they would have detected the misstatements in financial results. Finally,from MBUSI’s perspective, it is notable that the company’s integrative relationships with the employees, suppliers, and the state of Alabama government are the keys to success. MBUSI’s active engagement with these key players allows the company to leverage these relationships through its business processes to deliver â€Å"Mercedes-Benz quality† to its customers. Another company that successfully leveraged its relationships with internal and external parties is Starbucks Inc.

Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore Essay

The novel â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya is pastoral, apocalyptic and, at the same time, tragic story revealing the complex nature of human relations and ambiguity of the world. The novel teaches readers not to interfere with the destiny of any person not to change the cosmic order. However, Ultima dares to influence the destiny and her death at the end of the novel is symbolical representation that every person should be responsible for his own actions. The author describes relations between an old healer Ultima and a young boy Antonio who is seeking for truth. The novel can be defined as apocalyptic as the author illustrates that biculturalism leads to inevitable conflict between cultures and religions. I think that the novel belongs to Chicano literature being rather popular in 1965-1975s. However, it can be seen as cultural novel which tends to explore self-development, personality and ethnic identity in the world filled with race and ethnic discrimination. The novel is rich narrative weaving many themes and sub-themes together allowing readers for different interpretations. Therefore, the objectives of the paper are to analyze author’s writing style, relations between Antonio and Ultima, to identify main themes and symbols, and to discuss the question of autobiography. â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima†: Analysis I think that the novel â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† can be analyzed from different perspectives and from many angles. The novel is a rich literary work dealing with social changes, cognitive and psychological development of main heroes, religious issues, etc. Moreover, the novel weaves cultural conflicts and formation of ethnic identity into believable and coherent story illustrating the smoothes and roughs of Antonio’s life – the main hero. On the one hand, the novel can be seen as romance novel as it discusses societal period through myth creation. On the other hand, the novel can be seen as cultural novel as it describes historical conflict between villages and opposes race discrimination in the United States. Furthermore, the novel can be defined as Chicano literature as it promotes apocalyptic ideas and moods. The novel presents fertile background for analysis as the author uses rich themes and symbols to show the life pass of a young extraordinary boy. Writing Style The author incorporates powerful and vivid images to present the multiplicity and ambiguity of responses. In other words, Anaya uses prophetic dreams, episodes of horseplay among children, idyllic scenes presenting harmony and natural balance, mystical dynamism, scenes of violence and death as imagery to create strong impression and to make people think whether the world we see is real one and what the destiny of the person is. However, the novel tends to reveal whether it is permissible to change human destiny. Anaya uses strong imagery to show that characters and nature are strongly tied together creating so-called natural continuum. Anaya refers to technique of oppression when writing the novel in order to create multi-level conflict. For example, Antonio’s parents have opposing backgrounds, views and aspirations. Further, religious are opposed in their beliefs, values and demands on the individual. Cosmic forced are apposed as they symbolize eternal struggle between the good and the evil. Finally, the author juxtaposes forms of nature saying they can choose whether to make soil dry or fertile. The novel is based on conflicts – social, psychological, physical and cultural. Antonio’s life is also a conflict. The novel is also based on tripartites. It means that all evens and things are occurring in so-called ‘threes’. For example, there are three cultures in the novel, three Trementina sisters, three brothers, three Comanche spirits, three prophetic dreams, three Ultima’s efforts to identify her ethnicity, and three Ultima’s interference in the life of other people. Numerology is central in structure of the plot. Issue of Autobiography I think that â€Å"bless Me, Ultima† can be defined as quasi-autobiographical novel as the narrator refers to ‘I’ style showing that the novel is generated from personal experience or experience of the younger ‘I’. The novel is told by mature Antonio who shares experiences of being a young boy. Moreover, the experiences are transmitted in childish manner and it may seem that the story is told by a six-year-old boy. One more interesting fact is that the author says that he had to refer to his personal experiences and experiences of other children to construct the story. Despite the fact that the novel is quasi-biographical, the readers aren’t allowed to distinguish the real and imagined events as the author represents everything as fiction. I think that the author does base the story on rich expository of personal experiences, but he skillfully hides this fact. Relations between Antonio and Ultima Antonio is the main hero in the novel who decided to reconcile his conflicting religious and cultural identity. Antonio is only six years old, but he is extraordinary child with questioning mind, appreciation of life, and moral curiosity. Antonio is more serious than other children of his age, he is more sensitive to ambiguity of the world and conflicting cultural traditions. Anaya shows that Antonio is troubled about his uncertain destiny and he is willing to understand the world. After the death of one of the town’s residents Antonio seems to plunge into crisis of the faith and for the first time he doubts validity of the Catholic faith. Therefore, desire to reveal the truth can be defined as one of the strongest components of his character as his desire leads to interest in sin, death, innocence, and the nature of God. Antonio is developing to maturity throughout the novel progression and it is Ultima who teaches how to remain morally independent, to receive knowledge from all available traditions and to refrain from prejudices and limitations. Ultima leads Antonio to his physical and psychological maturity. Ultima helps him to resolve many conflicts and to determine his future. Old healer Ultima represents the moral system which Anaya supports. Relationships between Antonio and Ultima are the most important bond in the novel. Ultima is Antonio’s mentor helping him to overcome difficulties and to cope with anxieties and uncertainties. Relations between main characters can be defined even as spiritual. Ultima presents herself as the keeper of Antonio’s destiny and starts playing central role in his life and psyche. She uses her power of influencing to make Antonio think of himself and create his own sense of morality. Ultima incorporates knowledge of both Catholic and indigenous traditions. She thinks that spirituality and life are tied. Nevertheless, we see that Catholic Church rejects her mystical power, and Ultima respects its wisdom attending mass regularly. Ultima teaches to appreciate equally multiple faith and perspectives as each person is entailed with rights to make independent moral decisions. Ultima instills tolerance, open-mindedness and independence in Antonio’s faith. Ultima treats Antonio with respect and understanding, despite he is a small child. At the end of the novel Antonio is treated as spiritual partner and Ultima asks to bury the owl which symbolizes her own death. Ultima dies, but her spirit continues to guide Antonio throughout his life. Main Themes Firstly, the author stresses the importance of moral independence as no one has the rights to interfere with the destiny of others. Anaya emphasizes rights to think independently and to make up moral decisions. In the novel Antonio’s progress is the sign of maturity and self-development. Antonio constantly struggles to make his own decisions and he realizes that complex experience of religion has forced to change his minds. Antonio is really frustrated when he realizes that the church has failed and pressing questions about human morality emerge in his head. We see that Ultima becomes his guide and teaches about morality and independence. Moreover, Ultima explains ambiguity of life stressing that life can be viewed simply in terms of culture and religion. Cultural and religious traditions are important, but they constrain human abilities to be morally independent. Antonio realizes that he should find answers about evil, good, soul, forgiveness and truth himself. Once Antonio has committed fatal mistake, when he believed that the Communion ritual was able to answer all questions. Instead, Ultima teaches Antonio to make decisions and choices himself. Secondly, the author identifies the influence of culture on identity. In the novel Anaya explores the conflict between cultural traditions which fail to co-exist as one culture tends to dominate others and vice verse. However, in the end we see that the author offers new solution – he argues that several cultural traditions are able to create more adaptable identity. For example, Antonio manages to find answers as his life has been influenced by several constantly conflicting cultures. The first conflict was with his parents as Antonio’s mother wanted him to become a priest, whereas his fathers wanted Antonio to ride the llano. The problem was that parents had different cultural convictions. The next conflict is observed within Antonio’s native town where Spanish culture is struggling with other culture. The conflict is presented in tensions between the Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore. I think that through such conflicts the author explores the influence of culture on identity formation. Anaya shows that many characters in the story are limited by cultural prejudices and they have failed to look beyond their horizon. For example, when people define Narciso as drunkard they didn’t consider his traumatic experiences in the war, although it is known that war may serious distort human psyche. Ultima teaches Antonio to become free from cultural and religious limitations. Instead, she tends to encourage Antonio to think of all cultural influences as it is the only way to become a descent person. Symbolism â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† is highly symbolical novel. The author uses different colors, figures, numbers and objects to represent abstract ideas and concepts. In the novel the golden carp, Ultima’s owl and the virgin of Guadalupe are provided with symbolic meanings. As for mea, the golden carp is symbolical representation of magical religious order which is hardly associated with Catholicism. The legend about golden carp offers main characters and readers moral guidance, brand of wisdom and comfort. Golden carp supports author’s idea that cultural traditions are different, but they are equally valid. Antonio firstly rejects the golden carp as he thinks that in such a way he abandons God. However, later he realizes that golden carp can help to weave cultural and religious sources together in creating his won identity. Then, Ultima’s Owl represents religious mysticism and life force. One night the owl sings outside Antonio’s windows symbolizing Ultima’s presence in boy’s life. Moreover, owl is the symbol of protective power of magic. In the end of the novel killing of the bird symbolically represents that Ultima’s life force is destroyed and she will die soon. When Antonio buries the bird, he buries Ultima. Finally, the Virgin of Guadalupe represents symbolically understanding, forgiveness and solution of cultural conflict. The story of the Virgin is definitely reconciliation of Antonio’s indigenous culture and European Catholic Church. When Antonio is frustrated, he often turns to Virgin to find a forgiving god. Conclusion â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† reveals the ambiguous nature of the world and human relations. The author shows that every person has to make independent choices and to appreciate different religious and cultural traditions as it is the only way to become a better person. Ultima teaches Antonio to create his own sense of morality and to remain independent person. Moreover, she teaches him to avoid prejudices and limitation. But the author shows that no one is allowed to interfere with the destiny of other people. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1994.

“Outsiders”: Compare Contrast Movie to Book Essay

My view on things has changed a lot since I read this book. A movie, a death, a church and friendship, â€Å"The Outsiders† has it all. A story of brotherhood, friendship, and of a murder, a boy and his friend are caught in a murder, they have to escape form getting caught by the police, and so they run away, starting their journey of friendship and hardships. After reading the novel and watching the movie I noticed some differences, I’ll start with Ponyboy, in the novel pony boy is slapped by his brother, but in the movie, he is pushed, I think the actors couldn’t fake the slap or wanted to harm the actors, this difference wasn’t very good it took away some of the drama. Another difference is that in the movie it ends shortly after Dally’s death and in the novel a lot happens after that; this was a very bad change to the film, like pony boy breaking the glass was definitely a point that made the novel more enjoyable. One similarity in the book and novel is that in both he cuts his hair and dyes it blonde. Johnny also had some differences in the novel and in the film in the novel Johnny is jumped and has a large scar across his cheek; in the movie it isn’t very noticeable. This difference is good because it would attract a lot of attention instead of the viewer focusing on other things. In the movie and novel he has his jean jacket that he wears throughout much of the movie. There is also Dally still has his outlaw look of his troublemaker self, this was very important the book and movie. Also in the book he robs a drugstore, but in the movie he takes a book and rips it up then scares the cashier then runs away, this was an okay change, it did not make a lot of difference, maybe the director thought it would stir up some more action. Some events also had their differences, in one of the church scenes; Ponyboy and Johnny try to catch a rabbit in the film version, in the novel version there was no bunny catching. The movie might have needed something more, besides the boring ordinary church scenes. This change was good because it added some humor. During the rumble scene in the novel, they use weapons in the fight, but in the movie, it showed no one using a weapon, perhaps the director wanted to depict it as a more of a fair fight, to make the victorious win more enjoyable without the cheating. This change was difficult to decide whether it was good or bad it was a neutral change for me. During the hospital scene where Ponyboy meets with Darry and Sodapop, in the novel it was a very emotional moment, complete with tears, but in the movie, it was just a very brotherly hug it took away the emotion, perhaps the actors could not cry on command. The Outsiders was a book about three brothers fighting to stay together as a family and not go into orphanage. A Story of Brotherhood, about sticking together through good and bad, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, two friends that made it through. After reading the book and the movie, this has been a very exiting adventure for me and for many others. Remember to Stay Gold!

Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Book Report - Essay Example Since its inception, the trend of watching television is growing and evolving. Latest research reveals that the growth in this trend is becoming explosive with new technologies and their prevalent use by youngsters. In her book, â€Å"Television and Child Development,† a psychologist from University of Waterloo, Judith Van Evra presents a comprehensive summary of research about the impact of television and other media on children’s physical, psychological, emotional and social development. She integrates the currently known research from child development, communication and cognitive and psychological domains to present a balanced view that reveals the complications and layers of the relationship between children’s interaction with media and other factors influencing their perceptions. In this comprehensive third edition, Evra has included seven new chapters in addition to updating the previous chapters. Now, the book also includes research about media other than television, for instance, realistic video games, mobile phones, pagers, DVDs, computers, internet, cable and other wireless devices. However, major emphasis is laid on the research with developmental approach towards the interaction between television and children (Bachen, 2007). Newly added chapters explore research methodology, cultural diversity and stereotypes. It includes current perceptions, changing lifestyles, health preferences, nutrition, body image, sexual behaviors, drug and alcohol addiction, internet and media influence on social and behavioral aspects of a child’s development. Two chapters are particularly dedicated to the utilization of modern technology for getting instant and speedy information through internet, influence of internet advertising and entertainment technology, such as music and video games which create gender and social differences, and aggression among children. New addition also covers intervention strategies, media literacy, technological aids,

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Law - Essay Example dents being used human shields, â€Å"collateral damage† that may be wreaked on them as a consequence of the military initiative, would put the attacking forces at a disadvantage in the court of public opinion. 5. Such a ploy has been condemned by some groups such as Amnesty International as murder, inasmuch as death is meted out summarily without trial, and the â€Å"war on terror† is not really a war governed by the law on armed conflict, that the term is but rhetoric, and what should prevail is civil law that is applicable during times of peace. 1. Chiozza (2004) determined that the effect of conflict on the tenure of leaders is not ex post inefficient; i.e., defeat is costly for leaders of autocracies and mixed regimes, but not in democratic regimes where political institutions fundamentally mediate the costs and benefits of conflict and its outcome. Research also supports the finding that victory in war does not bring benefits, in terms of enhanced status or longer tenure for the incumbent leader. However, â€Å"popular† conflict may enhance the prospects of an office-seeking political leader, but as to how precisely and what factors are involved should still be a matter of further inquiry. The study asserts that a study focusing on the qualities of leaders may provide important new rationalist explanations for war. 2. Gartzke (2001) examined the effect of interdependence among countries as a deterrent to the outbreak of armed hostilities between them. The study found that it is likely that economic integration facilitates a reduction in the frequency of disputes by making it easier for states to engage in signalling short of military violence. Linkages among countries promote non-violent competition and peaceful conflict resolution, and this study has shown evidence that such a prospect is no longer merely utopian, but occurs in actuality. 3. Jones, Bremer and Singer (1996) examine militarized interstate disputes through empirical patterns in the

Review of research article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Review of research article - Essay Example The article that will be evaluated is Goal Setting Effects in Elite and Nonelite Boxers by M. O’Brien, S. Mellalieu and S. Hanton and published in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology. In a brief overview, the article Goal Setting Effects in Elite and Nonelite Boxers by O’Brien et al (2009) deals with the question how goal-setting affect or influence elite and nonelite athletes in combat sports like boxing. Addressing this particular question, it has utilised the goal-setting model as developed by Burton et al (2001). It is now in this context that a more in depth look at the article will be carried out. There are three purposes that underlie the research. These are: the primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a goal-setting intervention program upon elite and nonelite boxers selected components of performance behaviors and their indirect psychological responses (O’Brien, 2009). It further holds that it aims to use the contemporary goal –setting model as developed by Burton et al (2001) and that it will extend the application of the said model to multiple baseline with focus on self-generated components of both the elite and nonelite boxers’ targeted and nontargeted performance behaviours over the duration of a competitive season; and (b) boxers indirect psychological responses to the goal program in the form of competitive anxiety and self confidence(O’Brien,2009). The second objective is to identify the underlying mechanisms of goal programs using qualitative analysis and the examination of the retention and outcome effects of the pr ogram. This goal is significant since according to the authors no research prior to this one has been done to look into the effects of goal setting to one-on-one combat sports like boxing (O’Brien, 2009). The third aim is to affirm a previous study that â€Å"elite boxers would experience greater improvements in performance behaviours as compared to the

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Sociology - Essay Example The 21st century has seen an increase in the number of urban renaissance projects across the world. Most of the research on this topic has primarily focused on urban renewal with a particular prominence on how to resolve problems of older areas of towns and cities (Khakee et al., 1999, 10). Research specifies that urban renewal has its own virtues and intrinsic problems which require clearly defined strategies to resolve them. This trouble has led to transfer from urban renewal to urban regeneration. As an alternative of purely focusing on the expansion of land and properties in interior cities and towns, urban regeneration now encompasses social and economic concerns for the residents of the affected areas (Khakee et al., 1999, 10). An analysis of urban renewal policies in the United Kingdom clearly identifies five different stages in the formulation of these policies. These stages include clearing largely unused urban landfills, making improvements to the existing housing infrastructure, renewal of dilapidated houses and apartments, eliminating inner city housing disparities and formulating renewal strategies that specifically incorporate economic and social development. The main goal of these policies is to address social exclusion can be caused by cultural regeneration strategies. Khakee et al. (1999, 10) defines social exclusion as a failure of the legal and democratic system, the labour market, the welfare state system and the family and community system. The Temple Bar Regeneration project in Dublin will be used as a case study. The paper will use a triangulation of a review of available literature in urban regeneration and lessons learnt from the failure of Dublin’s Temple Bar Regeneration project. The project focused on the culture-led regeneration strategies which have since been adopted by many other regeneration projects across the world.

A Rose For Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Rose For Emily - Essay Example In While the theme of the past versus the present assumes numerous forms in this story, as in the clash between the two or the way in which the one intermingles and intersects with the other, this essay will focus on Faulkner’s modes of symbolizing the past and the theme of the past’s subsuming of the present. The past assumes various symbols in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† with the most predominant being the past as the Old South. The story may be interpreted as a narrative about the Old South, a South which has been battered and defeated by the North and by abolition. It is, however, a South which stubbornly and quite illogically insists on clinging to its former glories and, indeed, one which refuses to accept the passage of time or confront the changes which have been wrought upon it. The South is Miss Emily, personified in her refusal to pay taxes and her failure to acknowledge the new reality which surrounds her, culminating in her dismissive treatment of the town’s authorities and her rejection of the very concept of the mailbox/postal services. The South is also the decaying mansion; the mansion which is falling into disrepair but, despite the ravages of time, maintains its haughty, superior demeanor. Last, but not least, the South is Miss Emily’s â€Å"negroâ₠¬  servant; the man who silently goes about his duties, keeps Miss Emily’s darkest secrets and when she dies, disappears. The implication here is that the past, as represented in this story, is personified in Miss Emily and her servant and symbolized in the house. She is, as the unnamed narrator insists, â€Å"tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.† Miss Emily is, thus, symbolic of the South’s traditions and heritage. In his symbolization of the South as the old, isolated and alienated woman and her

Management Information Systems IP Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Information Systems IP Four - Essay Example The other is flash crash: machines go wild case study where the market equity in a flash, plunged to a historic low. The third is the Piloting the Valero with real-time management case study in which the Valero, a Texas-based oil refinery needed a system that could be able to display real-time data about issues concerning the plant. Reality Gets Better Case study Virtual reality is a three-dimensional space, which is a computer generated interactive space. Virtual reality immerses its users in the virtual world while the augmented reality keeps in touch with the real world. Augmented reality uses any of the three major display techniques to be able to achieve the blend of reality mixed with real-life images and graphic effects. The display techniques are hand held displays, head mounted displays that provide the virtual environment and shut out the real world, and spatial displays that mount graphical information on physical surfaces. It has been used to improve marketing in the sens e that it helps involve the customers and is able to communicate to the customers in an interesting and interactive way with relevance to them. In 2009, Esquire magazine was able to use this in their advertising where they added several stickers, which had designs that had this ability. When held up to a web camera, it started interactive video segments featuring the issue’s cover, Robert Downey Jr. (Ovide, 2009). In image guided surgery, a CT scan and MRI provides the necessary data that is superimposed on the patient in the operating room. In real estate, this has been employed to help the user find information they need on the go, since smart phones have GPS, cameras and internet. Therefore, one can just point their phone on a building and the value of the building per square meter and a small photo accompanied by a live image project from the phone’s camera, hence provide real estate information on the go (Macintosh, 2010). Flash Crash: Machines go wild case study The U.S stock markets on May 6, 2010 experienced a sudden and quick plunge at 2:42 PM, which left Dow Jones 600 points down. Twenty-five minutes later, Dow had gained almost the points it had lost. This flash crash appeared to have happened when a single mutual fund company engaged in abrupt selling activities that caused a chain reaction. The high-frequency traders HFTs are the ones now doing the work that the stock specialists used to do, including the matching of buyers and sellers efficiently, which the market makers did. In a case where the algorithm cannot handle the complexity of the event, a flash crash occurs. The algorithm in the case of Overland park on May 6 dumped 75,000 contracts and was instructed to sell them with disregard to price and time, and continued to sell and the prices dropped sharply. It would normally take five hours to sell them but this took twenty minutes (Bowley, 2010). The NYSE activated circuit breakers where the trading traffic is shifted to human stockbrokers intended to slow the trading process and to avoid the plunge (Bowley, 2010). Electronic trading simply showed that it allows the flash crash to occur over a short period of time and is able to amplify sudden market moves, which can go either side and happen faster with minimal chances of intervention (Henderson, 2009). Piloting the Valero with real-time management Valero energy is one of the largest oil refineries in the US,

The three major roles of the United States Congress Essay Example for Free

The three major roles of the United States Congress Essay The congress is the legislation department of the United States Government.   It it is bicameral and is comprised of two chambers, the senate and the house of representatives (English, 2003). The first Article of the constitution sculpts the vital roles of Congress.   The primary role of the United States Congress as the legislative branch of the government is the responsiblity for the process of legislating laws, which is subject for revision and approval.   The congress has jurisdiction over monetary concerns, such as a detailed report on the funds and expenditures of the entire government as well as to impose and collect revenues (Davidson, 2006,).    The financial matters also cover the budget for national defense and the welfare of the populace (English, 2003). The congress plays a vital role in National Defense as well, in this regard, the United States Congress has the authority to manage the military, to set rules for the armed forces to abide by and exclusive power to declare war, contrary to popular notion that the presidents or the head of state is the power (Hamilton, 2004).   A minor yet important and delicate role of the congress is to check the executive branch of the government called congressional oversight, this is the monitoring, supervision and acquiring control of federal agencies by congressional commitees from both chambers if an agency is deemed incapable of functioning properly.   This power has been exercised since the early days of the congress (Baker, 2000). The power of the United States Congress is vast, from financial issues to laws governing the military.   The congress primary role may only revolve around the legislation process, however, its non-legislative roles   gives it power to put its hands on issues several issues which only prove that it is more than a law-making body. References Baker, R.K. (2000). House and Senate, 3rd Etition.   New York:   W.W. Norton. English, R.M. (2003). The United States Congress.   Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Relationship Between Meat Intake and Breast Cancer Risks

Relationship Between Meat Intake and Breast Cancer Risks COOKED MEAT INTAKE AND THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER M. MOGA*, I. MANITIU, N. BIGIU Abstract. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are carcinogens formed in or on the surface of well-done meat, cooked at high temperature. The aim of this analysis was to assess the risk of breast cancer related to the intake of cooked meat. The data support the accumulating evidence that consumption of meats cooked by methods that promote carcinogen formation may increase risk of breast cancer. Keywords', breast cancer, cooked meat, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic amines, carcinogens. AIMS AND BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in developed countries. Foods and food groups that have individually shown potentially important associations with breast cancer risk include alcohol, fruit and vegetables, fat, red meat, sugar, low-fat dairy products, fish, and tea. Red meat intake has been hypothesised to increase breast cancer risk. Both case-control1 and ecologic2 studies have supported a positive association, and an expert panel described red meat intake as a possible cause of breast cancer3. Cumulative evidence suggests a possible interaction of cooking methods with diet in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Meats cooked to well-done at high temperatures contain heterocyclic amines (HCAs), such as 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-/]quinoxaline (DiMelQx). 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-/]qumoxaline(MeIQx), and2-amino-l-methyl- 6-phenylimidazo[4,5-6]pyridine (PhIP) (Ref. 4). The amounts of these compounds vary according to cooking technique, temperature, cooking time, and type of meat5. Experimental evidence over more than two decades has led to the proposal that heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) may be causal factors in human breast cancer. HAAs are formed as a result of cooking meat for long durations by common high temperature methods such as barbecuing, grilling and pan frying. Mammary carcinogenesis has been demonstrated as a 'cell proliferation'mode! in which hormones, such as estrogens, both induce and promote mammary tumors ' For correspondence. increasing mammary cell division6. It is plausible that cells during division are re susceptible to carcinogenic stimulus, or hormones trigger the progression of rumor cells initiated by carcinogens. After menopause, adipose tissue is the r site for estrogen synthesis, and women with a high body mass index (BMI) e an elevated level of endogenous estrogens7. Therefore, it is possible that (estrogens and estrogen-related factors, such as BMI, may modify the association kxween intake of carcinogens from foods cooked at high temperature and breast ceicer risk. Adolescence may be a period of increased susceptibility to breast cancer due x regular division of undifferentiated cells that occurs between puberty and first tarth. Red meat consumption during early adult life has been associated with breast ^ncer risk. EXPERIMENTAL Experimental evidence over more than two decades has led to the proposal that ie:erocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) may be causal factors in human breast can- csr. HAAs are formed as a result of cooking meat for long durations by common temperature methods such as barbecuing, grilling and pan frying. Several epidemiological studies have revealed an increasedrisk of breast cancer associated ~ high meat intake8-11. Evidence from some recent epidemiological studies has suggested that intake ;: well-done meat and concomitant mammary carcinogens may be associated with i substantially elevated risk of breast cancer9-12. Similar to grilling and pan-frying, deep-frying, although rarely studied previ- : usly, is a high temperature (typically 240-270 °C) cooking method and may also result in the production of many chemicals, including heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons13. In addition to volatile mutagenic compounds, nonvolatile detrimental products, such as hydroperoxides, trans fatty acids, and aldehydes can be detected in deep-fried soybean oil. Deep-frying cooking is one : f the most common cooking methods in China and many other countries. Q. Dai, X. Shu14 evaluated the association of animal food intake and degree of browning by deep-frying with breast cancer risk in a population-based case- :ontrol study conducted during 1996-1998 among Chinese women in Shanghai, a population with a traditionally low risk of breast cancer. The study suggests that high intake of deep-fried, well-done red meat may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and the positive association may be modifiedby body weight. The same study also suggests that nonhydrogenated soybean oil, if not used in high- temperature cooking, may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. The preponderance of evidence from animal and human studies has substantiated a causal relationship between postmenopausal estrogen levels and the risk of breast cancer15-17. Mammary carcinogenesis has been demonstrated as a 'cell proliferation'model in which hormones, such as estrogens, both induce and promote mammary tumors by increasing mammary cell division6. It is plausible that cells during division are more susceptible to carcinogenic stimulus, or hormones trigger the progression of the tumor cells initiated by carcinogens. After menopause, adipose tissue is the major site for estrogen synthesis, and women with a high BMI have an elevated level of endogenous estrogens7. Therefore, it is possible that estrogens and estrogen-related factors, such as BMI, may modify the association between intake of carcinogens from foods cooked at high temperature and breast cancer risk. One previous case-control study conducted in Uruguay found a stronger positive association of breast cancer risk with fried meat than with broiled meat9. Oil temperature is normally at approximately 240-270 °C when used for deep-fried cooking. It has been reported that deep-fried cooking oil not only produces fumes containing mutagenic compounds, such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene, acrolein, and formaldehyde18, but also generates nonvolatile hazardous compounds, such as hydroperoxides, trans fatty acids, and aldehydes19. Both hydroperoxides and aldehydes are endogenous reactive chemicals and have mutagenic and carcinogenic potential20. Other factors related to insulin resistance, such as high insulin, C-peptide, and insulin-like growth factor-1, and low physical activity have also Ijeen shown to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in several studies21-23. It is plausible that high levels of insulin and estrogens may stimulate the transformation of breast cancer cells initiated by carcinogens from well-done meats and heated cooking oils23 and, therefore, promote the development of breast cancer. Several recent epidemiological studies have suggested that trans fatty acids may be a risk factor for breast cancer24. Steck and Gaudet25 estimated breast cancer risk in relation to intake of cooked meat in a population-based, case-control study (1508 cases and 1556 controls) conducted in Long Island, NY from 1996 to 1997. Modest increased risk was observed among postmenopausal women consuming the most grilled or barbecued and smoked meats over the life course (OR = 1.47; CI = 1.12-1.92 for highest versus lowest fertile of intake). Postmenopausal women with low fruit and vegetable intake, but high lifetime intake of grilled or barbecued and smoked meats, had a higher OR of 1.74 (CI = 1.20-2.50) and the results support the accumulating evidence that consumption of meats cooked by methods that promote carcinogen formation may increase risk of postmenopausal breast cance25. Rohrmann26 conducted a study to examine the association of the consumption of meat in general, meat prepared by different cooking methods and the dietary intake of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) with the level of DNA adducts in  ±e breast tissue of women undergoing reduction mammoplasty. They observed strong correlations of dietary HCA intake and consumption of fried and processed neat with DNA adduct levels in breast tissue of 44 women. De Stefani and Ronco27 studied the effects of meat intake, including heterocyclic amine exposure, on the risk of breast cancer. They conducted a hospital-based case-control study involving 352 patients with breast cancer and 382 controls. A strong effect of red meat, total meat, beef, fried meat, and heterocyclic amine exposure was found, after controlling for potential confounders. The odds ratio for the highest quartile of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-/|quinoline exposure was 3.34 (95% confidence interval 1.85-6.02). According to these results, meat intake and chemicals formed during the cooking process appear to be strong risk factors _n human breast carcinogenesis. Heterocyclic amines found in well-done meat require host-mediated metabolic activation before initiating DNA mutations and tumors in target organs. Polymorphic N-acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2) catalyses the activation of heterocyclic amines via O-acetylation, suggesting that NAT2 genotypes with high O-acetyltransferase activity (rapid/intermediate acetylator phenotype) increase the risk of breast cancer n women who consume well-done meat. To test this hypothesis, Deitz and Zheng28 o btained DNA samples and information on diet and other breast cancer risk factors from a nested case-control study of postmenopausal women. A significant dose- response relationship was observed between breast cancer risk and consumption : J well-done meat among women with the rapid/intermediate NAT2 genotype trend test, P = 0.003) that was not evident among women with the slow acetylator genotype (trend test, P = 0.22). Among women with the rapid/intermediate NAT2 genotype, consumption of well-done meat was a ssociated with a nearly >-fold (odds ratio, 7.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-50.4) elevated breast cancer risk compared with those consuming rare or medium-done meats. These results are consistent with a role for O-acetylation in the activation of heterocyclic amine carcinogens and support the hypothesis that the NAT2 acetylation polymorphism is a breast cancer risk factor among postmenopausal women with high levels of heterocyclic amine exposure. Also other studies have suggested that the rapid NAT2 acetylator phenotype is associated with breast cancer risk2930 or advanced disease at first presentation. Many heterocyclic amines are mammary carcinogens, and, a recent study31 found that another N-acetyltransferase polymorphism (NATlj was associated with breast cancer risk in individuals who consumed consistently well-done meat. To test the hypothesis that variations in the NAT1 gene are related to breast cancer risk, particularly among women who consume high levels of well-done meat, a nested case-control study was conducted by Zheng and Deitz32 in a prospective cohort study of 41 837 postmenopausal Iowa women. Genomic DNA samples obtained from 154 cases and 330 controls were assayed for 11 NAT1 alleles. The NAT 1*4 allele was the predominant allele observed in this study population, accounting for 73.2% (72.4% in cases versus 73.8% in controls) of the total alleles analysed. Compared to controls, breast cancer cases had a slightly higher frequency of the NATl*10allele (18.8% in cases versus 17.3% in controls) and a substantially higher frequency of the N ATI *11 allele (3.6% versus 1.2%). In multivariate analyses, they found a 30% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.8-1.9) elevated risk of breast cancer associated with the NAT1 * 10 allele and a nearly 4-fold (95% CI = 1.5-10.5) elevated risk associated with the NAT 1*11 allele. The positive association of breast cancer with the NAT 1*11 allele was more evident among those who consumed a high level of red meat (OR = 6.1, 95% CI = 1.1-33.2) or consistently consumed their red meatwell done (OR = 5.6, 95% CI = 0.5-62.7). It has been shown that the O-acetylation of 2-amino-1 -methyl-6-phenylimida- zo[4,5b]pyridine and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo-(4,5-/)quinoline, two of the most abundant heterocyclic amines in well-done meat, is largely carried out by NAT1 in human mammary glands33. Linos and Willett34 aimed to assess the relationship between red meat intake during adolescence and premenopausal breast cancer. They examined the incidence of invasive premenopausal breast cancer prospectively within the Nurses Health Study II. A total of 39 268 premenopausal women who completed a validated 124-item food frequency questionnaire on their diet during high school, were followed for 7 years, from 1998 to 2005. 455 cases of invasive premenopausal breast cancer were diagnosed between 1998 and 2005. Compared with women in the lowest quintile of red meat intake during high school, the multivariate-adjusted RR for the highest quintile of intake was 1.34 (95% CI, 0.94-1.89; Ptieni = 0.05). A significant linear association was observed with every additional 100 g of red meat consumed per day (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.00-1.43; P = 0.05). This association was more pronounced in hormone receptor-positive tumors (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.08-1.70; P = 0.008) and was not significant in hormon e receptor-negative tumors (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.61-1.61,/> = 0.97). Several biological mechanisms may explain the positive association between red meat intake and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer risk. Because hormonal risk factors are more strongly related to hormone receptor-positive cancers, meat intake may operate through hormonal pathways. First, cooked or processed red meat is a source of carcinogens, such as heterocyclic amines. Second, exogenous hormone treatment of beef cattle for growth promotion, which is banned in European countries but not in the United States, has been of concern. Third, red meat is a source of heme iron, a highly bioavailable form of iron and a major source of stored body iron, which has been shown to synthesis and secretion of PRL in those cells. Together with previous reports that describe the potent estrogenicity of PhlPand its ability to influence progesterone receptor expression, c-Myc expression, and MAPK signal transduction pathway, the present findings provide clues about the mechanisms involved in the tissue-specific carcinogenicity of PhIP and, in particular, mammary carcinogenesis39. DISCUSSION Consumption of PhIP may play a role in the development of breast cancer. Experimental evidence over more than two decades has led to the proposal that heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) may be causal factors in human breast cancer. High intake of deep-fried, well-done red meat may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and the positive association may be modified by body weight. There is also evidence that nonhydrogenated soybean oil, if not used in high- temperature cooking, may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. The data support the accumulating evidence that consumption of meats cooked by methods that promote carcinogen formation may increase risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. There is an association between the consumption of meat in general, meat prepared by different cooking methods and the dietary intake of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) with the level of DNA adducts in the breast tissue. Meat intake and chemicals formed during the cooking process appear to be strong risk factors in human breast carcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS The results of the studies presented are consistent with a role for O-acetylation in the activation of heterocyclic amine carcinogens and support the hypothesis that the NAT2 acetylation polymorphism is a breast cancer risk factor among postmenopausal women with high levels of heterocyclic amine exposure. There is also evidence suggesting that postmenopausal women with the NAT1*11 allele (aNATl allele) may be at increased risk of breast cancer, particularly if they smoked cigarettes or consumed a high level of well-done meat indicating the importance of the NAT1 enzyme in the in situ activation of heterocyclic amines in human breast epithelial cells, and point to the need in future studies to investigate potential interactions of genetic factors with intake of foods, food constituents, and nutrients in the etiology of cancer. Higher red meat intake in adolescence may increase the risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Red meat intake was strongly associated with an elevated risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer but not hormone receptor-negative cancers. Postmenopausal women who are homozygous for the His allele at codon 213 of the SULT1A1 gene may be at an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly'if they have risk factors related to higher endogenous estrogen exposure. 1