Bcl-2 Protein Essay - 790 Words

Control of apoptic pathway by the Bcl-2 protein family. The diverse subclasses of the Bcl-2 protein family serve to manage the homeostasis of mitochondrial-mediated cell death through cooperation with each other (Figure 1.A) (1,5). Moreover, the lack of Bcl-2 regulation is involved in many disorders such as autoimmune disorders and many cancers (2). Understanding the biology of Bcl-2 protein family is important in cancer therapy (3, 4). The anti-apoptic Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis by two main mechanisms. The first is a mitochondrial pathway where Bcl-2 inhibits the movement of pro-apoptic proteins BAK and BAX, which undergo oligomerization that lead to outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) permeabilization and cytochrome c release. This, in†¦show more content†¦PKA activates IP3R1 activity, while PP1 inhibits it. Bcl-2 competes with IP3R1 for the binding of PP1 and thus reduces the IP3-mediated calcium signal and protects cells from its death (12). Design of anticancer drugs that block the anti-apoptic activity of Bcl-2 protein. By understanding the mechanism of how anti-apoptic Bcl-2 regulates apoptosis, the development of small molecule antagonists have been extensively explored (13). As we mentioned above, Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis by two different mechanisms, but only the mitochondrial pathway has been successfully targeted by distinct therapeutic agents (8). Many BH3- mimetic drugs (or competitive inhibitors) have been developed to target the hydrophobic pocket of Bcl-2, liberating BH3- only protein Bim, thereby activating pro-apoptic proteins BAK and BAX (14, 15, 16). These include: Abt-737 is a BH3- mimetic drug, which has been used in clinical trials to treat both hematological malignancies and solid tumor (10). Abt-263 (navitoclax) is the oral form of Abt-737 that has been shown to have an impact on platelet survival (15, 16). Moreover, ABT-263 has been used in clinical trials in some Bcl-2 dependent hematological cancers, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumor (8,10,13), but it showed limited activity in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (8) Abt-199 (Venetoclax), another BH3- mimetic drug, which reengineered from Abt-263 (navitoclax) has

Jane Eyre Feminism Free Essays

Feminism: Jane Eyre Unveiled Brittney Christensen English 153 Shona Harrison November 15th, 2012 â€Å"Feminism: The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men, statuses and classes. † The novel Jane Eyre greatly depicts many forms of feminism throughout, and is an eye opener as to how much time have changed and in a sense stayed the same since the Victorian Era. The thought of being exposed to such standards and conditions at such a young age onward outlines the realest forms of commitment to independence and dignity. We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Eyre: Feminism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Jane is a victim of feminism in the instance that she is subjected to the power of men and also plays the role of a feminist role model shown by multiple examples throughout the novel, whether referring to relationships or to personal attributes. The comparing and contrasting between the other characters and characteristics of the novel also unveil forms of feminism and feministic senses. The word â€Å"feminist† or â€Å"feminism† is a very obscured word, with many different points of views considering their meanings. In the terms of feminist, â€Å"a doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. And reference to Jane Eyre, Jane only hopes for equality between men and women, herself in particular, obviously due to the specific situations and circumstances she is exposed to. Jane proposed her acts upon facing women’s rights and equality by enforcing her words and good deeds, proving her lack of ignorance and retaliat ion. Jane represents a feminist in the Victorian Era, and mainly targeted at younger readers, preferably female considering the context, with the purpose to help the young females learn about maturity, growing up in the world, and the possible variety of obstacles that they may be faced with. With that said, Jane’s actions and words throughout the novel decipher her life and her experiences are what built her courage and strength as a woman. Jane Eyre is proof that love and affection are two things that cannot be bought and that that her courageousness will not be underestimated. Rochester tries to persuade Jane into falling for him by offering her luxurious stones and lavish pieces of clothing. â€Å"Glad was I to get him out of the silk warehouse, and then out of a jeweler’s shop: the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation. † (Bronte, Page 229). Jane is getting the feeling of aggravation towards Rochester’s offerings in a sense that she does not need nor want such things and refuses to become exposed to the world of the materialistic lifestyle. Her hesitation towards marriage is also expressed in her statement, providing evidence that she does not feel the need to go to these extremes and expenses when it comes to marriage. â€Å"Marriage: the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. † Nowhere does it state that the experience as a whole has to be lavish, proving Jane’s point of view. Jane, as a feminist believes that everything and everyone can be beautiful without the extent of needing a man and the accommodations and luxuries one has to offer. Jane, being exposed to independence at such a young age gave her the leverage and confidence she needed to stand up for herself and express her view of women’s equality through her eyes. She comes to the consensus about her values and duties of herself as an individual when states, â€Å"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad – as I am now. † (Bronte, page 270). This quotation depicts and unveils Jane’s powerful feelings towards how she sees herself and what her morals are versus what they should be. Jane believes to be â€Å"mad†, which refers to the fact that it is somewhat insane that she can love Rochester when he is married to Bertha Mason, someone completely opposite to Jane. Because of Rochester’s argument for her to be with him, Jane’s statement also shows that her realization that Rochester has strong feelings towards her regardless of his current relationship status with Bertha Mason. Jane fears that if she is to lose anything important in her life then that will result in losing Rochester, despite the aspect of negotiating her own feelings. Jane refrains from going with Rochester after this confrontation†¦ â€Å"’You will not come? – You will not be my comforter, my rescuer? – My deep love, my wild woe, my frantic prayer, are all nothing to you? ’ What unutterable pathos was in his voice! How hard it was to reiterate firmly, ‘I am going. ’† Jane realizes Rochester’s true love for her, but also realizes that they are not meant to be, or so she thinks. In this instance, Jane is letting feelings between herself and another man jeopardize her life, which goes against her beliefs as well as a woman, although her rejection provides proof that she loves herself more, therefore showing her independence and pride in being a female. â€Å" I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you. † (Bronte, Page 216). Jane represents many things throughout the novel, mainly her strong feminist side is most relevant until closer to the end part of the novel, where she seems to let â€Å"love† get the best of her. Jane has found herself to fall deeply for Rochester despite her beliefs, she has resisted and now sees him for his true self, money aside. With that said, Jane herself, had not a clue that she would soon be facing some inheritance, â€Å"My uncle I had heard was dead – my only relative; ever since being made aware of his existence I had cherished the hope of one day seeing him: now, I never should. And then this money came only to me: not to a rejoicing family, and me but to my isolated self. It was a grand boon doubtless; and independence would be glorious – yes, I felt that – that thought swelled my heart. Jane inherited twenty thousand pounds and now felt as though her and Rochester were socially and economically equal, putting her at ease in a sense referring to her standards. Although Jane’s decision may come across somewhat hypocritical, she still stays true to herself and her feminist ways when she stands up to St. John, the clergyman that provides Jane with a place to stay. St. John is also in love with Jane and wants to be with her, but she does not feel the same way, â€Å"You have hitherto been my adopted brother: I, your adopted sister; let us continue as such: you and I had better not marry. (Bronte 345) Jane is trying to be nice about breaking the news to St. John to show her caring side as a woman, but St. John did not agree with this confrontation, â€Å"I must seek another interest in life to replace the one lost: is not the occupation he now offers me truly the most glorious man can adopt or God assign? It is not, by its noble cares and sublime results, the one best calculated to fill the void left by uptorn affections and demolished hopes? † (Bronte 344) This is one of St. John’s methods as to keeping Jane in his life, by bringing god into the equation, by insinuating that God does not agree with her and that St. John should have her for himself, which Jane really does not agree with, being as she believes in religion separately aside from her feminism beliefs. In a sense St. John’s statement about God made Jane think about how married life actually will be and the possibility of her lack of enjoyment due to the fact that a label may disrupt the actual love. Despite St. John’s feelings, Jane knows where he heart is and stays true to her own feelings, showing her independence as a female. In terms of women’s and men’s rights, views on the issue can arise in a variety of opinions due to the difference in peoples views. The two main men characters in the novel, Rochester and St. John really enhanced Jane’s inner feminist by each pulling out specific traits in her that portrayed what she really believed in and what it takes to alter them; traits such as independence and personal strength as a woman, providing a learning experience from experiences. Jane grows to be able to form her own opinions and stand up for what is right in her eyes while still staying true to her beliefs as a feminist. Jane Eyre not only sets goals for herself, but also for other females, being such a great role model proven through her life choices and acts of strength. If I told anything, my tale would be such as must necessarily make a profound impression on the mind of my hearer: and that mind, yet from its sufferings too prone to gloom, needed not to deeper shade of the supernatural. I kept these things, then, and pondered them in my heart. † (Bronte 381) This really summarizes Jane’s journey from a girl to a woman, and is an inspiring and knowledgeable story. Work Cited Bronte, Charlotee. Jane Eyre. New York: W. W . Norton Company, Inc. 2001. Eagleton, Terry. â€Å"Jane Eyre’s Power Struggles. † Myths of Power: A Marxist Study of Bronte. Totawa, NJ: Barnes and Noble Bookes, 1975. Rpt. In Bronte 491-496. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Feminism. † Collins English Dictionary. 2009. William Collins Sons Co. Ltd 1979, 1986. Web. 14 Nov 2012. Roberts, M. J. D. â€Å"Feminism and the State in Later Victorian England. † The Historical Journal, Cambridge University Press. MLA Online Book. Vol. 28, No 1. pp. 85-110. Mar. 1995. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. Garton, Stephen. â€Å"The Scales of Suffering: Love, Death and Victorian Masculinity. †, Taylor Francis Ltd. MLA Online Article. Vol. 27, No. 1. (Jan. 2002), pp. 40-58. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. How to cite Jane Eyre: Feminism, Essay examples

Wal-Mart Decision in Global

Question: Discuss about the Wal-Mart Decision in Global. Answer: Introduction: Wal-Mart is recognized as one of the largest and dominant retailing company worldwide. In the year 1997, Wal-Mart focused on attaining a higher level and transforming the company into a much more competitive environment. It began its era of globalization with 9 major countries in South America, Europe and Asia. In majorly every country where Wal-Mart entered, it laid huge efforts to penetrate the hypermarket culture within the country and due to this a number of rigorous issues arrived into picture (Brennan and Lundsten, 2009). After ruling the retail market of US for an extensive period of time Wal-Mart faced towards Germany and continued with its globalization strategy in 1997 by getting hold of 2 major retail chains of Germany. In 2006, after experiencing 8 years of failure and loss-making business the company take away its existence from Germany as well as Wal-Mart sold out its complete retails channels to a company named Metro AG (Brunn, 2006). The report highlights the various reasons behind the failure of Wal-Marts strategy of entering into the German market based on the cross-culture viewpoint( Lessard, Lucea, and Vives, 2013). Being a corporate giant, Wal-Mart had to face several issues in international business because of an ignorance and inadaptability look towards the acceptance of the local culture of Germany. Thus it made essential for every company to first understand and have an in-depth knowledge of the local culture and market of the potential country where the company wants to extend the roots of its business and accordingly it should create its strategies. This is exactly the main reason behind the failure of Wal-Mart in the German market (Conaty, 2016). Wal-Marts decision to go global The main reason behind the decision of Wal-Mart to go global is globalization. In the past decade globalization was significantly achieved huge response and progress because of several benefits associated with it such as enhanced legal infrastructure, improved transportation, modern communication and political preference to willfully open markets to global finance and trade (Peng, 2009). The one major reason for which Wal-Mart took this decision was to enhance its geographical reach by broadening its roots of its products in various other countries. There demonstrate a degree of trans-nationality which is only enable with globalization and that is when one company controls or owns service and production outside the nation in which they are established or based (Rajan, 2016). The things which facilitate Wal-Mart to internationalize and enter into a fresh market includes geographical proximity as well as cultural proximity as these helps in diminishing uncertainty as it generally compa nies prefer expanding in markets which are similar to their existing markets as Wal-Mart has already experienced this success by expanding its roots into Canada in 1994 after its successful expansion in Mexico (BARBER MARCILLA, 2014). Saturation at one place also forces a company to expand in other regions so that the dependability for success and operations also divides on various expansions a company made. One major reason behind expansion is then availability of labor and land at low prices, the decision of expanding into a new market is many a times based on the availability of efficient and skilled workforce at low cost in comparison with the wages provided to already existing workers in home country and there are high opportunities for acquiring the assets such as land on much cheaper rates (Cuthbertson, 2011). There are various other reasons also which influence Wal-Mart to work internationally such as to acquire strategic assets, efficiency in operations, seeking for potenti al markets and for gathering efficient resources (Ghauri and Cateora, 2014). Wal-Marts decision to enter German market The expansion in German market shocked the analysts as according to them a company should expand firstly in its own country in all the potential reasons and afterwards it should focus on expansion through internationalization but in those countries which possess a similar taste and culture like their own country as its become easy to get the customers familiar with the products and services. In the case of German expansion analysts does not supported this decision of Wal-Mart as they had were able to forecast the implication associated with these kind of expansions. It was apparently an incorrect decision to enter the European market and that too by the way of Germany. There are several reasons which can be provided to support the incorrectness of this decision, which includes: Diversity and differences in the cultures of US and Germany One of the major reasons which oppose the decision of expansion in German market is the diversity in the cultures of both the countries. There was immense difference among the buying habits and local culture of Germany as compared with the US markets (Solomon and Schell, 2009). Wal-Mart was trying hard to impose the similar kind of culture as well as the management team for the German operations which it possess in US which was significantly a wrong decision as there were various things which were not similar such as shopping hours as Germany persist regulations to have fixed and restricted hours for shopping, there prevailed free style shopping without any assistance and many other dissimilarities. Imposing of ones culture on someone else never proven to b e worked out. Therefore this diversity in the cultures of both the nations hinders this decision to be accepted worldwide (Aklamanu, 2015). Adoption of acquisition strategy Another reason behind the unfriendliness towards this decision is the strategy which Wal-Mart planned to enter in the German market. As per the strict laws and regulation Wal-Mart was planning to acquire few big companies of Germany. This strategy apparently had to impose a negative impact on the people of Germany and the existing customers of those companies which are to be acquired by Wal-Mart. Therefore, there should be adoption of some other strategies to attain better results (Neissa and Trumbull, 2004). Rigidness in adopting changes Wal-Mart always remained proud of its own way of operating business and of its functioning style. And that is why it is hard for the company to adopt changes and work in accordance with the culture of any other nation. The inflexibility behavior and the rigid approach of Wal-Mart over the acceptance of various cultural diversities and consumer necessities made it difficult for the company to have a word of acceptance for its decision of expanding into German market. Analysis of reasons behind the difficulty faced by Wal-Mart in the German market Mistakes associated with the strategies for entering into the German market The difficulties of Wal-Mart tend to increase day by day in the highly competitive market of Germany even after experiencing the business for 5 years in that country. Wal-Mart faced severe disappointing results which were no longer considered as merely routine issues which can be overcome easily. The failure of the company was the unavoidable outcome of Wal-Marts inability which was caused because of the surprising degree of ignorance regarding the chief principles associated with intercultural management and strategies for internationalization which comprises of selecting and implementing an efficient strategy for entering and operating globally. For building a primary presence in the German market Wal-Mart planned for acquisitions (Kim and Hallsworth, 2013). In the year 1997, the company acquired a well-recognized Wetkauf chain followed by the acquisition of 74 hypermarket store of Interspar for increasing the Wal-Marts store count in Germany. With all these business dealings Wal-M art established its presence in the list of few big hypermarkets operators. However the company experienced various issues in process of integrating and operating of both the acquired companies (Zentes and Morschett, 2013). While looking over the anticipated accumulated losses it seems worse as Wal-Mart in the German market with no doubt sinking in red ink. Moreover acquisitions were not considered as a right way to enter in the German market but the new licenses for retailing of groceries and food chains were refused by the government. Thus there was no other option remained with Wal-Mart to enter the European market. Mistakes associated with the operating environment To provide an assurance to the local customers Wal-Mart as its tradition had imposed a full-blown price war serving the concept of all day squat price. This approach of Wal-Mart was completely failed and backfired as there regulates a tendency in the markets of Germany that the companies there were tends to be the prey instead of being the hunter and chase the customers. These sorts of strategies of Wal-Mart highly influenced and distressed the German opponents (Bianco, and Zellner, 2003). ALDI was one of those competitors who all the way through its existence remained as one of the countrys most undisputed price and cost leader and safeguarded its position for the same. ALDI successfully managed to match with the price cuts offered by Wal-Mart and simultaneously maintaining a strong association with its patrons which Wal-Mart was unable to (David, 2009). Moreover the impression of everyday low prices offered by Wal-Mart as its elementary value proposition scheme was completely a fak e and empty promise. Wal-Mart was incapable to systematically weaken various firm discounters and ALDI. The assortment offered by Wal-Mart was not too considerably cheaper in comparison with the discounts and offerings offered by the traditional retailers. Furthermore for reducing the costs, Wal-Mart had lower down the wages of its employees which apparently caused dissatisfaction among the workers and even the working conditions were remained unionization. Consequently, the company also gets the wrong impression to its employee which turns out to be rain into difficulty with the unions of Germany (Landler and Barbaro, 2006). Another issue faced by Wal-Mart was problems related to inventory. There was only a single room to keep its stock and there persists high difficulty to hire new and more number of employees with such squat wages. As a result the movement of goods was delayed due the shortage of workforce which leads to extreme stockpiling. Or we can say Wal-Mart does not confir m and provided any kind of motivation to the workers. Issues related to the external environment Wal-Mart had to experience various issues on the regulations and laws of Germany for which Wal-Mart was accused for violating those laws regarding restraints of competition. And as a result of that the selling of a range of merchandises below their cost prices was banned by the German antitrust legislation and not even occasionally this can be perfume except that there is an adequate justification for that which should be mention in the laws and regulation (Kalhan and Franz, 2016). For the corporations it became mandatory to disclose the companys financial information comprises of an annual statement of profit and loss and a balance sheet. But Wal-Mart for the violation of this law Wal-Mart was accused as the company did not published its financial data. Issues related with cultural mismatch Other than the regulatory and operational issues, Wal-Mart has to face other issues too which were linked to the cultural mismatch difficulties in Germany. It was found problematic for Wal-Mart to integrate into the cultures of Interspar and Wertkauf, the companies acquired by Wal-Mart. Besides that, there was another issue related to language as the company was aware about the fact that the language pronounced in Germany was not merely English, they need to learn German language but even though the top management was not cautious regarding this cultural mismatch. Therefore, it builds a language barricade where the Americans were not able to communicate well with the employees or the workforces. Moreover, the well-known rule of Wal-Mart named, the Ten-Foot Rule was also not able to work in the German market. As per the economic benefits, the consumers of Germany were highly familiar with the self-service style of shopping for decades without taking assistance from any staff member an d so the customers instead of appreciating this service they rather discourage this amenity (Phoebe, 2011). One more cultural mismatch includes the regulation of restrictive shopping hours in Germany which hinders the company to offer its services to the customers on the basis of 24/7 operations and so Wal-Mart was not able to provide excellent shopping comfort and additional convenience to the customers. Conclusion Even though the company Wal-Mart is recognized as one of the largest and well-known retailing giant but then also it had to experience failure. While focusing on internationalizing of business, Wal-Mart took away its focus from abridging the cultural differences prevailing in the German market. The company does not have any relevance with the culture of customers, their habits and their purchasing pattern. Rather than Wal-Mart imposed its own culture and prototype on the customers as well as employees. One of the major reasons behind the failure of Wal-Mart was its persistence and urges to perform things in an already set the Wal-Mart way. And that is why Wal-Mart was alienated from the market of Germany. Though, Wal-Mart experienced continuous losses and failure even though after having business in Germany from last 5 years. There present several reasons behind its failure such as cultural mismatch, incomplete or very limited knowledge of German market and customers, inflexibility, violation of laws etc. The attainment of success in one country such as US does not guarantee the similar success in other nations too. It has been clearly identified with the huge failure of such an enormous giant, Wal-Mart. There are several lessons which can be learned by other retailing companies through this case study which planned for an expansion (Yoder, Visich and Rustambekov, 2016). To attain success and avoid failures in the process of capitalizing the local market of any country, there is a significant need to understand the local culture first of that particular nation and also to make the strategies accordingly. Recommendations Even for the bigger companies, the business of cross-culture is challenging one. Organizations needs to be sensitive enough towards the local culture as well as must tailor the offerings as per the requirements of the local market. And for this, there is a need to perform cultural assessment. It will contribute in measuring the efficacy of the efforts of localization. Following are various recommendations which would be help companies while they are planning for any sort of international business or global alliance: First and foremost to have an adequate analysis of the cultural, economical, social and political aspects of any country where the expansion is planned to be taken out. To have a sense of being local at the time of going global, which simply means that after having an in-depth cultural assessment, the company should mold itself according to the nation it is planning to enter. This will help in reducing the cultural differences. Employing approaches of cross-cultural management. To significantly survive the local competition there should be a regular updating of expansion approaches and strategies. References Aklamanu, A., 2015. Understanding failure in international retailing: An institutional framework for future investigation. InInstitutional Impacts on Firm Internationalization(pp. 238-263). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Barbera Marcilla, L.A.U.R.A., 2014,Business analysis for Wal-Mart, a grocery retail chain, and improvement proposals(Doctoral dissertation). Bianco, A. and Zellner, W., 2003. IS WAL-MART TOO POWERFUL? Low prices are great. But Wal-Marts dominance creates problemsfor suppliers, workers, communities, and even American culture.Business Week, (3852), p.100. Brennan, D.P. and Lundsten, L.L., 2009, an assessment of Wal-Mart's global expansion strategy in the light of its domestic strategy. InEuropean Retail Research(pp. 125-151). Gabler Verlag. Brunn, S. D., 2006, Wal-Mart World: The World's Biggest Corporation in the Global Economy, UK: Routledge taylor Francis group Conaty, P., 2016. International Expansion in the Retail Industry: A Multi-Case Study on Strategic Expansionary Variables. Cuthbertson, C. 2011, Retail Strategy (7th), UK: Routledge taylor Francis David, B., Dranove, D., Shanley, M., and Schaefer S., 2009, Economics of Strategy, USA: John velly sons Ghauri, P.N. Cateora, P., 2014, International Marketing, (4th Edition), London: McGraw-Hill Kalhan, A. and Franz, M., 2016, Regulation of Retail: Comparative Experience. InOrganised Retailing and Agri-Business(pp. 139-157). Springer India. Kim, W. and Hallsworth, A.G., 2013. Large format stores and the introduction of new regulatory controls in South Korea.The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research,23(2), pp.152-173. Landler, M. and Barbaro M., 2006, GERMANY: Wal-Mart Finds That Its Formula Doesn't Work in All Cultures, Retrieved on: 12th August 2016, Retrieved from: https://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13969gt Lessard, D., Lucea, R. and Vives, L., 2013. Building Your Companys Capabilities Through Global Expansion.MIT Sloan Management Review,54(2), p.61. Neissa L. and Trumbull G., 2004, GLOBAL BUSINESS, Wal-Mart in Europe. Harvard Business Publishing. M. W., 2009, Global Strategy. (2nd ed.), USA: South-western sengage learning. Phoebe, J. 2011, Walmarts Downfall in Germany: A Case Study. Journal of International Management. Rajan, S., 2016. Resources, Costs and Globalization.Costs and Globalization (March 15, 2016). Solomon, C.M. and Schell, M.S., 2009,Managing across cultures. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Yoder, S., Visich, J.K. and Rustambekov, E., 2016. Lessons learned from international expansion failures and successes.Business Horizons,59(2), pp.233-243. Zentes, J. and Morschett, D., 2013. Retail BrandingConcept, Effects and its.Strategic Management: A European Approach, p.161.