Discuss the interplay between conflict

International trade is one of the most critical and complex process as it involves not only more than two parties to the contract but also different institutions including governments. It is because of this reason that it is often argued that the laws regulating the international trade should be such that they can easily facilitate the trade between different countries while keeping intact the different indigenous laws of the respective countries.In its essence, international trade is the exchange of goods, services and capital between the countries across the international borders. Due to its unique characteristic of involving cross border trade, it is also subject to different laws, regulations and rules. Uniform Commercial Law is the law which has been promulgated in order to harmonize the laws of sales between different countries. Such kind of uniform commercial laws include the UCP rules which govern the international trade and also the exchange of the financial services between the financial institutions.Since, one of the most important characteristics of the international trade is that it involves the interaction of financial institutions also besides between the seller and the buyer therefore the uniform commercial laws such as UCP govern the international trade. However, on the other hand, there are other international laws which area also governed the international trade by different countries according to their own requirements.The protectionist policies and laws and regulations adopted by the different governments of the organization create a deliberate conflict between the uniformed commercial law and the other international laws and regulations thus creating a conflicting situation for the different players working in the international environment. This essay will undertake to analyze and understand the interplay between conflict of laws/international law rules and uniform commercial law in the field of regulation of international trade.Internatio nal Law The international liberalization of the trade as well as growing globalization has given rise to the need of having laws flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the different players in international trade. (Chirwa,2005). Many researchers also attempted to remove these regulatory anomalies by offering a new approach to resolve the conflict of laws in international trade.One such approach outlines the concept of constitutional uncertainty in international trade and present different models of international transactions in the wakes of different legal frameworks present. (Schmidtchen, Kirstein, Neunzig, 2004). These approaches are mostly suggesting the economic solution to the problem of the conflict between the international law and the uniform laws and suggest a transactional mode of international trade and attempt to bring down the law to accommodate such models into them so that this conflict can be overtaken.The increased globalization as well as the role of large mul tinationals in circumventing the rules and regulations in their favor, in countries where they have larger chances of profitability, indicates the eroding powers of state to ensure the compliance with the international laws besides ensuring that the local laws support the international regulations so that the international trade can swiftly take place. When we discuss about the international law and the conflicts between the different regulations, it always come down to analyze and trace the patterns of those conflicts in different kinds of transactions taking place internationally.One such example is that of the credit sales where UCP rules may suggest different approaches to governing the financial aspects of the transaction however, the existing rules and regulations such as restrictions on the foreign exchange repatriation, forward booking of foreign currencies due to pressures on the domestic currency may effectively create a situation where the uniformed commercial laws and th e private laws can come into direct conflict. (Albert, Wade & Instituut,1983).Another great example can be that of the WTO and the other related laws. WTO specifically advocates the removal of the different trade restrictions such as quotas on the international trade taking place between member countries however there are other deliberate attempts by different countries to discriminate against other member countries by promulgating rules and regulations which restricts even the capability of WTO to remove the conflict of laws and regulations between the countries.It is also often argued that the international trade has more become now a political issue and despite the trade liberalization, politicizing of the international trade have created a deliberate attempt to raise a conflict between different international/private laws and the uniform commercial laws. (Joerges, 2007). Such politicization of the process has not only created a deliberate drift between the laws but it also creat ed a permanent source of conflict between the international institutions also.Conclusion It is also important to mention that the interplay of the different uniform as well as the international/ public laws, from a transactional perspective, can be removed because the laws and regulations will directed at creating a synergy between the different laws to assist the smooth operation of international trade. A deviation from the transactional mode of international trade therefore may create a direct conflict between the international and uniform commercial laws.

Informed Consent

Ethics Paper Informed Consent in Industrial/Psychological Research July 31, 2011 Foundations of Industrial/Organizational Psychology Abstract There are certain conditions where reasonable exceptions that APA ethical standards and federal guidelines insure in research that human participation will be ethical due to informed consent. In federal guidelines the preferred mechanism is informed consent in order to protect the human participants (APA, 1992). Informed Consent Informed consent is when an individual gives permission to participate in future events after receiving instruction about the events they may wish to be a part of. Informed consent is put in place to prevent lawsuits. Obtaining consent is similar in all circumstances (Jones, 2011). In order to be considered valid, informed consent must be given voluntarily from a participant that is competent (Cherry, 2011). When is Informed Consent Required? In order to arrive at a better understanding of the subject matter, research is necessary. When conducting research and using human participants, the need to know whether informed consent is necessary is vital. To err on the side of safety, always obtain informed consent in any research situation if you have any doubts as to the necessity (Cherry, 2011). Require and acquire informed consent if: 1). Participants answer questions in their native language. Determine what data is needed, true/false or multiple choice questions, or surveys and whether or not this material can provide needed data. 2). When using a small group of participants, but determine ahead of time how many participants you will need. 3). When using identifying information or questions answered regarding sensitive or controversial language from your participants, also make the decision whether you can allow the participants to remain anonymous (Cherry, 2011). Exceptions to Informed Consent There are very limited conditions where both the APA and federal guidelines allow exceptions to informed consent. The APA is less explicit to the necessary conditions for exceptions, where the federal guidelines are very explicit. Examples are as follows: There has to be minimal risk involved in the research, the welfare of the participants’ rights are not affected by either altering or waiving informed consent, without the waiver, the research cannot be practically carried out, or having participated, upon completion of the research, the participants can be informed. These are the only exceptions the federal guidelines allow to informed consent (45 CFR Part 46, 1991). In I/O Psychology, field studies allow for exceptions to informed consent that sometimes meet these conditions. On occasion, there is data collection that serves both science and practice that is collected from employees. An example would be recording a telephone conversation at the local phone company where customer service employees and customers are monitored for coaching related to employee relations and/or performance. The customer and employee are informed of the conversation being recorded. If the data was going to be used in a study such as persuasion or negotiation, by the researcher, or as a study, both the customer and the employee would have to be informed of the purpose of the research prior to the recording and a consent needed to participate or the need of an acceptable exception to informed consent would apply (Ilgen & Bell, 2001). There have been a number of conditions that continue to cause or raise concern regarding the researchers’ ability to rationalize exceptions to informed consent, this being in spite of I/O Psychological research being carried out in ways that protect the research participants’ well-being without the use of informed consent, one being a shift in the oversight of the ethical treatment of research participants. Once upon a time, (IRBs) or Institutional Review Boards were established at organizations and were involved in the conduct and research protocols, for human participant treatment. IRB members were gathered from outside and inside the organization to represent the expectations and values of communities. Board members values of the treatment of human participants in research and also by the ethical standards that were affiliated by the professional associations of the ethical standards (IRB, 1997). Control over what is and what is not reasonable treatment of human participants, today, still exists in IRBs and the ethical standards of scientific associations, such as the APA. An example is authors submitting their work to psychological journals such as Psychological Science, are instructed to inform the public that, â€Å"Investigations on human participants must include a statement indicating that informed consent was obtained†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Psychological Science, 1999). Informed consent is required; there is no option for exceptions (APA, 1992). Conclusion When obtained from the participant or participants’ legally authorized representative, documented in a consistent manner with the Health and Human Services protection of human participants regulations, and with applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which the research is conducted, informed consent is considered legally effective. In other words, the regulations ensure that an investigator should seek consent only under circumstances that provide the participant or a representative that is legally authorized the sufficient opportunity to consider if they are willing to participate and minimizes the possibility of undue influence or coercion. The information should be presented in a manner that is understandable to the participant or legal representative. Exculpatory language is not to be included whether written or oral with informed consent requirements in the regulations and are not intended to override any applicable local, state, or federal laws that require additional information to be legally effective for consent (45 CFR 46. 116(e), 1991). References American Psychological Association. Committee for the Protection of Human Participants in Research. 1992). Ethical Principles. American Psychologist, 47. Cherry, K. (2011). What is Informed Consent? Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/iindex/g/def_informedcon. htm on July 31, 2011. Federal Register. (1991). Protection of human subjects: Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46, Vol. 56 Number 28003. June 18. Federal Register (1997). Protection of human subjects: Suggested revisions to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) expedited review list. Vol. 62. Number 217. 60607, November 10, pp. 1-8 Ilgen, D. R. & Bell, B. S. (2001). Conducting Industrial and Organizational Psychological Research: Institutional Review of Research in Work Organizations. Ethics and Behavior, 11, 395-412. Jones, A. (2011). How to obtain consent. Retrieved from www. ehow. com/how_7789509_obtain_informed-consent. html on July 31, 2011. Psychological Sciences. (1999). Information for contributors, 10, inside back cover of each issue.

Five factors of acceleration of globalisation Essay

Five factors of acceleration of globalisation - Essay Example These include market drivers, cost drivers, technological drivers, government or political drivers, and competitive drivers. Each of these will each be explained in detail in the following paragraphs (Campbell, Stonehouse, and Houston, 2002). There are two popular frameworks that cover the basic concepts of the drivers of globalisation. One of these is particularly relevant and will be covered here. One of the frameworks is Yip's Framework, and the other one of the frameworks is Porter's Framework. The one that will be covered in the context of this assignment is Yip's Framework, which covers four drivers of globalisation (Campbell, Stonehouse, and Houston, 2002). Yip did not believe in the two extremes that companies were either global or not global. Instead, he believed that all organizations were combinations of the two, each one being more of one than the other. His framework-or outline-allows an observer to determine specifically which parts of an organization are global and which parts have different aspects on a local level. If an organization wishes to evaluate their global strategy, analyzing Yip's Framework can play a crucial role (Campbell, Stonehouse, and Houston, 2002).. Yip argued that, "A global strategy will be global in many respects, but may also include features that are locally oriented. To achieve the benefits of globalization, the managers of a worldwide business need to recognize when industry conditions provide the opportunity to use global strategy levers (Campbell, Stonehouse, and Houston, 2002)." According to Yip, there are four drivers that that determine the extent of globalisation: market drivers, cost drivers, government drivers, and competitive drivers (Campbell, Stonehouse, and Houston, 2002). Market Globalisation Drivers The first driver of globalisation to take a look at is market drivers. "As domestic markets become more and more saturated, the opportunities for growth are limited and global expanding is a way most organizations choose to overcome this situation. Common customer needs and the opportunity to use global marketing channels and transfer marketing to some extent are also incentives to choose internationalization" (Bauernfeind, 2005, pg. 1). Market drivers have resulted in the convergence of per capita income among industrialized nations; take a look at the exchange rates across the globe for example. There has also been a convergence of lifestyles and tastes. People are demanding more high quality products and services than they ever have before, and they want them at the cheapest price, which seriously creates a problem for businesses that are attempting to make a profit. Organisations are beginning to behave as global customers. When organizations spread their operations to other countries, they have to look at finding suppliers in those areas in order to minimize their costs. There has been a notable increase in travel creating global consumers. This can perhaps be attributed to the astronomical increase in communication that came along with the growing popularity of the Internet. Regional and global channels have grown to astronomical proportions. This can be attributed once again to the growth in worldwide communication, as well as

Success Factors in the World Toy Industry Essay - 23

Success Factors in the World Toy Industry - Essay Example This is because wherever there is a fair competition market structure, the number of competitors becomes many, with each having its own business strategy. Whiles doing this, ways in which the company can take advantage of globalization through international expansion shall also be reviewed. Quote (year) noted that every industry has its own success factors, some of which are internal and others, external. As far as the toy industry is concerned, a similar situation can be seen. From the outcome of the market research by Key Note (2014), one identifies three major success factors that influence the outcome of the toy industry as to whether a particular company will be successful or not. The first of these is the child population in the market, which in this case is the UK market. This is an important success factor given that children serve as the direct consumers of toys and toy products. From Appendix A, it can be seen that there is a very favorable trend of child population whereby the number of children within the population keeps increasing by the year. The second success factor that is also reflected in the Key Note report has to do with the household activity of families in the UK. Quote (year) noted that household activity forms an important demographic factor that directly influences the purchasing behavior of families. As a success factor, it is expected that it is expected that most households will be involved in economic and social activities that make it possible for them to buy toys for their children. With this said, it can be seen from appendix B that there are several homes without dependent children. This is a bad indication for the toy industry because the more dependent children there are the more likely it is for there to be patronage of toys. Meanwhile, the number of workless households keeps reducing by the year, which means that the likelihood of homes to be able to afford different kinds of toys is higher.

Terrorism and the Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Terrorism and the Mass Media - Essay Example This paper argues that the media unnecessarily and irresponsibly represents the threat of terrorism particularly since the 9/11 terror attacks on US soil. In other words, the media engages moral panic in reporting and informing the public of the threat of terrorism. This paper is therefore divided into two main parts. The first part of this paper sets out the theoretical underpinnings of moral panic. The second part of this paper identifies how the theoretical underpinnings of moral panic are manifested in the media’s coverage of terrorism since the 9/11 terror attacks on the US. Moral Panic This paper analyzes the degree of moral panic used in the mass media in its coverage of terrorism following the 9/11 terror attacks. In this regard, moral panic is used within the theoretical structure espoused by Stan Cohen in 1973. According to Cohen (1973, cited in Critcher, 2003) every now and again, societies are seized by moral panic. To this end, moral panic is characterized by six essential features. First there is a â€Å"condition, episode, person or group or persons† who are defined as a â€Å"threat to societal values and interests†. Secondly, the nature of the perceived threat and the individuals or groups involved are represented in â€Å"stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media†.... Finally, â€Å"the condition then disappears, submerges or deteriorates and becomes more visible.†9 According to Critcher (2003) Cohen was describing a chain reaction instigated by the media’s exaggerated coverage of deviance among a group of young people who had come together on England’s east coast in 1964. The youth were identified as Mods and Rockers. At the gathering, the youth became bored and a number of minor altercations took place and the police were involved. The headlines in the Newspapers bored catchphrases such as â€Å"wild one†, â€Å"97 arrests† and â€Å"terror†.10 One editorial demanded that government take action and another newspaper explained friction between the two groups.11 Another incident allegedly involving Mods and Rockers occurred shortly after the first incident in other coastal towns. The newspaper carried essentially the same types of exaggerated reports as before. The spillover effect was evidenced by the jud iciary’s treatment of those who had been arrested. Many were denied bail, others were subjected to excessive fines for minor offences such as obstruction and those facing more serious offences were incarcerated. Local business representatives, citizens and politicians called for harsher consequences. Thus, according to Critchen â€Å" a whole new social problem had been defined†.12 A series of legislative interventions were observed with the passage of the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act and the Malicious Damage Act. Other interventions included the police actively turning young people away from resorts on the coast. Anyone failing to take the police advice would be arrested. By 1966, gatherings on the coast diminished and

Photosynthesis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Photosynthesis - Lab Report Example In table 1 above figure 1, the rate leaves floats with time indicating that photosynthesis is taking place in the presence of lit. This can be seen with the upward sloping curve. On the other hand, in figure 2, the leaves are sinking gradually due to absence of photosynthesis as a result of no light. This can be seen from the down sloping curve. In the table 2 above light is present hence photosynthesis will take place but at higher rate with 0.4% of bicarbonate which produces more carbon (IV) oxide than 0.2% concentration hence the observed higher rate of floating in 0.4%. However at a certain time, rate of photosynthesis reaches optimum point indicated by 10 floats which is the maximum. The following conclusive results would be made out of this experiment.The leaves disks are able to undertake photosynthesis in water as they use dissolved carbon (IV) oxide and oxygen also for respiration. This is why the experiment was able to be successful in water. It is also worth to note that rate of photosynthesis is influenced by carbon (IV) oxide supply as indicated by the higher rates in floats by 0.4% of bicarbonate more than 0.2%. It can also be noted that rate of leaves disks were higher in the presence of light than darkness from the observations above proving that light is necessity for photosynthesis holding other factors

Performance Appraisal and Job Satisfaction in the UK Essay

Performance Appraisal and Job Satisfaction in the UK - Essay Example ance appraisal is regarded as an important process, which allows the management to analyse the performance of employees working in the organization (Aminuddin 2008, Pettijohn, et al. 2001). Employees who are satisfied with their work and tasks serve as the means for improving the overall organizational performance and it is due to this reason it has been found that above ninety percent of business corporations have systems in place for monitoring performance of the workers and staff members (Seldon, Ingraham and Jacobson 2001). The performance appraisal systems are largely placed to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs and this is determined by their â€Å"overall performance†, â€Å"commitment towards organization† and its goals and the â€Å"turnover rate† (Vignaswaran 2008). Considering this discussion, it is important for the management to explore and evaluate the relationship between performance appraisal systems and job satisfaction of employ ees and take the necessary measures for them to improve their performance and minimize their turnover intention. This research work is aimed at exploring the impact of an effective performance appraisal system in an organization on the job satisfaction of employees. In this regard, the research explores the relationship of performance appraisal effectiveness with overall performance, commitment and turnover of employees. Chapter one explores the relationship between an effective performance appraisal system and employees’ job satisfaction in the United Kingdom, since it enables the organizations to understand the influence placed by effective performance appraisal on the overall organizational performance and job satisfaction of the employees. The objectives and the significance of the research are also... Performance appraisal is regarded as an important area of concern in relation to human resource development and management (Aminuddin 2008, Noe et al., 2009). In business entities, performance appraisal is regarded as an important process, which allows the management to analyse the performance of employees working in the organization (Aminuddin 2008, Pettijohn et al., 2001). In the present research we will try to identify how PA affects the employees’ job satisfaction and work performance. Employees who are satisfied with their work and tasks serve as the means for improving the overall organizational performance and it is due to this reason it has been found that above ninety percent of business corporations have systems in place for monitoring performance of the workers and staff members. The performance appraisal systems are largely placed to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs and this is determined by their â€Å"overall performance†, â€Å"commitment towards organization† and its goals and the â€Å"turnover rate†. â€Å"Performance Appraisal has been widely practiced in both the private and public sectors in the UK and the US for 20-30 yrs.† as noted from Whyte in 1986, it is Human Resource practice that is widespread in many organizations. It should be though considered as a vital one since Performance Appraisal is actually helping the organization to motivate in the best possible way his employees, to train and develop them and they will act as being the mediators for achieving its aims, its objectives and its profitability.

Select and critically appraise a policy document that is relevant to Essay

Select and critically appraise a policy document that is relevant to your area of practice. Critically analyse the evidence bas - Essay Example The Trust also guarantees that slips and trips and falls experienced by staff visitors as well as contractors are reported and then managed by the Trust. The National Health Services white paper has established plans in order to secure savings from their delivery of health services, allowing these savings to be reinvested in the primary care services of the agency. The Department of Health (2012) has declared that the health care system in general is being challenged to improve the quality of their health services while still trying to reduce its cost and financial impact. As such, savings can be secured by changing the practice and the NHS system. Possible savings which nurses can provide to overall services represent millions of pounds a year (Gainsbury, 2009). Such potential must therefore be explored and expanded. Through the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, there are several high impact actions which come from data suggested by nurses and midwives in the UK. Falls p revention is one of these HIAs which seem to call for new processes in management (Power, 2009). The nursing profession is one which has, from the very start been focused on securing quality care for the patients (Fabre, 2009). I am a nurse working fulltime and in the unit where I am assigned to, fall risks are one of the problems identified, and its prevention seems to merit more improvements in the current existing policies on slips, trips, and falls. Slips, trips, and falls prevention and management managed to provide an updated standard in the management and prevention of falls. The policy impacts on all in-patient admissions as well as staff members. As discussed by Andersson, et.al., 2006 there have been identified issues in the planning and implementation of the policy. Andreoli, et.al., (2010) points out that the implementation of policies seem to be removed from reality, especially as many policy-makers and recipients often do not understand or appreciate the processes whic h are needed in order to make the policy work. Kubler (2001) highlights that fact that the passage of legislation of policy is not necessarily associated with the achievement and accomplishment of policy goals and objectives. In the hospital where I work, the top-down policy implementation process is being implemented. This has allowed for the implementation of the policy from the management level down to the employee level. Based on the data gathered by the NHS, the issue of slips and falls is a significant one and the NHS has understood the importance of prioritizing falls prevention and management (Laurance, 2012). Based on a review of the present data on slips, trips and falls, specific changes were made on its implementation (Laurance, 2012). The goal of preventing and managing falls and its risks is to improve the safety of patients and health professionals who are exposed to risks of falling (NHS, 2010). The policy is mostly related to the assessment of data, the implementati on of preventive measures, as well as the implementation of multi-disciplinary working. It also secures guidelines for the staff, giving standards which seek to manage the unit’s prevention strategy, to reduce inpatient falls, and consequently decrease

Change Management and Leadership Research Paper

Change Management and Leadership - Research Paper Example Secondly, the leadership should have the power to motivate and empower the followers so that they become ready to adapt to changes without resistance. Also, they should be encouraged to accept the shared vision and get ready to accept challenging goals. Another important point is that the leadership should be able to enforce enough discipline to execute the plans and policies. Most of the time, organizations come up with impressive strategic plans but they lack the change management skills to properly operate the strategies to reach the expected goals. As Kaminski insists, whenever there is a plan, there should be properly developed performance measures and targets. Thirdly, the leadership should be fully prepared to change at any time as an organization might need to change as a result of environmental changes. So, only a fully prepared leadership can ensure that the organization has an environment that proactively observes and responds to changes in both external and internal facto rs. Finally, the leadership should understand change as a long and continuous process which has to be implemented over a long period of time. Leadership as the Visionary The first role of leadership is that of a visionary. ... Leadership as the Inspirer Leadership should have the ability to inspire and motivate the people under it. It is often achieved by identifying specific benefits to the people and minimizing potential losses. Also, there is participative decision making and open communication which will make the followers feel that there is a compelling reason for change. Leadership as Supporter In fact, leadership acts as supporter through providing enough resources, enough time, recognition and rewards. Also, from time to time, leadership will publicise vivid stories about the success of the change. Moreover, the leadership will provide such a picture that the success of all people is dependent on the success of the change. Leadership as Supporter Leadership also acts as supporter during changes. It actively listens to the problems and criticisms of people. Also, it offers as much empathy and care as possible to the people affected by the change. Leadership and Change Strategies There was a seminar named ‘Transforming Organisations’ organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in Madrid on 23 and 24 September 2003. In the seminar, all the participants agreed to the fact that change management is the most important role of leadership. In fact, most of the changes introduced in organizations are aimed at improving either performance or productivity. The various strategies the companies adopt to ensure transformation range from growth, innovation and skills development, downsizing, layoff, replacements, altering assets and resources, and so on and on (cited in Dhondt, Kraan and Sloten). June Kaminski

SLP Assignment- Trends in Health Information Systems and Applications Essay

SLP Assignment- Trends in Health Information Systems and Applications - Essay Example Today, there is a centralization of the system, making it possible for everyone on the system to receive instant messages concerning the inputs of patient care. A typical example of this is the ability for team members to receive signals of abnormal laboratory test results. Once such reports are received, they are quickly transferred to the laboratory and scan department where appropriate corrective actions are taken. The evolution has therefore been focused on portability and accessibility. In the future, informatics system in the healthcare sector is expected to be even more effective than it is now, coming in line with the Nursing Information System (NIS) standards. Research has showed that two of the best ways of enhancing existing healthcare informatics is through the expansion of storage and usability, and the improvement of security features (Institute of Medicine, (2011). These two ambitions are thus going to be the future trend for healthcare informatics as it is expected that usability will be extended even to include patient interface. For example it should be possible for patients to access basic information able their health records and trends of their health improvements. Patients should also be able to make enquiries on the system. Among the service providers also, the quantum of data that can be stored in the system and thus processed by them needs to be increased. As far as security is concerned, it will be important to ensure that information assurance is better guaranteed on the system. This should be done by ensuring that even though it will be possible for one department to access the information of another department for decision making, it should not be possible to manipulate data from an external department. All forms of hacking and hijacking of data should also be checked for information protection. Of the various trends discussed, and the prevailing

Nutrition Final Paper Essay Example for Free

Nutrition Final Paper Essay Question 1 (3 pts): Clients will often approach the RD, bewildered as to how to select, plan, and prepare a healthy diet for themselves or their families. Using yourself as an example, discuss the six basic principles of diet planning and how they apply to your dietary intake. Answer 1: Preparing and eating health meals for me and my family can be difficult with our busy schedule, but it starts with a plan. Using the 6 principles of diet planning I start with adequacy. I accomplish this by writing out a grocery list of all the things my family will need for the week. I also shop weekly because we prefer fresh fruit and vegetables. Next, I make sure we have an even balance of foods. I write out meal plans for the week to make sure my family has an even items of food and also a variety of foods. This can be very challenging with young picky kids, because my son would just eat fruit and oatmeal all day long if I let him. Variety is really hard in the Parker home because of the limited food choices do to my husband intolerance to red meats and dairy products. I also struggle because my favorite food list consists of about 10 different kinds of foods. We dont really have problems with the nutrient density because we only eat lean proteins such as fish, turkey, and chicken. My husband cannot tolerate fatty food so we dont fry, and we enjoy a fixed variety of fruits and vegetables. I do not pay attention to calorie content unless it is a prepackaged food you heat up or add water to, but I do make sure what Im putting into my families bodies is enough to keep them going for the day. Moderation is the last of the principles and a big one in my house. When cooking we do not add extra salt for taste nor do we consume foods with high trans fat, saturated fat,or cholesterol. Water is also the most consumed beverage. Soda has no home in my pantry, but we do elect for juices that are not made from concentrate. Question 2 (2 pts): Discuss the key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 and differentiate these guidelines from the Canadian Guidelines for Healthy Eating. Do you have a preference as to which one you would use with clients? Answer 2: The dietary guidelines for Americans in 2010 have 4 main points. Starting with balancing calories to manage weight. With in this section it talks about how to maintain calorie control,intake,and balance. Also, is talks about physical activity and keeping active to maintain a healthy weight. In the Canadian guidelines it has in own section for keeping active and doing it in accordance to your body weight, but it really doesnt touch on calorie balance or intake. Next, the American guidelines touches on foods to reduce from your diet. Focuses limiting sodium, saturated, mono and poly saturated,cholesterol ,trans fats,added sugars,refined grains,and alcohol. Whereas Canadian guidelines really just focus a lot on salt intake, alcohol, and caffeine. Next American guidelines talks about food to increase. Included in this list is fruits, vegetables, fat free dairy, lean proteins, seafood, and foods that have more vitamins within them. The Canadian guidelines emphasis consuming a variety of complex carbs and foods from the earth. Also, incorporating low fat dairy products as part of a daly routine. Although, both will guide the average person to a healthier lifestyle I would refer my clients to the American guidelines because it goes in to more depth of how to live healthier. Question 3 (3 pts): MyPyramid is a popular graphic source for nutrition information. In fact, it is so popular that it has been duplicated as a graphic for exercise information, vegetarian diets, etc. Given its popularity, it would appear that MyPyramid is the best pictorial to teach consumers nutritional information. Would you agree or disagree? Why? After you have stated your own personal argument, consider the other perspective and discuss why someone would take this perspective. Answer 3: I believe MyPyramid is a great way to teach consumers nutritional information, but I disagree thats it is the best way. The people who need these guidelines the most are most likely ones who do not take the time to get on the Internet and use the tools that MyPyramid has to offer. I dont think it properly educates people on the right food choices in each group. Education on nutrient density is a lacking component when using MyPyramid. I also believe that the MyPyramid is lacking in teaching balance of healthy foods. It seems like they stress certain foods more than others and thus creating unhealthy habits for individuals not properly understanding their nutrition needs. Question 4 (3 pts) : Food manufacturing and technology continue to grow in sophistication. While one can certainly debate about the pros and cons of such growth, there is no doubt that consumers are often confused about the different labels given to the different types of processed foods! (a) In a few sentences, describe each of the following: fortified, refined, enriched, whole grain, and textured vegetable protein. (b) What are your thoughts on how these types of foods fit into the diet of the American consumer? Question 4 a) Refined foods are highly processed that have been stripped of their original nutrient content such as white flour and white pasta. Enriched foods add vitamins and minerals to replace the ones lost in the refining process. Fortified foods add vitamins and nutrients in addition to the ones found before the refining process. Question 5 (3 pts): To fully gain command of their dietary intake, consumers should know how to read food labels. Many find reading food labels very confusing. Why do you personally believe that consumers find food labels hard to read? Describe how you, if you were an RD, would educate your client on reading a food label. What do you think would be your priority point of education for your client? Question 6 (5 pts): As noted in your readings, describing a vegetarian diet is somewhat like describing a typical American diet; there are many varieties. Please describe the types of vegetarian diets one might come into contact with and provide a short synopsis on the food plan that would be followed. Question 7 (3 pts): Discuss the rationale why consumers/clients select to pursue a vegetarian dietary plan as well as the health benefits of following a vegetarian diet. Question 8 (3 pts): Discuss nutrients that an RD should be careful to assess for and discuss with a client pursuing a vegetarian program to ensure that their dietary plan allows for sufficient quantities of that nutrient.

Big Skinny Online Marketing Development

Big Skinny Online Marketing Development Big Skinny Case Analysis Executive Summary In 2010, Big Skinny CEO Kiril Alexandrov was looking to transcend from retail distribution and print advertising to the world of online marketing to achieve maximum growth. The retail sales pitch was an easy one, as Alexandrov focused on the value of the wallet and the impulsiveness of consumers (Benjamin Kominers, 2012). Unfortunately, translating this type of sales pitch was much harder to do in the world of cyberspace. Big Skinny centered their online marketing efforts around display Ads, keyword searches, social media and relationships with online distributors and deep DISCOUNTED sites such as Amazon and Groupon respectively. The expansion caused much hardship, as Big Skinny received negative feedback on the review website Yelp that stemmed from their Groupon experiment. They also faced a glitch in their online promotion that allowed 4,000 people to order free wallets from their online store. Big Skinny needs to refocus their online marketing strategy by getting rid of display Ads, refining keyword searches and severing ties with deep DISCOUNTED sites. Big Skinny can create value for their product and manage their orders better by being more selective with who distributes their product and by keeping the price steady. A more seasonal approach surrounding keyword searches can create new revenue from those who are looking to make quick and impulsive purchases. Lastly, by being responsible for who distributes their products, Big Skinny can deliver their product in prompt and timely manner, which will resolve the majority of customer complaints against Big Skinny. Problem Statement Despite successful in-person sales campaigns, Big Skinny struggled to find an effective online marketing platform that would grow and connect them to their consumer base. Big Skinny also ran into glitches with their current online marketing campaigns that brought unwanted negative attention and resentment towards the company. Data Analysis When Big Skinny transcended into the world of online marketing, it had to develop a way to attract visitors to the website while attempting to convince these visitors to buy wallets. Since most of their wallets were being sold at trade shows or retail stores that centered on a straight-forward approach regarding impulse and value, the translation of this strategy to the internet proved to be a tall task. Big Skinny looked at various means of advertising such as display ads, algorithmic search, sponsored search, A/B Testing and social media. Display ads offered a two-frame animation; however, the click-through rate of general display ads in 2009 was only .1% (Bejamin Kominers, 2012). Algorithmic searches use algorithms that the search engine deems most relevant to the user’s query. The websites that most resemble the query appear the highest on the search engine’s list. Sponsored searches use keywords that the advertisers specify that they want to target. These are mostly sold on a â€Å"per-click† basis; however the company loses money if the clicks aren’t converted into sales. A/B testing is a marketing technique that shows different advertisements to different users to compare the response rates between the two. Lastly, social media utilizes websites such as Facebook and Twitter to try and create an interactive relationship with consumers. Alternatives Big Skinny could eliminate their means of online distribution and PAID ONLINEmarketing, only utilizing social media and their website to conduct advertising and business transactions. Big Skinny could be more selective in their selection of online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales. Big Skinny could scrap their online marketing plans, with the exception of social media, and reallot their advertising money strictly on deep DISCOUNTED sites like Groupon and Living Social. Big Skinny could focus their efforts on expanding in more brick and mortar retail stores by target marketing towards different demographics. They could use traditional media such as TV and radio to drive these efforts. Key Decision Criteria Increase customer satisfaction and corporate image Increase sales and market share Improve (or at least maintain) profitability Ease or speed of implantation Be consistent with corporate mission or strategy Within our present resources or capabilities Within acceptable risk parameters Minimize environmental impact Maintain and build employee morale and pride Alternatives Analysis 1. By limiting their online marketing to free social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, Big Skinny can greatly reduce their marketing costs. With display advertisements only getting clicked through .1% of the time the money is essentially thrown away. Investing in A/B testing requires the hiring of a permanent person and huge overhead. Getting rid of online distributors allows Big Skinny to eliminate the 7-15% commission they pay to Amazon and eBay while being able to manage their order load. Social Media is more than enough because 71% of social media participants say they are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow online. 91% of local searchers say they use Facebook to find local businesses online (Bennett, 2013). The cons of this are that they are missing out on a lot of potential customers by eliminating Amazon and eBay. While ONLINE PAID marketing can be expensive, there is still benefit to sponsored searches. Some of the cost per conversions are profitable and b y completely eliminating these searches would be throwing away potential opportunities. 2. The pros of Big Skinny being more selective with their online distributors allows for a happy customer base. There have been several negative reviews on the Yelp site regarding slow delivery and non-existent customer service. By eliminating deep discounting sites such as Groupon, Big Skinny can manage their order load and keep customers happy. Big Skinny would also keep the revenue from the top paid sponsored searches rather than eliminating them all together. The negatives of this are that Big Skinny could miss out on a lot of revenue by not using Groupon or Living Social. They could also miss out on the repeat customers that are generated by these sites as well as missing out on the people who want to try their product without having to pay full price. 3. Instead of eliminating sites like Groupon and Living Social, Big Skinny could embrace the huge influx of customers that it brings. According to the customer satisfaction and analytics company ForeSee, 91% of customers have already or plan to conduct business with the merchant since buying the deal (Bedigian, 2013). This strategy generates a large influx of customers in a short time while attempting to generate residual income by repeat customers. The cons of this are that company’s often lose money during the initial Groupon. The product is discounted by 50% or more and then Groupon takes a 50% commission on the sale price, which leaves the seller receiving only 25% of the original selling price of the item (which in some cases is less than the cost of the item). Forbes has found that 1/3rd of businesses have lost money on a Groupon deal and there is no guarantee that the customers ever return to pay full price from the merchant again (Gleeson, 2012). 4. The pros of using a more traditional advertising medium such as TV or radio would bring brand recognition for Big Skinny. Big Skinny has always had success selling in retail stores because they market their products based on value and impulse. By putting the product in more retail stores, there is a greater chance people will put it in their hands and buy on impulse. Instead of targeting just one big audience, Big Skinny should advertise by target market such as Big Skinny Sport or Big Skinny Women. By doing this they could partner with big retail chains to get into more stores and generate more revenue the old fashioned way. The average time an American spends watching TV is 5 hours compared to just 1 hour browsing the internet, which leads for greater exposure. The cons of doing this are that TV advertising is much more expensive than online marketing (Nielsen, 1997). Another con is Tivo allows people to record their favorite shows and then fast-forward past the commercials. The last con is that TV advertising seems to be a thing of the past, as the amount spent on TV advertising was only up 4.5% in 2011 as compared to 21.7% via online marketing (Gleeson, 2012). Recommendations Based on the data, it is best for Big Skinny to be more selective of their online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales. In regards to online distribution, Big Skinny should keep eBay and Amazon, however, should drop deep-discount sites such as Groupon or Living Social. To offer a Groupon deal, Big Skinny is guaranteed to be taking a loss. To be eligible to offer a Groupon, Big Skinny must discount the price of their wallet by at least 50%. This turns a $20 wallet into a $10 wallet. Groupon takes a commission of 50% on the sale price, which leaves Big Skinny walking away with only $5 for every wallet sold (Bice, 2012). Essentially, they are taking a loss with every wallet they sell on Groupon. The goal of a Groupon is to try and get repeat customers; however, the people that use Groupon are bargain-hunters. They won’t return to Big Skinny, but rather, they will return to Groupon again looking for another bargain deal. By usi ng Groupon, Big Skinny also decreases the value of their brand (Gibbard, 2011). Why would a customer pay full price for a $40 wallet when they just bought it on Groupon for $15 or $20 just a short time ago? In addition to dropping Groupon, Big Skinny needs to manage their online distribution better because of customer satisfaction issues. On the review site Yelp, Big Skinny’s wallets are only receiving a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. A lot of the reviews include gripes about not receiving their order for 3-4 weeks or non-existent customer service (most of the negative reviews are from users who bought a Big Skinny wallet on Groupon). If the online distributor doesn’t ship your product in a timely manner, your company risks a tarnished reputation. Whether Big Skinny didn’t have enough stock to fulfill orders or whether Groupon didn’t ship the products in a timely manner, Big Skinny is taking the fall and abuse from customers. When people do research for a product they are going to see Big Skinny’s products with poor ratings. These poor ratings can scare potential customers away. Big Skinny should only use Amazon, eBay and their website to sell their wallets. This allows them to manage their inventory, not get behind on orders and make sure their product gets shipped in a timely manner . Big Skinny has excellent Amazon ratings and should continue to grow their product through the sterling reputation of Amazon. They should sell the product for a higher price on their website so that people are encouraged to buy through Amazon. This is a win-win for Big Skinny because if people buy through Amazon then Big Skinny doesn’t have to waste time and effort fulfilling and shipping orders. If they choose to buy direct than Big Skinny receives a larger profit on their wallets. Lastly, Big Skinny needs to tailor their sponsored keyword searches. They need to eliminate the term â€Å"leather wallet.† They don’t manufacture a true leather wallet and the cost per conversion for this keyword is a sky-high $20.26. Big Skinny should also bid less for the term â€Å"thinnest wallet.† The cost per conversion for â€Å"thinnest wallet† also has a high cost, which is $10.53. After replacing leather wallet and lowering the bid for thinnest wallet, Big Skinny should add keywords centered on holidays. Wallets are popular gifts on occasions such as Father’s Day and Christmas. Big Skinny should add season keywords such as â€Å"Father’s Day Wallet,† â€Å"Wallet for Dad,† â€Å"Best Wallet for Gift† and â€Å"Wallet for Christmas.† This will bring seasonal shoppers into the mix who are looking to spend quickly and impulsively. Action and Implementation Plan CEO Kiril Alexandrov will be responsible for delegating the following tasks. The Director of Marketing will pull any promotions or future plans with deep discounted sites such as Groupon or Living Social. The Director of Marketing in combination with the Director of Product Management will reach out to all of those who left negative reviews on Yelp to satisfy the customer complaints and retract the negative ratings. The Director of Sales will carefully select the online distribution channels which Big Skinny will sell through. Big Skinny will only sell through Amazon, eBay and any online outlets of the retail stores that they are currently featured in. The Director of Sales will also raise the prices of wallets on the Big Skinny Website by 10-15% to create value for the product and promote customers to purchase through the select online distribution. Doing this saves Big Skinny the time it would take to fulfill and pack orders, however, if a customer decides to purchase direct, then Big Skinny recoups the 10-15% it would pay Amazon or eBay to sell and fulfill the order. This new price point will be conveyed in a message from the Director of Sales to Big Skinny’s distribution channel. References Bedigian, L. (2013). Does Groupon Help Businesses Thrive or Bury Them Alive?. In NASDAQ. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.nasdaq.com/article/does-groupon-help-businesses-thrive-or-bury-them-alive-cm243672 Bennett, S. (2013). 6 Amazing Social Media Statistics For Brands and Businesses. In Media Bistro. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social- media-facts_b40978 Bice, B. (2012). Groupon Isn’t a Good Deal for Businesses. In CNBC. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.cnbc.com/id/49092709 Donnelly, T. (2011). How Groupon Can Boost Your Companys Exposure. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved June 14, 2013, from http://www.inc.com/guides/201101/how-groupon- works-for-small-businesses.html Edelman, Benjamin, and Scott Duke Kominers. Online Marketing at Big Skinny. Harvard Business School Case 911-033, February 2012. (Revised from original February 2011 version) Gibbard, J. (2011). Considering Offering a Groupon? Read This First. In Social Media Today. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://socialmediatoday.com/jgibbard/337550/considering-offering-groupon-read-first Gleeson, B. (2012). TV Advertising VS Digital Marketing. Forbes. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2012/11/20/tv-advertising-vs-digital- marketing Nielsen, J. (1997). Why Advertising Doesnt Work on the Web. In Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from http://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-advertising- doesnt-work-on-the-web

Impact of Carbon Fees on Mobility of Passengers

Impact of Carbon Fees on Mobility of Passengers Changes in the mobility pattern of air passengers due to the introduction of a CARBON FEE Other titles Estimating air travel demand under the implementation of an emission trading scheme Passenger air travel demand and carbon emission fee impact assessment The effect of environmental policies on consumer’s preferences for air travel How could environmental policies change air travel pattern in US? GMM estimation of a supply-and-demand model for air travel and the effects of the introduction of a carbon fee (for the journal) Incorporating a carbon trading scheme in supply-and-demand model for air travel Titlos TRB: AIR TRAVEL DEMAND IN U.S.: THE EFFECTS OF A CARBON EMISSIONS FEE Ioanna Pagoni Voula Psaraki-Kalouptsidi Aviation environmental policies aim to mitigate emissions generated from air transportation through the use of policy tools. These may include Regulatory Measures, such as aircraft emissions/noise certification standards, Technology/Operational Measures, such as improvements in engine and aircraft technology and Market-based Measures which include emissions trading, emissions charges and taxes and emissions offsetting. A wide range of market-based measures are currently implemented in aviation sector. Within these measures, a price is set on the â€Å"non-priced† emissions in order to account for the negative environmental externality of aviation. The scope is to create incentives for aviation stakeholders to implement fuel-efficient techniques to reduce aircraft emissions. The result is an extra cost to the airlines which may in-turn be reflected in the ticket price in case the airlines decide to pass-through this cost to the passengers. The most known market-based measure for aviation is the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) which was launched in 2012 and initially planned to cover every flight landing in or departing from the EU, regardless of where the operator is incorporated. After serious international opposition, mainly by American and Canadian airlines, and in expectation of a global market-based mechanism, EU proposed that only emissions from the proportion of the flight within EU territory are to be charged until 2016. In this context, several U.S. and Canadian airlines have already taken action. Delta, Air Canada and United have introduced a voluntary carbon offsetting program, where the passengers can offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from their travel by making charitable contributions to several environmental projects, such as forest conservation and renewable energy. Based on the United’s on-line carbon calculator, a passenger travelling from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) would pay a carbon offset cost of $12.59 to support forest conservation in California. Furthermore, major U.S. airlines, including Delta, United and American Airlines introduced a $3 surcharge per passenger for European flights so as to cope with the EU-ETS. Motivated by these actions, this paper identifies room to research the implementation of a carbon fee on U.S. airlines. Such a policy may influence many aspects of the aviation system, including ticket prices and demand. Various studies have examined the impact of environmental policies on air travel. However, most of these studies use price elasticities of demand based on previous studies. This paper contributes to the existing literature by incorporating the carbon emissions’ cost into a structural model with a discrete choice modeling for consumers’ demand and an airline supply side to investigate the impacts on airlines’ market share and their competition strategies after the introduction of a carbon fee in United States. Airlines offer differentiated products (airline-route specific) in each market (O-D city pairs) and the passengers choose to â€Å"buy† one product or take the outside option of not â€Å"buying† (not flying). In each market, p rices and product shares are determined in Bertrand-Nash equilibrium. The carbon fee is then included in the model as it is believed that it will affect costs, prices and demand. Demand specification plays a critical role when examining policy measures. We estimate a two-level Nested Logit (NL) model for air travel demand using aggregate Origin-Destination data. We incorporate a NL model, instead of a multinomial logit (MNL) in order to capture correlations among airline products and differentiate them from other travel modes (rail, car etc). This feature helps overcome the limitation of the Independence from Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) property of MNL that may lead to incorrect elasticities and choice probabilities. For the supply side, we establish the airline’s profit function which is equal to the airline’s revenues from ticket sales minus the airline’s costs. We assume that airlines conduct differentiated Nash competition to determine ticket prices. It is noted that after the implementation of the carbon fee, the airline’s costs include the â€Å"carbon cost† which depends on the unit carbon price (per tn CO2) and the amount of emitted CO2. Overall the model is solved in two â€Å"steps†: first, we estimate the model to find the determinants of traveler’s and airline’s behavior. Several variables were included in the demand (such as ticket price, frequency, delays, airline dummies etc ) and cost equations (such as distance, number of connections etc). Other variables that have not been examined by previous papers are also included in the model and are found to be statistically significant. The model is jointly estimated by the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to correct for bias caused by the endogenous variables of ticket price and market shares. Next, we modify the airline’s costs by introducing the carbon cost and simulate changes in the equilibrium behavior of players. To estimate the model we use publicly available data provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation. A variety of databases are merged to construct our sample for estimation: the Airline Origin and Destination Survey (DB1B), the T-100 Domestic Segment for U.S. Carriers and the On-Time Performance database. The analysis is conducted on market level (Origin-Destination city pairs) where routes provided by different airlines (unique combination of Origin-Connecting-Destination airports and airline) compete with each other. One important part of this work is the computation of CO2 emissions. The computation is done flight-by-flight using fuel burn data from ICAO Engine Exhaust Emissions Databank and EUROCONTROL’s Base of Aircraft Data. The results are presented for different markets so as to identify the impact of the various degrees of competitiveness in the marketplace (monopoly, oligopoly etc) on the examined carbon policy. The results indicate that price adjustment is a reactive measure as it is intended to eliminate the impact of the carbon fee on airline costs. Across different markets, the effects vary, depending on the size and number of firms serving the market and the prevailing ticket prices. It is also found that the implementation of a carbon fee will be effective only if the market carbon price reaches a sufficiently high level to create incentives for airlines to invest in abatement measures and thus reduce carbon emissions. Keywords: discrete choice, nested logit, generalized method of moments, carbon fee, Nash equilibrium

It’s Time to Eliminate Online Pornographic Magazines :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

It’s Time to Eliminate Online Pornographic Magazines Dating back to the 1700's, magazines have taken on many forms in which we know and read today. Magazines started to develop in the early 1700's at the same time as newspapers. Few magazines of that time were popular or long-lived. They covered weekly events, politics, and art. During that time magazines were read by the educated elite, and in the 1800's magazines were published for the general public and general interest. Over the years, magazines have evolved to what they are today. Today, there are many forms and kinds of magazines such as digests, newsmagazines, and pictorial magazines. Our world today is predominately run by the Internet and the "Information Superhighway" as we have come to know it. Recent developments suggest that new media may actually be the salvation of old media such as print versions of magazines, books, and newspapers. Online newspapers, webzines, and e-books could preserve and extend the print culture as well as make way for technological advancements. Magazines have developed a strong online presence by reproducing the print version, thus creating both analog and digital form of the same issue. The Internet is a global "network of networks." It is not governed by any entity, thus leave no limits or checks on the kind of information that is maintained by and accessible to Internet users. The Internet also provides us with a wide array of information in all areas. People use the Internet for educational purposes as well as entertainment. When searching the Internet using a search engine, you can access any website imaginable that deals with your topic or has some relevance to what you are searching for. The Internet is a learning tool that has been implemented into all learning institutions as well as homes. Children everyday are accessing sites on the Internet. Many people sit and "surf" the Internet for hours on end each day. Child Pornography and children accessing pornography over the Internet is a big problem facing America today and online magazines enhance this problem. It is extremely important that students today learn how to use the Internet and explore the many educational opportunities it provides. The Internet is turning both adults and children into innocent consumers of pornography. Porn sites routinely use keywords so that safe searches result in X-rated hits. Visitors of non-sexual sites are redirected to porn addresses or have explicit "pop-ups" that are placed on their screens.

Intervention Essay -- essays research papers

This intervention has to deal with trying to increase my total weight and number of repetitions for weight lifting. The main problem I have been having, mostly with my bench press, has to do with being stuck at one weight at times and not being able to increase the maximum lift or get any more reps out of the workout. I have tried to "shock my system" by increasing the weights to a weight that I could only do one or two times. I have also tried building up my endurance through using less weight for more reps at times. No matter which I have tried, I always seem to get stuck at one point or another. The reason that I chose this form of intervention was because I have tried to talk to many people about why this occurs, but they all seem to agree that it happens to everyone and there is no way to get around it. If I could find a way to avoid this, it would improve my workout a great deal and I would be able to progress at a quicker rate. Besides with the bench, I will occasionally run into problems with any of the power exercises that I do. The military press, front and back, and 21's cause the most problems next to the bench presses. Since separating both shoulders in a skiing accident, I tend to have pains in my shoulders if I work them too hard. Hopefully, by using imagery and setting some short-term goals I would be able to increase the weight much easier than without. I believe that when I visually see the weights on the bar, intimidation may set in and there may be some doubt. If I am able to switch that to positive thought, it may effect how well I am able to lift the desired weight. Besides these exercises, I also chose to track the progress of my push up counts based on sets of three and two other forms of curls. On the bench that I used, I used a bar for one form of curls and I also used the bench curl attachment. I tracked these two not because I was having trouble, but because I wanted to see if either one made a difference in the type of progress that was being made. Subject Age: 22 Gender: Male Major: Sports Management History of Concerns: I discovered this problem when I first began to train in high school. Once I began I made quick and effective progress, but fell into a sort of "slump" for a few weeks on my bench press when I could... ...time of lift, the order of the exercises, type of music, and other factors, lifts on one day vary from those on another. If I were to have recorded these factors at the times of the workouts, there could have been a more accurate conclusion. The weight did increase overall, but that could be just do to the fact that I kept a steady workout regimen and I was able to produce more effectively. That happens regardless of the situations. Most articles believe that imagery and setting goals have a strong impact on the final results. I am not convinced, but I feel that with more research and more accurate record keeping, the relationship could be discovered. Work Cited 1. Schlosberg, Suzanne, "Let's Get Visual", Men's Fitness, August 1998, vol. 14, p. 1-2. 2. www.sover.net/~timw.mental.htm (Strength and Conditioning Coach, Sport Nutrition Consultant, Houston, TX) 3. Buchanan, Dale, "Setting Goals for Fast Results", Lift for Life, September 1, 2000, p.90 4. Lester, Scott, "Weighing the Options", Recreation Resources, November, 1999, p. 17-21

MP3s and the Music Industry :: mp3 digital music

MP3's and the Music Industry The Internet is now being used in many exciting and interesting ways. The music industry, however, has come to feel that it may be being abused. There are countless web sites offering information on how to obtain contemporary music, with and without permission from the creators. Using a fairly expensive recording device, such as Diamond Multimedia's Rio portable MP3 music player, consumers are supposedly able to download unauthorized music placed on MP3 sites. There are two distinct sides to the mp3 issue. A cyberspace tug-of-war is taking place between the rights of MP3 consumers and those of musicians and record companies that desire to control any and all consumption of their product, the music. Internet piracy is being combated by groups such as the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The rights of music consumers are being championed by many groups, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and supporters of such web sites as mp3.com. While there are a number of legal and authorized pieces of music that may be downloaded by Internet consumers, there are just as many offerings that can be considered to be "bootleg" or illegal, and are placed on the Internet by "pirates." This infringement on the rights of creators to control the reproduction and distribution of their product has incensed and angered many different groups. Their fight to retain control has resulted in a counter-argument in favor of online freedom and of expression and a battle to preserve civil liberties. Internet piracy has been a source of much controversy as it has grown and become the new medium of communication in our generation. The Internet connects so many people with so many products and, as in all industry, not all these people and products are fair and honest. The same is true in the world of the online music industry. Some artists champion the public's right to hear and record their music in an "industry-free" atmosphere. Others fear that their art is being exploited and their rights denied. In October 1999 the IFPI announced its efforts "aimed at ridding the Internet of large amounts of pirate content and paving the way for artists and record companies to deliver music electronically and legally across the world" (IFPI, 1999). The recording industry is collaborating to try and fight this exploitation. The "IFPI estimates there are some 1 million illegal music files posted on the Internet at any given time" (IFPI, 1999).

Genome Patterns of Common DNA Variations in Three Human Populations

The article â€Å"Whole-Genome Patterns of Common DNA Variations in Three Human Populations† provides detailed and examination of core individual differences in DNA sequences. The authors pay attention to genetic basis of human variability stressing that it is variability that identify differences in DNA sequences. The article touches the following issues: a dense SNP map; common SNPs in three populations; natural selection between populations; structure of common populations; LD and functional elements, etc.Further, the interesting moment is analyzing the impact of genetic variations on human health. They conducted their examination in more than 70 ancestries in Asian, American and African countries. The researchers revealed that linkage disequilibrium is the main reason of genetic variations. It means that functional genomic elements are correlated with particular regions of linkage imbalance. Then the authors proceed to identifying the role of common genome variations and t heir impact of human traits, ancestries and populations.71 unrelated individual were chosen for investigation: 23 African Americans, 24 Europeans and 24 Asians. The metrics were scored: call rate, observed genotype clusters, and consistency with Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. Actually, these tests are considered very effective because they ensure quality control. During investigation, researchers revealed more than 112 million individual genotypes, whereas the missing data accounts only 5%. Most of SNPs are found to be high-quality genotypes with polymorphic structure.Further, 94% of African Americans’ SNPs have two alleles, whereas only 84% of Europeans and Americans’ SNPs have two alleles. After reading the paper, two questions appear on the agenda: 1. What methods are the most effecting in analyzing phenotypic differences and DNA variations? 2. What are particular effects of genome variations on human psyche? References Hinds D. , Stuve L. , Nilsen G. B. , Halperi, E. , Eskin E. , Ballinger D. , Frazer K. , & Cox, D. (2005, February 18). Whole-Genome Patterns of Common DNA Variations in Three Human Populations. Science, 307, 1072-1079.

Drug Is Dangerous to the Society Essay

Drug abuse is a matter of concern because at this time many teens and youth succumbed to drugs. Once they are falling very difficult to stop from it. This is because the drug makes a person feel invoiced. When are addicted, often drug addicts will feel desperate to get back with whatever way they could. They can not stand to bear the punishment invoiced. This is what causes penaqgih difficult to stop drug addiction. However, strong determination and high resilience and spirit of repentance for the encouragement and support of family members to help them get back to the basics. Drug abuse adversely affects not only the individuals themselves but also to their families, communities, nations and countries. The youth is an important asset in a country. The youth as a catalyst to the country’s future development. Youth today face challenges that require quality equipment themselves. It does not give any benefits but also contributes to the monetary losses, moral decadence and so on. It also makes one tempted to engage in activities that are prohibited by religion, such as theft, murder and so on. Friends much it influences the behavioral development of children growing teenagers. Typically, they are easily influenced by the suggestions of friends that leads to destruction, but they do not listen to the advice of parents, school truancy and many more they do that may be harmful to them. Early prevention in order for an individual that does not succumb to the drug is the role of parents through the process of socialization preformance educating and nurturing their children with the values and teachings of religion With the perfect upbringing informally will avoid them from falling from substance abuse. In schools, teachers will be instrumental in giving teachings and guidance to students so that they will not succumb to the drug so that they understand the dangers of drugs, according to their thinking is more mature and can be educated through subjects such as in the eye civics. With this not only encourage them to follow even indirectly will learn and understand about drug abuse. The government, especially the Narcotics Control Bureau, the police and customs authorities will monitor and observe to check carefully through land and sea. The headman and village heads must be careful to monitor the safety of a particular village houses are empty. This is because houses are always a hive of drugs. The cooperation of the village chiefs and villagers will allow Arrangements are eradicate the problem of drugs in their area. If there is anything suspicious, let us join hands together to investigate and report to the authorities, if there are people who are drug addicts. With the availability of these measures, the authority to act and include drug addicts to rehabilitation centers, the earlier the treatment the greater are their hopes to recover and return to the beginning. In addition as a result of drug abuse or drug dealer is liable to punishment such as law to death. In conclusion, we have determined with a renewed determination to fight drugs. Drugs will we bury me and triggered an atmosphere of zero drug. Let us all drugs eliminate the â€Å"destruction† of society continue to be present in Malaysia. We had no choice but just a slogan at heart and in mind at all times that â€Å"All-Out War Against Drugs†.

Managing Technology Essay

Q1. a. Explain briefly about Managing technology. Answer – Managing technology involves concepts like new venture, innovation, and research and R&D infrastructure. We can say that technology is the useful tool which controls the environment and also acts as an instrument which converts the natural resources in to useful goods. This is the main factor which affects the growth of an organization. & that’s why managing technology is essential for any organization. Some issues related to the Managing technologies described below * Technology and long-term cycles: There are some economists who argue that technology affects growth and recession in the world economy. The infrastructure is useful for maturation of the technologies. When the downturn starts to come up again then organizations has to invest the capital equipment that is based on the new technologies. * Technology and comparative advantage: At the national level, the firms will have more value when it has both the comparative advantage and also the technological lead. All the other companies from the world look for your organization. There are some of the emerging technologies that have to be dealt when you are discussing about managing technology. The emerging technologies are the new technologies that are sometime considered critical for humanity’s future. b. Explain any two alternatives for acquiring new technologies. We are presently living in the competitive world. The organizations have to use the advanced technologies to remain in competitive market of today, for long. The technology managers have less time, fewer resources and more problems for the implementation of the technology. There are many alternatives for acquiring the internal and external technologies. Some of these mentioned are the best * Develop technology in-house: This involves development of the technology within the house. In this, the company has to make an estimate of the financial costs that are associated with the Research and Development (R&D) and the cost of the opportunities that are associated with R&D. This also assesses the suitability of the employees for the new project * Enter into joint ventures: We know that many of the companies share the costs of the new technology; in the same way, the benefits are also shared. The membership of the research gets more attraction when the risks are high and the costs are heavy. There will be existence of very good relationship between the key supplier and the major customer. Q2. a. Explain in brief about the six phases in technology forecasting process. Answer- According to our working definitions, the main function of the technology is â€Å"to lead the decision making process towards profitable solutions with minimum uncertainties† Six phases of technology forecasting are * Identification of needs: After identifying the expected outputs and the objectives of the future, a thorough analysis is done in order to make sure the relevance of technology forecasting. * Prepare project: In this phase, the forecasting activities that are planned and resources are allocated. The roles of each human resource are carefully prepared and explained.. * Define objectives: This phase once again goes through the objectives that are defined in the first and second phases. This phase decides the dimensions of the forecast. * Perform analysis and develop Technology Forecast (TF): This is the central part of the present research. In this phase, we start with defining the boundaries of the technological system that has to be forecasted. * Validate results: in these steps forecasting process is to validate results. This includes the customer satisfaction with the results of TF. * Application of TF: The last phase in the technological forecast is the application of TF ·. This depends mainly on the needs and the formulated objectives. b. What are the benefits of technology absorption? The benefits that we get from technology absorption exercises, as evidenced by Government and industry experiences are * Repeated collaborations for the same product/ process are avoided. * Acquisition of further technologies becomes selective. * Ability is developed to unpackaged the technology * Savings can be affected in foreign exchange due to use of indigenous alternatives. * Effective utilization is made of available indigenous research expertise and facilities to achieve the desired results * Know-why and technology up gradation capabilities are built-up * Technically competent groups of scientists and engineers trained in technology absorption get matured and strengthened * The base for technological self-reliance is enhanced. We gain the benefits of technology diffusion, ranging from R&D services to the larger sales. * Industry should attempt to obtain best available technology closest to international trends and provide R&D at the stage of project planning. * Speedy indigenization of raw materials and components * Efforts for unpack aging and indigenization of tailor-made equipment in the acquired technology * Enhancing exports of products based on absorbed and upgraded technology. * use of national and international research facilities and expertise * Involving users, suppliers of components and materials, research organizations in undertaking absorption exercises. Q3. Explain in brief about the innovation management. Answer- We can define ‘innovation management’ as the systematic processes that help the organizations in developing new and improved products, services and business processes. This involves the use of creative ideas of an organization employee that brings new innovations to the market place, quickly and efficiently. In business, innovation should not be only limited to the big ground breaking ideas, creative workshops and product based companies. Innovation is often small, incremental changes to products, services and processes. The innovation involves all the managers from different departments. This needs to be planned and managed as a core business covering all parts of a business. This needs to be integrated at the strategic and operational levels. The activities of the innovation need to be driven by the strategy and current business imperatives. The successful innovation culture consists of all the aspects of a business, and these aspects have to be managed effectively and efficiently like any other core business. Innovation can be built into business, at three levels. The three levels are the annual business planning process, quarterly innovation and day-to-day activities. Innovation is managed through some sort of platform or application. There are two types of innovation tools that are, an electronic suggestion scheme, and a management system controlling the innovation process. The management of the innovation system needs to be given to the senior management to control the overall system of innovation. The best practices and tools are applied consistently and appropriately across the organization. Any platform should encourage for the learning activity as a core feature. Installing the innovation culture in any of the company has leaders and teams with ability and commitment. In order to create culture of continuous innovation, the organization requires leadership and commitment from the senior management team. The management team also sees that some staff members in the organization are rewarded for the innovative ideas they put in. The senior management needs to encourage the innovative ideas from the staff. Q4. Explain the implementation of new technology. Answer- Sound planning is essential for the success of any technology’s implementation. The failures that are likely to arise during the implementation process may be due to the poor planning or inadequate resources. Valuing the conflicts will facilitate the organization to keep away from these problems, and for the management, to anticipate the likely trouble spots and ease it accordingly. There are a number of less-substantial activities, which are critical and people those are involved must: 1.Have an understanding of the organization predominantly, in terms of its traditions and principles are essential. 2.The underlying principle of any new system implementation should be able to provide all the better services to all concerned through it. 3. This information has to be conversed to all concerned parties.4.A complete review of every business processes and, where required, academic practice, and developing and introducing new policies before tuning the system to meet the decided requirements should be undertaken. 5. The complete approval of the difficulty and flexibility of the system should be determined. 6. The inbuilt dangers of customization of any software should be understood. 7. A thorough system test procedures should be conducted, while accepting the likely need for software malfunction and improvements. 8. The training and development to be conducted for the internal staff should be planned in advance.9.The users must be trained, to use the system. Planning and implementation: A thorough plan with efficient management is necessary for success, and to work against the fear of high costs, extended time, losing key persons and common disappointment with the result Considerations for implementation  · Be aggressive: An important consideration when implementing a new technology is to be aggressive to set up a strong competitive edge  · Be cautious: If the new chosen technology provides revenue to your business, then it is necessary to be careful while making any major modifications in the new technology.  · Be quick: It is important for you to be quick enough to implement the small changes to your chosen technology and to supervise their impact.  · Be slow: If major changes affect your business, it is vital to make the implementation changes slowly.  · Be safe: During the implementation of a new technology, the better time to address the potential security needs is at the time of design and development. It is better to employ a security expert who will take care of the privacy of the organization. Q5. Briefly describe technological development options and strategies Answer- A country’s technology development strategy is determined by identifying the technological needs with potential technological developments in the world and a thorough assessment of available and emerging technologies. Then, the country determines a strategy to import technologies which can be produced locally. Now, there is a universal realization that unless a concerted attempt is made to build local technological capabilities for absorbing imported technologies, any attempt to develop indigenous technologies encounters enormous difficulties. Even with regard to imported technology, it is essential for a country to be able to select, digest, adapt and improve it for local consumption. All of these efforts justify greater priority and allocation of resources to R&D. A requirement for efficient utilization of R&D resources is the development of technological infrastructure within the country, including institution building, manpower development, and provision of support facilities and creation of a modern environment Whether or not an organization would generate or develop its own technology and with what intensity it would follow, the efforts in this respect would depend upon technology strategy it has planned or adopted. Though the term strategy is commonly used as an antonym of tactics it actually implies long-term, purposeful and interconnected efforts. Technology Strategy† may accordingly be defined as a strategy to deal with the technology and related issues at macro and micro levels, with respect to set objectives. Let us have a quick overview of types of technology strategies Macro-level strategy- At macro level, each country outlines and adopts a technology strategy to achieve its political, economic and social objectives and translates the same into action through appropriate policies and mechanisms. Micro-level strategy-The extraordinary range and potential uses of contemporary technology have important consequences for industrial and commercial firms. The industrial and organizational disorder produced by technological change, and increased international competitive pressures provide threats and opportunities for firms. An effective strategic approach to technology allows firms to cope better with these changes, and reduces the threats and insecurities facing them and their employees. The basic role of technology strategy in business planning is to help ask the questions like: what business the corporation plans to be in and how it should be positioned? Effective planning identifies the present decisions required to create desirable and competitive corporate futures. In particular, technology strategy must anticipate the transient impact of technological innovation on the future competencies of the corporation. Q6. Explain Technology Development Answer- Though, broadly speaking, the D · of R&D covers Technology Development the latter has much wider implication. Process- The various stages of technology development process or life cycle is starting from the generation of ideas in the R&D department. We may observe that this process is tedious and requires top management commitment and support from outside. Risk factor is large and the success rate depends upon the quality of inputs provided to the R&D department. Technology Development Approaches The approaches of technology development- * In-house R&D: Technology development activities are generally carried out through setting up of separate in-house R&D units within the business, managed and headed by a well-qualified and experienced chief, directly reporting to the top management. However, this unit has close interactions with other departments within the company and there could even be exchange of personnel among different departments. * Co-operative R&D: A group of companies in a particular industrial sector promotes an R&D centre as a society or a non-profit making company. The R&D is funded by the participating companies and the government. This R&D centre undertakes R&D as per the requirements of the companies in their larger interest, and sets up expertise and facilities of common nature and which are usually expensive. * Contract research: A company may contract components of technology development to suitable R&D organizations, academic institutions, or consultants or experts. The in-house R&D unit may coordinate the progress of the activities, to develop the desired technologies. This approach usually requires considerable internal technological and managerial capabilities coupled with strong Science and Technology (S&T) information base. * R&D collaboration: A company may collaborate with another company in areas of common interest, if costs of development are high. Such inter-firm collaborative R&D efforts are becoming common in developed countries mainly due to high costs and shorter technology life cycles. It is found in areas such as micro-electronics, materials, and information technologies. * Research societies: Large corporations or industrial houses may set up independent research societies, in addition to their in-house R&D units. Such societies may undertake R&D activities mostly relating to the broad interests of the promoting companies in line with the national interests. Research companies: Large firms of technology innovative industrialists may support research companies, specifically for conducting research and development of technologies for others on commercial basis. The development costs and reasonable profits are recovered from the sale and transfer of technologies.

Niki Caro’s Whale Rider †An analysis in relation to journeys Essay

The inner journey is one which involves the hurdling of psychological barriers, as well as cultural and social obstacles, rather than just a physical trek. The novel Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe and the film Whale Rider (2002) by Niki Caro both address the overcoming of emotional boundaries, while following the progress of the main characters. Issues such as cultural differences and gender equality are presented by the composers through the clever use of devices appropriate to the medium, while using the post-colonial context to accentuate these issues. Similar to Things Fall Apart, the film Whale Rider by Niki Caro explores the breakdown of Maori culture in post-colonial New Zealand. It follows the journeys of Pai, a young girl, and Koro, her grandfather, who both seek to uphold and preserve the Maori tradition, which has been negatively influenced by the European culture. During the film, Pai transforms from an unwanted child to the new village leader, while challenging the Maori customs through her curiosity, for example when she learns the sacred art of the taiaha. Koro, who disapproves of her actions, smashes a cup in his anger. Koro’s wife, Flowers, reprimands him, saying, â€Å"You might be the boss out there, but I’m the boss in this kitchen†. Caro is addressing the gender barrier which exists in the Maori culture, an obstacle which Pai overcomes in her journey. Despite being reprimanded by Koro, Pai still retains great love for him, as seen in her speech on her ancestors, where she dedicates her words to Koro. The initial long shot places emphasis on Pai, while the camera is positioned at a low-angle, suggesting that she has gained authority and leadership. This scene symbolises one of the many emotional hurdles she has had to overcome in her inner journey. Moreover, her catharsis can be related to Okonkwo’s moments of compassion, thus highlighting the similarity between their journeys. Similar to Okonkwo, Koro progresses on a journey, beginning at the height of power, with Caro using several symbols to signify this, such as the whale tooth. The use of sombre music and close-up shots of Koro in the scene where he loses the tooth emphasises his sorrow. In the following scene, Caro  employs dark lighting to highlight Koro’s melancholy, while he strokes the staff, symbolising that it is his last shred of authority. Pai’s voiceover informs the audience on Koro’s plea for help and indicates a shift in power and authority as Pai begins to assume her role as leader, â€Å"But they weren’t listening, so I tried†. Koro’s discovery of the whales allows him to undergo an epiphany and continue on his journey. Caro has positioned the event during the night, with its dark connotations enhancing the negative atmosphere of the scene. Furthermore, Koro’s staff is washed away, symbolising that he has lost all of his power. Koro later realises the error of his ways and acknowledges Pai as their leader, â€Å"Wise leader, forgive me. I am just a fledgling new to flight†. Koro’s epiphany is thus one of the greatest differences between the two texts, as he is able to surpass the greatest obstacle in his journey and move forward, whereas Okonkwo is unable to change, leading to his death. Works Cited: â€Å"Whale Rider†. Directed by Niki Caro (2003). [Film]†The Whale Rider†. Ihimaera, Witi (2003)

Is commercial surveilliance in the UK effectively monitored and Essay

Is commercial surveilliance in the UK effectively monitored and regulated by the Security Industry Authority - Essay Example he local private security industry including a long list of approving licences to companies such as security guards, vehicle immobilisers, the key holders, private investigators and the security consultants including the licensing of manned guarding which includes cash and valuables in transit, close protection, door supervision, public space Close Circuit Television (CCTV) systems, and security guard. (Security Industry Authority, 2007) According to Sir Digby Jones, the Director-General of the CBI, the â€Å"Security Industry Authority will bring us a better regulated and professional private security services throughout the country as it welcomes the introduction of a new standards in the security industry†. (SIA and CBI, 2005: 2) Based on a recent survey on 500 British companies in 2005, almost 25% never spend money on security devices and 49% did not bother to come up with a contingency plan in case of serious crimes or other related activities that may harm the normal functioning of the business. (Culver, 2005) CCTV Operators came into effect all over England and Wales. (SIA, 2007b) With the new Security Industry Authority vision1, it is possible to reduce the incidence of crime, promote peace and disorder, as well as eliminate the fear caused by criminal acts throughout the United Kingdom. For the purpose of the study, the researcher has stated the research proposal as â€Å"to determine whether the commercial surveillance in UK, particularly the licensing of the heavily promoted of CCTV installations, is really effectively being monitored and strictly regulated by the Security Industry Authority or not† by conducting an intensive up-to-date literature review. Based on the research proposal, the researcher will define a list of specific research questions that are directly or indirectly related to the research proposal. Aside from the literature review, the researcher aims to conduct a separate research proposal by using related survey questionnaires. These

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 24

Case Study Example The type of chemical reaction that was taking place in T2 laboratories reaction chambers was an exothermic reaction. An exothermic reaction is a type of chemical reaction where energy is produced during the reaction (Atkins & Paula, 2001). In a typical reaction, for a product to be formed then energy has to be supplied in order to break the bonds of the reactants, however during the formation of products, energy is released. In case of an exothermic reaction, the energy released during the formation of products is higher than the one needed to break the bonds of the reactants. In connection to this, the excess energy is released in form of heat (Atkins & Paula, 2001). In order to show the change in energy as a reaction progress, most chemists prefer using potential energy diagrams. A potential energy diagram has the y-axis representing the potential energy and the x-axis showing the change in potential energy as shown in figure 1 (Atkins & Paula, 2001). Although, just like any other form of reaction, energy is conserved and the excess energy that is not used up is released to the environment in form of kinetic energy, light or heat as shown in figure 3 (Atkins & Paula, 2001). T2 laboratories manufactured {Methylcyclopentadienyl)-manganese(I)tricarbonyl}, a gasoline additive. The chemical reactions used to produce the product were exothermic in nature. Therefore, it is important that the company knows the maximum amount of energy that can be released by the reactants in order to prevent vessels from bursting. It is important that training activities and materials incorporate all aspects of chemical hazards. In addition, all employees especially those in the processing section should be made aware of the consequences of not following the laid down procedures (EPA, 2005). In regards to T2 laboratories, the owners of T2 laboratories were trained on chemistry and chemical engineering. However, it seems they were not trained on chemical reactivity