Physiology and Medications of the Lumbar Disc Disease

Lumbar Disc Disease, as the name implies, is a disease attacking the lumbar area of the spinal column that is characterized by general pain, weakness, and numbness in any section of the lumbar area—five segments in the lower extremities of the spinal column and the disc connecting them or the intervertebral disc. Lumbar Disc Disease is often used interchangeably with the following associated medical terms— sciatica, lumbosacral radiculopathy (or simply radiculopathy), LBP (Lower Back Pain), (LRS)lumbosacral radicular syndrome, and herniated disc.Technically speaking though LRS or radiculopathy would be descriptive of the more specific leg pain or the sciatica. Physiology of the disease involves the â€Å"rupture†, â€Å"herniated†, or â€Å"bulged† condition of the intervertebral disc caused by disc compression through dehydration in the affected discoid area and accompanied by bulging out of nucleus pulposus and degeneration of the annulus fibrosis . Further disc degeneration can lead to herniated condition whereby the nucleus pulposus ruptures from the outer ring region and effecting weight or press on the sensitive nerves sublocated between disc spaces or the lumbar epidural spaces.Due to the â€Å"weight† or the â€Å"press†, the affected person experiences pain in the aforementioned region. The impingement on the nerve roots or the sinuvertebral nerves caused neurological symptoms in the regions that are supplied by the affected nerves. Disc herniation usually attacks between the fifth and the fourth lumbar bodies (L4-5) and the fifth lumbar body and the immediate sacral region (L5-S1). Size of the disc herniation is irrelevant to the severity of the symptoms of the radiculopathy.Inflammation from the disc hernia may also have resulted from increased activity of the phospholipase A2, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E, leukotriene B4 and thromboxane B2 in the disc region as caused by the hernia initiating nocicept ive and inflammatory responses. Such disease is a common ailment in the elderly or the aging individuals. It occurs on four per cent of the US population with ages from 40 to 60 for both male and female gender.Specific symptoms of the disease are dependent on the lumbar disc press on the specific nerve ends and may include any or a combination of the following: (1) intermittent or continuous back pain, (2) back muscle spasm, (3) sciatica, (4) muscle weakness/numbness in the lower extremities, (5) decreased joint reflexes, and (6) possible bladder malfunction. Symptoms may persist for more than a month. The disease is diagnosed through medical history examination, physical examination, x-ray diffraction, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computed tomography (CT) scanning, Discography, Myelogram and Electrodiagnosis (e.g. Needle electromyography). Neurological and musculoskeletal system’s possible dysfunctions are observed thoroughly to detect sensory or motor deficits. As of r ecent, lumbar disc disease treatment would include conservative therapy (non-operative) — physical therapy (e. g. L5 reflex assessment), stress reduction programs, lumbosacral back support, weight management and medications for alleviating the painful symptoms—and operative therapy or the surgery or removal of the affected lumbar region, otherwise known as lumbar disketomy.In a study for the assessing the efficacy of surgery for lumbar disc disease conducted by Weinstein and colleagues in 2006, it was found out that both operative and non-operative therapy for curing the disease demonstrated substantial improvement in their â€Å"conditions,† however, the authors, did not indicate which therapy is more effective downplaying it to â€Å"statistical insignificance. † Bibliography Herniated Nucleus Pulposus (Slipped Disk) (2006). Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://health. nytimes. com/health/guides/disease/herniated-nucleus-pulposus-slipped-disk/overview . htmlLumbar Disc Disease (Herniated Disc). Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. ohsu. edu/health/health-topics/topic. cfm? id =8838. Malanga, G. (2007) Lumbosacral Radiculopathy. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. emedicine. com/SPORTS/topic66. htm Weinstein, J. et al. (2006). Surgical vs Nonoperative Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation. JAMA,. 2006, 296:2441-2450. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://jama. ama-assn. org/cgi/content/full/296/20/2441 What You Need to Know About Sciatica. (2007) Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. spine-health. com/topics/cd/d_sciatica/sciatica. html

The music they produced together was not necessarily gospel

Great women involved in music who are of minority origin still exist and have existed for a long time in the history of music. One such lady that has had a profound effect in music is Aretha Louise Franklin. She is an African American songwriter, singer and an accomplished soul singer of all times.Although she has been crowned as the ‘Queen of Soul’, her music prowess is not limited to soul but to also other genres such as gospel, rock n’ roll and jazz. Born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, her music career started early in her local church which happened to be her father’s ministering church. At the tender age of 14 years, she recorded her first album as a result of her talent in vocals and playing the piano in the church choir (Artist Bio).Aretha was discovered in church and therefore her early songs were gospels which led her to fuse R&B with soul into gospel music. Her contribution to gospel was most significant with her using her prominence in music to c ollaborate with other musicians that were also prominent in recording various hits and singles. Some of the musicians that she did numbers with included Steve Wonder and Luther Vendross who on their parts were also accomplished musicians.The music they produced together was not necessarily gospel but it was inspirational which acted and still acts as morale booster for people generally. Her love for gospel music can be seen when she renovated old movie theaters in Philadelphia and built churches (New Bethel Baptist church).Franklin career was also adorned with music composition which is a hallmark of talent and achievement in music. Her major composition was in 1967 in the album Timeless which went on to sell million of copies world wide and added a feather to her cap.During the recording of this self composed album, she did the vocals and the piano as well. In her formative years, Franklin was viewed as an icon of black agenda advancement that often used her talent and skills to pr ess for civil rights which she did by performing in political and social gatherings.To make impact in the music industry, saw her switch through different genres of music but finally came back to inspirational cum gospel music from where she had started (Artist Bio).Her most recognizable award is 1987 indictment into Rock and Roll halls of fame as the first woman . This marked her entrance into greatness and a lot was to come including the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom which she was awarded by President Bush.This was due to her lifelong career of inspirational music to the young. Her accolades did not stop there but the next incoming president of the US Barrack Obama invited her to perform during his inauguration ceremony.These two events are enough to show how great this lady was because of the recognition from two presidents who are of different political affiliations but are able to see the greatness in her. Her career is seen as one of giving whereby most of the renowned R & B singers like Whitney Houston regard her as their mentors and she helped shape the landscape for them.Right now Franklin has left the recording label Arista which she had been with for the last twenty three years and has moved to her own company by the name Aretha records.This is the culmination of her lifelong dreams where she hopes to produce music for upcoming talents and also coach them in their vocals ability. It must be noted that in her long illustrious career, she has endeavored to bring together performing artists especially those of minority races by making various recording of songs together.This shows the selflessness in her of seeking to unite people through music which is a powerful tool that fosters a culture of empowering and uniting people.Her other achievement and contribution to music was through films where she participated in various documentaries like immaculate funk and Tom Dowd and the language of music which are about music. These documentaries are inspir ational to young and upcoming artists so to overcome the odds and achieve just like Franklin did although she was from a minority race and a woman for that matter.ConclusionThe life and achievements of Aretha Franklin are simply great despite the many ups and downs that she has faced in life like any normal human being. 18 Grammy Awards is just but the tangible evidence to show how much she has achieved in this industry. Besides composing and singing hit singles and albums, she has been a source of inspiration for many youngsters especially from the African American community where she has her roots.The starting of her recording outfit is a major step towards helping and training upcoming artists in US to realize and live their dreams. Her performance during the inauguration of president Obama remains to be her most honored and treasured moments in her magnificent career.Reference  Ã¢â‚¬ËœArtist Bio.’Aretha Franklin.   March 2009. 16 June. 2009.  

The Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance in Mauritius

Introduction Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of incentive mechanisms, such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return. (Mathiesen, 2002). Another definition is â€Å"Corporate Governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goals and between individual and communal goals. The corporate governance framework is there to encourage the efficient use of resources and equally to require accountability for the stewardship of those resources. The aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individuals, corporations and society† (Sir Adrian Cadbury in ‘Global Corporate Governance Forum', World Bank, 2000). According to La Porta et al. (2000) â€Å"corporate governance is to a certain extent a set of mechanisms through which outside investors protect themselves against expropriation by the insiders†. The problem is to see whether the corporate governance standards adopted by firms in Mauritius are positively, negatively or more affecting the firms’ performance. Research will be made on a sample of firms operating in Mauritius. Literature Review Related searches in other countries It has been argued that as ownership concentration increases, the incentives and the abilities of shareholders to properly monitor managers increase too. This creates beneficial effect for firms in the sense that performance or profitability improves (Morck et al. 1989)). There are studies which find that higher ownership concentration lead to detrimental effects for corporations in the sense that large blockholders and managers can collude to extract rents from small shareholders (Lehman and Weigand (2000)). The study by Demsetz and Villalonga (2001) provides evidence that there is no significant relation between ownership structure and firm performance. Chhaochharia and Grinstein (2007) looked a t the impact of the 2002 governance rules established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on firm value. They found that less compliant firms earn positive abnormal returns compared to more compliant firms. They also found that less compliant large firms earn positive abnormal returns but less compliant small firms earn negative abnormal returns. Bhagat and Bolton (2008) examined the relationship between corporate governance and performance, and found that better corporate governance, board members’ stock ownership, and CEO-Chair separation are positively related to operating performance. They also found that the probability of management turnover is positively related to board members’ stock ownership and board independence when firms perform poorly. Patibandla (2006) examined the ownership structure and firm performance on Indian firms by separating large investors into private foreignin stitutional investors and government-owned local financial institutions. Patibandla found a positive relationship between private foreign institutional investors and firm profitability and a negative relationship between government-owned local financial institutions and firm profitability. Aims & Objectives of Research The aim of this investigation is to make a research on the impact of corporate governance on the performance of firms in Mauritius. The research is going to see the contribution that corporate governance has made on the firms’ financial performance. The research seeks to evaluate the performance of firms in terms of: †¢ Firms’ financial performance †¢ Firms market value The research aim at looking standards which are contributing to high mprovement in firms’ performance and to look also those standards that are contributing to poor performance. The objectives are: †¢ Identify the causes that contribute to high or poor firms’ performance †¢ Measures that can be used to improve the poor performance of firms by comparing their corporate standards adopted by firms experiencing high performance. Research Methodology Sample A sample size of 10 firms is to be selected operating in the private sector of Mauritius. Data The data will be obtained from annual reports for the year 2007 and 2008. Questionnaire A questionnaire will be sent to those firms via letters. The questionnaire will contained defined questions that are relevant to the related research. The questionnaire should be filled by the executives of the respective firms. Methodology Some data will be obtained by looking at secondary data and the other data will be received by letters (Questionnaire). These primary and secondary data will be input in the SPSS software which will analyse and give the result of the analysis of the collected data. Tentative Grant Chat |Activities |9-Sep |9-Oct |9-Nov |9-Dec |10-Jan |10-Feb |10-Mar | Introduction |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Literature review |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Research Methodology |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Analysis of data |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Conclusion |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | References †¢ Bhagat Sanjai, and Brian Bolton, 2008, Corporate governance and firm performance, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 14, pp. 257-273. Chhaochharia Vidhi, and Yaniv Grinstein, 2007, Corporate governance and firm value: The impact of the 2002 governance rules, Journal of Finance, Vol. LXII, No. 4, pp. 1789-1825 †¢ Demsetz, H. and B. Villalonga, 2001, Ownership structure and corporate performance, Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 7, 209-233. †¢ La Porta, Lopez-de-Silannes, Shleifer, Vishny. Investor perfomance and corporate governance. Journal of Financial Economics. 58 (2000). 3-27. †¢ Lehman, E. and J. Weigand, 2000, Does the governed corporation perform better? Governance structures and corporate performance in Germany, European Finance Review,vol. 4, 157-195. †¢ Mathiesen (2002) http://corpgov. net/library/definitions. html †¢ Morck, R. , A. Shleifer and R. Vishny, 1989, Alternative mechanisms of corporate control,American Economic Review, vol. 79, 842-852. †¢ Patibandla Murali, 2006, Equity pattern, corporate governance and performance: A study of India’s corporate sector, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Vol. 59, pp. 29-44. †¢ Sir Adrian Cadbury in ‘Global Corporate Governance Forum', World Bank, 2000

Annotated Bibliography For The Topic Affect Of Fast Food Restaurant

For The Topic Affect Of Fast Food Restaurant - Annotated Bibliography Example Angell, Sonia Y., et al. "Change in trans fatty acid content of fast-food purchases associated with New York City's restaurant regulation: A pre–post study." Annals of internal medicine 157.2 (2012): 81-86. The article evaluates the connection between the consumption of fast food and metabolic syndrome and its components in young people in adolescence stage and children. The article finds out that there is no major connection between fast food consumption and other components of metabolic syndrome. However, fast food consumption can lead to metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia. The article is critical for this research as it explains the effect of fast food restaurants such as abdominal obesity among others. The investigation shows the influence of visual information cues and fat content on the choice of food in fast food restaurants. The study examines the connection between fast-food restaurants that are near schools and obesity students who study in California schools. The study reveals that students' exposure to fast food can affect adolescents regarding eating patterns and weight. The study shows that there is a need for policy intervention to limit the nearness of fast-food restaurants to schools. The article is relevant to this research since it reveals the effect of fast food on the weight of primary and secondary students. The article makes a connection between the consumption of fast food items and their effect on health. It reveals that fast food may lead to negative health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The article is very relevant to the research as it looks at the effect of the various contents of fast food on human beings.

Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Love - Essay Example As a human centered concept, it is not surprising that emotional intelligence has of late become very much associated with managerial success. In most quarters of professional management, the definition of excellent managers have come to have a lot to do with a person’s measure of his or her emotional intelligence. This therefore means that there emotional intelligence has been used as a valuable tool in assessing performance potential and managerial success. The question therefore is whether or not there is any justification in this new trend. Before coming to any substantial conclusion on the validity of the argument, it would just be right to understand into detail what the term emotional intelligence mean and what it stands for. First, Cherry (2012) holds the opinion that emotional intelligence has to do with the â€Å"ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions† This means that the subject of emotional intelligence is a multi-related capacity in which a person finds him or herself in an attempt to deal with emotions. The supposed original propagators of emotional intelligence who are Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer are believed to have documented in their very article on the subject of emotional intelligence that the emotions referred to in the human capability is not just subjective but objective as well. This means that the person at the centre of emotional judgment must be able to handle other people’s emotions as well as his or hers. This point is also shared by Robbins (2010) who advocates th at emotional intelligence is not just about monitoring other people’s emotions but monitoring your own emotional also. So how does the fact that one is able to monitor his or her emotions and that of others play a role in management and why should this be a means of judging managerial competence? Well, by posing this question, the stand is being

Conflict resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflict resolution - Essay Example The subject of conflict resolution is and will always remain vital despite the organizational philosophy adopted for mediating worker-worker relationship (Daniel, 2001). Furthermore, because of increased global competition and attendant demand to increase profitability by reducing the bottom line; it is a fact worth noting that conflict in the modern workplace is more than ever likely to be attributable to both in-fighting over limited resources bases within and between firm units and lessened opportunities for stable employment(Daniel, 2001). In writing about conflict resolution, Daniel discussed about three conflict resolution theories which include: power contests, rights contest and interest reconciliation. In this paper, the main focus will be on interest reconciliation as a way of resolving conflict. In trying to understand ways for resolving conflict, the paper will use the 1926 United Kingdom general strike as an example. Discussion Interest reconciliation, according to Danie l, is one of the best methods for solving either personally or at organizational level. The interest reconciliation theory involves a crucial step of recognizing potential for conflict of interest. In many instances, effective conflict resolution can make a difference between negative and positive outcomes (Daniel, 2001). The following is some viable steps that arise from interest reconciliation as a way of resolving conflict, as lifted from the works of Daniel (2001). This mostly applies to organization or government institutions as the case of 1926 UK conflict. Develop a clear policy on disclosure, so that all the stakeholders know what outside interest must be divulged. This is necessary because sometimes affected parties might have not recognized the conflict or did not reveal it in good time. Distribute this information or policy to each and every that is affected by the conflict either directly or indirectly. This will make the information available to the world at large. Keep the policy proportionate. For example, it may arise that a person who has a conflicting interest should just dislodge himself from a decision-making process or a particular meeting. The next step is to develop a clear policy that will handle the situation by ensuring that a person does not disclose conflicting interest. The 1926 UK general strike was a general strike that lasted nine days. It was a conflict between general council of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the British government. The main area of conflict was the demand by the TUC to force the government to prevent the wage reduction and worsening conditions for 800,000 locked-out coal miners. The workers maintained resistance for a few months before their own economic demands forced them to go back to the mines. On May 1926, the trade union congress announced that the strike was called off after a return to work formula was developed between them and the British government. This was after thorough consultation with the concerned parties and after some interest has been satisfied. As can be noted, the above example is true description of how interest reconciliation can be used to resolve conflicts. Both the TUC and the British government had different interest at first. However, with the emergence of conflict, they were forced to reconcile their

Process Quality Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Process Quality Engineering - Essay Example Process Quality Engineering The expectations and needs of the consumers must be met to acquire the quality status. Quality can be checked through customer satisfaction and statistical analysis. Quality can also be measured through efficiency. Efficiency is examined by evaluating the resources such as land, labor, and machines. A decrease in labor, variation, and warrant costs are an indication good quality in the products. Managers oversee the functioning and processes within the company. They control all components in the company including the workers. Although they control everything within the company, it is not necessarily that they are involved in everything. The managers interact and consider the employees’ suggestions and ideas. When total quality management is implemented well, sales increase and the quality improves because employees are aware of their duties. The five s housekeeping technique is crucial as its values of orderliness and standardization help enhance employees’ productivity and guiding them. Management increases efficiency and quality in everything in a short period. Cleaning improves sanity and safety that reduces accidents within the production process. Self-discipline ensures that employees remain faithful to their duties and improve the image of the company. Improving the standards of the company requires a set of ethics and rules to be established which the employees can follow. Ethics and rules put the management and employees in the same level which eliminates various problems.

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CH 11 - ISMG 3000 - Essay Example But at least, it would not jeopardize the whole credibility and viability of the business on a longer term framework. Besides, by shutting down the system, and trying to rush things into putting back normal operations within 3 or 4 days, the more that IT personnel might increase tendencies to commit mistakes and gravely endanger rushing the system back into full operations within a short time frame. One strongly believes that there is no need to disclose anything in the outside world given that IT personnel has not proven any form of intrusion, in the first place. The implications for making such a pre-emptive public announcement could cause chaos and undue stress to their customers which could actually compromise their corporate image. If eventually proven that no intrusion of any kind was actually encountered, it would be difficult to negate the previous public disclosure or announcement that was made. Barton still has a job since his overall performance as head of the IT department was in fact exemplary and extraordinary. It was really not his fault that there were chaos and security issues that emerged during his helm. His other undertakings as CIO have been commended considerably by Williams and by other members of his IT team which is indicative of his competence and extraordinary qualities and skills as a manager. As such, his strengths could be used favorably to contribute to the growth of IVK in the long run. One honestly shares the same contention that one’s immediate supervisor or boss needs to know the bad news first, even if it is just initially a hunch. Just like the strategy that was applied by Barton, he perfectly justified using this strategy to immediately relay the least palatable option in situations of problems or concerns so that the boss is evidently prepared and apprised of the worst scenario and would not be surprised that it could come to facing that particular course of action. This is consistent

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA Essay

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA - Essay Example 47). This essay will cover the reasons why there are many homeless people living in big cities for example Los Angeles and suggest solutions to the problems. There are various causes of homeless people moving into big cities for example LA. The homeless move into the large cities due to existence of programs and shelters. The large population of the large cities attracts more programs and more shelters to help the needy. The homeless need as much aid as they can get to get back on their feet hence the preference to live in large cities. Also there are state and federal programs which help the needy but are only accessible in large cities only and also privately run programs that are not available in small cities or rural areas. Other programs include discounted medical programs, large churches which have programs to help the needy and soup kitchens. A big city makes it easy for one to move around from one place to another looking for basic necessities (Haymes, pp. 58). A person can go to one church and get breakfast and then go to a different shelter and eat again. Another reason for homeless people living in large cities is because of t he existence of mass transit. This includes buses, subways, trains or even ferries. These things are necessary and vital to homeless people in order for them to move from one place to another and be able to get out of homelessness. Large cities usually offer free bus passes to the homeless through registration with them. The homeless persons after registration must show up twice a week for job workshop classes and to register for employment (Dubuis, pp. 82). Many homeless people also live in big cities like LA due to the availability of nearby social amenities. In big cities there are many restaurants with bathrooms where people can wash their faces when it is hot or clean up. During hot days, one can also walk into shopping malls to use the air conditioning to cool off. When it is raining there are a variety of

The role of accounting in the collapse or failure of Allco Essay

The role of accounting in the collapse or failure of Allco - Essay Example Causes of the Collapse of Allco Corporate collapse of Allco occurred like many other collapses but reasons of other collapses had been different than with Allco, which collapsed due to duality of the positions of the chairman and the CEO, the two topmost positions in the company, i.e., one of the chairman and the other of the chief executive were managed by the same person, by late David Coe. Media identified Coe as the executive chairman although later Bob Mansfield was the chairman and David Clarke, the chief executive (Walters, 2013). Financial environment worldwide was particularly not conducive otherwise but Allco suffered from the deficiency in corporate mechanism as board of corporate governance behaved like a private company. Criticality of Board Independence Board independence is very critical factor in the scheme of corporate things. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has very clearly advised not to lead the two roles of chairman and chief executive officer by the dit to person. There has never been any ambiguity over this recommendation. Freedom of the board has been from the very beginning the leading principle of good corporate governance, as defined in the preamble of ASX. This issue is linked to the sound health of the capital markets, which has been central to the Australian economy. Take for example the case of Enron where the positions of the CEO and the chairman were managed by Kenneth Lay. Enron collapsed because of cheating and corruption of 18 years in securities (Walters, 2013). The same cannot be said about Allco that it cheated and practised corrupt practices but members of the board were found to be in compromising positions when it came to the issue of loan to one of its associate companies, the Allco Principles Trust (APT). Corporate Mechanism at Allco Former chief executive of Allco, David Clarke revealed the complicated corporate mechanism of the Company, which at one time had a market value of $5 billion and in 2008 it came r olling down to owing above $1 billion, affecting 50 related companies, facing settlement. The fall back in structured finance reduced the share price to almost half in late 2007. An associate company APT was given a loan of $50 million to ensure that margin calls do not bring down Allco share price. The leading shareholders of APT were holding senior executive level positions in Allco with Allco shares as capital (Lannin, 2010). Connection between Stock Prices and Earnings The relation between stock prices and earnings inspire managers to practice earning management. Generally, it is observed that public firms show increased discretionary accruals. Managers are additionally inspired to fulfil the stock market expectations of shareholders. They are motivated to leverage income before listing in stock market, for securing investors’ interests and outcomes of earning management can reflect on the capital market (Soffer et al., 2000). Functions of Allco Board A company’s b oard caters to the stakes of its shareholders, as executives are too busy in day-to-day management of the company. It is the responsibility of the chairperson to ensure that shareholders’ funds are invested to earn nice dividends. In the present condition, shareholders felt very unrelated and ignorant where their funds were invested and what role their super funds were playing in corporate governance (Walters, 2013).

How can Facebook influence people psychologically Research Paper

How can Facebook influence people psychologically - Research Paper Example Among the activities in social networks include exchange of news items, events, messages, videos and photos. But on the other side, I noted that researchers like Bowman, Westerman and Claus (2301) observed that social media would not have any impact on computer skills of the user, hence important for me to find out how else this affects humans. Facebook being the most common of these social networking platforms would be analyzed on how it affects its users psychologically. Megen (57) appreciates Facebook as the most popular social media platform. Since its launch in 2004, it has hit a membership of 800 million users, with half this number visiting the site daily. This platform allows users to post status updates, videos and photos and links which would be viewed by their friends or anyone else on the Internet. Products, brands and organizations have pages where liking them, just as would apply on photos, status and videos posted on a user’s wall, expresses agreement with the content. Facebook requires that users identify themselves with their real names thus allowing friends to search friends on the platform using their names, email addresses, workplace or school attended among other aspects. This platform could be accessed from both a computer and a mobile interface with Internet access. Studies by Pempek, Yermolayeva and Calvert (228) enlightened me on the time spent on Facebook with the researchers observing that on average, US college stude nts spent between 10 and 30 minutes daily on Facebook. The current environment dictates that I have to join Facebook so that I interact effectively and regularly with my peers. More so, I have seen many organizations opening their Facebook pages implying that employees operating such accounts have to be equipped with the skills of using the media. On my side, it would mean that for me to benefit from the opportunities that such organizations offer through their fan pages on Facebook, then, I

Extreme Sports Essay Example for Free

Extreme Sports Essay It is quite common these days for sport players in many countries to get injured during they are playing sports. People reckon this phenomenon is especially true when people play some relatively more violent and extreme sports. Although those sports court the excitement and challenge the utmost of human being which certainly cannot be brought by other common sport, but, still some conservative people advocate to ban this kind of sport. Those people who assert to ban dangerous sport in publics, the first thing they have to do is to define what sorts of sports are dangerous. Clearly, people divide the sport according to their tendency to lead people injury. But dilemma has occurred here. We all know that there is no definite safe or dangerous sports. Even the safest sports , you can name it, be it running or swimming, they all can induce danger or even pose a threat to peoples life. Sport player may involve in incidents or they can be drowned, this is not limited to those who are unable to swimming, but also evident among those who are good at swimming, they may die because of exhaustion or careless or even be attacked by shark when they swimming in sea. So, the so called safe sports do take peoples lives. Opposing, if in a extreme sport such as skiing, if the player have been correctly educated and trained, with proper protective equipment and play with cautions, then the danger will minimize to the least, even safer than the so called safe sports. To sum up, there is not really dangerous sports if we have put necessary protective equipment, or the proper training and the education has been set in. meanwhile, even the non-dangerous sport also brings bad results if we are careless. So, probably, no sport is really dangerous, the real danger is careless and unsecure equipment. Thus, governments’ role here is not to ban the dangerous sport, but to provide the proper guide to let the player enjoy the sport and in the mean time knows how to play safely.

Theme of Civilization and Savagery in The Novel The Lord of The Flies

Theme of Civilization and Savagery in The Novel The Lord of The Flies Theme of Civilization and Savagery in The Novel The Lord of The Flies The novel written by William Golding is an allegorical novel where lots of elements of fiction are used to communicate the main ideas and themes of the novel. One of the themes that can be explored trough this novel is civilization and savagery. The central concern of Lord of The Flies deals with the collapse of civilization to the rebirth of civilization. The conflict appear from this theme is communicate through the disintegration of the British young boys well look behaviour as they adapt themselves to a uncivilized, brutal life in the jungle after they were stranded on an island. The theory of inborn evil human evil hold an essential aspect in this theme as the young boys evolve more primitive, the beast that they scared of developed within themselves. The inborn evil is the beast that destructs the civilization as savageness call for its status. In the novel, The lord of the flies symbolizes the existence of the beast within the young boys mind. The rift of the theme of civiliza tion and savagery is also communicated through the symbols exist in this novel, the conch which related with the character Ralph and the lord of the flies which related with the character Jack. The fundamental concernment of this novel is the theme of civilization and savagery where civilization giving away to savagery within human heart, as the young boys shed their civilization for savagery after being influence by fear, superstition and their desires. Through the whole of this novel, the theme civilization and savagery communicates by the conflict between Ralph and Jack, who respectively represent civilization and savagery. The vary theory are deliberate by each two boys different attitude toward authorization on the island. Ralph who was selected to become a chief used his authority to set up rules on that island in order to have a better life between them. From the novel, Ralph said Thats what this shell called. Ill give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when hes speaking (Golding, 43). This shows that the only person who can speak is the one who hold the shell which called conch during the meeting. Ralph has set up the rules so that no one will interrupt when someone is speaking to ensure the smoothness of the meeting which shows us that they are still civilized boys that have moral and ethical codes of the English society. On the other hand, Jack is more interest in gaining power over the others to satisfy his most primal impulses which is his desires of hunting pigs. All the same you need an army-for hunting. Hunting pigs, said Jack on the novel (Golding, 43). Jack desires for power shows that savagery has started taking over his mind. When Jack begin acting savage, the savage side become evident with the power of the leader, Ralph, collapse. Jack overthrows Ralph as a leader. He manage to persuade the others boys to join his tribe, a tribe which involve with hunting pigs, making sacrifices to the beast and having fun without realizing that they were stranded on an deserted island. This is proved by the line Now listen. We might go later to the castle rock. But now Im going to get more of the biguns away from the conch and all that. Well kill the pig and give a feast. He paused and went on more slowly. And about the beast. When we kill well leave some of the kill for it. Then it wont bother us, maybe (Golding, 165). He and his tribe go so far until it results in the destruction of th e peaceful environment on the island as well as the collapsing of their civilized mind. The cleft of the theme is also demonstrate through the novels major symbol which are the conch that affiliate with character Ralph and The Lord of the Flies that affiliate with the character Jack. The conch that was found by Ralph is a powerful symbol which shows the democratic order on that island, agreeing Ralphs leadership that was determine through the election and also the power of assembly among the young boys. From the novel, Piggy said, We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. Theyll come when they hear us (Golding, 22). This shows that the conch has the power to call the others for a meeting which represent the symbol of authority and order that related to the civilization among the boys. However, as the engagement between Ralph and Jack getting worse, the conch loses symbolic importance. You havent got it with you, said Jack, sneering. You left it behind. See, clever? And the conch doesnt count at the end of this island (Golding, 186). From what Jack has said, th is shows that the conch started to loses its power of authority and order and represent the decline of civilization on the island. In the meanwhile, The Lord of the Flies, which is a sacrifice to the suppositious beast on the island, contributes to the dominance of the savagery on the island and also symbolise Jacks authority over his tribe. From the novel, Jack spoke loudly, This head is for the beast. Its a gift (Golding, 170). In addition, the demolition of the conch at the scene where Piggy was killed manifests the complete destruction of civilization on the island. In the novel, the devastation of the conch is shows from the phase, The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee, the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist(Golding, 222). At the end of this novel, the savagery has totally displaced civilization as the prevailing system on the island. The clash between the theme of civilization and savagery in this novel also can be explored through the symbol of fire which associate with civilization and the symbol of mask which associate with savagery. The symbol of fire in this novel is very important as it bring lots of meaning to the boys. It represents the hope of being rescue, survival and also civilization. In the novel, Ralph said Theres another thing. We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire(Golding, 49). This indicates that the boys know that the fire is very important because without the smoke from the fire, they would never be rescued. The symbol of fire shows the only civilization left on the island as it is a form of hope, survival and most importantly, rescue as Ralph said in the novel Your only hope is keeping a signal fire going as long as theres light to see. Then maybe a ship will notice the smoke and c ome and rescue us and take us home. But without that smoke weve got to wait till some ship comes by accident. We might wait years; till we were old (Golding, 219). On the other hand, the symbol of mask in this novel stands for savagery and barbaric behaviour. The mask has encouraged the incivility in the boys and provides them with a different identity. From the novel, Jack said For hunting. Like in the war. You know -dazzle paint. Like thing trying to look like something else (Golding, 79).The mask has made the boys started to transform from civil to savage. When the boys hide behind the mask, the boys somehow are given a new identity which gives confidence and a sense of carefree. Behind the masquerade, they commit acts of barbarity. It liberates them from shame and leads them into a savage like creatures. It also detaches them from reality and triggers them to neglect their responsibility. As the novel progress, Golding shows how different people feel the influences of the instincts of civilization and savagery to different degrees. Generally, however, Golding implies that the instinct of savagery is far more primal and fundamental to the human mind than the instinct of civilization. The Lord of the Flies is a chronicles of civilization giving way to savagery within human nature, as the young boys who were stranded on the island shaped by the supremely civilized British society become fully savage guided only by fear, superstition and desire.

Mechanisms of Musculoskeletal Pain

Mechanisms of Musculoskeletal Pain Musculo-skeletal pain is a complex sensation where sensory, affective and cognitive dimensions of pain alongwith parallel neural networks in brain are associated with constellation of factors. Though pain occurs to show protective gesture, but when it surpasses threshold, exerts debilitating effect upon health and triggers concomitant physiological and psychological concerns of perilous ramifications. Right from the activation of primary afferent nociceptors upto the cortical processing of the pain in the higher regions of the brain, pain trajectory can be dissected into transduction, conduction, synaptic transmission and modulation. Besides, environmental, behavioral and psychological risks involved, all these stages of pain sensitivity, severity and analgesic responses are mediated by different set of genes and genetic variants. Transduction of noxious stimuli is regulated by transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M, member 8 (TRPM8) and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) encoded by TRPM8 and TRPA1 genes, which plays an important role in the inhibition of background potassium channels. SCN10A encoded, voltage gated sodium channel Nav1.8 is essential for signal generation in response to cold stimuli. The nociception, due to heat stimulus and red hot chili pepper activates the ion channel TRPV1 and capsaicin receptors. However, TRPV1 also regulates the inflammatory pain thresholds, TRPV4, in conjunction with TRPV1 and TRPV2, transduces both thermo and mechano-sensations. The pain related transgenic knockout studies offered significant information on the genes that influence pain transduction. (Lacroix-Fralish ML. etal, 2007). Three genes SCN9A, SCN10A and SCN11A which encode sodium channels are observed to be expressed in sensing neurons. . SCN9A carriers, who have defective Nav1.7 remains pain free, which makes it a novel target for sodium selective analgesic drugs. SCN10A (Nav1.8) is also a significant contributors to the transduction signaling of pain pathway. Though, encoded channel Nav1.8 does not induces action potential but plays a significant role in setting the pain thresholds. SCN11A gets activated, close to the resting membrane potential and mutations in this gene have been associated to the loss of pain perception. Voltage gated sodium channel nociceptors specific genes SCN1A, SCN3A, SCN8A, SCN9A, SCN10A, SCN11A along with potassium channel encoding KCNQ genes play a significant role in nociceptive conduction. Synaptic transmission is regulated by several genes such as GR1N1, GR1N2, GR1A1-4, GR1C1-5, NK1R. Some voltage gated calcium channels encoding genes, such as CACNA1A-S, CACNA2D1 mediates the neurotransmitter release in the pre-synaptic membrane.Several genes and genetic variants have also been implicated in the centr al, peripheral and microglial pain modulation. (Foulks and Wood. 2008). How damage sensing neurons submit input signals regarding the extent and severity of pain to central nervous sytem (CNS) is highly complex. Very many brain areas are involved in sensory discrimination and affective evaluation which determine the nature of pain perception. Genetic variation of COMT gene that encodes catechol-o-methyltransferase regulates the inactivation of catecholamines neurotransmitters and reduced COMT enzymatic activity which leads to increased pain sensitivity and temporal summation of pain (diatchenko L et al. 2005) Decreased adrenalin metabolism due to reduced COMT activity increases pain through the stimulation of ÃŽ ²2/ 3-adrenergic receptor antagonist. A few genome wide association studies (GWAS) on musculo-skeletal phenotypes have been carried out which revealed some strongly associated SNPs within CCT5 and FAM173B genes that influence chronic widespread pain in lumbar spine region. Over the past decade, an intriguing development in cellular genomics has aroused curiosity of the possibility of miRNA in pain research. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are family of small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in sequence specific manner. Their non-perfect pairing of 6-8 nucleotides with target mRNA subsequently forming miRNA Induced Silencing Complex (miRISC) generally results in translational repression, destabilization of mRNAs and gene silencing. Some miRNAs have been implicated in pain mechanism including neuronal plasticity, neurogenesis, nociceptor excitability, chronic pain conditions and pain threshold. They engrossed the attention when observed that these miRNAs play an evident role in the conditional deletion in nociceptors of th e miRNA producing enzyme, Dicer and blocks inflammatory pain hypersensitivity. The pioneer studies on the role and relevance of miRNAs in pain demonstrated that miR-134 is modulated in the trigeminal ganglion in response to inflammatory pain. BDNF triggered miR-132 is upregulatedin cortical neurons which is identified as modulation of nociception signaling. miRNA Let-7 that target  µ-opiod receptors plays considerable influence on the opioid tolerance in mice. Activity regulated miR-188 is a significant player of synaptic plasticity tuning. Dysregulation of miR-29a/b is associated with structural plasticity in psycho-stimulant exposure. In the traumatized spinal injury miR-219 is downregulated 7 days after contusion whereby sciatic nerve ligation induces an up-regulation of this miRNA. In chronic pain miR-124 down regulates in dorsal root ganglion neurons in inflammatory muscle as well as in sciatic nerve crush. Researchers are instrumental in understanding the epigenetic mechanisms in relation to pain causation and alleviation. Epigenetic modifications play significant role in cytokine metabolism, neurotransmitter release and response, analgesic sensitivity and central sensitization. Changes in chromatin structure may lead to acute to chronic pin transition. Prior priming (sensitization) of spinal microglia with initial inflammatory challenge, subsequent challenges create enhanced pain intensity and duration. Effects of neonatal pain experience relates to adult pain sensitivity where they exhibit spinal neuronal circuits with increased input and segmental changes in nociceptive primary afferent axons and enhanced or altered pain stimulation. Histone modifications, a significant epigenetic mechanism which may alter the gene expression of pain is highly associated with glutamate decarboxylase (Gad2), Shal related subfamily member 3 (Kcnd3), melting CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2), potassium vol tage gated channels, oprin 1, Scn9a Genes. Histone acetylation and DNA methylation have also been implicated in chronic pain conditions. Though an epigenetic alteration in relation to the risk of pain is in infancy but in near future, such knowledgeable musings will unravel several novel targets for analgesic drugs and preventive modalities. Brain does more than understanding and responding to pain irrespective of sensory inputs and even in the absence of external inputs. Why even cordectomy or anesthetic blocks of sympathetic ganglia do not stop phantom limb pain? Pain genetics have the capacity to enrich us of several such intricate and unforeseen consequences involved with pain etiology, risk factors and variable analgesia. In future, investigation of relevant genomic sequences has many revelations in store for us, by which we will be able to regulate or control pain by switching on or off various genes that causes it.

Time :: essays research papers

Time? Time travel is no longer regarded as strictly science fiction. For years the concept of time travel has been the topic of science fiction novels and movies, and has been pondered by great scientists throughout history. Einstein’s theories of general and special relativity can be used to actually prove that time travel is possible. Government research experiments have yielded experimental data that conclusively illustrate that fast moving aircraft have traveled into the future. This phenomenon is due to the principal of time dilation, which states that bodies moving at high velocities experience a time that ticks slower than the time measured at zero velocity. Not as much time elapses for a moving body as does for everything else. Phenomena known as wormholes and closed time like curves are possible means of time travel into the future and the past. Traveling into the past is a task which is much more difficult than traveling into the future. This feat has not yet been accompli shed -to our knowledge- and its theory involves complicated scenarios of tears in four dimensional space-time, and traveling near the speed of light. Obstacles which prevent our hubris attempts to cheat time include our inability to move even close to the speed of light, and finding a source of energy as powerful as an exploding star. Simply because the proposal of time travel is backed by scientific theory, is no reason to expect that it is easily achievable. Numerous arguments are proposed that that prevent time travel into the past. Both common sense and scientific fact can be used to paint scenarios that become serious obstacles. Not to fear, we have all the time in the world to overcome these minor limitations. Imagine if you will, that you are one of the people sill alive today that was born prior to 1903, when the first airplane took flight. When you were young the idea of flying would probably have been quite exciting. Some scientists believe that we may presently be living through an identical scenario. The thing that would be so exciting however, would not be flight, but time travel. Leading scientists believe that our children will live to once again see the impossible become routine. Professor Michio Kaku of the University of New York believes that space flight may one day unlock the secret of time itself. This will require the development of spacecraft that can travel at speeds on the order of two hundred million meters per second, that’s about four hundred and fifty million miles per hour.

The Game of Life in Rabbit, Run Essay -- Updike Rabbit Run Essays Pape

The Game of Life in Rabbit, Run      Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps all our lives are simply a game, a game to which society sets the rules and to which we adapt.   In John Updike's novel, Rabbit, Run, the protagonist, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom lives his life by the rules of the game of basketball.   Rabbit is a man who has, until the beginning of the book, played by society's rules.   But Rabbit's ambivalence is different from that of those around him; he has trouble communicating, and as a result he is often misunderstood and is constantly frustrated by the actions and expectations of others (Regehr).  Ã‚   In high school, Rabbit was a first rate basketball player and now, in his late twenties, is a middle-class man; working in a middle-class job, living in a middle-class apartment.   Though we may not choose to exist in this brown-gray environment, neither would our twenty-something protagonist, and that is precisely the point.   That we can be disgusted and frustrated along with him is what gives substantial balance to his sometimes unlikable decisions, and helps us react fairly to them (Tragic). This substandard is an immense disappointment to Rabbit's expectation that he, and his surroundings, would be of the highest classification throughout his post-high school life as they were in his days as a basketball star.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What defeats Rabbit in real life is the absence of a counter part for the basket in basketball.   Rabbit loves the games because they create and clearly define goals, the way to get points, becoming first rate, a success.   Contrastingly, the real world does not tell him what that something-that-wants-him-to-find-it is (Markle 46).   Rabbit does not have the ball, he does not have the key to the goal in his hands.   But thr... ... Secondary Sources Eiland, Howard & Thornburn, David. Twentieth Century Views: John Updike, A Collection of Critical Essays.   Copyright 1979 by Prentice Hall, Inc. Magill, Frank.   Survey of American Literature.   Vol. 6 Ste-Z 1885-2224.   Marshall Cavendish Co. New York.   Copyright 1991. Edited by Frank Magill. Markle, Joyce B.   Fighters and Lovers:   Theme In The Novels of John Updike.   Copyright 1973 by New York University. Regehr, John.   Rabbit, Run (John's Book Pages).   Copyright 1998 by John Regehr http://regent.org/books/reviews/rabbitrun.html.   04-02-00 Trachtenberg, Stanley.   New Essays on Rabbit, Run.  Ã‚   Tragic Unraveling of a High School Jock.   Reviewer: jzk.   4/13/00. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0449911639/maraspgr.../002-4808496-///380.  

Income Tax Exemptions in Pakistan

In The name Of Allah The Most Merciful & The Most Beneficent Assignment of: Principle & Practice Income Tax Topic: Need of Tax Exemption [pic] Question: What is the need of Tax Exemption or Tax Concession in income tax from government point of view? And Does present income tax exemption policy of Pakistan effective in achieving its objectives give comments? TAX EXEMPTION According To â€Å"Community Benefit† theorists Tax-exemption contributes to pluralism â€Å"by providing the public goods and services that either are undersupplied by the private market or by the government or else not provided in the same socially desirable manner† NEED OF TAX EXEMPTION Tax Exemption is provided for various purposes discussed below which are: ? To Promote Economic activity ? To Provide Benefit to society ? To Provide Corporate Welfare ? To Attract Businesses ? To Promote Organizations ? To Encourage Religious Activities ? To Encourage Economic Activities ? To Encourage Retirement-Led Investment ? To Promote Economic activity Tax exemptions are usually meant to either reduce the tax burden on a particular segment of society in the interests of fairness or to promote some type of economic activity through reducing the tax burden on those organizations or individuals who are involved in that activity. ? To Provide Benefit To Society Tax Exemptions are accorded to certain organizations because they provide a benefit to society which the government is unable or unwilling to provide. ? To Provide Corporate Welfare Tax Exemption to specific businesses such as Big Oil is for corporate welfare. To Attract Businesses Exemption from property tax and other local tax is used as a tool for attracting business to areas suffering from economic down turn or depression. ? To Promote Organizations Tax Exemption is provided to individuals and organizations to promote economically. ? To Encourage Religious Activities Tax exemption is provided to encourage certain social and religious activities. ? To Encourage Economic Activ ities Tax exemption is provided to encourage certain economic activities. ? To Encourage Retirement-Led Investment Tax Exemption is provided on amount of gratuity or commutation of person to encourage retirement-led investments. COMMENTS Ignoring all other factors and emphasizing particularly on tax exemption we can comment that, ? Tax exemption has promoted agriculture sector. Tax is not applied on income generated up to Rs. 80,000, income exceeding from R. s 80,000 will b taxed. The total number of such farmer assesses is reported to be only about 20,000 in the entire country with an average of no more than 200 such agriculture income tax payers per district. Thus tax exemption provides relief to people engaged in tax exemption. ? Tax exemption has promoted scholarships in the country as the ratio of scholarships have increased from last decades which is providing opportunities to many students to not only study in Pakistan but also abroad. Tax exemption from scholarships is beneficial for both students and country. ? Tax exemption has promoted immense foreign investment in Pakistan as China has started many projects in Pakistan not only because of cheap labor but also because of tax exemption. Similarly many other foreign projects are practicing in Pakistan. Tax exemption has promoted many investment banks as Modarba, macro finance bank, national investment trust etc which provide many easy loans to people and firms which in turn contribute in promoting society. ? Tax exemption policy has promoted many sectors as businesses, educational sector, foreign investment, NGO’S etc Thus, We can conclude that present tax exemption policy i s providing many incentives to people, starting new businesses and is encouraging people to invest more and more in various sectors which in turn are generating income to the economy. It is because of tax exemption that many projects have started in special industrial zones in Pakistan as Export processing zone, North Western Industrial zone, Eastern Western Industrial zone and many more. Tax exemption policy in many areas as income earned from foreign enterprise, capital gain by foreign institutional investor, income from transport businesses has widened the approach of business. So present income tax exemption policy of Pakistan is effective in achieving its objectives. [pic]

Marketing Strategy Analysis: Dove Milk Chocolate Essay

Target Market Geography: New Jersey is a highly populated area located on the east coast of the United States of America with an array of different cultures (Mars Nutrition Incorporation, 2012) Rationale: The high population of New Jersey would provide a very large source of consumers regardless of the cultures Age: Gender: Both men and women. Rationale: At the very young ages, both genders consume chocolate and other confectionery at the same rates. However, with increase in age, chocolate becomes very common with women (Bailey,2012). Income: the segmentation of income may be all households with a yearly income exceeding one dollar. Ethnicity: They target all ethnicities. Rationale: Because all ethnicities have disposable incomes, thus they would all provide a very favorable target market. Specification on the basis of ethnicity would lock out potential consumers and deny the company the much needed revenue. Family Life Cycle: Married couples, Adult Singles Rationale: Unmarried individuals have adequate disposable incomes because they do not have many responsibilities. Separated individuals in some cases have children, thus these children would prompt their parents to purchase the products for them. Marriages usually result in the presence of children who would solicit their parents to purchase the products for them. Personality traits: this sector fundamentally comprises of emulators for instance fun loving people. These are the people who delight in enjoying life and believe in travelling and adventure. Lifestyle characteristics: in terms of lifestyle, it might be targeted at those who favor purchasing convenience products. They are as well willing to experiment with substitute products in place of food items that are conventional, as the world of chocolate is transforming from occasion led to more casual utilization. Usage Rate: the market might be more segmented on usage instead of attitude – whatever place, time snack. This is a faction of users that find conventional snacks to be heavy. Although an array of chocolates might be offered, a core brand may be initiated in the count line sector. Given that this sector is tipped to be the development engine of the industry and this sector encompasses a significant market share. Product classification Dove milk chocolate can be classified as a convenience good, which customers never plan to buy in advance. The consumer buys the candy bars when the need comes or when the consumer visits a place where the candy bar is sold. With convenience products, consumers are not willing to spend much time window-shopping for the products to compare prices, since the consumer knows the brands that are wanted. More so, the candy bars are not expensive, and consumers only pick the candy bars at their nearest shops since the candy bars are available in most retail centers, including large supermarkets such as Wal-Mart. In addition, dove milk candy is a product that consumers buy regularly, and the consumer knows specifically where to get the candy bar according to their tastes and preferences. Moreover, the candy bars are bought in small quantities and do not require much effort in buying. Many customers only buy the candy bars when it is necessary, to give to friends or eat when the consumer feel s the urge, qualifying dove milk chocolate as a convenience product (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2011). Branding a) Dove milk product uses a family branding strategy, where all its products are marketed through the word Dove, and all have the same brand name. The products are closely related, differing in terms of flavor, and little content, but all have the same utility. The products range from dark chocolate, miniature, among others with different flavors. All of them carry the same name on their products. The name is written on a coherent clearer part of the package for all of them. b). The brand name of the product is Dove, which is written clearly in bolder letters, on a reflective paper of the packaging to make the name more visible. Each cover color of the dove milk chocolate depends on the flavor. For darker chocolate, the color is darker, but the similar in terms of the lay out of the paint. In all of the chocolate brands, there is a curved line across the package in a different  color, mostly defining milk content. However, there is a dark chocolate color defining all of them. In addition, the flavor of the chocolate inside such as silky smooth milk chocolate is inscribed at the right hand bottom corner. c). The level of brand loyalty is high for this product, and its users are used to buying from the same brand. Considering this is a convenience good, consumers prefer buying from one producer, whom the consumer trusts, or depending on the consumer’s preference (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2011). This builds up exceptional customer loyalty since many will only prefer the Dove chocolate to other brands. OK. Packaging a) Packaging has been used in several ways for Dove milk chocolate considering it is a consumable food product, needing protection to remain safe for human consumption, as well as convenience. Some people may not have money to buy in large quantities, and prefer smaller quantities (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2011). 1) The product is meant for human consumption and requires protection from harmful substances that might contaminate it. Therefore, the packaging provides for this by using a plastic, paper package for smaller quantities, while bigger quantities that might not be consumed at once are packaged in cartons and smaller foil or plastic paper packages for protection. The packages are well designed to let no substance inside, and can be easily opened and closable except for smaller packages that are consumed once. The Product Safety Act of a consumer necessitates that all packages enveloping products intended for human utilization or use be composed of materials believed safe for han dling and produced in amenities that encompass no cross-contamination matters with other commodities. These rules are set to guarantee that consumers do not turn out to be infected with food-borne diseases or other illnesses merely from handling packaging of a product. (Lister, 1999-2012) (Also, include the different size and types of packages. These should be listed clearly. In other words, 6 oz., 10oz, and 14 oz. Bars and 50 count and 100 count bags of individually wrapped bars. Then for the bars and individually wrapped units, describe the package.) 2) The packaging has been well designed to promote the product. The product lists the ingredients used, flavors and uses positional words such as miniature, silk, and smooth to attract customers. More so, its color is differentiated from other competitors. 3) The packaging has also been  designed to enhance storage since most of them are in rectangular shapes that are easily packed into bulk containers for shipment and wholesale. In addition, the package comes in different sizes, with different prices to serve convenience especially when one does not require purchasing larger amounts. The chocolate bar is also packaged in ounces for convenience. The packages are easily opened for customer’s convenience. Resalable for reuse? Is there a date to use the product by? 4) In terms of facilitating recycling and reducing environmental damage, some of the packages are made up of biodegradable material, while some, especially the smaller packages, are in plastic papers. However, packaging the bigger products degradable material reduces the amount of non-biodegradable material they release into the environment. OK. b) The product uses both types of labeling, persuasive and informational. On the packages, the labeling is quite persuasive with positional statements that are also informative of what the product contains, in terms of nutritional content. The product uses words such as smooth and silk to explain the taste of the product for persuasion. Xxx. Product Life Cycle All products go through a life cycle since the time they are introduced into the market, to growth, maturity, and finally decline. However, this is dependent on the product category. For the product category, which is convenience, their maturity stage seem to last for long considering people will continue to buy the product when they need it. In this case, the product is in the maturity stage, where sales are increasing slowly. At this stage, the company can use the strategy of differentiating its products, which it has done. Currently, dove milk chocolates comes in different flavors, with more and more differentiation taking place to fight off competition, which is high at this stage. However, declining for this category of product is hard since it is a product that people buy regularly for human consumption, and they will still need it another day when the urge comes back. The product is sold internationally, but mostly in America, where it has reached maturity due to this differen tiation of the product, and bearing in mind how long it has been in subsistence. Mode of Product Advertisement Given that Dove Milk Chocolate is a product widely known but is losing its appeal in the market, the best mode of advertising is ultimately product advertisement. The reason of using this mode of advertising is that institutional advertisement will not have the desired effect for this product. Most people acknowledge the existence of Dove Milk Chocolate, but they do not comprehend the advantages of using the new product leading to the need of sensitizing the larger population about it. According to the previous discussed reasons, pioneering advertisement is the best option for the reintroduction of a product that is losing touch with the consumers. The objective of this form of advertisement is giving consumers comprehensive information regarding the nutritional advantages associated with the product (Jugenheimer, 2010). Once consumers understand a product they are most likely to buy such products. Advertisement Appeal Used According to studies (Jugenheimer, 2010), any advertisement has to give the consumer reasons as to why they should buy a given product. That is, answering the questions such as what additional value they are to reap from the usage of Dove Milk Chocolate. Accordingly, in order to acquire competitive advantage, there is a need of combining a number of appeals. Since it is a product in its reintroduction stage, it needs to make sure that customers obtain the best for a subsidized price. In addition, an endorsement from influential people is also extremely valuable in such advertisements. Fun and pleasure is also beneficial in the promotion of the product of consideration. Explaining the pleasures that come with the usage of the product is significant at appealing consumers to use the commodity. However, influential people provide the best appeal. This is because many people adore their idols and believe that they always make the best decisions. Form of media It is not advisable to use one form of media. This is because although a given media might have certain advantages, it may lack values present in another. Accordingly, in the promotion of Dove Milk Chocolate bars, it is essential to use a number of relevant media. For the purpose of achieving geographical flexibility, newspapers are the best option. However, to reach out to the desired demographics magazines will apply. Internet and  television find application at ensuring a narrow target audience and visibility respectively. The internet is fast growing and though it does lack demographic or geographic specification, it is one of the best modes of ensuring low cost fast advertisements. Furthermore, Mars Company already has a website making it easier to promote the commodity on the internet. On the other hand, television ensures that the product becomes visible. Public Relation Functions To achieve product prosperity, there is a need for application of more public relations. Product publicity and lobbying are the best option for a new product. Product publicity ensures that there is a valid word going around and that the product gains favor in the public domain. This is because there are organizations campaigning against the consumption of chocolate. On the other hand, lobbying ensures that the government does not pass strict laws that will hamper prosperity of the product. In this regard, there should be a lobbyist mandated to the task of ensuring that chocolate bars are in excellent terms with the government and policy makers. Furthermore, publicity will play a vital role at ensuring that many people understand the advantages of using this product, as opposed to the many publicized demerits. Public Relations Tools As previously indicated, this product has been experiencing difficulties over the years meaning that many people do not favor its usage. To bridge the gap of this misconception about the product, there is a need for the application of both new product publicity and product placement by the marketers. Application of new-product publicity will be instrumental in explaining to consumers the nutritional benefits of using chocolate bars. Furthermore, placement of products in movies and in other advertisement will boost consumer awareness about its benefits (Jugenheimer, 2010). Movies are especially a larger tool of promoting awareness of a given product. Movies are more likely to find more usage in comparison to advertisements. This is because there are an extraordinarily high number of people watching movies and television programs. Sales Promotion Tools Managers’ objective will be acquiring new customers from already existing entrants. In order to accomplish this, there is a need of explaining product superiority in comparison to those offered by competitors. In addition, there is a need of ensuring that prices do not matter by offering a value added product to consumers at a considerable price. That is, having chocolate bars with nutritional value as opposed to those that are a hazard to consumer’s health. Having a bonus pack is extremely vital at this level in order to persuade consumers that switch brands to be loyal to this product. Bonus packs should vary to attract various customers. This means that there is a need for different discount packs to cater for loyal customers, competitor consumers, and price buyers. Personal Selling The concept of personal selling revolves around personal communication in trying to convince each other to purchase a given product. In its distribution channel, there will be effective personal communication, which will ensure that there is a conviction on the part of the consumer as to the reason of using Dove Milk Chocolate bars. Furthermore, ensuring that the company responds properly to any orders placed for the commodity will ensure an effective personal selling to the advantage of the product. Orders always act as a form of communication between the buyer and the product. Price Strategy Pricing Objectives Any product has to make a profit for its institution (Engelson, 2010). Maximization of profits is a paramount objective of pricing in many if not all corporations. Accordingly, the pricing of this chocolate bars will revolve around making profit. The purpose of this is ensuring that it does balance consumer-investor satisfaction. Given that the commodity has considerable competition, high prices are not the way to go. Accordingly, there is a need of ensuring lower production cost and increasing its sales to maximize profits (Ferrell, 2010). Other Price Determinants In its re-introductory stage, there is the urge to elevate the price but due to the competition evident, this is not an option. After this stage, the  prices will be on the decrease, and this will be due to increase in the number of players selling an alternative to this product (Ferrell, 2010). Given the fact that more competitors are likely to spur an increase in the supply there will be a decrease in prices. Accordingly, the major determinant of the pricing will be competition in the market. However, added value will ensure that there is differentiation of the product (Smith, 2011). Achieving this will ensure that consumers disregard the price factor and negative publicity. Discount Policies There are a number of discounts in application for the commodity. To promote the loyalty of consumers, there will be cumulative quantity discounts awarded. That is, buying in bulk ensures that the customers pay lesser. However, there is also a need of compensating retailers and wholesalers for their services accorded to a given product (Smith, 2011). There is an application of functional discounts on theStrategyproduct. Finally, seasons always experience increased spending by consumers (Engelson, 2010). Accordingly, offering seasonal discounts ensures that consumers remain loyal to Dove Milk Chocolate and price buyers choose the product. References Bo wersox, D, J., Closs D.J., & Cooper, M, B. (2007). Supply chain logistics management. New York: McGraw –Hill Publishing. Christopher, M. (2005). Logistics and supply chain management (3rd ed.). Essex: FT Prentice Hall Publishing. Engelson, M. (2010). Pricing strategy: an interdisciplinary approach. Portland: Joint Management Strategy. Ferrell, O. C. (2010). Marketing Strategy. Stamford: Cengage Learning. Jugenheimer, D. W. (2010). Advertising and Public Relations Research. New York: M.E. Sharpe. Lamb, C. W., Hair, Jr., J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2012). Marketing 5. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Lister, J. (1999-2012). Product Packaging Regulations. Retrieved from www.ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/list_6774882_product-packaging-regulations.html Smith, T. J. (2011). Pricing Strategy: Setting Price Levels, Managing Price Discounts, & Establishing Price Structures. Stamford: Cengage Learning.

How to survive in a jungle Essay

About 300 instances of disappearings in the jungles of South America were recorded in 2012. and more than half of the people are still non found today. Geting lost in a jungle is non a rare juncture! Due to corner canopies darkness falls rapidly in a jungle. which might do you to happen yourself in the thick of jungle in pitch dark. Therefore you have to be cognizant of the dangers and cognize how to protect yourself. To last in a jungle. you need to cognize your waies. necessitate a shelter that will protect you from wildlife. and the hope to last no affair what. By maintaining these in head. you will decidedly happen your manner out without a abrasion. The first thing that you have to worry approximately is make up one's minding where to travel. In a jungle you must cognize that a incorrect bend will take you traveling in circles and can be irreversible. Fortunately. there are different ways to hold a changeless way. A compass is a necessity that will decidedly increase your opportunity of lasting as you can take a way and stick to it irrespective of the state of affairs. Almost no 1 keeps a compass in his/her pocket but fortunately there is another method! Detecting the Sun right can let you to utilize it as your ain personal compass. If you don`t cognize. the Sun rises at the E and sets at the West. by following the motion you will find where E and West are at all times. Knowing where your E and West are will extinguish the hazard of acquiring lost as you can merely maintain on walking to one way. To be cognizant of your way is a big portion of the program. but you will surely necessitate more to last such as a shelter. Second. constructing a shelter is decidedly a must. A good shelter will conceal you from wildlife interlopers. mentally comfort you and do you remain unagitated and in control. Do non bury to do usage of the things that you already have with you. For illustration. a poncho. ripped fictile sheeting or a length of rope can be a superb usage in a jungle. The simplest manner to organize a canopy is binding the poncho or plastic between four trees. If you don`t hold anything with you will hold to utilize your creativeness and utilize the nature to your benefit. like the forests for case. Furthermore. attempt to remain near a beginning of H2O and avert natural jeopardies like drops. The jungle is home to many different wild animate beings and you can be certain that you will non be welcomed. In this instance your shelter will play a major function of being your lone personal infinite. It will be the topographic point that you will safely rest and kip in order to maintain your strength. Sle ep is besides required to keep stable mental wellness and in the jungle. Other than shelter. there is one more factor that will find whether you will or will non last. Last but non least. no affair what happens you must hold religion and maintain combat for endurance. Besides physical strength. you besides need the emotional strength. Everything might non travel how you imagined it would but you must remain positive. As you are unfamiliar to the environment there will be some failures. You will perfectly stop up disbursement hours trying to catch a fish for a nice repast. but end up neglecting. Remember that the lone individual who can let you to give up is yourself. so do non lose hope and be strong. If you start to lose hope after some failures. conceive of your household and your friends that makes life deserving life for. There is nil you can carry through if you are determined to last and be reunited with the 1s you love most. If you keep these methods in head you can even acquire through the worst scenario that can go on in a jungle and reunite with the people that makes life deserving life for. There is no populating thing that is capable of making assorted things like worlds. so at the terminal it will all boil down to how bad you truly want to last. You might be a alien in their environment but don`t forget that you are the smartest of them. You will be the one to find your ain destiny! If you believe yourself. there isn`t any ground for non to emerge winning against all the dangers that nature has in shop for you.

Arabic Language in Learning Sahria and Islamic Law Essay

Language is very important in our daily life. It serves as the way in communicating and dealing with other people. There are many language used by different people in different places. In field of teaching, language is the most important factor to be considered. Arabic language was known to be the second most used language in the world second to Chinese. A good knowledge of Arabic language will greatly enhance one’s ability to work and interact effectively with Arabic-speaking people and that, the diligent study of Arabic can lead to exciting careers in various fields in that particular vicinity. In addition, Arabic is the language of Islam and to properly understand Islam, that is why Arabic should be learn and taught for every Muslims (Tamano 1996). In teaching Sharia or Islamic Law, Arabic Language should be highly encouraged as the fundamental medium used in the classroom. However, in the case of King Faisal Center most of the students taking up Sharia courses have only miniature background in Arabic field particularly Arabic language. As a result the teachers preferred to use Local language just to make the student understand the discussions of Sharia. Sharia Law or Islamic Law derives its legal rules to Quran and Hadith. The primary sources of Islamic law are the Quran and Hadith which is written in Arabic language. In order to understand the Quran and Hadith you should be knowledgeable in Arabic language. For Muslims, the Qur’an is the literal word of God received verbatim by the Prophet Muhammad in his native Arabic tongue, who passed it on his followers. Qur’an is the foundation of Islam and the primary source of guidance for Muslims in all aspect of life, whether spiritual, legal, moral, political, economic or social (Saeed 2006). Qur’an is the primary source of Islamic Law and it originally written in Arabic text. Sharia derives its law based on the Qur’an. That is why the students and teachers should give an importance in teaching and learning Arabic Language in order to help the students specially Sharia students in order for them to understand the Sharia clearly and to help them in their future job as a Sharia practitioner. In the case of KFCIAAS in Islamic Studies Department, they preferred to use English language in most of their Sharia courses. KFCIAAS should consider that Arabic language is the foundation of Islam and we should give importance for improving and enhancing their methods of teaching Arabic language. The focus of this study is to gather information on the importance of Arabic language in teaching Sharia in King Faisal Center for Islamic Arabic and Asian Studies and try to strengthen and improve the teaching of Arabic language in King Faisal Center.

Personal and Professional Development Essay

1-Abstract In essence, this report will comprise three parts: first we shall be making an evaluation of current approaches to self- managed learning, second we shall be detailing in which ways lifelong learning both personal and professional might be promoted and encouraged and finally we shall be making an evaluation of the potential benefits of self-managed learning to organisations and their members but for this case with specific reference to Teagasc. 2- Introduction Every single person had one day some experience about self-managed learning in their life, or many people are having this experience at the moment in somewhere learning something by themselves. Stop for a moment and back to the past and try to remember if you have learned something that you had initiative by yourself. Did you remember something? I am sure you did, do you know why? It`s because there`s so many reasons which push ourselves to learn something and that`s why the term self-managed learning is more popular when compared with the traditional way to learn, for example going to the school every day. 3-Approaches to self managed learning Individual could learn through the research which they will be doing that could be either been issued by the university or college even at work place, people could learn different techniques used in doing the research. Formal education and schooling remain highly valued in most societies, and many educators, employers, policy-makers, and average citizens find it difficult to place high value on what is learned on your own or outside the formal system. However, some adult educators have shown how non-traditional programs, distance education, and self-directed learning efforts can meet many challenges associated with keeping current on constantly changing knowledge. Several things are known about self-managed learning and also others terms as S-DL (Self-direct learning), S-PL, LS-D, S-RL, Autonomy, learning projects, open learning etc. However there are some differences between these terms: * Knowles, (1975) describe Self- directed learning- is a process in which individuals take the initiatives, with or without the help of others * Autonomous learning – autonomy often is associated with independence of thought, individualized decision-making, and critical intelligence. Gibbs (1979) * Self-planned learning and learning projects – Tough’s (1979) research on people engaged in learning projects involved obtaining information on â€Å"a series of related episodes, adding up to at least seven hours† where â€Å"more than half of the person’s total motivation is to gain and retain certain fairly clear knowledge and skill, or to produce some other lasting change† . * Open learning – individualized study often is associated with external degree, open learning, or non traditional programs where most learning takes place outside formal classrooms- Ruvinsky (1986) * Self-regulated learning is a process that assists students in manag ing their thoughts, behaviours, and emotions in order to successfully navigate their learning experiences (Pintrich & Zusho, 2002) * Learner self-direction- is taking primary responsibility for personal learning (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991) . But in general all this terms are related to Self-managed learning what is a way which people or individual find different ways in learning things, which could be in the society where they are living or at work that is a diversified environment, Candy(1991). In other words is about individual managing their own learning. This included people taking responsibility for decisions about: * What they learn * How they learn * When they learn * Where they lean * Why they learn (the most fundamentally ) Self-managed learning also is about setting out the goals for the learning by evaluating the purpose for learning and ways to achieve such goals -Brookfield (1981).People learn new things for example the culture of different people, behaviour, personality, perceptions etc. 4-Advantages and disadvantages of Self- managed learning Some advantages and disadvantages of self-managed learning: 4.1-Advantages: * Improved the attitudes toward learning * The learners become more confident * Also they are taking greater responsibility for their own learning than during more traditional classroom activities * Create a repertoire of skills * Learn to tolerate ambiguity in expectation of themselves * Development of higher order thinking, problem solving, collaborating skills * Exploring a variety of learning styles or approaches to learning 4.2-Disadvantages: * The learner my find difficult to evaluate one`s own progress * The learner may not identify the learning needs according to his/her academic level * Some learners may not find appropriate resources for learning * Unable to get peer feedback 5-Ways in which lifelong learning in both personal and professional contexts could be encouraged The idea of lifelong education was first fully articulated in this century by Basil Yeaxlee (1929). He along with Eduard Lindeman (1926) provided an intellectual basis for a comprehensive understanding of education as a continuing aspect of everyday life. However to encourage lifelong learning is necessary Motivation, determination, managing time which is extremely important to self-managed learning. Lifelong learning is all about continuous learning personally that could contribute to the professional context. Individual could have personal assessment as means of lifelong learning by evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. For example, in the workplace employees with busy schedules can learn necessary skills at their own convenience through self-study. Some technical staff in organizations who must constantly upgrade their knowledge can access new information through an individualized resource centre. For example learning by Self-reflective learning could help employees learn new skills at work place also developing their personal skills through having work task and responsibility assigned to them. While self-reflective learning reviews things, continuing professional development, combines approaches, ideas and techniques that help to develop the personal learning. Self-reflective learning is about trying to review some opinions, judgements, personal understanding and actions that you are willing to take in a proper way and be honest about it. another example for a organization to encourage the employee taking initiative of learning something new could be giving to them a opportunity for a presentation skills where the individuals learn how to make a presentation which gives the chance to express the knowledge of what they have learnt from particular topic also give them confidence to talk in front of others, which become an advantage to the organisation when been given a task to do that need to be presented to the manager and other directors from the same company of different company. 6- Evaluation the benefits of self-managed learning to the organizations and their members In a world where there is growing pressure for increased results from fewer people, Organisations have no option but to invest heavily in learning and development. The problem is that there is not always a correlation between expenditure on training and development and pay-off for individuals and Organisations. Also individual learning may not integrate with organisational needs. Yet it is essential that individual should be helped to take on greater responsibility for their own development and growth. The key requirement, then, seems to be to create a situation where learning: * Is owned by the individual * Is properly supported And at the same time * Is closely integrated with organisations needs This what self- managed learning provides Knowles, (1975) Self-managed learning is about people taking their own initiatives in managing their learning, but the benefits of self-managing learning to the individual as well as the organisation are positive. For Teagasc and their members will be extremely important the benefits of self-managed learning. The employees will approach their learning in a way that is most compatible with their own learning style and strategy. In approaching pre-designed, structured training modules, employees can seek out those most congruent with their learning styles. Where the employee designs his/her own learning experience, they would opt for those with which they are most comfortable. There others several distinct benefits of SDL for the organization and their members: * SDL can help identify an â€Å"Organization`s â€Å"A† players- SDL requires initiative. Individuals who show initiative in undertaking their own SDL program are motivated, confident self-starters. Certainly they would evidence motivation, interest and behaviours in their jobs similar to â€Å"A† players. * SDL can be implemented with minimal expense – Many learning projects will cost nothing. Relatively speaking, project costs will be minimal. * SDL minimizes the issue of transfer of learning. 7- Conclusion After done this research in self-managed learning I could say that people are taking more responsibility when they are learning by their own initiative. Self-managed learning is not something easy, though some people tend to passive that managing their own learning through self-managing learning is an old fashion way of learning. The fact is that it’s not true, the basic requirement needed to set out the goals and meeting them is hard approach to learning. Individuals need to understand the stages for the professional development plan for the purpose of having a clear objective of what they would like to achieve from self-managing learning.

Eating in class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Eating in class - Essay Example Also, students should not be allowed to eat in class because other students can become distracted. Time spent in the classroom should be for learning, so if one student eats then it will likely get the attention of other students. These students then may start to feel hungry and will not focus on the lesson at hand. Finally, students should be prohibited from eating during class because it is just plain rude. In most cultures when someone is eating it is a nice thing to offer food to the other people. If a student eats in class alone, then they are causing the other students to become jealous. Since it is wrong to share food in class, it is also wrong for one person to eat during class. Eating during class can be a divisive issue because there is no denying that people need to eat. However, there is a time and place for this, and the classroom is not the place for that. Most people are against students eating during class because the food can smell bad, other students may lose focus of the lesson, and it is rude to eat in front of

Successful security management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Successful security management - Research Paper Example Since security is a mission to protect the people, property and the business, an integrated approach in policy making is essential for successful security management. A formal security frame work in an organization incorporates various security controls which need continuous review for an efficient functioning of the security system. A good security management model envisages security standards for effective practice which increases confidence level of the various stakeholders of the organization. The structure for security management in an organization should be established with clear-cut authority and clarity in reporting system since coordination during the times of exigencies and emergencies will be very crucial. This ensures proper communication at all levels, improves coordination and avoids delays Talbot & Jackman (p. 10) state, â€Å"The term â€Å"security† can of course be a much broader term. For example, if we consider security as a â€Å"state of being protected from hazards, danger, harm, loss of injury,† it also includes elements of protection from natural disasters and concepts of organizational resilience.† Security management is closely related to risk management. Risk could emanate due to various factors, such as accidents in work place, damages due to acts of god, eruption of fire, wars, political and communal violence, theft and loss of confidential information and business secrets. Combination of one or more factors may lead to loss of financial resources and bankruptcy. Also, risks involve health and safety of people and property. Liberalization and globalization drive in various countries have actually increased the risk profile of the projects and businesses considerably due to innovations in information technology and telecommunications and pose threats to the lives of industrialists and politicians. Industrial espionage which is aided by sophisticated

Sampling and Continuous Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sampling and Continuous Improvement - Essay Example United States have always been in the forefront of international trade and manufacturing and it wants to keep it that way. Since China started its mass export of goods, US had been worried that it would capture a major chunk of world's exports however US found solace in the fact that Chinese products were of lower quality. However with changing times, China has started to develop low cost and yet high quality products to challenge US in the international market. The study conducted by Industry Week magazine on the comparison of Chinese and American manufacturers have identified important developments in the inputs that largely contribute to China's inevitable success. The article "Manufacturers Like Us" by David Drickhamer gives us important insights in this subject. According to the article, Chinese manufacturers have become increasingly competitive over the past decade. Their strict management practices and performance metrics show the proof of such changes. Also US makes china's industry revolution much more prominent by referring to them as Enemy Number 1. The two basic reasons for the increasing competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturers have been described as cheap labor and much more efficient machinery. Costs of raw materials and land utilization have also been declared as important inputs to the higher quality outputs that are now being produced. To fully analyze the factors of high quality production by Chinese manufacturers, let's analyze each input factor in detail. 1) Raw Materials Raw Materials are the building blocks of the manufacturing process. These unprocessed materials are bought from the market and transformed into outputs by applying different processes. Since it is expected that the prices of the raw materials will rise in the future, some manufacturers start hoarding these raw materials. This storage is referred to as the inventory and it is kept to meet unexpected shortages in the future. The Chinese manufacturers store large amounts of inventory hence their inventory turnover rates are lower for all types of products. As most managers said that they had four or fewer total inventory turns in a year, there costs are lower since ordering and purchasing costs are not encountered regularly. Rise is raw material costs have not been met by half of the manufactures in China. And those who reported increases, 20% did not charge the customers for the increase. Because of lower raises in cost of raw material, Chinese products are of lower prices and they can maintain the quality of the products without increasing the prices. 2) Labor China has been able to maintain its low cost products primarily because of very low labor rates. According to the article, the Chinese manufacturers pay average wages of $1,450 per year, which is less than three weeks' pay in the U.S. This is how China is able to compete with any country on its cost difference. The quality of the products made by the Chinese seems to be increasing because of better skilled and better trained employees than were available in the past. The Chinese managers provide over 20 hours of training per employee per year while they spend 5% of their annual labor budget on training. The costs may