Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Pills to Make You Smarter Essay

The plague of â€Å"smart pills† is rapidly growing throughout the World. Ritalin, Adderall, and Provigil are taking over college campuses and business offices each day. Why ADHD pills though? The answer is that ADHD medication gets into your brain so that you can maintain focus. These pills are called cognitive-enhancing drugs, which means that they access the brain to enhance. However, you have to have a prescription to get the pills. Many people believe that gives people who have prescriptions an unfair advantage in work on campuses and offices. Why should those people be given the ability to focus and concentrate better? I believe as if it is unfair, also. I would like to be able to take a pill that can help me concentrate. A majority of people think the way I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Based on government data gathered in 2007, more than 1. 6 million people in the U. S. had used prescription stimulants non-medically during the previous 12 months. That is absolutely insane and it needs to change. People are using these drugs and some may be using it for â€Å"hallucinations† and to get a â€Å"high† but still, a majority of the people use these drugs for strictly concentration purposes. There are still many things that scientists worry about, though. Addiction is a big one. Users can get addicted to Ritalin and Adderall over time, which really causes major concerns. Another concern is health problems. Ritalin and Adderall are not necessarily good for your health. Over time, they both cause health problems. However, many â€Å"over-the-counter† drugs today, cause health problems over time. Therefore, at the end of the day we have Adderall, Ritalin, Provigil, and Donepezil. The medical use for Adderall and Ritalin are stimulants that are part of treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy. However, also effective as an enhancer that increases cognitive performance on certain tasks under conditions of fatigue, may also improve planning and one type of working memory. The medical use for Provigil is a stimulant for narcolepsy and excessive sleepiness because of shift work or obstructive sleep apnea. However, it also serves as an effective enhancer to augment mental focus and better performance on a limited set of cognitive measures, such as recall of long strings of numbers. The medical use of Donepezil is for treatment for the cognitive deficits of Alzheimer’s disease; increases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to improve cognition. Effective enhancer as it might aid in learning or memory, but overall results are not certain; ay also take several weeks to work. All of these pills act on DNA in a way that triggers synthesis of proteins that strengthen the signaling connection between the glutamate emitting and receiving neurons. A super â€Å"smart† pill that is made up of the basic ideas in each one of these drugs, is in the making right now. Scientists and Pharmacists are working every day to make this drug, but it is very difficult with all of the downsides that Ritalin, Adderall, Provigil, and Donepezil provide. They are trying to find ways to cut out/reduce most of the downsides. If this drug is created, it will be a major win for the scientific world. It will also affect people in my community. If students are able to take this drug, they will be able to apply themselves towards schoolwork with aid from the drug. If students can concentrate, maintain sleep, and remember things, the sky will be the limit. With the aid from the drug, students will be able to achieve anything that they put their mind to and more.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Smart Grid Resolution, London Waste Dump Site and Maladroit’s Cosmetics Essay

One of the benefits of investing in this $100 million project includes rerouting power around bottlenecked lines. This allows Xcel Energy to deliver electricity to areas in Boulder that have a very high demand that the previous conventional electrical grid was unable to service effectively. This smart-grid system also enables Xcel Energy to detect and reduce power outages, identify false alarms more quickly and read customer meters remotely. This in return will lead to a reduction in the number of times the service crews are sent out to those locations, thus making the service crews more productive. Combining the efficiency of the smart-grid electrical system and the reduction of outages will allow Xcel Energy to capture cost-savings more appropriately. Additionally, this electrical smart-grid allows customers to monitor their individual power use reducing household usage by up to 30% in some cases, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction. Although this may lead to a decrease in revenue for Xcel Energy, the smart-grid system enables integration of renewable generation, an increase in overall system efficiency, a more robust electrical system and an ability to recover under-utilized and wasted energy. We can’t say for sure, but this may actually benefit Xcel Energy in the long-run as they will recover lost revenue through their decreased operational costs using the smart-grid electrical system. What conflicts do you suspect might have occurred between all the different stakeholders in this project? In any project there are four main stakeholders. This includes Client, Parent Organization, Project Team and the Public. In the case of Xcel Energy’s smart-grid project, both the client and public would be the population of Boulder, CO. The Parent Organization is Xcel Energy and the project team includes representatives from Accenture consulting for engineering, energy industry consultants, leading technologists, business leaders and IT experts. Accenture provides consulting solutions in many major industrial sectors. According to the text, Accenture consulting for engineering was hired. Additionally, IT experts were also brought onto the team. Accenture provides IT solutions as part of their consulting portfolio so there may be some conflict between the two parties due to their different backgrounds and methods of doing business. Also security and privacy were of utmost importance to protect intellectual property, so it is in the best interests of the project team and the parent organization to control how much information they gave to the public and local media. However, the latter of the two recipients may have wanted more information, specifically, how this affects their electricity costs and demands in the long run causing another source of conflict. Internally, members of the project team will experience conflict caused by belonging to two different teams – their project team and functional team. Often, the head of the teams are two different people with different motives and goals, and the members have the responsibility to report to both and are therefore pulled in two different directions. The members of the project team experience almost total conflict as they compete for project resources and leadership roles. This is caused in part by the different backgrounds, attitudes and biases of each member. This would be especially apparent in the Xcel project where members from many different companies and departments are brought together, each with a unique way of accomplishing the tasks and work packages of the project. Turning London’s Waste Dump into the 2012 Olympics Stadium Which of the â€Å"triple constraints† seems to be the uppermost here? Which constraints was Crockford trading between? The text says Crockford â€Å"quickly† assembled a project team of over 1000 individuals in order to meet the mid-2011 completion date. A constant referral to time is also observed. The start date of construction was noted as May 2008 and although there was a delay due to re-designing the roof, the text ends by stating that the project was still on track to be completed by mid-2011. Therefore, Schedule is the triple constraint uppermost here. The design team for the 2012 Olympics Stadium planned a highly-compact field of play requiring a steel-beamed roof and on discovering that the steel-beamed roof as designed would create turbulence on the compact field, a lighter, more flexible roof was redesigned, which was made in part from recycled materials. This roof required less steel and cost less than the initial steel-beamed roof designed. Thus, Crockford traded between the Scope (Required Deliverables) and the Cost (Budget limit). Was the life cycle for this project S-shaped, J-shaped, or something else? Considering just the purpose of the river dredging as a project itself, what was the shape of its life cycle? The completion of London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium consisted of selecting the project team (consisting of over 1000 members), cleaning up the chosen site, design of the stadium, construction, delays and finally construction until completion. Therefore, the project life-cycle most likely followed a stretched S-shape curve similar to housing construction projects. The S-shaped curve is categorized by a slow start, followed by a quick build-up and a slow finish. This is a result of the changing levels of resources used during the successive stages of the life-cycle. The slow start in this case would be the clearing of the site and design of the stadium. Construction would also begin slowly but would quickly ramp up once all the raw materials are shipped to the location and base infrastructure completed. There is a delay (not uncommon – almost expected) when the team realizes the steel-beamed roof would create turbulence on the compact field. Finally, construction will slow down as specialized parts are ordered for the final touches (luxury spectator rooms, confectionary stands etc). The river dredging project followed a J-shaped curve. This is characterized by a slow start followed by an exponential increase in project completion over time. Moreover, the expenditure of resources has little correlation with overall progress. The team removed 30,000 tons of silt, gravel and garbage from the river. Getting the cranes and other heavy machinery used to remove garbage from the river would take time, but once there, they can quickly and effectively remove the waste from the river. Were there any ancillary goals for this project? What might they have been? The Olympic Delivery Authority’s goal to use recycled materials in the building of the 2012 Olympic Stadium can be considered as an ancillary goal. The use of recycled materials to build a lighter, more flexible roof creates opportunities whereby a stadium can be completely built from recycled materials in the future. An ancillary goal of making 55,000 of the 80,000 seats temporary would create a profitable stadium in the future because the cost of maintaining the area containing the seats is grossly reduced. Furthermore, a successful stadium results in a successful 2012 Olympics and ultimately increases tourism in England. Finally, Ian Crockford has greatly increased his reputation and experience as a project manager (as well as his subordinates and parent company too) which drastically increases his chances of managing future projects on this scale and beyond. Which of the project-defining factors in Section 1. 1 were active here. The project was identified as important by the Olympic Delivery Authority composed of politicians and other high-ranking members of society. The scope was clearly defined from the beginning of the project and was divided into sub-tasks to achieve the project goals. The due date of the project is also clearly defined as Mid-2011. Many interdependencies were at play such as the recycled metal from the police department and dredging of the river. The project was unique in that it had a temporary seating design, a lighter more flexible roof and designed specifically for the 2012 London Olympics. The budget was limited to ? 32 million and not unlike the Xcel Energy case detailed above; conflicts existed between the different stakeholders of the project. Therefore, all 7 of the project defining factors were active in the construction of the 2012 Olympics stadium. Maladroit Cosmetics Company Which of the three choices do you recommend and why? The third choice, that is, the company that manufactures the machines can handle the installation project for a fee close to what the installation would cost Maladroit is recommended for a number of reasons. The first being hat Maladroit becomes the customer in this transaction, and the company installing the machines would be performing the job and would have to do it according Maladroit’s specifications including any unseen delays not identified in the scope. We are also unsure of the qualifications of the members of her staff and if they capable of undertaking such a high risk project worth $4 million. Finally, she cannot handle the project informally out of office because the project is very important and she would not be able to devote as much time to the project as well as her current duties. If the project was one small machine at a total cost of $4,000, would your answer be different? Yes, we would recommend that she assigns the project to a member of her staff that could potentially be suited for a managerial role in the future. This low risk project would be an excellent test to see how well he or she is able to complete the project deliverables in a cost-effective and timely manner. Discuss the relative importance of the capital investment required versus the role of the investment in machinery. Capital investment can be defined as a commitment of the owner’s money to land, buildings or machinery. In this example, it is the commitment of the owner’s money to the installation of 6 machines worth $4million (note: the plant manager does not necessarily own the machines, rather, the shareholders or owners of the actual company do). The role of the investment in machinery is to replace the filling machines that have become obsolete within 6 months so that the company can continue to produce cosmetic products and generate revenue.

Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center

The visit I made to the Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center in Sacramento, California, proved to be highly informative, entertaining, and a two-hour well spent. The experience afforded me a lot of learnings from the Gold Rush period that I didn't know before. Before I made the tour of the four galleries inside the building, I first went to the visitors' information center, wherein an introduction regarding the building's construction has been shown in a nine-minute film clip.Based on the clip shown, I learned that the museum is a replica of the original building that was built in 1854 that previously housed the City of Sacramento's city hall, dormitory for the fire department, jail, police station, and court. The original structure had suffered from structural problems and was declared unsafe many years later. It was finally demolished about sixty years later in 1913.The replica building has been modified on some sides in line with its being a museum showcasing history, science and technology. The Gold Rush Center's exhibits are in The Lure of Gold gallery. The museum's arrangement of events is well organized and unique. From there, I was able to see gold nuggets on display and artifacts and implements used by miners from the Gold Rush era. The Gold Rush in California was a defining moment in history that changed Sacramento forever.Sacramento became the center of that event in 1849. People from all over the world went to this city hoping to make themselves rich. Previously, this gallery has showcased a typical miner's travel and lifestyle. Aside from the exhibits, there are also hands-on activities for children and interactive programs to help the present generation get a better understanding of the past.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Video games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Video games - Essay Example The player develops the sportsman spirit and learns to take failures into stride. Instead of going to sleep during daytime, it is better to play some inspiring video games that boost the energy level as they enliven the spirits of the player. The thinking capacity of the mind sharpens as you think of moves and counter moves. One also develops a challenging trait which enables an individual to face difficulties with courage in real-life situations. With the theory/practical knowledge available through the internet, an individual gets the knowledge of different types of games from many countries. To play a game, an individual need not leave the place of residence, and waste time and money on conveyance and relax in the homely atmosphere and adjust the playing time according to convenience. Drew Guarinà ­ (2013) writes â€Å"A study from the University of Padua throws cold water on the idea that video games are bad for the brains of young children. In February, the Italian researchers presented evidence that playing fast-paced video games can improve the reading skills of children with dyslexia†. By playing the same videogame a number of times, we attain perfection and speed. Winning the games provides the satisfaction and confidence and that will help us in real-life situations. So we should develop the art of playing video games without getting addicted to

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Community Health Strategies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Health Strategies - Research Paper Example Several studies suggest that low birth weight and very low birth weight among the new born babies increases their risk of developing certain chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and heart disease once the infant reaches the adulthood stage. (Valsmakis et al., 2006; Barker, 1993) Basically, the development of such diseases is primarily caused by poor metabolic function. Specifically in Duval County, the number of adolescents with sexually transmitted diseases has reached a total of 3,875 per 100,000 individuals (Filipowicz, Harmon, & Livinghood, 2007). Another major health concern in Duval County Teen pregnancy or pregnancy between the age brackets of 15 – 24 year old (ibid). In line with this two major health concerns, the relationship between responsible sexual behavior and the effect of sexually transmitted infections with preterm birth will be thoroughly examined and discussed. In the process of going through the main discussion, the vulnerable population affected by preterm birth in relation to sexually transmitted diseases will be provided followed by describing and applying the concept of Watson’s Theory of Human Caring in the role of community health nurses when addressing this particular community health problem. Prior to conclusion, some of the recommended health nursing intervention priorities and teaching strategies in caring for the patients will be identified. Aside from having limited access to health care system, women who are infected with sexually transmitted disease may tend to limit their visit to medical doctors or physician. Because of the absence of prenatal check-up, pregnant women who are infected with sexually transmitted disease may end up not having sufficient prenatal care. One of the main reasons for having a preterm birth is due to lack of prenatal care. For this reason, I have personally

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Digital Firm Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital Firm - Assignment Example core purpose of the technological platforms in the digital firm involves the integration and exchange of information within the organization’s major key players. In the global scale, changes in working location, business agility and automation of business processes have led to the reconfiguration of the working culture within an organization and hence the proliferation of digital firms. The evolving trend in information and communication technology have devalued the need of an established location such as an office and instead advocated for direct contact with employees, suppliers and customers for effective business undertakings. The electronic collaboration and online teamwork have enabled digital firms to carryout international projects, which were extremely expensive and time consuming in the traditional fixed locations. Such stances enable employees and other key players to work from their convenient locations using telecommunication channels. The use of technology has enabled the contemporary digital firms to acquire the necessary expertise to conduct their business regardless of their business size. The notion is compounded by the fact that cheap telecommunication channels are easily accessible. The traditional big organization were considered less agile as compared to the small firms but using technology the big firms are able to act small in order to reap maximum benefits. The digital firm makes use of information systems to carry out its activity, which lead to the automation of all the business processes. In order to enhance the automation of business processes, digital firms engages in the reengineering of working processes and procedures before a new technological infrastructure is introduced. In a digital firm, the required efficiency is attained through redefining, redesigning and refining workflow within the various structures of the organization. Coca-Cola firm, which is an international food processing organization that employs information

Friday, July 26, 2019

Saponification of Triglycerides Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Saponification of Triglycerides - Lab Report Example In this process the triglyceride is reacted with a strong base such as sodium or potassium hydroxide to produce glycerol and fatty acid salts (Whitten et al., 2007). The saponification of glyceryl tristearate is illustrated in Figure 1. The commonest soaps are the fatty-acid salts of sodium and potassium. Hard soaps are sodium salts while soft soaps are potassium salts. The fatty-acid salts of ammonium are also sometimes used for cleansing. Only a few other soaps are of practical importance, for example lead soaps which are used in medicinal plasters, zinc soaps which are used in ointments, and aluminum soaps which are used in waterproofing. Very few of the salts of fatty acids have the properties of common soap. Most of them are but slightly soluble in water, and therefore do not yield suds and have little or no detergent (i.e., cleansing) action. All are nevertheless termed soaps by chemists (Lewkowitsch, 1904). The saponification number (S) is the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to convert one gram of the fat completely into glycerine and potassium soap. It gives information concerning the character of the fatty acids of the fat and in particular concerning the solubility of their soaps in water. Table 1 lists the saponification number of the common fats and oils. Table 1 shows that butter ranks with palm kernel oil and coconut oil as having a very high saponification number. ... Mutton tallow 192 - 195.5 Menhaden oil 190.6 Peanut oil (arachis) 190 - 196 Corn oil 188 - 193 Horse oil 195 - 197 Olive oil 185 - 196 Beef tallow 193.2 - 200 Soy bean oil 193 Palm oil 196 - 205 Cacao butter 193.55 Butter 220 - 233 Linseed oil 192 - 195 Palm kernel oil 242 - 250 Cottonseed oil 193 - 195 Coconut oil 246 - 260 Lard 195.4 (Lewkowitsch, 1904: 400) Table 1 shows that butter ranks with palm kernel oil and coconut oil as having a very high saponification number. This is due to the fact that its triglycerides contain appreciable quantities of fatty acids (myristic acid and small quantities of lauric acid) which when they form soap combine with relatively more sodium or potassium than the more common acids of fats. These acids occur in undecomposed butter in chemical combination as triglycerides. Their sodium or potassium soaps are quite soluble in water. The high saponification number of coconut oil and palm kernel oil is due to the large proportion of fatty acids (lauric acid and myristic acid) that they contain. In this laboratory exercise, saponification as the hydrolysis in basic solution of fats and oils to produce glycerol and salts of fatty acids, and determination of saponification number of sample fat and oil were evaluated. II. Method Triglyceride (2 g) was accurately weighed and was placed in a dry round bottom flask. The prepared ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution (50 cm3) was added to the flask using a pipette. Few anti bumping granules were added to the stirring solution. After setting up the reflux condenser, the solution was boiled for at least 30 minutes. A blank experiment with identical volume as the sample solution was also carried out. After refluxing, the solution was allowed to cool. After cooling, a few drops of

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Dispersed Team Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dispersed Team Dynamics - Essay Example The effectiveness of studies on the dynamics of the teams has influential merits for the management students as they can convert their individual skills to collective enthusiasm at their prospective workplace. This essay will focus on the summative evaluation of the different elements of virtual team management and the practical utility of the methods applied in the course structure and identify the questions for future exploration. The course design for the topic of dispersed team dynamics has successfully covered the different theoretical aspects associated with the virtual team management applications. The basic learning from the course encompasses the technical and scientific knowledge associated with the formation of virtual teams and their functions. The lectures and practical sessions of the course effectively address the essential features of operational management, communication and the principles of collaboration in order to empower the learners to develop their employability at the challenging job market conditions. The course literature evidently focuses on the technical and personal competencies required for the virtual team managers. The current tendencies of the global HR environment of collectively demand the management students and leadership aspirants to explore their own potentials on the basis of the required adaptability skills essential for coping up the change-inflicted challenges. Accord ing to Lpesinger and DeRosa (2010), the emphasis of envisioning the changes as part of virtual team management functioning is essential for team leaders because of the importance of visions in strategic planning and decision making (p.93). As part of the course, the virtual team has taken a definition for the students as they realize the scope of this HR practice device across the multi-cultural and diverse employment

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Busnisse law final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Busnisse law final exam - Essay Example The above scenario can therefore be discussed under promissory estoppel which is a legal law that requires the promisor to honor his or her promise to the promisee. The board in its meeting passed a decision which was based on a promise about paying Faithful $3000 per month as pension as a sort of reward after he retires. The pension promise is implemented only for a period less than two years of which he was in good health. The new president therefore stopping his pension payment despite it having been recorded by the board is nothing short of a breach of a promise. It can be argued that the real reason the pension was stopped was because Faithful became ill and hence was thought to therefore be in no position to assist the company in any way despite him being retired and would therefore be more of a liability than an asset. According to the promissory estoppel, even though it is not legally binding in the sense of a contract with mutual consent, the promisor still has to honor the promise made to the promisee no matter the situation. The court can therefore demand the company to continue paying Faithful the promised pension whether he is sick or not and with this ruling, Faithful can recover his promised pension and continue to enjoy it as before. Homeowner is legally liable to be compensated by Better and also Retailer under negligence defense in the law of tort because of the newly enforced law in the state of East Colombia. According to him, he thought that the mower manufacturer and even seller had honored and implemented the law and hence he was sure it was safe for him to reach under the mower once he applied the brakes on it. In order to prove liability and make a strong defense, the plaintiff suing for negligence has to have had a duty of care from the defense, the duty has to have been breached and caused damage to the plaintiff (Miller and Cross, 123). All these conditions have been

CONFLICT OF LAWS IN BUSINESS & COMMERCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

CONFLICT OF LAWS IN BUSINESS & COMMERCE - Essay Example This report will first provide a brief explanation of basic issues that arise in reference to the enforcement of foreign judgments in England and then apply them in the context of the four different instances where damages have been levied on Pulman Technics by foreign courts. A dispute over a foreign judgment may involve one of three elements (a) whether the Court which issued the judgment has the necessary jurisdiction (b) choice of law applicable in those judgments and (c) recognition and enforcement of judgments (Clarkson and Hill, 2007:131). Foreign judgments are recognized and given effect to by courts in other countries, because the recognition of foreign judgments is one of the essential elements of private international law on the basis of res judicata provisions. Through the application of the full faith and credit doctrine, courts do recognize the judgments delivered by other courts functioning within a competent jurisdiction. The Theory of obligation rests on the premise that if the original court’s assumption of jurisdiction was in order, then it should prima facie be recognizable in England.(Clarkson and Hill, 2007: 133) In the case of judgments that have been passed within countries that are a part of the Brussels Convention, such judgments would be enforceable in England, provided they are not repugnant to the principles of morality and fairness advocated under English law.In the case of foreign judgments passed in countries that are not a part of the Brussels Convention and where no reciprocal enforcement treaties exist, the action to enforce the judgment must be brought under common law rules. The matter of consent will be established if there is a contractual clause allowing jurisdiction to the foreign court, or if there is a voluntary appearance by the judgment-debtor. (Clarkson and Hill, 2007:136). A defendant must have been present in the foreign country where action is being brought against him or her and in the event,

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Research a Fortune 500 company Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Fortune 500 company - Research Paper Example Introduction Wal-Mart is regarded as an American based multinational retail business corporation. It is one of the top companies which regained its position in the Fortune 500 list as per the 2012 report. The company emphasized providing quality products to the customers at a reasonable price which supported it to regain its position in the market (Duke, 2012). The management and the marketing strategies that adopted and used by Wal-Mart have a great impact on its increasing sales and the revenue earned. The foremost reasons for the success of Wal-Mart include its effective management, making deliberate efforts to attain its vision and growth among others which are in turn providing the business of the company an edge over others. Management and Marketing Strategies Wal-Mart developed a business model which focused on providing greater satisfaction to the customer with the deliverance of low price products to them. The management of the company followed upon developing its marketing mix strategy. In terms of analyzing management strategies of Wal-Mart, it can be viewed that the management of the company took steps to offer reasonable prices to the different product ranges that they deliver to the customers. The management segments the product type based on the buying capacity of the individuals. In relation to marketing strategies, the company emphasized promoting its broad assortment of products through using hoardings, leaflets and offering special discounts. In this regard, it can be affirmed that the management of the company desires to attract the customers by creating a positive brand name and recognition in the business markets where it operates. Relating to marketing strategy, the management team of the company developed a slogan as a way of promoting its varied products i.e. "Everyday Low Prices."Â   Continuous innovation and the use of technology for making the customers more satisfied are the other managerial approaches that used by Wal-Mart. It can be apparently observed that technology innovation at Wal-Mart typically involves process and service invention that helps in reducing operational costs and time at large. In this context, the management followed three policy goals i.e. respect for individuals, facility to customers and determination for excellence (Hayden et. al., 2002). Different Business Life Cycles that Endured By Wal-Mart The Prosperity Phase- This phase is regarded as the growth phase of any company which is marked by strong economy and market presence. In this similar concern, Wal-Mart maintained this particular phase by offering "high-quality," along with branded products at low prices and also by forming several stores in small towns. Wal-Mart uses the discount merchandising strategy in order to increase the demand and the sales of its products and hence accomplished superior competitive position over others. In relation to this particular phase, the company is growing rapidly due to diversification strateg y that it follows and expanding its outlets in small towns. Another reason for the company to flourish in this modern business market is focusing on delivering high customer services. Due to excessive demand of the products, the management of the company absorbed more employees during this phase (Hayden et. al., 2002). The Recession and Recovery Phase- This is the business phase which exhibits expansion by a significant level. This particular pha

Monday, July 22, 2019

Empirical evidence to support the theoretical framework Essay Example for Free

Empirical evidence to support the theoretical framework Essay Wolfgang and Ferracuti present a general a general version of this subculture of violence thesis, which was drawn on Sutherland’s differential association theory, as well as other approaches, in order to explain why certain groups have higher rates of violence (Cote, 2002 p. 88). The subculture of Violence theory relied to some extent on Wolfgang’s earlier study of homicide in Philadelphia. Wolfgang had found that a significant number of homicides that occurred among lower-class people seemed to result from very trivial events that took on great importance because of mutually held expectations about how people would behave (Waters, 2006 p. 62). The authors of the theory began their work by presenting a variety of propositions and constitute the thesis, ranging from psychoanalytic theories of aggression, medical and biological studies, the frustration-aggression hypothesis, containment theory, child-rearing practices, and social learning and conditioning propositions. Wolfgang and Ferracuti has pointed out that the subculture of violence approve of violence unconditionally and that violence is not necessarily supported by all members of sub-society (Cote, 2002 p.88). One case presentation is provided in which the theoretical framework of subculture of violence is depicted. States that have a higher population of black people but low in white homicide rates, such as Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, contain a large proportion of blacks who come from the South (Hazlehurst and Hazlehurst, 1998 p. 36; Smith and Berlin, 1998 p. 268). On the other hand, the states in which the migrant blacks were reared also show a high white homicide rates. Critically analyzing these facts, one can infer that in the Southern states, there is a subculture of violence more intensive than in other parts of our country, which is shared by both black and white races and which is carries North by both races when they migrate to these new areas (Smith and Berlin, 1998 p. 268). As an example, the analysis of racial stands and status present in the United States, trivial insults are expected to be met with violence, and failure to respond in this way is met with social censure from the peer group adapted this theory to explain violence among American Blacks (Cote, 2002 p. 88; Hazlehurst and Hazlehurst, 1998 p. 36). Maintenance of a manly image is important in the subculture, and individuals who are unable to resolve conflicts verbally are more likely to resort to violence in order to assert their masculinity. Behavior is partly a response to social conditions, and partly the result of an individual’s acceptance of the ideas and values which he has absorbed from the subculture of violence (Hazlehurst and Hazlehurst, 1998 p. 36). Critiques on Subculture of Violence Theory. Fine and Kelinman (1979) have offered a general critique of the notion of subculture as it is used by social scientists. Many of their criticisms are relevant fir understanding the limitations of subculture of violence theory. They note that problems in previous subculture research include (1) a confusion of the ideas of subculture and sub-society, (2) the lack of a meaningful referent for subculture, (3) the homogeneity and stasis associated with the concept, and (4) the emphasis on defining subcultures in terms of values and central themes. They suggest that the subculture construct, to be of maximal usefulness, needs to be linked to processes of interaction among members of groups (Greene and Gabbidon, 2000 p. 133). In addition, it would be difficult to support an argument that a subculture exists in relation to a single cultural interest, and the thesis of a subculture of violence does not suggest a monolithic character (Bean, 2003 p. 229). Tedeschi and Felson (1994), for instance, were unable to identify a community or subculture that placed a positive value on violence. Furthermore, the subculture of violence hypothesis has been criticized on the grounds that it makes a circular argument (Walters, 2002 p. 81-82). Darnell Hawkins (1983) offered a number of criticisms of the subculture of violence theory that could apply equally to other â€Å"cultural† theories (Mann, 1993 p. 115-116): 1. There is an overemphasis on individual value orientations which, when aggregated, are said to generate a subculture. 2. The theory is not empirically grounded and is challenged by some research findings. 3. A great deal of the theory underemphasizes a number of structural, situational, and institutional factors that affect interpersonal violence; for example, for African Americans such factors extend from historical patterns evolving from slavery to the ramifications of an individual homicide, to the manner in which the criminal justice system operates. 4. The theory downplays the effects of the law on criminal homicide patterns. 5. In addition to the implanting of values, there are other possible ways that the social, economic, and political disadvantages faced by African Americans may lead to high homicide rates. Criticisms of the theoretical framework are subjected to various differentiations of human totality. The primary domain associated in the theoretical framework itself is the concept that subculture is the prime effectors of criminal and deviant behavior occurrence, which is not always and not entirely factual. As the statement of criminal governance and behavioral psychology implies, there are still various organizations and domains present in the both intra and inter-personal human attributes, such as physical nature, cognitive capacity and status, moral perspectives, environmental strains and stresses present, and the social conflicts that cover broad scope of conceptualities. Conclusions. In the summary of the theoretical framework presented, Subculture of Violence Theory by Marvin Wolfgang and Italian criminologist Franco Ferracuti (1976), has produced significant contributions in explaining how social community of subculture and violence affects the behavioral deviancy. The major point of the theoretical framework emphasizes more on violent behaviors resulted by a sub-cultural environment that encourages and legalize violent behavioral patterns. The theory assumed that violence only occurs if violence itself is intrinsically present in the community, and eventually, encourage its occurrence. If the subculture engages in behavioral conflicts of violence, chances are, the individuals involved in such acts or those that are indirectly related to the occurrence of that act shall primarily be influence to redo the violent behavior due to the concept of violence-legalizations. The theoretical framework has been based in the reflection of lower-class norms and a learned response to the pressures encountered in lower-class living, empirical support for the existence of impoverished inner-city areas, and the homicide occurrences in African Americans and whites. The social policy implicated involves mainly the racial equity between the races exampled. Reference Bean, P. (2003). Crime. Routledge. Cote, S. (2002). Criminological Theories: Bridging the Past to the Future. Sage Publications Inc. Flowers, R. B. (2002). Kids Who Commit Adult Crimes: Serious Criminality by Juvenile Offenders. Haworth Press. Greene, H. , Gabbidon, S. L. (2000). African American Criminological Thought. SUNY Press. Hazzlehurst, K. M. , Hazzlehurst, C. (1998). Gangs and Youth Subcultures: International Explorations. Transaction Publishers. Heitmeyer, G. F. , Hagan, J. (2003). International Handbook of Violence Research. Springer. Lee etal, M. (2003). Solution-Focused Treatment of Domestic Violence Offenders. Oxford University Press. Mann, C. (1993). Unequal Justice: A Question of Color. Indiana University Press. Smith, A. B. , Berlin, L. (1998). Treating the Criminal Offender. Springer. Vito etal, G. F. (2007). Criminology: Theory, Research, And Policy. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Volavka, J. (2002). Neurobiology of Violence. American Psychiatric Pub. Walters, G. D. (2002). Criminal Belief Systems: An Integrated-Interactive Theory of Lifestyles. Praeger/Greenwood. Waters, N. (2006). Ten List for School Safety: Teach These Laws to Safeguard Generations. Tate Publishing. Wolfgang, M. (2001). The Subculture Of Violence: Towards an Integrated Theory in Criminology. Routledge.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Verbal Communication And Presentation Skills

Verbal Communication And Presentation Skills Introduction During the Impact Workshop we were asked to mention our two skills which we think we need to improve during our tenure at Leeds Metropolitan University. According to me the skills which I want to develop are Verbal Communication Skills and Presentation Skills. After the completion of the workshop I went through few books and found out certain methods which authors believe, can be usefull to improve these skills. Skill 1: Verbal Communication Skills Many teachers worlwide have to teach mainly grammar and vocabulary because these areas are tested in examinations. This means that speaking is a neglected language skill in many classrooms. Even after good knowlegde of grammar, students tend to find difficult to speak English outside tha classroom. Students who can speak English well may have a greater chance of, finding employement and gaining promotion. Good English speakers will be in a strong position to help their conutrys economic, political and social development. Speaking activities can reinforce the learning of new vocabulary, grammar or functional language. Speaking activities gives students a chance to use the new language they are learning.( Baker, J and   Westrup,H, 2003, pp. 6-8) It is very important to speak in English during the classroom sessions; it is not only a place where we learn about the rules of language. It is also a place where students can practice using the language in a supportive environment. People learn language in different ways. Many learn to speak in english without taking a single lesson however other learn it by taking classes in the language.( Baker,J and   Westrup,H, 2003, pp.6-8) When we talk about speaking, we mean using language for a purpose. The author says that instead of asking students to repeat sentences, some time give students a topic and ask them to construct and say their own responses. And this examples is related with me as this is one technique which I have been following since my schooling however when I decided to come to U.K. and pursue masters I had to appear for IELTS exam, I found that this is not enough as my score was pretty low in spoken english as compare to other metrices. I realised that speaking in English requires a lot of practice, not just discussion on small topics in the classroom. It requires a hold over the language so that one is able to comprehend first what needs to be spoken. And should be able to make others understand what they want to say by communicating effectively. Hence I realised after reading this book that to have a good command on the language one need to practice and use his/her skills to create his/her own s entences and try to communicate in english as much as possible. In order to be affluent with the language and stand out of the crowd one should not repeat what others say, but one should make his/her own sentences and dialogues. I have started applying the methods suggested by the author in order to improve my spoken English. I have seen a change in me, as I have started speaking a lot in the class, started asking questions during the claassroom sessions. I found that I am not that much hesitant anymore, while interacting with students from different counrties, cultures and I have realised that by doing this on a daily basis I happen to improve on my vocabulary and I fumble less while speaking. And I think that because of this i have become more confident and started taking part in group discussions and presentations in the class. Now I feel that flying from India to UK is worth, and I feel this leap in my life and opportunity to study here and have a good grasp over the language will help me in near future i.e. HR in which I would like to pursue my career. As English is a universal language one must have a good command over it as it is required worldwide for employment. The author suggests that an individual can improve speaking skills in english by activating and extending their linguistic competence; increasing their confidence in using spoken english; developing their ability to analyze and evaluate spoken performance; sharpening their competence in face to face interaction. By using these points one can improve the quality of their speaking skills as well as to increase the quality of their knowlegde of the language system. ( Anderson,K et al.,2004, pp.7-8) After attending theImpact workshop I realised that it is very important to develop speaking skills, if I have to sustain in this competitive world. I thought a lot on how I can improve this skill and I confronted this to my tutors and with the help of their guidance I found that I should read a lot of books and also look at different approches which various authors have suggested to improvise this skill. Then I found this book and i discovered that in order to improve spoken English one needs to have good vocabulary knowlegde so that he/she can use different words while interating with others. Doing this helps in increase in confidence while speaking in English and along with this one also enculcate an ability to observe and measure different ways of speaking. Polishing their skills by interacting with more and more people personally and talking to yourself by looking at the mirror. Hence building your self confidence and thus enhancing your skills. Since these factors are very helfull in order to build up ones speaking skills, I have also started implementing them in my day to day life. I try to speak and interact in English on a daily basis with my friends, classmates, family members etc. I also try to participate in those activities which require use of spoken English as a whole so that my skill is developed. In order to speak good English one should also be able to pronounce words clearly aand correctly. While pronouncing a word one must take care to voice the sound at the end of the word. If one dont and intend to say I need a cab, the listener ill hear I need a cap. The author further explains with this example that if all vowels are voiced, then this should help cleary the voicing through to the end. The author put forward the methods to improvise on ones pronunciation and speaking by praticing the pronunciation of such words by speaking them on a daily basis and during spare time. Practising it has added benefit of carry-over to its homophones, too and two, also used with high frequency. ( Bareithe, T, 2007) As per the author one needs to practice this skill by communicating more and more even during the spare time, be it wailking from one place to another, or driving from one workplace to home or vice a versa, or waiting for someone. The author says that there are few words which are pronounced similarly however written differently and have different meanings. We need to practice pronounciation of such words along with others. And there are few words if not pronounced correctly, then the listener might interpret it something else. E.g. if we dont pronounce backed correctly then the listener may hear it as packed. Earlier I use to listen to English songs and use to think that I can extract few English words that are considered as part of good vocabolary. However later on I realised that by doing so I am not improving, rather hampering my vocabulory and restricting myself as I have fallen prey to use a lot of slangs and cannot communicate frequently as I was not able to grasp the words from the songs. When I read this book I realised that the methods given in the book are right ways of improving spoken English and now I have been practising all the methods mentioned by the author. I try to utilise my spare time in practicing pronunciation of different words. And I think this method is very usefull and easy as compare to other methods. Skill 2: Presentation Skills In order to improve our presentation skills, the author says that one should be able to deal beter with the feedback. When someone is sharing their perception one should be gracious, not defensive, take notes and should not try to explain or rationalize. One should always be specific and should ask them to clarify, with simple, open questions in a cordial, calm tone. And should thank them for their feedback. According to the author the prsenter should always be open to the feedback given by the audience or the assessor. One should take the feedback positively and should try and implement advices into actions. Also while presenting the speaker should be very clear, should use simple words and should have a pleasant tone. Earlier I was very bad in presentation skills, I figure this out when I started giving presentations during the classroom sessions. I use to get annoyed from the no.of questions asked as I was not able to handle the pressure. And I was not able to accept that my classmates are cross questioning me rather than my tuitor, which made me further phobic to presentations as it hurted my ego. However after reading this book and suugestions given by author I learnt to hold on to be patient and starting accepting the feedback, be it from anyone, my classmates or janetor. (Rotondo, J and Rontodo, M, 2001, p.167) As per the author for better presentation one need to use good visual aids to make it clearer, so that it makes sense to the audience- if they follow the outline of your speech and they succintly present that outline. Follow your outline. Refer to your Outline Worksheet, and start your presentation by designing one slide for each idea. For Example the basic presentation may have the following slides: title; attention grabber; purpose; agenda; benefit of audience; point 1 with the example; point 2 with the example; point 3 with the example; summary, action step; final statement. The author suggests that for a presentation one should try and use some good pictures, so that the audience is able to understand it easily. The language used should be simple and clear. The structure should be clear starting from the title, with each part of the presentation divided separatly and elaborated with examples, should always have a conclusion. Before reading this book I use to think that presentation need not require much effort, which can be done without visuals as well, just by reading from the paper but after looking at the suggestions given by the author I thought that visuals are very usefull, especially to build the interest of the audience. Adding up images adds colour to the presentation and makes it more entertaining for the audience. I have presented on few topics during the class sessions and have started using images. It is very usefull in order to maintain the rhythm. (Bienvenu, S, 2000, P.76) The author believes that there are few steps which one should always follow in order to present effectively. Its starts from staying relax; lets say theres is a weird question from the audience which you think is can make you nervous, that your heart starts beating too fast. However one should stay calm before answering it so that the flow of the presentation is maintained. And the thinking process remains active. The next step can be being firm and polite to the audience while answering their questions and not being hyper or rude if someone asks too many questions. Check the audiences body language, whether they are paying any attention or not, or whether they are being distracted by anyone or they are paying more attention to someone else then you, if they look irritated or if they are genuinly intrested in the presentation and if this is the case then they would want you to answer all the questions quickly without wasting any time. I discovered after reading this that its a human behaviour to get nervous while standing and presenting in front of number of people. Especially when the audience is very proactive in asking questions and due to nervousness one tends to forget things or gets diverted. One should be able to control the presentation with the help of his/her communication skills and sense of humour. So that the audience does not looses its interest. One should be able jugde after looking at the audience, whether they are paying attention or not, whether they are getting annoyed or taking more interest in gossiping or doing some other work. Also one should be able to maintain his/her calm when someone asks a question which is irrelevant or which can create confusion for others. One should always try to answer questionss clearly and should be to the point. One should be thorough with the presentation so that he/she is able to answer evry question asked. I have realised that after coming to U.K. I started fumbling and started getting nervous while answering questions during the presentation. I use to get annoyed with the no.of answers however after reading through this book I am able to present more confidently and I am able to answer questions without getting irritated. This has really helped me in order to stay calm and present effectively. I always am thorough with the topic of presentation sso that I am able to solve any of the queries based on the topic. (Bradbury,A, 2006, pp.132-134) Conclusion After reading all these books related to my weaknesses which I wanted to work on, and after the application of the methods suggested my all the authors I see myself improving day by day and comprehensivley overcoming my weaknesses. Though I dont have any evidences to show but my active participation in the classroom, group work, presentations proves it all. Thus far I am satisfied with my progress and more than happy to make this decision of coming to U.K. and then attending the Impact workshop under my skills module, which made me realize that knowing your weaknesses is not an embarasment rather it is more beneficial. As one knows the areas of development and can be improved before entering the corporaate arena, where we are suppose to perform and compete. Appendices Log 1 Name Miss Divya Manohar Description of experience? I was an  introvert and was never bothered that it might affect my professional front before coming to Leeds because I thought it was a matter of personal choice. However making various presentations at Leeds made me realizes that I had to gear up to work on both my presentation skills and my shyness. What did I previously think was true, but now know to be incorrect/ wrong?   I use to think that being an introvert will not effect be adversly. What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this? Back in India I was not at all shy talking in front of the crowd during different celebratory activities but when it came to do the same in a conference hall confronting my tutors, I was nervous. And was unable to perform effectively. One thing I learned from this? One should be always ready to learn, and its never too late. How do I plan to cope up with it?   I have started working on it after becoming a part of Leeds Metropolitan.In order to become better I am trying to speak more frankly while talking to my classmates and try not to hesitate to ask for help from others. Also Iam trying to include some good vocabulary to my verbal communication that will help me make a mark for me in order to assess my progress. Also apart from this, I will put a habit of rehearsing my presentations before I get on the stage. And doing good research on the topic so that I will be able to answer all the questions which aundience might have, effectively. Log 2 Name Miss Divya Manohar Description of experience?   After I came to leeds I realised that I my spoken english was not that good. Even after studying in an english medium school, I was required to polish my speaking skills. I never thought that it might affect my professional front because it was appropriate as per the Indian aundience. However after giving my IELTS exam I figured out that when it comes to speaking english fluently, especially when you are being jugded I am not good at all. Moreover after communicating with people from various cultures specially who are from U.K at Leeds made me realizes that I had to gear up to work on spoken communication skills. What did I previously think was true, but now know to be incorrect/ wrong?   I thought that my spoken language is effiecient enough, however it was not that great when it comes to profeesional level. What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this ? When I was in India I was never hesitant whenever it comes to speak in front of general public or in a classroom whenever there was a discussion on various topics or an event but when it came to do the same when I was being assessed during IELTS and after coming here, I was not confident enough. And was unable to express my view points effectively. One thing I learned from this? One should be always ready to learn, and its never too late. How do I plan to cope up with it?   I have already started working on it after becoming a part of Leeds Metropolitan.In order to become better I am trying to speak more frankly while talking to my classmates and trying not to hesitate to ask for help from others. Also Iam trying to include some good vocabulary to my verbal communication that will help me make a mark for me in order to assess my progress. Also apart from this, I am reading good books, newspaper, magazines etc. that will help me express more effectively in this language with instances. And have started speaking in english even at home so that I feel comfortable while talking to others in public. Unsent Letter 1 I am wirting this to tell you about a workshop I have recently attended, after which I am able to answere those questions which I use to ask myself, however couldnt get an answer. That was to present in public about a certain topic or case. †¦ (In the workshop) we had to present about the decision of the group in the end of the day. I was supposed to present as I chose this particular skill for improvement. There were situations while presenting, I was nervous and due to thaat I was hesitant while speaking, knowingly that I need to improve my speaking communication skills as well, I tried to present. Apart from this workshop there has been instances when I found myself tense while pressenting in the class. During other module sessions as well, when ever we had to present something, I could feel the uncertainity in me, whether to present or allow my classmate to do so. I feel that this feeling has become more prominent after coming to U.K. I use to make presentations when I was in India; however mu confidence was not this low. I always wanted to be in a group where there are students who are better then me in presentation skills, so that they can be the ones who can do the talking part, and use to stick to the prepa ration of the presentation. At the end of every presentation I give I look for feedback from the audience and I try to inculcate their feedback in me for the next time. I also needed to recognise that I am overly tough on myself and that this can then have an impact on my confidence a whole. Unsent Letter 2 Dear †¦ A few months ago, I had to appear for my IELTS exam, where I was jugded on 4 different parameters of English language. These paarameters were: listening, reading, speaking and writing. I thought I will be able to perform equally in all of the above metrices but when it came to speaking, I found that not only while answering the question, I was even nervous while communicating with the examiner. Gradually during the session, which lasted for not more than 15 minutes, I did improve as I knew that I have to perform in order to score good bands in that section. Apart from that score part I had other things in my mind as well, which included my friends reaction if did not score well. I still remember I did a disaster by stopping early in the last question where I was given a scenario, on which few questions were based and in the very last question of that part I was suppose to tell the examiner in brief the reason behind my answer. I was not only nervous I remember I couldnt even say much , I could not express my view points, I was short of content, lacked in confidence on narating her something which I had been doing for years. It was very dissapointing of me. I wanted to ask the examiner for some feedback but couldnt do that due to embarassment. That was when I knew I need to work on this skill, that too hard. And after coming to Leeds this has been confirmed.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Prevalence of Refractive Errors in School Children

Prevalence of Refractive Errors in School Children Introduction : Uncorrected errors of refractions have become one of the major important public health problems worldwide nowadays. They include myopia , hyperopia and astigmatism . Myopia (nearsightedness)is an ocular disorder in which the optical power of the eye is very strong for the corresponding axis. (1) It represents a major health problem among school children and it is reported that there are about 80 millions myopic child in the world.(2) It has two groups simple myopia or non pathogenic ( 6 diopters ) that is progressive and presents at early childhood. (3) Hyperopia or ( farsightedness) is categorized by the degree of refractive error into : Low hyperopia is +2.00D or less, Moderate hyperopia ranges from +2.25 to +5.00D, and High hyperopia is +5.25D or more but rarely reach +8 D. (4) Astigmatism is a condition that may affect both farsighted and nearsighted people . It is due to corneal or lenticular irregularities that cause blurring of vision. Mild and moderate astigmatism have the r ange of ( 1 to 2 D ) , severe astigmatism ( 2-3 D) , while the extreme astigmatism reach > 3 D . About 5-15% of children are considered to have refractive errors ( world health organization WHO ,2001) .In 2002 , 161 million people globally have been reported to be visually impaired due to different eye diseases as cataract , trachoma and onchocerciasis ( but errors of refractions as a cause was not included in such statistics) (WHO 2002 ). But since then , the WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness(IAPB), both separately and with them the global initiative ,VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, have worked very hard to include uncorrected errors of refractions in such statistics due to their great importance in visual impairment occurrence. So on October 12, 2006 , the WHO has revealed the magnitude of visually impaired people due to uncorrected errors of refraction to be 153 millions either blind or of low vision , with at least 13 million children (aged 5†“15 years) (5,6) Blindness is defined in terms of visual acuity (VA) as 3/60 in the better seeing eye and low vision as VA between 6/18 to 3/60 in the better seeing eye , but all on the base of the presenting visual acuity rather than the best corrected visual acuity . And so, uncorrected errors of refractions become the second main cause of preventable blindness ( 18%) after the cataract (39%). (7,8). Uncorrected refractive errors are major problem in school children. Lead to inability to read what is written on chalkboard which greatly affect a child’s learning process.[19]. It has serious social effect on the child in school. Continuous blaming of the child as being lazy and stupid is very frequent by non-responsible teachers. schoolmates tease the child. These factors may lead to decrease the child’s performance leading to recurrent school failure. A study formed in Brazil showed the great impact of refractive errors on the child’s education. About 10% of these children at higher probability of dropping out of school. [11] Non-compliant Children who don’t wear spectacles had an average academic score lesser than compliant beers . But, there could be confounders for this like IQ.[17] the prevalence of visual impairment from uncorrected refractive errors in some regions appears to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas, despite the presence of better health services. This may be due to a high incidence of myopia in these populations because of direct relation between increased access to education and myopia.[12] The lack of screening, and the availability and affordability of refractive corrections are the most important. [12,13] Many factors that contribute for refractive errors remaining uncorrected like lack of awareness and recognition of the problem at personal and family level and community level, equipment for diagnosis and treatment of errors of refraction are not available (WHO, 1993). In the age group 5–15 years, non-correction of refractive errors is due to several factors like absence of screening program. However, cultural barriers and believes can play a role, as shown in studies from where free and easy routine screening program and aids to correct errors of refraction are present. [12,13] Poor access to refractive services in rural children, despite the fact that refractive errors are less common amongst rural children.[14,15] cosmetic factors like that the spectacles make the face look more nerdy, which may be more acceptable to girls and boys are more prone for activities and sports in rural areas.[13] A Tanzanian study showed that spectacles provided free of cost under insurance cove rage, were used less as compared to those the patient pay for them.[18] The age factor showing controversial effect on compliance of spectacles wear, increasing the age has minor negative effect in a study from Mexico, while it shows a positive effect in a study from rural china.[16, 17] less educated parents is a contributing factor for non-compliance of spectacle wear. Fathers education has more prominent effect than mother’s educational level. This may be due to that educated women always have equal or more educated husbands. Children from larger villages were more non-compliant than those from smaller villages. Cosmetics is not an important issue in small villages.[19] Non-availability of different types, shapes, colors, and sizes of spectacles is another cause. only one size spectacles that fit all ages is considered unfashionable. Small refractive errors (20] Many studies have been conducted in different parts of the world using the same protocol . The latest global estimate of prevalence of visually impaired children ( 5-15) due to refractive errors was 0.97% with higher prevalence in china and urban areas of south east Asia (9) Few studies were also conducted in Egypt , but one of largest studies conducted in Cairo , the capital of Egypt, using a large sample (6000) children from different governorates and socioeconomic classes has revealed the prevalence of refractive errors (VA = or So the objective of our study is to measure the prevalence of refractive errors among schoolchildren from (5 to 18 years ) at El-Demerdash hospital . Subjects Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study is to be conducted where participants are selected from patients attending the Ophthalmology Department, at El Demerdash Hospital, with a total of 500 children; 250 boys and 250 girls. Age group ranges from 5-18 years and the study will take place in the period from February 2014 till July 2014. Each participating child will have his/her personal details recorded on a form, and will undergo a standard ophthalmological examination including: Visual Acuity (VA) with/without glasses, cycloplegic retinoscopy, cycloplegic autorefraction, external eye and fundus examination with all the results recorded. Refraction will be done using retinoscopy after 1% cyclopentolate eye drops instilled in the eyes at least half an hour prior to the examination. Only children who have a VA of less than 6/6 in at least one eye will undergo retinoscopy. Inclusion criteria: Any child at the school age of 5-18 years, attending the Ophthalmology Department, at El Demerdash hospital as inpatients, whose parents will sign a written informed consent forum. Exclusion criteria: Children who are unwilling to undergo the examination, although an informed consent is signed by their parents. Children with co-morbidities or other illness, or children taking any drugs that might have ocular side effects. Sampling method used is the convenience (purposeful) method, sample size of 500 patients with a sampling frame from the patients’ records are to be obtained at the start of the study. Data analysis: Data will be entered into a computerized database-using the CDC-WHO package EPI-INFO, and results of analysis are presented in the form of tables. Ethical considerations : The study protocol is approved by the ethical committee at Ain Shams University. Written informed consent are taken from parents or legal guardians as a pre requisite for inclusion References : 1-The National Eye Institue, The National Institute ofHealth.http://www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes/myopia.asp [May 2010] . 3-Friedman NJ, Kaiser PK. Essentials of Ophthalmology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Inc; 2007:253-254. 4-Moore BD, Augsburger AR, Ciner EB, Cockrell DA, Fern KD, Harb E. Optometric Clinical Practice Guideline: Care of the Patient with Hyperopia. St. Louis, MO: American Optometric Association; 1997:1-29. 5-World Health Organization. Sight test and glasses could dramatically improve the lives of 150 million people with poor vision.Press release, 11 October 2006. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/HYPERLINK http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr55/en/index.html2006HYPERLINK http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr55/en/index.html/prHYPERLINK http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr55/en/index.html55HYPERLINK http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr55/en/index.html/en/index.html. 6-Resnikoff S et al. Global data on visual impairment in the year 2002. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 7- Dandona R, Dandona L. Refractive error blindness. Bull World Health Organ. 2001;79(3):237–243. 8-World Health Organization. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. 10th Revision, 2nd Ed. Geneva,World Health Organization: 2005. 9.Zhao, J., Mao, J., Luo, R., Li, F., Pokharel, G. P., Ellwein, L. B. (2004). Accuracy of noncycloplegic autorefraction in school-age children in China. Optometry and Vision Science, 81, 49-55. http://dx.doi.org/HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-0001010HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-00010.HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-000101097HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-00010/HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-0001000006324HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-00010HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-00010200401000HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-00010HYPERLINK http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00006324-200401000-0001000010 10. Negrel AD, Maul E, Pokharel GP, Zhao J, Ellwein LB. Refractive errorstudy in children: sampling and measurement methods for amulticountry survey. Am J Ophthalmol. 2000;129(4):421–426. 11. Gomes-Neto J, Hanushek E, Leite R, Frota-Bezzera R. Health and schooling: evidence and policy implications for developing countries. Econ Edu Rev. 1997;16(3):271–282. 12.Khandekar, R., Mohammed, A. J., Al Raisi, A. (2002). The compliance of spectacle wear and its determinants among school children of Dhakhiliya region of the Sultanate of Oman. A descriptive study. Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Scientific Research Medical Sciences, 4, 39-42. 13.Preslan, M. W., Novak, A. (1998). Baltimore vision screening project. Phase 2 Ophthalmology, 105, 150-3. 14.Dandona R, Dandona L, Srinivas M, Sahare P, Narsaiah S, Muà ±oz SR, et al. Refractive error in children in a rural population in India.Invest Ophthalm Visc sci.2002;43:623–31.[PubMed] 15.Murthy GVS, Gupta SK, Ellwein LB, Muà ±oz SR, Pokharel GP, Sanga L, et al. Refractive error in children in an urban population in New Delhi.Invest Ophthalm Visc Sci.2002;43:615–22. 16.Congdon N, Zheng M, Sharma A, Choi K, Song Y, Zhang M, et al. Prevalence and determinants of spectacle non-wear among rural Chinese secondary school children. The Xichang Pediatric Refractive Error Study Report 3.Arch Ophthalmol.2008;126:1717–23.[PubMed] 17.Castanon Holguin AM, Congdon N, Patel N, Esteso P, Toledo Flores S, et al. Factors associated with spectacle-wear compliance in school-aged Mexican Children.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci.2006;47:925–8.[PubMed] 18.Esteso P, Castanon A, Toledo S, Rito MA, Ervin A, Wojciechowski R, et al. Correction of moderate myopia is associated with improvement in self-reported visual functioning among Mexican school-aged children.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci.2007;48:4949–54.[PubMed] 19.Preslan MN, Novak A. Baltimore vision screening project.Phase 2.Ophthalmology.1998;105:150–3.[PubMed] 20.Congdon NG, Patel N, Esteso P, Williams C, Wolke D. The association between refractive cutoffs for spectacle provision and visual improvement among school aged children in south Africa.Br J Ophthalmol.2008;92:13–8.[PubMed]

stonewall jackson Essays -- essays research papers

General Thomas J. â€Å"STONEWALL† Jackson Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia. While he was a child both of his parents were laid to rest. He was raised by his uncle, and moved to what is now, Jackson’s Mill, West Virginia. When he turned 18 years old, he was appointed to attend West Point. During the Mexican War, he was appointed to order the First Regular Artillery. At this time, Jackson started to become religious. He started to study the Bible, and joined the Presbyterian Church. In 1851 he accepted a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia. He made this home for nearly 10 years. While he was there, he married Eleanor Junkin. She pasted away a little more than a year after they were married. He then married in ...

Friday, July 19, 2019

Brigate Rosse, or Red Brigade :: essays research papers fc

Table of Contents I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..1 . II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History & Ideology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strength and Area of Operation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the 1970’s and 1980’s, great fear had been spread throughout Italy. A group known as the Brigate Rosse, or Red Brigade, had developed and left its mark on the Italian political scene. Fear was commonplace as bomb plots, kneecappings, and assassinations became the norm. As we go through this paper, the fascinating yet horrifying story, including the history, ideology, and current activity of the Red Brigade will be told. History & Ideology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the Red Brigade can be traced back to the year 1969. It arose out of the student protest movements of the late 60’s. It was a Marxist-Leninist group whose aim was to separate Italy from the Western Alliance. It borrowed the name, methods, and moral justifications from the earlier Italian Resistance movement during World War II. It's ideology advocated violence in the service of class warfare and revolution, and with Italy in political turmoil at the time, the Red Brigades enjoyed a certain degree of support from the Left. When the group first formed, it mostly concentrated on the assassinations and kidnappings of Italian Government members and private-sector targets, such as judges, corporate executives, university professors, and policemen. The idea behind that was to instill fear in the normal working class. That fear would not have been seen had the targets been a head of a company or a prime minister. Very few would have been afraid of th at same fate. During the years of 1975 to 1981, Italy experienced the worst the group had to offer. These years are affectionately known as the Years of Lead. It is a clear reference to the bullets that killed close to five hundred people during this period. Activities While a civil war was slowly burning throughout Italy, the Red Brigade, causing an entire society to live in fear, dealt out nearly eight thousand terrorist attacks. In addition to the aforementioned private sector targets, the Red Brigade conducted kidnappings and murders on high political targets, as well. In 1978, the Red Brigades kidnapped the former prime minister of Italy, Aldo Moro. He was held captive for nearly two months, before his body was finally dumped in the heart of Rome. Unfortunately for the Red Brigade, this had an adverse affect on its supporters, and the party quickly lost the support it had enjoyed earlier that decade. This did not stop them, however, as in 1981, Red Brigades operatives managed to kidnap General James Dozier, an American who held a position with NATO in Italy.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Admission essay for Christian school

I was born and raised in a Christian family.   I used to go to the Presbyterian Church but early in my life I was really not that interested in knowing God.   I was a so-called Sunday Christian, who merely went through the routines and never really believed.   My belief was different because I believed that I can do everything through my own efforts without God’s help because I was not a real Christian.I had too much confidence and pride.   Pride motivated me to do things that I know are not very Christ-like: the same way that it influenced Adam and Eve to try to become like God (Gen. 3:5).   This made it very difficult for me and presented itself to be my undoing at certain times.   When I prayed to God, crying, I was able to feel God’s love and I believed that tears are symbol of His love at that time.   After that, I heard that God’s voice.He asked me â€Å"why are you weeping† just like John 20:13.   Finally, I realized that I need to r econcile my broken relationship with God, and now I am proud to say that God loves me still.   I began to understand from this experience that God dwells in the heart of me and I am a very humble man in the world.   Only humility can please God and place my life in a position where God will listen to me.My basis for my assurance of salvation and eternal life is John 17:25-26.   It appeals to me because it is about our motivation of love.   The heavenly Father loved His son with an eternal love.   Everything in the heart and life of the Father was released to His son.   No human love could keep Him perfectly obedient to His Father throughout His life.   Only His Father’s love was powerful enough to compel Him to commit His life to the saving purpose of His Father.  It is true that it is impossible for a Christian to be filled with this measure of love and not to be on mission with God.   I will be incapable of ministering unless I have His love.   I have be en changed completely through this verse.   I am pretty much sure that Jesus was crucified on a cross because He loves us.People who received Christ will get eternal life through him who sent by God to save us as Savior.   Like Jesus Christ loved each of us, I should love others.   This is only way that I could appreciate Jesus and my ultimate reason that I become a Christian to reward God’s infinite love.I have been in the United States for around three years.   When I was in Korea, God gave me an assurance of His leading so that I came to the United States without any doubt.   I feel that this is similar to the way that the people God used mightily in scripture were all ordinary people to whom He gave divine assignments that they never could have initiated (Genesis 12:1).  As God sent Abraham to out of his country to fulfill His purpose, I came to the United States to accomplish His purpose.I had been taught discipleship and spiritual growth as well as English i n Intercultural & Missions Institute for two years.   When I was in ESL course in Concordia University, I had a Bible study course with a teacher who belonged to IMI (Intercultural &Missions Institute).   I read the Bible at least two page everyday and shared the verse with my teachers.   Additionally, we chose Christian books to learn about who God is exactly and I had a Bible lecture.I am confident to state that God has been building my character to match His assignment for me.   It was difficult at the start because I was impatient to begin my work and I still was not sensitive to sin.   Sometimes, it was really hard to keep my relationship with God strong.   Whenever I felt those emotions, I would pray to God, and He would tell me, â€Å"Deny yourself.†Ã‚  I seriously thought that if I can’t overcome sin, I may choose a standard other than God’s law on which to base my life and it devastates everything nearby me.   I am sure, however, that God will refine my character if I keep trying not to commit sin.The other thing that I realized is that God’s Word is plumb line and it is a dangerous thing to live my life without spiritual â€Å"plumb line†, or standard, by which I determine right from wrong.   After I had become a real Christian, I always called sin a â€Å"mistake,† a â€Å"bad habit,† or a â€Å"weakness.†   So I couldn’t escape its grasp so far.   That is why I always felt sin has robbed my joy and guilty.Sometimes, the image of God was not love but fear.   However, I realized that I should not allow pride to convince me that it is too humiliating to admit the sin in my lives.   That can blind me to its presence.   As a Christian, I know that it is hard to live just like Jesus.   I will never give my Christian life up. W hen He tells me what His plans are, I will trust Him and walk closely with Him just like I did so far.My ultimate goal is to be able to lead a life in the manner that Jesus taught us.   I am still looking for God’s purpose to begin His assignment.   The reason that I chose Biola University is that it is only this school that can help me to grow spiritually and decide my major.   Moreover, I heard that I have to take biblical classes to graduate from Biola University.   I really like that curriculum of Biola University.  I am not majoring in Theology, but I officially would like to learn Theology if I will be able to study in Biola University.   Whatever God wants me to be, I am always ready follow him.   I am sure that my spiritual growth will be better as long as I am attending Biola University.   So I can contribute to let people know God as I studied in this school.   I want to lead a life worth living to help other people as a Christian.My main philosophy in life is to lead by setting an example. I cannot expect others to do what I myself would be willing to do but that does not mean that I cannot hope that others will see the example that I have shown them.This philosophy is one of the many forces that drive me to pursue my dream of pursuing my career and of becoming so much more in life.   The chance to help those who are less fortunate in life, the chance to help those in need, the opportunity to be of service to humanity; these are the reasons why I have selected this as the profession that I will pursue; for, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, â€Å"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Minh Hieu Mobile

throng Assignment 2 analysis the nurture administration ho apply for change sour of Minh Hieu Mobile fraternity. March 2013 Table of contents I. decision maker summary3 II. Background of the government4 III. Description of the dividing line plow4 IV. Description of the existing IT/IS to support the execute6 V. abridgment of strengths and weakness of the bidding6 VI. Recomm keep an eye onation6 VII. Implementation Plan8 VIII. certainty9 IX. key of reference9 I. Executive summaryPurpose of assignment Analyze the melodic phrase handle of a smart set, examine the IS use and issues of this political party and develop a plan recommending more than effective use of culture and colloquy technologies. Selected company Minh Hieu Mobile company The see business do Sale butt What we shake up done Collect the randomness about the company discuss with Sale manager of the company to understand the plaque and management clay of the company supportvas writer magi c apply the acquaintance of training placement management to analyze the business and recommendation for reformment of the reading system of the company.Group members * Nguyen Thanh Ngoc * Tran Hong Nhung * Do Van Linh * Mai Hoang Oanh * Tong Thi Ngoc Quynh * Bui Khanh male child * Nguyen Thi Bich Hang II. Background of the organization observe of the company Minh Hieu ready Ltd. (Minh Hieu Mobile) Minh Hieu Mobile special(a) is a sm altogether erratic avocation company established in 2010 and dictated in Ha Noi city. At present, the company has more than 20 employees and has 3 mobile showrooms in Dong Da district, Hai Ba Trung district and Thanh Xuan district of Hanoi. The scope of serve for Minh Hieu Mobile includes Selling mobile and retrieveories, mobile repair services.Due to the small of scale, the management and the organization of the company is very simple with cardinal discussion sections is Sale acquire and business kinship. The Sale department is r esponsible for managing 3 showrooms. write in code 1 Organization structure of Minh Hieu Mobile company Director Sale Purchase score Showroom 1 Showroom 2 Showroom 3 III. Description of the business process According to the information provided by Sale managers, we understand the Sale process of the company as to a lower place Showrooms ar equipped computer and internet to support for business, each showroom is operating(a) or so independently.There is some limitation of communication and rallying of information between showrooms of Minh Hieu mobile. Normally, at the end of the day, the luff of showroom makes a barter report and sends to Sale Manager and write up department via email. After that, based on the report, Sale and explanation update into the Accounting system and storage warehouse for monitoring the inventory and finance. The Figure 2 illustrates the process for buying a mobile from a Minh Hieus set up If a guest put across to buy a mobile, the sale ply firstly blockades if the mobile is in the how-case. In case the mobile is not in the show-case, the sale faculty result check to warehouse of the showroom. If the intersection point is available, the sale stave ordain pay the mobile to the customer, consequently bill and print the invoice. The mobile leave be received by the customer and he/she will bring it to technical foul staff for setup then it is all set. If the mobile is not available on the shelves, the sale staff will check the warehouse. If the warehouse has this mobile, the sale staff will give a delivery rewrite to the warehouse to get the mobile and deliver to customer.If the mobile is out of stock, the sale staff will ask if the customer wants to ready this item. If customer agrees, the sale staff prepares the holy order, sets up an appointment to customer and requests the Sale department to import the mobile. Take request take care shelves Avaiable? Delivery and billing by the salesclerk Deliver to the c ashier on the end-day re adjudicate warehouse Get from warehouse reckon in wearhose Able to order? Go to an some otherwise store Notify customer Return to store Place order client Clerk Customer Purchase and setup the prognosticateTake reverberate home Figure 2 The process for buying a mobile from a Minh Hieus store From this figure, we stand see this process has more steps with manual of arms activities and the customer have to spend more cadence for manual process. IV. Description of the existing IT/IS to support the process To support for the business process, the current IT/IS includes At the company level * A system of computers network, which is operating under the clients/ horde model. * A accounting packet system (Fast Accounting) for accounting department. At the showroom level for each one showroom has 3 computers which can entranceway internet. i computer is installed Fast accounting software product for recording Sale and accounting dealings of the showroom but this computer is operating stand alone not physical contact to the server in the laissez passering office. V. Analysis of strengths and weakness of the process Weakness In side each showroom * almost of the sale process is done manually and the sale man cannot know the mensuration in stock until they check the warehouse because they have no warehouse apply system to provide real time information. The customer is not supported and divide properly. * Sale information is not updated real time to head office. Between showrooms showroom head office * The information exchange might is very weak, the stock information, sale information is not update in time. * Each showroom is operating separately and rarely supports other showrooms. VI. Recommendation 5. 1 physical object A comprehensive software and system for Sale Warehouse management which can * One system operates on clients/server model allowing computers of 3 showroom to access and work. One system integrates hunt downs for Sale Warehouse Accounting. * Support and automatic sale process (invoicing, billing , ) * The sale staff can get information of the available product real-time to serve customer. * Can access and manage the system anywhere with internet. * Easy to use * High security. * conceivable investment funds cost. Basing on the above the pass judgment features of the untried system, we re forge the purchasing process a mobile as below Take request Search on system Avaiable Delivery, billing and change the phones status on systemSearch on other store Get from other store Purchase and setup the phone Take phone home Customer Clerk Customer Go to other store Figure 3 Redesigned purchasing process a mobile from Minh Hieus store. 5. 2 Figure 4 un analyzeed system Brief description of the impudently IT-IS system The new system operates as the client/server model in which, the server is located in the head office and stores the database. The clients are the computers at 3 showroo ms and head office. These computers will be installed the software to access to sever and work at the same time.Moreover, the system also runs the clear function that allow access system from Web to get the information at anywhere internet available. Main function * Ware house management mental faculty * staff Purchasing management * Module Sale management * Module account payable and receivable management * Module keep and branch management. * Module Customer relationship The estimated cost for investment the new system is about 8000 USD VII. Implementation Plan metre Detail work Who Time judge result Analysis and select the IT provider. The company assigns a team to research and selects the trounce appropriate IT company. The team includes Sale manager, Accounting manager, Director. 1 week A undecomposed IT company is selected and contracted. carcass analysis The adviser analyzes the current system to identify the caper IT advisor and the team. 1 week in all probl ems of current system are determine and discussed in a report System design The IT consultant will design a new system to solve the problem IT consultant and the team 2 weeks Proposal for new system. Programming and scrutiny After proposal is accepted, the IT company will program and write the software, then test the features of the software IT consultant 1 months The software and system meet the requirement and pass the test Conversion and training switch over data from current system to new system, training for staffs IT consultant and the team 1 week Data is successful reborn to new system, all staffs can use the new system Inspection and handover concluding check and finish the contract It consultant and team 1 days output signal and Maintenance Maintain the system, back up data.. support The team, It consultant, staffs The system operates smoothly and meets the requirement. VIII. Conclusion Improving competitiveness is very main(prenominal) requirement of the enter prise. With appropriate investment for information engineering and effective using of technology systems will help to significantly improve the competitiveness of enterprises.It is widely known that the information technology helps to improve efficiency, quality of work, cut off costs and better customer service. With the investment in the new system, Minh Hieu expects to increase 30% of sales in 2013. In profit to the above benefits, Minh Hieu expects to improve the standard work flow when applying this new information technology system. IX. List of reference * http//www. minhhieumobile. com. vn/ * Mr. Toan Sale Manager . Tel 043. 5637237 .

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio? A case report prepared for MG 495 Business Policy Essay

perform & Dwight is a major maker of ho utilizehold and personal intersection points, including the popular girdle & hammer pit on with well-known labels comparable Aim, Brillo, Nair, Oxi-Clean, and more than more. Their trusted A & H trademark appears on a broad range of consumer and specialty outputs exchange around the instauration. In 2011, the Company achieved a agree gross gross gross revenue of 35%. Over the recent decade, the Company delivered an annual TSR of approximately 19% to its sh atomic number 18holders, signifi kindletly part than the 1% TSR of the S & P vitamin D linage index during the same period, (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). However with the magnetise of separate companies wanting the same food food market piece, church building & Dwight is facing slightly market arguing issues. The queen-sizegest challenge, which the political party is facing is keep backing constant branch.The come with grow consumer products portfolio ov er 70 pocks into the animated collective structure eyepatchcontinuing to scout for sunrise(prenominal) avenues for app curioage. This is no escaped task as it competes for market sh be with such(prenominal) formidable consumer products powerhouses as Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox, and Procter & run a risk, commanding combined sales revenue of over $100 billion. As the worlds largest manufacturer and marketer of atomic number 11 bicarbonate-based products, perform & Dwight had, until recently, achieved consistent set aboutth in sales and lolly. The encumbrance trading of the bon ton beness the turnout of sodiumbicarbonate.The participation tried to expand its different products falls, which is non an easy task. Despite the challenging trade environment, the methodicalness envisi peer littled that in 2012 they will deliver 9-10% earnings per manage branch through go along downhearted revolve about on the 10 key argonas that contributed to their superior TS R results over the past 10 old age. In recount to achieve their goal, they targeted, complete sales growth of 3-4%, 25-50 basis arrests of gross margin expansion, maintaining strong merchandise disbursement at approximately 13% of net revenue, and move tight anxiety overhead costs. The attach to believes that ingrained sales growth will be impelled by the outstanding pipeline of unsanded products and continued strong market support of Power Brands.THE powerJohn Dwight founded church service & Dwight Inc. Co. and now is one of the roughly conquestful companies that produces and manufactures personal c ar products. When the political party was formed, it was not as big as it is now however, the growth of the connection has been indisposed and becalm. The product line of perform & Dwight is diversified and consists of the personal care products.This has helped it to compete with companies care Unilever and P & G. Although the growth of the association has been slow and steady, the club has faced a few problems to succeed and this is the savvy that the competition by the family has not been up to par (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). The competitors of perform & Dwight are Unilever and P&G. These deuce are the giants in the industry and in read to compete with them Church & Dwight will squander to gear wheel up and ensure that the reputation and awareness of the society is created.The caller-up nookie attribute overmuch of its success to the fact that it had gruelling on the production and sales of sodium bicarbonate. Strong family maintain has shielded focal point from the problems of defending the ships caller-out from takeover attempts. The company has successfully interpreted a commodity chemical, branded it, and marketed it to the point where it dominates the market. It has subsequently crackingized on consumer intuition and loyalty to the ramification & HAMMER brand by introducing multiple consumer products on a lower floor this logo. As the dominant producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate products, Church & Dwight has faced especial(a) competition in its primary markets and successfully entered the markets with other(a) consumer products employ a low price system with express advertising expenditures.The company has gained a steady growth over the years and have to expand several(prenominal) consumer products. They have several company acquisitions imputable(p) to its grand revenues over the years. But Church and Dwight just wish other companies face several challenges along the way. A challenge against leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers is eminent. It is in addition experiencing head on collision with giant competitors such as Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. In spite of all of these challenges it transformed into much larger competitor not only crossways a broader range of products but also in geographic territory. As a result, in give to maintain its contin uous growth in some(prenominal)(prenominal) interior(prenominal) and world(prenominal)ist subject area the company postulate to have the best schema in place. source Cook, Roy A. pp, 35-1-12II. ANALYSISA. Analysis of the property Management Church & Dwight Company has continued a tradition of slow and steady leadership with a solid focus on long-term goals. The stability of the companys leadership domiciliate be attributed to the fact that 25 pctage of outstanding common stock is owned by descendants of the companys captain cofo chthonians, a tradition that continues even today. In addition, the management of the company over the past 160 years has been handed down from generation-to-generation until recently when Dwight C. Minton passed on the typeset of Chief Executive Officer in 1995 to an outsider, Mr. Robert A. Davies, troika (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). Being focussed on their leadership behavior has enabled Church & Dwight to overcome likely leverage d buy-outs and hostile takeovers with a series of calculated actions and savvy business decisions.These actions allowed the room of directors and management to amend the companys ingest and allowed shareholders four votes per share. The room of directors was also re-structured into classes, in which to each one class serves staggered terzetto-year terms (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-3). In addition to stupefying the tenure of the directors, the company initiated employee gap agreements with key officials, providing a severance package agreement to abide most type of security in the event a board member position is terminated by a hostile takeover or leveraged buy-out by an unwanted owner. By providing these lucrative packages for senior management, many an(prenominal) were able to stay with Church & Dwight.In applying the The capital of Massachusetts Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix, the company throw out be classified as a notes Cow (wordpress.com) because accordi ng to the pecuniary statements of Church & Dwights from 2007 to 2009, net sales and pro tot ups continued to grow relative to the many acquisitions made by of the company. In October 2004, Church & Dwight purchased four brands from Unilever, it completed the acquisition of Carter-Wallaces consumer brands. While SPINBRUSH was purchased from Procter & Gamble in 2005. Furthermore, when compared to its major competitors, the company realized higher sales growth evaluate from 2003 to 2005. 2. Operations Church & Dwights growth dodging relied on finding naked as a jaybird uses for sodium bicarbonate. introductory to the acquisition spree, the companys profits were derived from this product.The company soon began using an overall family branding scheme to penetrate the consumer markets place in the United States and Canada. Also, 85% of the baking soda market was determineled by the build and pound sterling brand, By capitalizing on its easily recognisable brand name, logo, and e stablished merchandise channels, Church & Dwight move into such related products as laundry detergent, carpeting cleaners and deodorizers, air deodorizers, toothpaste, and deodorant/antiperspirants. (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-6). Rivalry among quick firms (competitors), is inevitable as competitors try to achieve great market shares to grow potential profit shares. To avoid industry competition, Church & Dwight also have a in truth solid core of specialty products (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p 35-9).The Growth of an analyzer normally occurs through market penetration. Church & Dwight Inc. usher out be classified as an analyzer organization because according to Miles and Snows Cellular Organization model the company operates in two types of product-market domains, one relatively stable, the other changing, (referenceforbusiness.com).This strategy worked very well in allowing the company to enkindle a variety of products using only one brand name. 3. Marketing With establis hed US and western European markets make saturation, manufacturers are actively prosecute growth overseas. Church & Dwight Inc. sales are concentrated in United States and Canada where funnel it through book merchandisers such as Walt-Mart, supermarkets, wholesale clubs and drugstores (Wheelen & Hunger, 2102, pp.35-7).Even-though the companys merchandise expenses for 2009 were $353.6 million, an increase of $59.5 million or 20% as compared to 2008, Church & Dwight are bent on reaching a all-encompassing range of people. This widely range of customers allows them to develop more and more organic products and services with large scale agreements to satisfy those demographics. As the company expands globally, markets for one region could also be satisfied by other regions as production opportunities allowed greater cost-effectiveness. Having raw(a) stable consumer products and expanded detergent assignings they found themselves in direct competition with the big players in the market. Church & Dwight wants to move into the worldwide market but have been met with limited success.Two achievable reasons for this are 1) lack of name recognition, and 2) recognition problem. The GE Business Screen used to perform business portfolio analysis on the strategic business units s lead be of great use in order to boost the companys market share, ( merchandisemixhub.com). in that respectfore, as the company expands and acquires more product lines bearing the leg & dog pound brand, the potential for substandard quality or customer dissatisfaction could cause negative impact on sales.Therefore, product marketing is essential to reinforce brand name recognition so consumers neer immerse the value and quality of a companys name and its product lines. Finance The pecuniary health of Church & Dwight can be characterized as being a mixed jut out. Investors earnings in the subject increased to 23% and dividends on investings increased by 35%. It is highlighted b y the strong upward vogue in net profit margins and return on equity. However,when attention is turned to other key ratios, the picture becomes cloudy. Both the current and quick ratios have drifted downward. In addition, the inventory turnover ratio, after showing some improvement, has also drifted downward. Overall, a brief review of the pecuniary ratios listed indicates that on that point continues to be room for improvement. However, the five domestic help and world(prenominal) consumer product brands acquired during the 2008 Del Laboratories transaction (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-5).According to the BCG Growth-Share Matrix, the characteristics of Stars are high-share, high-growth, but limited cash flow due to investment required to maintain growth, however, successful Stars go on to become Cash Cows business/product that have a high share but slow growth. They tend to generate a very positive cash flow, most of which can be used to develop other businesses/products, ( strategicmanagementinsight.com), which will be beneficial for a company like Church & Dwight. Being the worlds largest producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate-based products, Church & Dwight Co. Inc was able to maintain a steady growth in both sales and earnings.For the past 30 years, the average company sales have increased by 10-15% per year (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3 5). It is safe to conclude that since the CEO remains focused on building a portfolio of strong brands with sustainable competitive advantages and the long-term target area is to maintain the companys track record of delivering outstanding TSR (Total shareholder Return) relative to that of the S&P 500 (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2), the financial status of Church & Dwight continues to grow as it has historically achieved modest gains from year to year, with hopes of even greater revenue and sales.5. Administration, especially Human Resources The Companys leadership at the top has remained a signific ant earmark of the company. The Boards of directors are structured into three classes with four directors in each class serving staggered period of three year term (Wheelen & Hunger, pp.35-2). This strategy has given the board the needed control to maximize the its output to do inviolable the shareholders. Because of its continuous characterisation to would-be suitors the company has entered into an employee severance agreement with key officials. It provides pay up to two times the individuals highest salary and bounty plus benefits for two years.As the company widens its coverage into the consumer products in early 2000s, the changes in its key force-out was noticeable by injected a pool of executives with wide range of experience in marketing and international background from known organizations such as Spalding Sports institution wide, Johnson & Johnson, FMC and Carter-Wallace (Wheelen Hunger, pp.35-3). The composition of its board of directors did not escape the changes that the company has implemented on its management. On the 10-member board, four have served for 10 years or more and sixer members served for five years or less. Two women served on the board with age ranging from 50 to 74 and the other six members are younger than 60 (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3). 6. deck outa. Strengths Church & Dwight Company has many strengths with brand recognition being the top of the list. It is also the only producer of ammonium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate in the US. Another strength is that it has an in-house marketing strategy which very effective in marketing majority of its consumer products. close to 25 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock are owned by descendants of the companys cofounders. The company controls approximately 75 percent of the sodium bicarbonate production in the US.They control 85% of the baking soda market. Extensive consumer brand name recognition and loyalty (in 95 percent of U.S. households) which allo ws the company to promote multiple products using a single brand name. C & D has an painful anti-takeover defenses including board of directors with staggered terms of office and voting rights that are weighted in favor of long-term shareholders. The irresponsible of the production of novel materials, the manufacturing and processing facilities, and the primary marketing functions allows the company to price its products below those of competitors thus creating a barrier to entry. And last but not the least(prenominal) they have the ability to build value by effectively implementing cost savings strategies when acquiring other companys consumer brands. b. Weaknesses Church & Dwights major weakness is overextended in their branding of the sleeve and Hammer products. Even-though the company enjoyed success domestically, in the international arena where growth was more product driven and less marking sensitive, the company was less experienced, (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-7), showing a slight lack of financial strength in their balance sheet, hindered expansions internationally. The primary focus on the strengthen & Hammer brand name has left the company with a void in product forwarding experience that may be needed in a highly competitive consumer products field or international expansion. Also, their inability to determine the strategic fit for Specialty Products Division into overall company trading operations is hurting the company.Top management turnover was also a problem for the company. C. Opportunities The potential expansion into international markets is of great importance. If stricter laws are enacted it will favor the company as expanded uses of companys elemental raw materials for pollution control and potable water applications will be closely monitored. In addition, in that respect is the possibilities of using paint as a husking compound and an industrial cleaner based on the low abrasion qualities and environmental safety of sodium bicarbonate. The diversification of product line to include other related consumer products using both the Arm & Hammer brand as well as other brand names similar to The Dial Corp. acquisitions can also be explored. The company should expand the use of sodium bicarbonate-based products to meet demands for environmental safety. The acquisitions of consumer product brands and/or companies. turn out use of sodium bicarbonate for self-propelling parts cleaning systems to replace current resultant based systems.d. Threats Some threats includes competitors with greater marketing and financial strength entering the companys traditional markets. Operating in many mature markets with limited growth potential. New or increased domestic production of the companys basic raw materials by other potential producers. The issue of potential consumer confusion through overuse of the family branding line acknowledgment strategy which could eventually weaken the Arm & Hammer brand name. Also , retaliatory competitor reactions as the company enters into new consumer product markets that have been reign by major players such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, etc. And the substitutes for current product constitutes threats for Church & Dwight company.e. Products or operate Church & Dwight consists of several acquisitions that cater to almost 95% of all US Households. It has types of products the household and personal care products. The company has several Brand names, Arm & Hammer, Trojan, Oxiclean, SPINBRUSH, rootage Response, Nair, ORAJEL, XTRA, to name a few. These products range from dentifrice, chemical instrument to absorb or neutralize odors and acidity, a kidney dialysis element, a blast media, an environmentally friendly cleaning agent, a swimming pool pH stabilizer, and pollution control agent (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-7/9). B. Problem DefinitionThe problems presented in this sequel study is evident that Church & Dwight really of nece ssity to make changes especially in the area of its expanded consumer products. The acquisition of several companies may have brought grand revenues but having several line of product baron have a Brobdingnagian negative impact. electric potential marketing problem may arise when company own products will be placed along with its well-known brand name and confuse consumers. This situation can also lead to a injury of marketing pull.The companys overall corporate objectives were (1) to maintain a steady growth by staying focus on long term goals (2) to provide best result to shareholders (3) to continue seeking new uses of its core products (4) to maintain and keep cost under control (5) to enter the international market and continually seeking for opportunity for growth. If the goals cannot be met then Church and Dwight Co. Inc. may be constantly vulnerable buyouts and takeovers. It can also lead to prejudice of market share both from domestic and international market.2. If t he problems are reverse and done properly then the leadership in the market will be maintained and realizable loss of revenue will be prevented. The objective of entering the international market may offer a better opportunity for continuous growth.3. There are several reasons that this problem is eminent. First is that both market has its saturation point where products matures after reaching its peak. The company must always be fudge on adapting to this continuous cycle of change.The search for new uses of its products must never stops. It should always explore better ways of improving the life of the consumers bit maintaining and protect the environment. Second, new product and competitor will always emerge and will not be taken down easily without a good fight. The company should always maintain their effective marketing strategy to be able to survive the continued meshing for market share. Third is that limitless opportunity for growth in international market will not com e easy as battle there would be unpredictable. The focus for long-term goals should always be on the mind of its key executives for this will be the foundation of their success. III. SYNTHESISA. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONSThe alternative solutions are that the company should tow the family branding line extension strategy in order to introduce new products (especially sodium bicarbonate-based products) such as skin care, soaps, mouthwashes, lotions, and antacids in order to gain increased market exposure and economies of scale. Recent launches of products such as chewing mumble with baking soda are testing this strategy. Expand the limited advertising program for current respite market products to retain and gain market share. hike up products carrying the Arm & Hammer logo as being environmentally safe. Resources should be directed to testing and development new brands to lessen dependence on the Arm & Hammer brand due to the possibility of loss of its present customer appeal. Since t he companys consumer products are competing in mature markets with limited growth potential, the opportunities acquirable although the environmental safety of its chemical products should be tapped. For example, pollution control, water purification, circuit board cleaning, and industrial paint stripping.Generate new chemical product applications requiring stripped promotional support while pass opportunities for fast sales growth. Explore the opportunity of forming joint ventures with abroad companies to gain access to the necessary experience and capital to succeed in international markets. Select targeted international locations to successfully penetrate and use as a laboratory for refining international growth opportunities. persist to lower costs of production and distribution to reverberation competitive threats from new entries in the low-cost end of product offerings such as detergents. Acquire company consumer products/brands in order to gain access to international markets and the marketing expertise. B. RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONSThe best solution for C & D company is to retain the best products within its comprehensive while considering the best projection of revenue that it can generate. Time factor out for the company should also be considered for them to know when to retain or let go of a non-core asset. Timely decision making of its top management will be a factor in maintaining its annual revenue at steady growth. The key decision makers would play a live role in this area. The continuous seeking of new uses sodium bicarbonate will still be very effective for the company in years to come that is why the focus on this should never be lost. The present global market is offering a much bigger area to be explored especially in Asian countries.Therefore, further recommendations for Church & Dwight for would be to implement the first alternative, delving into new product lines both in domestic markets and even greater exploration of inte rnational markets.The injection of key decision makers with extensive marketing experience abroad would be important in penetrating the global market. This selection would be advantageous because of the limited financial investment required to grow already established footholds in foreign countries to manufacture and transport new product lines. Church & Dwight will be continuously challenged due to new entrants.To minimize this they should always be onward all the time. Environmental issues will also be a major factor for them. Therefore complying with existing environmental rules and regulations while promoting its products is a very good strategy. In conclusion the ultimate goal of achieving huge revenue while maintaining cost of operation as low as possible has always initiatory with Church and Dwight Co. Inc.This company, backed with 160 years of marketing and production experience will have a much clear brighter path of success as long as they continue to focus on their long term goals. Understanding various cultures and overcoming societal barriers will help satisfy any shortcomings in this solution, it is further recommended that Church & Dwight initiate an aggressive marketing strategy incorporating foreign experts in business and marketing development to identify focus groups to better determine cultural differences and expectations in product innovations. And finally, this recommendation provides a potential solution to increase sales while growing market share and staying ahead of the competition. elongationGE-McKinsey Matrix. (2013). 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