Genetically Modified Foods Essay

The topic of genetically modified foods is one that is hotly debated, but the problem is that the phrase GMO is very broad and encompasses techniques and modifications to food that you potentially should and shouldn’t be concerned about. At this point in time there doesn’t seem to be an overt benefit or risk to consuming GMO foods. According to the FDA, the big three GMO foods are soybeans, corn, and canola. But the FDA has also evaluated the safety of genetic modifications to flax, tomatoes, potatoes, cantaloupe, alfalfa, creeping bentgrass, papaya, sugar beets, wheat, squash, radicchio, and plums. The FDA lists consultations on GMO foods and what was genetically modified in the food to warrant the safety consultation on its website. GMOs, or â€Å"genetically modified organisms,† are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest Resistance: Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t. corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market. Herbicide tolerance: For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesn’t harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases. Cold Tolerance: Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings. Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance: As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places. Nutrition:Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of â€Å"golden† rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A). Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all. GMO is essentially the next evolution of crossbreeding. Common ingredients derived from GMO risk crops are; Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (â€Å"natural† and â€Å"artificial†), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products. These ingredients are found in almost all the foods and snacks that we consume everyday and feed to our growing children. The notations above are just some examples of how GMO’s could be helpful to our crops, but there are also risks as well. There is a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights. Grass roots organizations have been crying foul since GMOs were first introduced into the food system approximately 20 years ago. Many people believe the consumption of GMOs may contribute to serious health issues. In fact, recent studies raise serious concerns about the safety of GMOs and show they may contribute to the following conditions: Intestinal Disorders: An Australian study recently claimed that pigs fed genetically modified (GM) soy and corn displayed a 32 percent rate of severe stomach inflammation whereas pigs not fed a GMO diet only showed 12 percent. Infertility: A study performed at the University of Vienna showed that mice fed GM corn over a period of twenty weeks had impaired fertility. In addition, some of the offspring of the mice displayed decreased weight. Kidney and Liver Issues: The International Journal of Biological Sciences offers a study that showed certain varieties of GM corn to have a negative impact on kidney and liver function. As a result, the study concluded that some GM varieties may contribute to hepatorenal toxicity. Increased Allergies: While it’s hard to pinpoint the source of any food allergy, there is concern that new proteins in GM soy and corn crops might increase their frequency. Organ Toxicity: An abstract from the National Institutes of Health (PubMed) indicates that studies show most GM foods cause some form of toxicity to certain organs such as the pancreas, kidneys, and reproductive organs and also show hematological, biochemical, and immunological factors. They go on to mention that major studies over many years will be required in order to support these findings. GMO is essentially the next evolution of crossbreeding. Common ingredients derived from GMO risk crops are; Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (â€Å"natural† and â€Å"artificial†), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products. These ingredients are found in almost all the foods and snacks that we consume everyday and feed to our growing children. If the risk of consuming GMO’s are overall harmful to the human bodies; then all food containing ANY GMO’s should be labeled specifically. This way each consumer is aware of that they are ingesting for their own personal health concerns or lifestyle. http://www. shape. com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/ask-diet-doctor-gmo-foods http://www. nongmoproject. org/learn-more/ http://touch. organicauthority. com/organicauthority/#! /entry/8-reasons-gmos-are-bad-for-you,516d81d0d7fc7b5670b377dc http://organic. lovetoknow. com/Why_GMOs_Are_Bad.

Ender’s Game Book Report

Ender’s Game Ender’s Game is a science fiction novel which was written by Orson Scott Card. This novel is about a brilliant military strategist, Ender Wiggin, whose story takes place in the future where there is a constant threat of an invasion from aliens who have been given the slanderous nickname, Bugger. Ender’s childhood is not an easy one considering he gets teased at school for being a â€Å"third† only to come home to an abusive brother who is always harassing Ender and his sister Valentine and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders because they believe that he is the last hope for mankind to fight off the Buggers. After many years of monitoring Ender the International Fleet decides they want to recruit Ender into Battle School, the story’s plot takes off from here where he struggles to cope with others who despise him, he struggles with the thought of leaving his childhood, Valentine and his home and he is also in the constant struggle to dominate the Battle Room. After a few years on this spaceship Ender becomes demotivated and has to visit Earth and see Valentine where he learns about Peter’s plot to take over the world. After this Ender gets shipped off to Eros, the planet which Command School is on and where he meets Mazer Rackham, who was the hero of the first bugger invasion, and Mazer begins training Ender on a simulator that learns and gets harder as the Buggers learn from the past. Eventually Ender beats the simulator only to find out he was commanding the real thing and they didn’t tell him because they wanted to keep his emotions out of it. He also finds out that Earth has been taken over by Peter so he and Valentine colonize the bugger’s old planet where he finds a bugger pupa where he then decides to try and help it. Ender was a young genius who was a third child or third in a time when having more than two children was considered bad. Because of this he was always teased but his birth was actually authorized by the government in an attempt to save the world form the Buggers. Ender changed from innocent and trusting into a hardened and semi-emotionless machine by the end of the story. Ender’s brother and sister had a very big influence on Ender, if it weren’t for them being so smart the International Fleet wouldn’t have authorized Ender’s birth and if it weren’t for Peter he wouldn’t have known how to cry silently and Valentine helped him cope with Peter while also teaching him how to love and helping him when he visits Earth right before going to Command School. The story has many settings. The first of which takes place sometime in the future somewhere on Earth where there is a constant threat of a bugger invasion and having a third child is considered bad which made life a lot harder for Ender which was one of many reasons why he left to Battle School. The setting then moves to the spaceship which Battle School is on which doesn’t really need to be on a spaceship unless Orson Scott Card wanted the spaceship to help with the feeling of isolation. As the story progresses the setting moves to the planet Eros which is where he will be fighting the Buggers thinking he is just in a simulation but he is really fighting the Buggers. One theme that I noticed throughout the novel is how something small can represent something so big like the game that they played in Battle School was a simple game but it was everything they had so it meant so much to them. Another example of this theme is when Ender was in Command School working on the â€Å"simulator† and Ender viewed the game as child’s play when in reality he was fighting the real war without even knowing. This book was interesting at the beginning because of the way Orson Scott Card introduces you to a new world where you have no idea what is going on and slowly reveals the setting as you need to learn it, not overloading you with information at the beginning of the book but not leaving you clueless wondering why something just happened. Overall I thought the book took too long to get to the point on certain occasions and I didn’t really find the plot interesting which made it pretty boring. I find the idea of Ender always being up against opponents older than him or more numerous than him relatable because sometimes I feel like I am always ignored when I ask for a later bedtime because both of my parents look down on me because I am young. The ending was very interesting when he found out that he just defeated the Buggers without knowing and felt guilty but when he got to the Bugger’s planet he found the pupa and was trying to find a new home for it.

Halifax & Bank of Scotland Essay

The UK has one of the most diverse and dynamic banking sectors in the world. Banking is now a highly competitive industry. Financial consumers are now more sophisticated as they are now more aware of available banking options. The assets of the UK banking system were i 3,441bn (August 2001), which were dominated by a dozen or so retail banks, with national networks, mostly serving domestic, personal and corporate customers. Currently, the big four banks – HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and Barclays, dominate retail and business banking, jointly accounting for 68% of all UK current accounts. Both Halifax, founded in 1853, and 306-year-old Bank of Scotland are seen as business icons in their regions. Halifax is based in England, while the Bank of Scotland has very few branches south of the border. A merger between these firms would increase the geographic scope for potential customers. Halifax started as a building society and is now more widely known as a big mortgage lender. In the wider community, the Halifax Bank has a very active community-banking sector catering for charity and non-profit organizations including housing associations, credit unions and community development operations. In comparison, the Bank of Scotland’s strength lies in the corporate market. It would seem very likely that both firms would like to achieve higher profitability and growth opportunity through cross-selling products to each other’s customers. For example, the products developed by Halifax could be marketed effectively to Bank of Scotland’s customers and vice versa. Because both banks operate complementary activities, it is possible the combining of both firms will result in synergies, which may also result in increased efficiency. There may also be opportunities to achieve savings through cutting some unnecessary costs. For example, the amount of staff needed for the combined firm is likely to be reduced. By merging together, the size of the combined firm will certainly increase, thus leveraging the combined spend to negotiate better deals. The market position of the combined firm will be strengthened. Its market share within the industry will increase, maybe even enough to compete with the big-four banks, thus increasing the competition within the banking industry. In reality, there are wide ranges of techniques that can help analyse a firm’s performance – some firms may base their performance on sales, whereas others through the quality of products. Economists usually analyse a firm’s performance based on the amount of profit it is making. For a thorough analysis, this paper will be looking at the firm’s: market value, profitability, stability, value for shareholders, efficiency, and capital adequacy. It must be noted that firms within the banking sector are subject to many economic uncertainties, which can influence how well a firm is doing from year to year. In this case, these uncertainties include: interest rates, employment rates, as well as the condition of the equity markets. For example, the base rate in January 2000 was 5.75%, however, at January 2002, the base rate was at 4. 00%5. To analyse the performance of the banks before and after the merger, the firms’ financial accounts will be examined and ratios will also be calculated. 6 The main performance indicators that will be analysed include: Profit before tax; Total assets; Dividends and Earnings per share. In addition, the return on equity, cost:income ratio and the firm’s capital strength will be examined. These ratios will give a clear assessment of the firm’s performance compared with that of other firms. Before the merger, in 2000, Halifax and Bank of Scotland had market values of $22,105million and $11,762million respectively. Post-merger, in 2002, HBOS then had a market value in excess of $31billion7. This immediately signifies the success of the merger, as the combined company is worth now worth a lot more in the market. Figure 1 – Profit before tax From an economic point of view, it is important that a firm makes a profit otherwise there would be no point of the existence of the firm. The Profit & Loss account of a firm shows the results of trading over the previous 12 months. It shows the net effect of income less expenses. The reason that profit before tax is analysed rather than profit after tax is due to the fact that interest rates and inflation changes could affect the amount of tax that is paid each year. In 2000, Halifax made i 1,715million profit (before tax), compared with Bank of Scotland, which made i 911million. It would be expected that when both companies have merged together, the pre-tax profit should increase. Figure 1 shows that in 2002, HBOS made a pre-tax profit of i 2,909million, which is more than the separate firms’ pre-tax profit added together. This shows that HBOS are actually performing better than the previously separate firms.

How would you stop bullying in schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How would you stop bullying in schools - Essay Example The former victim gains self-esteem and a stronger character, while the vanquished bully is served a bitter lesson that will surely cause them to contemplate their life choices and gain a desire to reform. Unfortunately, nothing about bullying or being a victim of bullying in real life is this simple. Bullying is a result of complex social interactions that involve many aspects of personal and communal relationships. An understanding of the bully-victim relationship, the motivations of both bully and victim and how society handles this dynamic is essential if bullying is to be prevented. The best bullying prevention plans include elements that address the concerns and motivation of victims and bullies. These plans also include elements designed to train teachers, supervisors, coaches and parents in real techniques that allow them to support victims and reach out to bullies. Finally, these programs will work with resources within the community such as Student Resource Officers (SROs) and other law enforcement entities to educate the entire community about the changing face of bullying from a legal aspect. This is especially helpful with the rise in new forms of bullying such as Cyber-bullying and sexual harassment. The only way to prevent bullying is to take a holistic approach to the phenomenon Traditionally, bullying prevention programs have focused on the bully. The thought was that if the bully could be contained, then the other potential victims could be protected from socially or physically aggressive individuals. Recent studies suggest that counseling or punishing bullies is only one part of the prevention program. Bullying, researchers have found, involves three distinct groups of individuals; the bullies, the victims and the bystanders (Breaking†¦, 2010). Addressing the role of each is essential to forming a holistic approach to bullying prevention programs. Starting with the victims, not

Communication Theory Applying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communication Theory Applying - Essay Example Many theories try to explain the enigma of relationships. The rules theory tries to understand the expectations that the two entities of a relationship have for their partner and how it affects relationships (Baxter, 289). The phenomenon of heterosexual relationships is uncovered through exploring the rules of interaction in relationships. Two research areas have been covered to try to decipher the rules of interaction and breakup. The two areas include the study of interaction rules, and the study of closed relationships. Here, the studies are carried out using information accounts of couples on why their relationships broke up. The study employed of the accounts given by the couples, the most prominent reason given was it was due to relationship rules when one party deviated from the norms of this set of rules since couples feel that the partner is obligate to fulfill these expectations (Miller, 171). In this study, we also realize that relationship differ with commitment. Expectat ions for couples in a marriage and a romantic relationship out of marriage are different. Complains of this two relationships are different since the roles of the parties are different in the two. Therefore, the reasons for their breakups are also significantly different. It is also revealed that women are more pragmatic on in relationship than males. Males are said to be entertain more the notion of true love and romance. They entertain fantasies on love and relationships than their female counterparts (Young, 4). The Structural Theory in Work Communication theories are also applicable in trying to understand the formation, and functions of structures in the society. The structural theory is a vital theory in trying to understand how societal hierarchies work and how they are formed. In theories of communication and sociology, structural theory is defined as the formation of social issues using the analysis of two factors that include structures and agents that lead to the formatio n of these structures. These two factors are indistinguishable in that they are a prerequisite of each other. Although the structure theory is considered complex, it gives valuable insight of work and life balance in an organization (Hoffman, Renee, 206). Communication is a key element, in the formation of societal structures and this is evident through the structural theory. In societies, structures are crucial since, without structures in place: there will be anarchy. It is in human nature to look for a leader, hence leading to the formation of a command chain. This translates to all areas of the human life, from the family to bigger social groupings like communities. These structures are also employed in the workplace where there is a structure of authority (Gilsdorf, 25). Structures come as result of the interaction between resources and rules. Rules are predetermined guidelines that may be learned through life’s experience or may be official (Giddens, 455).rules guide ou r actions in work, certain rules are expected to be followed, for example, an employee should never miss work without permission. This is an example of an official rule. In this theory, recourses are a prominent determinant of power. Another important factor to consider in the structure of life is the duality in life. Life always has two sides to it, in the workplace; we have the employer and employee. In the workplace, the employer is rarely willing to make exceptions for the employee. The

Army Representative Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Army Representative - Personal Statement Example It aims at providing more aspects in the life of a soldier. Boss supports the overall quality of life and this is in regard to a single soldier. It works upon identifying the well- being issues in the life of a soldier and aims at improving the same. In addition to this BOSS provides an ideal platform for single soldiers to do community service and help as many people as possible. The BOSS team consists of three major organs namely, the senior military adviser, MWR advisor and the BOSS soldiers. Let me just briefly give an account of each. The senior military advisor has many important roles of which being a mentor to the BOSS soldiers is one of the most important, another important role of the senior military advisor is to approve and support the BOSS committee. The third most important role of the senior military advisor is to educate and inform NCO license channel (Liaison). The MWR Advisor is responsible for assisting the budget, the person is also supposed to do marketing of BOSS, another important role is to train BOSS committee members and the role also demands guidance on volunteer program. Moving on to the third most important organ of BOSS, the soldiers, there is a president, vice president, Secretary, Treasurer and brigade, all the posts come with various responsibilities and only the best soldiers are chosen for the same. This demonstrates my unde rstanding of BOSS and the expectations of the organization out of the soldiers. My Vision and Experience I consider myself a highly equipped professional and I have an experience of 9 years in performing a variety of administrative and staff support duties for different departments, which require a range of knowledge and skills of organizational procedures and policies; resolving administrative problems and inquiries. Interact well with individuals from diverse cultures and all professional levels. I will make sure that when I put the skills I am equipped with to work I achieve the highest quality standards of work. Let me just throw some light upon my core strengths, I am very comfortable working in Administrative Support, creative work attitude, Business correspondence and these are just a handful areas where I am very comfortable in working. I am aware of the fact that BOSS is also looking at experience and let me just give a brief account of my experience. I have served in the US Army for 9 years and during this period I gained a lot of experience. I worked as a record custodian and I was given many important responsibilities like training sailors and this was because the department where I worked was in joint- operation with the US navy. The post which I occupied demanded the management of dual role responsibility and I was selected to provide daily situation reports of the Battalion staff and trainees. I was also responsible for all the paper work and I was given the responsibility of proper filing of finances and personnel records I have also handled the post of Assistant training NCO; I was required to carry out many responsibilities. Some of them included Developing processing procedures and implementing procedures to staff during student in processing, assisted with the daily operations of the Battalion S-3 section, Assisting with maintaining individual

MSc Practical UNIX Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MSc Practical UNIX Security - Essay Example Furthermore, in the UNIX system's early periods, security feature was almost absent. Then, the UNIX system became the first operating system to undergo attacks raised over the promising Internet. With the passage of time, the security arrangement moved from centralized to distributed verification and permission systems (UNIX Systems Cooperative Promotion Group, 1997) and (The Open Group, 2010). This paper discusses various security aspects of UNIX operating system along with some types of attack that can be applied to UNIX operating system. The basic aim of this paper is to describe in a systematic manner the significance of systems configuration and management and how to undertake systems configuration and management for a UNIX system. Security Considerations With the advancements in the technology the chances of security attacks and their intensity is also increasing. In the past, a lot of security and privacy attacks have greatly influenced a large number of organizations and busi nesses. Some well known examples of these attacks include, security develops Nimda, Code Red, RPC buffer overflows, SQL Slammer Worm, SSH vulnerabilities. Thus, to deal with such new types of security attacks a good security management patch as well as effective security strategy is very important, which can help secure organization’s systems and networks. Seeing that the businesses having a high-quality patch security strategy (which implemented all the recognized patches to the target systems) were not influenced or were least influenced as compared to those businesses which neglected patch security strategies and faced harsh issues like business downtime of numerous days and failure of business effort (code as well as data). In this scenario, all the practical systems have their own techniques for implementing security patches. Additionally, HP-UX, Solaris and AIX program and patch installation techniques allow the elimination of an application or a patch by restoring some overwritten operating system files as the â€Å"save† alternative is employed (that is the default option). In addition, the capability to get rid of a (reminded) security patch makes simpler patch administration on these systems liberating the manager from planning routine techniques for patch management and permitting the administrator to focus on improving system security. For this purpose, HP, Sun and IBM offered standard security patch packages for download a number of times every year, in addition to individual patch downloads as well as patch announcement services which can be received via electronic mail (without paying registration fee). Moreover, specific patch downloads are always available at retailer’s websites and a few mirrors for Red Hat Linux. However, the accessibility of alternatives is significant, for the reason that standard patch packages make simpler the normal application of patches as well as get rid of the need for numerous reboots and/or sy stem configuration changes, as individual patch downloads permit the system application of a security patch at the instant as it is accessible (Tsitsivas et al., 2003), (Zheng & Zhang, 2009), (Curphey & Araujo, 2006) and (Ray, 2004). UNIX Security Overview Normally, all UNIX-based or other systems encompass particular log on procedures. However, these procedures depend on

Communication, Culture and context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication, Culture and context - Essay Example support the essay. Definition of Terms Globalization has been defined by Mazrui (2001) as consisting of systems and operating processes aiming to ultimately be interrelated with global protocols on a continuously growing exchange of transactions among diverse countries and regions (p. 1). On the other hand, Landay (2008) averred that â€Å"virtual commodification is a process of transforming experience, ideas, and ideas about the self into the quantifiable products of inworld consumer culture, and placing those products in a social context in which people define things in terms of themselves, and themselves in terms of things, i.e., that â€Å"self† is created and understood through the goods and appearance of the goods people consume† (p. 4). From the qualification of terms, commodification becomes global in perspectives in so far as a product, service, artifact, image, or idea is turned into a commodity. To expound on the concept in a global context, one opted to sele ct a social networking game that became famous through Facebook, FarmVille. FarmVille A social networking game that was developed by Zynga, a social game developer located originally in San Francisco, California, became a global phenomenon – FarmVille. According to its official site, â€Å"Zynga is committed to transforming the world through virtual social goods. Zynga players have made real change by raising millions for several international nonprofits since Zynga.org launched in October 2009† (Zynga: What, 2010, par. 1). Zynga was founded by Mark Pincus in January of 2007 with the mission of connecting people though social games (Zynga: About, 2011). FarmVille is just one among 18 games accessible through Facebook. A prospective player needs to have a Facebook account to be able to play any of the games developed by Zynga. Other social networking games by Zynga are accessible through other social networking sites such as MySpace, Mobile and Yahoo (Zynga: Games, 2011 ). As proffered by Helft (2010), the mechanics for the social game is explained as follows: in FarmVille, its most popular game, players tend to virtual farms, planting and harvesting crops, and turning little plots of land into ever more sophisticated or idyllic cyberfarms. Good farmers — those who don’t let crops wither — earn virtual currency they can use for things like more seed or farm animals and equipment. But players can also buy those goods with credit cards, PayPal accounts or Facebook’s new payment system, called Credits. A pink tractor, a FarmVille favorite, costs about $3.50, and fuel to power it is 60 cents. A Breton horse can be had for $4.40, and four chickens for $5.60. The sums are small, but add up quickly

Social Media Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Social Media Marketing - Essay Example Considering the wide range of social media sites covered, this marketing design will have a very wide range of audience across the globe. All the socio-economic classes of the human society are reached out to by this advert, providing a strong base of potential buyers (Safko 2013). In addition to the large social media coverage, this advert gives a detailed and all inclusive description of the Tecno smartphones. The description of the features is brought out in a colorful and eye-catching animations accompanied by step by step audio explanations. The audio explanations are of a wide variety of languages; English, French, German, Kiswahili, Arabic and even some local dialects. This gives first-hand information to the audience because one does not need a translation in order to understand the information being conveyed. Translations are sometimes biased since the translator may say what they think is important. As a result a potential buyer may fail to buy the product because what they were looking for in a phone was omitted by the translator. The advert is also accompanied by a step by step tutorial on the use of the smart phone. This is optional and can be viewed by anyone who has never used a smart phone before (Zimmerman 2013). This is an added advantage as compared to the inserts and user manuals that are usually inserted in the smartphone boxes. Some of the user manuals are typed in very tiny fonts making them stannous to read. An audio version would therefore be preferred by some customers. Currently the smartphone market is flooded by very many brands of smartphones. The major smartphones in the market are; Samsung, Apple, Sony, Alcatel, LG, Infinix and many others. All these smartphones ideally have the same features and applications. The hardware and the brand names are the only variables in this industry. The availability of many brands creates a cutthroat competition, with every company trying to have a bigger share of the market. In

Public sector management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public sector management - Assignment Example The contributing factors for the rise in poverty are a lack of education, social participation, housing, health and access to the given services. These issues faced by the poor make them vulnerable to the crime along with the civil conflicts such as violence which cannot be restricted by the formal justice system (Government of Yukon, 2012). These issues of the society give rise to the need of poverty reduction policies which would help to ensure the better safety, security along with justice. With respect to the social justice and poverty reduction periphery, it can be stated that â€Å"People cannot be developed; they can only develop themselves† (Voipio, 2006). This implies that the poverty reduction is possible with the contribution of the people of the society and their positive attitudes of treating every individual equally. Moreover, the presence of social protection is of significance to reduce the level of poverty and improve wellbeing of the society by protecting peo ple from deprivation in order to lead decent life by reducing poverty (Garcia & Gruat, 2003). The aim of the study is to draft a plan to resolve a policy problem namely the issue of poverty reduction and social justice. Exploring the issues, challenges faced along with recommending strategies to mitigate the issues for better up gradation of the society will form the core of the discussion. One of the vital moral, social and political issues faced by the world is poverty at a large scale. Poverty causes various issues and hampers the economic condition of the country to a certain extent. This requires a reform and hence the countries are trying hard to reduce the level of poverty and improve social justice. According to the World Bank Group (2004), it is reflected that development agencies such as the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have the conviction to enhance the living condition of the poor and create a

Comment closely on the following poem Essay Example for Free

Comment closely on the following poem Essay The Self-Unseeing portrays Hardy reminiscing over his childhood life with his parents. In the first stanza, the setting their old house is described in a way that conveys a sense of age and weariness, through such words and phrases as ‘ancient’ (emphasizing the age), ‘footworn and hollowed and thin’ (alluding to the emptiness which has overtaken it through the passage of time after it has been abandoned), ‘former’ (revealing the extent of change in the house, eg. by the door no longer being there), and ‘dead feet’ (those of his parents). At this point in the poem Hardy speaks in the present tense from the outside of the house, in order to convey its emptiness to the reader. The second stanza ignores these aspects of the house, instead focusing on his memories of his parents, which contrast with the first stanza by filling the house with life and action. A happier mood is created here, through a sense of warmth created by the fire, and his mother’s smile, which, along with his father’s playing the violin (‘bowing it higher and higher’), shows the happiness he felt while living with his parents. The musical effect of the violin is also complemented by that of the smooth-flowing ‘abab‘ rhyme scheme. The present tense verbs ‘smiling’ and ‘bowing’ imply that these memories were vivid, as if by introducing the setting to the reader he is reliving them. Hardy’s reference to his parents using the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘he’ rather than their actual names transforms the personal tragedy of the death of his parents to a universal one to which the reader can more easily relate. However, this tragedy is buried beneath the warm, welcoming mood established by the aforementioned use of language in this stanza. Hardy illuminates these memories in the final stanza with light imagery ‘blessings’ (which tend to be associated with heaven and therefore light), ‘day’, ‘glowed’, ‘gleam’, which underscore the joyful feelings previously evoked. This use of light imagery serves as a metaphor to reveal how Hardy, ‘childlike’, ‘danced in a dream’, and overall, the diction shows that his memories had a dazzling and pensive quality. However, it can be seen from the concluding line, ‘Yet we were looking away! ’, that he feels remorseful for not fully appreciating what he had at the time. It is this line which gives meaning to the poem’s title he (the ‘self’) was ‘unseeing’ and could not see the true value of his life with his parents. This makes the light imagery all the more powerful, as Hardy uses it to show that he is now able to see what he was unable to in his childhood. His newfound appreciation for his memories is also evident in the first stanza, where ‘here is’ and ‘here was’ sorrowfully reveal the setting of which he is about to reminisce. Overall, Hardy’s memories are presented in this poem with both regret and happiness. The phrase ‘hollowed and thin’ in the first stanza, in light of this regret, describes the likely state of his soul following the loss of his parents. The regret is subtle at first, but becomes much more apparent after reading the last line; it is as if Hardy uses this line to allow the reader to look back (as he had looked back on his past) and be filled with regret through this reflection. The past-tense verbs ‘walked’, ‘sat’, and ‘stood’, which are simply describing what once was, become tinged with regret (as if mourning) upon a second glance. In contrast, the passive verbs ‘danced’, ‘emblazoned’, and ‘glowed’ preserve their cheerful connotations, which suggest that to Hardy, reminiscence is a bittersweet experience. This idea is supported by the structure of the poem: three quatrains with ‘abab’ rhyme schemes; although the rhyme scheme establishes a sense of reminiscence, there are emotions both positive and negative associated with it. The simple pattern of it also mirrors the simplicity and naivety of childhood. The structure, rhythm, and diction of the poem thus convey a powerful message that pleasant experiences will eventually become memories, carrying both the happiness of their past occurrence and the regret and sadness of knowing that their time is past.

Education Environment Essay Example for Free

Education Environment Essay 1.Access the following policies on the Department of Education Training WA website, http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/ Staff Conduct: The purpose of this policy is to outline the Department of Education’s expectation requirements for the standard of behaviour of staff at work. It provides instruction direction for the appropriate behaviour in ethical risk situations and areas. It provides information for staff to recognise their rights, where to go for help in resolving breeches or complaints, their legal obligations and expectations within the code of ethics. It also provides a statement of public accountability for staff. Child Protection: The purpose of this policy is to state that all staff employed by the Department of Education is committed to the care, safety and protection of children, including factors such as possible sexual, emotional, physical and/or psychological abuse or neglect of a child. Provides guidelines to aide staff in the correct response to a situation where concern has arisen for the safety well being of a child or the need for the disclosure of abuse and the actions to take where allegations of child abuse have been made against the staff member. Duty of Care for Students: The purpose is to provide information to staff of the duty of care imposed by law, to take care to minimise the risk of harm to students. It provides an explanation to what the duty of care means how staff may act to fulfil their duty of care. It also outlines the situations where non-teaching staff, volunteers or external providers must provide a duty of care. The policy also states the need for staff to have a balance between ensuring safety without interfering with a student’s independence and learning opportunities. Occupational Health Safety: The purpose of this policy is to state the Department of Education is committed to providing and promoting a safe and healthy working environment for staff and students. It provides guidelines to the occupational health safety requirements within the Department of Education. Contains procedures to identify report manage hazards, accident or incident investigation and training. It outlines the responsibilities functions of health safety representatives committees. Please see attached printouts of each policy accessed. 2.Visit the Equal Opportunity Commission WA website http://www.equalopportunity.wa.gov.au/ write a summary of the 1984 Equal Opportunity Act. The Equal Opportunity act was set in 1984 and updated in 2002. The Equal Opportunity act is designed to outline the course of action to eliminate discrimination in the work place, accommodation, education or the provision of goods services or the membership to clubs and to eliminate sexual and/or racial harassment in the workplace, education environments or accommodation. The act promotes the recognition acceptance of equality of persons of all races gender. 3.Source a copy of or your job description. Write a summary paragraph of your role and explain how your role will change as you gain more experience. Level 1 Employees are to work under direct supervision of a teacher performing basic routine tasks. They are to assist in the delivery of planned education programs to small groups or individuals. They are to prepare and maintain the learning environment by maintaining resources , displays, equipment and demonstrations, also to assist the teacher with storage of equipment, resources and displays, as well as the management of resources, including inventory lists and stock levels. Assist the teacher with the care and general wellbeing of students both in and out of the classroom. In the Pre-Primary and Pre-School areas, assist with the preparation and distribution of food at morning tea time. Assist with the arrival and departure of students travelling to and from school on busses. Assists students undressing, bathing, dressing, toileting and, where necessary, cleans soiled clothing and areas. Provide administration support in accordance with the school policy and collect monies from s tudents where appropriate. 4.As an Education Assistant, should you have any queries relating to legislation, policies or role, who would you go to for support? The following people can provide information support in relation to queries regarding legislation, policies or role: Principal, Deputy Principal, Heads of Department, Registrar, Supervising Teacher, Guidance Officers, Teacher Librarian or other Specialist teachers. 5.What is the Industrial Award / Certified Agreement related to Education Assistants / Teachers Assistants? The Teachers Aide’s Award 1979 is a document outlining the the laws in relation to remuneration, working hours leave for a Teachers Aide. The Education Assistants’ (Government) General Agreement 2010 is a document that outlines core employment conditions and wage increases for employees bound by the general agreement. 6.Source and read a copy of the Industrial Award / Certified Agreement. Submit the first page and a summary paragraph of the award / agreement. The parties bound by the General Agreement are the Director General, Department of Education and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union, Western Australian Branch. The agreement applies to all employees, who are members or eligible members of the Union. The purpose of the agreement is to provide core employment conditions (general terms of employment, leave of absence, hours of work) and together with the awards (Teachers’ Aides’ Award 1979 for Education Assistants, Miscellaneous Government Conditions and Allowances Award 1992, Western Australian Government/Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union Redeployment, Redundancy and Retraining Certified Agreement 2004) to provide wage increases for all employees bound by the agreement. 7.Give an example of when you have adhered to the legislation or policies of the school An example of where I have adhered to legislation or polices of the school would be in the classroom where a student has been repetitively showing disruptive and bad behaviour. Under the guidance of the teacher I have followed through the School Behaviour Management plan and implemented the required steps with the student. 8.Give an example of when you have reviewed your own performance and compliance with legislation / policies and how you got feedback from others. While completing the practical side of the assessment for this module I have had to review my performance in relation to maintaining my duty or care and child protection. I have then sat with my supervising teacher and discussed my rating and received feedback. 9.Give an example of when you have reported an incident or occurrence in line with school policy. An example of when I have reported an incident or occurrence in line with school policy was during a lunchtime break in the Kindy/ Pre-Primary was a duty of care incident. A leak or spillage had occurred in the toilet area. I reported the occurrence to the supervising teacher. I had identified this occurrence as a hazard as the children had the potential to slip in the â€Å"water† and injure themselves. 10. What changes to your personal details should you report to your Principal or line manager? All changes to personal details must be reported to your Principal or Line Manager. My personal details include (but are not limited to): Name, Address, banking details, Criminal History check, Health details, home address, postal address, next of kin. 11. Consider this scenario: You are an Education Assistant working in a Kindergarten, you and your teacher have been advised that in two weeks time, a new student will join the class. The student has a physical disability and requires personal care support. This will require you as the Education Assistant to undertake some manual handling (lifting, reposition of the student, moving the student from the wheelchair to the toilet etc). You currently have no training in manual handling. Consider you role in terms of Duty of Care and Occupational Health and Safety. What actions would you take? I would discuss with the teacher the needed changes in the room to ensure the student felt comfortable and welcome. I would also speak to the teacher about how I have not undergone any manual handling training and would ask the principal if there were any courses available. I would speak to the principal about the possibility of a meeting involving the student’s parents, the teacher, principal and myself. This meeting would then ensure we have a full understanding of the requirements of the student and any necessary changes we may need to make within the classroom to ensure a smooth integration of the student into our class. 12. Describe the curriculum your school uses. The curriculum my school uses is called Years K – 10 Curriculum. It sets out the knowledge, understandings, skills, values and attitudes that students are expected to acquire during the students education. These requirements are described as a series of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes consist of the mandatory element of curriculum. They also include overarching outcomes and learning area outcomes. As of 2011 the school will be following the national curriculum.

Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine

Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine human papilloma virus vaccine Abstract Identifying human papilloma viruses related to the pathogenesis of cancer cervix and producing vaccines against them offered hopes for primary prevention of cancer cervix. Understanding the virus and the natural history of HPV infection recommends the use of the vaccine. However; debates on the compulsory use of the vaccine for young age females delays the legislations needed. The aim of this essay is to review, briefly, HPV vaccination and spotlight the debate about how important it is as a preventive measure against cancer cervix. Introduction In 1842, Rigoni Stern presented his observation that nuns never get cervical cancer to the 4th Congress of Italian Scientists. This pointed out the possibility that sexually transmitted infection may be the cause of cervical cancer (Harper, 2004). Since then, many types of human papilloma virus (HPV) were identified to cause certain human diseases. The most serious health problem with HPV is that it is an important causative agent for cancer cervix (types 6, 11, 16, 18) (Bishop and others, 2007). Virus transmission occurs through sexual contact and infection may give no symptoms (silent infection). HPV infection is the commonest sexually transmitted infection in the US, by the age of 50, 80% of women in the US have had the chance to catch infection (National Cancer Institute 2006). I support giving HPV vaccine to females between the ages of 9 to 26 because of the possible serious outcome of HPV infection; as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Ju ne 2006 (ACIP 2006). Therefore; my essay is directed to parents and young sexually active females to spotlight how serious the consequences of human papilloma virus infection can be and how important is their support to HPV vaccination. Background Papilloma virus is a double strand circular DNA virus. The epithelial cells in certain tissues as the skin and the ano-genital tract are the target cells of infection are. Papilloma virus capsids (outside capsule like envelop around the virus DNA) contain two characteristic proteins (virally encoded proteins) called L1 and L2. These virally encoded proteins develop late in the infection cycle. These capsids are made of protein with L1 proteins having the intrinsic ability of self-assembly forming virus like particles (VLP) which are, in fact, empty capsids. The use of VLPs as a vaccine is because they are similar, immunologically, to the infecting virus (Bishop and others 2007). The question now is what happens when HPV infection occurs? The natural course (sequence of events) of infection takes three forms (Harper 2004). The first form is episomal infection (virus-latency or latent period of HPV infection). The virions (small virus particles) transmitted from one epithelial surface (superficial cells) become attached to another epithelial surface. Virions, then, find its way to the deeper (basal) cells. Characteristic to this stage is the association with low virus copy numbers and that is the reason for missing HPV in routine histo-pathological scrapping examination. The second form is when the virus genome (DNA) copies itself faster than the host cell DNA. In this stage, the epithelium may show some metaplasia (cell character or order change). The third form occurs when high risk virus genome incorporates with basal cell DNA with the release of precancerous substances (CIN) (Harper 2004). Cervical cancer is the third cancer that affects the female genital tract in the US (after cancer ovary and carcinoma of the uterine endometrium). It is the eighth cancer if we look to all body organs. The incidence of cervical cancer shows ethnic variations, in American white females, the incidence is 8.6 each 100.000. In African-American females, it incidence is 13 each 100.000. In Asian-American females, it is 9.3 by 100.000, while in Hispanic (Latino) females; the ratio is 14.7 each 100.000. The main reasons which predispose to cancer cervix are; practicing sexual activity at an early age, multiple sexual partners, persistent infection with papilloma virus and cigarette smoking. The major factor affecting prognosis is early detection since the 5 years survival rate is 48% when discovered in late stages. The 5 years survival rate of preinvasive (early) cases is near 100% (Benedet and others 2001). A quadrivalent HPV vaccine (types 6, 11, 16, 18) developed, recently, and approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in June 2006. According to FDA report in 2006, it is a significant step forward to prevent female HPV infection which is an important reason for developing cancer cervix (FDA News 2006). The vaccine is prepared from virus like particles (VLP) which lack DNA and therefore non infective combined with an adjuvant. The dose of vaccine is three intramuscular 0.5 ml doses with intervals of two months after the first dose and six months after the second (Cutts and others 2007). The vaccine is recommended for females nine to 26 years old. Females of young age are vaccinated because it is important to give them the vaccine before sexual activity. Parent should be acknowledged that the vaccine is only prophylactic and will not prevent the disease caused by any type of HPV if infection with that type has already occurred. Pregnant females are discouraged of taking the vac cine as its impact on the unborn fetus needs further studies. Any female who is mildly ill can still get the vaccine, but those who are moderately or severely ill should postpone the dose till they recover. Finally, those with known history of allergy to yeast (adjuvant) or to a previous dose of the vaccine should get the vaccine or following doses (ACIP 2006). Discussion Cons: The debate against HPV vaccine is on four main issues. First, knowing that health care authorities encourage HPV; should legislations be made to make the vaccine a school mandate? HPV is not a causal or droplet infection such as measles or pertussis. It needs practices that are not usual at schools at such a young age. Therefore; there is no immediate need to give the vaccine as a preschool requirement. The right of parents to refuse vaccinating their daughters is the second issue. Third, is cost-effectiveness, as the price of the three doses is 360 US$, this raises the question of funding compulsory schoolgirls vaccination. Finally, as there is no vaccine that is safe or effective, should not we wait for further confirming studies (Weber 2007)? HPV vaccine side effects range from mild to severe. Mild side effects include: pain at the site of injection (80%), redness or swelling at the site of injection (25%), mild fever (10%) and itching at the injection site (3.3%). Moderate fever i.e. 102 F occurs in 1 female vaccinated by 65. Severe risk may develop because of severe allergic reactions (ACIP 2006). However; HPV vaccine does not have a therapeutic effect on a female that have the virus nor can it prevent the disease caused by that virus (ACIP 2006). The routine screening using Papinicolaou (pap) test to detect cervical precancer lesions succeeded in reducing the overall decrease in cervical cancer incidence by 70% over the last 50 years (Guido 2004). Dungan, 2007, argues that it is better to educate women on safe sex and abstinence. Yearly pap test should not be discouraged. It might be better to improve these two lines than to provide a vaccine without being aware its long-term effects or for how long does it provide protection against the virus. Pros: Epidemiological studies show that nearly 20 million men and women are infected with HPV in the US. Additionally about 6.2 million get infected each year, and 50% of sexually active men and women are HPV infected. Although HPV infection may cause no symptoms, yet infection is important for developing cancer cervix. Cancer cervix affect 10000 women in the US every year of them 3700 die of it (ACIP 2006). HPV vaccine is effective against two viruses blamed for about 70% of cases showing malignant transformation of cells (type 16, 18) and two more viruses that cause about 90% of benign genital warts (CIAP 2006). The vaccine is made of VLPs devoid of DNA and thus is not capable of producing a disease. The vaccine does not cause serious or life threatening side effects (CIAP 2006). In addition, the vaccine is expected to give long term immunity (good immune memory) and therefore, it is likely to provide long-term protection (Stanley 2007). The vaccine is expensive, yet the cost of treatment of cancer cervix is much higher. Studies showed that if the vaccine is effective against HPV type 16, 18 only, being immune saves 15.000 to 25000 US$. In addition, the US Health Department provides vaccination at minimum or no charge for those who cannot afford it (ACIP 2006). The prospects of HPV vaccination are notable. FDA approved the vaccine (FDA 2006) and both the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP 2006) and the National Cancer Institute (2006) advise giving it to females between 9 to 26 years old. For a successful introduction of the vaccine, nationwide, there is the need for support of policy decision makers, healthcare professionals and the public specially parents and sexually active females. Therefore; essential communication strategies are essential for a successful HPV vaccine program. Conclusion Human papilloma virus vaccine contributes to improving the incidence of cervical cancer. Sex education and regular screening have proved relatively effective in preventing cancer cervix. However, complying of all sexually active females to these measures is questionable. A decision of approving HPV vaccine is a decision of saving lives. For better efficacy, the vaccine has to be given before the age of sexual activity. Therefore; filling the communication gap with parents is important. Making it mandatory needs state legislations which in turn need discussion with healthcare workers to solve the issues delaying legislations making the vaccine affordable to anyone irrespective of their social or economic status. References Harper, D.M (2004). Why am I scared of HPV (Editorial). CA Cancer J Clin, 54, 245-247. Bishop, B, Dasgupta, J, Klein, M, Garcea, R.L et al (2007). Crystal Structures of four types of human papilloma virus L1 capsid proteins. J. Biol. Chem., 43, 31803-31811. National Cancer Institute (2006). HPV- Vaccine: Question and answers for the public. Retrieved 02/07/2008, from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) (2006).HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine: What you need to know. Retrieved 02/07/2008, from Howe, H.L, Wu, X., Ries, L.A et al (2006). Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer 1975-2003 featuring cancer among US Hispanic/Latino populations. Cancer, 107, 1643-1658. Benedet, J.L, Odicino, F, Maisonneuve, P et al (2001). Carcinoma of the cervix uteri. J Epidemiol Biostat, 6 (1), 7-43. FDA News (June 8, 2006). FDA Licenses New Vaccine for Prevention of Cervical Cancer and Other Diseases in females caused by human papilloma virus. US Food and Drug Administration, News. Retrieved 02/07/2008, from . Cutts, F.T, Franceschi, S, Goldie, X et al (2007). Human papilloma virus and HPV vaccines: a review. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 85, 719-726. Weber, C.J (2007). Update on vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV). Urologic Nursing, 27 (4), 320-321. Guido, R (2004). Guidelines for screening and treatment of cervical disease in the adolescent. J pediatr Adolesc Gynaecol, 17, 303-311. Dungan, D (2007). Pros and cons of HPV vaccine debate: Gardasil remains controversial despite FDA approval. Idaho Mountain Express. Retrieved 02/07/2008 from Stanley, M (2007). Prophylactic HPV vaccines. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 60, 961-965.

A Gangster Turns Writer :: Free Essay Writer

A GANGSTETR TURNES WRITER There was a kid named Tony Davidson who lived in Italy, Tony’s dad had a very powerful gang in Italy and everybody knew who they were. â€Å"If you’re having any problems I’ll fix them.† Said Tony’s dad. Tony however didn’t like violence he thought that all things could be handled peacefully.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However everyone at school was afraid of him. They always bought him presents, gave him money because they knew if they didn’t they would the price. Tony never asked for any of it though. All he wanted was real friends, not friends that just use him to be on his dad’s good side. Everyone was too scared to tell the Italian police because if they did they and their families would be in trouble. Until one day one brave man told an officer at the train station. A person who was at the station at the time quickly told Tony’s dad.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We must move to America.† Tony’s dad told Tony. â⠂¬Å"Fine let’s go!† said Tony. So they got on their private which they stole from a rich Italian family, just for the fun of it and moved to America.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was still summer in America so school had not yet started. Tony, Tony’s dad, and the gang all knew English from when they took lessons in Italy.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the high school in which Tony was to be attending there was a-lot of mean people who were jealous and beat you up just for fun. In Italy Tony heard that American schools were bad and didn’t teach you anything except for stupid stuff. However when Tony arrived at his school he realized this was not true.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However what was true was that people kept making fun of him for no good reason. They were all jealous of his first day outfit; he had on a Gucci suit, with Prada shoes, and a Louis Vuitton backpack. Everybody messed up all his clothes and when he told his principal, the principal said neither â€Å"Sorry I don’t like nor help Italians†.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tony almost started crying; when his dad came to pick him up in a Ferrari a kid threw an egg at the car. Tony’s dad got out of the car and beat the kid up. The kid was injured so badly he was put in a wheelchair. â€Å"Dad why did you do that?† Violence is wrong said Tony. â€Å"No it isn’t violence is good!† said his dad.

A Comparison of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist :: comparison compare contrast essays

A Comparison of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist      Ã‚   Great Expectations and Oliver Twist are representative of the works produced by Charles Dickens over his lifetime. These novels exhibit many similarities - perhaps because they both reflect painful experiences that occurred in Dickens' past. During his childhood, Charles Dickens suffered much abuse from his parents.1 This abuse is often expressed in his novels. Pip, in Great Expectations, talked often about the abuse he received at the hands of his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery. On one occasion he remarked, "I soon found myself getting heavily bumped from behind in the nape of the neck and the small of the back, and having my face ignominously shoved against the wall, because I did not answer those questions at sufficient length."2 While at the orphanage, Oliver from Oliver Twist also experienced a great amount of abuse. For example, while suffering from starvation and malnutrition for a long period of time, Oliver was chosen by the other boys at the orphanage to request more gruel at dinner one night. After making this simple request, "the master (at the orphanage) aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arms; and shrieked aloud for the beadle."3 The beginning of Oliver Twist's story was created from memories which related to Charles Dickens' childhood in a blacking factory ( which was overshadowed by the Marshalsea Prison ).4 While working in the blacking factory, Dickens suffered tremendous humiliation. This humiliation is greatly expressed through Oliver's adventures at the orphanage before he is sent away. Throughout his lifetime, Dickens appeared to have acquired a fondness for "the bleak, the sordid, and the austere."5 Most of Oliver Twist, for example, takes place in London's worst slums.6   The city is described as a maze which involves a "mystery of darkness, anonymity, and peril."7 Many of the settings, such as the pickpocket's hideout, the surrounding streets, and the bars, are also described as dark, gloomy, and bland.8 Meanwhile, in Great Expectations, Miss Havisham's house is often made to sound depressing, old, and lonely. Many of the objects within the house had not been touched or moved in many years. Cobwebs were clearly visible as well as an abundance of dust, and even the wedding dress which Miss Havisham constantly wore had turned yellow with age.9 However, similarities are not just found in the settings.

Learning from Helen Keller Essays -- Helen Keller Deaf Blind Essays

Learning from Helen Keller Facilitated Communication Institute Helen Keller is probably the most universally recognized disabled person of the twentieth century. (Others such as Franklin Roosevelt were equally well-known, but Keller is remembered primarily for her accomplishments which are disability-related.) Those of us who have grown up in the last half of this century have only known Keller as a figure of veneration. We know her primarily through popularized versions of her life such as the play "The Miracle Worker," or through her autobiographical works such as The Story of My Life (Keller, 1961 [1902]) and The World I Live In (Keller, 1908). Most of us have come away with the image of a more-than-human person living with the blessed support of an equally superhuman mentor, Annie Sullivan Macy. There is little wisdom, however, to be learned from the stories of superheroes. It is from observing the struggles, losses and compromises in both Keller and Sullivan's lives that we are likely to find parallels to the everyday experiences of ourselves and our friends. Dorothy Herrmann's recent biography of Keller, Helen Keller: A Life (Herrmann, 1998) creates a much more complete picture of the costs of Keller's celebrity and iconic status, and of the tensions present in her life-long relationship with the woman whom she always referred to as Teacher. In this paper, I will discuss two important themes from Helen Keller's life in terms of their implications for those of us who are also part of a community of people engaged in the enterprise of finding their voices in the world. The "Frost King" Incident Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880, and became deaf and then blind following an illness when she was 19 months old. Annie Sullivan came to Alabama to work as Helen's teacher in March, 1887. Scarcely a month later, on April 5, 1887, came the well-known moment at the water-pump, where Helen first associated the objects she experienced with the words being spelled into her hand. Within the next year, Helen began keeping a journal, and was studying the poetry of Longfellow, Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. By the time she was ten years old, Helen Keller was literally world-famous. As early as October, 1888, she was writing letters such as the following one to Michael Anagnos, the director of the Perkins' School for the Blind: Mon cher Mon... ...in facilitators, for administrators who provide access to enriched staffing resources, and for allies involved in connecting an individual with his or her broader community. The world will never see another Helen Keller. Those visible people with disabilities of our generation do not stand alone and unique -- increasingly, they are powerful members of a powerful community, in control of those who support them rather than controlled by them. Those of us who are supporters and allies of facilitated communication users can play an important role in helping our friends come into possession of their power and full citizenship in our community. The most powerful acts -- and often the most complicated and painful ones -- by which we can support movement in this direction, are those acts by which, a piece at a time, we become less and less indispensable. REFERENCES Herrmann, D. (1998). Helen Keller: A Life. New York, Alfred A. Knopf. Keller, H. (1961 [1902]) The Story of my Life. New York, Dell. Keller, H. (1908). The World I Live In. New York, Grosset and Dunlop. Shevin, M. (1993). â€Å"Editorial: Who are our Phyllis Wheatleys?† Facilitated Communication Digest 1(3): 1-2.

The student body of your University

I would be grateful if offered the opportunity to be a member of the student body of your University. I am currently undertaking my studies at Grossmont College and I would wish to transfer to your University in order to study Business Administration.Grossmont College does not offer undergraduate programs and I wish to further my studies to the highest level I can achieve in an institution which encourages both personal and collective academic advancement. I am specifically enthusiastic about your University due to the high levels of integrity and quality education being offered besides providing for students a good environment for studies.The visions and goals of your University as an academic institution are in line with my personal goals for I desire to positively change the human society through knowledge that I wish to gain from your institution when given the chance.I believe that University of San Diego is the place where the foundation of my career stand to be shaped as its v alues has the capacity to further build my worth as a moral and intellectual being. My objectives are to work in the business world as a manager and I believe my studies at your esteemed institution will adequately equip me for such an eventuality.I completely understand my responsibility as a student and I am only requesting for the opportunity to join your student body and the entire community of University of San Diego. I will abide by all the rules and focus on achieving my academic and intellectual goals while at the same time making positive contribution towards my fellow students and the entire community of the University of San Diego.I am looking forward to a positive response and an opportunity to join your academic institution. Thank you in advance.

Financial Analysis of Amazon.com Inc.

This paper seeks to analyze the financial statements of Amazon. com Inc. for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 by interpreting its profitability, liquidity, leverage and activity ratios and comparing the same with industry averages. This will also analyze the company’s growth rates, valuation ratios (price) and dividends and will employ horizontal and vertical analysis in process as needed. 2. Analysis and Discussion 2. 1 Profitability Return on equity of Amazon. com Inc. shows many things about the past performance of the company in the past five years.The continued decrease from 2005 through 2007 appears noticeable but the rates are still very high. . From 145. 93% in 2005, it has hugely decreased to 44. 08% in 2006 and further to 39. 77% in 2007. Such level of profitability is still very for purposes of determining a company’s profitability. Compared to industry average of 24. 9%, the company’s ROE is still higher. See Exhibit I in the Appendix. The range of 39% t o 145% return on equity encourages investors as it would mean that for every $100 investment, the investors expect returns of about $39 to $145. These rates could be viewed as something unprecedented for a company like Amazon.com Inc.. Its level of ROE is something that must be the envy of many other companies such as EBay Inc. , Enable Holdings and Friendly Auto Dealers, Inc (Yahoo Finance, 2008). It may be noted that return on equity is solved under the formula where net profit is divided by the total stockholders equity. When compared to an average rate of 1. 5% US base rate (Housepricecrash, 2008 ) if money was invested in a bank, the company’s would seem to offer more than twenty fold and it is something very difficult to find and would therefore make it very attractive to investors.The company’s return on assets for the years 2006 through 2008 ranges from 4% to 9% and which appears to be obviously lower that its ROE. The same may be observed in relation to the co mpany’s net profit margin for last three years and has not even exceeded 5% in any period. However, ROE must be superior in declaring the profitability of Amazon as compared to all other profitability ratios. Operating margin which measures within the range of 3 to 5% for the three years, represents the margin after deducting cost of sales or services and operating expenses.Things to be added or deducted still are other income(s). The ratios mean that the management of Amazon. com Inc. is doing well that it must thank its employee’s participation of employees in delivering value to customers. The net margins of the company for the three years are lower than operating profit margin, due to the additional deductions of interest expenses. The profitability ratios such as return to equity, operating profit margin and net profit margin have the capacity to show historical profitability but investors would base also their decision on estimates of the future.Since conditions change, wise users of financial information may just give more values to estimated cash flow in the future for valuing their investments in terms of dividends to be received from the company. This appears to be found in the case of Amazon as proved by high debt equity as would be discussed later in relation to its profitability. 2. 2. 2 Liquidity Liquidity enables a company to meet its currently maturing obligations. It is measured using the current ratio and the quick asset ratio.Current ratio calculation uses current assets to be divided to current liabilities while quick assets ratio is almost the same except that the inventory and prepaid expenses are being removed from the current assets to have a new numerator but the denominator is the same. Quick assets therefore normally include cash, marketable securities and accounts receivable and the use of quick asset ratio is very much relevant for one intending to have higher form of measuring liquidity. In such case, one would prefe r quick asset ratio over that of the current ratio.As applied now, the current ratios of Amazon. com Inc reflected 1. 39, 1. 33 and 1. 54 for the years 2007, 2006 and 2005 respectively while the quick asset ratios for same years are 1. 02, 0. 95 and 1. 19 for the same years respectively. See Exhibit I in the Appendix. Both ratios showed fluctuating trend where decreased was first noted and then increase followed after. The company’s liquidity may be considered to be still very high since current ratios average more than 1. 3 while quick asset ratio averages about more than 1.0 for the last three years. It current ratio for 2007 is very close to industry average of 1. 8 while its quick ratio of 1. 02 is not very far from industry average of 1. 6. Both its liquidity ratios are better when compared with S&P 500 index. See Exhibit I in the Appendix. The good liquidity appears to be a result also of good profitability of the company as observed earlier in terms of very high return on equity. 2. 2. 3 Leverage ratios Financial leverage or solvency refers to the company’s capacity to keep it stability over the long term.Generally measured by the debt to equity ratio, with the formula of having the total debt of the company divided by its total equity; a good financial leverage assures investors that the company is not to just to exist in the short term but it must also have a long life to recover long term investments which takes years to produce the needed returns. The debt to equity ratios of Amazon. com Inc. are 4. 42, 9. 12 and 14. 02 for the years 2007, 2006 and 2005 respectively. These ratios are however not as good as industry average of 0. 32. See Exhibit I in the Appendix .The ratios are indeed very high since the ratio of more than 4. 0 means that the value the company investments is not matched by what it borrows by about more than 400%. Remarkable Improvement were however recorded from 2005 through 2007. This must be due to its very high prof itability. This could mean that the company is expanding business as noted its net fixed assets reflecting growth rates of 25. 06%, 22. 53% and 67. 91%, the years 2007, 2006 and 2005 respectively. See Exhibit I in the Appendix. In other words, expansions are getting financed hugely from operations which is a sigh of a healthy company.Good solvency is a proof of good capital structure and for Amazon. com Inc. the same could be attainable as shown in the very remarkable improvement if its debt to equity ratio which cut more than half that on 2006 in 2007. Given also its very good liquidity as analyzed earlier, the company must be declared to have clean bill of health in financial terms. 2. 2. 4 Efficiency ratios The company’s profitability is being supported by its good efficiency ratios. Inventory turnovers for three years are very much higher than industry average and such efficiency is indicative of its better performance than competitors.Even its collection period and recei vable turnover are definitely above industry and S&P 500 index. No wonder the massive improvement in leverage ratio for two years is more than justified. 3. Conclusion Amazon. com is growing very remarkably in term of revenues, fixed assets, and net income. The increase in net income of more than 60% in 2007 is not easy to disregard and the fixed assets growth averaging more than 20% for the last three years could only mean an expanding company under a very favorable condition in the industry.Its profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, leverage ratios and activity ratios are very favorable to the company. Its profitability is sustaining not only its liquidity by keep improving is highly leverage financial condition. Although, 2007 liquidity and leverage ratios are not as good as industry averages, the chance that they could be improved soon by company’s profitability is very big given its higher than industry average ROE for the last three years. The activity ratios in terms of inventory turnover and receivable turnover in 2007 are higher than industry average which could only support for the company’s very high profitability.

Policy Analysis: Free Speech and Social Media

Free speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The founding fathers believed the freedom of the citizenry to question and publicly scorn the government to be of such importance, it was their first order of business. Such speech is not absent limits and some fail to understand what the First Amendment prohibits. The protections for individuals include the language; Congress shall make no law that abridges free speech.Certainly case law has provided some examples of unprotected speech to Include statements that would cause public terror such as oiling â€Å"fire† In a theater, harassing statements, disturbance of another's peace, and statements In the workplace that could create a hostile work environment (Van Broccoli, 2011). Because the founding fathers left the First Amendment vague, the Congress, through legislation, and the courts through legal decisions have defined certain speech as unprotected. Important differences exist between the speech of a ci tizen and the speech of an employee.Even more disparity exists between employees who work in private industry than employees of the government. Technology available wrought social media and the ability to communicate internationally in seconds has created a whole new arena for employees and employers (Van Broccoli, 2011). Private Employees versus Public Employees Substantial differences exist between private employers and governmental employees. Essentially, free speech protections do not extend to employees of private businesses.Although free speech In the workplace Is restricted, laws related to â€Å"whistle blower† protections and certain protected classes of people persist. Furthermore, the National Labor Relations Act (ANAL) protects employees from an employer interfering with an employee's fertilization regarding work conditions, supervisors, and the organization. These same protections do not apply to government Jobs, such as municipal police departments. It is import ant to understand that these protections are not founded in the First Amendment, but in statutes, contracts, case law, and policies and procedures (Van Broccoli, 2011).Public employees enjoy some protections related to the First Amendment, however these are limited. Case law has carved out a three prong test which is continually being applied to new cases before the courts. The three-prong test applies to oral and written communications, photographic depictions, videos, music, and performing arts. The following prongs of the test determine whether or not the officers speech Is protected by the First Amendment: 1. The speech must touch on a matter of public concern 2. The speech must be made as a citizen, not as part of the officers official duties 3.The speech must address an issue of public interest, and the officers interest must outweigh the agencies interest in promoting and maintaining efficient operations (Baker, 2011). Public Concern Typically, the public is not interested in the inner-workings of police agency. Issues surrounding promotions, advancements, or displeasure with the bosses is not a matter of public interest. For example, in Iconic v. Myers an assistant district attorney circulated a letter inquiring about employees morale and work conditions.The assistant district attorney was fired for his communique and the Supreme Court upheld his termination. In City of San Diego v. Roe a police officer was claiming to be expressing free speech by masturbating on a website and selling police memorabilia. The officer was ordered to cease and desist, yet he maintained the web-site that had depicted San Diego Police Department uniforms. Again, the Supreme Court ruled that his speech was of no interest to the public at large (Van Broccoli, 2011).Official Capacity versus Private Citizen This prong of the test is more difficult to apply. Often police officers believe they are acting as a citizen, when in fact, the opposite is true. Speech related to the offi cers official duties is not protected. In Cigarette v Caballeros, a deputy district attorney reviewed an affidavit used by police to secure a search warrant. Deputy District Attorney Caballeros found misrepresentations that he brought to his supervisor. The supervisor removed the deputy from the case and the case went forward.Caballeros testified for the defense and was reassigned to another division and denied a promotion. Caballeros claimed his speech was protected and sued. The Supreme Court ruled that although honorable, his speech was the result of his professional responsibilities as a prosecutor and therefore not the speech of a private citizen (Van Broccoli, 2011). Other cases have illustrated this nexus, including a sergeant in charge of a argotic unit who brought to light wrong doings of his subordinates. Not only was he told to work harmoniously, he was threatened with transfer.When he resigned and sued, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals again reaffirmed his speech was not that of a private citizen, but the product of his employment (Van Broccoli, 2011). Notoriety, such as an officer who is regularly on the news may place that officer in an official capacity more than other officers (Baker, 2011). Promoting and Maintaining Efficiency The Supreme Court has ruled that even if the officer's speech was related to an issue of public concern, and the officer was acting as a citizen, the interests of the officer will be weighed against the department's interests.This prong was discussed in Nixon v. City of Houston (Van Broccoli, 2011). Nixon, a Houston Police Officer, authored opinion columns in local publications. Although he never identified himself as a Houston Police officer, he regularly mentioned that he was a police officer and wrote about Houston Police activities and policies as well as his activities. His columns contained offensive remarks about minorities, citizen groups, women and the homeless. Although off-duty and not calming to De a Houston Police emcee, en was eventually terminated Tort tans Ana other incidents.Nixon claimed that his speech was protected, yet the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Houston Police Departments interests in protecting their relationship with the community outweighed his interests (Van Broccoli, 2011) . The Policy Because of issues previously discussed, criminal Justice agencies have been forced to adopt new policies related to social media. These policies are derived from case law and legislative action and must comply with labor agreements.Because freedom of speech is a Constitutional issue, individual cases will continue to be determined on their merit within the three-prong test. Police agencies should be encouraged to draft social media policies and educate employees in the nuances of free speech and the acceptable uses of social media. Currently the Washoe County Sheriffs Office does not have a social media policy, although a new policy update is being formulated to addres s the deficiency (Washoe County Sheriff, 2011). Conclusion The public has little sympathy for police officers who use their trusted role to elate policy.On the other hand, the public has little interest in the daily politics of a police organization. Where police officers fail, and expose their department to embarrassment, are cases in which they post inappropriate materiel for public view. Such examples are widespread and include police officers posting Faceable photographs in uniform pointing guns at their heads, a police officer who shot a man 11 times then posted comments about how he would rather be emptying his guns than cleaning them, and a police officer with a bikini-clad girl leaned over his patrol ar (Wilson, 2011).

Environmental Friendly Recommendations For Las Vegas Hotels Essay

Things that are considered to be compliant to environmental friendly regulations are those that take special care and attention to conserve water, energy and practice proper waste management. There are a number of hotels in Las Vegas which participate in â€Å"Green practices†. These practices include towel and sheet reuse programmes, recycling and energy conservation practices like turning lights off when they are not in use, turning TV off when one is not in the room and so on. According to a survey carried out by Green Seal, an organization that is responsible for the certification of a variety of businesses and the result for the survey indicated that in an average 150-room hotel in Las Vegas consumes just about the same amount of power as 100 households hosting four people at a time. It further suggested that some of the reasons why there was such power consumption was because in houses the lights are turned off during the night which is not the case in hotels which use power 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also presupposed that people on houses are aware of the escalating cost of water and power and thus tended to impose self-monitoring and conservation measures to curb excessive consumption. This was found not to be the case in most hotels because most of the guests don’t worry much about resource conservation while they are in the hotels. Other items that could be reused include soap, shampoo, lotion and food items. While it is easier to reuse these items at home, hotel guests find it hard to reuse these items. This leads to a lot of waste which harm the environment. Then there is also space. While rooms in houses are always built depending on the number of regular inhabitants and are designed in such a way to minimize the wastage of space, hotel rooms are a complete opposite. The rooms built are to fit a large number of inhabitants who may not be regular. This leads to a lot of unused space and coupled with the cost of heating or cooling the rooms, there is a large overhead on power consumption and space utilization. Some of the recommendation to reduce the excessive use of these resources which hotels in Las Vegas can incorporate in their programs include: reusing of towels and sheets. This is because it makes no sense to change sheets and towels everyday for a person since they are still technically clean. The hotels can also try using compact fluorescent light bulbs which use far little amount of power than the normal light bulbs, this will save tremendously on power consumption. Other programs can also be to introduce bulk bathroom amenities which entail use of shared resources like soap and shampoo by all the guests. Then the hotels can also include recycling of waste materials to help also in the environmental programme. In a nutshell, some of the recommendations for the hotel industry includes educating and influencing internal and external stakeholders in the hotel industry to reduce energy consumption and keep track of how much has been gained by the programmes, recycle waste water as well as reduce its usage by introducing programmes like bottled water and so on. Then there they can also minimize waste by recycling some items that can be recycled and reusing others that can be reused. Furthermore, the hotels can implement sustainable procurement practices and also participate in local community environmental activities. References Herczog, M (2005). Frommer’s Las Vegas 2006. New York: John Wiley and Sons. University of Michigan (1970). Water & Wastes Engineering. Michigan: Technical Pub. Co. American Chemical Society (1972). Environmental Science & Technology. Michigan: American Chemical Society.

The communication characteristics of children from single -child Research Proposal

The communication characteristics of children from single -child families - Research Proposal Example Second, the only child acquires the entire public, touching, and matter resources those parents have to provide. He/she is their only recipient. As parents usually make a high venture in fostering and providing for the child, they often have a high hope of return. They look forward to the child to produce well. Thirdly, the only child has unrivalled right of entry to parents and all they provide because the only child has no siblings with whom to bond, to be matched up to, to struggle against, or to contradict, the child turns out to be adultized from recognizing and interacting with these primary parental companions. Emotionally involved to parents and well reared by them, the only child obtains a lot of parental consideration, warmth, recognition, and support that possibly contribute to one of the more reliable research findings (The adolescent only child). Family communication methods vary among parents of diverse demographic sections as well as among diverse twosome relationships. Parents with an advanced education level and families with advanced household earnings connected more often in concept-leaning communication (Chan and McNeal). This study will emphasize on the communication traits of children from single-child families in China under the one-child policy. One-child policy was recognized in China by Deng Xiaoping, Chinese leader in 1979 to restrict socialist Chinas population expansion (Rosenberg). According to Lu, Jia, and Heisey (2002), the youngsters who are from single-child families are more probable to be occupied in the family acquisition activities than those who are not. They asserted that the young people who are from notion-oriented families have more probability to be engaged in family obtaining activities than those who are not. They also viewed that those youngsters who have more monetary resources have the high chance to be involved in family purchasing behavior than those who are not. Chen and Ma (2002) assessed that there is an

OUT COMES AND CONTENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OUT COMES AND CONTENT - Assignment Example WRITER REMEMBER THE INITIALS S.M.A.R.T STANDS FOR Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Also this goal must be achieved within a 4weeks time frame and you can choose the subject area of nursing problems or issues to address and please follow the rubic ANY LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS WILL RECEIVE A MAXIMUM GRADE REDUCED TO 50% AS LATE PENALTIES. THE LATE PENALTIES MAY BE AVOIDED BY COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR COACHES VIA EMAIL. LATE PENALTIES ARE NOT APPLICABLE IF THE STUDENT HAS MADE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS FOR LATE SUBMISSION WITH THE COACHES. The selected population health problem I will be addressing for the capstone project is cancer. Over the years, I have been working in health care, I have realized that most cancer patients suffer from depression and stress, and this problem tends to heighten when the patients perceive neglect or minimum attention. At my current, place of work, I carryout several duties in various departments that include ICU, Emergency room, and medical surgical floor. I therefore, encounter with patients suffering from various ailments and one of these problems that need serious attention is cancer. According to CDC, cancer, among other chronic diseases is at the forefront on the leading causes of death and disability in the US (CDC, 2014). The nation is experiencing many losses in terms of â€Å"preventable deaths, poor quality of care, lifelong disabilities, and escalating costs of care† (CDC, 2014). A quality improvement program towards the care each of these chronic health conditions ca n greatly improve the life expectancy of countries all over the world, improve productivity, and significantly reduce the cost of care. I carried out a brief review of the leading causes of death in most states, and found that cancer was the second leading cause of death after heart disease (Ohio Department of Health, 2010). Statistics also indicate that cancer is among the top ten

International Business Strategy term paper Essay

International Business Strategy term paper - Essay Example Nokia and Apple are major smartphone multinationals based in the Finland and the United States respectively with operations in other parts of the world including Asia, Europe and Africa. However, when Apple and Nokia introduced their smartphone products into the United Kingdom, the response was varied and this contributed to the success and failure of the products. While Apple smartphone received a positive review and was widely accepted by the customers in the UK, Nokia smartphone received a negative review and this affected the sales of the products in the UK. Nokia was forced into the drawing board to determine the causes of the failure and evaluate its strategies to enable it reintroduce the product again. In this paper, a comparison of the tow multinationals will be done to determine the factors that contributed to the success and failure of the two multinationals in the sale of their smartphone devices in the United Kingdom (Stevenson, 2012). Nokia, being a Finish based multinationals has had significant impacts in the mobile telephony industry especially in Europe with previous studies indicating its dominance in the overall mobile market. However, the introduction of smartphones by Apple and Samsung pushed the company into venturing into the market in an attempt to protect its hold on European markets. However, the response that the company received from the market did not favour the continued production of the smartphones and this led to the failure of the initiative. A number of factors contributed to the failure of Nokia in the United Kingdom, a market that was predominantly controlled by the multinational before apple introduced its smartphones (Donnelly, 2008). In 2007, Nokia introduced its first iPhone into the European market in a response to the emerging mobile telephony in the region and in other markets

Code of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Code of Ethics - Essay Example Normally, individuals and institutions develop codes of ethics for their personal and professional lives to promote harmonious and acceptable behavior within their respective environments. Although a number of approaches to developing codes of ethics are available, the underpinning rule demands all standards of ethics to ensure clarity and objectivity in the values and principles, plainly indicating the implementation and monitoring plan, and a plan for periodical ethical auditing. Statement of Values For an individual or organization to succeed in personal or professional world, there is need to put in place a concrete statement that determines the values and principles that party cherishes. These values include personal integrity, responsibility, honesty, excellence, and respect. These values have proved to be effective as far as both personal and career advancements are concerned (Hatcher & Aragon, 2000). 1. Personal integrity – one needs to engage in constructive behavior that has the benefit of enhancing individual or organization’s image. In order to ensure personal integrity, an individual should always build their reputation and avoid any behavior that questions one’s credibility. 2. ... This means always aiming for the best quality in productivity and output in school or professional lifestyle in accordance to the prevailing evaluation criteria. Since this is a continuous process, a person can undergo continuous process of perfection, as there is no limit to this principle. 5. Respect – it implies obey prevailing regulations, all stakeholders, and third parties. By being respectful at all times, one earns respect and integrity that in turn that helps in boosting their ethical perception. Through responsible upbringing, most parents have been able to instill these crucial values into the systems of their young ones through constant guidance and correction. This forms the basis of ethical development as high ethical values and good morals begin from as early as during the childhood years of a given person. Individuals can acquire ethical principles from learning activities at school or while attending religious teachings where they inculcate a myriad of moral teachings that over the years form their ethical standards. Various approaches through which parents, mentors, teachers, role models, and guardians impart the ethical values exist with the one commonly used by parents at home being the end-based approach. This method involves evaluation the benefits or otherwise consequences of a particular course of to the family members or the public. Through understanding the consequences, individuals especially the children can reconsider their actions thereby shaping their own ethical principles (Hatcher & Aragon, 2000). While at school or in religious meetings, the teachers employed the rule-based approach that contemplates the evaluation of the motive of n action. In this case, a particular course of action was morally wrong or right depending on its