Perfect competition Essay

A profit maximiser increases output until MC=MR at Q1. The intersection of MC with MR gives the profit maximising level of output. The intersection of MC with MR gives the profit maximising level of output. To find the market price one must project up from Q1 to the demand curve and across the vertical price axis, P1. Consumers are willing to pay P1 for Q1. Unit costs are only P2 so the firm is making an abnormal profit of (P1-P2)*Q1. The four key characteristics of monopoly are: (1) a single firm selling all output in a market, (2) a unique product, (3) restrictions on entry into and exit out of the industry, and more often than not (4) specialized information about production techniques unavailable to other potential producers. These four characteristics mean that a monopoly has extensive (boarding on complete) market control. Monopoly controls the selling side of the market. If anyone seeks to acquire the production sold by the monopoly, then they must buy from the monopoly. This means that the demand curve facing the monopoly is the market demand curve. They are one and the same. The characteristics of monopoly are in direct contrast to those of perfect competition. A perfectly competitive industry has a large number of relatively small firms, each producing identical products. Firms can freely move into and out of the industry and share the same information about prices and production techniques. Single supplier: The essence of a monopoly is a market controlled by a single seller. The most important aspect of being a single seller is that the monopoly seller IS the market. The market demand for a good IS the demand for the output produced by the monopoly. This makes monopoly a price maker, rather than a price taker. Unique Product: To be the only seller of a product, however, a monopoly must have a unique product. There are no close substitutes. A monopoly is an ONLY seller of a UNIQUE product. Barriers to Entry and Exit : A monopoly is generally assured of being the ONLY firm in a market because of assorted barriers to entry. Some of the key barriers to entry are: (1) government license or franchise, (2) resource ownership, (3) patents and copyrights, (4) high start-up cost, and (5) decreasing average total cost. A monopoly might also face barriers to exiting a market. If government deems that the product provided by the monopoly is essential for well-being of the public, then the monopoly might be prevented from leaving the market; Specialized Information Monopoly is commonly characterized by control of information or production technology not available to others. This specialized information often comes in the form of legally-established patents, copyrights, or trademarks. It could be a secret recipe or formula. Perhaps it is a unique method of production. While these create legal barriers to entry they also indicate that information is not perfectly shared by all. Natural Monopoly Sometimes markets become monopolies simply because it is more cost effective to have one firm serving an entire market than it is to have a number of smaller firms competing with one another. Firms whose economies of scale are virtually unlimited are known as natural monopolies, and the goods they produce are referred to as club goods. These firms come to be monopolies because their size and position makes it impossible for new entrants to compete on price. Natural monopolies are usually found in industries with high fixed costs and low marginal costs of operation, such as cable television, telephone, and internet providers. Legal Monopoly Sometimes a government will pass laws reserving a specific trade, product or service for government agencies. For example, many times a government agency will be in charge of running water. The legal barriers that are put up prevent other companies from competing with the government. Technological monopoly occurs when the good or service the company provides is has legal protection in the form of a patent or copyright. For example, if a company develops and patents a drug to cure brain cancer, that company has a legal monopoly over that drug.? Arguments for monopoly : – The beneficial effects of economies of scale, economies of scope, and cost complementaries on price and output may outweigh the negative effects of market power. – Encourage innovation.

Jaguar Manufacturer

Explain the advantages and disadvantages for jaguar of using just in time production rather than the more traditional just in case stock system. Just in time is a manufacturing method based on pull system which means the raw materials are only delivered only when needed which reduces waste due to overproduction and lowers the storage rent e. g. warehouse storage. Advantages: * Reducing set up times * Goods from warehouse to the production line flow much smoother which saves time. * Increases supplier quality * Consistently supplying the plant with the raw material for production * Workers are used more efficiently Scheduling and planning is improved * Reduces space requirements for raw materials Disadvantages: * Relying on a limited amount of stock so there is a chance of running out and interrupting production * Change in the culture of production can take time to get used to so it could be less control in the beginning * Need trustful and reliable suppliers who can deliver on time * The suppliers have to be very flexible because the demand for raw material could come up at any time. * The machinery is at risk to breaking down and slowing down the production.Using appropriate motivation theory, analyse how jaguar has managed to increase the pride and commitment of its employees. Jaguar has managed to increase the pride and commitment of its employees by implying continuous improvement. This type of motivation required entrustment and empowerment from the workforce. The fresh start to this new implication meant that the workforce had to be trained in order to perform and improve. Team work has to be implemented because this way everyone is involved and the ideas can be shared for enhancement of the production.Also because the work is in teams no one is left out and each member feels more valuable in the workplace which then motivates them further. Once more the team working leads the workforce to a new level on Maslow’s hierarchy where the employees are social and esteemed. Being valued and cared for is a great motivator especially in a big workforce such as Jaguar. Targets and objectives are set for the employees and it is something to strive for, this will give them a some sort of a bonus or a pay rise.Once there is a target and a bonus at the end it will motivate the worker to reach that target as Taylor said money is a motivator in a workplace. The bonuses don’t just have to be set for individual employees they could be set for the whole team and if a target is met the whole team will enjoy a reward at the end, again this will motivate not only individuals but the whole group of workers. Evaluate methods for achieving a total quality culture in large organisations like Jaguar.Total quality culture is based on the involvement of all employees in the organization in improving processes, products, services and the mores in which they work and it is also based on meeting the customer’s requirements with the right stan dard of quality. It is essential to work in teams to share ideas and to advance the quality by setting objectives such as zero defects. Every member of the organisation can take action if a certain product is not up to a set standard. Quality circles or kaizen can be a part of team work where employees can share their skills and ideas to improve the quality of their products.If the skills are not at a fine quality then certain training regimes can be set also in the training the employees can be taught to have prevention rather than cure which would aim at zero defects. Kaizen cannot be relied up one because it doesn’t cover all aspects of improving so things like identifying the consumer needs and having cell production will certainly be covering more of the objective such as the zero defects. If the manager takes up the total quality management and seeks the best quality not only out of the products but the employees who make these products.The workforce has to always be co mmitted to what the manager has set as an aim or an objective and be ready to reach and fulfil that aim. The high motivational skills of the manager will definitely make reaching the target much easier than if the employees are not motivated. Describe the organisational culture of Microsoft as identified by Steve Ballmer. The recent culture in the Microsoft organisation can be described as an innovative culture where Microsoft are trying to develop something brand new and something that no other organisation has.Explain the meaning of business aims, and use in managing large organisations such as Microsoft. An aim in an organisation can be seen as a direction in which the business can move on this path certain objectives and targets can be set to further improve the organisations structure. The objective and targets that may be set can aspire and motivate the workforce. Aims could look at the company’s weaknesses and strengths, the weaknesses can be reduced in the future by c hoosing appropriate objectives and the strengths can be further strengthened by setting targets which once again will motivate the workers.Having an aim will set order in the work place which will lead to sharing among staff and more accountability cooperation. An aim is like a mission which the business is striving to achieve and complete as many objectives along the way as possible. Microsoft has four aims and they are building industry trust, building customer loyalty, altering structure of the company and devolving power from the top. Analyse four practical strategies Microsoft could implement to help it achieve its aims. First of all Microsoft needs to build its trust with the industries based around them.One way could be to merge or to have joint ventures with other computing companies but this is not the best way to recover trust because Microsoft are very competitive and they will prefer to be a single organisation with control. Other ways can be to provide employment in the company because Microsoft is a large organisation and it needs skilled workers to continue improving. It can also provide income for local communities for example universities where better ICT training courses can be implemented. Another strategy is to build customer loyalty which will give strong ideas on what the customers want.Primary research methods such as focus groups where direct opinions can be gained from the customers even though it is only a very limited number of people surveyed. Secondary data can definitely give more of a bigger picture of what the customer wants even though sometimes it may not be as honest as having focus groups. This way of researching will show new trends in the customers taste and choice. This can be improved by creating departments which will concentrate only on the customer relationships this way online help can be more supportive towards the customers.Changing or altering the way the organisation is structured is another aim for Microsoft. Te am working is very important in this type of organisation and the teams in the company should often be rewarded for their efforts. Individuals shall not be rewarded because this will tend to break the team up into individuals and this means there would be some sort of competition between the workers. Matrix structure is very appropriate for Microsoft especially when a company tends to have many different departments.This would team working on another level, the teams will be very flexible and will cooperate with workers from other departments. This way a culture of team working and collaboration is created in the organization and the ability to work on different projects gives a huge variety to the work which will increase staff motivation. Microsoft are always looking to find the best way to improve their products by keeping up to date from the customer surveys but when you have the experts from each department the product will tend to be much more improved and up to date.Making de cisions is often very difficult especially when you are in control of a huge organisation such Microsoft. Devolving the power or decision making from the top will certainly take a lot of pressure off the top management team. Creating another layer in between of the hierarchical orders of company’s structure will involve and motivate other workers who will be motivated because they get to make important decision in certain areas of the organisation. Another motivator in this is that whoever makes the decision a team or an individual will always think that the top managerial team is relying on his/hers or their decisions.This not only motivates workers but it makes them communicate and improve communication skills in the procedure of this. This would be a great way of splitting important decisions in the company because the pressure is taken off the managers and shared with the rest of the workforce, of course the more important decisions like putting the company as stake or so me sort of risk will always be down to the highest ranked people but this is an effective way to motivate and at the same time take pressure off the main people in the company.

The implications of the previous implementation of the electronic Essay

The implications of the previous implementation of the electronic identification and central database management of sheep in the UK farming industry - Essay Example he various aspects of the economy – referring to the national economy or the economy of a greater region, like the European Union – that create the framework in which a series of activities – mostly the financial ones – is developed. For states that are members to the European Union all economic activities – as most of their activities – need to be evaluated in the context of the relevant European rules, ethics and practices, in other words, European economic environment is also likely to affect the economic activities and initiatives developed in the members of the Union – apart from the national economic environment. Current paper focuses on the examination of the advantages and problems of existing system of identification and tracking of sheep in UK. At the same time reference is made to the benefits and problems of the system that is going to be replaced the existing one by the end of December 2009. The effects of both these syste ms on the British and the European economic environment are also identifying and analysed – at the level that they can offer explanations on the reasons that led to the initial use of information systems for the particular economic activity but also the reasons that led to the need for the replacement of these systems at the specific point of time. The rules that are currently used for the identification of sheep in UK were introduced on the 11th of January 2008; farmers across the country were appropriately informed in order to take the measures required (DEFRA, 2009). Existing system offers a series of advantages – compared to the systems of sheep identification used in the past. These advantages could be summarized as follows: a) In the existing system, different provisions have been introduced regarding the animals with different characteristics in a way that the existing system of identification can be applied on all sheep and goats across UK. As an example, a differentiation is made between the animals born

Religious-Discrimination Claims on the Rise Article

Religious-Discrimination Claims on the Rise - Article Example Managers are torn between respecting strict religious doctrines observed by employees and balancing between codes of dressings as envisaged in the firm’s organizational culture. The continued intermixing of work and faith creates a complex scenario for managers. The situation is worse when employees are expected to perform their duties that contradict with their faiths. For instance, transportation companies are finding it difficult to have Muslim and some Christians drivers transport alcohol and other products that contradict their faith. One of the factors that have been said to lead to employees’ increased advocacy for their rights is increased immigrants in the country. As people sharing a similar faith increase, they gain power and courage to sanction managers to respect their religious rights in organizations. This explains the doubling of religious discrimination cases in the last 15 years, as reported by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, cons idering that most religious discrimination cases are brought by immigrants, the reported cases are way below other discriminations based on age and sex. The low figures may also be explained from the view that most people are afraid of negative publicity and losing their jobs. Employees in such a case will carry out their duties to maintain their careers. On the same, note most reported cases involve the code of dressing and objection to carrying out duties that contradict with one’s faith of allegiance, compared to a case that involve refusal to observe worship days. This is because organizations do try to observe days of worship for different employees, though the code of dressing affects the company’s looks to its clients, and refusals to carry out allocated duties may imply absconding from duties. For instance, a Muslim faithful expected to transport alcohol from one point to the other is deemed by the company to have absconded from duty if he/she refuses to comply with such orders. This is the reason behind increased cases of religious discrimination reported to the EEOC. Federal court rulings have increased managers’ dilemmas as they have interpreted the law against discrimination in favor of the complainant, requiring companies to pay fines for not respecting people‘s beliefs. For instance, Abercrombie was required to pay a $71000 fine for refusing to hire two women wearing a hijab. To the company, such hijab were against their culture but to the federal courts, the company discriminated against the two women. This has added to the precarious situation that most managers face today. However, though EECO has tried to minimize such cases by talking to companies about the right to observe religious beliefs, companies have found a loophole to win these cases. Abercrombie got a reprieve from the Federal Appeals Court, which observed that the complainants had not indicated in writing that the head scarfs were of religious significan ce. Therefore, the company had not discriminated against the two. Therefore, the main requirement for such employees to get the right to exercise their religion is to request for accommodation, which the company would consider granting or not based on written submissions. Though the Civil Right Act of 1964 requires that employees accommodate employees from different faiths unless such accommodation may lead to hardships, the act is vague in the description of hardships. Consequently, it is upon the company to advance enough

Partnership Working Between Service Users And Mental Health Workers Essay

Partnership Working Between Service Users And Mental Health Workers - Essay Example The term users, not only applies to the people with mental disorders but also survivors, family members as well as providers of related services. According to Tait and Lester (2005), the conceptualization of users as providers, as reflected in the current trend of user-led services in UK provides a great opportunity for advancing the partnership working between service providers and the mental service users. The user- led services involve mental services carried out and managed by users through voluntary arrangements in conjunction with health care professionals. The concept of users-led services and the shift from institutionalized mental health care to the community-based care provide another great opportunity for partnership between the practitioners and the users. However, the partnership requires significant training of volunteers, promotion of personal support and user-led advocacy (Sherpherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). The practitioner-patient approach is based on the assumption that users have practical experience with the problems faced by people with mental disorders and therefore can provide the much needed understanding in delivering such services. The Need for a Shift in Attitudes among Practitioners and a Move away from the 'Us and Them' Approach The need for a shift in attitude among practitioners and moving from the ‘us and them’ approach can be attributed to the role of the user and practitioner partnership in the recovery of people with mental disorders. The relationship between the patients and clinicians requires a move from the expert/patient to a partnership in order to facilitate the process of recovery (Tait & Lester 2007). The concept of isolating people with mental disorders has been found to impart limited recovery achievements, with the social inclusion approach emerging as the most effective approach in caring for people with mental disorders. The move from the ‘us and them’ approach requires the recognition o f family members and other supporters crucial in the recovery of a patient as partners in the process of delivering mental health services. Effectiveness of the treatment and recovery process requires a collaborative effort between the practitioners and service users. The recovery approve has been proposed as one of the effective approaches in delivering mental health care services in different countries including United States, New Zealand, Australia and UK (Shepherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). This approach is founded on the basis of partnership between the service providers and service users in enhancing effectiveness of the health care services. The approach provides service users to participate actively in the delivery of the services rather emphasizing on expert/patient boundaries. The process of delivering effective health care interventions requires that health care practitioners shift their attitude from the expertise or authority status to personal coaches ready to offer thei r skills and learn from the patients or service users as well (Sherpherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). Practitioner-patient partnership requires significant trust, openness, honesty and support from both parties. Barriers to the Working Partnership and ways of overcoming them One of the greatest challenges in fostering working partnership between practitioners and mental health patients revolves around the lack of user empowerment. Families, patients

Grant Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Grant - Research Paper Example In order to become effective learning institutions, organizations have to struggle hard for acquiring, implementing and maintaining a competitive learning strategy. The transfer of knowledge and expertise of existing communities of practice to the freshly recruited employees is critical for effective organizational learning. In learning organizations, the attitude and response of supervisors, peers and trainers to the employees can either hurt or help the whole learning process. The actions taken by these partners before, during and after the learning process directly affects the likelihood that learning will occur properly. Although organizations spend a lot of time and money on employees’ learning annually, there exists no significant relationship between learning and actual job performance. However, when the learned skills are successfully transferred into effective job performance, learning can surely produce far better outcomes. Due to volatile market preferences and needs, learning organizations have to focus more on strengthening their internal resources and capabilities. As Grant (2005) has stated, â€Å"When the external environment is in a state of flux, the firm itself, in terms of its bundle of resources and capabilities, may be a much more stable basis on which to define its identity†, the rate at which learning takes place within organizations thus contributes towards achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Organizations must have their own unique ways to encourage and value employed workforce in order to motivate their commitment towards innovative pursuits.

Organizational Change through Leadership- Electronic Healthcare Assignment

Organizational Change through Leadership- Electronic Healthcare Records Implementation - Assignment Example The implementation of the Electronic Health Record System was the proposed change in the organization. The change was expected to improve the healthcare center problems and contribute to its growth and development (Overhage, Evans and Marchibroda, 2005). b. Methods or processes employed Many methods were employed in identifying the problem. Firstly, the hospital experienced a significant delay in providing patients’ information on time especially with large numbers of patients. The delay in registering patients and issuing of relevant documents contributed to a delay in the provision of medical services the resulted into loss of many lives. Secondly, the hospital offices were extremely small to accommodate large volumes of files containing each patient’s, doctors, and other staff information. The organization management had to come up with a computerized method of record keeping to get rid of manual files. Thirdly, the high competition in the healthcare industry forces healthcare centers to adopt the most recent technology in order to attract more customers. Most people prefer healthcare centers that are fully equipped electronically and technologically because they stand a better chance of dealing with all types of sicknesses. c. Significance of the problem The implementation of Electronic Health Records System (EHRS) will bring about a lot of progress in the health sector. The program will lead to the advancement in the health center by introducing an efficient and reliable record keeping method. Health Information Technology systems make use of the data required in the improvement and protection of population health by the policy makers, physicians, and health service users. Presence of relevant technology on human and health services assists the both affected and infected people in many ways and saves them both time and money (Health & Development Information Team, 2005). EHRS will also contribute a lot in the health sector whereby an individu al can easily take his or her medical records by the bedside. In addition, the implementation of EHRS will also enable physicians diagnose various diseases comfortably since they just ask questions and input data in the computer after which, they easily do the analysis. 2. State the need for and rationale for change   Literature/evidence supporting change According to Institute of Medicine (2000), health information technology has a lot of significance in the healthcare industry through improving delivery of healthcare services. Health Information Technology plays a significant role in implementing changes within the healthcare industry using many processes. In the past, healthcare services in United States were prone to a lot of errors, poor quality services, and lacked consumer confidence (Berner, Detmer and Simborg, 2005). The implementation of EHRS will assist in eliminating the above problems and making the healthcare industry more technologically advanced. Moreover, the need for change among many organizations is driven by the high rate of globalization and information technology advancement (Eason, 1988). On the other hand, the manual process of keeping health records is cumbersome and time consuming. Healthcare centers using manual means of keeping records have a problem marinating their customers and staff (Ingram & Lavery, 2009). The main aim of utilizing technology is making work easier and saving time to do work. Software manufacturers are competent enough to

Final analytical paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Final analytical paper - Assignment Example The supply and demand for hospital care in the United States is affected by several factors. For instance, people’s individual income and preferences affect their demand for hospital care. It is well established that shortage of physicians, presence of uninsured populations and government regulations significantly affect the supply of hospital care in the country. This paper seeks to elucidate how these factors affect the provision and quality of health care in the United States (David, 2009). a. Income of individuals and their preferences People’s individual incomes enable them to afford hospital care. This is why the demand for hospital care among the employed is considerably higher. Indeed, it is well established that people will likely seek the kind of health care that they can afford. In this respect, the higher the people’s income, the higher their demands for quality hospital care. In health economics, the patients’ demand for hospital care is said to be influenced by the physician given that they know more about patients’ condition. They advise patients on the treatment options that are available for them at any given time and where to seek treatment. It then becomes the responsibility of the patient’s to seek funds for the level of treatment they prefer. As such, it is always more about what the physician prefers rather than what the patient prefers. Nevertheless, the patients reserve the final say because ultimately they will pay for whatever services offered to them. It is therefore true that people’s individual incomes and their physician’s preferences dictate their demand for hospital care. This is the reality of health economics in the United States (Kavitha, 2013). Physicians, based on their training and experience, are able to advice patients on the right hospital care available for them based on their level of income. It would certainly be irresponsible for any physician to advice his or h er patient to seek hospital care from high-income health facilities if the patient is not likely to afford. This fundamentally explains why they are required to give their patients a range of options to choose from. A research carried out by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2012 showed that more people seek hospital care in the states where the average levels of income are considerably high. Although it is a basic requirement, lack of funds significantly stifles the pursuit of quality healthcare. Chronic illnesses are often the most affected as people can live with them long enough. Given that they are not quite debilitating, people often do not find it urgent to seek hospital care. They consistently shove the demands aside in order to deal with other pressing needs like housing. This is especially true for low income earners as they have to make such choices. In the end, the quality of their health becomes compromised as their illnesses become worse with time. This expla ins why higher incomes are prerequisite for the demand for higher quality health care (David, 2009). b. Insurance Coverage The demand for hospital care is considerably high among the insured in the United States. A research conducted at the Princeton University showed that citizens are currently keen on taking advantage of the government policy on insurance coverage

Painting And Sculpture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Painting And Sculpture - Term Paper Example The essay "Painting And Sculpture" talks about the contemporary theme, as well as the modern theme for the museum and paintings along with the sculptures regarding the theme, are placed in combination. In the opening ceremony of the museum, there are certain paintings which will be shown in exhibition. Some paintings show contemporary theme and some paintings show modern theme. In the exhibition photographic paintings, abstract are paintings and the paintings depicting the symbolism, political and emotions are displayed in the exhibition, while similar strategy is followed regarding the sculptures. Metallic, wooden, fiber glass, glass and plastic sculptures are displayed at various locations. In the exhibition paintings of William Kentridge are displayed in which political and poetic designs are shown. In his work apartheid system, colonialism and totalitarianism are shown. His works gives powerful message to viewers. There are also certain modern paintings of Stephen Rodefer are dis played in the opening exhibition in which messages are written. Messages are motivating and based on modern theme. One painting of Pablo Picasso is displayed. The painting shows the affection between mother and child. One painting of Jackson Pollock is displayed. The painting consists of graphic design in which various colors are used however yellow color is mainly used. There are also some sculptures, which also displayed. Sculpture of McClure is displayed; one sculpture is designed in a sitting.

Black Social Movements Essay Example for Free

Black Social Movements Essay The political and social structure of the United States can be difficult to comprehend. How does one rationalize that in 1776, America declared its independence from England by stating, in part that â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,† yet, in 1818, in the very same country, Frederick Douglass is born a slave? (Jefferson, 2004 p. 612; Library). It appears that under certain circumstances, it is not self-evident that the Right to Liberty is unalienable. Fortunately, America has progressed, and while it would be difficult to support the position that Blacks have arrived at a point of complete equity with Whites, it is safe to say that giant strides have been made, but these strides have required action in the form of organized social movements. Blumer (1939) stated that â€Å"social movements can be viewed as collective enterprises to establish a new order of life. They have their inception in the condition of unrest, and derive their motive power on one hand from dissatisfaction with the current form of life, and on the other hand, from wishes and hopes for a new scheme or system of living† (p. 199). This analysis captures the meaning and significance of today’s Black social movements: that while the Black community now enjoys an increased equality and level of privilege when compared with what it was allowed in the recent past, there remains significant ground to be covered before true parity can be reached. The awareness of this need within the Black community has created both unrest and dissatisfaction, but past successes in the fight for social equality have nurtured a desire for even more change. One of the most influential areas of modern, American society is the media—specifically television—and it is here that an important social movement can be traced: the increased inclusion of Blacks on T. V. During the 1950’s, shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand all premiered (List of years in television). Each of these shows featured characters and storylines that dealt with an America that was portrayed as White. Moving into the 1960’s, a time of great advances in the Nation’s struggle for racial equality, the television fare featured the premier of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Green Acres, and the original Star Trek (List of years in television). This decade’s entertainment also featured a predominantly White world-view; however, Star Trek’s promise â€Å"to go where no man has gone before† was as much a testament to the people, issues, and possibilities that were at the forefront of social improvement as it was a reference to space travel (Star Trek: The Original Series). To the credit of Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, his multi-racial, multi-gender crew, included Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura, a stunning, articulate, high-ranking, black woman whose role it was to keep lines of communication open. This was a step in the right direction for Blacks as it allowed White America to absorb a new concept: Blacks are intelligent, responsible, and worthy of authority; they do not exist merely to dust, clear tables, and act as the butt of jokes. Currently, the face of television has become far more diverse, and there are networks such as BET (Black Entertainment Television) that cater to and feature Blacks. It is my belief that the change that has taken place in television media over the last half-century can be attributed to the increased awareness of those who once had sole control of the medium (Whites), coupled with the increase in buying power of Blacks, and the desire on the part of Blacks to assume command of part of television (e. g. BET). The fact that Blacks desire greater representation and control within television media is part of the ongoing, modern social movement towards equality that the Black community embraces. What does this all mean? Primarily, it means that social changes come about slowly, pushed by two forces: natural social change, and active social movements. It was natural that at some point someone would include a character like Lieutenant Uhura in a series, but along with this natural progression, more action was needed. There was only one Uhura on television, but there were thousands of Black women like her out in the world. This is why networks such as BET are so important: they represent an active social movement in the Black community; an insistence that part of the focus, part of the power, and part of the control be in the hands of Blacks. It may be true that our Nation’s Declaration of Independence seemed to say one thing but represent another; however, Frederick Douglass survived the mixed message and went on to contribute significantly to American history and ideals. Today’s Blacks are aware of a truth Douglass understood: that to make strides, one must work within the framework of the majority, while never doubting the singular strength of an individual’s effect on a nation. Without the early encouragement of his Master’s wife, Douglass may not have been introduced to the desire to learn, but that desire led Douglass to greater pursuits (Douglass, 2004, pp. 62-65). The Black community is now represented in local, state, and federal government: a sign that the community is working individually (i. e. running and voting), and within the framework of the majority (i. e. the established government and its rules) to improve its position within the United States of America. Schools are filled with a variety of ethnicities, both in front of the classroom and seated within it, and Blacks are embracing the need to educate themselves to ensure better jobs, financial success, and future opportunities. Essentially, the focus of today’s Black social movements can be viewed as those actions that fall within the context of the majority’s framework and are designed to allow members of the Black community greater parity within this frameowrk. At the same time, these actions are being encouraged and supported on an individual by individual basis, so that the overall strength of each person can be added to the collective, and both might benefit from natural social change as well as active social movements. References Blumer, H. (1939). Collective behavior. In R. E. Park (Ed. ), An outline f the principles of Sociology. (pp. 199). New York, NY: Barnes and Noble. Douglass, F. (2004). Learning to read and write. In Comley, N. , Hamilto, D. , Klaus, C. H. , Scholes, R. , Sommers, N. (Eds. ), Fields of reading: motives for writing. (pp. 62-66). Boston, Mass. : Bedford. Jefferson, T. (2004). The Declaration of Independence. In Comley, N. , Hamilto, D. , Klaus, C. H. , Scholes, R. , Sommers, N. (Eds. ), Fields of reading: motives for writing. (pp. 612-615). Boston, Mass. : Bedford. Library of Congress, The. The Frederick Douglass papers. Timeline. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from http://rs6. loc. gov/ammem/doughtml/timeline. html. List of years in television. (2006, September 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ List_of_years_in_television. Star Trek: The Original Series. (2006, September 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series.

History of Leukemia Treatment

History of Leukemia Treatment Four months later, a young German professor at the University of Wurzburg named Rudolf Virchow published a similar case. The patients blood was overgrown with white blood cells, forming dense and pulpy pools in her spleen. At autopsy, Virchow found layers of white blood floating above the red. He called the disease weisses Blut white blood. In 1847, he changed the name to leukemia from leukos, the Greek word for white. Virchow was a pathologist in training. He believed that all living things were made of cells, which were the basic units of life. And that cells could grow in only two ways: either by increasing the number of cells, or by increasing its size. He called these two modes hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Looking at cancerous growths through his microscope, Virchow concluded that cancer was hyperplasia in its extreme form. By the time Virchow died in 1902, a new theory of cancer had slowly come together out of these observations. Cancer an aberrant, uncontrolled cell division creating tumors that would attack and destroy organs and normal tissues. These tumors could also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body such as lungs and brains. Leukemia is a malignant overgrown of white cells in the blood. It comes in several forms. It could be chronic and indolent. Or it could be acute and violent. The second version comes in further subtypes, based on the type of white blood cells involved. Cancers of the myeloid cells are called Acute myeloid leukemias (AML); cancer of immature lymphoid cells are called Acute lymphoblastic leukemias; and cancers of the more mature lymphoid cells are called lymphomas. ALL is the most common leukemia found in children. Sidney Faber, the third of fourteen children, was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1903. His father, Simon Farber, had immigrated to America from Poland in the late 19th century and worked in an insurance agency. Having completed his advanced training in pathology in the late 1920s, Farber became the first full-time pathologist at the Childrens Hospital in Boston. His specialty was pediatric pathology, the study of childrens diseases. Yet Farber was driven by the hunger to treat patients. Sitting in his basement laboratory one day in the summer of 1947, he was inspired to focus his attention to the oldest and most hopeless variants of leukemia childhood leukemia. The disease had been analyzed, classified, and subdivided meticulously, but with no therapeutic or practical advances. The package from New York was waiting in the laboratory that December morning. As he pulled out the glass vials of chemicals from the package, he was throwing open a new way of thinking about cancer. An insatiable monster Sydney Farbers package of chemicals arrived at a pivotal moment in the history of medicine. In the late 1940s, new miracle drugs appeared at an astonishing rate. But cancer had refused to fall into step in the victories of postwar medicine. It remained a black box. To cure a cancer, doctors had only two options: cutting it out with surgery, or incinerating it with radiation. Proposals to launch a national response against cancer had ebbed and flowed in America since the early 1900s. By 1937, cancer had magnified in the public eye. In June, a joint Senate-House conference was held to draft legislation to address the issue. On August 5, President Roosevelt signed the National Cancer Institute Act, creating a new entity called the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to coordinate cancer education and research. But World War II had shifted the nations priority from cancer research to the war. The promised funds from Congress never materialized, and the NCI languished in neglect. The social outcry about cancer also drifted into silence. If a cure for leukemia was to be found, Farber reasoned, it would be found within hematology the study of normal blood. In 1928, a young English physician named Lucy Wills discovered that folic acid, a vitamin-like substance found in fruits and vegetables, could restore the normal genesis of blood in nutrient-deprived patients. Farber wondered whether folic acid could restore the normalcy of blood in children with leukemia. As he injected synthetic folic acid into a cohort of leukemia children, Farber found that folic acid actually accelerated the growth of leukemia rather than stopping it. He stopped the experiment in a hurry. Farber was intrigued by the response of the leukemia cells to folic acid. intrigued. What if he could find a drug to cut off the supply of folic acid to the cells an antifolate? Farbers supply of folic acid had come from the laboratory of an old friend a chemist called Yellapragada Subbarao or Yella. Yella was a physician turned cellular physiologist. Having finished his medical training in India, Yella could not practice medicine in America because he had no license. He started as a night porter at a hospital, switched to a day job as a biochemist, and joined Lederle Lab in 1940. Enzymes and receptors in cells work by recognizing molecules using their chemical structure. With a slight alteration of the recipe, Yello could create variants of folic acid, and some of the variants could behave like antagonists to folic acid. He sent the first package of antifolates to Farbers lab in the late summer of 1947. On August 16, 1947, in the town of Dorchester in New England, Robert Sandler, a two-year-old boy was brought to Childrens Hospital in Boston. He had been ill with a wax and wane fever for over two weeks, and the condition had worsened. His spleen wasÂÂ   enlarged, and his blood sample had thousands of immature lymphoid leukemic blasts. His twin brother, Elliot, was in perfect health. Farber had received the first package of antifolates from Yella a few weeks before Sandlers arrival. On September 6, 1947, Farber injected Sandler with pteroylaspartic acid or PAA, the first of Yellas antifolates. PAA had little effect. On December 28, Farber received a new version of antifolate aminopterin. Farber injected the boy with it. The response was remarkable. The white cell count stopped its astronomical ascend, hovered at a plateau, and then dropped. And the leukemic blasts gradually flickered out in the blood and then disappeared. By New Years Eve, the count had dropped to one-sixth of its peak value, bottoming out at a near normal level. The cancer hadnt vanished, but it had temporarily abated. Sandlers remission was unprecedented in the history of leukemia. Farber started treating the slow train of children with childhood leukemia arriving at his clinic. An incredible pattern emerged: antifolates could destroy leukemia cells and make them disappear for a while. But the cancer would relapse after a few months of remission, refusing to respond to even the most potent of Yellas drugs. Robert Sandler died in 1948. In June 1948, Farber published his study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper was received with skepticism, disbelief and outrage. The obliteration of an aggressive cancer using a chemical drug was unprecedented in the history of cancer. Dyeing and Dying A systemic disease demands a systemic cure. Could a drug kill existing cancer cells without hurting normal cell tissues? The chemical world is full of poisons. The challenge is to find a selective poison that will eradicate cancer cells without killing the patient. In 1856, an 18-year-old student in London named William Perkin stumbled into an inexpensive chemical dye that could be made from scratch. Perkin called it aniline mauve. His discovery was a godsend for the textile industry because aniline mauve is easier to produce and store than vegetable dyes. Perkin also discovered that its parent compound could act as a building block for other dyes to produce derivatives with a vast spectrum of vivid colors. In the mid-1860s, Perkin flooded the textile factories of Europe with a suite of new synthetic dyes in various color. The German chemist rushed to synthesize their own dyes to muscle their way into the textile industry in Europe. They synthesized not only dyes and solvents, but an entire universe of new molecules such as phenols, bromides, alcohols, and amides, chemicals never encountered in nature. In 1878, a 24-year-old medical student named Paul Ehrlich did an experiment usingÂÂ   chemical dyes to stain animal tissues. He discovered the dyes seemed to be able to differentiate among chemicals hidden inside the cells, staining some and sparing others. In 1882, working with Robert Koch, Ehrlich discovered another new chemical stain that could pick up one class of germs from a mixture of microbes. In the late 1880s, Ehrlich found that certain toxins when injected in animals could produce antitoxins,ÂÂ   which could be used to neutralize the toxin with extraordinary specificity. If biology was a mix-and-match game of chemicals, Ehrlich thought, what if some chemical could differentiate bacterial cells from animal cells so that it could kill the bacteria cells without hurting the animal? So he began with a hunt for anti-microbial chemicals. After testing hundreds of chemicals, he found a dye derivative that can act as an antibiotic drug for mice and rabbits infected with Trypanosoma gondii (a parasite). He called the chemical Trypan Red, after the color of the dye. And in 1910, his laboratory discovered arsphenamine (Salvarsan), the first effective medicinal treatment for syphilis. His success on Trypan Red and Salvarsan proved that chemicals could be found to cure diseases with specificity. He called these chemicals magic bullets for their capacity to kill with specificity. Between 1904 and 1908, he attempted to find an anticancer drug using his vast arsenal of chemicals. None of them worked. What was poison to cancer cells, he found, was also poison to normal cells because cancer cells and normal cells were so similar that made it almost impossible to differentiate. Ehrlich died in 1915 at age 61. In 1917, two years after his death, Germany used a chemical weapon at the battle of Ypres in Belgium, in the form of chlorine gas. The gas killed two thousand soldiers that night. In 1919, pathologist found the survivors bone marrows were all depleted, with the blood-forming cells all dried up.

Comparing the Violin to a Puzzle Essay -- comparison compare contrast

Comparing the Violin to a Puzzle A violin can be compared to a puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle has a unique role in the outcome of the picture, or in this case, the overall sound. The pieces are brought together by both the violin's maker and its player. Just like a puzzle, different persons, when given the same pieces probably will not put them in the same order. This fact accounts for the differences in the designs of master violinmakers and the tonal differences between players. To quote Joseph Wechsberg, " The tone is of course created by the violinist . . . the same violin played by several violinists sounds different in the hands of each player," (45). In spite of the different interpretations of where the pieces should go, if any piece of the puzzle is missing or deformed, the puzzle won't fit together correctly. In order to determine whether or not the pieces are correctly assembled, it is necessary to understand the pieces and their functions. The violin consists of seventy parts: back and belly,two parts each, 6 ribs and inside blocks, 12 inside linings, 24 purflings, 4 pegs and strings, and one each of bass bar, fingerboard, neck, scroll, nut, lower nut, tailpiece, loop, tailpiece button, bridge and soundpost (Bachmann, 58). The shape and design of the instrument is referred to as the "model." The model not only influences the appearance of the violin, but also its acoustic qualities. For the most part, the acoustical effect is limited to the playability of the violin. For example, the shape of the shoulders influences the ease with which high positions, or notes, are played (Curtin). The choice of wood also affects the violin's acoustical properties. Traditionally, violin makers used spruce and maple fr... ...r that the reader will be seduced by the violin's siren song. Works Cited Bachmpedia of the Violin. New York: DaCapo, 1966. Curtin, Joseph. "The Anatomy of a Violin." 16 March, 2003. <http://www.msen.com/~violins/about/anatomy.html> Gough, Colin. "Science and the Stradivarius." Physics World April 2000. <http://physicsweb.org/article/world/13/4/8/1/pw-13-04-09fig5> Ifshin Violins 25 March, 2003. <http://www.ifshinviolins.com/strings.html> Hill, W. Henry, Arthur F. Hill, and Alfred E. Hill. Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work (1644-1737). New York: Dover, 1963. Johannsson, Hans. 31 March, 2003. <http://www.centrum.is/hansi/construction/> Victor, Andrew. "Bows Magic Wands." 25 March, 2003. <http://members.aol.com/bowedstrings.bows-magicwands.html> Wechsberg, Joseph. The Glory of the Violin. New York: Viking, 1973.

ONE SIDED LOVE Essay -- essays research papers

The story was written by John Steinbeck by the name â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†. The story takes a place on a farm in December 1938. The story is based on three characters: Elisa, her husband Henry, and the tinker. Elisa was 35 years old and was married to Henry. She was a hard workingwoman on a farm. It was a virile occupation, compared with her husband who was a businessman. Their relationship wasn’t normal. He didn’t see her as a lady, due to her unattractive appearance. One day the tinker passed by her house, and changed her life. The tinker caused her to confirm her femininity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tinker made her laugh by his stories, and reflect her. He was curious about her chrysanthemums, and complimented her for her work. Her husband never realized nor was interested in her talent. She explained the tinker how to grow the Chrysanthemums successfully. â€Å"Her eyes shone† she tore off the battered hat and â€Å"shook out her dark pretty hair†. After awhile, she offered him a flowerpot to take along with him. The tinker was glad to get the seeds in the pot, although it was not what he wished for. Now, she did not care about her gloves from her excitement. She used her strong fingers to fill up the pot with soil. â€Å"Her face was tight with eagerness†, when she looked at him.† Her breast swelled passionately†. After the tinker left she whispered: â€Å"that’s a bright direction, there’s a glow in there†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elisa felt disgraced about her self so, she ... ONE SIDED LOVE Essay -- essays research papers The story was written by John Steinbeck by the name â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†. The story takes a place on a farm in December 1938. The story is based on three characters: Elisa, her husband Henry, and the tinker. Elisa was 35 years old and was married to Henry. She was a hard workingwoman on a farm. It was a virile occupation, compared with her husband who was a businessman. Their relationship wasn’t normal. He didn’t see her as a lady, due to her unattractive appearance. One day the tinker passed by her house, and changed her life. The tinker caused her to confirm her femininity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tinker made her laugh by his stories, and reflect her. He was curious about her chrysanthemums, and complimented her for her work. Her husband never realized nor was interested in her talent. She explained the tinker how to grow the Chrysanthemums successfully. â€Å"Her eyes shone† she tore off the battered hat and â€Å"shook out her dark pretty hair†. After awhile, she offered him a flowerpot to take along with him. The tinker was glad to get the seeds in the pot, although it was not what he wished for. Now, she did not care about her gloves from her excitement. She used her strong fingers to fill up the pot with soil. â€Å"Her face was tight with eagerness†, when she looked at him.† Her breast swelled passionately†. After the tinker left she whispered: â€Å"that’s a bright direction, there’s a glow in there†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elisa felt disgraced about her self so, she ...

Blind Children :: essays research papers

Blind children, if given a chance, can play and learn right alongside their sighted peers. An open mind, a positive attitude, and a little creativity are usually all it takes to integrate blind students into regular preschool programs. The blind child can learn the same concepts that are taught the other children. The only difference is the method of learning. The blind child must make more use of the other senses. They also need parents and teachers who will allow lots of hands-on experiences. Blind children can learn the same concepts as other children. They may just need to learn it in a different method such as hands-on. Concepts such as big and little, same and different, prepositions (over, under, in, out, behind), shapes, number concepts, and others are easily taught with concrete objects as an alternative to pictures on paper. Parents of blind children are used to helping their children get accustomed to new places and will guide you in doing so. Usually, one or two visits to the classroom when the other children are not present will be enough to orient the child. Children will use many things to find their way around. The sound of the wall clock or heater may be a way for them to locate themselves. They quickly learn that the story time area is carpeted and that the dress-up area is next to the windows where they can feel the sun or hear the rain. Blindness does not mean that the child is totally without usable vision. Most of blind children have varying amounts of vision, which can be quite helpful. â€Å"Legal blindness† is a term you may hear. It means that a child has 10% or less of normal vision. Teachers need to know that many factors affect what, and how much, a child may see at any particular time. Type of eye condition, fatigue, lighting, excitement, etc. all affect a partially sighted child’s vision. There is little need to worry about the comfort the blind child will have with its peers in the classroom.

A Book Review on “Under a Cruel Star” Essay

A narrative memoir of the author Heda Margolius Kovaly given in her book Under a Cruel Star depicts the tragic history and stories of various chaoses including the Czechoslovakia turmoil and Soviet Union. In here, she tells how their lives moved through dilemma just to adapt in certain situations where her religious practice, gender, social and economic status are relevantly part in her way of living. Heda Kovaly’s narration is made up of her observations, lessons learned, experiences, ideas, and some of her justification towards her decisions made, in which we can conclude that some are without the presence of her willingness or should we say just an act of woman’s submissiveness to her husband. As a brief recapitulation of the book, Heda opened up telling that the three forces shaped in the past history also formed her life as a whole. She recounted every episode of their lives although not in details. It started up from Heda Kovaly’s experiences in 1941 before he got married to Rudolf Margolius during the turmoil in Prague, Czechoslovakia under post-Nazi regime. Her deportation from Prague to Lodz ghetto in Auschwitz opened up disruption of her supposedly peaceful life. She mentioned how she managed to escape from the marching prisoners of war heading to Reich, Germany. Right after Prague chaos, she met his childhood sweetheart Rudolf and got married to him. Rudolf was a survivor of Nazi government’s several concentration camps; however, unlike other Nazi victims who utterly opposed communism ideals, Rudolf embraced this thought and therefore got a life out of it. Heda became a follower of her husband’s beliefs and principles. It ended up when Rudolf got arrested in 1951 with the reason of advocating his ideology, and it followed his execution after the Stalinist trials in which Heda herself witnessed. Just imagine how painful and helpless it is on Heda’s part to see his husband dying in the prosecution, and this feeling of Heda has shared with her readers as it magically brought by her narration. Hardships and sufferings pushed Heda to live despite harassment of the society as a result of just being Rudolf’s wife and partner. Heda remembered how the society persecuted her and her son by means of forced evacuation from their rented house, hastily and rudely dismissal from the hospital amidst necessary medication, and religiously losing her job one after another. Such difficulties ran for five more years following Rudolf’s death. However, Heda’s willingness to live continued as she believes that their journey did not stop on Rudolf’s imprisonment and execution. Instead, it opened up another episode of her life where she survived really hard to be able to support and augment their child’s basic needs. More than a decade after that nightmare, Heda received an invitation from the Czech government as the latter said revocation of Rudolf’s name in the Stalinist show trial. Heda insisted total absolution of Rudolf’s name and a publicly retrial of the case. She also radically demanded that the Czech government has to admit solely the guilt that it has to make a public apology for the victims including Rudolf and his family. Thus began Heda’s open advocacy opposing Communism as well as Stalinism, and to encourage everyone to stop anti-Semitism views whether in Czechoslovakia, in Europe, or in the world as a whole. Heda wrote the book basically with the purpose of enlightening the readers about such experiences of a Jewish family, specifically a Jewish woman in Czechoslovakia under Nazi government and Communism though she mentioned dedicating the book for her son to Rudolf Marqolius. Her audience could be anyone who is interested in historical topics such as political and social evolution in Europe and their impacts on the world history in general. Though the book failed to follow proper formatting as it is only a narrative of Heda’s own story and experiences and that it is transcribed in an informal way, it also fails to meet historical analysis and proper illustration. However, the help and information it could bring to the students who are known being idealists are quite immeasurable. They will surely love reading this book again and again as it inspires their modern principles and ideals. Under the Cruel Star is not designed to be a university textbook but it helps in a way educating the students especially of History courses such as History 101 which tackles Themes in Modern History like ours. Surely, Heda Morgolius Kovaly’s story could be a glass of cold water poured on fire. It means that a communist believer who happens to read this book would change his belief reading this. It makes possible as the testimony entails drastic impact to the lives of innocent ones in the past. On my part, the book signifies peaceful victory over chaotic ambiance having Heda’s view of love over hate. Like Heda who happens to forgive the tragic past, and use it to advocate equality through her text irregardless of many difficulties including her religious beliefs being a Jew. To conclude, I should say that I have learned through this book that what really important is how a victim of a wary world remains peaceful at heart in the end. R E F E R E N C E Kovaly, Heda Margolius. Under A Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Holmes and Meier Publishing Company, 1997.

IT Security Essay

With the advent of the new technological age, businesses and individuals find it more and more difficult to cope with the growing amount of information. The more technological businesses become, the more information they are compelled to process and store, thus creating a whole set of challenges and controversies in the IT field. The problem is that managing business information is impossible without developing and implementing effective data storage systems. Very often, backing up business data to a remote location becomes the only possible means to guarantee effectiveness of all information processes within organization. In this context, online backup services could potentially resolve the most complicated IT issues in business. Really, in business, organizations gather large amounts of information about their products, market reputation, customers, and competitors. They work to determine the major weaknesses and strengths of their sales strategies and use this information in the process of achieving strategic organizational objectives. Information improves organizations’ competitive positions, and â€Å"the company losing information may have its competitive edge dulled. Losing a competitive edge can be a significant cost to any business, but even losing competitive edge is not as dangerous as losing and revealing information about possible business vulnerabilities and gaps to potential and current competitors† (Halibozek, Jones & Kovacich, 2007). The fact is that the loss of data may take different forms and patterns; the reasons of losing information are also many and numerous. Regardless of whether the loss of data is caused by a virus or an external attack, customer files, emails, financial and accounting information – all these may become a serious threat to the stability of businesses. Statistical research suggests that one half of businesses that lose critical information file for bankruptcy (Jacobi, 2005); as such, online backup mechanisms seem to be a viable solution to the discussed problems. The problem of losing information is well-known to businesses, but here it is more than important to investigate the relevance of online backup services. The problem of losing information in business is significant from the IT security perspective for numerous reasons: these include the risks of losing competitiveness, the risks of bankruptcy, and the risks of competitive vulnerability, as discussed in the previous paragraph. Investigating the relevance of online backup services is needed to evaluate its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and the principles of use. Losing information seems a difficult and hardly resolvable problem, but with the current speed of technological advancement, even the most controversial and difficult technological issues can be successfully resolved. The issue of losing data is not an exception, and TechSoup meta-site provides brief but comprehensible information with regard to using online backup services. Upon visiting the website, the first impression is that information is well-structured, is divided into several subcategories, and is written in an easy understandable language – the features that even inexperienced IT users can use to grasp the meaning of online backup services. Furthermore, it is objectivity of provided data and the lack of clear or hidden advertising that makes the website fully informative and not imposing. That the authors discuss both pros and cons of using online backup services makes it possible for the reader to make a relevant and justified choice; and where online backup services display serious technological limitations, the meta-site provides a set of recommendations for overcoming these limitations in practice (Lasa, 2006). For example, when it comes to using online backup services, â€Å"speed and amount of data backup is limited by the speed of your Internet connection. Online backup over dial-up connection will be slow and is generally only suitable for small amounts of data† (Lasa, 2006). Here, it also means that the speed of data management and its effectiveness largely depends on the particular choice of Internet providers. Bearing in mind the variety and number of Internet companies in the market, choosing the right one with the best and the most appropriate speed of connection will help companies resolve these issues at hand. Also, the meta-site suggests that companies that limit their choice of data storage mechanisms to online backup services actually trust all important information to a single person (and provider), and in case the data is lost, the given provider will hardly be able to restore it. To mitigate these risks, the authors also recommend using CDs or DVDs to archive backed-up data (Lasa, 2006). These are the most feasible solutions to the issues, with which online backup services can be associated. In general, the website provides detailed and unbiased information about online backup services. Unfortunately, the information regarding the seriousness of data storage issues is absent. As such, IT users may not understand the seriousness of the issue and may not be willing to seek immediate and effective solutions. Even when the need to investigate the problem arises, IT professionals will need to search the net for possible statistical or descriptive information with regard to the issue of losing information and its impact on businesses. Nevertheless, the provided information is structured in a way that makes it easier to understand HOW to cope with the growing information management tensions. The website does not simply describe how online backup services work, but evaluates their benefits and drawbacks, and provides a set of recommendations for choosing a provider. The structure of information is extremely convenient and is designed to cover broad audiences. Conclusion Certainly, the mere fact that IT users can access information about backup services does not mean that the issue of data management and storage is no longer relevant. On the contrary, the more meta-sites devote time and effort to describing such services, the more concerned they become about possible implications of losing information in business. Objectively, technology works to provide IT users and professionals with a whole set of effective instruments for storing and managing data; and it is obvious that online backup services can significantly reduce the risks of losing important and sensible data. Simultaneously, even when using online backup services, there is still much room for technological improvement, and whether businesses and individuals are offered relevant technological solutions depends on the speed and the quality of the current technological progress.

Does violence on televison lead to violence in real life? Essay

The debate on television violence has been on going for many years now and has produced a wide and varied set of views and research results. Many well established psychologists have attempted, through various types of experiments and observations, to either support or negate a link between violence on television and the violent episodes in â€Å"real† life. These sets of data have thrown up some interesting views and personal conclusions regarding the subject of television violence, and we will show the varying views and conclusions that some of these psychologists have reached; and by using a respected and well known system we will try to show the views of a small section of our community. Previous research into the link between violence and television Over the years numerous psychologists have produced thousands of experiments and or research to support or negate the link between violence and television. In 1987 a psychologist named Cumberbatch produced data on the actual amounts of violence found to be in British television programmes. He concluded that 30% of the programmes contained some form of violence, with an overall frequency of 1. 14 violent acts per programme and 1. 68 violent acts per hour. Each act of violence lasted an average 25 seconds leading to violence occupying just over 1% of total television airtime. His research showed that in 26% of violent acts death occurred, but in 61% no injuries were shown and the victim was portrayed as being in pain or stunned. In 83% of cases, no blood was shown as a result of a violent act, and considerable blood and gore occurred in only 0. 2% of cases. Cumberbatch also revealed that most perpetrators of violent acts were more likely to be portrayed as â€Å"baddies† rather than â€Å"goodies†, and violence occurred twice as frequently in law breaking than in law-upholding contexts. His research, although neither for or against violence on television, gives us an idea of the amount of violence on television we are exposed to. Howitt and Cumberbatch in 1974 analysed 300 studies of television violence and it’s direct effect on children’s behaviour, they played down the link between television violence and the children’s behaviour. A further study into the relationships between the media and violence carried out by Eron 1987and Phillips 1986 found a different conclusion. They concluded that a positive correlation between the amount of aggression viewed at 8 and later aggression at 30 could be seen. George Gerbner (1989) researched television and its influences on human behaviour and said: † Television influences human behaviour because there are â€Å"routes† or mechanisms whereby the content of television can have an effect on what we do, and how we act. Thus, part of televisions influence comes about because of how we learn (by observation and imitation), because of how we respond to certain kinds of story material (arousal/desensitisation), and because of the structure of our inhibitions and the way television provides the kind of stimulation necessary to release them (disinhibition). I called these behavioural mechanisms, because for the most part the influence was shown on some activity† (p128 The Psychology of Television) Aletha Huston (university of Kansas 1989) studied the effects of television violence on children’s behaviour and stated: † Children who watch violent television programmes, even ‘just funny’ cartoons, were more likely to hit out at their playmates, argue, disobey class rules, leave tasks unfinished, and were less willing to wait for things than those who watched the non violent programmes. â€Å"(p 142 The Psychology of Television) We can see from the varying studies, different results and opinions of these psychologists just how hard it can be to support or negate a link between violence on television and in real life. How the questionnaires were prepared in class In a classroom environment we produced a questionnaire on peoples opinions relating to the link between television violence and real life. The class split into small groups of three or four and discussed possible questions to add to the questionnaire, trying to have a balance of pro television and anti television questions. The individual group questions were discussed and eight questions picked to make up the actual questionnaire, these questions consisted of four pro television and four anti television, the questions were set out so an anti television was followed by a pro television question. The obvious reason for the split into pro and anti television is to try and produce a questionnaire that will give the people taking part a non-biased set of alternate answers.

Discusses Confucius contributions Essay

Confucius’ life was of tremendous importance in the forming of Chinese culture. Confucius’ plan and simple approach to life, revealed his deep seeded beliefs that through great human effort one can shape their own future. He had great faith in the ordinary man and believed that they are teachable and perfectible. Confucius believed that ordinary humans could be come awe-inspiring with wisdom and great knowledge. The quest to improve one’s â€Å"self† became deeply rooted in the Confucian heritage. Confucius’ concept of moral rectitude was considered part of the pursuit to becoming the perfected person. Confucius was devoted to learning and teaching. His teaching emphasized self-improvement and moral rectitude. When his words â€Å"for the sake of the self† are explored it becomes clear Confucius was constant in his belief of self-improvement through out his life and his work. Confucius was a philosopher, teacher and political figure that lived from (551-479 BC) in the state of Lu, now know as the Shandong province. He was a member of the minor aristocracy and bureaucratic class during that time. By the time of his birth, his family had apparently become poverty-stricken. He was known for his conservation of the traditions of ritual and music of the Chou civilization. At an early age, it was apparent that Confucius was dedicated to learning. Confucius’ father died when he was three years old and this probably had a huge impact on his family’s class. The lose of his father and his family being poverty-stricken must have been key factors that set him upon his ambitious journey to improve human kind, governments and society. His mother was his first teacher and he developed an emphatic quest for knowledge. It was a common practice for aristocratic families to hire tutors to educate their sons, but Confucius was one of the first persons to devote himself totally to learning and teaching for the sole purpose of transforming and improving society. Confucius was also a dedicated government servant. He served in government posts where he managed stables and kept books. At the age of nineteen Confucius married a woman of similar background. Confucius’ early influences are all contributing factors that made him a young and wise  scholar during his time. Confucius concept of â€Å"moral rectitude† was evident because he wanted to make education available to all men. He believed everyone could benefit from learning and self-cultivation. Confucius established a humanities program for leaders, paved the way for education to all and redefined learning as not only the acquisition of knowledge, but also as a character builder. Confucius primary role of education was to provide the proper way of training noblemen. This education would consist of continuous self-improvement and frequent social interaction. To personally achieve the goal â€Å"for the sake of the self†, Confucius mastered six arts: ritual, music, archer, charioteering, calligraphy and arithmetic. The art that became most important was that of â€Å"ritual†. Confucius was actively involved with the government. It was his desire to have a rebirth of the ideas and institution of a past golden age. Confucius hoped to integrate the ritual of those times into the government and family life. He believed this could only happen with ideal rulers such as the legendary sage-kings Yao and Shun. Confucius believed that the ethic of an ideal ruler would translate to a moral state. The ideal ruler would cultivate virtues of benevolence toward others, a general sense of doing what is right, loyalty and diligence in serving one’s superiors. The â€Å"moral rectitude† according to Confucius could also be taught and handed down by performing rituals. Ritual acted as guidelines for people to follow in any given social situations. Ritual could vary considerably depending on age, social status and gender. Confucius contributed to some specific rituals and values but also the importance of the past and hierarchy of the social classes. Rituals be came â€Å"the way† to act. Most East Asian societies continue to be influenced by Confucius teachings, valuing the community, the family, and other social relationships over individuality and uniqueness. The Confucius influence encourages support of education and learning from books and from the past, refinement of social rituals to smooth the relationships of people in a community. The western  culture has vastly deviated from Confucius teaching. Each day the western culture ignores more rituals and become more self-absorbed. A glance at today’s headlines or reality TV makes this obvious. Today there are still some existing rituals and moral behavior, but the boundaries blur with each generation. What Confucius provided was a definition of ethics and morally characterized by personal actions and rituals. A simple way to understand Confucius thoughts is to gain an appreciation of the varying levels of honesty. Over time, they developed into the following form: *Li – ritual. Propriety or politeness, Etiquette. This concept originally meant to sacrifice. The term later expanded to secular ceremonial behaviors and then even more diffuse mean, that of propriety or politeness. This expanded the term to everyday life situations. Confucius was revered as the authority on ritual behavior. *Ziao or Hsiao – filial piety. Respect and obedience. The was considered to be the greatest virtue and was shown towards the living and dead. The term ‘filial’ means â€Å"of a son† and therefore denotes that a son should have respect and obedience to his parents. This term was expanded to other relationships such as ruler and subject, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and that between friends. The duties and ritual where prescribed for each of these relationships. Eventually this term was integrated into the Chinese legal system. An example of this would be that a child would be punished more harshly if the crime were against a parent. *Zhong or Chung – loyalty. This term is equivalent to filial piety, but on a different level. This term apply predominantly to the social classes of ruler and minister. In a case of Zhong, a minister should obey the ruler because he has the higher (anointed by god) authority and therefore that maked it the right thing to do. *Ren or Jen – humanness. The relates to the â€Å"Golden Rule† This term is best described by Confucius version of the Golden Rule, â€Å"Do not do to other what  you would not like them to do to you.† *Junzi or Chun-Tzu – the gentleman. The ideal towards which all strive. This term mean â€Å"son of a ruler†. This term implies that a gentleman are always expected to act as moral guides to the rest of society. Gentlemen are those who cultivate themselves morally and who personify the other characteristics of honestly. Confucius is exclamatory of this concept Confucius was a man of great vision. The politics of his time did not allow his philosophy to flourish, but he did provide an awakening to human king. He was perceived then and now as a heroic conscience. Confucius teaching remains enormously influence today, but unfortunately, they are not always taken to heart or practiced. Today’s politicians could learn much from his teaching. One of Confucius’s principal legacies, the notion of the enlightened civil servant, is not a prevalent as it should be in the modern word. Humankind moves forward, but sometimes we forget to bring the greatness of our history with us.

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Homework - Assignment Example It is true that post-money valuation is always higher than pre-money valuation because of a few reasons worth noting. First, post-money valuation, thus, denotes the status of a company after it has receive some funding. Second, the post-money state is equally a mark of capital injection within the organization something that is absent in pre-money valuation. It is imperative to note valuation is a financial concept that is predominant in venture capital and private equity to determine the prospects of financing or investment. It is true that any form of investment has risk especially for the early stage ventures unlike the late stage venture capital. This is because of limited financing and resources in the market to attract customers. Another hindrance for early stage ventures includes the utilization of capital in other stabilizing instead of expanding the business. In other words, the various stages such as start-up and formative of early ventures prevent it from picking up as opposed to the late stage venture capital. After Initial Public Offering (IPO), it is true that shareholders could freely trade their shares. One of the reasons entails assessment of scarce commodity that often gives analysts a chance to advise shareholders on issues of their prospectus. Second, company prospects with strong brokers offers platform for trading in shares in public to earn dividends through smaller and quality brokerages (Bierman, 2011). Alternatively, reading of prospectus carefully is essential in the determination of IPO especially in the first investment to establish one’s high-net worth for dividends. There is advantage and disadvantage of being a public company. The advantage is that such a company is open to trading and investment prospects for most investors. It means that shareholders have a leverage to trade in shares, securities, and bonds with high prospects of value return. However, being a

Finance Investor constraints and mutual funds Essay

Finance Investor constraints and mutual funds - Essay Example B. is not a sophisticated man who would be able to understand the intricacies of creating and monitoring a traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds. Given the investment parameters and lifestyle needs of the client, we will look for a mutual fund that is primarily invested in domestic corporate bonds. Mr. B. is unwilling to take any large losses in his portfolio, so safety of principle will important. He needs a good return to provide monthly income and supplement his social security, and is willing to erode the principle somewhat over the next twelve years of his life expectancy. Accordingly, our fund search will focus on bond funds, as there is no need to consider higher risk investments in the international or growth stock sector. Since Mr. B. has neither the risk tolerance level nor the need to grow his portfolio, we will search for a managed bond fund that has low expenses. As for tax consideration, Mr. B. is currently in a low tax bracket and is looking for his money to provide the highest dependable return. Accordingly, he does not require a sophisticated tax strategy using municipal and other tax-advantaged investments. The screening criteria are: High-yield bond, average manager tenure for the category, no-load funds only, category average fund expenses, four or five star rating from Morningstar, and a Morningstar risk level of below average (Morningstar, 1). This search returned ten funds: Buffalo High-Yield (BUFHX); Fidelity Advisor High Income (FHIAX); Fidelity Advisor High Income Instl (FHNIX); MassMutual Premier High Yield (DHLHYX); Northeast Investors (NTHEX); Regions Morgan Keegan Select Hi Inc A LW (MKHIX); Regions Morgan Keegan Select Hi Inc I (RHIIX); T. Rowe Price High-Yield (PRHYX); T. Rowe Price High-Yield Adv (PAHIX); and Wells Fargo Advantage High Income I (SHYYX)(Morningstar, 1). We have chosen Northeast Investors for Mr. B. because of its higher yield, relatively low expense ratio, and its large asset base. This fund

Economics Of Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics Of Industry - Essay Example Some of the factors which can define the decision making process of whether to buy or outsource also depend upon the agency relationship. Bergmann and Friedl (2008) are of the view that since managers have the private information regarding the projects therefore they intend to exert "unobservable levels of different kinds of effort in order to increase the feasibility of successfully completing the project in terms of meeting product specifications." (Bergmann and Friedl). This paper will attempt to present a comprehensive analysis of the above factors and their impact on the decision making process of whether to buy or outsource. Further, this work will also attempt to present what remedies may be available to address such problems in terms of agency cost. To make or buy is one of the fundamental dilemmas faced by the modern organizations as increasing competition and globalization is forcing organizations to re-evaluate their strategies as well as processes and technologies to better position themselves onto the competitive landscape. As discussed above that the decision to make or buy depends largely upon whether the organization is willing to refocus its strengths on exploiting its core competencies and outsource some of the activities which do not probably fall under the domain of their specialty therefore instead of developing weaknesses into strengths, organizations often consider to focus on their strengths. Secondly, lack of internal resources such as manpower, technology, economies of scales etc may force organizations to decide on buying rather than producing in house. Thirdly, cost reduction is another critical element which contributes in deciding whether to buy or make because due to lack expertise, lack of resources, org anizations may find it expensive to produce in house and rather focus on outsourcing. However, despite all these factors, there are some other critical elements which contribute to that decision making process. As discussed above that uncertainty is one of the key elements which differentiate the labor markets therefore both internal as well as external factors heavily influence the decision making process of make or buy. Internal organizational factors such as agency relationships as well as adverse selection involve the management of the firms however; uncertainty and asymmetric information may be internal as well as external in nature. Agency Relationship Diversification is one of the reasons why managers often decide to make investments so that the risk could be easily distributed across the different products as well as markets. It is also because of this reason that the managers often have to decide whether to initiate that diversification process by producing that product or procuring that machinery in-house or outsource them. However, Denis et al (1997) are of the view that there is a negative relationship between the diversification and the managerial equity ownership. (Denis, Denis and Sarin) This fact also points towards the tendency of the managers to perform in ways which create a sort of value reducing diversification for firms. Therefore taking an analogy from this fact, it can easily be inferred that while making

Analyse and critically evaluate the implementation of the 'Widenening Essay

Analyse and critically evaluate the implementation of the 'Widenening Participation in Higher Education' Policy in the context of New Right Ideology - Essay Example UK) in 2000 is anything to go by, while 48% of the higher social groups opted for improving their educational backgrounds, only 18% from the lower groups participated in the same. The gap between both the social groups was around 30%, a figure on the higher side. Some reasons that have been cited for this trend include the inability to bear the overall expenses of studying for a higher university degree, the desire to earn money rather than study, and the feeling that good institutions and good jobs are closed doors for them. Furthermore, it did not help matters that the ones in control had their own views about students and higher education. It was Margaret Thatcher and her government who ushered in New Right Ideology to deal with matters concerning higher education. These were her very words, â€Å"We are going much further with education than we ever thought of doing before† (Margaret Thatcher 196). This government took control in 1987, and their agenda can be summed up to include four major changes that they brought into the system. The first one was to make all educational institutions directly responsible for their finances and budgeting. It resulted in fierce competition between schools and colleges, since those that exhibited wonderful results in external examinations would be favored with more finances. Scholarly pursuits got relegated to the background, and the focus was shifted to attracting as many students as possible to respective institutions. This had not been the old pattern of th inking. In earlier days, the bureaucracy interfered as less as possible, believing that universities and institutions were meant for intellectual development more than anything else. complete success. A number of researches and studies were then carried out and as a result, modern educational policy makers have shifted their focus to widening participation in higher education and free access. They hope for some betterment in the system now at least! Now, what is meant

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 1 Assignment

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 1 - Assignment Example However, the decision may be affecting passengers and the public. The policy of increasing charges luggage fees can increase revenues for airlines. U.S. airlines collected more than a billion dollars in baggage fees for overweight bags, or extra bags in 2008. The revenue was an increase of 148 percent from the previous year. From a managerial perspective, the decision by U.S airways to charge $25 luggage fees for first checked bags was the best decision for the airline. Fluctuating oil prices are a major constraint and limiting resources that affect decisions of most managers. Given the high operation costs for maintaining an airline firm in the market decision such as developing luggage fees may become beneficial to the airline. Managers in US airline decided to charge luggage fees as one of the best alternative to solve the problem of increased costs of oil and operational costs for the air travel. Airlines are companies meaning they need to make decisions that boost their revenues. Increases in revenues enable airlines to remain competitive in the industry. The increase in oil prices is an evident phenomenon all over the world. The world economy is also unstable. Volatility in oil prices and world economic downturn are some of the biggest challenges the airline industry has to face today. Increased o il prices and security costs are major reasons explaining operational losses for many passenger airline companies. It is because of such costs that airline companies such as US airway decide to implement revenue generating fees for services that traditionally were part of the air ticket prices. The fact that charging luggage fees in enraging passengers a lot raises many questions, for example, should the U.S. airway and other airline firms continue charging luggage fees or should they include the fees in the ticket price? While most passengers accepted

Other Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Other - Assignment Example While buying the television, the seller will have spent on something else thereby boosting the local economy. Therefore, in the perspective of the observer of these events, the ill behavior of the man’s son or breaking of the television set has stimulated the economy; however, according to Bastiat, the entire understanding exposes a fallacy. Looking at the concept brewed in this case, breaking of the television reduces the man’s disposable income that he may not be able to purchase; for instance, a new shirt or commit to other luxuries. Nonetheless, the breakage of the television is helpful to others; for example, the seller or the person repairing the television. It should be noted that despite the breakage of the television set being helpful to others; it robs industries and reduces the spending on other goods and or services. Replacing an item that was already bought is regarded as the maintenance cost as opposed to buying new items or items that the owner has never had (Rockwell and Ludwig Von Mises Institute, 2008). ... in Making Financial Decisions The most significant means in decision making including financial decision-making are the application logical and systematic decision-making processes. Application of application logical and systematic processes helps in time value analysis since they provide systematic and planned analysis. Therefore, it is vital that health care organizations to deploy organizational approach that incorporates application logical and systematic processes in making vital financial decision (Skousen, 2009). Applying this concept will ensure that they never miss profound factors in their decision-making. Six steps and practices can help the health care organizations to curb their challenges in financial decision-making. Creating a constructive environment for financial decision making A constructive environment for decision-making incorporates the establishment of objective of such decision making process. In other words, it is vital that the management of such health car e organization to define the parameters the health organization could achieve with their desired financial decision. Additionally, the management must thereafter agree on a working process to be deployed and this will call for the incorporation of the significant stakeholders in such decision-makings. Generating applicable and relevant alternatives This process shall provide the decision makers with more options to choose from towards comprehensive financial decisions. Generation of alternatives allows the management or the decision makers to have numerous ways of solving financial challenges. Therefore, unreasonable alternatives will only worsen the problem. Finally, generating alternatives will help organizations of ideas. Exploration of the alternatives This process ensures that only

Emotional Intelligence as Applied to Sales Essay

Emotional Intelligence as Applied to Sales - Essay Example In the first example, I went with three friends to have breakfast at a local pancake house. While a waitress position is often thought of as a service, it is important to remember that part of her job is selling a return visit. Our waitress met us with a pleasant attitude and projected friendliness. She seemed to immediately pick up on the individual mood of the person she was addressing and adjust her responses accordingly. This was done verbally as well as non-verbally through the use of expression and body movement. I felt welcome, familiar, and comfortable. Her level of service was excellent and she seemed to have a sense of what was needed and when it was needed. She refilled the coffee in a timely fashion at various points in the meal and checked at the appropriate times to see if we needed anything else. She also inquired shortly after we began to eat whether everything was all right. The order was correct and the food was on the same high level as the waitress. By observing this waitress and evaluating her service it became clear that she had a high degree of EI. This trait enabled her to anticipate our needs and follow the three golden rules of sales. She could adjust her communication to make you feel familiar. This was accomplished through slight verbal variations and facial expressions that felt warm and non-threatening. In addition, she had fulfilled her responsibility to the restaurant by selling a return visit and creating a repeat customer. The Tire Salesmen I had accompanied a friend of mine to a Wal-Mart store to get new tires installed on his car. Before we left the house, we gathered all the information we needed regarding the tire size and style that he wanted to purchase. At the store, there were two employees behind the counter that were simply standing there while we looked over the inventory. My friend had decided to get a tire one size larger than the tires that were on the car, which had come with minimum tires as a cost saving measure. We inquired about the location of the tires and the employee motioned in the area and said 'all the tires are over there'. He offered no assistance in explaining the various prices, styles, and applications for the tires. We finally located the tires we were looking for at an acceptable price. However, when we brought the car inside he said he couldn't sell them because Wal-Mart has a store policy of only selling and mounting the manufacturer's original size. They showed little if any compassion or emotions about our dilemma. His attitude was one of neglect and uncaring. His level of emotional intelligence was very low, and he was subsequently forced to violate the golden rules of selling. While we understood that he was following store policy, he didn't seem to care about the trouble we had gone through. The Carpet Installer I recently helped an acquaintance of mine move some furniture when she was having some new carpet installed in her home. She was having the whole house carpeted and it required shuffling furniture around as the installers worked. The installer had the foresight to make a visit to the home prior to installation to advise my friend on the sequence of rooms and where the furniture could be moved to as he progressed. This simple step was extremely helpful and