American Sci-fi Films of the 1990s Research Paper

American Sci-fi Films of the 1990s - Research Paper Example At this point, we saw more realistic and even more grandiose computer-generated images on our movie screens. The digital world made the impossible possible and exemplified the reality that anything and everything can now be translated to the big screen (Hall and Neale, 253). Since everything can be done in computers, what was previously ‘unfilmable’ was now a distinct possibility for many filmmakers. Through digital technology, battles in space through the film ‘Starship Troopers’ became a much more realistic fare and floating on air became less of a wire-controlled exercise in the movie ‘The Matrix.’ The themes for most science fiction movies however, for the most part, retained elements of violence seen in earlier science fiction movies. Violence in these movies is in its bigger picture. It is important to note that the 1990s also signify the post Cold War period, and yet, the threats of smart bombs and high technology weaponry very much grace these 90s movies (Rukeyser, 45). We also see the media spectacles of the Gulf Wars translated in movies, and later, that of the war on terrorism. â€Å"The Cold War may be over and the threat of a nuclear war lessened, but in both the fantasies of science fiction film and the â€Å"reality† of the news, violence is in our face – enhanced and perfected with military and media technology, but violence nonetheless† (Rukeyser, 45). These new avenues for entertainment have taken on more picturesque images in film and the popularity of such films has grown even more. As the violence has evolved throughout the years, the darker and more violent image of the future have also been seen in these films. These darker and more violent depictions highlight the post-apocalytic images of the future, easily brought to life in the screen through computer-generated visual effects (Cornea, 161). These futuristic images are apparent in the movies, ‘The Matrix’, ‘ Johnny Mnemonic’, ‘The Lawnmower Man’ series, and ‘The Net.’ These movies also portray the fact that the violence and the darkness is not just in our surroundings or our environment, but they are also in us. Through these depictions the science fiction genre now exemplifies how the current reality can be thrown off guard and can be differentiated from our realistic experience of the world (Bould, 139). On a positive note, these movies seek to present a postmodernist view of the world, a rejection of all things modern and how such technological developments have ran rampant over the world and over our lives. To a certain extent, even as they utilize the modern technologies introduced in recent years, these same technologies are also depicted for the problems they have and will bring to humanity (Lopez, 137). ‘The Matrix’ movies especially show how technology has led to more problems and issues. These problems and issues created by technol ogy lend support to the importance of returning to the past and the traditional way of doing things (Rukeyser, 46). They present opposing views on modernism, portraying modernism as one which can potentially be more trouble than it is worth. The 1990s science fiction movies use different modern functions and powers. They often bring together opposing elements. In other words, science fiction is a double-edged sword (Schummer, 142). In effect, it can sometimes be rational and emotional, and it sometimes coordinates the secular and the scientific

This Mystery Shopping Activity Tourism Essay

This Mystery Shopping Activity Tourism Essay 1.1 Introduction In this assignment, mystery shopping will be shown with relation to three types of hospitality businesses. Mystery Shopping activities should be carried out at regular intervals. Clear performance objectives can be set by the definition of benchmarks which can serve both as possible motivators within the company and also as a parameter in a bonus or commission system. Mystery shopping or a mystery consumer is a tool used externally by market research companies or watchdog organizations or internally by companies themselves to measure quality of service or compliance to regulation, or to gather specific information about products and services. The mystery consumers specific identity is generally not known by the establishment being evaluated. In addition, temporarily implemented Mystery Shopping studies can be made use of to check and evaluate individual marketing activities. Beside that, secret shoppers is a tool used by businesses and market research companies to measure quality of retail service or gather specific information about products and services. Then, mystery shoppers posing as normal customers perform specific tasks-such as purchasing a product, asking questions and then provide detailed reports or feedback about their experiences. Mystery shopping is increasingly used to provide feedback on customer services. Furthermore, some tasks that may be carried out by the mystery shopper include taking photographs, measurements, consumer count or inventory count and so on. Recording the time it takes to complete a specific task with a timer is also a possibility. In todays society, quality customer service depends on whether a business keeps their customers or loses them. However, good marketing brings customers in, but its great service that keeps them. Finding out whether a business is doing well or not can sometimes be difficult to figure out, but the imperative factor is to know what customers think is important, what they want, and what to improve if necessary and a lot of things. The best way to find out this information is create a customer survey. By creating a customer service survey, customers are able to write down their views and opinions about the service they have received. Whether it is good or bad, the comments can then be used to reflect on what may need to be done to the business to either improve it or maintain its standards. 1.2 Comprehensive survey for this mystery shopping activity http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPUAhK0xbQx-o6TZSV2xMSeGzoj3D3IVJQG822verXBfitYDuR http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSiOIvP7O9E5Soe8MMpo6Gp39HebiKkXE55RlG8hTgY_fNEWYUFAw http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdbyWhLF7GMsZO2UcsKdldHa2l8IgJ2bt6fb8GqyxOwJnmYP6b This mystery shopping activity is done at three types of hospitality business that is in Pizza Hut, McDonalds and KFC. Interims of service that is competence, friendliness and waiting times , the quality of advice and product recommendation or food survey , living from service standards or perfect , cross selling. Beside this, presentation of goods or foods that want to serve to the customer , availability of goods in the range , indication of prices with a reasonable price for customer, cleanliness in surrounding area and implementation of marketing activities. Essentially, the types of questions that should be asked in the survey such as: (Please tick ) the answers below:- 1. Was the exterior to the restaurant clean? Clean ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 2. Were they greeted in a friendly manner? Excellent ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 3. How long the waiter or waitress take time to served the food ? Less than 15 minutes ( ) More than a minutes ( ) Above one hours ( ) 4. Was the temperature comfortable? Hot ( ) Cold ( ) Warm ( ) 5. Did the staff listen or pay attention carefully or not when the customer ask for something? Good ( ) Poor ( ) Very Poor ( ) 6. Was the restroom clean and fully stocked? Clean ( ) Poor ( ) Very Poor ( ) 7. Cleanliness of the staff ? Very Clean ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 8. The place look like professional ? Yes ( ) No ( ) Balance ( ) 9. How knowledgeable were the customer service representatives at the organization? Very knowledgeable ( ) Good ( ) Poor Knowledgeable ( ) 10. How helpful were the customer service representatives at the organization? Very helpful ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) If there is any comments please write here:-________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.3 Conclusion One on one appraisal of each consultants Mystery Shopping report would be recommended to highlight their efficiencies or deficiencies with a view to improving their overall performance in their future dealings with prospective buyers. This could be done at a meeting between your Sales Manager and your Consultant. The National Sales Manager can also perform one on one appraisals of the Mystery Shopping experience with their District Managers to discuss the overall performance of their area of responsibility. The mystery shopper will then give a feedback report to his/her employer. Some tasks that may be carried out by the mystery shopper include taking photographs, measurements, consumer count or inventory count. Recording the time it takes to complete a specific task with a timer is also a possibility. Good marketing brings customers in, but its great service that keeps them. Posing as a customer, a researcher then analyzes the experience, collecting data and rating the encounter based on those measures. Mystery shopping has become a popular market research tool for monitoring customer experience. This is very helpful to us to evaluate the mystery shopping activity. QUESTION 2 2.1 Introduction In this assignment, researched and factors in setting up a restaurant business are going to be explored , but also features such as demographics in attracting and identifying customers are going to be determined. There are many different aspects that need to be well thought of and considered when opening up any new restaurant. Before opening or starting a restaurant business, people are usually unaware of the high failure rate that can happen due to quickly knowing that there can sometimes be more work than they had originally anticipated, resulting in them believing that they are not suited to the restaurant business. Beside this, when open a new restaurant many things can be done with a proper planning, budgeting, having a procedure on how to do and other things. It is because will give a good result the end of a new restaurant and fell in a good appearance, environment, cleanliness, safe work, and a lot of things can be done here. 2.2 Need to consider when open the restaurant? Firstly, deciding on a restaurant concept which can brings of deciding what type of restaurant that want to open will depend of a variety of things. Often times people who want to open their own restaurant want to serve food of their like to cook, in an atmosphere they feel comfortable in. Moreover, other people are interested in Franchising. Restaurant franchises offer a number of benefits, including instant name recognition and built-in marketing. However, many restaurant franchises dont come cheap and owners must be willing to follow a stringent set of rules. Take a look of the examples are franchise vs. independent restaurants, how to become a franchisee and types of restaurants. Secondly, find a good restaurant Location on how the location is vital to the success of any restaurant. There are many factors to consider when searching or looking for that perfect restaurant location, including population base, local employment figures and accessibility. Beside this, once find that a perfect or best location, will need to make sure to negotiate the best lease possible for the new restaurant that are finding the perfect location, how to determine population base and on how to negotiate a lease information. Writing a business plan is a third step to prepare for one of the person to get interview with the bank, the person need to do their homework. Creating a business plan that outlines of the particular restaurant and how it will plan to make it profitable, will show the loan officer to mean business. Also make sure arrived at the bank with all the necessary paperwork, including personal income statements, tax returns and anything else the banker ask for like a the reason need a business plan, writing a restaurant business plan and be get ready for the bank interview. Fourthly, selecting the perfect restaurant name. However, the restaurant names may reflect a theme, a location, or simply be a play on words. The important thing to consider is the impression it will leave on customers. Select a name that will be easy to customers to remember and spell. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find a restaurant online or in the Yellow Pages because of the arent spelling it correctly of choosing a restaurant name and also restaurant names that inspire to the own restaurant and for the customer. Firth thing is writing the menu on what to be prepared for the customer on different types of theme and so on. The menu must is a huge part of your restaurant. After all, it is essentially why the customers keep coming back because the customer love the food. Not only this, the layout and design is just as important as whats listed on the menu. Avoid amateur looking menu designs, such as clip art or photocopied handwriting. Finally, knowing how to price the menu will help increase your profit margins, giving you more money to invest into a new restaurant and based on how the price of the menu, menu design and creativity and tips for the writing a restaurant menu and others. Lastly, the need to consider when it want to open a restaurant is equipping of the restaurant. Outfitting of the restaurant kitchen, dining room and bar is the largest part to start up budget. Moreover, shop around for bargain deals of used equipment and leased equipment. Also understanding needs and wants is important in avoiding the pitfalls of buying unnecessary furniture and equipment, which can set the way over budget. Begin with the basics, and once the have those you can pick up a few extras. For examples five tips for stocking of the restaurant, why need a POS System and benefits of leased equipment. 2.3 How can get the customer ? By forming strategic alliances event facilities. After a concert or sporting event, people are hungry and want to eat. Remember that people sometimes travel long distances for this event, do not want to go home with an empty stomach. Beside this, after the concert finished, the restaurant was packed with concert audiences. It can be do a part to promote upcoming events happening in the restaurant. Furthermore, participate in competitions one of the greatest ways to get media attention and therefore, to get the new business is to win the contest. Such as, enter the chef in a cooking contest. Read publication restaurant and browse the internet to find out about a contest that be may able to enter. If all else fails, create the own contest and invite local restaurants to participate. So even if you lose, the more still will generate great publicity and get new customers to the door. Demographics factors is the socioeconomic characteristics of a population articulated statistically, such as age, sex, occupation, religion, martial status, birth rate, death rate and income rate and others. Considering these factors when opening up a business like a restaurant not only helps the owner target specific customers, but can also be an advantage in the business environment itself. Moreover, determining whether or not an owner wants to have a family orientated restaurant over and above a fine dining restaurant usually targeted at adults only, is a prime example of how demographic factors can affect the choice of what type of establishment is going to be run. 2.4 Conclusion Overall of this assignment its a starting a restaurant business, owners and managers need to take into consideration the competitive industry that they are about to invest in. The performance of a given service may vary across service providers, service employees, consumers and service encounters. starting with a good concept will dictate the food menu, the location, the dà ©cor, and all other important facets of the business. Finally, in achieving a successful restaurant business and attracting and keeping clientele, strategies such as customer referrals, networking, merchandising and target marketing are inexpensive yet effective ways of doing so.

Songs can be Considered A Form of Modern Day Poetry Essay -- essays re

Can Songs be Considered A Form of Modern Day Poetry? Yes. The youth of today are more likely to have a favourite song rather than a favourite poem. Although the feelings and hidden meanings expressed in songs are often unacknowledged by the listener, they often have qualities that resemble those of a typical poem. These qualities include word choice, mood, hidden meanings and imagery. Using the songs â€Å"Luka† by Suzanne Vega, and â€Å"April Come She Will† by Simon and Garfunkle, I am going to prove that songs can be considered a form of modern day poetry. To indulge the reader, poets can use contradictory language and specific word choice to contrast the themes of the poem thus creating a particular mood. Suzanne Vega demonstrates this in the song â€Å"Luka†: Verse 1 My name is Luka I live on the second floor I live upstairs from you Yes I think you’ve seen me before The impression created in verse 1 is that of a typical â€Å"boy meets girl† theme. This is motivated by the pleasant, happy music and the lyrics indicating a girl meeting a boy. As the song continues, verse 2 indicates that their initial impression was incorrect: Verse 2 If you hear something late at night Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was The music continues to be pleasant, which contrasts to the bad vibe given off by the lyrics in verse 2. The songwriter is using contrasting themes which is a technique often used in poems. The repetition of â€Å"Just don’t ask me what it was† encourages familiarity for the listener as, because it is repeated, it is what the listener remembers about the song. Furthermore, it adds more emphasis to the indication that ... ... been related to months and seasons maybe because the hidden message of the song is that love is a never-ending cycle (like the seasons). This would indicate that love will inevitably die, but be reborn again, perhaps in the form of someone else or with the same person. This then could lead to the theory that this song was written to be compatible with everything that is loved i.e. a new job, new friend etc and that it often deteriorates through familiarity. Such depth in a song compares to the depth of a poem in terms of the hidden meanings and imagery. I believe that songs can be considered a form of modern day poetry as they often effectively use poetic techniques such as repetition, imagery, contrasting themes, effective word choice and climaxes. The two songs that I have discussed clearly possess and demonstrate these qualities and how effective they are.

A Moral Solution to the Organ Donor Shortage Essay

In Alexander T. Tabarrok’s essay, â€Å"A Moral Solution to the Organ Shortage† Alexander explains ways to find solutions to the organ shortage by proposing a fair way to go about qualifying for organ transplant. Gary Becker suggested that paying a good amount of money toward funeral cost of organ donors would help and encourage people to donate their organs. The new rule that Alexander wanted to proposed is the â€Å"no -give – no – take† rule. Under this rule in order to receive an organ a person must have previously signed their organ donor card. Under â€Å"no – give – no take†, signing your organ donor card is like joining the club, the club of people who have agreed to share their organs. People have different views when it comes to donating organs. Some have their doubts about becoming an organ donor because of their religious beliefs, while others thinks that by signing an organ donor card it’s same as buying an i nsurance . NOTE In some ways I agree with Alexander on this new rule that he has proposed ( UNOS). Having a donor card is a good idea to make sure there is surplus of organs able to be donated. I’m not convinced that the â€Å"no- give no – take† rule will be productive to solve the shortage of our organ donors any time soon, since Alexander’s essay was based on suggestion. As for myself I would have doubt of donating my organs not because of my religion or beliefs, but the trust of the people that handling my organs. This essay has inspired me to rethink being an organ donor because of the problems of most organizations. In my own views, paying tremendous amounts of money to organ donors to saved someones life is a wrong way to help people that in need. As time progresses and suggestions becomes reality I would be more confident in donating my organs.

Strategic Analysis of ALDI Essay

1. Introduction Albrecht Discount Inc., globally known as Aldi, is a German based family owned global discount chain of supermarkets. Aldi constitutes of two independent groups, that are Aldi Nord (North) and Aldi Sud (South) legally and economically independent but family related (Aldi Sud Business, 2013). It is the market leader in the industry of international grocery retailing and owns and operates chain of discount grocery stores in Europe, Australia and United States. It’s stores retail and supply general merchandise and food including meat products, fresh meat, frozen and refrigerated foods,  sweets and snacks, dairy and bakery products, beverages and pantry items in addition to home care and personal care products (Report Linker, 2013). In the present Aldi Inc.’s strategic analysis is carried out to identify and evaluate its strategies against its business environment to critically analyze whether the strategies pursued by Aldi are effective in maintaining its market leader position or not. In doing so environmental analysis of international grocery retailing industry is carried out to bring about the opportunities and threats the industry is facing and SWOT analysis is carried out to shed light on Aldi’s strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats the industry is facing on the whole. Aldi’s strategies are then evaluated against the SWOT to analyze the effectiveness of its strategies in maintaining its market position. 2. Brief Background on Aldi Aldi Inc., was founded by Karl Albrecht and Theo Albrecht in 1913 in Essen and started trading in bakery products, later in 1914 Karl Albrecht’s wife Anna Albrecht opened the first grocery store. In 1919 they acquired a commercial and residential building in Essen and enlarge the grocery store. 1945 the brothers took over the family business and opened more stores and by the end of 1948 they were four Albrecht stores. In 1954 Albrecht expanded further more and opened its stores outside Essen and branch enlargement took place with 77 stores with core business as food self service. In 1961 two legally separate groups were established known as Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord yet the family remained connected. 1962 first ALDI – Albrecht Discount branched was opened in the discount principle and entire branch network was changed into ALDI format. Gradually internationalized its business by first entering in Austria with acquisition of Hofer retail chain, then further expanded in Germany, entered in the United States, UK, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Slovenia and Hungary, in that order (Aldi Sud Facts and Figures, 2013). Aldi Group is active in nine European countries and in European market is one of the leading retail companies and a well known retail chain all over the world. Aldi Sud is into retail food trade and comprises of 31 companies located in Southern and Western Germany and Aldi Nord operates its own branch network of 2500 outlets in the northern and eastern Germany (Aldi Sud  Business, 2013; Aldi Nord, 2013). Aldi Group has more than 10000 stores worldwide with annual turnover of 75bn yet its core market is Germany (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi stores are known for their efficiency, no frills stores, low levels of staff, few big brand names and modest opening hours (Fitzgerald, 2013). Their main core competency is cut price through cost cutting, selling cheap and low quality products(Grocery.com, 2013) and its mission is â€Å"simply smarter shopping† (Aldi US, 2013). Aldi’s big rivals include TESCO, Morrison’s, Sainsbury, Asda, Carrefour and Lidl (Sky News, 2013; Butler and Bowers, 2013). The Albrecht’s has expanded into new territories but remains a closely guarded company and never disclose its profit margins citing commercial sensitivity and do not share much information with other branches managers (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi has to triple its staff and check outs to cater to the extra one million customers coming to its 500 stores in UK. The firm shunned premium big brands for its cut price own versions of premium ranges to attract new customers looking for cheaper products (Steiner, 2013). The retail market is seeing intense competition and big retail supermarkets are losing market share to discount stores and up market grocers such as Aldi all over Europe and other international markets. 3. Market Identification of Aldi It is an intensely family owned private company. Both Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord operate in retail markets however Aldi Nord mainly in Europe whereas Aldi Sud operates in the United States and Australia among other international locations. It has Aldi stores are located in Germany, Austria, Australia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United states operating in 36 states and United Kingdom (Grocer.com, 2013). Its customers are mainly ‘do it yourself’ shoppers and bargain hunters (Grocer.com, 2013). Aldi in 2013 has outshined its biggest rivals in UK with doubling in annual profits and sales increase of 40.6% being a cut price grocer and holds 3.7% of market share in UK (Steiner, 2013; Sky news, 2013). It earned profit of 157.9 million in 2012 from 70.5 million in 2011 and sales increased from 2.7 billion in 2011 to 3.8 billion in 2012. It opened 34 new stores that were crucial in its strong performance in 2012 (Steiner, 2013). Aldi Ireland revenues increased by 30.7% in 2012 outstripping its German rival Lidl,  opened 3 more stores, in addition to 40 stores in Ireland that are being refurbished or extended. Together Lidl and Aldi control 12.5% of Irish grocery market (Fitzgerald, 2013). Aldi United states’ annual revenue is $68,700 million (U.S) with 1400 stores in 36 states employing 11,000 employees (Grocer.com. 2013). Aldi SUD in Germany consists of 31 independent companies, with more than 1820 branches, employing more than 33,600 employees (Aldi Facts and Figures, 2013). Aldi Nord operates in Eastern, Western and Northern Germany with around 2500 outlets (Aldi Nord, 2013) 4. Environmental Analysis International grocery retailing industry is facing intense competition and become a real battleground, retailing giants are offering plenty of price discounts to attract customers, that is seriously impacting their suppliers and pressure to regulate the sector is growing (Fitzgerald, 2013). The following section analyzes in detail the opportunities and threats the retail grocery industry is facing through PESTEL Analysis. 4.1 PESTEL Analysis 4.1.1 Political factors Legislators of European countries are being pressurized to regulate the retail market because intense competition and price cut is negatively impacting the manufacturers and suppliers (Fitzgerald, 2013). Retail companies are being accused of paying the lowest price to their suppliers, which is harming their business seriously, and are on the brink of collapse. Political campaigns are being carried out and interest groups are asking customers not to buy products their because of that (Osborne, 2012). 4.1.2 Economical factors Economic slowdown in developed countries and Euro zone crises has affected the industry greatly as customers with less income to dispense are forced to shop for cheaper and retailers owned goods swallowing their brand and switching from expensive brands. High flying retail giants are feeling the pinch as there was considerable drop in their sales and profits and more and more customers are switching to discount stores and up market grocers  (Butler and Bowers, 2013). Cash strapped households due to shrinking in their budgets as a result of high inflation that is not proportional to wage rises are flocking to discount stores (Sky News, 2013). The below graph shows consumer retail expenditure five year growth rate of UK (Verdict, 2009). Figure 1: Total consumer retail expenditure of UK- five year growth rate (Verdict, 2009) Burgeoning population, rise in immigration, developed nations beginning to emerge from recession and economic recoveries, falling in unemployment rates, urbanization leading to renewal of growth in retail industry. Disposable income, GDP and consumer spending are the macroeconomic factors that affect retail industry directly (Reuters, 2012). Asia pacific is dominating the industry as it driving the increase in global retail trade, representing 35% of the global retail market and will grow highest among all other regions between 2012 and 2017 (Reuters, 2013). 4.1.3 Social and cultural factors Consumers are becoming more and more socially responsible and considering increasingly the social impact of their purchases and supporting mainly those retailers who are also socially responsible and assert sustainable practices. Consumers are avoiding retailers who they think are irresponsible, encourage sweat shops, exploit suppliers, and outsource manufacturing and carryout unethical practices. Consumer preferences are changing more rapidly than ever before and retailers are struggling to cope up with their changing preferences. Economic recession is giving rise to generational differences, as whole generation experiencing recession are using money more cautiously and less credit cards (Mack, 2013). 4.1.4 Technology factors Technology is changing the way consumers shop retail products and the way retail businesses operate in bad and good ways. Online retail shopping has increased in manifolds along with creating more awareness among consumers, leading to price comparisons to find the best deal across the world. It is presenting both opportunity and threat as technology is helping in boosting retail stores performance but also forcing them to adapt to new changes  brought forward by technology or else give way to competitors who are doing so (Mock, 2013). Technological growth such as mobile commerce has provided opportunity for retailers to better interact with customers and give them more convenience and better service (Reuters, 2013). RFD Radio Frequency Identification Device has facilitated end to end tracking of ingredients and better stock control through business intelligence tools (PWC, 2013). 4.1.5 Environmental Factors Retail chains are being pressurized to be more socially responsible and adopt sustainable practices as their low price strategies are affecting the suppliers and the environment as a whole. Retailers are also accused of harming the environment as they are blamed for increased consumption of food products and causing global food insecurity and also for increased used of harmful plastic material for packaging. They are also accused of indulging in unethical practices to drive the products prices down and not caring for the environment (UNEP, 2003). To minimize this negative trend retail chains have to sustainable materials for packaging and carrying and in turn putting that costs on consumers (Osborne, 2012). 4.1.6 Legal factors Tax issues such as VAT, excise duties, environmental and property taxes, HR taxes, cross border transactions tax issues, corporation taxes and compliance with laws and legislations and increasing costs of corporate social responsibility are presenting challenges to retail industry and increasing their cost of operations. Accounting regulations like adopting of IFRS and passing of Sarbanes Oxley legislation on demand of stakeholders heightened the regulatory pressures on the retail and consumer industry (PWC, 2013). 4.2 Key Trends affecting the industry Consumers are switching from up market retail chains to low price retail chains (Butler and Bowers, 2013). Price inflation of retail products putting more pressure on retailers to decrease its impact on customers and cut down on profit margins (Butler and Bowers, 2013). E commerce and M commerce are increasing leading to increase in online retail (Mack, 2013) Customers are more aware and comparing prices online to gain best deal (Mack, 2013) Burgeoning population, urbanization, economic recovery are renewing growth  in retail sector (Reuters, 2013). Consumers preferences are changing more rapidly than before (Mack, 2013) Consumers are seeking more convenience and using other mode of payments like credit card, debit card etc. (Osborne, 2012; Mack, 2013), New consuming habits such as value shopping in FMCG products and clothing, luxury shopping in furniture and technology (PWC, 2013). Trends towards retailers being more socially responsible and sustainable retailing (PWC, 2013). Consumers supporting local suppliers and against outsourcing (Fitzgerald, 2013) Customer polarization that is have are shopping in up market stores, have not shopping more in low price stores, driving the growth of the industry (Sky News, 2013). Global retail trade growth is driven by Asia Pacific markets and will see highest growth rate. 5. SWOT Analysis 5.1 Strengths Highly efficient stores, staff levels are kept low, operates with only few big brand names and opening hours are fairly modest (Fitzgerald, 2013). High brand value and large extended network of branches covering major developed markets in the world. Continuous expansion in new markets to cater to increased footfall of customers. Basic packaging and limited advertising to keep costs low. Cost advantage derived from economies of scale (Fitzgerald, 2013) Own cheap luxury brands giving stiff competition to expensive luxury brands (Fitzgerald, 2013) Increase in sales mainly coming from new stores (Butler and Bowers, 2013) Discount pricing are impressively cheaper attracting shoppers away from bigger retail giants such as Tesco, Sainsbury Cherry pick bargains offered by Aldi increasing the number of shoppers (Butler and Bowers, 2013) Robust growth over the years (Fitzgerald, 2013) Good for buying staples (Ferruza, 2011) 5.2 Weaknesses In England Aldi does not accept payments through credit card restricting customers who want to pay through credit cards (Osborne, 2012) Charges  customers for a carrier bag (Osborne, 2012)  Low staff levels not able to handle increased customer footfall Reputation damaged because of recent horsemeat scandal and employee spying accusations (Snoops, 2013; Stuart, 2013; The Guardian, 2013). Serious limitation of product selection only 2800 products varieties are offered while other supermarket offer 30000 and shopping cart has to be rented for a quarter, (returned later after cart is kept back) (Grocery.com; Ferruza, 2013) Less glamorous store , interior ambience of stores is not so great, stores are like warehouses, does not decorate shelves, spends very less in packaging, stocking and transportation (Grocery.com, 2013) Stocks low quality products (Ferruzza, 2011). Less glamorous stores, ambience not attractive in stores, it’s like warehouse style store, no frills Stocks low quality products Limited product selection Low level of staff Charges for carrier bags and shopping carts Does not accept payment through credit cards Reputation damaged due to horse meat scandal and employee spying Sells mostly own brands label and limits the number of outside brands Very low advertising and store promotion and only in-house advertising Opportunities Economic recovery in development markets, burgeoning population, urbanization renewing growth Technology such as m-commerce and e-commerce increasing sales Customer polarization increasing discount retailers sale Economic slowdown in the past, inflation and high unemployment rate forcing customers to buy cheaper products Global retail trade growth is high in Asia pacific region and driving the market Price inflation moving customers to discount stores Threats Customers inclination towards sustainability, corporate social responsibility and preference to local suppliers threatening the cost efficiency of discount stores Taxation, and heightened regulations Technology creating operational complexities Consumer changing consuming habits and preferences threatening the industry 6. Identification and evaluation of the Strategies pursued by Aldi Aldi’s competitive strategy is to gain competitive advantage over its rivals through efficiency. Its competitive strategy is low cost leadership that it derives from economies of scale, cost efficiency, low staff level, low quality products, limited product selection and high bargaining power with suppliers (Fitzgerald, 2013; Butler and Bowers, 2013; Steiner, 2013). Its strategy to achieve its mission of simple smarter shopping it has implemented the following strategies in view of its changing business environment. 6.1 Strategies implemented by ALDI Constant rolling out new stores with increased size between 10,000 and 15,000 sq.ft in all countries it is operating (Fitzgerald, 2013). Backward vertical integration, producing cheaper luxury products to attract consumers who are  switching from expensive luxury brands (Grocery.com; Fitzgerald, 2013). Renovation and expansion of existing stores (Fitzgerald, 2013). Started using advertising campaigns to attract more up-market customers to promote its own luxury brand labels deviating from its past strategies (Butler and Bowers, 2013). Increased checkout points and staff level in its store to cater to extra one million customers coming to its stores all over Europe (Steiner, 2013). Delivering high value to customers who are looking for cheaper deals through efficiency in transportation, presentation and packaging (Steiner, 2013). Online sales and apps for attracting internet savvy consumer and engaging customers through social networks (Aldi App, 2013). Sustainable sourcing and reducing environmental impact through recycling and minimum packaging (Aldi Nord, 2013). 6.2 Critical Evaluation of the Strategies In view of Aldi Inc.’s SWOT and the strategies it has implemented it can be said that Aldi’s strategies are in sync with its changing business environment and taking advantage of its strengths and minimizing its weaknesses. By expanding its store sizes, renovating and redecorating its existing stores and opening new stores of bigger sizes it has tried to minimize its weakness of less glamorous warehouse type store. And by opening more stores consistently over the years it is taking advantage of burgeoning population that is resulting in increase of customer footfall (Fitzgerald, 2013). It has also taken care of its weakness of low staff level and increased staff level and checkouts to cater to increased customer footfall (Steiner, 2013). It has started rolling out advertising campaigns for promotions to attract luxury customers and elevated its market positioning by retailing luxury products and changing its reputation of a retailer of low quality products (Butler and B owers, 2013). Aldi is gradually moving from discount store principle to convenient store principle, opening stores in affluent locations, offering luxury products, delivering both value and quality to broaden its consumer base (Skynews, 2013). Through vertical backward integration it has taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the consumer shifting from expensive luxury products to comparatively cheaper luxury products by producing its own luxury label offering them at less price. Broaden its customer base by opening stores in affluent  locations and changing its positioning from a discount store to a convenient store, this is to take advantage of opportunity presented by economic recoveries of developed countries. It has sustained its cost efficiency competitive advantage by lessening costs on packaging, transportation and offering cherry deals. Aldi apps facilitate m-commerce, and it also sells online and interacts with customers using social networks, thus it is taking advantage of op portunities presented by digital media technology. It has minimized threat presented by environmental factors by adopting recycling and has become more socially responsible by adopting sustainable practices for sourcing to minimize the threat presented by customers inclination towards sustainability. However Aldi has not fully taken advantages of other opportunities such as taking advantage of growing Asia Pacific market, it is operating only in Australia and has not yet entered Asian countries where high growth is expected and many governments have opened foreign direct investment in retailing. Price inflation of products and heightened laws and regulations will threaten its cost leadership strategy and in future might increase its operational costs and it may not be able to sustain its competitive strategy for long however it has not taken any measures to address these threats. Increasing staff level will increase its labor costs adding to its operational costs further. 7. Conclusion Aldi Inc. is evolving and implementing strategies to take advantage of opportunities and thwart threats presented by its environment by exploiting its strengths and reducing or eliminating its weaknesses. It has resulted in success as Aldi has experienced great success in 2013 with increased profit and sales compared to other supermarket chains however it may not be able to sustain its competitive advantage for long because prices and costs are increasing and profit margins are decreasing with retail market being saturated in developed countries, it has to expand its operations into new markets for sustaining growth and maintaining market leader position. 8. References Aldi App, (2013), Smart Phone, Aldi App, Aldi Us, Available at https://www.aldi.us/en/services/smartphone-app/, Accessed 25 November, 2013. Aldi Nord, (2013), â€Å"Business†, Aldi Nord, Available at http://www.aldi-nord.de/unternehmen.html, Accessed 28 November, 2013. Aldi Sud Business, (2013), â€Å"Aldi Sud Business†, Aldi Sud, Available at https://unternehmen.aldi-sued.de/de/ueber-aldi-sued/unternehmen/, Accessed 24 November, 2013. Aldi Sud Facts and Figures (2013), â€Å"Aldi Sud Fact and Figures†, Aldi Sud, Available at https://unternehmen.aldi-sued.de/de/ueber-aldi-sued/unternehmen/daten-und-fakten/, Accessed 21 November, 2013. Aldi US, (2013), â€Å"Aldi US Corporate†, Aldi Us, Available at https://corporate.aldi.us/, Accessed 27 November, 2013. Butler, S., and Bowers, S., (2013), â€Å"Britain’s big supermarkets lose ground to cut price rivals and up market grocers†, The Guardian, Available at http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/19/britain-supermarkets-market-share-fall-tesco-sainsburys -lidl, Accessed 22 November, 2013. Ferruzza, C., (2011), â€Å"Forget Trader Joe’s let’s hear it for Aldi†, Pitch, Available at http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives/2011/07/18/forget-trader-joes-lets-hear-it-for-aldi, Accessed 19 November 2013. Fitzgerald, K., (2013), â€Å"Germany the history of Aldi Supermarkets†, Meat Trade News Daily, Available at http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/300413/germany___the_history_of_aldi_supermarkets_.aspx, Accessed 23 November, 2013. Grocery.com, (2013), â€Å"Aldi Foods†, Grocery.com, Available at http://www.grocery.com/aldi-foods/, Accessed 27 November, 2013. Mack, S, (2013), â€Å"Social Factors Affecting Retail Business†, Small Business Chron, Available at http://smallbusiness.chron.com/social-factors-affecting-retail-business-71662.html, Accessed 23 November, 2013. PWC, (2013), â€Å"Industry Issues†, PWC, Available at http://www.pwc.co.uk/retail-consumer/issues/retail-and-consumer-ind ustry-issues.jhtml, Accessed 22 November, 2013. Osborne, H., (2012), â€Å"The Aldi Experience: Supermarket shopping with a difference†, The Guardian, Available at http://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2012/oct/08/aldi-supermarket-shopping-difference, Accessed 25 November, 2013. Reportlinker, (2013), â€Å"Aldi Inc. – Strategic SWOT Analysis Review†, Report Linker, Available at http://www.reportlinker.com/p0500369-summary/Aldi-Inc-Strategic-SWOT-Analysis-Review.html, Accessed 29 November, 2013. Reuters (2013), â€Å"Research and

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron Robber Baron was a term applied to a businessman in the 19th century who engaged in unethical and monopolistic practices, utilized corrupt  political influence, faced almost no business regulation, and amassed enormous wealth. The term itself was not coined in the 1800s, but actually dated back centuries It was originally applied to noblemen in the Middle Ages who functioned as feudal warlords and were literally â€Å"robber barons.† In the 1870s the term began to be used to describe business tycoons, and the usage persisted throughout the rest of the 19th century. The late 1800s and the first decade of the 20th century are sometimes referred to as an age of robber barons. The Rise of Robber Barons As the United States transformed into an industrial society with little regulation of business, it was possible for small numbers of men to dominate crucial industries. Conditions which favored vast accumulations of wealth included the extensive natural resources being discovered as the country expanded, the enormous potential workforce of immigrants arriving in the country, and the general acceleration of business in the years following the Civil War. Railroad builders, in particular, needing political influence to build their railways, became adept at influencing politicians through the use of lobbyists, or in some cases, outright bribery. In the public mind, robber barons were often associated with political corruption. The concept of laissez faire capitalism, which dictated no government regulation of business, was promoted.  Facing few  impediments to creating  monopolies, engaging in  shady stock trading practices,  or exploiting workers, some individuals made enormous fortunes. Examples of Robber Barons As the term robber baron came into common usage, it was often applied to a small group of men. Notable examples were: Cornelius Vanderbilt, owner of steamship lines and railroads.Andrew Carnegie, steel manufacturer.J.P. Morgan, financier, and banker.John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil.Jay Gould, Wall Street trader.Jim  Fisk, Wall Street trader.Russell Sage, financier. The men who were called robber barons were often  portrayed in a positive light, as â€Å"self-made men† who had helped build the nation and in the process created many jobs for American workers. However, the public mood turned against them in the late 19th century. Criticism from newspapers and social critics began to find an audience. And American workers began to organize in great numbers as the labor movement accelerated. Events in labor history, such as the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike, intensified public resentment toward the wealthy. The conditions of workers, when contrasted with the lavish lifestyles of millionaire industrialists, created widespread resentment. Even other businessmen felt exploited by monopolistic practices as it was virtually impossible to compete in some fields. Common citizens became aware that monopolists could more easily exploit workers. There was even a public backlash against the lavish displays of wealth often exhibited by the very wealthy of the age. Critics noted the concentration of wealth as evil or weakness of society, and satirists, such as Mark Twain, derided the showiness of the robber barons as â€Å"the Gilded Age.† In the 1880s journalists such as Nellie Bly performed pioneering work exposing the practices of unscrupulous businessmen. And Blys newspaper, Joseph Pulitzers New York World, positioned itself as the newspaper of the people and often criticized wealthy businessmen. In 1894 the protest march by Coxeys Army drew enormous publicity to a group of protesters who often spoke out against a wealthy ruling class that exploited workers. And the pioneering photojournalist Jacob Riis, in his classic book How the Other Half Lives, helped to highlight the great gap between the wealthy and the suffering poor in New York Citys slum neighborhoods. Legislation Aimed at Robber Barons The public’s increasingly negative view of trusts, or monopolies, transformed into legislation with the passage of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890. The law did not end the reign of robber barons, but it signaled that the era of unregulated business would be coming to an end. Over time, many of the practices of the robber barons would become illegal as further legislation sought to ensure  fairness in  American business. Sources: The Robber Barons.  Development of the Industrial U.S. Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson, et al., vol. 1: Almanac, UXL, 2006, pp. 84-99. Robber Barons.  Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk, vol. 2, Gale, 2000, pp. 879-880.

British Prespective of the failure of the Albany Plan of Uni essays

British Prespective of the failure of the Albany Plan of Uni essays British officials and lawmakers today applauded the decision of the colonial assemblies to reject a colonial unity plan, the Albany plan of Union, of which they did not approve of. On a hot summer day in June of the year 1754 of our Lord, Benjamin Franklin, delegate to the colony of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts colony governor Thomas Hutchinson proposed and drafted a plan for uniting our thirteen colonies in North America, in the face of the coming war with France. Colonial delegates to the convention in Albany, New York accepted the plan and sent it to the colonial assemblies to approve, none of which did so, rightfully. Although, at first English officials had suggested a "union between ye Royal, Proprietary various reasons, as one senior British official put it. The plan called for the creation of new layers of government, including a president-general who would be appointed by the Crown and exercise broad powers over relationships with the Indians, making war and governing the frontier areas until new colonies were created. Also, a grand council was also to be created, in which members would be appointed by the existing colonial assemblies and whose representation would be determined by the amount of financial contribution (or taxes) paid to the organization. But ultimately the plan was rejected by all thirteen of the colonial assemblies and it would have been doubtful our Lord, King George III and royal officials in the colonies would have approved of such a preposterous consolidation of power in the American colonies. ...

Equilibrium Constant Kc and How to Calculate It

Equilibrium Constant Kc and How to Calculate It Equilibrium Constant Definition The equilibrium constant is the value of the reaction quotient that is calculated from the expression for chemical equilibrium. It depends on the ionic strength and temperature and is independent of the concentrations of reactants and products in a solution. Calculating the Equilibrium Constant For the following chemical reaction:aA(g) bB(g) ↔ cC(g) dD(g) The equilibrium constant Kc is calculated using molarity and coefficients: Kc [C]c[D]d / [A]a[B]b where: [A], [B], [C], [D] etc. are the molar concentrations of A, B, C, D (molarity) a, b, c, d, etc. are the coefficients in the balanced chemical equation  (the numbers in front of the molecules) The equilibrium constant is a dimensionless quantity (has no units). Although the calculation is usually written for two reactants and two products, it works for any numbers of participants in the reaction. Kc in Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Equilibrium The calculation and interpretation of the equilibrium constant depends on whether the chemical reaction involves homogeneous equilibrium or heterogeneous equilibrium. All of the products and reactants are in the same phase for a reaction at homogeneous equilibrium. For example, everything could be a liquid or all the species could be gases.More than one phase is present for reactions that reach heterogeneous equilibrium. Usually, only two phases are present, such as liquids and gases or solids and liquids. Solids are omitted from the equilibrium expression. The Significance of the Equilibrium Constant For any given temperature, there is only one value for the equilibrium constant. Kc  only changes if the temperature at which the reaction occurs changes. You can make some predictions about the chemical reaction based on whether the equilibrium constant is large or small. If the value for Kc is very large, then the equilibrium favors the reaction to the right, and there are more products than reactants. The reaction may be said to be complete or quantitative. If the value for the equilibrium constant is small, then the equilibrium favors the reaction to the left, and there are more reactants than products. If the value of Kc approaches zero, the reaction may be considered not to occur. If the values for the equilibrium constant for the forward and reverse reaction are nearly the same, then the reaction is about as likely to proceed in one direction, and the other and the amounts of reactants and products will be nearly equal. This type of reaction is considered to be reversible. Example Equilibrium Constant Calculation For the equilibrium between copper and silver ions: Cu(s) 2Ag ⇆ Cu2(aq) 2Ag(s) The equilibrium constant expression is written as: Kc [Cu2] / [Ag]2 Note the solid copper and silver were omitted from the expression. Also, note the coefficient for the silver ion becomes an exponent in the equilibrium constant calculation.

Life in ancient rome Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Life in ancient rome - Research Paper Example Rome was categorized into two sections the free people and the other one was the slaves ("Life in Ancient Rome"). Latin was the language of the ancient Romans. The clothing of the poor used to be from coarse dark types while the clothing of the rich used to be from white wool or linen. Ancient Romans had a simple intake of food such as nuts, salads, breads and other such types. The roman literature had been greatly influenced from the Greeks. The literary works of ancient Roman mainly consist of history of Rome (Adkins and Adkins, 374). Dome of Florence (Source: http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/image-files/brunelleschi-dome-florence.jpg) Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the young architects of Ancient Rome. Brunelleschi was highly interested in the ruins of ancient Rome. He planned to visit Rome with his friend and study the architecture of Rome. During the visit many measurements were taken by Brunelleschi and also some drawings were made by him too. Brunelleschi was inspired b y the buildings of Rome and this was useful for grooming his artistic abilities. He had studied the architecture of the Pantheon dome and this helped him in constructing the Dome of Florence. There are about 4 million bricks used for the construction of the dome. The design of the dome is in an octagonal herringbone pattern and has been constructed from materials of various types. Where there is a minimum level of curve, stones have been used in those areas as resistance would be greater this way ("Filippo Brunelleschi Italian Renaissance architect"). The dome structure is developed on a drum rather than the roof. This engineering allowed the structure to be built without scaffolding on the ground. There are shells used at the sides of the dome. These shells have the support of ribs . These ribbed reinforcements are combined with each other in a horizontal structure as well as a vertical structure and attached with this is a staircase that can be seen till the top. The dome was a sy mbol of importance for the city of Florence. It is one of the strong symbols of Renaissance as it is a main building of architecture and skilful engineering in Florence ("Brunelleschi's Dome "). It was one of the largest dome's constructed in that era. A neo gothic style has been used for the construction of the dome. Brunelleschi is buried under Florence Cathedral and many architects still come over from other places to follow his design and architectural techniques. Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti (Source: http://arthistory.about.com/od/special_exhibitions/l/bl_ghiberti_high_prev.htm) A public competition had taken place by a merchant of Florence for making a pair of doors. These doors had to be placed in the Florence Baptistery. Competitors of Ghiberti were Jacobo della Quercia and Brunelleschi. The theme of the competition was the Sacrifice of Abraham. Ghiberti won the competition as his work consisted of a smooth model and the surface of the work was superior to that of B runelleschi. The gates of paradise are considered as one of the masterpiece renaissance work of Lorenzo Ghiberti. The commencement of this masterpiece work had taken place in the year 1403 and it was completed by the year 1424. His work reflects upon the charm and grace of architectural work. The doors are made up of bronze and consist of 28 panels that are quarterfolded. Reflections of the Old Testament has been carved on the

Markets, Profits and Prices Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Markets, Profits and Prices - Case Study Example If revenue is less than total variable costs, a firm should stop operating, even in the short run (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). The second rule applies the concept of marginal cost. The profit must rise if producing another unit of output adds more to revenues that to costs. Similarly, the profit must fall if producing another unit increases costs by more than it increases revenues. The analysis of fixed, variable and marginal costs combined with identification of the market in which Boeing operates and the concept of opportunity costs can assist in understanding how Boeing estimated the offer made to its workers in a commercial aircrafts division. In the context of production, fixed costs are costs that do not change with the level of output they produce. Whether the firm produces 1 million units of output or zero units of output, those costs must be paid (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). For Boeing, the plant, machinery and equipment should constitute the majority of its fixed costs in the commercial aircraft division. ... Other fixed cost components might include wages to executives, administrative and selling expenses, leases, etc. Overall, Boeing is expected to have a very high level of fixed costs. "On the other hand, any costs that do vary with output, like materials and labor, are referred to as variable costs" (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.241). The major variable costs for Boeing are materials used for aircraft production (i.e. steel), utilities and labor. It is stated in the article that there are more than 18,500 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers covered by the Boeing contracts. This number indicates that Boeing hires a large amount of workers. Therefore, labor costs might account for the majority of variable costs of Boeing in producing commercial aircrafts. The total cost of producing a given amount of output is simply the sum of costs associated with the hiring of all the inputs, both fixed and variable. The average cost for Boeing is the total cost divided by the number of aircrafts that Boeing produces. Even though average cost figure provides some useful information to the company, it does not seem to play a significant role in economics decision-making."The marginal cost of production is the increase in total costs resulting when output is increased by one unit" (Barron, Lynch & Blanchard, 2003, p.79). Commercial aircrafts are very large products. So the marginal cost of production of Boeing should be very high in money terms, but commensurate with the prices Boeing charges for its aircrafts. Out of fixed and variable cost, only variable cost plays a role in decision-making. "Because the fixed costs do not vary with the level of output, they are irrelevant in

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium Assignment

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium - Assignment Example There are J producers in an economy. For a producer j, yj represents combination of the quantities of all inputs and outputs. Yj is the set of input and outputs that are technically feasible for the producer j. Without any production in the economy the feasibility condition would imply that the aggregate consumption (input-output) is not larger than the aggregate endowment. If there is production, then the total resources allocated for consumption increase depending on net outputs of corresponding goods. In Arrow-Debreu model the producer’s want ‘profit maximization’ meaning that the input-output combination selected by a firm on a given a price should be such that no other input-output combination gives more profit. We have assumed here that the prices are fixed and firms choose inputs-outputs so as to maximize profit limiting itself to technically feasible combination i.e. yj ? Yj. There are other assumptions that need to be considered for example the one that i s often called the ‘free disposal’ assumption which is- the firm can add any amount of input without reducing output or if we look at it from the cost minimizing concept then it means to add input which can be disposed of at zero cost. If we â€Å"let p be an original price called by the Walrasian Auctioneer and let yj(p) the associated profit maximizing response.

The Effect of Sildenafil on Embryo Development Literature review

The Effect of Sildenafil on Embryo Development - Literature review Example To increase the success rate of IVF, the clinical and laboratory procedures were enhanced in order to reduce the risk of side-effects on the part of patients (Gupta and Agarwa, 2010). Despite the effort to improve the use of IVF, Diedrich et al. (2007) revealed that successful pregnancy rates remain low. The common problems encountered with the use of the IVF procedure includes: (1) inadequate supply of nutrients and oxygen necessary to make the embryo implant itself in the endometrium lining (Forbes and Westwood, 2010; Raine-Fenning et al., 2004a; Kennedy, 1997); (2) lack of endometrial receptivity (Forbes and Westwood, 2010; Kennedy, 1997); (3) failed ovarian responses to the IVF protocols (Oudendijk et al., 2012; Tarlatzis et al., 2003); and (4) uterine blood flow abnormalities caused by poor angiogenesis or vasculogenesis (Satterfield et al., 2010; Huppertz et al., 2006). Due to the failure of the embryo implant itself in the endometrium lining, women can either experience a misc arriage, a recurrent miscarriage, implantation failure, or a recurrent implantation failure (Christiansen et al., 2006; Margalioth et al., 2006; Tomassetti et al., 2006). Based on the study of Achache and Revel (2006), approximately 2/3 of failed IVF is caused by the inability of the embryo implant itself in the endometrium lining. One of the pharmacological drugs that are being considered in treating problems related to the endometrium lining is the sildenafil citrate (Hattori and Tabata, 2006). Through the use of this particular drug, the presence of nitric oxide can will not only create a positive effect on the endometrium lining during the implantation stage but also help in preventing the presence of intrauterine adhesions during menstruation and maintain normal blood pressure during pregnancy (Nakatsuka et al., 2002; Sher et al., 2000; Norman and Cameron, 1996). Based on the study of Sher et al. (2000), the use of 25 mg of sildenafil citrate vaginal suppository for at least four (4) times each day for a period of one week prior to ovarian stimulation will not only increase the endometrium thickness by more than 8 mm but also improve the uterine blood flow. In a similar study, Paulus et al. (2002) examined the effects of 25 mg of sildenafil citrate vaginal suppository on ten (10) women with poor endometria l response to IVF. After administering the vaginal suppository for at least four (4) times each day, the authors noted a 9 mm increase in the endometrium thickness of nine (9) patients but no such improvements in the patients’ uterine blood flow (Paulus et al., 2002). Aside from having a trilaminar pattern during the ovulation period, Chanona et al. (2004) found that it is possible to increase the endometrium thickness up to more than 10 mm after administering 50 mg of sildenafil citrate vaginal suppository each day between the 9th to 12th day of menstruation cycle.  

Mayan Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mayan Civilization - Essay Example The ancient kinship of the Mayan people can be described as comprising patrilineal, bilateral and matrilineal and as such laid the foundation for their political organization (Carter 345). In this case, the political organization was embedded in this kinship where it was characterized by segmentary or well-defined lineages. In this case, the political organization resembled the clan-like structures. The strong attachment to kinship is also evident from the extent to which the Mayan assigned the duties to the scribes in the royal houses and palaces (McAnany 21). The scribes played an important role in the documentation of arts and other materials in the society, and most came from the aristocratic families thus extending the noble doctrine. Therefore, forming and establishing the political organizations of these kinship structures meant that the Mayan rather had a centralized political system with the authority from above or the royal powerful kinships (Yaeger 922). On the other hand, the Mayan arts indicate that the most of the rulers were scribes thus the political organization or structure was built on the ability of the rulers to write. The hierarchy brought about by the kinship implied that the aristocrats were the ruling class with the King as the head (Carter 340). Each city, therefore, had a king with a ruling class. On the other hand, the kingship was based on the religious construction and belief that they represented God on earth. Nonetheless, the Mayan had an outstanding religious belief where they had a calendar set with activities for appeasing the gods. Though the traditional Mayan religion can be described as a system of belief, the society rather engaged in habitual religious practices (McAnany 15). In this case, the Mayan religion was a complex collection of ritual practices and was also based on the hierarchy that

The Disease Called Polio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Disease Called Polio - Research Paper Example The causative agent was first identified in 1908 by Karl Landsteiner (Paul, 1971). Even though this disease had existed for several hundreds and thousands of years, it was not until 1880s that the disease became major epidemics as it began to occur in Europe and United States (Trevelyan et al., 2005). Since then the epidemic was wide spread and only in 1950s and early 1960s was the vaccine for this disease developed and it declined rapidly in the developed nations. There are still threats of polio in Asian and African countries. CAUSITIVE AGENT: POLIOVIRUS Poliovirus belongs to the group enterovirus and the family Picornaviridae. As a general understanding Enteroviruses are short-lived inhabitants in the gastrointestinal tract as they have stability in the acidic medium (Atkinson et al., 2009). The polio viruses are implanted in the pharynx and gastrointestinal tract of the infected individual. The three serotypes of the viruses are P1, P2, and P3 and there is negligible heterotypic resistance amid the three types. In other words, if a person has resistance to any one serotype, it does not mean that he/she will have signifi ­cant resistance to the other serotypes. ... But it is shown that a vast majority of people who are infected with the poliovirus do not even realize that they've been infected with polio. Researchers have found that the poliovirus attacks local lymphoid tissue, gets into the bloodstream, and later damage the cells of the central nervous system. The multiplication of poliovirus in motor neurons damages the cells particularly of the anterior horn and brain stem that results in appearances of poliomyelitis (Atkinson et al., 2009). Poliomyelitis is classified into two main types – the non-paralytic and the paralytic polio. Among some individuals the symptoms from the poliovirus doesn't lead to paralysis and these are called non-paralytic polio. The initial symptoms of the disease are as common as other viral illnesses such as mild, flu-like signs, fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue and stiffness linked with back pain and/or neck pain, stiffness in arms and legs, muscle spasms, and meningitis. These symptoms last for about ten days followed by complete recovery. In exceptional cases, poliovirus infection results in paralytic polio which is one of the most dangerous forms of polio. Depending on the part at which the virus attacks, the paralytic polio is further sub-classified as spinal polio, bulbar polio (brain stem) and bulbospinal polio (brain stem and spinal). Early signs and symptoms of paralytic polio is often the same as the non-paralytic polio or other viral illnesses. However, within a week, signs and symptoms particular to paralytic polio appear and that includes loss of reflexes, severe muscle aches or spasms, loose and floppy limbs either on one side or on both sides and finally paralysis. Additionally, the some of these people may later suffer from post-polio syndrome. This syndrome is a

Mayan Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mayan Civilization - Essay Example The ancient kinship of the Mayan people can be described as comprising patrilineal, bilateral and matrilineal and as such laid the foundation for their political organization (Carter 345). In this case, the political organization was embedded in this kinship where it was characterized by segmentary or well-defined lineages. In this case, the political organization resembled the clan-like structures. The strong attachment to kinship is also evident from the extent to which the Mayan assigned the duties to the scribes in the royal houses and palaces (McAnany 21). The scribes played an important role in the documentation of arts and other materials in the society, and most came from the aristocratic families thus extending the noble doctrine. Therefore, forming and establishing the political organizations of these kinship structures meant that the Mayan rather had a centralized political system with the authority from above or the royal powerful kinships (Yaeger 922). On the other hand, the Mayan arts indicate that the most of the rulers were scribes thus the political organization or structure was built on the ability of the rulers to write. The hierarchy brought about by the kinship implied that the aristocrats were the ruling class with the King as the head (Carter 340). Each city, therefore, had a king with a ruling class. On the other hand, the kingship was based on the religious construction and belief that they represented God on earth. Nonetheless, the Mayan had an outstanding religious belief where they had a calendar set with activities for appeasing the gods. Though the traditional Mayan religion can be described as a system of belief, the society rather engaged in habitual religious practices (McAnany 15). In this case, the Mayan religion was a complex collection of ritual practices and was also based on the hierarchy that

Phd research propsal - Impact of Diabetes among the Lebanese Community Essay

Phd research propsal - Impact of Diabetes among the Lebanese Community in Sydney - Essay Example The potential research questions for this study include; According to a study conducted by World Health Organization (WHO)1, the number of people with diabetes is sharply on the rise in recent years. This study found out that in the year 2000 the number of people affected with the disease was about 171 million worldwide. But more alarming is the projection for the year 2030, if we continue to adopt the existing lifestyle. It has been projected that by 2030 this figure might reach a whopping 366 million. Though, India and China top the list of countries with maximum number of diabetes cases, the share of developing nations is certainly on the rise in the coming years. The increasing cases of diabetes amongst Lebanese people too are a cause of worry. Kristensen et al. (2007) find out that Lebanese population too has a high prevalence of diabetes, and their cultural and belief systems about healthcare worsen the situation of glycaemic regulation. Sydney is host to a large number of Lebanese people, who have been there in search for better job opportunities and better living standards. Now the pertinent question is why to have a focus on the Lebanese population in Sydney. Well, the foremost reason is - to have a focused approach while conducting the research study. In addition, a number of other reasons makes it an interesting topic. Bautista & Engler (2005) state that the Lebanese population in Sydney tends not to have any acculturation to the native Australian culture. There are many studies indicating increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in these families. These have been ascribed to hereditary factors, food habits, prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and increased consanguinity over many generations (Abou-Daoud, 1969). Acculturation is a social phenomenon where family values tend to play important roles, and social and cultural factors related to the immigrant race determine the patterns of acceptance or resistance of newer cultural

Environment Analyses That Will Impact Burger King Marketing Essay

Environment Analyses That Will Impact Burger King Marketing Essay This research market proposal is for Burger King for their marketing strategies to launch their new cafe in competition with McCafe of McDonalds. This report is an in depth analysis of its Internal and the External Environment that will influence Burger Kings success and fail. Burger King is well known thought-out to be a major fast food chains in the world. This proposal explores the three key environment analyses that will impact Burger King: External-Environment Internal Environment The overall report is about PESTEL, Porters 5 Forces model, and SWOT analysis. These current strategies will determine the competitive and how successful Burger King is in the market before launching a new cafe and take into account the ,market analysis and situation. Introduction Burger King is a global chain fast food restaurant which was founded in 1955 in United Sates in Florida owned by David Edgerton and James McLamore. By the year 2011, 12,400 outlets were opened by Burger King in 73 countries including New Zealand. Since its opening in 1955 the menu for the Burger King has evolved from basic offering of French fries, sodas, milkshakes, and burgers to more diverse and lager set of products. Between 2002 and 2010, Burger King targeted large products that carried large amounts of unhealthy fats to 18-34 male demographic. In 2011 Burger King moved away from male oriented menu to new menu items with packing and product reformulations (The Free Encyclopedia, 2012). Burger Kings franchise is one of the means of expanding its operation. Burger King acts as a franchisor laying down precisely procedures and rules for other franchisee to follow. To achieve volume growth Burger King associated itself with multinational expansion for a large saturated market place (Made Easy). Burger King is ranked second next to McDonalds in terms of size and number of stores but their brand name is the most widely-recognized brands in the world which sets them apart from their competitor. Burgers Kings innovative and more food menu choices help them to be competitive in the market and maintain the customer it has. The main menu Burger King has is French Fries, cheeseburgers, and chicken and fish sandwiches, breakfast items, hamburger, onions rings, soft drinks, salads, desserts and etc. (Made Easy). Political and Legal Issues In New Zealand to conduct a market research first we will have to become a member of the Market and Research Social Research Society (MRSRS) which is a professional organization for any researcher who is interested in conducting a market research. This agency has set of regulations of professional behavior to abide by. There are policy act and principles that will have to follow when collecting, storing, and using and disclosing personal information (MRSNZ 2012). The political and legal forces that will affect the Burger King for their marketing strategies will be the monetary and fiscal policies of the government where interest rates, tax legislation affecting the marketing system, a good example will be GST (Rix, 2004, p. 48) . Other legal laws that will affect the Burger King will be Fair Trading Act 1986 in this act, if an employee makes a misrepresentation or misleading claim about the product, such a claim would be deemed to breach the act (Parliamentary Counsel Office, 2012). For Burger king to open up a cafe in their restaurant they will have to comply with Food Act 1981 rules and regulations like food safety regulations and, food fees charges regulation (Ministry For Primary Industries, 2012). The privacy act 1993 will requires Burger King to advice their customers of the intended purpose of information held about them after the market survey. These acts promote and protect individuals information privacy who will take part in the marketing survey and research (Parliamentary Counsel Office, 2012). Ethical Issues Ethics is basally the moral conduct of the business what is right or wrong. Ethics for Burger King will be the corporate social responsibility of towards society and commit itself in the code to encourage diversity among employees, franchisers, business sources, community involvement and sponsorships and prevent discrimination within the company. Other ethical issues Burger King will face will be: Promoting ethical culture that values and respects all people Acting with honesty and integrity ethical standards which encourage compliance with all laws and company policies. Providing sponsorships, supporting local sporting teams, and helping young disable people in need. Ethics like refraining from using company position, information, and property for personal gain. Providing fair, timely, and full reasonable disclosures in the financial report with compliance to the law. Holding itself responsible and accountable for the action it takes (Corporate Responsibility 2012) Burger King will also have to consider about giving employment to disable people and also providing a car park space for them. Social Cultural Issues Burger King will have to consider the beliefs, social values, lifestyles, behavior and buying preferences of the people. New Zealand has many different races with different cultural, norms and values determine what is acceptable and what is not. When assessing the food requirements of a particular cultural or ethnic group Burger King will have to know the food requirement for each ethnic group. For example people with Hindu back group are mostly vegetarian so they will need products from Burger King that does not contain animal fat, eggs, or meat. As for Muslim community they will only eat halal certified foods so Burger King will have to consider these factors before opening up the cafà ©. Burger King will also have to consider about people who put emphasis on quality of life rather than the quantity of goods. Some buys will look for safety, durability, and value in the foodstuffs they buy. Some buys will desire for more physical goods in the belief that these will lead to greater levels of overall satisfaction and happiness for example more environmentally friendly products and introduction of recyclable packaging (Rix, 2004, p. 44). Burger King will also have to take in to the account the trends of male and female member within the household, especially about their purchasing power and decisions. Each gender will have different taste that will influence their buying (Rix, 2004, p. 44). SWOT Analysis For Burger Kings new Cafà © I will have to use Porters 5 forces model, SWOT and PESTEL Analysis to investigate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of launching the new cafà ©. This situation analysis will summarize the Burger Kings current situation and will scan the external environment for strengths and weaknesses and environmental opportunities and threats. Strengths are business capabilities, competitive advantages and competencies. Weaknesses are business limitation. Opportunities are environmental trends to which business plan can be matched. Threats are environmental changes that would affect business operations or direction. Environmental analysis is very important in planning process as it enables us to collect the necessary information to assist management in decision making process. (Rix, 2004, p. 428) SWOT Analysis is a tool that Burger King can use to identify their internal strengths and weaknesses and opportunities and threats, and then develop strategies to deal with their situation (Rix, 2004, p. 428) (S) Strengths of Burger King will be the customer loyalty, market share, organizational efficiency, and product. Burger King is the second largest fast food hamburger restaurant in the world. Burger King has a strong brand equity when talked about wide selection of menu items, fast and efficient service, and innovative products. All this strong brand equity will favor and will help Burger King in their opening of the new Cafe and they also will get good customer loyalty. (Made Easy, 2012). (W) Weaknesses of Burger King over the years that contributed to its decline were its weak marketing campaigns. If Burger King has weak marketing campaigns then they will not able to communicate with their customers. Another weaknesses Burger King will face is the heavily relies on franchisee rather than corporately owned stores. Each franchise will try to sell and promote their product for customer loyalty and this can be a major drawback for Burger King in launches their new cafe (Made Easy, 2012). (O) Opportunities for Burger King will be their expansion strategy for new product development, particularly around breakfast in their new cafà ©. Burger King can set example for other franchise on how a cafà © should be operated. Opportunity like edifice its brand though advertisement campaign and expansion into up-and-coming markets can improve financial aspects of the business. (Made Easy, 2012). (T) Threats one of the biggest threats Burger King will face will be from McCafe of McDonalds which is the largest fast food chain restaurants. The competition among within these two companies will be characterized by price wars for the market share. This will make Burger King to heavily promote their product which will cost money and time. Other threats Burger King will face is consumers changing attitude and behavior towards eating healthier food choices. Now days consumers are more conscious about their health issues which may result them not buying for Burger King. Increasing labor cost will also put pressure on Burgers Kings finance (Made Easy, 2012). Figure Strength(S) Weaknesses (W) SO Strategies Use strengths to take advantages of opportunities WO Strategies Take advantage of opportunities by overcoming weaknesses or making them relevant ST Strategies Use strengths to avoid threats WT Strategies Minimize weaknesses and avoid threats Source: Have, S. T., Have, W. T., Stevens, F. (2003). Key Management Models. Great Britain: Biddles Ltd,Guildford Kings Lynn. According to (Have, Have, Stevens, 2003, p. 187) as shown in figure1Burger King can use SO and WT strategies meaning that they will able to do what they are good at. They will also able to steer the business clear from competencies in opportunity. If Burger King decides to use WO strategies then they will able to take on opportunity despite not having the requisite strengths, which means they will have to borrow or develop the required strengths to outmaneuver the competition. ST strategies if used by Burger King mean that they will bust or buy their way out of trouble. For example these strategies will make Burger King to fend off smaller cafà © by means of expensive price wars, multiple channels of promotions and with insurmountable marketing budgets. PEST Analysis PEST Analysis is at tactical planning means to evaluate the impact of the external environment like Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors on an organization (Haughey MPM, 2002). Burger King will have to use PEST Analysis is a vital ingredient in their planning process. (P) Political is factors like trade restriction, environment regulations, tax policy, and employment laws that Burger King will have to comply. New Zealand government also has legislation that governs the dissemination and preparation of the financial information so Burger King will have to comply with legislation when preparing annual report. (E) Economic factors are inflation rate, exchange rates, interest rates, and economic growth. Burger Kings cafes survival will depend on how New Zealand economic is doing. For example people must have money to spent and they should willing spend it. (S) Social is factors like emphasis on safety, cultural aspect and population age distribution. For example McDonalds sells soft drink made from an Amazonian beery in Brazil, milk shakes flavored with durian in Singapore and Malaysia, and in south East Asian it is aphrodisiac (Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Sharma, 2008, p. 79). Burger King will have to identify will menu will people of New Zealand will desire. Also any changes in socio cultural trends will shift the demand of a partially product mean. (T) Technological are technological changes that creates new processes of producing products and services. For example new coffee machine which will give Burger King a competitive edge. Porters Five Forces Burger Kings competitive position in a particular market will depend on which marketing and management model is available to them. Burger King can use Porters industry structure and generic strategies models. Michael Porter five major forces determine the nature of the competition in market. This will set the profit potential and competitive parameters for Burger King as shown in Figure 2. Potential EntrantsFigure 2: Porters Five Model Forces Threat of new entrants Industry Competitiors Rivalry among existing firms buyers Suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of buyers Threat of substitute products or services Substitutes Source: Rix, P. (2004). Marketing A Practical Approach (5th Edition). NSW, Australia: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. Porters competitive analysis identifies five fundamental competitive forces that will determine the relative attractiveness of Burger King. (Rix, 2004, p. 434) Threats of New Entrants if Burger King sees a strong probability of new firms entering their market, it will impact on how Burger King will operate. This risk is resolute by the extent of the industrys barriers to entry. For example if profits are only earned through economies of scale than the threat of entrant will be less. Also if Burger Kings capital investment in the cafà © is large and have product differentiation leading to customer loyalty, and high cost for customers to switch suppliers will also have barriers to entry by other firms. (Rix, 2004, p. 434) Threat of Substitutes Goods if Burger Kings products are reasonably cost efficiently and easily substituted by other products that gives the same satisfaction with low cost will mean restrict profits to Burger King. Burger King might also lose their customers but there can use product differentiation to promote and get their customers (Rix, 2004, p. 434). Buyers Bargaining Power if Burger King has a petite number on individually strong buyers then it will impact on their profit. The buyers can demand low prices, extended credit and very high levels of services. Other situations where products are homogeneous commodities and switching suppliers cost is low then the buyers strength is higher (Rix, 2004, p. 434) Suppliers Command of Industry if Burger Kings key ingredients are supplied by a small number of individually strong suppliers than it can put pressure on Burger Kings profits. Suppliers can control and increase prices, can demand fast payment or gives priorities to other competitor when it comes to supplying stock which will limit Burger Kings profit potential (Rix, 2004, p. 432) Existing Competitors. Some of the major competitors for Burger King will face are Mc Cafe, Starbucks, and Wild Bean Cafe etc. When all this consists number of companies starts to be competitive, it will have significant impact on Burger Kings profitability. Other factors that will intensify the competition in the market will be for customer loyalty and market share. it might be bit hard for Burger King to compete with them but if they do a market research and get feedback from the customers and promote their product at the right place, at right time ,and at the right price than Burger King will be able to succeed in their new product launching (Rix, 2004, p. 432) Porters Generic Strategies According to (Rix, 2004, p. 434) Burger King should be seen as a considerably different or supply at the lowest cost for means. They can be concentrating on specific niches or supply to the entire market. Burger King can use three generic strategies as shown in figure 3 STRATEGIC TARGET Figure 3: Three Generic Strategies STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE OVERALL COST LEADERSHIP DIFFERERENTION Uniqueness perceived by the customer Low cost position Industry wide FOCUS Particular segment only Source: Rix, P. (2004). Marketing A Practical Approach (5th Edition). NSW, Australia: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. The three objective strategies are: Overall Cost Leadership Strategies will make Burger King to become the lowest cost cafe in the market by precisely selecting manufacturing ability and invention level, eliminating unprofitable customers and products. These strategies will provide protection against competitive substitutes and rivalrys (Rix, 2004, p. 435). Differentiation Strategies will make Burger King to promote and develop real or perceived differences between those of its competitors and Burger King. This strategies will protect Buger King by developing a brand loyalty against their competitors so that the consumers dont change suppliers (Rix, 2004, p. 435) Focus Strategies will make Burger King to adopt differentiation strategies or cost leadership strategies. This will make Burger King to focus on a particular segment of the market. This will provide a means of defenses to Burger King (Rix, 2004, p. 436) CONCLUSION Burger King operates in a very extremely competitive environment where the threat of competitors to Burger King is very high. It is very important for Burger King to build a point of differentiation that will make Burger King apart from all other competitors because its competitors are employing almost the same strategies that Burger King is employing. Operational excellence, high standard service, its innovative and quality products is what Burger King is known for today. So in order to remain competitive, Burger King must differentiate itself from its competitors which can be done through differentiation of products. Buger King must be able to maintain its global perspective, explore new markets and take advantage of new opportunities with the help of its market expansion strategies. The changing consumer preferences and demands also need to be satisfied. In order to do that, Burger King must develop a diverse product line.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

History is made up of many time periods, many of these periods had a certain norm, and a way of thinking that was accepted and adopted by the majority of the people. In the Elizabethan/Jacobean time period the notion accepted and in place at the time was that of a great chain of being. This notion in which God is at the top, then comes the planets, the angels, human kind and finally the animal kingdom. In fact, it was based on psalm 8 and placed God, the all-powerful being, on the uppermost link of the chain and gave him all the power. In order for any other being or thing to possess power he/it could do so only with the permission of God or in accordance to the will of God. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare, pushes the concept of primogeniture and also the fact that the king is put into power by the will of God and anyone opposing the king would not only cause a great disturbance in the great chain of being but would likewise be going against the will of God. In doing this, is Shakespeare convincing enough or is this idea hype and without substance? To explore this notion we must first look at the characters Shakespeare uses to promote this notion. An obvious character to start with would have to be the one who is king at the beginning of the play. Duncan is a righteous king, one who is greatly respected by many of his subjects. Even the man, who killed him, did so, not because of Duncan's unjustly ruling but rather out of personal greed. Before Macbeth's greed for power consumed him, he praises Duncan during his struggle with the decision of whether or not to usurp the throne and in doing so, cause great chaos according to the great chain of being. We see this when Macbeth says: "†¦ This Duncan hath born his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking off†¦." Yet in all his greatness and although chosen supposedly by God, Duncan was only human and possessed negative qualities as well. The king, Duncan, was not in battle (along side his Generals), he is at a nearby camp (I: II, p1). This suggests that the king is dependent of other for his own protection. We see the naivete that Duncan possesses when he says: "He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust." (I: IV; 15-16, p.11) In fact he complete trust in a man who was in an enemy.

Biometrics :: Biotechnology Science Essays

Biometrics Biometrics is a new term for many, but it is not a new idea. The idea of Biometrics first began with finger print analysis. Today, Biometrics has expanded to not only your fingerprints but also ear, face, facial thermogram, hand vein, hand geometry, iris, retina, signature and voice analysis. Technology has gone from science fiction to reality. This paper will include a brief description of each of the types of Biometrics and who is using them. The answer to "Who is using Biometrics?" may surprise you. In the United States over 150 schools are using a Biometrics system. This system allows the children to pay for cafeteria lunches. Over 200,000 students are participating in the Fingerprint Biometric system. The average system will cost any where from $4,000 to $10,000 to implement. How does it save you money? The answer is simply, you no longer need cashiers. All you need is a monitor. There is no longer cash to be accounted for, and children no longer have to bring money to school. Parents don’t have to worry how the money is being spent. The Fingerprint system is easy and results in quicker lines. Some major concerns for the parents are; 1.) How does the Fingerprint technology work? 2.) Can this technology be used in the police department? 3.) What about privacy issues? The technology being used in our school cannot be used in law enforcement. The fingerprint of your index finger is scanned, then transformed into a twenty-seven point grid, and a mathematical algorithm is the result. This is what the computer matches upnot your actual fingerprint. Ear Prints have had success for the Police in the United Kingdom. They have been using this technology to find missing persons and to identify unknown bodies. Ear prints are generally accepted as being unique, still it is hard to get a conviction if an ear print was left at the seen of a crime. Even though each ear is unique with its contour and lines; it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the ear print itself left behind is unique. There are fears of this new technology, because of its possible misuse and its accuracy. One of the greatest fears is that our justice system will go from innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent. This technology will bring great benefits until it fails, and then a tremendous amount of harm to even those who benefit from the technology.

An Inspector Calls & play Essay

Written by J. B. Priestley in 1945, An Inspector Calls is a play that follows the story of the Birling Family and their dealings with a woman, Eva Smith. The Birlings are a wealthy family and are happily celebrating an engagement when their evening is rudely interrupted by a police Inspector investigating the death of a working class girl. Throughout the course of the evening, the Inspector deftly uncovers their dirty little secrets and each of their involvements in the girl’s death. The play is set in an industrial town in the Midlands called Brumley. During 1912 in the Edwardian era, when the play was set, life was hard for the poor and even harder for women. There was very little help available for people and only the very desperate were given aid and even then they were sometimes not given enough. The local workhouse was available for the sick, old or handicapped but this was an unpleasant place. Women in 1912 were treated as inferior and they could not often do what men could; they were not allowed to vote, they were unlikely to go to university and get decent job and they were expected to give up their jobs once they were married. They did not have the same rights as men. The play starts with a long set of stage directions from which we learn a lot about the Birling family. They are wealthy as they employ a maid. It is also suggests that they are strongly ruled by their social duties and roles because it is said that Mrs Birling is ‘socially superior’ to Mr Birling suggesting that society plays a big role in the family’s life. This is further suggested by the fact that the men wear ‘tails and white ties’ to a family dinner signifying that the family are very proper and must be formal at all times – even in an informal setting. Even though it is quite formal, they are quite happy and cheerful as they have been celebrating a special occasion. The atmosphere is shown by the lighting which should be ‘pink and intimate’ hinting at a happy care-free family feel. However, when the Inspector comes in, the lighting should be harsher as the entrance of the Inspector destroys the family atmosphere and creates a harsh atmosphere.