Ansoff Matrix of Nintendo Essay

Barriers to Change Individual and Organisational Barriers to Change Obama | IYou must be the change you want to see in the world â€Å"Despite the potential positive outcomes, change is often resisted at both the individual and the organisational level† (Mullins, 99) It is in human nature to resist change. â€Å"We resist change. We choose to keep our habits, rather the comfort of our habits† (Dr. Claude Brodeur PhD, http://members. tripod. com/zenol/humanism. html). Change and the phenomenon of it, is fundamental to evolution; and yet it implies some sort of resistance. Resistance to change can take various forms and the task of filtering out the cause of resistance can often be difficult. Examples include change in work processes where the needs, expectations, and concerns of individuals are ignored. Change and resistance to it forms a knock-on-effect to both the construction and destruction of any organisation. Fear is one of the major forms of resistance to change and I shall discuss this in depth at a later stage. Alas resistance to change can be categorised to the organisational level and the individual level. It is these two separate levels which I shall discuss further exploring what steps may be taken to overcome resistance at both the organisational and individual level. The Organisational Barriers to Change There are a number of barriers to change at the organisational level that, need to be addressed to allow change to be implemented with the least amount of resistance. These include: Financial and Environmental Lack of working capital in an organisation can prevent it from introducing change that is necessary to stay ahead of competitors or merely survive as a business. The lack of finance could be due to a variety of factors. Lack of Resources and Bad Resource Allocation Lack of resources is an onset of financial and/or environmental issues as discussed in the above paragraph. Bad resource allocation, occur when managers make bad decisions in allocating resources such as money, time, machinery and staff. Structural An organisation that follows the traditional hierarchical structure tends to resist change more than that which has a more flat structure. Insufficient Communication There are two branches of communication, which are communication internally, within the organisation between Employees and Management and externally between the organisation and suppliers and customers. Lack of or Bad LeadershipStrong leadership is required in order to direct the change management process in any organisation. Bad leaders who merely provide are not doing enough to inspire the employees to march ahead. People want to be shown the way. Lack of Preparation for New Roles Organisations may lack in their planning phase. Failing to prepare and define the new roles that will need to be satisfied when change is implemented; shall give rise to resistance. Cultural Issues The culture of an organisation is a set of â€Å"unwritten rules†. Management may have a set of protocols for employees to adhere to perform business processes. The way a task is actually carried out depends namely on the culture Individuals Resisting Change There are a number of barriers to change at the individual level that, need to be addressed to allow change to be implemented with the least amount of resistance. These include: Fear News of change can invoke fear among employees. Employees may feel afraid of not being able to fulfil the new proposed changes to work practices that are being imposed. Employees may begin to question the future of their job, which shall cause much discomfort. People resist change due to anxiety, pessimism and different personal ambitions. Lack of Input into the change Individuals tend to resist change where they play not part in change. The idea of not knowing the change can cause a rift between the employees and management. Overcoming Resistance at Organisational and Individual Level Organisational Level Overcoming Undefined Goals and Objectives Goals and Objectives should be frequently redefined and relayed to all employees. This shall aid towards clearing up any misunderstanding and possible conflicts. Overcoming Financial and Environmental Issues Organisations should have a contingency fund to cater for changes in demand or develop a very good relationship with their bank manager in case you need to borrow money at hard times Overcoming Structural Problems and Insufficient Communication In a large organisation employees may wish to elect a spokes person who can act as a collective voice to air potential barriers directly to management Overcoming Lack of or Bad LeadershipIt is a natural human instinct to follow leadership as children we look up to our parents and as adults we look up towards our superiors Overcoming Lack of Preparation for New Roles The importance of planning must be emphasised and reflected. The new roles should be concisely explained to the respective employees prior to implementing change, to stifle out any doubts, fears or resistance. Overcoming Cultural Issues The cultural characteristics once identified need to be overcome and evolved into a non-blame culture Individual Level Employees should be directly involved in the change process, which shall motivate and reduce resistance. Extra incentives should be made available to further encourage and reward compliance. Support networks should be established as a means to reinforce the change theory. Appendix 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs depicts the theory of psychological needs, values of authority, hierarchy and rationality, security needs. The model consists of many levels. Maslow argues that once the basic level of Air food water and sex are met the next â€Å"hierarchical† or â€Å"rational† need is for safety. An organisation must concentrate on invoking a sense of â€Å"Belonging† to the organisation by keeping them informed, involved and sharing the success. Force Field AnalysisThe force field analysis helps identify the forces for change (drivers) and forces against change (resistance) in an organisation. Through analysis the author concludes that it important to note that even if you have more forces for change than against this may not actually guarantee you successful change. The key is to remove the barriers to change on the organisational and individual level. Force Field Analysis Figure 1 Field Force Analysis Twelve Principles for Managing Change These principles provide the cause and effect of managing change strategically: Thought processes and relationship dynamics are fundamental if change is to be successful. Change only happens when each person makes a decision to implement the change. People fear change it â€Å"happens† to them. Given the freedom to do so, people will build quality into their work as a matter of personal pride. Traditional organizational systems treat people like children and expect them to act like adults. Truth† is more important during periods of change and uncertainty than â€Å"good news. † Trust is earned by those who demonstrate consistent behaviour and clearly defined values. People who work are capable of doing much more than they are doing. The intrinsic rewards of a project are often more important than the material rewards and recognition. A clearly defined vision of the end result enables all the people to define the most efficient path for accomplishing the results. The more input people have into defining the changes that will affect their work, the more they will take ownership for the results. To change the individual, change the system.

Exim Bank, Commercial Bank and Ecgc Functions Essay

The Bank’s functions are segmented into several operating groups including: * Corporate Banking Group which handles a variety of financing programmes for Export Oriented Units (EOUs), Importers, and overseas investment by Indian companies. * Project Finance / Trade Finance Group handles the entire range of export credit services such as supplier’s credit, pre-shipment credit, buyer’s credit, finance for export of projects & consultancy services, guarantees, forfeiting etc. * Lines of Credit Group Lines of Credit (LOC) is a financing mechanism that provides a safe mode of non-recourse financing option to Indian exporters, especially to SMEs, and serves as an effective market entry tool. * Agri Business Group, to spearhead the initiative to promote and support Agri-exports. The Group handles projects and export transactions in the agricultural sector for financing. * Small and Medium Enterprises Group to the specific financing requirements of export oriented SMEs. The group handles credit proposals from SMEs under various lending programmes of the Bank. * Export Services Group offers variety of advisory and value-added information services aimed at investment promotion * Fee based Export Marketing Services Bank offers assistance to Indian companies, to enable them establish their products in overseas markets. * Besides these, the Support Services groups, which include: Research & Planning, Corporate Finance, Loan Recovery, Internal Audit, Management Information Services, Information Technology, Legal, Human Resources Management and Corporate Affairs The objectives and functions of the Exim Bank include the following: 1.Grant of loans and advances in India solely or jointly with commercial banks to persons exporting or intending to export India goods which may include the export of turnkey projects and civil consultancy services. 2.Grant of lines credit to Governments, financial institutions and other suitable organizations in foreign countries to enable person outside India to import from India, goods including turnkey projects, civil construction contracts and other services including consultancy services. 3.Handling transaction where a mix of government credit and commercial credit for exports is involved. 4.Purchasing, discounting and negotiating export bills. 5.Selling or discounting export bills in international markets. 6.Discounting of export bills negotiated or purchased by a scheduled bank or financial institution notified by government, or granting loans and advances against such bills. 7.Providing refinance facilities to specified financial institutions against credits extended by them for specified exports or imports. 8.Granting loans and advances or issuing guarantees solely or jointly with a commercial bank for the import of goods and services from abroad. 9.Issuing confirmation/endorsing letters of credit on behalf of exporters in India, negotiating, collecting bills under letters of credit, opening letters of credit on behalf of importers of goods is services and negotiating documents received there under. 10.Buying and selling foreign exchange and performing such other functions of an authorized dealer as may necessary for the functions of an export- import bank. 11.Undertaking and financing research, surveys and techno-economic studies bearing on the promotion and development of international trade. 12.Providing technical, administrative and financial assistance to any exporter in India or any other person who intends to export goods from India for the promotion, management or expansion of any industry with a view to developing international trade. * Functions of commercial banks in foreign trade: 1. Letters of Credit Issued If you are the buyer (importer) of goods from abroad, the seller (exporter) will want to be assured of payment, and you will want to be assured that all terms and conditions of the purchase agreement are kept. The most common instrument used for payment and shipment control is a letter of credit issued by the bank of the buyer in favor of the seller. 2. Advising Bank After the bank of the buyer approves the issuance of the letter of credit, the issued letter of credit is sent to the advising bank who establishes the authenticity of the instrument and informs the beneficiary of receipt. 3. Confirmed letter of credit The advising bank may confirm the letter of credit after checking the terms and conditions for payment by adding its own guarantee to that of the issuer. 4. Final Payment After all of the terms and conditions for shipment and quality standards have been checked via the presentation of proper documentation, the issuing bank pays the seller for the goods.

A research paper on the 3 largest minority groups in the U.S Essay

The top three largest minorities in the United States are the Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. The United States 2000 census indicated the total population as 281. 4 million where the 3 minorities represent approximately 30. 1 percent of the population. The purchasing power for the 3 major minority groups in very important n marketing and is provided in this study (Sfm 2008). African Americans African Americans are the second largest group of minorities and heavily contribute in the national politics, social welfares as well as economy. The population has increased in number within the various government and states welfares. This helps the group to advance financially according to the joint center for economic studies survey (Dana 2007). The total population of African American consumers is approximately 36. 4 million which relates to approximately 12. 9 percent of the total population in the country. As a result, targeting these consumers and studying their growth impacts on the multiplication of wealth and properties in the country. A landmark survey conducted in 2008 illustrates increased growth especially in the â€Å"mortgage originations, medium household income, and small businesses entrepreneurs and obtaining of degrees in higher education levels† (Sfm 2008). According to census bureau, African Americans have the second highest purchasing power in the minorities with turn over of $532 billion which translates to 73 percent growth as compared to 1990. In the education sector, the number of degrees offered in higher education is hitting three times as much as that of general market. African Americans have made use of the mortgage system to own house hold houses and around 50% of the household resides in their own homes (Sfm 2008). On entrepreneurship and ownership of small and medium businesses, the rate of expansion is five times as much as white Americans where revenues according to a business study conducted has experienced a 60 percent growth. The average age for African Americans is 30 and around 15 percent earns a household income of more than $50,000. The average house hold income in 2008 was $34,000 (Dana 2007). Availability of income influences the purchasing power of an individual. A study conducted in 2007 indicate that around 300, 000 African American house holds has a house hold income of above $100,000. This indicates that approximately 1 in every 6 households in the group earns this income (Dana 2007). For the medium households, the group is experiencing 60 percent growth in comparison to the whites’ households. This has helped in offering various opportunities for this minority group with a â€Å"mean portfolio size of $115, 000 for each house hold and approximately $57, 500,000 dollars of investment at hand† (Sfm 2008). With the use of statistics for projection, the investment dollars is expected to multiply to $83,375, 000 in duration of five years and attain a mean of $115,920,000 after a decade (MacInnis 2009). African Americans according to the United States population census represent 12. 1 percent of national citizens. This composes of the of all those who have been born in the country and have resided with their families for more than 300 years as well as those who have immigrated from Africa in the recent past. African Americans represent people from the black race (MacInnis 2009). On the regional demographics, African Americans are not clustered in limited areas with respect to other minorities. However, the group is the main driver for the markets in most of the cities in the United States. Report from the United States census Bureau indicates that â€Å"76 percent of the total population in Detroit, 65 percent in Washington and approximately 62 percent in New Orleans† are African Americans (Sfm 2008). Their population is also evident in various other states including â€Å"New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Baltimore and Memphis. † For the universities in these states, approximately 78 percent of the students are African American (MacInnis 2009). Extensive migration for the African Americans is being experienced mostly to the south. Various states including Atlanta are experiencing massive economic expansion through the group activities. There are also increased employment opportunities mainly in â€Å"Houston, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham and other states from the south† which are attracting the African Americans into the region. The region has also cheap real estate, moderate weather and easily affordable way of live (MacInnis 2009). Successive marketing in the African American society requires clear understanding of their culture. The group according to a survey is discerning shoppers and is very careful on quality and satisfaction. They are loyal customers and remain in the brands they use thus a good relationship is required. Appearance in advertisement is very appreciative for the group in the utilization of their talents (MacInnis 2009). The internet is another media form that is widely used by the African Americans through the on line commerce. In investment, the group mainly engages in real estates business and banking sector as opposed to the bonds and stocks which is popular among the whites (Sfm 2008). Hispanic Americans The Hispanic population in the United States the largest minority group and is increasingly growing and thus affecting various sectors. This might be from political to business view. The population for the Hispanics is currently approximately 35. 3 million, approximately 13% of total population according to census department which translates to a percentage growth of 38 percent in comparison to overall population growth of 9 percent (Dana 2007). The population is projected to reach a high of 96 million by 2050 where they will take a quarter of the total population. Among the Hispanics, approximately 2 million people earn more than $75,000 in every year. The average house hold income in 2008 was $40,800 (Sfm 2008). The population has a huge transactional power of approximately $428 billion. This is expected to reach $600 billion in five years. The Hispanics household income is significant and their mean number of people in every household is 3. 6. This also gives an average age of 26. As a result, there is need to understand the group’s culture for effective marketing (Dana 2007). Majority of the Hispanics originate outside countries. The dominating countries of origin are â€Å"Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rica, the Dominican republic and various countries in south/central America† (Sfm 2008). The group heavily embarks on their family with much priority hoping to offer the best. Respect of culture with marking of various events is also common with the group. The population like watching sports over the television with professional boxing followed by base ball being the favorite according to a study by MDI (Dana 2007). The United States census bureau indicates that majority Hispanics, approximately 80 percent reside mainly in five states. However, around 59 percent reside in ten states including â€Å"Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas, Worth and San Diego† (Sfm 2008). For effective marketing in the group, products relevant to their culture provide a consolidated base and increased number of customers. Products that would address family matters and its importance are also marketable in the Hispanics (Dana 2007). Language is very important for the Hispanics and they prefer the use of mother language thus advertising of products should be done with Spanish speaking media rather than English speaking media (MacInnis 2009). Creation of friendship and one to one contact with the customers is required due to relationship orientation by the group (Dana 2007). This would also call for recruitment of Hispanic personnel. Considering that around 30 percent of Hispanic population is below 18 years of age customization of vehicles is advisable. In the universities, approximately 21 percent of undergraduate students are Hispanic (Sfm 2008). Asian Americans Asians represents various nationalities including â€Å"Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and Asian Indians. † In the United States, Asian Americans total to 11. 9 million which represents 4. 2 percent of the total population. This is projected to get to 35 million by 2050. The Asian Americans have a high purchasing power of approximately $300 billion annually (Louis 2010). Asian Americans have a mean age of 33 years where more than half of population aged 25 and above are married. The population strongly values their family. The Asians have a multi generational type of house holds with mean of 3. 8 per household (Sfm 2008). Majority speaks their mother language and educate their students on language schools mainly Chinese. Majority of the Asians are entrepreneurs with long working hours with reduced leisure shopping. They are ranked as the lowest group in leisure related activities. Due to their increased hard work, they are the highest income earners in the United States. The average household income for the Asians is was $66,900 in 2008 (Louis 2010). In the education sector, Asians household have the highest education level with comparison to the various other groups. It was reported that 38 percent of the Asians Americans have a degree certificate (Sfm 2008). Effective marketing in the Asian American population require intensive knowledge as well as preparation in addition to staffing from the group. In the advertising a number of agencies have already been established that specializes in the Asian American markets. Ethnic group members play the advertising procedure thus one requires understanding of community as well as language for excellence. The strong language preference has led to the growth of Asian media in the United States with increased Asian language television, radio, newspapers, and magazine (Sfm 2008). Asians reside in a few states and this provides n easier communication program for the population. Among the key states where Asian American resides include â€Å"California, New York, and Texas† (Louis 2010). They also reside in Los Angeles and San Francisco but in reduced numbers. Filipinos are more so concentrated in Los Angeles whereas the Chinese are in New York City. For the case of San Francisco, the two are concentrated. The Asian population is also expanding in â€Å"Washington, Seattle, Houston and Dallas. This is as a result of technological expansion and other investment gains (Louis 2010). References Dana, L. P. (2007). Handbook of research on ethnic minority entrepreneurship: a co- evolutionary. Massachusetts. Edward Elgar Publishers Louis E. Boone, David L. Kurtz. (2010). Contemporary Business 2010 Update. New York. John Wiley & Sons MacInnis, D. J. , Park, C. W. , & Priester, J. W. (2009). Handbook of brand relationships. New York. M. E Sharpe publishers. Sfm. 2008. Article accessed from http://www. sifma. org/services/hrdiversity/pdf/African. pdf

Agriculture in Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Agriculture in Africa - Research Paper Example This growth is mainly attributed to the cultivation of more land, although there has been little improvement in the yields. In addition, the production techniques have not been improved, and this has further slowed down agricultural production. Climate has also been a major determinant of agricultural performance in Africa. Only a small portion of land is currently under irrigation, with only 6% of the cultivated land being under irrigation (Blein, et al, 19). Despite the growth in this sector across the continent, the demands of the growing population have not been fully met. Most of the agriculture is Africa is family dominated, where most farms depend of family farm labor. With every generation, the farms are tending to shrink. This explains why despite the growth, agriculture does not supply the needs of the population. In order to understand agriculture in Africa, this paper examines agriculture in Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia. Sudan has vast resources that give it the potential to significantly contribute to food security in Africa. These resources include arable land, water and animal resources. This sector contributes about 45% of the total GDP and nearly 80% of the labor force is employed by the agricultural sector (Omer, 3). However, in recent years, agricultural growth has generally deteriorated. Agriculture in this country is mainly comprised three major farming systems: traditional rain-fed, mechanized rain-fed and irrigated sectors. Nearly 60% of the total cultivated land has been occupied by the traditional rain-fed (Omer, 5). This sector is however characterized by low productivity. This is attributed to the poor farming techniques practiced. Cotton has been the main agricultural export commodity, although its production has generally reduced. Other major cash crops include peanuts`, sugarcane, dates, mangoes, coffee, tobacco and citrus fruits. Animal rearing is another important aspect of agric ulture in Sudan. Better veterinary

Social Media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Media - Assignment Example great deal of researches and investigations have been carried out in order to assess the usage of different social media networking websites among both the genders. It should be noted that as per the research conducted by Duggan and Brenner in 2013, it was noted that from the sample of 1802 participants out of which 846 were men and remaining were women, 16% of women used Instagram while it was 10% among men. This indicated that women made use of the Instagram service for sharing their photos more in comparison with men (Duggan and Brenner). There are couples of reasons behind the usage of Instagram by users. As per the research conducted by Sigala, Christou and Gretzel (2012), females tend to be more curious about the happenings and experiences of others. It is due to this reason that they follow millions of other users on Instagram. However, male participants indicated that they wanted to stay updated with the later products and events for which Instagram remains a very good medium (Sigala, Christou and Gretzel). The suggested methodology for the research is mixed approach where qualitative as well quantitative methods will be used. The mix approach is considerably significant in proving literature analysis with the help of statistics (Kumar). A survey questionnaire will be directed towards participants. The number of participants will be divided into two categories on the basis of male and female. The question that will be used to conduct analysis will be close-ended questions (Goddard and Melville). Relevant researches will be used to assess the investigations of the subject matter that has been done so far. Credible databases will be used to find journal articles, books, periodicals relevant to the subject. The conducted research will not be used for the purpose of financial gain and will only be conducted as a part of academic achievement. The research will be carried out after taking informed consent from the instructor. Secrecy of responses of

Sec in Southwestt Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sec in Southwestt Asia - Essay Example This requires an urgent ceasefire between the two countries to restore good relations. As earlier stated, the conflict between India and Pakistan has impacted on the entire South Asian region. The United States is one of the many countries that have been concerned with the war making it a priority agenda (Lamb 1966, p.12). For instance, during the handing over of the presidency from Clinton to George Walker Bush, the former advised Bush that the persistent antagonism between India and Pakistan needed to prioritized because of the dangers posed by the nuclear capabilities of the two countries (Misra 2010, p.32). The objective of this paper is to explore the reasons for the continued hostility between India and Pakistan relations. It will also discuss steps that can be taken to develop and sustain cordial relations between the two countries. Indo-Pak conflict has been a long-standing political conflict that began in 1947 immediately after independence (Brines 1968, p.35). The war has s ince persisted with the two countries being suspicious of each other. Report indicates that the two countries have fought three deadly wars since independent because of the continued friction between the two countries (Raja 2013). ... The war ended in 1949 following a ceasefire leaving the state of Kashmir split into two with India being handed two-thirds of the eastern side of Kashmir (Sareen 2012). Pakistan, on the other hand, gained control of the remaining third of the western Kashmir. However, due to continued hostility over Kashmir, the two countries again engaged each other in war in 1965, with the war ending in a military stalemate with the division of Kashmir remaining unchanged. Ever since, there has been a disagreement over which county owns Kashmir, with both countries claiming rightful ownership. According to Pakistan, Kashmir is the â€Å"K† in Pakistan- a Muslim dominated territory that according to the two-nation theory should rightfully belong to Islam (Sareen 2012). In this regard, Pakistan claims that, as a Muslim majority in Kashmir, the territory should have rightfully formed part of Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947. Therefore, merging Kashmir with Pakistan, according to Pakist anis is termed as â€Å"unfinished business of Partition,† which they intend to ensure, becomes fulfilled (Karim 1996, p.22). Indians, on the other hand, opposes this claim arguing that their possession of Kashmir province is a clear demonstration that Muslim dominated state can exist in India. This according to Indians is a good example of how India embraces people from different faiths. As a result, Indians believe that relinquishing Kashmir territory to Pakistan will threaten Indian unity. Some Indians also believe that additional partitioning of Kashmir according to religion would not do any good, but reopen the status of Muslim as Indian citizens and remind people of the wounds caused by the partition. This struggle has been persistent with both countries claiming

Casual Factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Casual Factors - Essay Example mer includes such factors as genetic disposition and peri-natal conditioning, chemical imbalances, damages to the central nervous system, etc., while the latter includes such factors as schooling system, family and other cultural aspects. The remainder of this essay will foray into ways of identifying these factors, their consequences, and ways of mitigating them (Dodge, 1993) Emotional disorders caused by family can take several shapes. For example, a child that is constantly exposed to domestic violence, sexual abuse, excessive insults, constant poverty and loss of a parent can develop symptoms related to anxiety and depressive disorders. Some tell-tale signs of family-induced psychological disorders are: an introverted personality, academic underperformance, poor social skills, juvenile delinquency, etc. Recognizing early signs can be difficult as the affected children can assume a normal external disposition (Dodge, 1993). Usually, the underlying problem comes to light only after a traumatic episode. Nevertheless, child counselors can play a significant role in remedying some of the emotional and behavioral patterns through application of such techniques as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Primal Therapy, etc. Medications such as lithium, Buspirone, Fluoxetine, Bupropion, etc. can also be useful but have to be used with caution. Also, medications d on’t provide permanent cure but only temporary symptomatic relief. Hence, a prolonged counseling regime to change negative cognitive and behavior patterns is the most efficacious of the treatment options (Stewart, 1999). Emotional disturbances that are caused by an unsuitable school environment are similar to those that are caused by chaotic family circumstances. Inappropriate corporal punishments, bullying by peers, lack of proper attention from teachers, etc., can make the child feel sad and lonely. The child is also likely to experience feelings of guilt and worthlessness. The afflicted child

Bill of Rights Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bill of Rights - Assignment Example s in the law courts, is forbidden by the law while, in South Africa, the law can impose any heavy fine on the offender according to the seriousness of the crime (Pederson, 2010). The United States should amend the law on protecting offenders from heavy fines because this encourages them to commit serious crimes because they are aware that no heavy fines will be imposed on them. In the United States, that cruel and unusual punishments should not be imposed on the offenders while, in South Africas law, there is a specification limiting any unusual punishments. The United States should change its view on the type of punishment because if someone has killed deliberately then he/she deserves heavy punishment including life imprisonment, which is not yet approved by the United States government (Pederson, 2010). People in South Africa may fear to commit crimes because of the fear of heavy punishments while people in United States may dare commit serious crimes because they are aware the law does not allow heavy

Contemporary State of the Domestic Violence Issue Research Paper

Contemporary State of the Domestic Violence Issue - Research Paper Example The client has a history of the specific abuse, both at the hand of her father in the initial years of her life, and now at the hand of her husband and his family. The client has been married for 13 years and has been living with her family in slums and ghetto regions of the cities in rented and government-funded housing. The family has been shifting houses every 8 to 10 months due to their changing financial situation and the constraints government-funded schemes for the homeless in the cities. The diagnosis that has been made till now regarding the predicament faced by the client is that the environment in which the client resides as well as the current financial position and the homeless state of the client and her family have aggravated the issue of domestic abuse. The client does have history regarding being a victim of domestic abuse from her childhood as well. The client is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the repeated domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is one of the many forms in which women are exploited in modern society and cultures by their families and husbands. There exist various different forms of domestic violence which can include sexual, emotional as well as violence in terms of intimidation, stalking, threats, and economic deprivation. This is one of the passive forms of abuse of women which often goes unreported due to the submissive and lack of confidence and resources available to the victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse was actively targeted and received attention on the 1970s with the movements for women's rights. Research and findings from studies regarding domestic violence have indicated that "around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime and nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey. Nearly 25 percent of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date at some time in their lifetime, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, conducted from November 1995 to May 1996." ('Domestic Violence is a Serious Widespread Social Problem in America: The Facts', 2008).

Qualititve research preposol Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Qualititve preposol - Research Proposal Example Thus it is imperative for the managers of the organizations to have detailed understanding of the changes taking place in the organization and adequate knowledge of change management for accommodating their organization in this rapidly changing business environment. Paton and McCalman (2008) emphasizes on the fact that for adaptation to any change in an organization, it is necessary to have a well management of the organizational change process. This includes designing, planning, implementing, sustaining and assessing the changes taking place within the organization (Lientz & Rea, 2004). Winch and McDonald (1999) emphasized on the fact that change management is somewhat different when it comes to SMEs. One of the major rationales behind such statements by Winch and McDonald (1999) was that SMEs often lack the required managerial skills and also have limited experience of managing change (Tilley and Tonge, 2003). Moreover, SMEs are less formal and as a result of that they have less st ructural resistance are obvious to be more agile. Nevertheless, it is important for the SMEs to make use of these changes as the means of gaining edge over the competitors. Yet, at times due to inadequate technological know-how and managerial skills, they fail to plan and execute the change. The subject of change management in SMEs is not new as a number of studies about the change management in SMEs have been carried out previously. Majority of the studies have tried to underline the hurdles faced by the SMEs in the implementation process of change management. For example, the studies carried out by Macri, Tagliaventi and Bertolotti (2002) are such studies that explain the challenges of SMEs in driving and managing change. Apart from highlighting the challenges, these studies have also offered recommendations regarding how these challenges will be tackled. Studies have been also conducted that focused on the appropriate methods and approaches of change management in SMEs

Benefits and Effectiveness of Accounting Essay Example for Free

Benefits and Effectiveness of Accounting Essay The research was based on two variables these are computerized accounting systems which comprise of definitions, components of computerized accounting software and benefits and limitation of computerized system and financial reporting which also comprises of definitions of financial reports, benefits and effectiveness of accounting system used at National Water and Sewerage Corporation. The study will enable management to understand the significance of preparing quality and reliable financial reports. The study will point out weakness in the accounting system which management needs to address. The Government of Malaysia through the Department of Accountant General (MDAG) has instructed MARA to implement the Standard Accounting System for Government Agencies (SAGA). This is a total Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, developed based on web-based application and is using an accrual basis of accounting. The SAGA financial system enables its users, particularly the government agencies to close their accounts on a daily basis, monitor their daily financial activities as well as produce standardized financial reports to the stakeholders at any place and any time. However, upon completion of the SAGA financial system analysis, MARA identifies that the system could not cater all MARA business activities. Processes such as disbursement of scholarship and loans to students and entrepreneurs are not covered by the system. As such, MARA still has to maintain its existing databases and therefore made special request to the MDAG to exclude the implementation of SAGA while awaiting MARA ICT consultant’s recommendations on the development of a new MARA Total Information and Financial System. As a conclusion, the SAGA financial systems could not be used by MARA on its own. The end-users in MARA need to operate both, SAGA and its own systems at the same time. This situation could lead to users’ confusion if they are to use different type of system when updating certain type of financial transaction. This is because the end-user of MARA Computerized Accounting System could only utilized the SAGA Financial System just for ordinary operating expenditures whilst any disbursement of expenditure pertaining to subsidiary system, they still need to use the existing MARA Financial Systems. Consequently, internal controls and security functions may not be easily built in the systems. Concurrent use of both systems may affect job satisfaction and performance of the end-users. Introducing Computerized Accounting Information Systems in a Developing Nation: Egyptian International Motors This study aims to assess the implementation of accounting information system on a company in a developing nation. To answer this question this manuscript attempts to do the following: (1) identify the reasons for the shift to an automated system and the main goals that the company aim to achieve form this shift, (2) determine the company’s strategic decisions like choices between outsourcing versus in-house development, and ready made packages versus tailor made software, (3) describe the steps of implementation, (4) understand the reaction of the employees to the new automated system, (5) study the required changes on the organizational chart and human resources qualifications that are required, (6) recognize the problems that the company met during the process, (6) point the advantages of the shift to the automated system. A computerized accounting System provides many advantages over manual systems, for example entries do not have to be recorded in multiple ledgers so as to fulfill the cardinal rules of financial reporting.A single entry is made and the system will populate all the appropriate corresponding accounts automatically. Computerized accounting also makes it possible for people in other departments,not just accounting to enter data.It does not require avast amount of accounting knowledge for a payroll clerk to enter wages details into the accounts,a basic understanding of how to use the system is sufficient The study intends to find out the effect of a computerized accounting system on the quality of financial reports generated by an organization. To examine the effect of computerize accounting systems quality financial reporting. To determine the challenges encountere by organizations before and after implementing a computerized accounting system. To identify strategies/measures of ensuring quality financial reporting. An accounting system is part of the organisation’s management information system therefore a good or decent accounting system must be able to produce reports like trial balance, aged debtors and aged creditors. Accounting systems must provide data that should enable the production of management accounts, statutory accounts and must also assist the managers and accountants in discharging their stewardship roles. Production Of Accounts A good system should enable the firm to produce its management reports and management accounts at short notice. This will enable the organisation to monitor performance, to take decisions quickly and to make decision based on objective and verifiable information. Audit Trail Audit trail is very important as it will enable auditors and senior managers to monitor transactions entered in the accounting system and this will ensure that there is information integrity. A good system should document the changes that have been made in the system, who made the changes and it should also be able to track what was changed. Compatibility With Other Programmes A strong characteristic of a good accounting system is that it must be compatible with other systems. For example, it should easily be configurable so that it can communicate with other programmes like Excel or Crystal. An accounting system should be able to export transactions and reports into Excel and it should allow data and transactions to be imported from an external source. This will lead to time savings as there will be no need to duplicate a role or process. Error Detection If an accounting system does not dictate errors then it is not a good accounting package as it is failing to perform a basic functionality. An accounting package should decline to post transactions that do not balance for example the total debits should equal the total credits and if this is not the case, then the accounting system should automatically flag this error. Internal Controls Internal controls are the eyes and ears of the organisation and a good accounting system should embed these internal controls into the system. Internal controls enable prevention and detection of fraud and error. An accounting system should enable internal control tools like segregation of duties, reconciliations and account allocations. A good accounting system should not allow users to delete data that has been posted into the system. Manual Vs Computerized Accounting Computerized accounting systems provide more benefits than manual ones, allowing for more accurate calculations, in less time. Compared to manual accounting, with a computerized system errors are far less common, eliminating human error. And with accounting programs that are industry-specific, you can benefit from various preset templates for your general ledger, saving more time. You can store virtually endless information, without any trouble at all. And if you later want to review financial information from several years ago, with a computerized accounting system you can do it easily, while with a manual one you would have to sort through stacks of paper ledgers. Bottom line, both systems may be useful to some extent. But for more accurate bookkeeping and increased efficiency, a computerized accounting system seems to have more advantages. You can find several free versions online, as well as more proficient accounting software available for purchase. Search online for such accounting systems, read about their features and decide which one would be better for your particular business needs. Although they will not allow you to physically handle the ledgers, it will provide a better accounting solution. The advantages of Computerized Accounting seem to be unknown by business owners and individuals who are in doubt of purchasing Accounting Software. Accounting Software has been a trend nowadays. With the vast Computerized System Providers and wide range of versions to choose from, Accounting System has evolved to be one of the trends in information technology. Computerized Systems are designed to create more value in Financial Accounting. Value can be relayed in terms of speed, accuracy and reliability of accounting data. With Computerized System, invoices can be transmitted in an instant through email; inventories are appropriately monitored; and disbursements are tracked for payments to be done before due dates. It helps Bookkeepers to reduce manual activities. When transactions are entered in the Accounting System, automatic entries are posted to generate data needed for financial reporting. Accounting Software enables Bookkeepers and Accountants to adjust necessary accounts to reflect the correct amount of each Account. Computerized Accounting allows Accountants to trace erroneous data and entry in a creative and organized manner through the help of summaries, list of accounts and original entries. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Tsang Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7017983 Computers are extensively used in accounting and there are multitude of computer software for Accounting, MIS, CRM. HiTech Financial Accounting is one such software which has been customized for users in many segments in business and services. Payroll accounting was the first commercial area to become widely computerized. The calculation of wages or salaries involves a number of variables which relate to the personal details of each employee, such as gross pay or rate for the job, individual deductions, tax liabilities of the employees and so on. These facts can be retained in the computers and processed every month of produce pay slips for the employees. The computer helps to exercise the type of stock control needed by the organization. It up to dates the sales and purchases records, determines optimum re-order levels for different items and prints out the stock lists when desired. The system can be so designed that it triggers orders when stock level reaches order point for variou s material items; tests those item which are slow moving or gives list for over stock items. Programming can be done for any sales accounting system. The computer will pin point defaulting debtors, determine the right limit for credit for each debtor and maintain stores ledger. Costing and budgetary control can be affected through the computer, the computer will point out the variations from the planned performance.The computer also helps greatly in production planning and control. It is possible that scheduling of the work may become necessary due to break downs etc. A new critical path may have to be worked out. A critical path is the shortest path to be followed in production to achieve production objectives. The computer helps the management lay down this new critical path. The increasing competition and the highly demands of globalization, Malaysia government attempt for Small Medium Enterprise, SME for the development of innovative, competitive with high technology. Computerized accounting system (CAS) adoption may be decisive factor for an organization to be success and also to survive. This research project which aimed to investigate SME practice of CAS and to identify the factor affecting the adoption among SMEs in Melaka. A survey was carried out through a set of questionnaires to examine the CEO Innovativeness Factors Scale, Perceive Usefulness Factors Scale, Perceive Ease of Use Factors Scale and Business Competitiveness. The sample selected comprised of CEOs of SMEs in three districts in Melaka, namely Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin. The data gathered were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis, Pearson Correlation analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).This study reveals that CAS adoption rate in SMEs in Melaka is high. Results from the analysis also shown the significant of independent variables and proved the relationships have been substantiated to the dependent variable which contribute to the usage of CAS adoption between SMEs in Melaka. The findings indicate that CEO innovativeness; perceive ease of use and business competitiveness negatively correlated to the adoption of CAS. Results reveals that only perceive usefulness are significantly positive correlated to CAS adoption. Therefore it can be deduced that adoption of CAS among SMEs in Melaka is caused by its usefulness. The findings reveal that types of business and business location influence the adoption of CAS. However, size (paid up capital, sales turnover and number of employee) do not influence the adopter. Results also indicate that CEO literacy on ICT, accounting and CAS has influence the responded CEO to adopt CAS in their business. However, the advantages by using the accounting systems software were not fully utilized by CAS adopters. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/view/18273

The Body Farm Essay Example for Free

The Body Farm Essay Scarpetta’s actions show that she is in good mental and physical shape. For example, every â€Å"morning [she] woke up† and she â€Å"went out for a run in the brisk, moist air† (159). In this quote the author tells the reader that Kay Scarpetta runs on a daily basis. This means that along with being physically fit, she is able to allow her mind to push herself every morning to get up and go running. In addition, Kay Scarpetta was wondering â€Å"if there might be some other explanation for why she chosen this route† (113). In this quote the reader can conclude the Dr. Scarpetta is logically trying to find a reason for why she chose the route that she did. Additionally, the author describes Kay and how there is a â€Å"fierce battle being fought in [her] mind† (168). As a result, Kay’s mind is becoming stronger. Good mental and physical shape is portrayed by Kay Scarpetta’s actions. By examining Dr. Kay Scarpetta’s appearance the reader can see that she is a wealthy person. For instance, the â€Å"black flight suit† was recognizable to Kay Scarpetta (52). In this quote Kay Scarpetta was able to recognize this specific flight suit since she is able to afford to fly on airplanes a lot. For example, Kay â€Å"still wasn’t certain why [she] had bought [her] charcoal Mercedes 500E† (169). In this quote the author is stating that Kay doesn’t know why she really did buy the car. This shows that she is wealthy because if she wasn’t then why would she randomly buy a new car for a reason that was unknown. Additionally, Kay would wear a â€Å"boldly colorful warm-up suit [she] wore on the occasions when [she] played tennis† (170). This means that she has enough money to buy a warm-up suit for only whenever she plays tennis. Dr. Scarpetta could be thought as a wealthy person by examining her appearance. Kay Scarpetta’s speech shows that she is well educated. To illustrate that she is educated Dr. Kay Scarpetta said that if â€Å"you make those casts, and you’re going to find the impression on the shoulder’s going to match the impression back there on the road† (261). This quote informs the reader that Kay Scarpetta is a well educated woman in this field. The reader can conclude that Kay had special training of some sort to be able to know about how to make and find impressions. In addition, Dr. Scarpetta found out that the â€Å"Bureau knows that I couldn’t have been Lucy’s thumb scanned into the biometric lock system† (373). In this quote the author mentions the biometric lock system. That lock system must be familiar to Dr. Scarpetta since she knew about it and could tell that it was not Lucy’s thumb print. For example, Kay Scarpetta is giving the autopsy Emily and she notices â€Å"the visceral pleura shows scattered petechiae along the interlobar fissures† (99). This means that Kay went to medical school because she knows these terms that only a medical examiner would know. By examining Dr. Scarpetta’s speech it informs the reader that she is well educated. Dr. Kay Scarpetta has several different personalities. For instance, Dr. Scarpetta â€Å"began to dread working late at night† (2). This quote is describing how she is not working as hard as she used to. In addition, Kay Scarpetta â€Å"could not stop wondering what more [she] could have done† (4). This means that Kay Scarpetta was working really hard to try and figure something out. This is another side of her personality. Additionally, Dr. Kay Scarpetta â€Å"got [her] revolver out of the briefcase† (327). In this quote she is taking out a revolver and is thinking about using it, but previously she mentioned that she does not like to use guns. Ms. Scarpetta has multiple personalities.

Optical Sensing of Molecular Oxygen

Optical Sensing of Molecular Oxygen Optical sensing of molecular oxygen is gaining approval in many areas, such as biological research,1 clinical and medical applications,2 process control in the chemical industry3 and in food4 and pharmaceutical5 packaging, to name just a few. The best sensor should be stable, robust, easy-to-use and not prone to electrical interferences.6, 7 Quenched-luminescence oxygen sensing has attracted a great deal of attention and scientific endeavor in recent years. In particular, solid-state sensors holds many advantages over traditional oxygen sensing techniques like Clarke-type electrodes8 as they fulfil the above requirements and additionally have a reversible response to oxygen and can measure oxygen non-invasively without being put in contact with the sample.9 Solid-state sensors usually consist of an indicator dye encapsulated within an oxygen permeable polymer matrix.6, 10 The properties of the encapsulation matrix used, for instance its dye compatibility, oxygen permeability, wettability and mechanical properties, determine the final sensor operating parameters such as sensitivity and response time.6 The selectivity of the sensor is dependent on the indicating dye used. Compounds such as ruthenium and iridium compounds have been investigated,11, 12 however oxygen sensors based on platinum13 and palladium14, 15 metallopor phyrins has been the main focus of many research groups in the past.13 Polymers with high and moderate oxygen permeability have been used as encapsulation matrices, for instance, polystyrene, placticized polyvinylchloride, polydimethylsiloxane and fluorinated polymers.6 Many sensors require an additional support material due to the thin-film nature of many dye encapsulation matrices. The support material improves the mechanical properties of the sensor and aids handling and optical measurements.16 These oxygen sensors are usually produced by solution-based techniques by which the polymer is dried from an organic solvent cocktail,17 or by polymerization or curing of liquid precursors.18 Other dye incorporation methods include adsorption,19 covalent binding,20 solvent crazing,21 and polymer swelling methods (REF US). However, as previously shown in a study (REF US), some microporous membranes materials can be used as stand-alone sensor materials as they have sufficient thickness and light-scattering properties in addition to good mechanical properties and reasonably fast response times to oxygen in the gas phase. Although used in many applications (see above), many current sensor materials, fabrication techniques and polymeric matrixes are unsuited to large-scale applications such as packaging. A sensor for packaging should exhibit high robustness and reproducibility between batches, low cost (less than 1c per cm3)6 and be easily incorporated into existing packaging processes. Care should be taken when developing such sensors to limit the number of ingredients in order to limit their overall production costs.22 To be suitable for food and pharmaceutical packaging applications specifically, the sensor should be non-toxic,23 easily incorporated into the packaging and provide an adequate shelf-life for the required application.9 The sensors must also be capable of being mass produced in a continuous basis. Polyolefins such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are common polymers which represent over half the total polymers produced in the world.24 Although the mechanical and gas-permeability properties of PP and PE are capable of oxygen sensing,25 there are obstacles regarding insolubility in common organic solvents and incompatibility with many oxygen sensing dyes. However, some PE and PP-based oxygen sensors have been created by solvent-crazing,25 hot polymer extrusion26 and swelling methods (REF US) that show potential for packaging applications. Of late, non-woven polyolefin materials have been developed for a range of industrial applications including textiles, membranes, filtration systems27 and charge separators in Li-ion batteries.28 These materials are cost-effective, have suitable chemical and thermal stability, gas permeability, uniformity and thicknesses between 20-150 microns.27, 29 In addition, they are micro-porous, light-scattering and have a large surface area.28-31 These membranes can also be modified to improve wettability by grafting the surface of the polymer with hydrophilic monofibres.32, 33 In this study, we evaluated two types of grafted PP as a matrix for fabrication of O2 sensors. The polymer membranes selected for this study consists of PP monofibres bound together by the wetlaid and spunbond method into flat flexible sheets. They possess a high surface area, good mechanical and chemical resistance and light-scattering properties. In addition the membranes have been grafted with a hydrophilic surface in order to improve wettability which is beneficial for opto-chemical sensing applications. Therefore, a simple spotting method can be used to incorporate the dye into the membrane. The advantage of this is the membrane doesn’t need an extra support matrix and the spotting method can be carried out with readily available commercial equipment when it progresses to upscaling. In addition, due to the size of the discrete spots, consumption of solvents and substrate material is kept to a minimum which lowers production cost. 1.D. B. Papkovsky and R. I. Dmitriev, Chemical Society Reviews, 2013. 2.D.-F. Lee, H.-P. Kuo, M. Liu, C.-K. Chou, W. Xia, Y. Du, J. Shen, C.-T. Chen, L. Huo, M.-C. Hsu, C.-W. Li, Q. Ding, T.-L. Liao, C.-C. Lai, A.-C. Lin, Y.-H. Chang, S.-F. Tsai, L.-Y. Li and M.-C. Hung, Molecular Cell, 2009, 36, 131-140. 3.T. Hyakutake, H. Taguchi, H. Sakaue and H. Nishide, Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 2008, 19, 1262-1269. 4.A. Hempel, #039, M. Sullivan, D. Papkovsky and J. Kerry, Foods, 2013, 2, 213-224. 5.T. Lenarczuk, S. GłĆ¦b and R. Koncki, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2001, 26, 163-169. 6.Y. Amao, Microchim. Acta, 2003, 143, 1-12. 7.A. Mills, Platinum Metals Rev, 1997, 41, 115-127. 8.M. Quaranta, S. M. Borisov and I. Klimant, Bioanalytical reviews, 2012, 4, 115-157. 9.A. Mills, Chemical Society Reviews, 2005, 34, 1003-1011. 10.S. M. Borisov, T. Mayr and I. Klimant, Analytical chemistry, 2008, 80, 573-582. 11.C.-S. Chu, Appl. Opt., 2011, 50, E145-E151. 12.Z. Wei, U. Paul and M. Mary-Ann, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2003, 36, 1689. 13.T.-S. Yeh, C.-S. Chu and Y.-L. Lo, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2006, 119, 701-707. 14.C.-S. Chu, Journal of Luminescence, 2013, 135, 5-9. 15.D. Badocco, A. Mondin and P. Pastore, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2011, 158, 54-61. 16.D. B. Papkovsky, A. N. Ovchinnikov, V. I. Ogurtsov, G. V. Ponomarev and T. Korpela, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 1998, 51, 137-145. 17.K. Koren, S. M. Borisov, R. Saf and I. Klimant, European journal of inorganic chemistry, 2011, 2011, 1531-1534. 18.C. von Bultzingslowen, A. K. McEvoy, C. McDonagh, B. D. MacCraith, I. Klimant, C. Krause and O. S. Wolfbeis, The Analyst, 2002, 127, 1478-1483. 19.M. Kameda, H. Seki, T. Makoshi, Y. Amao and K. Nakakita, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2012, 171-172, 343-349. 20.Y. Tian, B. R. Shumway and D. R. Meldrum, Chemistry of Materials, 2010, 22, 2069-2078. 21.A. V. Volkov, A. A. Tunyan, M. A. Moskvina, A. L. Volynskii, A. I. Dement’ev and N. F. Bakeev, Polymer Science Series A, 2009, 51, 563-570. 22.N. B. Borchert, G. V. Ponomarev, J. P. Kerry and D. B. Papkovsky, Analytical chemistry, 2010, 83, 18-22. 23.P. Marek, J. J. Velasco-Velà ©z, T. Haas, T. Doll and G. Sadowski, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2013, 178, 254-262. 24.T. C. M. Chung, Macromolecules, 2013, 46, 6671-6698. 25.R. N. Gillanders, O. V. Arzhakova, A. Hempel, A. Dolgova, J. P. Kerry, L. M. Yarysheva, N. F. Bakeev, A. L. Volynskii and D. B. Papkovsky, Analytical chemistry, 2009, 82, 466-468. 26.A. Mills and A. Graham, The Analyst, 2013, 138, 6488-6493. 27.L.-S. Wan, Z.-M. Liu and Z.-K. Xu, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 1775-1785. 28.Q. Xu, J. Yang, J. Dai, Y. Yang, X. Chen and Y. Wang, Journal of Membrane Science, 2013, 448, 215-222. 29.H. Boukehili and P. Nguyen-Tri, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 2012, 31, 1638-1651. 30.Z.-P. Zhao, M.-S. Li, N. Li, M.-X. Wang and Y. Zhang, Journal of Membrane Science, 2013, 440, 9-19. 31.T.-H. Cho, M. Tanaka, H. Ohnishi, Y. Kondo, M. Yoshikazu, T. Nakamura and T. Sakai, Journal of Power Sources, 2010, 195, 4272-4277. 32.R. van Reis and A. Zydney, Journal of Membrane Science, 2007, 297, 16-50. 33.H.-y. Guan, F. Lian, Y. Ren, Y. Wen, X.-r. Pan and J.-l. Sun, Int J Miner Metall Mater, 2013, 20, 598-603.

Humanised Organs Can Be Grown In Animals :: Stem Cell Research Biology Science Essays

Humanised Organs Can Be Grown In Animals Ever since stem cell research has been discovered there have been many controversial arguments discussing whether or not this method is okay to use when dealing with patients. Research on stem cells is advancing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Since it was discovered, stem cell research is coming a very long way, even though these processes probably won’t be experimented in humans years for decades. Right now in stem cell research we are extracting stem cells from humans bone marrow and inserting them into animal fetus's before the immune system can learn the difference between it's own cells and foreign cells. The plan is to grow more human stem cells in animal organs than animal cells so we can perform organ transplants to replace damaged organs with the animal's organs. The only problem about this, is a rejection of the animal portion of cells in the human body. This means that the cells in our body could attack this new organ. Although, this therapy is still years away, the beginning processes have been started by a team led by Esmail Zanjani at the University of Nevada. Zanjani’s team hopes that the animal-human organs they are working on will have compatible new cells that are exactly the same as a patient’s organs for fixing damaged organs. With the new research they have found, it could be possible that they replace whole organs. The only problem about animal-human organs is that people could get viruses from animals that humans don’t normally acquire The original plan of Zanjani’s was to see prevent birth defects in unborn babies by injecting healthy stem cells into the fetus but in the process of doing this, he found that in doing this process, it could also be used to grow â€Å"humanized† organs. This idea came from the work of Flake. He found that the human cells develop into part of the heart, skin, muscle, fat, and other tissues when stem cells are taken out of bone marrow and injected into sheep fetuses. Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special functions such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Humanised Organs Can Be Grown In Animals :: Stem Cell Research Biology Science Essays Humanised Organs Can Be Grown In Animals Ever since stem cell research has been discovered there have been many controversial arguments discussing whether or not this method is okay to use when dealing with patients. Research on stem cells is advancing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Since it was discovered, stem cell research is coming a very long way, even though these processes probably won’t be experimented in humans years for decades. Right now in stem cell research we are extracting stem cells from humans bone marrow and inserting them into animal fetus's before the immune system can learn the difference between it's own cells and foreign cells. The plan is to grow more human stem cells in animal organs than animal cells so we can perform organ transplants to replace damaged organs with the animal's organs. The only problem about this, is a rejection of the animal portion of cells in the human body. This means that the cells in our body could attack this new organ. Although, this therapy is still years away, the beginning processes have been started by a team led by Esmail Zanjani at the University of Nevada. Zanjani’s team hopes that the animal-human organs they are working on will have compatible new cells that are exactly the same as a patient’s organs for fixing damaged organs. With the new research they have found, it could be possible that they replace whole organs. The only problem about animal-human organs is that people could get viruses from animals that humans don’t normally acquire The original plan of Zanjani’s was to see prevent birth defects in unborn babies by injecting healthy stem cells into the fetus but in the process of doing this, he found that in doing this process, it could also be used to grow â€Å"humanized† organs. This idea came from the work of Flake. He found that the human cells develop into part of the heart, skin, muscle, fat, and other tissues when stem cells are taken out of bone marrow and injected into sheep fetuses. Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special functions such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

The Doctor’s Wife and So Long a Letter Essay -- Literature

Men have been shown to be the prime cause of competition between the women characters in the novels â€Å"The Doctor’s Wife† by Sawako Ariyoshi and â€Å"So Long a Letter† by Mariama Bà ¢. This is strongly evident in â€Å"The Doctor’s Wife† from the time Umpei returns home, after completing his education. A major change is also noticed in Otsugi’s behavior towards Kae. The intense tension caused by the competition between the women characters is also shown in â€Å"So Long a Letter† when the two men, Modou Fall and Mawdo Bà ¢, marry their second wives. In this essay I will be discussing how men are shown to be the prime cause of competition between the women characters in the novels â€Å"The Doctor’s Wife† and â€Å"So Long a Letter† and why the writers use this element. This competition helps in developing the plots of the two novels. For example, throughout the letter that Ramatoulaye writes to Aissatou, the plot of â€Å"So Long a Letter† revolves around the second marriages of Modou Fall and Mawdo Bà ¢. This creates a sense of competition between Ramatoulaye and Aissatou, their first wives respectively. The competition between Ramatoulaye and Binetou to acquire the attention of their husband, Modou Fall and between Aissatou and la Petite Nabou for Mawdo Bà ¢ is what keeps the readers’ interest in the novel. This competition becomes all the more evident when Ramatoulaye describes the formalities involved in carrying out the death ceremony for her husband, Modou Fall. When all the formalities have ended, Binetou, Ramatoulaye’s ‘co-Wife’, finally leaves. This gives Ramatoulaye a sense of relief. This occurs when she says, â€Å"Tonight Binetou, my co-Wife, will return to her SICAP villa. At last! Phew!†(Bà ¢, p. 8) Her expressions and feelings about Binetou are expressed... ...ice has known thirty years of silence, thirty years of harassment.†(Bà ¢, p. 57) This clearly gives a picture of the mental state of Ramatoulaye after Modou’s second marriage. Again, this is the result of the competition that Modou created between Ramatoulaye and Binetou. From this, we are able to conclude that men have been shown to be the primary cause of competition between women characters in the novels â€Å"The Doctor’s Wife† and â€Å"So Long a Letter†. This competition has been used by the writers to enhance the plot development, by creating conflict and to show the mental state of women. Thus the novels make reading interesting for the readers. Bibliography †¢ Ariyoshi, Sawako. The Doctor’s Wife. Trans. Wakako Hironaka and Ann Siller Kostant. Tokyo: Kodansha Int. 2003. †¢ Bà ¢, Mariama. So Long a Letter. Trans. Modupà © Bodà ©-Thomas. London: Heinemann, 1989. Print.

Police Brutality: Black Lives Matter Essay -- Use of Excessive Force, R

A father purchased a toy gun as a birthday gift for his young son. His son went outside to play and and encountered a police officer who shot him seven times. This incident occurred in Sonoma County in October 2013. A similar incident occurred in November 2014 when Cleveland police killed a 12-year-old boy carrying a toy gun. Use of excessive force by police is common in impoverished "black" or "brown" communities. The website, uslegal.com, defines police brutality as: Police brutality is a civil rights violation that occurs when a police officer acts with excessive force by using an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more than necessary. Excessive force by law enforcement officers is a violation of a person's rights. Excessive force is not subject to a precise definition, but it is generally beyond the force a reasonable and prudent law enforcement officer would use under the circumstances (â€Å"Police Brutality Law & Legal Definition†,2013). Cases of brutality from people, who are supposed to protect against it, have existed even when the United States was a fairly new country. The oppression by people in power, even the U.S. Constitution excludes â€Å"Illegal persons† as three fifths of a person, which includes slaves, immigrants, and Native Americans. Another example of oppression by individuals in power would be during the Indian Removal Act of 1830, millions of native peoples were removed from lands that they had been living on and cultivating for generations. Although many tribes had tried to fight this removal, the Cherokee tribe had fought this act through the court system, which had granted them to stay on their land. The United States President, Andrew Jackson, disregarded the court's decision to gra... ...vidge, A. (2013). Hundreds rally statewide against police brutality in wake of Lopez death. Available at: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/hundreds-rally-statewide-against-police-brutality-/nbnmT/ â€Å"Police Brutality Law and Legal Definition† (2013). Uslegal.com. Available at: http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/police-brutality/ Rodney King Beating and Riots. CNN documentary (Full length). (2011, March 6). YouTube. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWhYmb1sANM Police Brutality Statistics. (2011, April 13).| Cop Block. Retrieved December 18, 2013, Available at: http://www.copblock.org/2841/police-brutality-statistics/ Goodman, B. & Dewan, S. (2007, April 27). Prosecutors Say Corruption in Atlanta Police Dept. Is Widespread. The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/us/27atlanta.html

Business: Marketing and Soft Drink Industry Essay

Q. 1 How would you characterize the dip category in general? Q. 2 How might the dip category be segmented? Q. 3 What is Frito Lays Competitive Position within the segments it pursues? Q. 4 What sales volume and market share(s) will be required of the dip line to preserve its profit contribution given budgeted promotion expenses? Q. 5 What are the pros and cons of focusing attention on the â€Å"chip dip† segment? Q. 6 What are the pros and cons of focusing attention on the â€Å"vegetable dip segment? Additional Suggested Readings for this case: a) Edward M. Tauber, (1988) â€Å"Brand Leverage: Strategy for Growth in a Cost-controlled World† Journal of Advertising Research, Sept-Oct, pp. 26-30 b) Peter H. Farquhar et. al. (1992) â€Å"Strategies for Leveraging Master Brands†, Marketing Research, Sept. , pp. 32-43. ******************************* Ch. 5 : Proctor and Gamble, Inc: Scope : Pg. 173 Q. 1 What significant changes have occurred in the Canadian mouthwash market in the last three years? Q. 2 How would you evaluate the performance of scope in the past three years? Q. 3 What are the pros and cons of the options available for scope? Q. 4 Prepare a Marketing plan for the forthcoming year. ******************************* Ch. 6 : Cadbury Beverages, Inc: Crush brand : Pg 249 Q. 1 How would you characterize the carbonated soft drink industry in the US? Q. 2 How would you describe the changes in the orange category during the period 1985 to 1989? What can be learned from these changes? Q. 3 What is Cadbury Beverages relative competitive position in the U. S. soft drink industry? In the orange categody? Q. 4 Based on your assessment of the soft drink industry, the orange flavored category, and the competitive situation of Cadbury beverages and orange crush, what is your recommendation for positioning orange CRUSH? Q. 5 What objectives should be set for CRUSH advertising and promotion program? What strategies should be pursued? Q. 6 How much should be spent for advertising and promotion to relaunch orange CRUSH? Extra Clues For Case Analysis: 1) Do not overlook the actual size of the orange category. Remember the total market is 2. 5 times supermarket volume. Further, Do not overlook the notion of â€Å"served market†. This is important since orange CRUSH has the lowest (bottler) market coverage of the major competitors. 2) Your recommendations relating to positioning and advertising / promotion programs should be rationally thought out based on careful articulation of industry and product-market dynamics, competitive behavior, and the concentrate producer price-cost structure. ******************************* Ch. 7 : Dell Computer Corporation: The Higher Education Market : Pg 316 Q. 1 How would one characterize Dell Computer Corporation? Q. 2 From where does ESL Business Unit obtain its revenue? Q. 3 How would one describe the higher education market for computers? Q. 4 How well does Dell Computer’s marketing approach â€Å"fit† the higher education market? Q. 5 What should Dell Computer do and Why? ******************************* Ch. 8 : Southwest Airlines : Pg 393 Q. 1 How would you characterize the US Airline industry in the early 1990s Q. 2 How can the economics of the airline industry be used to explain the performance of individual airlines and the industry as a whole? Q. 3 How is it that Southwest Airlines has been able to consistently grow and prosper in the US passenger airline industry? Q. 4 How would you describe United’s goals, objectives and strategy for â€Å"Shuttle by United†? Q. 5 How has Southwest Airlines responded to the â€Å"Shuttle by United† initiative? What assessments can be made about Southwest’s market and financial position on competitive routes based on 1994 Fourth Quarter Results? Q. 6 Based on your assessments, how would you interpret United’s decision to a) discontinue â€Å"Shuttle by United† service for the Oakland-Ontario market, and b) raise the one-way walk up first class and coach fare on all 14 â€Å"Shuttle by United† routes by $10. 00? Q. 7 How should Southwest Airlines Respond, if at all, to the â€Å"Shuttle by United† decision to change its service and price? Why? ******************************* Ch. 9 : Amazon. com: Winning the Online Book Wars : pg 495 Q. 1 Amazon. com is a retailer. How, in general, do retailers generate revenues and profits and grow and compete? Q. 2 Describe the nature of competitive rivalry in e-commerce retailing for consumer products in early 1998. How do e-commerce retailers (e-tailers) compete, thrive and survive? Q. 3 How would you describe amazon. com’s customer value proposition, distinctive competency and core marketing strategy? Q. 4 Can amazon. com tweak its business model to make a profit on book sales in 1998? What can the company do? Q. 5 How can Amazon. com grow profitably? What strategy do you recommend for a two- to five- year horizon? ******************************* Ch. 10 : Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc: Rogain Hair Regrowth Treatment : Pg. 560 Q. 1 How would you characterize various treatments for balding? Why do people use these treatments? Q. 2 How effective is Rogaine as a treatment for balding and for whom? Q. 3 How will the buying process for non-prescription Rogaine differ from the buying process for prescription rogaine? Q. 4 Describe and explain the U. S. sales performance of Rogaine through 1995. Was the marketing objective of â€Å"maximizing† sales of Rogaine in the US market achieved? Q. 5 How realistic is the belief, expressed by Pharmacia & Upjohn Officials, that non-prescription Rogain (minoxidil) sales of $1 billion were possible over five years given the marketing program for the brand? Q. 6 How might the loss of U. S. patent protection and marketing exclusively enjoyed by Rogaine since its introduction and competition from generic products affect sales of the Rogaine brand? Q. 7 Will the U. S. marketing strategy developed for non-prescription Rogaine prior to the FDA’s recent rulings need to be modified? If so, how?

Cultural Differences Essay

Dear Vice President of Production, Mark Jones, a Production Manager, has been transferred from the manufacturing plant in his hometown of Chicago to his company’s overseas manufacturing plant in Osaka, Japan and I am writing to let you know the differences that Mark will experience in managing front-line plant workers in Japan in contrast to in the United States and also address how cultural differences may play a role in individual differences Mark will experience. Three differences that Mark may experience are: * Language Barriers * Technology * Politics In the United States individuals tend to speak loudly and are more assertive or aggressive when addressing workers or giving direction. Individuals in Japan speak softly and are generally more passive. With language barriers making a conscious effort to be considerate of others can aid in effective communication in the business setting. The increase of conduct business with each other is due to globalization. Technology aids people to connect one another much easier, however it may be easy for most but there are individuals that are completely lost when it comes to technology. Another thing to consider is the time zone differences. Yes you may be able to video chat with someone in Japan they are not in the same time zone as you are, so ensuring to conduct whatever form of communication you choose is considerate of the time difference. The way a company conducts business can be affected by political influences. Some cultures pose a strong sense of government pride, and nationalism. Other cultures tend to negotiate with companies that have minimum conflict with their culture. I believe with our help Mark can move overseas with minimum transition problems. I suggest these three things that could stand to aid Mark make the transition as smooth as possible. It is important that Mark researches the Japanese cultural. I recommended this because knowing what to expect can give him a head start so that he can address any possible doubts or concerns that might arise with the font line workers. Mark should be clear and careful in communicating with the workers. Due to the language barrier that already exists Mark has to be extremely careful when communicating to ensure the workers understand what he is asking or telling them to do. Finally Mark should regularly check with his employees to ensure they have what is needed for them to do their job as well as how things are going for them. Mark would also want to aid his employees in the transition as well. Not only doe’s transition problems affect Mark they affect the works as well.

Japan †United Arab Emirates Economic system Essay

The economy of a country is hugely pegged on Energy and Agriculture among other facets that characterize the growth of an economy. Energy is the dynamic indicator of the developmental level of countries. Eastern Asian countries are currently at acceleration in economic growth. Energy has been a key factor especially on the issue of renewable energy versus the crude oil use in fueling these economies. The UAE is currently contemplating the development of peaceful nuclear power energy that will be safe and secure. In fact, the US supports the UEA nuclear energy use. Japan imports 99% of its crude oil. Japan’s dependence on imported Fossil oil illustratively shows that in 2001, 50. 1% of all energy sources came from oil, 16. 8% from coal and 13. 6% from natural gas while nuclear energy contributed 14. 4% of all of Japan’s energy needs (ENS, 2006). Thus, due to the above shortcomings, Japan had to seek a new energy source and this led to adoption of renewable energy. The country is a leader in wind energy, solar energy and hydro energy. In fact, the country hopes that by 2020, about 20% of its internal energy use ought to be sourced from renewable energy sources. In the event of oil depletion, UAE should be ready to choose between nuclear or renewable energy and at the same avoid Japan’s previous mistakes. Agriculture in UAE and its uniqueness This sector in UAE includes the populous fishing which was a non-critical part of the economy contributing less than 2% of the GDP in 1990s but now is a big part of the economy. For many years now, the demand for agricultural produce in UAE has been rising steadily (Al-Abed et al, 2006). In this manner, the availability of capital and the above stated demand have fueled the agricultural sector in the UAE. The major farming areas include Diqdaqah in Ras al Khaymah, Al Awir in Dubayy, the coastal areas of Fujayrah and Falaj al Umm al Qaywayn among other widely recognized areas. In UAE, most of the farming land is pro-occupied by date palms (Al-Abed et al, 2006). These crops are cultivated in the arc of small oasis that constitutes the Al Liwa Oasis. The federal and the emirate governments are a fundamental force on the high proliferation of agriculture in UAE. This is because the government is widely known to offer about 50% subsidy on fertilizer and seeds among other farm inputs. Moreover, loans are granted are offered by the same government to interested farmers for the purchase of machinery. a) Institutions that run Agriculture in UAE Agriculture in the once a desert UAE is more organized more than possibly other places that do not experience the advanced desert weather like conditions of UAE. This is due to the efficient and effective agricultural administrative units that run this now very recognized sector among government quarters. The UAE has over 40 agricultural extension units which are practicable (Al-Abed et al, 2006). In addition, the UAE has numerous experimental farms and agricultural research stations. Illustratively, the number of farmers in the earlier years of 1970s increased from a mere 4000 to almost 20,000 in the late 1980s. In the late 1970s to mid 1980s, agricultural production increased in the UAE. The number has been increasing and could be at 200,000 currently. However, the UAE sometimes is forced to import most of its food requirements. For instance, in early 1990s, UAE practically imported 70% of its food requirements. ) Challenges of farming in the UAE Despite the above lucrative figures on the kind of farming in the UEA, the region faces a daunting number of challenges than other traditional agricultural areas like Brazil and the US. The lack of arable land, high temperatures, regular locust swarms and quite unpredictable water sources are major set backs for agriculture in the UAE (Al-Abed et al, 2006). For instance, the contraction of the arable farm land is linked to the drying of underground aquifers, a reason why water tables are continuously lowering. The decreasing water tables have an astounding impact on the increasing the salinity of soils and water making farming an unprofitable economic activity (Hurreiz, 2002). The increased creation of more farming areas is also credited with increased clearing of land to farm, a contributor to increased loss of surface water. This has unfortunately forced some farms to close down. In the 1980s, a federal authority was created to control the exploration of underground water through boreholes though many farms have continuously opted for the same to supplement any aquifer waters. c) Variety of agricultural products in the UAE The agricultural sector possibly supplies the country with significant amount of main vegetable crops. The main vegetables that the agricultural arable farming produces include Tomatoes, Cabbages, Cauliflower, Squash and eggplant. It is at Ras al Khaymah that most of the vegetables that support the country’s vegetable supply come from. As mentioned, date palms are grown in the UAE. Other fruits include citrus fruits and Mangoes. Illustratively, a canning plant in Al Ayn has a capacity of processing 120 tons a day (Hurreiz, 2002). For instance, in 1989, poultry farms provided about 70% of local requirements for eggs and 45% of poultry meat. In 1991, over 73,000 tons of milk was processed, meeting 92% of the country demands. d) Government efforts in Promoting Agriculture in UAE The government supports traditional fishing in the rich waters off the UAE. This is a major effort in raising livelihoods. Moreover, the government provides a 50% subsidy on fishing boats and equipment and has further built marine workshops that provide free repair and maintenance of boats. Cooperatives assist fishermen in marketing the fish. Agriculture in Japan and its uniqueness In Japan, agriculture and arable farming is less highly developed in comparison to Brazil or the US. In fact, about only 15% of the country’s land is cultivatable. In Japan, the sector is highly subsidized and protected by the government. Agriculture, fishing and forestry historically have tended to dominate the country’s economy until the 1940s. For instance, in 1945, the industry provided employment for about 50% of the work force (King, 2004). The number has been contracting greatly to about 7. 2% in 1988. Food control policy in the 1950s that assured farmers get high prices from selling to the government increased farmer’s involvement in farming. Livestock farming is minimal in Japan. The desire to get involved in beef farming was as a result of the comparatively higher returns compared to the dairy sector. The dairy sector is more developed in Hokkaido, Iwate, Tohoku and Kyusu. a) Fishing in Japan Historically, Japan is known as a world leader in the industry. For instance, in 1989, the country was second to China in fish production with 11. 9M. The tonnage for the production has been steady over the years (King, 2004). Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is the hub for Japan’s fishing industry and is among the world’s leading markets for fresh, frozen and processed seafood. In Japan, fish farming technology is highly advanced and involves aquaculture and sea farming. The country has above 2000 fishing ports which include among others Nagasaki, Kushiro, Otaru and Abashiri (King, 2004). Comparable features in Agriculture in Japan and UAE First, the two countries have intense reliance on fish farming. Though the Japanese have extensive inland and overseas fishing projects, UEA has mostly artificial internal fishing projects. Secondly, the governments of Japan and UAE have played a key role in accelerating Agriculture in their respective countries (King, 2004). For instance, while UAE provides up to 50% in capital, Japan’s government has a protective and subsidized sector. Another common feature is that in the two counties, agriculture is not recognized as a huge contributor to the GDP. The two countries further have a number of agricultural products. Overview of Nuclear energy Nuclear power plays a vital role in the food and agriculture sectors, medicine and power generation. Nuclear power has the same structure like other power plants but differ in that they utilize energy from nuclear fission to produce electricity. The energy is very clean if well designed, well built, operated and managed. On vital aspect of this type of energy is that it lacks atmospheric emissions or pollution, it is compact and produces less wastes which is confined and self degradable. History of Nuclear energy use in UAE Since independence in 1971, the UAE took great interest in achieving a high economic growth and urbanization. This has made the traditional sources of energy including oil and natural gas to quadruple in the last 20 years making UAE’s energy consumption per capita income the highest in the world. This ideally meant that carbon emission increased double fold and escalated 10 times that emitted by developed countries and the global annual emissions respectively (Kazim, 2007). In order to avoid over reliance on oil as was the case with Japan, UAE has sought international cooperation and assistance in developing renewable energy as well as nuclear energy. In January 2009, Japan and UAE signed a bi-lateral cooperation with US in developing non-proliferation, secure and safe use of nuclear energy (Khaleej, 2009). Additionally, the UAE signed a similar agreement with UK and Japan. The Japan Nuclear bi-lateral nuclear agreement is a three year contract starting 2008. The Middle-Eastern country is emerging as a leader in the use of nuclear energy. UAE is planning to establish nuclear plants that will see it meet a power demand of up to 40,000 MWe by 2020 (Burgermeister, 2009). This move is a major shift in avoiding polarizing as economy dependent on oil Energy which is sensitive to fluctuations in Oil prices. The Japan-UAE nuclear cooperation entails Japan assisting the UAE in facilitating the use of nuclear power. Secondly, the training on nuclear skills, infrastructure and human resource development and assistance in nuclear safety are other areas of Japan’s aid to UAE (Khaleej, 2009). In addition, aid will be provided in protection and radioactive waste management as well the protection of nuclear sites. Free Energy use in UAE The UAE is a key pillar in the renewable energy sector. The country has been bidding to host the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). IRENA which is comprised of 78 countries was formed in January 2009. The body has on its charter plans to lead its member states in uniting in distributing knowledge, initiating and implementing development frameworks and leading the world to adoption of renewable energy (Khaleej, 2009). For UAE to become the headquarters, it has to demonstrate leadership in free energy use in the world. This is a seat that could go to a developing country like UAE. By hosting IRENA headquarters, it shows the world that UAE in sharing knowledge and expertise in renewable energy. UAE is posed to become the next leader in solar energy. Fossils fuels are depleting at a faster rate than new ones can be created. UAE is aware of this and in a move likely to prevent it from making the mistake Japan did, it is leading in investing heavily in free energy sectors of electricity, wind energy, Nuclear energy and solar energy (Middle East Electricity, 2009). UAE is widely expectant that demand in future can out strip supply (Dahl, 1999). Therefore currently, the authorities in the Middle East are getting forced to review their energy policy in a move is directed at founding more assurance in renewable energy sources. The move to invest in renewable energy sources is in line with assurance of energy sources in case fossil fuel deplete is coupled with the need to invest in fuels that either emit less green house gases (Burgermeister, 2009). Nuclear energy for instance is environment friendly provided that it is well operated, managed and secured. In fact, the UAE has a great potential to exploit wind, water and photovoltaic power. Ideally, given the unrivalled expertise in hydrocarbons, the UAE is the possible world leader in renewable energy and environment caring. In deed, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar city plans to spend $ 2 billion on solar technology. Moreover, Abu Dhabi is investing $15bn in a hydrogen plant (Middle East Electricity, 2009). For Saudi Arabia, it is planning to become a leading research center in solar energy and possibly an exporter of solar related technology. UAE holds almost 8. 5% and 3. 3% the world’s oil and natural gas reserves but plans to invest about $10 bn to advancing renewable energy incase of depletion of fossil (Burgermeister, 2009The History of Nuclear power use in Japan Since 1956, Japan has been on a pathway to reducing its reliance on overseas energy sources through progress in Nuclear power use to provide energy for its production units (Pikket, 2002). The country’s commitment is seen in the various treaties that it has signed with other countries. Ideally, there are social issues that challenge Japan’s pursuit of nuclear power. The future of Japan’s Nuclear power is further complicated by domestic and international pressures to enhance safety and security (Kazim, 2007). However, the pursuit was generally fueled by the 1970s oil crisis. In Japan, the environmental problems resulting from energy production, conversion and utilization have increased the awareness in possibly all sectors ranging from public, industry and government (Dahl, 1999). The risk of climate change and the desire to move to a cleaner fuel was one reason towards a shift from reliance on crude oil. Japan discovered that large nuclear plants were both technologically and economically most reliable techniques of replacing fossil fuel over-reliance in production of electricity (Pikket, 2002). Similarity of Japan and UAE on Nuclear Energy Despite the above different historical development on the use and proliferation of Nuclear energy, the two countries faced intense domestic and international pressure to ensure that they comply with the set regulations on the use of the Nuclear energy (Kazim, 2007). For instance, Japan was required to assure that it’s over populated nation would be safe from the emissions of uranium. Secondly, the two nations use the technology to reduce over reliance on fossil fuels (Al-Abed et al, 2006). Crude oil prices have a fluctuating characteristic that puts many nations that basically depend on it at jeopardy should an increase in prices increase. The 1970s oil crisis serves to remind all nations how dependence on oil can really affect economies (Kazim, 2007).

Finding “Love In L.A.” Essay

Stuck in traffic on the Hollywood freeway one morning, a happy-go-lucky guy named Jake gets into an accident amidst nursing a fantastic dream about owning a better car than his beat up ’58 Buick. After surveying the damage on his car and the absence of it, Jake sees an opportunity once he meets the victim of his traffic flight of fancy. He unleashes his charms and proceeds to woo his victim, a Venezuelan immigrant named Marianna, by asking her name and number, and by trying to convince her not to let the authorities know what happened. However, all his attempts fail as Marianna keeps shifting the focus back to the problem at hand. When finally confronted with the responsibility for the damages, Jake decides to lie his way out by giving false information regarding his identity and car insurance. Despite these, he pursued Marianna by claiming to be both a musician and an actor. After the so-called solution to the problem, Marianna seems to warm up to Jake and finally relents in giving her number. As they part ways, Jake notices that Marianna jots down his license plates, making sure that he would be traced. However, Jake has the last laugh as it is revealed that his license plates were just stolen from an old junk. The story ends with the sly fox gloating on his escape and slipping back into another fantasy. Love in L. A. is a story about love, or the lack of it. Readers of the story are led to believe that it is a story of two star-crossed lovers, a carefree guy and a stable, proper girl, meeting in the most unlikely of places such as a traffic accident on Hollywood boulevard. However, the story reveals that the romantic notion of finding love in unlikely places is just a fantasy, a flight of fancy not unlike the one Jake was having when he smacked into Marianna’s car. L. A. is perfect as a setting for this story as it is a chorus of both the business world and cultural diversity. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, it is one of the largest and most diverse cities in the United Sates with a population of almost 10 million multicultural residents (State and County Quick facts). Aside from its impressive statistics, it is also home to the most famous entertainment town in the world, Hollywood. It is the perfect place for a carefree character to have a chance encounter with the prim and proper business type. And where else but to stage it in a freeway where all walks of life are made equal by suffering the same fate, being stalled in a traffic jam. Thus, L. A. can be considered a perfect setting for star-crossed â€Å"lovers† meeting in a city’s societal crucible, the freeway. The interaction between the characters when they meet mirrors courtship. The boy finally having a chance to talk to the pretty girl, tries to put his best foot forward while the girl seems impervious to the infatuation. This encounter reveals the hidden agendas, the motives behind the charms and the fallacy of first impressions. Then, the reader is once again taken for a ride as it seems that the prim and proper girl melts to the charm of the easy-go-lucky guy and relents in giving him a sliver of personal information. But this hope is dashed once again in the last part of the story as the masks of the two characters are stripped away to reveal their slyness and manipulation: one is making sure the other will not escape while the other gloats in his final sham. This final encounter supports the fact that the love in this story is nothing more than a means, to be manipulated by both characters to achieve their ends. When Jake Met Marianna The introduction of Jake paints a picture of a carefree easy-go-lucky guy who lives detached from the set rules of life. He is presented as a man whose philosophy hinges on self-freedom rather than stability. He despises being chained to routine, as shown by his arrogance towards ‘the steadily employed’ and his reference to Marianna’s hurrying to the office as ‘boring’. He can be considered a free spirit, not in a positive sense, but rather more as a bum who would rather live in fantasy than face the responsibilities of reality. Despite the age of his car, 52 years old, Jake comes off as middle-aged, around 25-30 years of age, lanky and with a scruffy chin, wearing a shirt with a rock and roll theme, faded jeans and battered Chuck Taylors. He would have been cool if he had focused on restoring his ’58 Buick rather than daydreaming about having a new car. Instead, his daydreaming almost led to the loss of his present car. The traffic accident strengthens the characterization of Jake, magnifying his tendency to live in his dreams rather than face reality. He went for swagger and charms rather than owning up fors his mistake, in the hopes of both escaping the responsibility of paying for the damage and capturing the girl. The traffic accident was also the means for the reader to be introduced to Marianna, the victim of Jake’s daydream. She is first introduced as affable, even smiling at Jake in their first verbal exchange. However, the conflict also reveals her true nature as she deflects all of Jake’s advances to ensure that justice is served. Despite her short exposure and introduction in the story, the reader can glean so much history from the way she reacted to the problem. From the small pieces of information provided in the story, one can infer that Marianna’s immigrant family have had success in their adopted homeland, evidenced by the fact that her father was able to give her a car. She is an independent woman, asserting her right even in the barrage of Jake’s swagger and charm. But, she can also be very manipulative. Realizing that Jake was untrustworthy, she pretended to be affected by her charms so as to escape his advances. Then, when they were about to separate, she jotted down the Buick’s plate number just in case the information received was false. Her efforts failed however as it is revealed that even the plate number was false. The last paragraphs defined both characters. They were an anti-thesis of each other right down to their cars. Jake drove a beat down yet very durable 1958 Buick while Marianna drove a brand new, imported but quite flimsy car. The beat down Buick is an extension of the characterization of Jake in the sense that it had the potential to be a very beautiful car if only taken care of. Its fake plate number represented the swagger of Jake, open to the public but fraudulent. Marianna’s car on the other hand also mirrored her personality. It was new, imported and up to date with the advancements of the modern age. But since it was imported, much like the immigrant Marianna, it was flimsy and not up for the abuse of American freeways. Even the effect of the accident on both owners and cars were similar. Surely, Marianna will be traumatized once she finds out that all the information she got, down to the plate number, were fake and useless, much like her car which was dented and damaged. As for the Buick and Jake, life goes on, the potential of the car continues to be unrealized much like its owner’s reality warped by his fantasies. In closing, the title of the story misleads the reader into thinking that it is indeed a romantic story. Thus, it perfectly encapsulates the underlying theme of misleading. This theme propels the story: from the lies and swagger of Jake to his penchant for living in daydreams to the manipulation of Marianna with Jake’s infatuation of her down to the fake license plates of the Buick. Even readers will shake their heads, falling victims to the same fate as Marianna and her flimsy car. Works Cited U. S. Census Bureau. â€Å"State and County Quick facts†. last revised 21 April 2010. Web. 13 July 2010.