Regulatory Genes Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regulatory Genes - Lab Report Example For the second experiment, the mutant and wild type cDNA was constructed. The cDNAs and GST genes were inserted into an expression vector. This stage was carried out to synthesize fusion proteins of LHX3a, LHX3bY116C, LHX3aY111C and LHX3b all fused to GST. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is known to be a protein which aids in the purification and isolation of proteins of interest. The controls were set up by isolating the GST proteins only. The fusion proteins were later separated with the use of electrophoresis and the proteins were used as a substrate for the binding assay. Purified radio-labeled Pit-1 and NIL were later added to the gel that had the mutant and wild type fusion proteins.In this case, if there were binding sites(No mutation effect), the Pit-1 and NIL proteins could bind to the proteins(LHX3).The presence of the bound Pit-1 and NIL were visualized with fluorography. The binding of Pit-1 and NIL were then quantified by scintillation counting (electrophoresis gel band intensity measurement).The first experiment aimed at determining if mutations in the LXH3 gene can interfere with LHX3a and LHX3b’s ability to binding to DNA promoters and reporter genes. As indicated in figure 1, both mutation types affected the activation of alpha GSU gene (red bars). The truncated mutations with no DNA binding domain were not able to activate the reporter gene, while on the other hand, point mutations with altered amino acid in the LHX3 protein interaction domain, had reduced activation.

Staples - Goodwill Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Staples - Goodwill Report - Research Paper Example The company has its stores operating all around the world and delivering quality goods and services to the customers worldwide. It manages its goodwill and credible position through effective communication channels, proper employee management, valuing loyal customers and building a successful network of honest stakeholders for the organization. An effective management o the organizational plans and strategies, is what constitutes the goodwill. Besides this, being loyal and honest to the customers and maintaining a customer-centered attitude forms the basis of an advanced and organized goodwill plan. Thus, we can assume that the overall management and implementation of goodwill plan is the absolute need of an organization to operate successfully. This element has given rise to many success stories, such as that of Staples Incorporation. An elaborated goodwill plan of Staples is discussed ahead in this paper. Table of Contents Staples Incorporation 4 Communication 5 Customers 7 Employe es 7 Environment 8 Conclusion 9 Recommendation 10 Works Cited 11 Appendix 12 Appendix A 12 Appendix B 13 Appendix C 14 Illustrations Direct Competitor Comparison    SPLS PVT1 ODP OMX Industry Market Cap: 11.05B N/A 1.12B 626.71M 319.51M Employees: 52,919 N/A 40,000 30,000 2.75K Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy): 1.90% N/A -3.20% -2.80% 5.90% Revenue (ttm): 24.66B N/A 11.53B 7.10B 447.72M Gross Margin (ttm): 30.09% N/A 28.80% 25.63% 35.50% EBITDA (ttm): 2.09B N/A 235.86M 222.22M 26.40M Operating Margin (ttm): 6.47% N/A 0.25% 1.79% 4.32% Net Income (ttm): 891.42M N/A -116.36M 55.22M N/A EPS (ttm): 1.23 N/A -0.42 0.63 0.15 P/E (ttm): 12.59 N/A N/A 11.55 18.87 PEG (5 yr expected): 0.77 N/A -7.84 1.30 0.98 P/S (ttm): 0.44 N/A 0.10 0.09 0.75 Pvt1 = Lyreco Group (privately held) ODP = Office Depot, Inc. OMX = OfficeMax Incorporated Industry = Specialty Retail, Other Business organizations are operating in a very tough corporate environment these days. They are struggling hard to maintain their comp etitiveness along with being resilient, flexible and rulers at the same time. For this purpose, it becomes necessary for them to keep up their goodwill and take care of the performance and reputation in the market among tough rivals and cutting edge competition. Staples Incorporation Not every company is a success story. There are many organizations, both large and small scale, which are working in the rigid business environment. Similarly, staples is one such company which is attempting to pave its way through managing in building goodwill amongst the other market leader. The Staples Incorporation is one of the larger office supply chain store, which has more than 2,000 operational stores which are working in around 26 countries. The store has its main foundation in United States, Framingham, Massachusetts, and has its large network of retail stores operating all across the world. The retail outlets of Staples are all also involved in the business dealings and transactions with sev eral firms in numerous European countries and this is commonly referred to as the Staple Advantage (Bloom Energy, Online). The organization has built up its reputation in the market of furniture, supplies, promotional products, office machines, technology and other services to various businesses in both, physical stores and

Essay on my Favourite Book Snow White

Essay on my Favourite Book Snow White Snow White was the heroine of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937. Snow White is young, pretty, virginal, sweet-natured and obedient. She doesnt mind housework because she is sure that a rich young man will soon come and take her away. When Snow White is afraid, she runs away and falls down in tears. When she finds shelter in a dirty little house in the woods, she immediately cleans it from top to bottom. When she lives there, she continues to do the housework: the group of (small) working males who live in the house clearly need a mother to clean for them, so this is Snow Whites natural role. SHELTER is something that protects you and keeps you safe from weather or from dangers Snow Whites only enemy is her wicked and powerful step-mother. (Another typical Disney character is the evil older women, who has a lot of power. She is always destroyed.) WICKED: bad, evil A STEP-MOTHER is a woman who marries someones father after their mother died Snow Whites wicked step-mother tricks Snow White into eating a poisoned apple and she falls into a coma. The dwarfs cannot help her. Snow White must wait until she is rescued by the kiss of a handsome prince, and then she rides off happily with her new love. TRICK: (v) to fool or deceive When someone is in a COMA, they are completely unconscious and cannot be awakened This is typical of Disneys movies. Young women are naturally happy home-makers; they wait (like Snow White in her coma) until a man comes along to give them life. Something is TYPICAL if it has the usual qualities of a type of thing. After Snow White, Disney used other fairy tales for his movies, for example Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959). The heroines and their stories were very similar to Snow White. FAIRY TALES: stories that are told to children about magical places and people Then, in 1966, Walt Disney died and the Disney Company did not produce any good animated films for a long time. Then, in 1989, the company produced a new, and very successful, cartoon feature film, The Little Mermaid. FEATURE FILM: a full length movie The Little Mermaid Ariel, the mermaid, is the heroine of the movie. It seems that Disney did not pay much attention to the Womens Movement: Ariel is the same as the earlier Disney heroines, except that she is somewhat sexy and wears a bikini made from shells. And the answer to all her dreams is to get her man. Ariel will do anything to make the prince fall in love with her. She even gives up her voice so that she can have legs. (What message does this movie give to young girls Keep quiet and be beautiful?) But Disney movies have happy endings, and so Ariel gets her voice back and she keeps her prince. On the other hand, she loses everything else. When she becomes human and marries the prince, she must leave behind her underwater home, her father and her friends. She gives up everything in her life for romance. Thats OK for a fairy tale, but it is not a good idea for young girls in real life. MERMAID Mermaid Many women complained to Disney about The Little Mermaid, and Disney promised to think more carefully about womens roles in future. They hired a female screenwriter for their next movie, Beauty and the Beast (1991). Disneys publicity people promised that Belle, the heroine, would be modern, active, and even feminist. SCREENWRITER: the person who writes the words of a movie Beauty and the Beast The press thought Disney had done a good job, but the only real improvement is that Belle likes reading! BELLE is the main woman character in Beauty and the Beast However, the most important problem in this movie is not the Disney companys idea of an independent woman. The problem is how Disney changed the hero, and the message of the story. In the original story, the Beast looks terrible and frightening, but he is really kind and gentle. The message of the story is that you should not judge someone by what they look like. An ugly outside can hide a loving heart. Disney changed this. The company decided to create a Beast with a very serious problem. Disneys Beast terrifies his household and frightens Belle, his prisoner. The Beast does not attack Belle, but the threat of physical violence is present. In the Disney movie, Belle changes the character of the Beast. Her beauty and her sweet nature change him from a beast into a prince, from someone who is cruel, into someone who is kind. So the movies message is very different from the message of the fairy tale. SWEET-NATURE: being kind and pleasant The movie says, if a young woman is pretty and sweet-natured, she can change an abusive man into a kind and gentle man. In other words, it is a womans fault if her man abuses her. This is another dangerous message for young girls because it is not true: if Belle lived in the real world, she would almost certainly become a battered wife. Someone who is ABUSIVE treats people very badly ABUSE: (v) to treat someone very badly BATTERED: badly beaten Aladdin Princess Jasmine, the only female character in Aladdin (1992), is a lot like Disneys other women. But there is another very worrying thing about this movie, its racism. Listen to some of the songs, for example: I come from a land. where they cut off your ears if they dont like your face. Its barbaric, but hey, its home. RACISM: the belief that people of your race are better than people of other races BARBARIC: violent and cruel And look at the characters. The evil characters, like Jafar, look very Arabic. On the other hand, Aladdin, the hero, looks and sounds like a fresh-faced American boy: his skin is much paler, and he asks people to call him Al, an American name, not an Arabic name. FRESH-FACED: clean and innocent. Something is PALER than something else if it is lighter-colored or whiter. Of course, Disney does not intend to offend people that would be bad business. Most people who watch the movies are probably caught up in the Disney magic and dont notice these things. But thats the problem. One way in which Disney creates the magic is by using stereotypes that people respond to without thinking. Aladdin looks right for a hero; Jafar looks right for a villain. We dont think about it. If you are CAUGHT UP IN something, you are very involved and interested in it. STEREOTYPE: a fixed image or idea of what a type of person is like. By using quotation marks [RIGHT for a hero], the writer makes clear that she means this ironically. The Lion King The Lion King does the same thing. The characters are animals, but their voices show racist stereotypes. Even though The Lion King takes place in Africa, two white American actors are used for the voice of Simba, the hero. However, the hyenas who are bad characters in the film, speak non-standard English and are played by actors like Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin. The villain, Scar, suggests homosexuality. And, of course women (the lionesses) are weak and need a male hero: when Simba runs away, the lionesses cannot protect themselves from the evil Scar and must wait for years until Simba returns to save them. RACIST STEREOTYPES: a fixed idea of what people of different races are like. HYENAS: an African animal that feeds on dead animals; its cry sounds like a laugh. SUGGESTS HOMOSEXUALITY: gives the idea that he might be homosexual. Pocahontas After The Lion King, Disney became interested in the idea of multiculturalism and made Pocahontas in 1995. This movie mixes Disneys favourite story of the princess- in-love with a real story from Native American history. That is a problem because Pocahontas was a real woman, and she was very different from the Pocahontas that Disney invented. To give only one example: in real life, Pocahontas was a child when she first met the hero John Smith and there was no romance between them. When Pocahontas met Smith again years later, she called him father. MULTICULTURALISM: the idea that it is a good thing to include people from many different cultures. But there are even more serious problems with the Disney version of Pocahontas and the video follow-up, Pocahontas II. The movies ignore the real fate of both Pocahontas and her people. The first movie ends cheerfully with peace between the colonists and natives; in fact, many, many of the Powhatan Nation (Pocahontas people) were later killed. COLONISTS: the first groups of people who came from Europe to America, to settle and make a home for themselves IGNORE: do not show As for the real Pocahontas, she was kidnapped and held hostage. She was forced to become a Christian and behave like a civilised white woman. She was married to a colonist who believed that the civilisation she grew up in was evil. Later, Pocahontas was taken to England, to help advertise the colony of Virginia. In England, she was homesick. She became ill and died before she could return to her homeland. CIVILISED: from a more advanced society. The quotation marks around the word show that the writer is being ironic. HOMESICK: feeling sad because you are away from home None of this is in Disneys movie. And that is very worrying, because many people believed that they were learning about history when they watched Pocahontas. Mulan Disney has done a similar thing with Mulan (1998), the story of a Chinese hero. The real Hua Mu-Lan lived so long ago that her story has become a Chinese legend a legend that Disney has reinvented so that it fits the pattern of a young woman in love. LEGEND: a famous story about a great hero Disney created Shang, a male hero for Mulan. He is her commanding officer. In the movie, Mulan is wounded in battle and everyone finds out that she is a woman. Her punishment is death but Shang cannot kill her, so he sends her away. After the war he comes to find her and marry her. In the military, your COMMANDING OFFICER is the person who gives you orders. Disney has done it again. Brave, kick-boxing Mulan does not look like Snow White but, in fact, the life of a Disney heroine has not changed very much. Men still have power over them (Shang quite literally decides whether Mulan will live or die); and the best thing that can happen to them is to marry the hero and live happily ever after. KICK-BOXING: a kind of fighting that uses both punching and kicking.

Explain giving examples how Woolworths should go about HR Planning? :: Business and Management Studies

Explain giving examples how Woolworths should go about HR Planning? Human Resource Planning (HR) is the identification of the future labour requirements needed by a company and how these are going to be met. It is the process by which a company ensures that it has the right number and kind of people, in the right places at the right time, doing the things for which they are economically most useful. It is a method for determining future human resource requirements and developing action plans to meet them. It is defined as a strategy for the requisition, utilization, improvement and retention of an enterprise’s human resources and it encompasses the subject concerned with the developing range of manpower policies, including those for recruitment, deployment, development and retention. The use of HR planning is a big issue for any company if they are to have enough staff to meet the future demand that the company may receive. The main issues to do with HR planning at Woolworths is that the company has a high labour turnover with many people moving on to a higher status job and the idea that people do not really want to work for the company which has resulted in large numbers of staff leaving the company. This is mainly due to a large number of the staff being part time students who are looking for temporary employment whilst they are finished their A level or decree courses. The four stages of HR planning that the business will need to consider are: * Stock taking * Forecasting the supply of labour * Forecasting the demand for employees * Implementation and review The first stage of HR planning that Woolworths will need to consider is the use of the Labour stock take. The purpose of the labour stock take is to find out exactly how many staff that the company has available to them after taking into consideration the number of staff that are leaving the company and the quality of the staff available to the company. When using a labour stock take, Woolworths should use a combination of job analysis and performance review, the use of a skills audit will be of little benefit to the business as this method assesses the skills and qualifications of the employee and little qualification is needed to work in the retail area that the business operates in, a combination of the performance review, this involves looking at the performance of all the employees within the organisation in order to identify staff potential and to identify where staff have more training needs. This will enable the business to. The use of the job analysis will enable the business enables the

Dell vs. Hp Performance & Finanical Analysis

Financial Analysis Common-Size Analysis Common-Size Income Statement Analysis The common-size income statement for Dell shows a relatively flat history for cost of goods sold compared to sales from 82. 27% in 2006 to 82. 49% in 2010. Dell’s five year average for cost of goods sold to sales was 82. 23%, which is bit higher than HP cost of goods sold to sales five year average of 75. 96%. This in turn gives HP higher gross revenue than Dell most likely through means of obtaining raw materials and goods at lower costs, giving HP greater ability for an increased profit margin.This increased profit margin can allow for HP to offer more discounts then Dell may be able to afford, or increase spending in areas of investment for the company. Another area of interest within the common size income statement is related to selling, general and administrative to sales. Overall through the years 2006 to 2010, Dell saw an increase in this area growing from 9. 05% in 2006 to 12. 22% in 2010. M eanwhile, HP experienced the exact opposite effect, with this category declining from 12. 29% in 2006 to 9. 99% in 2010. According to Dell’s annual report, the major increase was due to the acquisition of Perot Systems.It also appears that over the last five years, Dell’s strategy of products directly to customers has been adopted by many competitors, allowing the competitors to decrease some of their overhead and commissions paid to retailers, all the while increasing sales. In the same time span as competitors partially adopted the strategy that made Dell prominent, Dell began to place more products in retail stores to compete directly on the front lines with its competition, as mentioned in their Management’s Discussion and Financial Analysis meetings.This approach FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP has caused a good percentage of the sales revenue to go to retailers and distributors, thus straining the ability to maximize net income for the present. Research, development and engineering for Dell as a percentage to sales were 0. 82% in 2006 and slightly grew to 1. 18% in 2010. HP research, development and engineering to sales is roughly 3 times the amount that Dell dedicated; however, HP has drawdown their research, development and engineering to sales from 3. 92% in 2006 to 2. 35% in 2010.The five year average in this category for Dell was 0. 99% and HP was 3. 04%. Even with HP’s much higher research, development and engineering to sales percentage than Dell, HP has a higher operating expense, but since their cost of goods sold to sales is lower, it gives HP the edge in producing a higher operating income than Dell. Overall net income to sales decreased for Dell throughout 2006 to 2010, with a major decrease happening in 2010 and overall having a five year average of 4. 51%. In 2006 the net income to sales was 6. 46%, then in 2009 it dropped to 4. 6%, but in 2010 was when the major drop happened, resulting in net income being jus t 2. 71%. The main contributor to the drop in net income to sales was from operating expenses, with one component being the increase in research, development and engineering, but the primary increase coming from the selling, general and administrative category. Increased operating expenses are reflective of Dell’s push of broadly branching out into the retail market. HP’s net income to sales remained flat during the same time span, with a five year average of 6. 88%.The basically net zero increase in net income can be attributed to the economic downturn, and its rippling effect on customers. Common-Size Balance Sheet Analysis The common-size balance sheet of Dell reflects a current assets to total assets five year average of 74. 91% and shows a short term liabilities to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity five year average of 63. 72% covering years 2006 to 2010. Dell’s current assets and current liabilities both decreased from 2006 to 2010, but the ir current liabilities decreased at a faster rate than their current assets did.The gap between the two in 2006 was roughly 7% and had increased to 16% by 2010, providing plenty of opportunity to grow and develop the company further in their plans. HP common size balance sheet represents a different story. Their a current assets to total assets five year average was 49. 45% and short term liabilities to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity five year average was 42. 37% across years 2006 to 2010. Both accounts FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 7 decreased slightly over the years, and by 2010, HP had a gap of current assets to current liabilities of only 4%.Potential investors will focus on this close margin because HP may start to become too heavily leveraged, which could hinder their ability to expand. It could also pose the problem of decreasing the percentage amount that HP reinvests back into the company, due to using assets to pay off short term liabilities. Within Dell’s current assets, short term investments to total assets decreased from 8. 67% in 2006 to 1. 11% in 2010. Many of these short term investments had matured and were sold. The additional cash on hand helped decrease accounts payable, which decreased from 42. 4% in 2006 to 33. 80% in 2010. Reducing its liabilities strengthens Dell financial health, yet further liquidity and asset utilization ratio test should be conducted to determine if their more solid financial standing is long term or simple a one year over year change. Dell’s inventory to total assets remained mainly the same over the five year span with 2. 53% in 2006 and 3. 12% in 2010. This is a reflection Dell’s strategy of keeping on hand inventory levels low and only producing the amount able to quickly sell. HP inventory to total assets changed substantially from 9. 5% in 2006 to 5. 19% in 2010. The drop in inventory percentage to total assets is a representation of HP improved strategy to minimize holding periods by taking delivery of inventory and manufacturing immediately prior to sale or distribution of product to customers. It is also reflective of the aggressive discounting that HP conducted as a result of the economic downturn. Dell’s long term debt to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity increased substantially from 2. 69% in 2006 to 10. 15% in 2010 with average long term debt of 4. 71%.The major increased indicates that the company was dependant on long term debt to finance its acquisition of Perot Systems in 2010. HP long term debt to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity followed the same path by increasing from 3. 04% in 2006 to 12. 26% in 2010. This increased in total debt is explained in their annual report as being spending on acquisitions and share repurchases. Debt to equity ratios are needed to be further evaluated to determine the risk factor for this increased level of liabilities. Comparative Analysis Comparative Income Sta tement AnalysisDell’s net revenue sharply declined from 2008 to 2010, going from 6. 47% to (13. 42%), as a result of the economic downturn, as individual customers put off luxury purchases such as computers and commercial customers put off bulk computer orders for a later to be determined FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 8 date. On average, the net revenue growth was 1. 86% while cost of goods sold was 2. 05%. Cost of goods sold increased faster than sales, lowering its potential gross profit. Even though selling, general, and administrative was reduced substantially from 2008 level of 26. 3% down to (8. 97%) in 2010, its growth rate averaged 9. 45%, which outpaced net revenue on average. The drop in selling general and administrative was due to decreases in compensation, advertising expenses and improved controls during the downturn. The growth rate of cost of goods coupled with the economic downturn, found Dell with a (31. 91%) operating income for year 2010. A large decre ase in the market yield of over 200 basis points from 2009 was the cause for the (210. 45%) for investments and other income n 2010. Net income average was (10. 8%) over years 2006 to 2010, with major causes for this being lower sales due to economic downturn, decreases in investments, increases in tax liabilities and higher cost of a hedging program. Much like with Dell, the economic fallout had its effects on HP. Their net revenue severely decreased from 13. 50% in 2008 to (3. 22%) in 2009. The dollar depreciation to the euro played a large part in this drop for its European sales. However, unlike Dell, HP rebounded in 2010, increasing sales up to 10. 02%, which can be attributed mostly in part to HP’s acquisition of EDS. HP’s annual cost of goods averaged 7. 4%, which was lower than their net revenue average of 7. 96%. This led to a more favorable net income on average, indicating HP’s ability to better control its operating income through successful marketin g or more effective investment approaches over the years. Comparative Balance Sheet Analysis Dell’s five year average total current assets growth rate was 7. 75%, which was higher by a slim margin over average total current liabilities of 7. 27%. The relationship was consistent with the common size analysis giving support to Dell’s capability to cover short term liabilities with current assets.However, caution should be raised and solvency ratios further investigated as Dell’s current assets dipped below its current liabilities in 2010 by a comparison of 20. 32% to 27. 60%. Its competitor HP current liabilities growth rate average is out pacing its current assets growth by almost double with rates of 10. 88% to 4. 68%, respectively. This should bring caution to HP to get control of its short term liabilities growth rate, but not be too alarming, considering that by its common-size comparison, the company presently has enough current assets to pay for its short t erm liabilities.FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 9 Dell’s accounts receivable rate of growth was 11. 90% on average, growing faster than the company’s average sales rate, 1. 86%. This relates to the increase in the collection period in days also increasing over this five year span. The category of property, plant and equipment grew for Dell at an annual rate of 6. 12%, with the majority of this growth happening in years 2006-2008. Plant, property and equipment declined in years 2009-2010, (14. 66%) and (4. 2%) respectively, which coincides with the company’s declining sales growth over these same years. On average, Dell’s total liabilities grew 11. 36% annually, compared to its total liabilities and shareholders’ equity growth rate average of 8. 21%. This highlights the company’s candidacy for potentially becoming a long-term solvency risk. Financial Ratio Analysis Liquidity Current Ratio and Acid Test Ratio Average current ratio for Dell w as 1. 19 and the acid test ratio was 1. 14. These averages are better in comparison to HP’s current ratio of 1. 17 and acid test ratio of 1. 0, which tells that Dell has more current assets to cover its short term liabilities and makes Dell a safer and more financially strong company. HP had a risky year in 2008 when its current ratio fell below 1. 00, ending at 0. 98, but shouldn’t be focused on too much considering that their net revenue in sales averages 7. 96% growth rate and is averaging a 39. 33% net income growth rate. Collection Period Dell’s ability to collect customers payments on accounts receivable is stronger than HP’s, with Dell taking 32. 04 days on average compared to HP’s 49. 74 days.While both companies collection period was longer than the normal business benchmark of 30 days, Dell was much more successful in collection from its customers and thus reduced the liability for risky accounts receivable. The shorter period for collect ion also enables Dell to pay for its inventory and not have to expose them to greater amounts of short term debt through increased working capital financing. Days to Sell Inventory Dell inventory holding period was much shorter than HP, with Dell having days to sell inventory ratio of 6. 70 on average and HP having an average ratio of 32. 2. Dell operates in a FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 10 slightly leaner production manner than HP and is able to quickly move inventory through its distribution networks. The quicker a company is able to sell its inventories, the quicker the clock begins to receive payment to be able to pay back money owed on inventories acquired and sold, and not have to increase your working capital financing. Capital Structure and Solvency Debts to Equity Ratios Dell’s five year average of total debt to equity was 5. 23, compared to HP lower average ratio of 1. 5. This shows that Dell had more debt (creditors) financing than equity (shareholders) finan cing. Long term debt for to equity on average for Dell was 0. 29 and HP was 0. 22. While many feel that debt from creditors is more harmful because of the interest paid on the principle borrowed, the advantage here is that once the creditor is paid back, they are gone and off the payroll. Whereas equity financing involves more shareholders owning parts of the company, which reduces the dividend payout per shareholder as well as waters down earnings per share.Dells approach to being more heavily financed through debt than equity may be in an attempt to keep earnings per share at an increased level. Return on Investment Return on Assets and Return on Common Equity An important ratio is the return on assets ratio for its ability to measure earnings per dollar from its assets. The five year average for return on assets of Dell was 13. 06% while HP’s was 9. 07%. This higher percentage for Dell reflects a more efficient use of its assets and higher earnings from products sold per c ompany asset.Both companies have strong return on assets that goes to show the loyal base of customers each brand name of the two companies has. Return on common equity is another important profitability ratio. This ratio measures the earnings success of its capital investments through common shareholders. The return on equity for Dell averaged 81. 46% while HP averaged 23. 91. An observation of this profitability measure shows that Dell is possibly much more attractive for potential investors for its ability to effectively manage and use funds generated through shareholders equity.Operating Performance Profit Margin Ratios Dell’s gross profit margin average of 17. 77% was lower than HP’s average of 24. 04% HP controls a larger portion of the computer market as represented through this ratio. Dell also FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 11 posted lower operating profit margins and pretax profit margin compared to HP. Dell’s higher selling, general and administrat ive expenses are cause for lower operating and pretax profit margins, partly due to new retail and certain global distribution relationships.As expected from the precursors above, net income was also lower for Dell when compared to HP. Dell needs to encroach more forcefully into HP’s large market share to positively influence its sales. Operating expense components should be addressed as well to find cost savings measures to increase operation income in order to ultimately increase its net income. Asset Utilization Cash Turnover The measure of how efficient a company utilizes its cash and cash equivalents to create sales revenue is depicted with the cash turnover ratio. In respect to this ratio, Dell averaged 5. 0, while HP averaged 7. 09. This showed that HP used its cash and cash equivalents more efficiently to build revenue. On the other hand, it shows that HP used its cash and cash equivalents while Dell refrained from using its cash and cash equivalents, as evident in th e common size analysis, showing that Dell retained on average 31. 77% of cash and cash equivalents to assets while HP averaged 12. 41%. Inventory Turnover Inventory turnover represents how fast companies turn their inventories into sales revenue. Dell had a much slower inventory turnover on average, 58. 8, than HP’s 11. 86. Over the past five years more companies have became better at the Dell model of sales direct to customers which has overall effected Dell’s sales as evident in the comparative analysis showing on average Dell grew sales by 1. 86% while HP grew at 7. 96%. Also, HP has become more efficient in their inventory distribution cycle and the amount of inventories held in relation to total assets, dropping from 9. 45% in 2006 to 5. 19 by 2010. Dell’s turnover ratio was directly affected by its increase in inventory to total assets growing from 2. 53% in 2006 to 3. 2 % by 2010. The increase in Dell’s inventories to total assets percentage couple d with declining sales growth over the past five years was a cause for their much higher inventory turnover rate. Total Assets Turnover Total assets turnover measures how efficiently a company utilizes total assets to create sales revenue. On average, Dell’s ability to generate more profit from its assets was roughly FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 12 double that of HP, being 2. 15 to 1. 07 respectively. This shows that for overall assets held, Dell had a better record of generating sales.Market Measures Price to Earnings Ratio and Earnings Yield The price to earnings for Dell on average was 16. 35, lower than HP’s 18. 52. From this statistical ratio, HP is able to show that its investors have higher expectations of their company performance by being committed to paying a higher price per share to own HP stock over the past five year time span. However, with Dell showing better results when it came to liquidation and return on investment, they are able to portray to potential investors that they are the better buy at a lower price per share when compared to HP.Earnings yield represents the amount of earnings generated for every dollar invested. Here, Dell has a better showing on average with 7. 02% compared to HP’s 6. 25%. This ratio can be another point of persuasion that Dell is the better buy for it being properly priced when talking of earnings yield over the years 2006 to 2010. Summary of Financial Performance and Suggestions for Improvement Both Dell and HP have the financial statistics showing why they are strong competitors in an ever evolving industry.In an industry that attracts potential customers by offering the latest, fastest and greatest products, Dell needs an increase their amount of research, development, and engineering to sales percentage. Dell can no longer rely on just offering cheaper products because offering the newest technology and quality of product has moved to the forefront of consumers’ minds. It wou ld be wise for Dell to focus on precise areas where they have a strong competency and not try to be all things to everyone. One area they may rethink of pushing into is their expanded exposure into retail stores.Considering that Dell is fairly new to the retailing segment, their ties to the retailing market are not as strong as many of its competitors who have long withstanding relationships with retailers. These long withstanding relationships with retailers give companies like HP an advantage over new comers to retail stores, such as Dell, and possible over the next year or so, Dell should rethink this new part of their strategy. At the moment, the amount of increased funds used on selling, general and administrative has not equally translated into higher sales revenue.

Drama and Literacy in the classroom Essay

The widespread saturation of non-literary narrative forms with which students interact in modern society has resulted in a distinct change in the methods and means of literacy skills and education. Researches have discovered that advantages exist for students who are enrolled in cross-discipline curriculums and specific evidence exists to show that the use of drama within a classroom setting provides and ample boost to the educational experiences and efficacy of students. The TES has reported on research from Durham University which found that primary pupils’ academic performance may improve if their schools devote time to drama. Children from inner-London primaries achieved better than expected results in maths and reading tests after their schools took part in an outreach project run by the National Theatre. † (Literacy Trust) Such a boost is the result of the multifaceted levels of engagement and interactivity that drama provides for students. In addition to boosting literacy and math skills, researches have discovered that drama also enhances speaking and listening skills, which, in turn, enhance performances across the spectrum of scholastic activity: â€Å"drama can be a powerful tool to develop children’s speaking and listening skills: National Theatre children learned to speak more clearly and listen more attentively than their matches. † (Literacy Trust) Other cited benefits are: children who participated in drama in the classroom reported an increased enjoyment of school, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, a clearer ability to set and meet goals, and an enhanced understanding and interest in the creative arts: â€Å"When drama is used in literature-based reading programs, it often remains as simulated role play to recall and/or provide an alternative ending for all or part of a story. In order for a drama activity to enhance both literary and literacy development, the activities must engage the children in a thorough reading of the story. † (Hertzberg, 1998) The success of drama-enhanced curriculums may be connected to human brain function, thus demonstrating an organic merit to the dramatic form as a teaching technique and educational aid. â€Å"Education is now beginning to take account of recent research into the way the brain works and the ways in which children learn and to relate this to the teaching and learning of today’s curriculum. The result is likely to be an increase in creative and multi-sensory approaches to teaching, linked to clearly defined learning objectives. â€Å"(Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003, p. 4) Because drama requires participation in group-work and interaction with sets of individuals all working toward a shared goal, text-work through dramatic readings and performances, â€Å"creates a sense of shared ownership through which children can investigate and develop characters, fill the gaps left in the text, reveal the subtext, and use their imaginations to bridge the divide between writer and reader, integrating and encompassing all aspects of literacy. (Neelands, Baldwin, and Fleming 5) Perhaps most importantly of all, the participation in drama encourages students to engage with texts emotionally, intellectually, and with a vested interest and connection to the material which seems to be absent from traditional learning methods. â€Å"Drama creates motivation for students to participate and facilitates students’ responses in reading instruction[†¦ ]dramatization is a source of scaffolding for emergent readers by providing rich background experiences for future reading[†¦ ] dramatization leads students to develop symbolic representation, which is the same concept children require in order to understand the alphabetic principle. † (Lin,2003). Other benefits certainly exist within the drama enhanced curriculum; only practice of the theoretic techniques and research will fully disclose the potential for this type of dynamic educational process. References Hertzberg, M. (1998). Theory into Practice: Using Drama to Enhance Literacy Development. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 21(2), 159+. Neelands, J. , Baldwin, P. , & Fleming, K. (2003). Teaching Literacy through Drama: Creative Approaches. London: RoutledgeFalmer. www. literacytrust. org. uk 3-31-07, accessed 4-9-07. http://www. literacytrust. org. uk/Database/drama. html#test Lin,Chia-Hui. â€Å"Literacy Instruction through Communicative and Visual Arts† The Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication Digest #186 12-03, Accessed 4-10-07. http://reading. indiana. edu/ieo/digests/d186. html

Boo Radley and Tom Robinson essays

Boo Radley and Tom Robinson essays Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson were outcasts to the society of Maycomb. Boo was locked away in his house, where Tom was a black man. Racism was very bad in the 1930s. No one wanted to be a black mans friend and if someone said he had done something wrong, he had obviously done something wrong. Like in Toms case. Tom had been framed for rape, which he didnt do.Tom never harmed anyone (Lee, 195) Racism led to his punishment, as he was carried away from the courthouse to jail. Tom was an ordinary black man. He had a wife and kids and was stuck in a place full of racism. Boo on the other hand was white and until he stabbed his father in the knee, was ordinary too. Boo was locked up in the courthouse until his father brought him home, where he stayed for many years. He sometimes came out though, but only during the night. He sometimes tried to connect with the outside world by putting gifts in the trees for Jem and Scout (Lee, 278), only to be cut off by Nathan Radley Tom and Boo both had similar qualities they both had affects on different characters in the story. Like Atticus for example. Atticus had to represent Tom Robinson in court for a crime Atticus knew Tom didnt even commit. Atticus also knew that they had probably already lost the case, due to racial prejudice. With all the evidence that Atticus had gathered, none was even considered due to racial discrimination. Mayella was beaten on the left side of her and Toms left arm wasnt even useable (Lee, 179). Boo Radley on the otherhand had helped Atticus, by saving the lives of his children, Jem and Scout. Bob Ewell tried attacking both Jem and Scout, but only hurt Jem. Boo came and killed Bob Ewell by stabbing him under the rib cage with a kitchen knife (Lee, 266). He quickly carried th ...

The Alabama Education Lottery essays

The Alabama Education Lottery essays Last October Alabama voters rejected a referendum for a state education lottery by a vote of 54% to 46%. The proposed education lottery was Governor Don Seigalmans solution to a shortfall of $120 million dollars in the state budget. The budget shortage was created as a result of the United States Supreme Court in Washington declaring Alabamas franchise tax unconstitutional. Without new funding, Alabama would be forced to cut funding to its dysfunctional education and prison systems. After a crusade by church leaders throughout the state, the state education lottery was ultimately defeated. The defeat of the state lottery is but the latest example confirming the church stranglehold over the state government of Alabama. The state education lottery was a good idea that would have brought badly needed funding to Alabamas beleaguered education system. From my vantage point, the state lottery was a good solution to a terrible problem. I have first-hand experience of just how bad Alabamas public school systems are. Underpaid, uninterested teachers in trailers without heat taught many of my high school classes. In the dead of winter, I struggled mostly on keeping warm rather than learning. To keep my grades up, I was forced to learn on my own what I failed to learn in class. My high school experience also left me unprepared for the step up to the college level. It is hard for me to imagine how cutbacks have already impacted my former school system. The state education lotterys defeat only served to confirm my belief that Alabama had abandoned its future. Some counties in Alabama already have their own lottery anyway. I am from a small town in south Alabama that borders the state of Georgia. Whenever anyone from my hometown wants a lottery ticket, they simply drive one mile across the state line and buy it. When the lottery referendum was put on last years ballot my county voted overwhelmin...

Aspirin Preparation Case Essay Example for Free

Aspirin Preparation Case Essay * How drugs are discovered and developed Pharmacologist along with chemist focus on a specific disease and unmet patient needs in order to discover new drugs. They search for biological targets within the body that play a role in a given disease. Unique molecules are found or created that some day might be medicines. Lead Compound Selection, is the testing of compounds that might undergo the long expensive drug develop process. Random Screening- uses existing ‘library’ of chemical agents. This is the simplest method but the odds are low and patience is needed. Combinational Chemistry Screening- uses a compound (from existing library) as a base, then randomly adding amino acids or molecule segments of other agents to the base compound in order to enhance the base compounds activity and disease fighting potential. The enhanced compounds are then tested in rapid screening test. However this method is complex and costly but it improves the odds. Target Synthesis- targets the disease for drug intervention. For example High Blood Pressure would be studied in detail. Consequently this method still requires screening of hundreds of compounds and extensive amount of research to understand a particular disease process. Drug Modeling- uses more high technology. This method manipulates chemical structures by computers so that they can attach to, activate or deactivate proteins that interfere with or maintain the body’s normal functioning. The model is used to enhance the properties of the other methods but the cost for designer compounds are significant because of the huge amount of research that is needed to identify biochemical target and establish their molecular structure. * How safety of drugs is checked before being used on the public A drug undergoes 3 clinical phases before being used on the public. This is designed to determine the safety of the new drug, how best to administer it and the correct dosage- (one that will minimize desirable side effects). 20-30 patients (volunteers) are used to find out how the drug behaves in their body, so their blood and urine will be frequently monitored. Even though drugs in this will have been already tested in a laboratory. After the correct dosage has been determined in phase1 clinical trial, it can enter phase2. This trial consists of determining the drug’s effectiveness in treating a specific disease. Phase2 involves more patients (volunteers) and they are tested for the number of platelets in their blood and take frequent blood samples. If the drug being tested brings a positive change in at least 1/5 of the patients then it can be tested in phase3. However if the drug shows very positive effects in-patients, the Food and Drug Administration also have the option of approving the drug for general use at this point. This trial involves hundreds of patients and is divided into two groups. The control group receives a standard treatment (placebo) and the treatment groups are given the new drug. Results are then compared from the two groups. Blinded studies are used to prevent biased study results. If the new successfully passes a phase3 trial the FDA will approve the drug for marketing to the general public. -The acetylsalicylic acid is washed with distilled water until all the acetic acid is removed. -It is pressed to be as dry as possible and then dried more by a current of warm air at 60-70 degrees Celsius. The yield of pure acetylsalicylic acid is between 1780-1795kg per batch using this reaction process. * History of Aspirin and its modern development * How aspirin is prepared on the large scale Main reactor for the process- a glass lined 1500 gallon fitted with a water-cooled reflux condenser, thermometers with automatic temperature register and an efficient agitator. The Mother Liquor- 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene (this does not get used up.). The reactor is charged up with the mother liquor. 1382kg of salicylic acid is added to the mother liquor. The reaction mixture is heated to between 85-92 degrees Celsius and kept at this temperature for 20 hours. The reaction mixture is transferred into an aluminum-cooling tank and is allowed to cool for 3-4 days. By the end the cool mixture will have reached room temperature 15-25 degrees Celsius. At this point the acetylsalicylic acid has precipitated as large regular crystals. Mother liquor is removed by filtration or centrifuging. Filtrate solution- 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid, 510kg of acetic anhydride, 600kg of acetic acid and 1200kg of toluene. The acetic acid is obtained as a by-product of the acetylation step of the process. An well-agitated reactor using a diffusion plate will introduce Ketene gas, to be passed through the recycled filtrate at a temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius. When a weight increase of 420.5kg of the Ketene gas is observed, the mother liquor contains 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid and 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene. The Mother liquor is recycled and 1382kg of Salicylic acid is added to continue the reaction cycle BC- the first and most influential physician wrote about the bitter powder extracted from the willow bark that could ease aches and pains and reduce fever. 1700- The scientist Reverend Edmund Stone found out that the part of the willow tree bark that was bitter and good for fever and pain is a chemical known as Salicin. This converts into another chemical called Salicylic acid when eaten. 1829- A pharmacist known as Leroux showed that Salicin is the active willow ingredient and for the first time an Italian chemist Piria used Salicylic acid to treat pain and swelling in diseases such as Arthritis and to treat fever in illnesses like Influenza. The problem was that these chemicals was causing the users upset stomachs. Some people had bleeding in their digestive tracts from high doses needed to control swelling and pain. It was thought that the reason of stomach upsets were because of the acid in the chemical, therefore the compound Salicylic acid went through a couple of chemical reactions that covered up one of the acidic parts with an ACETYL group, converting it to ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID (ASA). It was found that ASA reduced fever and relieve of pain and swelling but also it was much better for the stomach and worked better than Salicylic Acid. 1899- ASA was given the name ASPIRIN- that comes from the plant relative of a rose that makes SALICYLIC ACID (several plants makes this compound not just willow). Prostaglandin is a chemical that is released to make the nerve ending register an even stronger pain to the brain. It is made in working cells of the damaged tissues by using an enzyme called CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 (COX-2). Prostaglandin makes you feel the pain of the damaged area and causes it to swell up (inflammation), to bathe the tissues in fluid from the blood so that it will protect it and help it heal. Pain serves the purpose here to remind you that the damaged area cannot be used, as it is not healed. However sometimes we endure pain when there is no real reason to. For example Period Pains and Arthritis. It can make people feel really uncomfortable and arthritis can damage joints permanently. ASPIRIN works by locking itself to the enzyme that makes the chemical Prostaglandin. The enzyme C0X-2 that is found in normal tissues but mostly in tissues that have been damaged in some way, can no longer convert floating chemicals into Prostaglandin because they are unable to move with the aspirin lock on. Aspirin does not treat the cause of the pain; it just lowers the pain signals getting through your nerves to the brain. New researches suggest that an aspirin a day is a preventive measure against Heart Attacks. However the effectiveness of aspirin has differential effects depending on genetics. Aspirin Preparation Case. (2017, Jul 30).

Recent real-life application within the past 12 months Essay

Recent real-life application within the past 12 months - Essay Example For instance, swimming is entirely based upon pressure, deepness, distance, and balance, all which constitutes the fundamental theories of physics. This paper aims to critically analyze my recent real life application of free fall acceleration and the gravitational force. Gravitational force is closely associated with Newton’s observation of a falling apple on ground. Initially he considered the downward movement of apples and later he figured out that it is basically due to the earth’s gravitational force (Kutner). Hence it was defined as the intense force of attraction among all body masses which actually keeps the objects on their suitable positions. For instance, it is the gravitational force which actually helps us in moving around, walking and doing different body activities. Moreover, it keeps the sun and other planets away from earth through a well calculated distance. It is largely responsible for the downward movement of water streams and the balance maintaine d in airplanes (Kutner). Plenty of such examples are witnessed in our daily life. Free fall acceleration is another wide concept which is directly related with the gravitational force. Free fall is caused when any object losses its weight and hence free falls due to the intense gravitational force. ... Similarly parachutes and aircrafts safely land on earth because of the fixed gravity i.e. 9.8 m/s2 (Acceleration due to Gravity). However, if a human being experiences free fall in real life then it can result in serious consequences while intensely damaging the human body. Few months back I was going to a friend’s house at the sixth floor through an elevator. Lifts or elevators are built in such a way that they easily move against the gravitational force and hence passengers remain safe from the dangers of free fall acceleration. But if the elevator breaks or it undergoes some serious mechanical issues that free fall acceleration might take place. When I reached the fifth floor the elevator suddenly stopped in the middle where I could not open the door. Three other passengers along with me started to press the emergency call button which was not responding. Then ultimately we started shouting so that people on ground can hear and help us. It was just then that one of the pass engers called her brother standing on the ground floor. He immediately told the building manager and both of them along with a technician restarted the elevator. What happened later was even dreadful then before. Studying the laws and theories of physics in classrooms and facing their real life applications are entirely different. Each one of us was confident that the elevator cannot fall freely because of its structure and the overall use of modern technology. However, the fault was such a huge one that on restarting the lift it fell from the fifth floor. Free fall acceleration and the gravitational force increase the magnitude of the force acting on a falling body containing mass (Jewett & Serway ). The accelerating gravitational force which we experienced is represented by the

Ethical presentation PowerPoint Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Ethical - PowerPoint Presentation Example where Starbucks promotes equal opportunity in its hiring practices, makes recruiting decisions based solely on job-related criteria and does not use forced labor. To quote Starbucks; b. Ethical Sourcing – Starbucks takes a holistic approach to ethically sourcing the highest quality coffee. Their purchasing decisions includes supporting farmer loans and forest conservation programs to areas where they buy their coffee. Through this ethical purchasing practice, Starbucks is able to help foster a betterfuture for farmers and help create a more stable climate forthe planet. In the business aspect, this ethical practice also helps to provide the company a long†term supply ofthe high†quality beans it has been offering to its customers. c. EnvironmentalStewardship – Starbucks share their customers commitment to the environment. One of its core values is the belief in the importance of caringfor our planet and encouraging others to do the same. It envisions that by 2015, all of its cups will be made up of reusable or recyclable materials. It also endeavors to significantly reduce its environmental footprint through energy and water conservation efforts, recycling and green construction. d. Community Involvement – Starbucks endeavors to be a socially responsible member of its community wherever it may conduct business. Fromthe neighborhoods where its stores are located to the ones where its coffee is grown –Starbucks believe in fostering thriving communities. Bringing people together, inspiring change andmakinga difference in people’s lives – it’s allpart of being a good neighbor. Also, it aims to contribute one million hours each year to the communities in 2015 (Starbucks). Starbucks implement a zero tolerance compliance to its ethical standards. Any suppliers who fail to adhere to Starbucks their ethical practices are discontinued from doing business with the company. During an audit of its suppliers in 2011, the assessment found that 38

Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament Essay

Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament - Essay Example This essay stresses that Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) comprises of representatives of the Parliament and construction professional to work with the SPCB. The mission of this body is to finalise the design, control the progress of the building, complete the project in time and make periodical reports to the SPCB. In turn SPCB will advise the Members on the total amount spent so far on the project and the estimated time and cost for completion of the project. There were regular meetings and reports of the HPG since summer 2000 compiled and presented by the project director and key consultants. In June 2001, the Scottish parliament advised the SPCB to make quarterly reports to the Parliament’s finance Committee on the progress of the Holyrood building Project, highlighting especially the escalation in the costs of completing the project for getting the concurrence of the Committee for the increase in costs in the annual budget sanctions. The Chief Executive of the project made m onthly reports to SPCB on issues relating to program budgets and quality. All these reports were based on the regular meetings and discussions between HPG and the SPCB. This paper makes a conclusion that aesthetic construction features and usage of high quality materials the Scottish Parliament building project was made to a complex construction project. The project saw a lot of slippages during the progress, due to multifarious reasons.

Strategic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic - Essay Example An example of a sustainable competitive advantage that has stood the test of time for uniqueness is Coca Cola. Many competitors have tried to replicate or duplicate the Coca Cola formula, with no success. Most people can tell the difference between a Coca Cola and a generic cola. Coca Cola is unique. A company can also create a product that cannot be replicate or difficult to do so. An example of a product difficult to replicate would be Microsoft Windows. Due to copyright laws Microsoft Windows can never be replicated exactly with out Microsoft’s permission. A product superior to the competition can also be controlled internally. Company’s are in charge of what is used to make their products. Using a lower standard can make a product cheaper, but not have the same quality. Examples can be found in the difference between name brands and store brands. Store brands can be cheaper, but a name brand will have more quality. Sustainability is vital for a product’s succ ess. A sustainable product will address needs for a long period of time. An example would be Nike. Nike makes tennis shoes. Until there is a time when shoes are no longer needed, which is probably not in the near future, Nike will have a sustainable product. Gasoline is not a sustainable product. There is a limited supply, which will someday no longer be around. A product that can work in multiple situations is also a must. Coke can be drunk anytime, for a meal, on the road, or for no reason at all. Nike and Microsoft can also be used for multiple situations. A product like can only work in one situation, might sell, but not as well. All of these factors to make a company or organization have sustainability of competitive are internally controlled. Internal decisions are what make the company’s there own. 2. What are the main features of the rational planning approach to Strategic Marketing? Highlight some of the problems associated with

Is the mind equivalent to the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is the mind equivalent to the brain - Essay Example Biochemical processes just like energy production yield chemical compounds responsible for energy generations. Hormones are some of these chemical products of body system processes which they can associate to emotions but enough evidence is needed to show that there are variations among the same type of hormones among different individual persons. Insulin in a person can be the same insulin in another. This becomes the problem to explain emotions since this feeling varies with individuals. This is among the reasons why emotions and mind is considered to be some external factor that works in coordination with the body system such as the brain. The argument of this essay is based on a substance dualism approach integrated with the idea that the substance of the brain and that of the mind although separate in nature works together to coordinate body functions such as digestion, circulation, hearing, seeing, and other bodily systems and integrate these with human thinking and feelings of every kind produce sensations, emotions, ideas, and even think beyond the unthinkable. Since we accept that the mind as a... Theory of the mind basically revolved within the human being's capacity to understand his own behaviors like emotions, beliefs, intents, desires, knowledge, and others, and to feel that other individuals have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from that of own self. This capacity is believed to be the result of evolutionary changes in the human brain (Povinelli and Preuss, 1995). These functions are inherent of the mind and are not physical but are accepted to be manifested in the brain, as a dualist understands (Calef, 2006). Latest neuro-imaging technology has identified the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), temporal poles, and posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) junction as the particular areas in the brain that are more likely associated with the mind. (Firth and Firth, 2003 and Saxe et. al, 2003). The mind and brain had been thoroughly studied by different sociologists, philosophers, psychologists and every field of science and theology. There are several approaches used in the study of the functions of the brain and mind. The most common are the modular approach (Scholl and Leslie, 1999) and the integrated (Anderson & Lebiere, 1998). The modular considered every mind activity as a separate module in the brain. The integrated approach considered the mechanisms of understanding as an integration of all the modules that work to produce a comprehensive show of emotions, ideas, and understanding. The approach considers that to create a better feeling on a food taste, the sensations of the hand mouth and other mechanism connect to each other. Our idea is anchored within this context. The foundation of dualist idea It is hard not to mention Descartes when we are talking about dualism in

Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament Essay

Practices and Procedures on the New Scottish Parliament - Essay Example This essay stresses that Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) comprises of representatives of the Parliament and construction professional to work with the SPCB. The mission of this body is to finalise the design, control the progress of the building, complete the project in time and make periodical reports to the SPCB. In turn SPCB will advise the Members on the total amount spent so far on the project and the estimated time and cost for completion of the project. There were regular meetings and reports of the HPG since summer 2000 compiled and presented by the project director and key consultants. In June 2001, the Scottish parliament advised the SPCB to make quarterly reports to the Parliament’s finance Committee on the progress of the Holyrood building Project, highlighting especially the escalation in the costs of completing the project for getting the concurrence of the Committee for the increase in costs in the annual budget sanctions. The Chief Executive of the project made m onthly reports to SPCB on issues relating to program budgets and quality. All these reports were based on the regular meetings and discussions between HPG and the SPCB. This paper makes a conclusion that aesthetic construction features and usage of high quality materials the Scottish Parliament building project was made to a complex construction project. The project saw a lot of slippages during the progress, due to multifarious reasons.

Is the mind equivalent to the brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is the mind equivalent to the brain - Essay Example Biochemical processes just like energy production yield chemical compounds responsible for energy generations. Hormones are some of these chemical products of body system processes which they can associate to emotions but enough evidence is needed to show that there are variations among the same type of hormones among different individual persons. Insulin in a person can be the same insulin in another. This becomes the problem to explain emotions since this feeling varies with individuals. This is among the reasons why emotions and mind is considered to be some external factor that works in coordination with the body system such as the brain. The argument of this essay is based on a substance dualism approach integrated with the idea that the substance of the brain and that of the mind although separate in nature works together to coordinate body functions such as digestion, circulation, hearing, seeing, and other bodily systems and integrate these with human thinking and feelings of every kind produce sensations, emotions, ideas, and even think beyond the unthinkable. Since we accept that the mind as a... Theory of the mind basically revolved within the human being's capacity to understand his own behaviors like emotions, beliefs, intents, desires, knowledge, and others, and to feel that other individuals have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from that of own self. This capacity is believed to be the result of evolutionary changes in the human brain (Povinelli and Preuss, 1995). These functions are inherent of the mind and are not physical but are accepted to be manifested in the brain, as a dualist understands (Calef, 2006). Latest neuro-imaging technology has identified the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), temporal poles, and posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) junction as the particular areas in the brain that are more likely associated with the mind. (Firth and Firth, 2003 and Saxe et. al, 2003). The mind and brain had been thoroughly studied by different sociologists, philosophers, psychologists and every field of science and theology. There are several approaches used in the study of the functions of the brain and mind. The most common are the modular approach (Scholl and Leslie, 1999) and the integrated (Anderson & Lebiere, 1998). The modular considered every mind activity as a separate module in the brain. The integrated approach considered the mechanisms of understanding as an integration of all the modules that work to produce a comprehensive show of emotions, ideas, and understanding. The approach considers that to create a better feeling on a food taste, the sensations of the hand mouth and other mechanism connect to each other. Our idea is anchored within this context. The foundation of dualist idea It is hard not to mention Descartes when we are talking about dualism in

International Student Life Essay Example for Free

International Student Life Essay I am a international student who are studying in America. My goals are improving my English and enter a collage. Studying in America has a lot of advantages, such as we can learn new cultures. But Studying in different country is a difficult thing for teenager, for example, we need to adapt to new surroundings. First, studying in America, it is a good thing for me. For example, I can improve English faster, because I have to communicate with teachers, students and my homestay in English every day, I can more practice my spoken. But in China, even though I studied in English school, I spoke Chinese most of the time in my life. The second, I can study a lot of new cultures. For instance, I can study ways of greetings in America. When people get back home, they will say â€Å"Did you have a good day? † then, people will talk about their life. When my homestay ask me, †Did you have a good day? † I am feeling very warm. But in china, when I got back home, I just said† Dad, Mum, I am coming back! † So in my opinion, American greetings could promote sentiment between the parents and friends. Finally, I can make friends who can speak English. Such as my friend who name is Myahri. She is from Turkmenistan. She is very nice to me. She taught me how to stay with American family, how to make American friends and how to write essay. She often encourages me. I had a lot of benefit from her. I really cherish this friend. Everything has two handles. Studying in America also has a lot of disadvantages. we need to adapt to new surroundings. For instance, American schools have different school system. In China, students take their all the classes in the same classroom, and the student locker is in their own classroom. But in America , I need take next period book and find next period classroom in five minutes. Sometimes I even have not time to go to bathroom. Then because of cultural differences, for example, American like using Email, but Chinese do not like using Email such as me. I hardly use Email in China. At beginning, because of my regular habit, I missed lots of important information. The last point is language problem. For instance, my English is not good. So some of the classes is very difficult to me. Sometimes I need spent many times doing my homework. Because I need translate questions and handouts. It is hard to keep grade for international student. Studying in America is a difficult thing, but if you try to make America friends, it is very helpful to you. American friends will make your like more colorful. You need spend more time staying with homestay, it will develop relationship between you and your homestay. It is helpful for your daily life. Finally, I think that football is good to know. Everyone in America likes football game. This is a good topic to talk with people. In general, also studying in America is difficult thing to me, but I think that studying in America has more good than bad. This is good chance to improve myself. And studying America , I can have more chance to enter famous university.

Analysis of Beer Brands in India

Analysis of Beer Brands in India Introduction Beer market has been rising quickly, especially in India beer market is rising over the previous 10 years, by virtue of the effective consequences of statistical styles and predictable transforms, like: Growing income stages: Grow in the income levels of person has direct effect the beer consumption. As the income of the people increases then the beer consumption is also increases and the Indian beer consumption is continue growing, but at a very minimum growth rate. Changing age profile: As a result of high birth rates, a huge percentage of Indian people are in the age group of 20-34 years. So, this age group is the almost suitable aim for beer marketers. That age group provides a improve enlargement of beer utilization in India. Changing lifestyles: Now the alcohol consumption has becomes the traditional feature of the Indian society but its not adapted by all. Still its adapted by those urban consumers who become more exposed to western life styles. In the present scenario women are also consuming more and more beer. Reduction in beer prices: Reduction in beer price is also responsible for rising beer consumption. The Indian customer usually values a hard drink on the base of its kick factor in opposition to its value. In India the upcoming of beer manufacturing is very much expectant because India has essentially a hot and sizzling weather and the beer drinkers in the nation are too younger than the usual beer drunkard in another place in the globe This builds them extra to be expected to bear the brand name with them for a life span (http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC519/fc519.html). Beer Brands in India These are brands in the Indian markets Kingfisher, Fosters Beer, Dansberg, Carlsberg, Golden Eagle, Carling Black Label, Haake Beck, Flying Horse Royal Lager, Guru, Haywards skol, Haywards 5000, Haywards 2000 Beer, Maharaja Premium Lager, Hi-Five, Heinekin, Taj Mahal, Ice, Legend, KnockOut, Kirin, Kingfisher Strong, Kingfisher Diet, London Diet, London Draft, London Pilsner, Sand Piper, San Miguel Lager, Royal Challenge, Sand Piper, Zingaro and Strohs. (http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC519/fc519.html). Beer industries in india In India there are many Beer Industries both Indian Industries and Foreign Industries (FDIs) are serving in India, some International Industries serves in India by having acquisitions, strategic alliance with Indian Brewing Industries. Some multinational Indian brewing industries are also serving in foreign countries their Head Office is in India but they serves in India and foreign both countries. Some foreign companies established their Head Office both in India and in their country. Some Breweries Industries in India are as under:- United Breweries Limited Mohan Meakins Radico Khaitan United Breweries Limited United Breweries Limited (UBL), United Breweries is a type of conglomerate company with a main focal point on the brewery (beer) and alcoholic beverages industry and was founded in 1857 by Scotsman, Thomas Leishman who is the real founder if the UB Group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breweries).On 15th March, 1915   Mr. Thomas Leishman acquired 5 breweries to form United Breweries Ltd. with its registered office at 17 Armenian Street, Chennai -1 (INDIA), then headquarter of this group is moved to Bangalore in 1950s,( http://www.kingfisherworld.com) means its a South Indian based British breweries. At the age of 22, Vittal Mallya was elected as the companys first Indian director in 1947, after a year he replace as the chairman of the company and now, Dr. Vijay Mallya (who is also a member of the Indian Parliament) is the Chairman and Owner of this UB Group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breweries) the UB Group are deep-rooted in the forerunner company, United Breweries Limited, also assigned to as the Beer Division of the UB Group (http://www.kingfisherworld.com) UB Group is the market manager in the Indian beer market with a 40% market stake. Its forerunner Kingfisher brand commands 25% market stake alone (http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC519/fc519.html). UB is the Indians largest producer of beer with market share by volume about 48%. Brands of ub group The active beers of flagship Kingfisher Brand of UB Group are:- Kingfisher Lager Kingfisher Light Lager Kingfisher Strong Lager Kingfisher Super Strong Lager Flying Horse Royal Lager Kalyani Black Label Strong Lager Premium Ice Beer Raj Cobra Taj Mahal Premium Lager (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breweries). Mission Every company, group has its own mission or operation for accomplishing their desired target so, UB Group also have a mission which is mention under the mission statement given by the Dr. Vijay Mallya says as follows : They focused on assuming leadership in all our target market. They seek to be the most preferred employer wherever they operate. They recognize that our organization is built around people who are our most valuable asset. They will continually increase the long-term value of their Group for the benefit of our shareholders. They will operate as a decentralized organization and allow each business to develop within our stated values. They will be a major contributor to our National Economy and take full advantage of our strong resource base. They commit themselves to the ongoing mission of achieving Scientific Excellence. They will always be the partner of choice for customers, suppliers and other creators of innovative concepts (http://www.theubgroup.com/profile_mission.aspx). Human Resource Strategy Every company needs human resources to run their business and to survive so, Dr. Vijay Mallya said Our Company is committed to build an organization that is aggressive, consumer essential and market determined and its endeavour has been to be a magnet for, develop and maintain the most excellent talent available. The human resources systems and procedure are lined up to meet this intention. Over the years the organization has been capable to make an open, visible and encouraging tradition that encourages staff to deliver advanced stage of performance. Reimbursement surveys and capability evaluation exercises have been commence in order to moderate people-related risks. As an effect of these schemes, the reimbursement levels have now been standards with equivalent organizations in the industry and the capability evaluation has permitted us to sponsor people from within to take on superior responsibilities. Training and Development carries on to be a significant area of focal point for raising the capability levels in the organization to strengthen its functional and leadership foundations. (http://www.theubgroup.com/PDF/UBL_Annual_Report/UBL_Annual_Report_2008.pdf). MARKETING Strategies Marketing is mainly focus on structuring brands that ensures a huge increase in amount in market stake and be capable adequate to accept competition both locally and internationally. Kingfisher was located as a young, stimulating and enjoyable beer symbolized by its influential statement â€Å"The King of Good Times†. All communicating on the product was constant with its placing. Kingfisher was linked up with sports and shows like cricket, football, hockey, fashion shows, motor racing and horse racing to add a proportion of speed and fashion to the brand image. The UBL expend around 20% of net sales on advertisement and sponsorship, which was centered on launching of new brands and rising capacity. The corporation was de-stressing the level of seasonality and supporting utilization of beer throughout the monsoons through promotional and wakefulness campaigns. Kingfisher brand name was attributed to a local bar in the northern area as part of brand promotion scheme. The bar was not a single kingfisher beer channel, but 80% of the beer served was of United Breweries. (Mittal Amita, Cases in Strategic Management) Under the marketing strategies, United Breweries Limited has diminished the cost of its tipple beer by 28.5% from Rs2100 each drum to Rs1500 each drum earliest. A mugful of tipple beer will then price Rs25 in opposition to Rs30-35 earliest. This check marketing scheme was set up on October 16, 1998 and is only being made for Karnataka. The company says that its a new marketing strategy and not connected to its deprived functioning in the second quarter of 1998, when its net income cut down by 53% and turnover cut down by 29%. United Breweries Limited recommends expanding its Kingfisher product to vacation wear, like T-shirts and Bermudas. It suggests utilizing its set-up in many cities to advertise these products. United Breweries is using the Kingfisher brand to promote sports. UB also used same brand name for its mineral water. UB looks to have earned from its judgment to sponsor the East Bengal soccer team as the trades of the brand has raised 5 times. (http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-international/THE-MUG-STRATEGY-UB-SLASHES-PRICE-OF-DRAUGHT-BEER-UB-LAUNCHES-SPECIALITY-ICE-BEER.html) Quality If we search about quality of Beer of United Breweries then we find that the (http://www.theubgroup.com/profile_mission.aspx) quality and cleanliness are the key essentials of the United Breweries manufacturing convictions. For this the Central Scientific Laboratory (CSL), whose headquarter is at Bangalore sets principles for its every breweries. Quality Management Systems put down line of ISO 9000 are rigorously stick on to regulating quality at each phase of production, from raw materials to the finish product(http://www.kingfisherworld.com). UBL also, organizing the manufacture procedure, the CSL analyses the Companys beer released market puts on ice all over the Country, the oppositions beers and beers across the world. These beers are checked as per the principles laid down by the European Brewery Convention on 40 different extents. By these principles, United Breweries beers dont just the same, but even improve on, numerous Dutch and American beers (http://www.kingfisherworld.com). Production break-up of UB UB Owned Breweries Contract Breweries Total UB Owned % 2000-01 14,84,163 5,09,146 19,93,309 74.6 2001-02 9,85,059 6,72,344 16,57,403 59.4 2002-03 12,62,025 10,50,493 23,12,518 53.3 2003-04 13,06,636 13,39,650 26,46,286 49.4 (Cases in Strategic Management) Markets of UB Government Market: In a government market, the respective state government was the wholesale distributor of beer and acquired beer directly from manufacturers based on an annual tender system, via its own agencies. The government controlled the price at which beer was procured from the manufacturer. This beer was then retailed through private vends (e.g., Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh) or a combination of government and private vends (e.g., Kerala, Delhi). Open Market: In this market, there was little or no government intervention in the pricing and distribution of beer. The manufacturers sold beer to the wholesaler/distributor who in turn sold it to the retail outlets. Pricing was free and determined by market forces. The government issued wholesale/retail licenses for a fee. However, in certain markets, new licenses were not freely available. Exports: The companys products were exported indirectly through UB Global Corporation Limited a subsidiary of UBHL. The Company had a tie-up with SN, which had a long established track record of distribution of third party brands, for the international distribution of ‘KINGFISHER. The company also entered into an exclusive Licensing and Distribution Agreement on May 24, 2004 with Independent Liquor Limited (ILL) to manufacture, package, market, distribute, and sell the products of the company in Australia and New Zealand for five-years. They worked closely with Scottish Newcastle to extend the reach of products, particularly, Kingfisher to more global markets. Kingfisher was a well-established brand in many countries and leveraging Scottish Newcastles distribution strengths would increase the franchise of the brand (Cases in Strategic Management). Beer manufacturing process The manufacturing process of beer has nine steps such as milling, mashing, filtration, wort boiling, wort cooling, fermentation, lagering, filtration then beer is ready to be packed in barrels. This process can be cleared by the image given below- http://mpstateagro.nic.in/Project%20Reports%20pdf/BREWERY.pdf Milling: For capable evocation with water, malt must be crushed. Early on milling processes used stones compelled by hand or by water or animal power, but current brewing uses automatically compelled roller mills. The chart of the mill and the space among the rolls are important in acquiring the accurate reduction in mass of the malt. The aim is to hold on to the husk comparably perfect while breaking up the frangible, customized starch into particles (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58378/beer/236419/Milling). Mashing: Mashing is the process of mixing crushed grain (usually malted or cracked grain) with water, and heat-up this mixture with remains at certain temperature (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html) and this temperature should be between 150-158 degrees F for just about one hour (www.homebrewmart.com/recipes.html) to allow bacterias in the malt to smash down the starch in the grain into sugars, usually maltose (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Filtration or Mash Filter: A mash filter is a plate-and-frame filter. The vacant frames have the smash, counting the exhausted grains, and have a capability of approximately one hectoliter. The plates contain a affirm body structure for the filter cloths the plates, frames, and filter cloths are ordered in a carrier frame like so: frame, cloth, plate, cloth, with plates at every end of the arrangement. Newer mash filters contain vesicae that can push the fluid out of the grains between spargings. The grain does not perform similar to a filtration medium in a mash filter (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Wort Boiling: Boiling the gained distills, called wort, assures its infertility, and thus keeps a lot of infections. For the duration of the boil suds are added, which give bitterness, taste, and fragrance complexes to the beer, and, beside with the heat of the boil, induces proteins in the wort to condense and the pH of the wort to drop. At last, the vapors developed through the boil volatilize off tastes, together with dimethyl sulfide usher. The boil must be carried on so that is it even and acute. The boil lasts between 50 and 120 minutes, calculating on its strength, the hop addition agenda, and volume of wort the brewer anticipates evaporating (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Wort Cooling: After malt filtration process, the wort must be cut down to temperatures of fermentation prior to yeast is added. In present breweries this is accomplished through a plate temperature exchanger. A plate temperature exchanger has lots of ribbed plates, which form two abstracted paths. The wort is distend into the temperature exchanger, and goes throughout each other space among the plates. The cooling measures, generally water, goes through the other spaces. The ribbed in the plates make sure disordered flow. The last few plates frequently use cooling measures which can be refrigerated to below the sub-zero point, which allows a better-quality control over the wort-out temperature, and also facilitates cooling around 10  °C. After cooling, oxygen is frequently dissolved into the wort to refresh the yeast and support its procreation (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Fermentation: Fermentation, as a stair in the brewing procedure, initiates the moment yeast is added to the chilled wort. This is also the position at which the creation is first called beer. It is through this phase that sugars won from the malt are metabolized into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Most breweries nowadays use cylindroconical tanks, or CCTs, have a conical (pointed) base and a cylindrical top. The cones space is usually 60 °, an angle that will allocate the yeast to flow in the direction of the cones top, but is not so sharp as to take up too much vertical gap. CCTs can switch both fermenting and refining in the same tank. At the end of fermentation, the yeast and other frozen which have dropped to the cones top can be simply swill out a dock at the peak. Then, the tanks to allow the CO2 generate by the yeast to typically carbonate the beer. This spile device can be place to a set pressure to match the kind of beer being generated. The more pressure the spile holds back, the more carbonated the beer developed (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Lagering or Conditioning:After the fermentation process, next procedure is conditioning or developing the carbon dioxide to provide the beer its white foamy head (http://www.kingfisherworld.com).When the sugars in the fermenting beer have been more or less totally digested, the fermentation slows down and the yeast begins to settle to the bottom of the container. At this stage, the beer is refrigerated to around freezing, which promotes settling of the yeast, and causes proteins to curdled and settle out with the yeast. Unlikable flavors such as phenolic composites become unsolvable in the cold beer, and the beers aroma happens to smoother. For the period of this time force is maintained on the containers to forestall the beer from going flat. If the fermentation containers have chilling jackets on them, as opposite to the entire fermentation basement being chilled, conditioning can happen in the same tank as fermentation. Other than different tanks (in a separate basement) must be employed (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Filtration: Filtering the beer become stable the flavor, and provide beer its polished shine and blaze. Not all beer is filtered. Filters arrive in many types. Many use pre-made filtration media like sheets or candles, while others use a fine powder made of, for instance, diatomite, also called diatomaceous earth or kieselguhr, which is initiated into the beer and recirculated past screens to form a filtration bed. Filters series from rough filters that eliminate much of the yeast and any solids (e.g. hops, grain particles) left in the beer, to filters tight as much as necessary to sprain color and body from the beer. Generally used filtration ratings are divided into rough, fine and sterile. Rough filtration leaves some muddiness (cloudiness) in the beer, but it is observably clearer than unfiltered beer. Well filtration grants a glass of beer that you could read a newspaper through, with no detectable muddiness. Finally, as its name involves, hygienic filtration is fine as much as necessary that almost all microorganisms in the beer are detached during the filtration process (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). Packaging: Packaging is placing the beer into the tanks in which it will depart the brewery. Normally this means in bottles and barrels, but it might contain cans or bulk tanks for high-number customers (www.sterkensbrew.be/sbm/beer_making.html). So, this is the full process of manufacturing of beer in industries but, some industries follow some additional steps at the time of manufacturing of beer. Strategic alliance Upon entering the new millennium, the UB Group became more focused on becoming the second largest marketer of Spirits products in the world. With the acquisition of Shaw Wallace Company Limited, this Division owned twelve millionaire brands. The market share of the Spirits Division in India was 50%, and exports to the Middle East, Africa, and Asian countries were growing rapidly (Cases in Strategic Management). In addition, United Breweries Limited has also enrolled into mutli-faceted strategic alliance with Scottish NewCastle Plc (SN), an international brewery major, with $6 billion in proceeds and a market capitalization of $5.4 billion. This alliance, distant from having a joint venture in India, will permit SN to market it International brand names like Kronenbourg in India, while UBL will develop SNs global network to further globalize its Kingfisher (http://www.kingfisherworld.com). Conclusion United Breweries Limited is the India based breweries and spreading all over the world with successful brand name â€Å"Kingfisher†. This brand Kingfisher has been ranked amongst the top 10 flashing raising brands in the UK (http://www.kingfisherworld.com). Another subsidiaries of UB Group United Sprits Limited is also spreading all over the world with brand name â€Å"McDowells†, McDowells No.1 is the largest selling brandy all over the world. The policies of United Breweries are suitable for Indian market and that is why this company has got a grand success with in 10 years. If this company is interested to operate in some other countries, it has to revise its policies to get success in another country which will include marketing policies and pricing policies.

Cicso Systems vs Huawei Technologies :: Lawsuit Law Intellectual Property Essays

Cicso Systems vs Huawei Technologies I. Cisco Systems files lawsuit against Huawei Technologies Cisco Systems filed a lawsuit against Huawei Technologies on January 23, 2003 claiming that Huawei had copied, misappropriated, and infringed on Cisco’s intellectual property in its rival line of low-cost networking routers.1 Cisco Systems is an industry leader in providing networking equipment for voice and data transfer. Huawei Technologies is China’s leading manufacturer of telecom and network equipment gear and is viewed by analysts as a formidable competitor to Cisco2. II. Details of the lawsuit Cisco’s allegations include the following:3 . Copying of IOS source code: IOS (Internetworking Operating System) is Cisco’s proprietary operating system. Cisco claims that Huawei’s operating system contains text strings, file names, and even bugs that are identical to those in Cisco’s IOS source code. . Copying of Cisco’s technical documentation: Cisco alleges that whole portions of text from Cisco’s copyrighted technical documentation are found in Huawei’s user manuals for their Quidway routers and switches. . Copying of Command Line Interface: A Command Line Interface (CLI) is the interface through which a user issues commands to a router. Cisco claims that extensive portions of its CLI and help screens appear verbatim in Huawei’s operating system for its Quidway routers and switches. . Patent infringement: Cisco alleges that Huawei is infringing at least five Cisco patents related to proprietary routing protocols. Cisco wants a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the use, sales, marketing, and distribution of Huawei’s Quidway routers and switches. The suit includes an order to triple all damages, an amount to be determined by a jury during a trial.4 Cisco also took action against a Huawei distributor in the United Kingdom. Spot Distribution received a cease and desist letter for distributing Huawei products that allegedly infringe Cisco’s intellectual property.5 Cisco filed the case in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas,6 nearby Plano, Texas, where it has a subsidiary. The court is reputed to be knowledgeable about patent and intellectual property infringement cases, sympathetic to patent holders, and quick to issue injunctions. While patents granted in the United States are only enforceable in the United States, copyright laws are enforced worldwide.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Essay -- Psychology, Mental Health

Everyone has experienced emotions such as anxiety, fear, and worry; they are a part of everyday life. These reactions are normal and healthy; they typically don't come too often, and when they do, they don't last very long. However, the United States Health and Human Services Department (1998) estimates there is about 3.2 million Americans that suffer from a psychological anxiety disorder called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Those who suffer from this condition have frequent upsetting and unreasonable thoughts, worries, or fears. The Harvard Mental Health Letter (1998) notes that: â€Å"The most common obsessional theme is cleanliness (dirt and germs), followed by aggression and sex, safety, and order or symmetry. Obsessions may take the form of doubts (has something happened to my child?); fears (something might happen to the child); images (I see the child drowning); or impulses (I fear that I am going to harm the child)† (para. 13). In an attempt to control these obsessional themes, they perform one or more ritualistic behaviors or mental acts called compulsions. Unfortunately, these behaviors only relieve the intrusive thoughts and feelings for a short time, before coming back and ultimately, trapping those with this condition in a pattern of repetitive obsessions and senseless compulsions. Symptoms of OCD are numerous, they include: Repeated touching, checking or counting; avoidance or adherence to certain numbers; excessive washing or cleaning; and hoarding. Karno (1998) found that â€Å"At some time during their lives, often during their late teens or twenties, 2 to 3 percent of people cross [the] line from normal preoccupations and fussiness to debilitating disorder† (as cited in Myers, 2011, p. 463-464). Many individuals ... ... their thoughts to a point where they can tolerate behavioral therapy and live somewhat of a normal life'† (Kato, 1992). Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a difficult condition to overcome. â€Å"A 40-year follow-up study of 144 Swedish people diagnosed with the disorder found that, for most, the obsessions and compulsions had gradually lessened, though only 1 in 5 had completely recovered (Skoog & Skoog, 1999)† (as cited in Myers). It can take months or years, to get OCD under control and in fact, it may never go away. However, celebrities such as Howard Hughes, Howie Mandel, and David Beckham all suffer from this disorder, and are able to keep it under control and happen to maintain successful careers and live a relatively normal life. They are proof to the millions of OCD stricken Americans that the counting, the cleaning, the hoarding, can eventually be controlled.