Computation finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Computation finance - Essay Example Creation of these dark pools has been possible because of existence of electronic trading and the fragmentation of avenues of conducting financial trading. The participants access them directly amongst themselves or through crossing networks. Dark pools are made up of three types, including where the independent entities create a distinctive and differentiated means of trading, those that are owned by brokers allowing the clients of the broker to trade amongst themselves in anonymity, and those created by the public exchanges themselves, meant to give their customers a chance to enjoy trading in anonymity and hiding of orders while trading. Hidden liquidity allows traders to ‘hide’ all or a part of their orders, which results into a market with two components – a displayed component and a non-displayed component. Hiding of orders, however, makes market participants to access incomplete knowledge regarding the market’s general depth. This paper is going to look at how these dark pools of liquidity work, why they are needed and their impact on the visible market. Most of the electronic exchanges that are order-driven use specific order types to provide liquidity such as what is referred to as ‘Iceberg Order’. An Iceberg Order is a passive order that is split into small portions, with partly or none of which is visible to the public. By concealing the actual quantity of the order, it is possible to tame price movements and reduce leakage of information, as well as any other flows that culminate from significant adjustments in the supply of stocks – this is called market impact. Splitting of orders is automated through order management systems, and it is a standard strategy used by many institutional investors.1 2 Companies are allowed to choose from three types of dark pools. The first include those owned by broker

Changes in the Seasonal Influenza a (H3N2) Viruses NS Gene

Changes in the Seasonal Influenza a (H3N2) Viruses NS Gene Analysis of Amino Acid Sequence and Identifying of Changes in the Influenza  A/(H3N2) virus NS Gene in Isolates from Iran Lawal D. Rogo,  Farhad Rezaei,  Nazanin Z. Shafiei Jandaghi,  Nastaran Ghavami,  Ghazal-Sadat Fateminasab,  Talat Mokhtari-Azad Subject: Medical Sciences Keywords: Influenza A (H3N2) virus, Iran, Mutation, NS1 gene. Abstract The main functions of NS protein of influenza A virus is suppressing of type I IFN production by the host. Insight on the level of changes in the seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses NS gene in Iran is little. We sequence and analyzed amino acid of NS gene of 32 influenza A (H3N2) virus isolates for the purpose of getting detailed information about the genetic changes in this gene. Amino acid sequence revealed 5 different changes in NS1protein. Three of which are fixed amino acid changes E26K, D209N and K229E while 10 (31.3%) T58P and 5 (15.6%) A86S amino acid changes were also observed. There was no change observed in nuclear export protein (NEP). The study provides an insight on mutations in NS gene occurring in this viral gene in the country that has not been reported elsewhere. Keywords: Influenza A (H3N2) virus, Iran, Mutation, NS1 gene. Introduction: Influenza viruses have been widely studied due to their pandemic capability. This capabilities have resulted in more mortality and severe disease in the general population, the most notable being the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 and 19191. Mechanism of virulence for these viruses is on their capacity to cause immunopathogenesis. Synthesis of two mRNAs from the eighth vRNA segment of the viral gene was known by Influenza A virus. The early encodes NS1 protein, and the later is produced by splicing of NS1 mRNA that is translated into a protein which localizes in the cell nucleus that was formally named NS2 but were now renamed the nuclear export protein (NEP) 2,3. NS1 protein is translated from the mRNA directly and consists of 124–237 amino acids (aa), depending on the virus strain 4- 6. The currently circulating Influenza A/H3N2 virus in Iranian population from this research is 230 aa-long. NS1 protein is made of two important domains: N-terminal RNA-binding domain (1–73) and C-terminal effector domain (73–237) residues 7. Though NS1 protein has different roles, one of its main actions is to alter type I IFN production by the host8, acts after transcription to prevent the 3 ´-end processing of host mRNA involving IFN mRNA by attaching to cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 30 (CPSF30) and poly-A-binding protein nuclear I 9,10 . One hundred and twenty one amino acid-long proteins were translated from mRNA of NS2/NEP11. In the current study it is 120 aa-long. It may promote production of a stable export complex of new viral RNP. In alliance with matrix protein 1(M1), it interacts with cellular export factor (CEF1) and modulates nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complexes by connecting cellular export machinery with vRNPs 14. NS gene implication in virulence and replication of the virus is well-documented. It has been shown that both NS1 F103L and M106I were adaptive changes that promoted replicative capacities in cells of different species and also virulence in the mouse lung15. NS1 is one of multifunctional protein determinant of virulence with several functions in different ways to counteract the cellular innate immune response 14. It has been reported that H5N1 virus was able to interfere with IFN-ÃŽ ² activation due to properties of its NS1 gene, inhabiting F103L and M106I changes and also nature of its NP and PA genes15. Avian influenza viruses sequence analysis shows that NS1 protein C-terminal four residues is a probable PDZ domain ligand (PL) of the X-S/T-X-V type 16. Protein–protein recognition modulation that organizes diverse cell signaling assemblies was shown to be function PDZ domains. It was known to plays important roles in the cell recognition process. Ninety percent of the human influenza viruses with RSKV or RSEV in NS1 protein were shown to have a C-terminal four-residue PL sequence. High mortality outbreaks of the recent time known to be of avian origin and therefore contain avian-like NS1 C-terminal PL residues of ESEV or EPEV which are incriminated to about 7% of Homo sapiens viruses consist of H5N1 isolates. It was reported that avian viruses NS1 proteins bind to ≈30 known human PDZ domain-containing proteins, and NS1 proteins for human attaching to PDZ domain-containing proteins was not noticed 14. It has been reported that C terminus of the NS1 substitution with KSEV from the 1918 H1N1 virus increased pathogenicity as observed by morphological changes of lung sections, though the virus was shown to causes less weight loss in mice in contrast with viruses harboring the H5N1 HPAI14. Previous studies have identified a change in NS1 gene (S42P, D92E and V149A) with regard to the involvement of NS1 protein in virulence that increased viral pathogenicity17-19. NS gene extent of variation in the influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Iran in recent years has not been described. Presently analysis of NS gene of 32 isolates where carried out from Iranian population in order to secure more detailed information about its phylogeny and genetic changes, and compare the changes found in these strains, the vaccine strain and other isolates from countries in northern hemisphere. The aim of the study is sequence analysis of amino acid and identification of changes in the NS gene of influenza A (H3N2) virus isolated in Iran that may affect the functions of this protein in pathogenesis. Methods: Two hundred and fourteen specimens of patients with respiratory illness were obtained from the National Influenza Centre at School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. It was cultured in MDCK cell line following WHO guide line for influenza A virus isolation. RNA extraction was carried out with High Pure Viral Nucleic acid extraction kit (Roche Diagnostic, Germany) according to manufacturer’s protocol. Real-Time RT-PCR was carried out for the detection of Influenza viruses. Ninety specimens were positive for influenza A/H3N2 virus. NS gene was amplified using one-step RT-PCR kit (Qiagen) and specific primers (NSH3N2-F:5 ´-AGCAAAAGCAGGGTGACAAAGA-3 ´ and NSH3N2-R:5 ´-GAGAAAGTTCTTATCTCCTGTTCCA-3 ´). The condition for the RT-PCR was as follows: Reverse transcription at 50 °C for 40 minutes, initial PCR activation at 95 °C for 10 minutes, Denaturation at 95 °C for 30 second, Annealing at 57 °C for 30 second, Extension at 72 °C for 1 minutes (for 40 cycles) and a final extension at 75 °C for 10 minutes. The PCR products were purified using Qiaquick gel purification kit (Qiagen) according to manufacturer’s instruction. Samples were sequenced using specific primers and Big Dye terminator v3.1 cycle sequencing kit with the genetic analyzer ABI 3130 in the National Influenza Laboratory. Sequence alignment was done using BIOEDIT and ClustalW program20. Sequence alignment revealed similarities amongst the isolates. NS gene sequences of 32 influenza A/H3N2 virus strains isolated in this study out of 90 sequenced were selected base on the site of sample collection, compared and analyzed with the vaccine strain and the sequences obtainable from other countries in the northern hemisphere already deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic tree construction were performed using MEGA Software version 5.05 21. Result Isolates represent samples collected from June 2013 to March 2014. In the current study 230 aa were found in NS1 while the NS2/NEP had 120 amino acids. Analysis depicted relationship phylogenetically that shows there are exact clusters of the virus suggestive of co-circulation of multiple sub-lineages (Figure 1). In respect to genetic variation, H3 numbering system of amino acid was used in naming the detected amino acid changes 13, 14. Substitutions were found in 26, 58, 86, 209 and 229 aa positions in NS1 protein, respectively (Table 1). There was no amino substitution in regard to NS2/NEP found. NS1 proteins have fixed amino acid substitution at positions 26, 209 and 229 in the current study. At position 26, it occurs as a result of substitution at the 76-78 Codon from GAA to AAA causing a glutamate to lysine substitution. In position 209, substitution occurs at 625-627 Codon from GAT to AAT causing an aspartate to asparagine substitution. While in position 229, substitution occurs at 685 – 687 Codon from AAA to GAA causing a lysine to glutamate substitution. Another 10 (30.3%) NS1 proteins substitution occurs at (58 amino acid position) 172-174 Codon from ACC to CCC causing a threonine to proline substitution. Also 5 (15.2%) of the NS1 proteins substitution occurs at (amino acid po sition 86) 256-258 Codon from GCT to TCT causing an alanine to serine substitution. Figure 1 Relationship of the NS nucleotide coding region phylogenetically of influenza viruses used in this study. Neighbor-joining analysis with Tamura-Neibour model, using MEGA 5.05 was used to generate the tree. Circular black dot represent studied samples and triangular black dot represent vaccine strain. Table 1: Amino acid changes of NS1 protein of influenza A/H3N2 virus strains from Iranian Population compared with vaccine strain and other countries in northern hemisphere. Virus isolates Amino acid at indicated position in NS1 protein 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 5 8 8 8 1 2 3 3 4 6 0 0 2 6 8 0 5 6 1 9 5 9 0 4 4 9 9 NS2/NEP analysis does not reveal any amino acid change in the present study (Table 2). Nucleotide sequence data obtained has been deposited to GenBank database and can be retrieved under accession numbers KP162026- KP162056 and KP209320. Table 2: Amino acid changes of NS2/NEP protein of influenza A/H3N2 virus strains from Iranian Population compared with vaccine strain and other countries in northern hemisphere. Virus isolates Amino acid at indicated position in NS2 protein 47 88 A/Texas/50/2012 E R A/Tehran/77254/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Eslamshahr/73061/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Eslamshahr/73060/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/74551/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran /44573/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69904/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Sanandaj/65990/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Ilam/55882/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/77150/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran /78183/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/60708/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/57157/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69969/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Tehran/69640/2014 †¢ †¢ A/Varamin/78055/2014 †¢ †¢

Genetic Engineering Essays -- Genetic Engineering

Just imagine the scene: and newlywed wife and husband are sitting down with a catalog, browsing joyously, pointing and awing at all the different options, fantasizing about all the possibilities that could become of their future. Is this a catalog for new furniture? No. This catalog for all features, phenotype and genotype, for the child they are planning to have. It is basically a database for parents to pick and choose all aspects of their children, from the sex of the child, to looks, and even to personality traits. Parents since the beginning of time have â€Å"planned† to have children, but never have they been able to legitimately â€Å"plan† out their child. This scene does not seem typical for our time and age, but truthfully it is what is becoming of our world. Through substantial research and experimentation that is taking place, scientists, specifically biologists, are becoming keener to the field of engineering. Genetic engineering that is. When one thinks of â€Å"genetic engineering,† the first thought is probably a perfect child, or paradoxically some inconceivable creature, forged under the microscope in a scientific laboratory. Though both of these are genetic engineering, many people do not consider other things, such as genetic engineering of agriculture and medicine, both of which are extremely useful. Through the genetic altering of plants and crops, scientists have been able to manipulate their genes to withstand lower temperatures, to resist herbicides and insects, and to even extending shelf life of some particular products (Gert 1). This technology has made farmers more prosperous, as well as given the population more food that will last longer. In medicine, â€Å"a patent has already been applied for to mix human embryo... ...engineering gone too far?† 1). The creation of â€Å"chimeras,† animals containing cells from another animal, has been one of the biggest controversial topics in genetic engineering (ibid). Researchers fret over creating new diseases by combining genes to make new ones (ibid). If this were to happen, political figures may step in and enforce strict guidelines and regulations for genetic engineering. In fact, in 2006, President George Bush asked to prohibit the creation of â€Å"human-animal hybrids† (ibid). Other scientists retaliate by claiming that these â€Å"chimeras† can help find cures to known diseases, and could become one of the most helpful tools in their arsenal of ideas for the future (ibid). Either way, whether or not the use of chimeras is acceptable is debatable. If used, they could bring up new problems as well as solve old ones that have riddled us for decades.

The Effects of Music on Laboring Moms

Coping with labor pain when you are a first time mom is usually an experience filled with great anxiety. The first stage of labor is called the latent phase, in which she may be excited and anxious for labor to be well established [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The laboring mom may be unable to cope with contractions because of fear, anxiety, or lack of information [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ].The nurse’s response should be to be supportive and provide encouragement and to establish a trusting relationship [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. The challenge for the labor nurse is to reduce the pain and anxiety and to help make the labor and delivery a positive experience. The application of music therapy may be an appropriate tool for reducing anxiety and pain [ (Marcia L. London, 2011) ]. Music therapy has become popular in medicine in the last two decades.Studies show that the impulses from the auditory stimulus override the pain signals carried by the smaller nerve fibers, and music perceived by the right brain may stimulate the pituitary gland to release endorphins for decreasing pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. Music may also alter pain perception by improving mood, increasing relaxation, and reducing anxiety. Music also increases control and distraction to pain perception. The purpose of the study I read was to undertake an evaluation of music therapy on labor pain and anxiety in Taiwanese primiparas.It was hypothesized that primipara women receiving music therapy would perceive less pain and anxiety and have higher fingertip temperatures, an indication of less pain, during labor than those participants who had not received music therapy but received standard routine care [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. This controlled study provided evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provided psychological and physiological benefits from pain [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].The participants in the study were primipara women giving birth with the fol lowing criteria; they had a normal pregnancy, their pregnancy had gone to term, they planned to undergo a vaginal delivery, they had a single, normal fetus to deliver, they did not intend to use pharmacological analgesics during labor, and they consented to the participate in the study [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In this study pain and anxiety were the main outcome measurements. Ultimately 60 participants were included in the analysis, 30 women were entered in the experimental group and 30 women were entered into the control group.Participants were instructed to choose types of relaxing, anxiety-reducing music. In addition to receiving standard nursing care, the experimental participants listened to music for at least 30 minutes during the latent phase and active phase of labor. Measures for pain and anxiety scales were given before and after 30 minutes of music listening during the latent and active phases of labor. Participants in the control group were not aware that they had the opportunity to listen to music, but they received the standard routine care after admission.Both groups completed the same pretest and posttest measures at the same phases of labor as the music group. Twenty-four hours after childbirth, women in the experimental group were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire to indicate their perceptions of the effectiveness of music therapy on pain and anxiety and a five-point scale to evaluate the helpfulness of music. All the outcome measures for latent and active phases were analyzed separately because of the different level of pain.The results indicated that women in the music-listening group had lower pain and anxiety and higher fingertip temperatures than their peers in the control group during the latent phase, but the outcome measures were not significant during the active phase. Music seems to have multiple functions in pain reduction, including focusing, distracting, and stimulating pleasure responses. The study provides evidenc e that preselected music that is slow, relaxing and calming in nature, with little variation in tempo or volume is helpful for laboring women in the early latent phase [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].In the active phase of labor the slow music was not effective. This is when contractions are more intense and more painful and it is possible that the auditory cue did not synchronize with the women’s rhythmic short, rapid breathing [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. It could be that music with a more rapid tempo would be more helpful. Pain and anxiety can influence heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, peripheral blood flow and fingertip temperature (FT). Elevation of FT is a significant indicator of physical relaxation through the sympathetic response [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ].This study shows that music can promote relaxation and decrease muscle tension which can increase peripheral blood flow as well as skin temperature as evidenced by the increased FT [ (Yu-Hsiang Liu, 2010) ]. In conclusion, this controlled study provides evidence that music therapy for women during the latent phase of labor provides quantifiable psychological benefits. The findings of this study may provide an evidence-based music therapy protocol for women in labor.Clinical health care professionals such as nurses could consider providing music as part of their routine when working with women who face the first-time childbirth process. Nurses could apply music therapy in reducing the pain and anxiety for women who are at the early phase of labor. Music does not have harmful side-effects and is easy to administer, so if it is yet another way to ease the pain and anxiety of a laboring patient and could help make the childbirth experience a positive one, the nurse should consider offering the therapy to her patients.

Comparison of Editorials

Assignment 2:  Discussion—Comparison of Editorials In this assignment, you will identify and explore your intuitive critical thinking strategies. It is the starting point to developing the skills to analyze information critically. Research methods of identifying strong and weak arguments using your textbook and the Argosy University online library resources. Be sure to cover the following: * Identify premises and conclusions * Discuss whether or not an inference is warranted * Discuss matters of truth and consistencyFor this assignment, your facilitator will assign you one of the following debates: * Debate 1: Should the â€Å"Ashley X† treatments have been permitted? * Debate 2: Is Osama Bin Laden’s death a decisive blow to Al Qaeda or an unmitigated victory against terrorism? Each debate has two sets of articles for review. Your facilitator will assign you one of these sets. Each set has two articles with two varying, but important, perspectives on the same s ubject. Be sure to read both articles in the set. Debate 1:These pairs of articles focus on the subject of â€Å"Ashley X,† a child with static encephalopathy who underwent radical surgical procedures to facilitate her care and, thereby, ostensibly improve her quality of life. Set A * Lewis, J. (2007, January 6). The moral line in medicine shifts once again. The Independent, p. 37. (ProQuest Document ID 311096455). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/311096455/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 * Singer, P. (2007, January 26). A convenient truth [Op-Ed]. The New York Times. (ProQuest Document ID: 433487228). ttp://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/433487228/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 Set B * Lindemann, H. , Nelson, J. L. (2008). The romance of the family. The Hastings Center Report, 38(4), 19–21. (ProQuest Document ID 222368438). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/222368438? accountid=348 9 9 * Picard, A. (2007, January 11). It's wrong to keep disabled girl as an ‘angel’. The Globe and Mail, p. A. 17. (ProQuest Document ID 383481551). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/383481551/abstract? ource=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Debate 2 These pairs of articles focus on the subject of Osama Bin Laden’s death and the alleged implications his death are expected to have on matters of future Al Qaeda activity and international safety. Set A * Clarke, R. A. (2011, May 3). Bin Laden’s dead. Al Qaeda’s not [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311946). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311946/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Soufan, A. H. (2011, May 3). The end of the Jihadist dream [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p.A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311556). Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864540238/abstract? source=fedsrch;account id=34899 Set B * Clarke, R. A. (2011, May 3). Bin Laden’s dead. Al Qaeda’s not [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311946). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311946/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Nocera, J. (2011, May 3). 4 questions he leaves behind [Op-Ed]. The New York Times, p. A. 23. (ProQuest Document ID 864311864). http://search. proquest. om. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/864311864/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Respond to the following: * Identify and explain the strongest argument in each article. Or * Identify and explain the weakest argument in each article. Give reasons and examples from your research in support of your response. Write your initial response in 1–2 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. By Saturday, April 13, 2013, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, April 17, 2013, review and comment on at least two peers ’ responses. Debate 1:These pairs of articles focus on the subject of â€Å"Ashley X,† a child with static encephalopathy who underwent radical surgical procedures to facilitate her care and, thereby, ostensibly improve her quality of life. Set A * Lewis, J. (2007, January 6). The moral line in medicine shifts once again. The Independent, p. 37. (ProQuest Document ID 311096455). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/311096455/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 * Singer, P. (2007, January 26). A convenient truth [Op-Ed]. The New York Times. (ProQuest Document ID: 433487228). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. du/docview/433487228/abstract? source=fedsrch;accountid=34899 Set B * Lindemann, H. , Nelson, J. L. (2008). The romance of the family. The Hastings Center Report, 38(4), 19–21. (ProQuest Document ID 222368438). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/222368438? accountid=34899 * Picard, A. (2007, January 11). It's wrong to keep disabled girl as an ‘angel’. The Globe and Mail, p. A. 17. (ProQuest Document ID 383481551). http://search. proquest. com. libproxy. edmc. edu/docview/383481551/abstract? source=fedsrch&accountid=34899 Identify premises and conclusions Discuss whether or not an inference is warrantedDiscuss matters of truth and consistency Debate 1: Should the â€Å"Ashley X† treatments have been permitted? After reading all the articles, I believe that the Ashley X treatments should have been permitted. All parents want what is in the best interest of their child, even though sometimes they can make mistakes like all people. I am a parent and I could not imagine going through what Ashley’s parents go through every single day. If my child was like that I guess that I would probably do the same thing because having a child have a full grown body but the mind of a 3 month old baby cannot be a good thing.As parents, you have to protect your children t he best way that you know how. â€Å"The parents say that what they have done to Ashley is not for their convenience but for the girl's comfort. They say the medical procedures are not cruel; rather, â€Å"what is grotesque is having a fully grown fertile woman endowed with the mind of a baby (Andre, 2007). † There are many different types of fallacies and they are the straw man, attacks on character, post hoc, begging the question, appeal to popular belief, hasty generalization, irrelevant appeal to authority, over simplification, appeal to tradition, and false dichotomy.When reading through these articles, I see hasty generalization. I know that everyone has their own opinions but there are also facts to this case. â€Å"Once you start tinkering with nature, where do you decide to draw the line – if at all? As Ash-ley's father points out, â€Å"All medicine is about interfering with nature. Why not let cancer spread and nature take its course? Why give antibiotics for infections? † Science has kept Ashley alive; why shouldn't it be used to make her more comfortable (Lewis, 2007)? † â€Å"Modern medicine may save us from immediate tragedy, but only at the cost of our ethical peace of mind.We react violently to stories such as Ashley's because we are afraid of the miracles we have wrought. Where once there was just God and fate, now we face an endless panorama of impossible life-and-death decisions (Lewis, 2007). † With this statement, â€Å"What matters in Ashley's life is that she should not suffer, and that she should be able to enjoy whatever she is capable of enjoying. Beyond that, she is precious not so much for what she is, but because her parents and siblings love her and care about her.Lofty talk about human dignity should not stand in the way of children like her getting the treatment that is best both for them and their families (Singer, 2007). †, I completely agree with what was said here. For any person i n this world, we should all be able to enjoy whatever we can no matter what the situation is. In Ashley’s case, being that she has the mindset of a 3 month old; it would be hard to enjoy the life of an adult. References: Lewis, J. (2007, Jan 06). The moral line in medicine shifts once again; EDITORIAL ; OPINION. The Independent. Retrieved from

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels

Pronouncing Spanish Vowels English speakers generally find the pronunciation of Spanish vowels fairly easy. Close approximations of all their sounds exist in English, and, with the exception of the E and the sometimes silent U, each of the vowels has basically one sound. The main thing to keep in mind is that in Spanish the vowels sounds are generally more distinct than they are in English. In English, any vowel can be represented by whats known as the schwa, an unstressed vowel sound such as the a in about, the ai in mountain, and the u in pablum. But in Spanish, such an indistinct sound isnt used. Although, as in most languages, the sounds of the vowels can vary slightly with the letters before and after them, in general the sound remains the same regardless of the word its in. Pronouncing the 5 Vowels First, the more or less invariable sounds: A is pronounced similarly to the a in father or the o in loft. Examples: madre, ambos, mapa. There are some speakers who sometimes pronounce the a something halfway between the a in father and the a in mat, but in most areas the first sound given is standard. See also the lesson on pronouncing the . I is pronounced similarly to the ee in feet and the e in me, although usually a little briefer. Examples: finca, timbre, mi. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the i. O is pronounced like the oa in boat or the o in bone, although usually a little briefer. Example: telà ©fono, amo, foco. See the lesson on pronouncing the o for more information. Now, the two vowels whose sound can change: E is generally pronounced like the e in met when it is at the beginning or within a word. It is pronounced similarly to the Canadian eh, kind of a shortened version of the à © in the English cafà ©, when it is at the end of the word. Sometimes it can be somewhere between those two sounds. Its not quite the sound of the English letter A, which if pronounced slowly often has an ee sound at the end, but closer to the e of met. Keep in mind that even when its at the end of the word, in a sentence it may sound more like the e of met. For example, in a phrase such as de vez en cuando, each e has approximately the same sound. Examples: cafà ©, compadre, embarcar, enero. See also the lesson on pronouncing the e. U is generally pronounced like the oo in boot or the u in tune. Do not pronounced it like the u in uniform. Examples: universo, reunià ³n, unidos. In the combinations gui and gue, as well as after q, the u is silent. Examples: guà ­a, guerra, quizs. If the u should be pronounce d between a g and i or e, an umlaut (also called a dieresis) is placed over it. Examples: vergà ¼enza, lingà ¼ista. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the u. Diphthongs and Triphthongs As in English, two or three vowels in Spanish can blend together to form a sound. The sound is basically the sound of the two or three vowels rapidly pronounced. For example, the u when followed by an a, e, i or o ends up sounding something like the w in water. Examples: cuaderno, cuerpo, cuota. The ai combination sounds something like the sound of eye. Examples: hay, airear. The i when followed by an a, e or u sounds kind of like the y in yellow.: hierba, bien, siete. And other combinations are possible as well: miau, Uruguay, caudillo. Pronouncing Y Generally, the y is pronounced the same as it would be if it were an i, as part of a diphthong. Examples: rey, soy, yacer. Some words that are derived from English and have a y at the end often retain the English pronunciation. For example, in popular songs you may hear words such as sexy and phrases such as oh baby. This letter is covered in more detail in the lesson on pronouncing the y.

Interest Rate Report

Interest Rate Report Free Online Research Papers Introduction Big Drive Auto is a multistate dealer of several manufacturer’s cars and trucks. Big Drive not only sells the cars but a large part of their business is servicing the autos. This paper will address the managerial decisions that are affected by increasing interest rates and how increasing interest rates affect the cost of operating a business. The current yield curve will be discussed and what this means for Big Drive Auto’s organizational decision making. This paper will analyze how the change in interest rates can change consumer demand. In closing, some other monetary variables, such as durability, government taxes, and capital goods on hand will be explored. Decisions Affected by Interest Rates Large decisions, such as long term investments in new dealership sites or new equipment, would be affected by interest rates. According to the Jednak (2005), â€Å"Interest rates certainly have an impact on how business owners make management and operational decisionsparticularly decisions about long-term investments in new plants and equipment† ( ¶ 1). Things such as new service equipment or new buildings are considered capital purchases. Capital purchases are those that add equity to Big Drive Auto’s assets. With increasing interest rates the actual price for such projects will be higher than the estimated costs because the higher interest rate will be applied. Introducing a new model to Big Drive’s line of autos is another decision that would be affected by interest rates. If interest rates are high, the demand for cars will decrease. A market of declining demand is not a good time to introduce a new model. In a market with a decreasing or low interest rate the demand for cars with increase. The dollar can buy more in such a market. This is the market in which consumers are willing to try new products. How Interest Rates Affect the Cost of Operating a Business Interest rates affect the cost of operating a business in many aspects. If the interest rates are rising, Big Drive Auto must have a higher gross margin to cover the increased fixed expense. Big Drive Auto will have to pass this increase to the consumer. If this was to happen in a market with a decrease in auto sales it could be fatal to Big Drive Auto. Interest rates have the biggest effect on capital projects. An example of a capital project would be if Big Drive Auto was contemplating the purchase of a new hydraulic lift for one of the service bays. This project would be financed and therefore, be affected by the interest rates. If the interest rates are increasing, Big Drive would pay more for the lift and thereby decrease the amount of equity the lift holds. According to McConnell Brue (2004), â€Å"Investment spending is guided by profit motive; businesses buy capital goods only when they think such purchases will be profitable† (p. 159). The Yield Curve and the effect of its Shape on the Decision Making in the Organization The Yield Curve is a graphical representation of the rates of return for short-term to long-term Treasuries. A normal yield curve rises from left to right; this illustrates that long-term bonds command higher interest rates than short-term bills and notes. According to Isidore (2009), â€Å"The 10-year yield dipped briefly below the fed funds rate Wednesday morning after a report showed a big drop in demand in April for cars, refrigerators and other big-ticket items known as durable goods† ( ¶ 6). This inverted yield curve would normally be indicative of an impending recession. In a recession Big Drive Auto needs to make decisions that will increase their net sales and decrease their overall operations costs; in doing this Big Drive will be able to sell cars at a lower price. According to the Newman (2009) â€Å"Most automakers are aggressively cutting production to halt chronic overbuilding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( ¶ 5). Consumers cutback on spending in times of a recession. Being able to price the cars lower will increase Big Drive’s net sales. Changes in Interest Rates affect Customer Demand The auto industry relies on their consumers being able to finance the funds needed to purchase the automobile. When interest rates rise, the auto industry is greatly affected. A consumer will shy away from purchasing a new automobile because of the high interest rate that comes with the financing needed. In other words, a higher interest rate will decrease the customer demand. As interest rates increase so does the requirements for approval of the financing. Therefore, in addition to consumers not wanting to pay a higher interest rate, the consumers willing to pay the higher interest rate may be ineligible for financing. This lack of financing could lead to a decrease in auto sales for Big Drive Auto. Other Monetary Variables When making business investment decisions, variables other than interest rate should be considered. Durability of capital goods should be looked at when making decisions. Big Drive Auto needs to assess if they truly need a new hydraulic lift or will the better fiscal decision be getting the old one fixed. Business taxes also need to be considered when making business investment decisions. An increase in taxes lowers the expected profitability in investment. This shifts the investment demand curve to the left. This shift to the left means the Big Drive will have a decreased rate of return. Lastly, the amount of capital goods on hand should be considered when making investment decisions. If Big Drive is overstocked with inventory because the demand has decreased for autos, their expected rate of return on new investments will decline. Big Drive would have little incentive to invest in new capital. Therefore, less investment is realized at each real interest rate. Conclusion The key decision makers may have previously made decisions that will now be affected by the rising interest rates. The fact that the interest rates are rising means increased production cost for Big Drive Auto. They could pass this increase off to the customer or they can cut production volume. As the interest rates get higher the customer demand will drop. Big Drive Auto should not only use interest rates to base their business investment decisions. They should also use monetary variables, such as taxes, capital goods on hand, and durability, when making investment decisions. These are rough economic times for Big Drive Auto. Auto sales are down and banks are not lending money. Rising interest rates can spell big trouble for businesses that sell products in which their customers must finance. However, with some thought Big Drive Auto can watch for opportunities and avoid obvious pitfalls. Research Papers on Interest Rate ReportTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyOpen Architechture a white paper

5 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Martin Luther King, Jr.

5 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Martin Luther King, Jr. There is so much we can all learn from Martin Luther King, Jr, and not just on the day off we get once a year to commemorate his life! But it might not have occurred to you to adapt some of his deep wisdom to your own life and career. Here are 5 powerful lessons from Dr. King that could help you live better, do better, and go further.1. Ask why.And more importantly, ask â€Å"why not?† If someone tells you something is impossible, ask this very important question to figure out why they are so convinced, and whether you might be able to offer a solution no one else had seen. When looking for answers to some of the biggest questions of a generation, Dr. King turned to other sources for inspiration. This  teaches us the answers to our problems will often come from unexpected corners, and how important it is to learn from other people and other cultures as much as we can.2. You can’t change change.Change is constant. Dr. King was initially hesitant to join in the 1963 Mar ch on Washington, but he adapted to the evolving movement and ended up leading one of the most moving and effective platforms for social change. Be adaptable. Realize that change is inevitable. All you can control is what you do in the face of it.3. Find where you can give, not just receive.Dr. King once said, â€Å"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’† In stressful times, it becomes very difficult to focus on anyone but ourselves. But this is a moral requirement, and increasingly more so in our interconnected, fast-paced world. When you’re in a rut, focus on helping people- you’ll be surprised at what a difference that can make.4. Tune out the critics.As long as you’ve chosen a path that’s good and a cause that you are passionate about, and as long as you’re pursuing both with integrity, honesty, and concern for others, then you’ll need to tune out the haters now and then . People will always be critical. Rejection will always happen, particularly in the course of a career. But if you know you’re doing the right thing, you should keep doing it.5. Leave a legacy.Think about what sort of mark you want to leave on the world. Is the work you’re doing going to make a difference to the next generation? Even if you can’t make an impact on the same scale as Dr. King, you can figure out ways to leave your workplace, industry, etc., a little better off for your having been there.

Contemporary Issues in Financial Services Essay - 1

Contemporary Issues in Financial Services - Essay Example Financial intermediaries bring together borrowers and lenders in financial markets by interacting with savers and borrowers simultaneously and by producing a set of services facilitating the transformation of liabilities into assets like transforming deposits into loans. Though financial markets can also bring together lenders and borrowers directly, still the existence of financial intermediaries is of utmost importance. This is because the direct lending approach between savers and borrowers has proved inefficient as this process can be directly traced to the barter system where there is always a need for double coincidence of wants. This function of transformation is termed as intermediation. Through this process, financial intermediaries facilitate savers and borrowers to have indirect lending and borrowing. Financial intermediaries can be banks, building societies, financial advisor or broker, insurance companies, life insurance companies, mutual fund and pension fund. Firstly, national bank serves as a financial intermediary by accepting deposits and placing in various securities and mortgage loans. By doing this, individual investors are linked by banks with financial markets and demanders of credit. The intermediaries actually act as a middleman between firm raising funds and investors (Rampini & Viswanathan, 2012, pp.1-2). Requirement of financial intermediary Though financial markets can also bring together lenders and borrowers directly, still the existence of financial intermediaries is of utmost importance. This is because the direct lending approach between savers and borrowers has proved inefficient as this process can be directly traced to the barter system where there is always a need for double coincidence of wants. People with savings will want to lend the amount available with them for a particular time period. For this, one will have to find a person who needs approximately the same amount of fund for the same time period. Searching of such a person is a difficult task. Again, direct lending necessitates a negotiable contract. Transactions of repayments of principle and interest are required to account for. Direct lenders will have limited ability to diversify and minimum exposure to default risk by lending small amounts to many borrowers but the transaction costs would be relatively higher. Here financial intermediaries reduce the transaction costs and minimize risks. Thus, it improves the economic efficiency. Generally, the financial intermediaries perform the following functions: i. It facilitates transactions. ii. It creates a portfolio. iii. It spreads risks over time. iv. It eases household liquidity constraints. v. It reduces the problem of asymmetric information. In addition to intermediation, sometimes brokerage function also takes place by financial institutions in bringing together buyers and sellers to complete financial transactions. Stockbrokers specialize in brokerage to perform such task. Types of fina ncial intermediaries Fee based or advisory financial intermediaries These financial intermediaries charge a fee for rendering advisory financial services. Their services include: i. Issue management ii. Underwriting iii. Portfolio management iv. Corporate counselling v. Stock broking vi. Credit syndication vii. Mergers and acquisitions viii. Debenture trusteeship ix. Capital restructuring Asset based financial intermediaries The specific requirements of customers are met by these financial intermediaries. They provide the required asset or finance for rent or interest respectively. The income is earned by them from

Tests for assessing infants and young children Research Paper

Tests for assessing infants and young children - Research Paper Example This score is intended to give the person assessing the child the clue about the child behaviors or capacity of knowledge tested. The assessment of infants can take a wide range of area. This area can be a child reasoning capacity which is mainly depicted, through the child’s ability to answer the aptitude tests. In this research paper, the children were assessed to their capacity on thinking and acting on different situations (intelligence). Their intelligence here is tested to verify their ability to act or behave under different circumstances. The age group in this research was children between the ages of two to five years (2-5). This Age group was chosen because the children here can be able to think and act accordingly when under some problem or situation. These children also are in the age bracket whereby one expects to see normal behaviors. The purpose of carrying this research is to have the accurate information about the best age range for a child to be taught new skills like school work. The research intended to give the best information on the ground and form of assessment needed by a child. In this assessment, two types of assessment were used to test the infants. The two methods used include informal assessment and formal assessment. The description for methods to be’ used in this research is discussed below. Formal assessment is whereby normal referenced tests are standardized. The normal, formal procedures are carried out to administer some form of tests to the infants. The results are timed and scores recorded. The results obtained are normalized and counter checked with a representative sample of the same age level of students in class, so that other final test results can be analyzed to students of similar characteristics. The results show the children relative performance and behavior. The tests must be brought to a context in the records to ensure accurate and reliable information is gotten. The formal assessment

Economic Development and Wilderness Preservation in Australia Essay

Economic Development and Wilderness Preservation in Australia - Essay Example This essay outlines the importance of maintaining the balance between economic development and preservation of wild nature in Australia. Economic development and wilderness preservation are two concepts that go hand in hand. If the wilderness is not protected, economic development is hard to achieve and vice-versa. Efforts to protect the wilderness in the region seem to have been completely frustrated over the years. The Aboriginal Australians have adopted the paradigm in their attempt to embrace the benefits associated with western lifestyles. For instance, the infrastructure that has been installed to service both the mining operations and the remote communities is threatening the wilderness of Northern Australia. With no strategic measures towards wilderness protection within and outside the northern part of Australia, the relatively sparse population of the region will end up with a disproportionate impact on the wilderness. The remote and aboriginal communities of the northern part of Australia have a significantly growing ecological footprint that has had an enormous impact on the wilderness areas. For instance, every Aboriginal community must have a telephone communication network and associated infrastructure. The infrastructures are linked to the major towns of the area through the roads network and a growing fleet of motor vehicles. The establishment of the power lines has seen economic development realized in some areas of the wilderness that were previously remote and with no significant development

Organizational culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational culture - Essay Example Thus effective leadership requires accomplishment and influencing. Leadership requires trust and commitment of others, which they can achieve through their own behavior and integrity. Leaders create and deal with change; leadership requires vision, direction, strategies, motivation and inspiring. The model of leadership developed by Kouzes and Posner is known as The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. These qualities include modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart (Wiley, 2000). Developing and inspiring a shared vision requires leadership because it has to be realistic and credible (Nahata, 2001). If the vision is shared, the individuals can find their own roles, which contribute to their personal and professional growth. The strength of a leader lies in his ability to inspire others to give their best. For instance, there is always a resistance to change in the face of environmental pressure and uncertainty when it is caused by the organization culture, says Schein (Lakomski, 2001). A leader plays a crucial role in such cases where he has to inspire them to understand and accept the vision or the corporate goals. The individuals have to be inspired to deal with the external and internal environment. The leader can transform the current stagnating culture into a productive culture. When the resistance to change appears to be non-rational, the dynamics of culture have to be understood. The leader would first need to unfreeze the old assumptions after which c ognitive restructuring takes place. Thereafter refeezing takes place which means that changed behaviors and new assumptions become embedded and reinforced as the new culture through which the organization can solve the problems. In this change model, the role of the leader in managing change becomes

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Hospitality Management - Essay Example Several categories of fields include tourism industry, lodging, cruise line, theme parks and transportation. I have participated for internship program in the hospitality industry. I am highly obliged to internship project manager. I would like to provide special thanks and express my gratitude towards the project manager for motivating me to go for excellence. Every intern is new to the industry and is hungry for success. There is always a person who motivates to accomplish in life. This is the person who encouraged me in the entire internship program. The effect of affectionate encouragement and motivation on my life was humongous. The pivotal aim of the program is to participate at the hotel meetings and gain experience to different areas of the hotel. The volume of professional is articulated by the organization behavior of the hospitality industry. Regular meeting and discussion with project manager helped me to build on complementary flaws and strengths. Weekly check- in meetin gs exceedingly benefited me to have an ongoing discussion to nullify the flaws and enrich the strengths. Time devoted by project manager provided me an opportunity to prosper on the hospitality industry. The appreciation shown by the manager boosted my commitment towards nurturing organizational skills. Teamwork, standard of procedure and service are the pivotal element in the hospitality industry. The effective management of the employees in the hospitality industry can be managed by focusing on building confidence, team building and handling stress. Internship project manager provided a practical example of understand behavior of guests and enhancing the decision making process. The manager provided me opportunity to experience the hospitality industry by live examples, case study and weekly discussion. This process of learning motivated me to enhance the relationship with the project

ENTERPRISE & SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ENTERPRISE & SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The external factors include culture, role models, work experience, education, and environment. It is important to look at all of these factors and their influence on entrepreneurial behaviour. The relationship between the entrepreneur, personality characteristics, values, and other dimensions helps explain why some become entrepreneurs and others do not. Entrepreneurship is often difficult and tricky, as many new ventures fail. In the context of the creation of for-profit enterprises, entrepreneur is often synonymous with founder. Most commonly, the term entrepreneur applies to someone who creates value by offering a product or service in order to obtain certain profit. While there is social entrepreneurship in most markets, business entrepreneurs often have strong beliefs about a market opportunity and are willing to accept a high level of personal, professional or financial risk to pursue that opportunity. Business entrepreneurs are viewed as fundamentally important in the capitalistic society. Some distinguish business entrepreneurs as either "political entrepreneurs" or "market entrepreneurs." There is also the concept of social entrepreneurship. Since the beginning of the history, people have been interested in studying the nature of entrepreneurship. They wanted to find the 'traits' that distinguished entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs and successful entrepreneurs from unsuccessful entrepreneurs. Some researchers believed that cognitive and psychological factors like intelligence, ambition and aggressiveness are the traits commonly found in entrepreneurs. However, there were also another set of researchers who believed that physical characteristics like height (especially more than average), large body structure and personal attractiveness are important traits of entrepreneurs. Most research studies on entrepreneurship suggest that there are certain factors that differentiate entrepreneurs from non - entrepreneurs. Some of these include initiative, desire to lead, integrity, self-confidence, analytical ability, and knowledge of the specific company, industry or technology. If in case the above mentioned factors are supplemented with traits such as charisma, creativity and flexibility, an individual is likely to be an effective leader. The presence of these characteristics in an individual does not guarantee that he will be an effective l

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Hospitality Management - Essay Example Several categories of fields include tourism industry, lodging, cruise line, theme parks and transportation. I have participated for internship program in the hospitality industry. I am highly obliged to internship project manager. I would like to provide special thanks and express my gratitude towards the project manager for motivating me to go for excellence. Every intern is new to the industry and is hungry for success. There is always a person who motivates to accomplish in life. This is the person who encouraged me in the entire internship program. The effect of affectionate encouragement and motivation on my life was humongous. The pivotal aim of the program is to participate at the hotel meetings and gain experience to different areas of the hotel. The volume of professional is articulated by the organization behavior of the hospitality industry. Regular meeting and discussion with project manager helped me to build on complementary flaws and strengths. Weekly check- in meetin gs exceedingly benefited me to have an ongoing discussion to nullify the flaws and enrich the strengths. Time devoted by project manager provided me an opportunity to prosper on the hospitality industry. The appreciation shown by the manager boosted my commitment towards nurturing organizational skills. Teamwork, standard of procedure and service are the pivotal element in the hospitality industry. The effective management of the employees in the hospitality industry can be managed by focusing on building confidence, team building and handling stress. Internship project manager provided a practical example of understand behavior of guests and enhancing the decision making process. The manager provided me opportunity to experience the hospitality industry by live examples, case study and weekly discussion. This process of learning motivated me to enhance the relationship with the project

Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Journal - Research Paper Example 114). An exclusive characteristic of the multilingual creation was carrying out a sequence of expertise workgroups with practitioners and scholars across the United States of America. The main objective of the sessions was to attain a sense of what practitioners and scholars viewed as promising and effective activities. According to Rhian, Pauline, Paramjit and Sheila, they made use of these groups to assist them in explaining what the field is viewed; recurring issues in given directions. The contribution reinforced the validity of the understanding that surfaced and gave a significant connecting amid practice and study. A number of varying sources of data is made use of so as to advance and also substantiate study interpretations (Loudon, Anderson, Gill, & Greenfield, 1999, p. 99). Conscious comparison of disparate researches with divergent results is contrasted in order to assist in enhancing and refine scholar explanations. Critical entertaining of adversary theories are not simply supposed to be disclose to adversary theories (Slavin, 2005, p. 247). Scholars are also supposed to look for adversary explanations and try to comprehend the foundation for these explanations. In a multilingual production, scholars assess the techniques and findings of an offered combination of records and make use of demanding qualitative processes to review the diverse literatures. The steady-relative technique of negotiating information sources to advance and refine clarifications. Ganschow, L. and Sparks, R. Effects of Direct Instruction in Spanish Phonology on the Native- Language Skills and Foreign-Language Aptitude of At-Risk Foreign-Language Learners. J Learn Disabil February 1995 vol. 28 no. 2 107-120 Loudon, R. F., Anderson, P. M., Gill, P. S. and Greenfield, S. M. (1999). Educating Medical Students for Work in Culturally Diverse Societies. The journal of the American medical association. September 1, 1999, Vol 282, No.

Literature Review on Hand Dominance

Literature Review on Hand Dominance Much research has gone into the study of hand dominance. Strangely, it is common for right and left handed people to use the opposite side of their bodies for activities.5 If you use your left hand, you are right brained, and if youre right handed, you use the left side of your brain.5 A rare form of handedness is ambidexterity.1 Common things such as scissors, paper and instruments such as guitars have to be specially made for left handed people. Surprisingly, the true meaning of left and right is much more than we think. No theories have yet been accepted as to why some people are left handed and others right handed.3Â   Right and left handedness is an interesting topic to study. Handedness is the skill of using one hand more than the other, such as right and left handedness.1 Another word for handedness is laterality, or the human preference to use one side of the body over the other.2 Right handedness is the most common form of handedness.6 According to, The Right Mind, by Robert Ornstein, only ten percent of the population are left handed. This percentage indicates that left handedness is much less common that right handedness.9 There is no prevailing theory that explains why right handedness is so much more common than left handedness.3 Numerous neurological studies and physiological analysis have stated that right handed people use the left side (or cerebral hemisphere) of the brain, and left handed people use the right side.5 It is not uncommon for right handed people to use their left legs and left handed people to use their right legs when playing sports such as soccer.2 There are different types of handedness such as ambidexterity and mixed- handedness (also known as cross- dominance).1 Ambidexterity is the ability to perform tasks equally with the left and right hand.2 Mixed- handedness is the ability to perform some tasks with one hand and other tasks with a different hand.4 Although ambidexterity can be learned, it is a very rare form of handedness.1 Robert Ornstein indicates that only three percent of humans are ambidextrous.9 Even though ambidextrous people can use both hands, they still demonstrate a strong preference for one or the other. Mixed handedness often appears in the example of using the right hand to write and the left to throw a ball. Because our society often defines handedness by which hand is used to write with, mixed handedness is often overlooked. Both ambidexterity and mixed-handedness are rare things to come by. 1 Although America has moved on from the days of disregarding left-handedness, treating left handed people as evil or outcasts, many societies still prefer only to use the right hand. In prior years, people, who were naturally inclined to use their left hand, were forced to write with their right hands.6 Most of the alphabet is written with a preference to right handed people. Because our society is so right hand dominant, writing tablets, books and binders are manufactured for right handed writing. So much so that using your left hand may cause smudges on freshly written words. Hindus only use their right hands for respectful activities, as the left hand is reserved for less desirable usage. Muslims believe that on the day of judgment their good deeds will be written on the right side of the book and their bad deeds on the left.3 Many writings show preference to right over left; the bible is not excluded. In Matthew 25: 32-34, 41 it says, Before him will be gathered all the nations an d he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. Then He will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.10 In Perhaps right handedness being associated with goodness is part of the foundations of our beings as set forth by God. Even in technology right handedness is preferred. Such things as scissors, can openers, and cameras were originally designed only for right handed use. Papers and binders are also made for right handed people. As society matures, designers have re-engineered many items for right or left hand uses.3 There are now such things as left handed scissors. It is interesting to see the effects of handedness in society. Â  Although we only think of left and right as directions, the meanings of the words are not widely known. Many languages interpret left and right as bad or good. In many areas left means weak, useless, awkward and sinister. On the other hand, right means correct, straight and right.6 Websters Dictionary describes left as clumsiness, underhand, inept, and devious.8 The Oxford Dictionary records that left means weaker, awkward, clumsy, ambiguous, double-edged, of doubtful sincerity or validity, ill-omened and sinister.7 Rogets Thesaurus gives unskillfulness as a synonym for left-handed. These are only a few of the descriptions given.8 As stated before, even the Bible says that the right is blessed and the left is cursed.10 Several languages even associate left with bad things. In French, their word for left, gauche, is translated to awkward. Sinister, is the Latin word for left, which means bad, ominous, and treacherous. The Anglo-Saxon word, lyft, which is where we derive our words left, is translated to mean weak or worthless.6 Meaning left and deceitful, mancino, is the Italian word for left. No ser zurdo, a Spanish idiom, means to be very clever, but a word for word translation means not to be left-handed.8 Words can mean so much more than we realize. Although many theories have been proposed about how handedness occurs, no single theory has been accepted.3 A new theory says that there really is no dominant hand. Both hands work together. In writing, one hand writes the words while the other grips and holds the paper steady. The Brain Hemisphere Division of Labor theory, proposed by the American Psychological Association, is the most accepted theory. This states that speaking and handiwork both require fine motor skills to accomplish them. In order to work efficiently, the brain uses only one hemisphere to do this, instead of splitting the job into two hemispheres, which would require more work for the brain. Although very popular, no single theory has yet been widely accepted by scientists.1 Handedness, the natural tendency to use your right or left hand, has been studied and observed by many scientists and psychological organizations.1 Only three percent of humans have the amazing ability to function equally with both their right and left sides of the body.9 In years past many children were forced to be right handed.6 Websters Dictionary claims that left means devious, clumsy and underhand.8 The Brain Hemisphere Division of Labor theory is the most popular theory as to why some people are left handed and some are right handed.1 The discrimination of left handedness is no longer an issue, but it is still a part of our history. Works Cited Wikipedia. Handedness. Wikipedia.com. 2 December 2009. 4 December 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness Wikipedia. Laterality. Wikipedia.com. 24 September 2009. 4 December 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laterality Wikipedia. Right-Handedness. Wikipedia.com. 19 November 2009. 4 December 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-Handedness Wikipedia. Cross-Dominance. Wikipedia.com. 14 November 2009. 4 December 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-Dominance Williams, H. Robert, Stockmyer, John. Unleashing The Right Side Of The Brain. U.S.A: The Stephen Greene Press, Inc., 1987. Edwards, Betty. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. New York City, New York: Betty Edwards, 1999. Brown, Mark. Left Handed: Right Handed. North Promfret, Vermont: David and Charles Inc., 1979. Springer, P. Sally, Deutsch, Georg. Left Brain, Right Brain. U. S. A: Sally P. Springer and Georg Deutsch, 1993. Ornstein, Robert. The Right Mind. Orlando, Florida: Robert Ornstein, 1997. God. The Holy Bible. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2005. Edition: ESV (English Standard Version).

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings :: Free Essays

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character Marguerite, also known as Maya is influenced a great deal by those around her. Throughout her young life, Maya watches and learns from her older brother Bailey, as well as her guardian and grandmother, Annie Henderson to whom Maya and Bailey refer as â€Å"Momma†. Though later in her preteen and adolescent years, Maya finds refuge in the strength and intelligence of Ms. Bertha Flowers and in high school Maya grows to respect and admire a teacher, Miss Kirwin, except for the sporadic presence of Maya’s Mother, Vivian Baxter, Maya most heavily depends on Bailey, Momma Henderson, and Ms. Flowers for guidance in her childhood years. First and foremost, Maya adheres to the strength of her older brother, Bailey Jr. Bailey serves as the most important role in the protagonist’s young life. In the autobiography, Maya quickly states, â€Å"I would be the major loser if Bailey turned up dead. For he was all I claimed, if not all I had.† Bailey is one year Maya’s senior; however, it makes no difference for they both share many of the same interests, such as reading poems and playing games. Maya feels comfortable asking Bailey for advice, and therefore trusts Bailey with all of her honest emotions. Even through Maya’s period of silence to the outside world following her rape, she is not afraid to speak to her brother. From Bailey Marguerite derives immense confidence over the span of their childhood together. Secondary only to Bailey, Annie Henderson influences her granddaughter as an awe-inspiring role model. Momma displays a deep faith and much self respect. In chapter 24, Momma takes Maya to a white dentist and demands that he help relieve her horrible toothache. When he refuses to help them, Momma goes inside to speak with him; Though Maya’s estimation of the encounter differs somewhat from reality, the entire incident helps to instill in Maya a

Descriptive Essay - The Meadow -- Descriptive Essay, Descriptive Writin

The Meadow      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On a crisp autumn afternoon, I sat idly under an enormous oak tree watching as a whirlwind whisked across the rolling hills of   the meadow.   As it passed by me, the whirlwind scooped up a dormant pile of leaves lying next to the oak tree.   The leaves appeared to come alive twisting, turning, and dancing about the meadow.   They were sporting their new fall colors of red, orange, brown, and yellow.  Ã‚   The brittle autumn leaves seemed to be having a party.   As the party moved out of sight, I began to think about the last time I visited the meadow.   The memories of my last visit are vivid with relaxed and peaceful thoughts   motivated by the images, scents, and sounds of the meadow.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The beauty of the meadow in the summer is unequaled.   My memories contained many images of this special place.   Snow covered mountains extend high above the heavens; thus, setting the backdrop to the meadow.   Wildflowers speckled the base of the mountain becoming more abundant   near the babbling brook.   The brook ran through the midd...

Marketing Mix Essay

Introduction Marketing Mix is a major concept in modern marketing and involves practically everything that a marketing company can use to influence consumer perception favorably towards its product or services so that consumer and organizational objectives are attained, i.e. Marketing mix is a model of crafting and implementing marketing strategy. In this assignment, I will discuss the major marketing mix variables as classified by Prof. E. Jerome McCarthy which are: i. Product ii. Price iii. Place (Distribution) iv. Promotion. Throughout the assignment I will prefer to use my reference to Sony Corporation. I will refer to this company how it has diversify its market products, the price range, places for distribution and the promotional strategies they have used to promote their products. SONY Corporation In Brief Sony Corporation is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world’s largest media conglomerate with revenue of US$88.7 billion (as of 2008) based in Minato, Tokyo. Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game consoles and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its name is derived from Sonus, the Greek goddess of sound. Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is engaged in business through its five operating segments—electronics, games, entertainment (motion pictures and music), financial services and other. These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony’s principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson and Sony Financial Holdings. As a semiconductor maker, Sony is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders. The company’s slogan is Sony. Like no other. SONY Products The first market mix element is Product. A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a need or want. Product decision normally base on brand name, Functionality, Styling, Quality, Safety, Packaging, Repairs and Support, Warranty, accessories and Services. These product attributes can be manipulated depending on what the target market wants. Also, customers always look for new and improved things, which is why marketers should improve existing products, develop new ones, and discontinue old ones that are no longer needed or wanted by the customer. Sony has a variety of products ranging from electronic devices, games and entertainment. So, briefly Sony products can be categorized in the following major product categories: i. Television and Projectors: Bravia LCD TV, CRT TV, Home theatre projector, Business Projector, Public Display Panel. ii. Home video: Blue-ray disc player, DVD player, DVD portable player. iii. Home Audio: Hi-Fi Systems, Home audio accessories. E.g. Digital media port. iv. Home Theatre system: DVD Home Theatre System, Home Theatre Component System, Home Theatre System Accessories. v. Digital Photography: Digital SLR, Cybershot Digital Camera, Digital Photo Printer, Digital Photo Frame vi. Hand cam video camera: Handycam high definition video Camera, Handycam Standard Definition Video Camera, Handycam Accessoriesiv, Digital Photo Printer, Digital Photo Frame. vii. Computer Peripherals: VAIO laptops and computers, VAIO accessories, Business Projectorsiv, Memory Stick. viii. Portable Audio: Walkman mp3 series, CD Walkman series, CD/Radio/Cassette player, Radio, Voice recorder, Audio Accessories ix. Game: Playstation 3, Playstation 2, PSP (Playstation Portable) x. In-Car entertainment: Xplod CD receiver, Xplod in car visual, Xplod Cassette receiver, Xplod Amplifier, Xplod Speaker/Subwoofer xi. Mobile phones : Phones, Phone Accessories. xii. Storage and Recording media: Memory Stick, USB storage media, Data storage media, Video Storage media, Audio media, Storage media, Professional media. xiii. Battery and Charger SONY Promotion Brief Introduction: Promotion is a key element of marketing program and is concerned with  effectively and efficiently communicating the decisions of marketing strategy, to favorably influence target customers’ perceptions to facilitate exchange between the marketer and the customer that may satisfy the objective of both customer and the company. A company’s promotional efforts are the only controllable means to create awareness among publics about itself, the products and services it offers , their features and influence their attitudes favorably. Advertising: SONY has advertised its products through many different ways and media. Through TV we have seen different advertisements of its products such as Bravia televisions or Sony wega TV. Sony also advertise its products by targeting those favorable television programs, like sports, series and also it has its own channel called Sony TV channel. Sony uses some events like Miss India2008 to promote its products. Also, Sony has advertised its games like Playstation 3, Playstation 2 and PSP using sports like football in England premiere league. Through newspapers like Times of India, Sony has advertised a wide range of products it offers to its customers. And also through Posters a message has been sent to a lot of people to be aware of the products which Sony offers. Sony also uses direct – response advertising. This is type of advertising that encourages the consumer to respond either by providing feedback to the advertiser or placing the order with the advertiser either by telephone, mail or the internet. Such advertising is done through direct mail or catalogues. Sony incorporates co-operative advertising in its advertising process. Sony corporation provides the dealers (e.g. Sony World) with the materials and guidelines to develop ads for print, television or radio commercials. This ensures that message is in line with, what the manufacture wants to communicate. The company and the dealers usually share the media costs and hence, the name ‘co-operative advertising’. Sales Promotion: Sales promotion is a marketing discipline that utilizes a variety of incentives techniques to structure sales – related programs targeted to customers, trade, and/or sales levels that generate a specific, measurable action or response for a product or service. Sales promotions for example includes free samples, discount, rebates, coupons, contents and sweepstakes, premiums, scratch cards, exchange offers, early bird prizes, etc. Sony has promoted its products through different sales promotional  strategies. For example after the release of the Sony BRAVIA television sets, Sony promoted them by earl bird prizes by saying that all BRAVIA full HD LCDTVs purchased during July 2008 and registered within two weeks of purchase qualify for a Bonus Playstation 3 as long as the customer claims is one of the first35,000 received and validated by Sony. Also Sony has promoted its Sony Ericsson P1i phones by including a scratch cards which gives the customer the offer to download 10 free software application for that mobile phone. Sony Ericsson has also promoted its Sony Ericsson K550i Mid-Range Cyber-shot Phone that if you buy it you get a free Bluetooth headset with one year manufacturer’s warranty Public Relations and Publicity: Public relations is a broad set of communication activities employed to create and maintain favorable relationship with employees, shareholders, suppliers, media, educators, potential investors, financial institutions, government agencies and officials and society in general. Through its website, Sony corporation has its provided contacts for those customers who will be in need of any information from the company. In this way Sony can create a mutual relationship with its customers and ensure that it serves the wishes and demands of its customers. SONY Place (Distribution) Decisions with respect to distribution channel focus on making the product available in adequate quantities at places where customers are normally expected to shop for them to satisfy their needs. Depending on the nature of the product, marketing management decides to put into place an exclusive, selective or intensive network of distribution, while selecting the appropriate dealers or wholesalers. Sony being the company which positions itself as a seller of durable and high-end products, it is practicing selective distribution of its products from the selective dealers i.e. SONY World. Apart from this there are grey-markets in India and other countries where a practice of intensive market coverage is practiced, and the products in these kind of markets normally do not posses all the features and benefits which Sony offers e.g. warranty and guarantee. Sony distributes its products in various channels. It uses Zero-level channel, one level channel  and two-level channel. In India, Sony has used the method of one-level distribution channel. This means that, customer buy their Sony product from the retailers recognized by Sony, and these retailers buy the products directly from the company itself. SONY Price Pricing decisions are almost always made in consultation with marketing management. Price is the only marketing mix variable that can be altered quickly. Price variables such as dealer price, retail price, discounts, allowances, credit terms etc. influence the development of marketing strategy, as price is a major factor that influences the assessment of value obtained by customers. Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Sony being a company which emphasize product quality, it tends to sell its products with price range from moderately-high to high-prices, depending on the use and the targeted customers. For example, Lets consider Sony series of VAIO laptops. Sony has tried to categorize the laptops according to style, user, purpose, mobility and performance, and each a corresponding price. The laptops sold by Sony in India include a series of Sony VAIO, this are VAIO SR, VAIO FW, VAIO tokage, VAIO CR, VAIO NR, VAIO TZ and VAIO SZ. VAIO SR, boast on the excellence in mobility and perfection in performance. This laptop was designed for businessmen and its price is around Rs. 75,000/ VAIO FW, boast of theatrical experience and world class performance. This model was designed mainly for home user or casual user of laptops who aims on media playback. The price of it is around Rs. 80,000 and Rs.1,25,000. VAIO CR, boast on style and texture. Depending on the configuration, the prices are from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 65,000. VAIO NR, boast of natural, chic design. It was designed to meet customers ambiance and lifestyle. For this reason the Sony corporation has decided the price of the laptop to be Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 50,000 depending on the configuration. VAIO TZ, boast of elite lifestyle, and high class performance. This laptop was designed purposely for business as it is light weight, high processing speed, and flash memory storage and longer backup power. For all this facts Sony has priced it to be between Rs. 1,15,000 and Rs. 1,40,000.VAIO SZ, boast of premier mobility and executive excellence. This laptop was  developed by Sony to target executives and business people who are mobile. The laptop is fitted with hybrid hard disk drive and motion eye camera and Bluetooth compatible headset with applications for increasing mobility and video conferencing. It’s price is about Rs. 1,24,000

Louise Bourgeois Essay

Much can be learned from the environment within which we live. What we see tells a lot about the society in which we live: belief system; politics; economic undertakings; kinship and material culture among others. Through material culture, we can get insight into the world that existed long before us. Culture can be defined as the way of life of people depicting their shared experiences, political and religious beliefs, technology, insights, attitudes, and material objects. (Li & Karakowsky) The sublime can be defined as the priced greatness or vast intensity in terms of biological, moral, mental, metaphysical, beauty, art or religion. Sublime is experienced over and over. It is embedded in our history, being, values, thoughts, concepts, world views, beliefs, and is responsible for our personalities (Bernadac 2007 p20) Main Body One of America’s renowned artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, managed to capture the American Sublime through her artistic undertaking. She was born in Paris, France in December 25, 1911 but traveled to America in 1938 to perfect her artistic endeavor. She studied mathematics at the Sorbonne, and painting and sculpture in Ecole du Louvre, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Art Students League of New York. She worked as an assistant to Fernand Henri Leger- a French sculptor, painter, and film maker. She is popular for her work that depicts spiders, sculptures, drawings and literary work (National Gallery of Canada 2005 p16). As a way of depicting the society in which she was living, Bourgeois’ work is full of inanimate images of horrifying fear, ghosts, darkness, tortured people, and disabling mental illness to attempt to get at the source of these emotions and to uphold normality even in times of chaos. Her works helped depict the intellectual climate, social and historical conditions that existed then. (Gorovoy et al 2006 pp 27 -28) She captured the effects of the First World War through carving limbless sculptures and detached limbs and had most of his paintings and sculptures painted black to depict death and mourning, (Gorovoy et al 2006 p 24) e. g. the two headless fabric bodies attempting to make love shown below. She depicts the revolution of the western politics, largely constructivism, through posters that expressed sympathy towards the Russian regime which she displayed in Moscow. The Tate Modern exhibition catalogue indicates her inclination towards Communism. Bourgeois made abstract art pieces that reflected on her childhood experiences showing how relationships within the family were entwined together thus bringing in the aspect of kinship, socialization and acculturation. This depicts how her art gives us insight to how children were brought up back then. (Lippard 2003 pp 9-10) Her Femme Maison and Fallen woman series introduced the aspect of liberation of women. They depicted a female struggling to outgrow some house like structures within which she is trapped – that is attempting to outgrow the masculinity into which the women were entrapped. She depicts a rebellion against the negative masculinity through her work, The Destruction of a Father, in which rock figures surround a sacrificial slab full of butchered body parts. Thus: It has been suggested that her sculpture, The Blind Leading the Blind, has a religious connotation. According to Desmond Michael and Lloyd Michael (1870-1970) Bourgeois, inspired by the Cold War, made this sculpture and that the title was picked from the New Testament verse (Matthew 15:14) that describes how a blind man leading another blind man would end up in a ditch. The structure is shown below (Bernadac 2007) Bourgeois’ contribution to the American Sublime is best captured in New York’s Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and London’s Tate Modern with their massive collection of her art work. In conclusion, the American Sublime has been captured through art in poetry, carvings, paintings, songs, books, and which take us back to the origins of the cultures of past American societies. Just like the origins of the American sublime can be traced through studying works of art, similarly, so can we understand much about its revolution from the contemporary art works. Louise Bourgeois has managed to get this through her sculptures, drawings and works of art – reflecting abstract as well as tangible aspects of living that relate to feelings, political standing, material culture, religious inclination, beliefs and kinship. References Bernadac, M (2007) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Rizzoli International North America pp 18 – 24 Gorovoy, J. , Carver R. & Read C. (2006) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Bellport Press University of Michigan pp 21-35 Lippard R (2003) â€Å"Overlay: contemporary art and the art of prehistory† Pantheon Books NY pp 7-16 National Gallery of Canada (2005) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois Maman† National Gallery Canada press pp 14-17

Counsumer Behavior Essay

Absolute threshold Differential threshold †¢How does sensory adaptation affect advertising effectiveness? How can marketers overcome sensory adaptation? †¢Discuss the differences between the absolute threshold and the differential threshold. Which is more important to marketers? Explain your answer. For each of these products—chocolate bars and bottles of expensive perfume—describe how marketers can apply their knowledge of differential threshold to packaging, pricing, and promotional claims during periods of (a) rising ingredient and materials costs and (b) increasing competition. 2. Key Concepts Contrast Figure and ground †¢How do advertisers use contrast to make sure that their ads are noticed? Would the lack of contrast between the advertisement and the medium in which it appears help or hinder the effectiveness of the ad? What are the ethical considerations in employing such strategies? †¢What are the implications of figure-ground relationships for print ads and for online ads? How can the figure-ground construct help or interfere with the communication of advertising messages? †¢Find three examples of print advertisements that use some of the stimulus factors discussed in the chapter to gain attention. For each example, evaluate the effectiveness of the stimulus factors used. 3. Key Concepts Selective perception Perceptual mapping †¢Define selective perception. Thinking back, relate one or two elements of this concept to your own attention patterns in viewing print advertisements and TV commercials. †¢Select a company that produces several versions of the same product under the same or different brands (one that is not discussed in this chapter). Visit the firm’s Web site and prepare a list of the product items and the benefits that each item offers to consumers. Are all these benefits believable and will they persuade consumers to buy the different versions of the product? Explain your answers. †¢Construct a two-dimensional perceptual map of your college using the two attributes that were most influential in your selection. Then mark the position of your school on the diagram relative to that of another school you considered. Discuss the implications of this perceptual may for the student recruitment function of the university that you did not choose.

The Fall of the Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Fall of the Aztecs - Essay Example It is also not true that the natives gave way to the newcomers because of the mistaken belief that a white man came back to them as a god prophesied by their high priests. This had been the main narrative in several history books but a closer examination of all extant documents did not show a belief among natives that Hernando Cortes was their god Quetzalcoatl. A credible explanation how a few intrepid men were able to conquer an empire was by duplicity and guile. Discussion The most common or popular explanation among historians as to why the Spaniards did successfully conquer a vast and advanced empire of the Aztecs was the main narrative the natives did not offer much resistance because of their supposedly mistaken belief that Hernando Cortes is a god who went to the east and vowed to come back as Quetzalcoatl. It was just a coincidence that he arrived on the same year the god was expected to come back. On the contrary, another white explorer named Juan de Grijalva was the one bel ieved to be a god a year earlier in 1518.1 This â€Å"white god† explanation seems overly simplistic but this was given preference by most historians who based their studies and conclusions from recovered documents before and after the conquest. Incidentally, most of the writings were written by the heirs of nobles and the priests whose duties at that time were to foresee the future and so this explanation gained some prominence because these writers tried to protect the reputation of their forebears who cannot be portrayed as not being able to tell the future, hence this explanation acquired credence. Moreover the god Quetzalcoatl is a relatively minor god in the pantheon of gods among the natives, and so ascribing Cortes as Quetzalcoatl does not make much sense. The â€Å"white god† belief is not a very viable explanation in this regard. Most of the writers were descendants of priests and seers who were being blamed for not knowing the existence of the Spaniards prio r to their arrival.2 The most logical and credible explanation of why a few Spaniards overcame an empire is simply their superior weaponry. What they possessed at that time in military technology was a vast superiority such that a few hundred men can fight off against several thousand ill-equipped native warriors. There was simply a huge discrepancy in the military capabilities between those two combatants, with the Spaniards equipped with swords, helmets, body armor and their horses. In particular, the use of war horses was particularly effective; just three horses can turn around a hopeless dire situation into a victorious rout if used correctly against the hordes of mass warriors. Additionally, harquebus and crossbows could inflict casualties at a great distance; the mounted lances and cannons further provide a long-range military advantage against the natives. Diseases like smallpox did the rest in decimating the Aztecs, described by them as a pestilence.

Exploring the impact of e-commerce adoption on management strategy in Research Proposal

Exploring the impact of e-commerce adoption on management strategy in Gulf Cooporation Council Countries(GCC) Enterprises - Research Proposal Example This study traces the adoption of e-commerce in SMEs in Saudi Arabia and explores what impact this phenomenon is having on management strategy. A survey of 50 managers is conducted in order to identify what has changed in their strategic thinking over the last ten years, and this is analysed in the context of GCC development potential in the next ten years. Aim. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of e-commerce on management strategy in Saudi Arabia SMEs. In particular the project will attempt to find out how far managers are reacting to the changes in the business environment that e-commerce brings, and how far they are themselves trying to drive that change or even avoid that change. Objective of the Research. The research has three objectives : To trace how far e-commerce has developed in Saudi Arabia up to December 2011. To find out what Saudi SME managers think about e-commerce at the present time To identify what impact, if any, e-commerce is now having on Saudi S ME managers’ strategies for the future. Literature Review. ... Per capita income had been $17,000 in the mid 1980s but it had dropped to only $8,200 in 2003. (Looney 2004)The old rentier state dynamics are sorely tested when such a huge change occurs, and this one reason why considerable investment is now being made in the SME sector. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) consists of 6 Arab countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and is well connected with other Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It also enjoys good relations with the United States, and plays a pivotal role in international diplomacy. Saudi Arabia is one of the more conservative members of this group, and takes a leading role in religious and cultural affairs due to its stewardship of key religious sites including Mecca Studies on the economy of Saudi Arabia have noted that there is an imbalance in the workforce, with a tendency for private businesses to recruit staff from outside the Kingdom, especially in h igh technology or specialized fields, leaving the domestic workforce ill-equipped to adapt to the changing workplace requirements. Education facilities and worker expectations are not yet well matched to the needs of the private sector. An interesting dilemma that is beginning to affect the economy is the growing number of well educated women who are now able and willing to take part in the development of the Saudi economy. E-commerce has been a part of international business for around two decades, but it has still not penetrated into all geographical areas of the world, and into all layers of society. People tend to think of the term â€Å"e-commerce† as meaning just the process of buying and selling goods online, but in fact it covers a far wider range of systems and processes than

Legalization of Volunteer Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legalization of Volunteer Euthanasia - Essay Example Is it justified for him to continue suffering in this manner? In this regard, the issue of euthanasia came to my mind. With such deliberations, I considered the use of euthanasia to be the better option. Euthanasia is argued to be one of the contemporary moral issues. Euthanasia is defined as an act of induction of gentle and easy death to people suffering from incurable and painful diseases (Scherer and Rita 13). However, this concept has been debatable for a long time, with its opponents holding to their position that euthanasia should be discouraged and prohibited while its proponents argue that it is the only way to end the agony of pain and distress. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the arguments arising from this debate holds both moral and legal concepts. The initial campaign towards the legalization of volunteer euthanasia has strong bases with the empathy that seeks to put to an end suffering or overwhelming incapacity where the cases are terminal. In fact, it critically qu estions the justification that is connected to euthanasia with regard to permitting life to be continued when the patient is in uncontrollable distress and pains hence the return to health and the life enjoyment is evidently impossible.The major deliberation of opponents of euthanasia revolves around religious beliefs. Under Christian view, it is only God who has the right to determine who to die when and how. Therefore, any concept introduced that tends to contradict this belief is viewed as unwelcoming

Intuition Science Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intuition Science Paper - Essay Example Intuition science is unique because the mind and the external environment are both taken into account. Understanding the environmental factors responsible for the emergence of human intuition is crucial to understanding intuition itself because it is a major influence on our actions. Intuition arises from the unconscious mind. This means that the sub-conscious mind has a significant role in determining our conscious behavior-a role that is larger and more important in the decisions we make every day of our lives. Moral behavior is included in all this and intuition science sheds light on the cognitive processes that affect moral decision making. Our evolved brains have acquired the complexity and the capacities they have from the acquisition and storage of the information that the brain continually receives from external stimuli via the senses (seeing, touching, hearing, etc.). The brains stores all of this information starting at birth. This information quickly grows as we age and e xperience the world. The brain has evolved to simultaneously use all of the stored data and hardly use any at all. The conscious and sub-conscious parts of the mind each process the data in different ways, but ways that have allowed for the emergence of abstract thought, the capacity to rationalize, and to become moral creatures.