Saturday, August 31, 2019

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

This book makes good use of the way by which John Irving expresses his imaginative ideas with the use of his solid and humorous style.   The book manages to keep the reader’s attention focused on the story because of the clear writing style that Irving employs.The way that John Irving narrates this story however is the main reason that it is a very good book.The method by which this novel is narrated is my favorite aspect of it. Three significant stories interlock in this narrative: John and Owen's childhood, their adult life and John's life after Owen's death. (â€Å"A Prayer for Owen Meany,† Analytical Overview)The novel is told from the first person point of view, that of John’s. His narrative seems like he is rambling which is very characteristic of writing coming from streams of consciousness. We see the world through his eyes, which explains why the narrative keeps on skipping from scene to scene. (â€Å"A Prayer for Owen Meany: Analytical Overview†)The novel is written like a memoir, which indicates that most of John’s experiences were based or, more like, parallel with historical events such as the assassination of President Kennedy and the scandal of Iran-Contra. John’s views about these events sometimes overshadow his recollection of his childhood memories and his views about religion. (â€Å"A Prayer for Owen Meany: Analytical Overview†)The book’s study on John’s psychological confusion is difficult to understand. As it is told from his point of view, he constantly tries to shift the attention away from him and to the other characters and events that transpired throughout the story.His own feelings over the loss of Owen Meany shows how much damaged and torn his character truly is that his constant recollection and narration of the past reveals his desire to relive them, or perhaps his failure to live in the present. (â€Å"A Prayer for Owen Meany: Analytical Overview†)References:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Prayer for Owen Meany: Analytical Overview.† November 7, 2006.â€Å"Plot as Repetition: John Irving's Narrative Experiments.† November 7, 2006.   

Friday, August 30, 2019

Assessing Contamination Of The Great Lakes Environmental Sciences Essay

Worlds are changing the Earth ‘s environment in dramatic and progressively permeant ways ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . The ever-increasing human population, along with an explosive addition in ingestion, exacerbates the impact on aquatic and tellurian ecosystems as a consequence of land usage from agribusiness and human colony, natural resource usage, transit and diversion, waste from domestic, municipal and industrial development ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . There is now abundant grounds that ecosystems at regional and planetary degrees have become extremely stressed and dysfunctional ( Rapport, Costanza and McMichael 1998 ) . For illustration, the widespread dispersion of man-made chemicals may be changing carnal endocrine and immune systems that are needed for normal growing, development and disease opposition ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . Additionally, decrease in biodiversity could extinguish anchor species, create discontinuities in ecosystem food and energy tracts, and enhance e xposures to important losingss of ecosystem services following anthropogenetic perturbations ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . The services provided by ecosystems are highly of import to human public assistance ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . These stressed, degraded and disrupted ecosystems have and could go on to ensue in dramatic ecological, wellness, economic and societal impacts ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . The Great Lakes constitute the largest organic structure of surface fresh water on Earth and is one of the most valuable natural resources ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . The Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario are freshwater inland seas of huge importance for H2O ingestion, diversion, piscaries, power, transit, and many other utilizations ( EPA, National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2009 ) . The Great Lakes are besides a major industrial and agricultural part of North America ( EPA, Where Would We Be Without the Great Lakes? 2010 ) . A statement sing the position of the Great Lakes found in the â€Å" National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress in 2009 † says: â€Å" Of the eight provinces surrounding the Great Lakes, six reported on the status of their Great Lakes shoreline stat mis. About 1,070 of 5,521 entire Great Lakes shoreline stat mis were assessed in 2004, and of these, 93 % were reported as impaired. The prima causes of damage included PCBs, toxic organics, pesticides, and dioxins † Since the 1970 ‘s, supervising informations have shown the presence of waterborne toxic chemicals in the biology of the Great Lakes through the procedures of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . The effect of these developments is the beginning for public and scientific concern over how and to what extent the wellness of wildlife and worlds in the Great Lakes basin may be affected by exposure to environmental contaminations ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . Chemical pollution is a job on a planetary graduated table that occurs about everywhere people live ( Keller 2011 ) . Whether a dismissed chemical is harmful to the aquatic environment depends on a figure of factors, including the type of chemical, its concentration, the timing of its release, conditions conditions, and the organisms life in the country ( NOAA 2008 ) . By the mid 1980 ‘s, over 800 distinguishable chemical substances from these beginnings had been identified in the Great Lakes basin ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . Of these substances, the most relentless and toxic substances are polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs ) , dioxins, and furans ; the organochlorine pesticides dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethylene ( DDT ) , toxaphene, mirex, dieldrin, and hexachlorobenzene ( HCB ) , heavy metals methylmercury and alkylated lead ; and benzo [ a ] pyrene, a member of a category of substances known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs ) ( International Joint Commission 1987 ) . Datas on chemical concentrations indicate the major burdens of relentless toxic chemicals to the Great Lakes occurred between the 1950s and the 1970s, with peak concentrations happening in the mid 1970s ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . Peoples began to detect sick effects in fish, birds, and mammals, including marks of generative failure, biochemical alterations, inborn deformities, and population diminutions ( World Resource Institute 1998-99 ) . Scientists from NOAA ‘s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory explain the consumption of pollutants as follows: foremost, when organic contaminations reach Great Lakes Waterss, they do non readily fade out or organize chemical bonds with H2O molecules, alternatively, they stick ( adsorb ) to ticket organic-rich atoms, microscopic in size, nowadays in the H2O. Next, some atoms settle to the underside going portion of lake deposits, while other atoms remain suspended ; the aquatic animate beings actively feed on both digesti ng bacteriums and other microscopic nutrient beginnings carried on them. Finally, during digestion, animate beings absorb harmful contaminations as the atoms pass through their digestive piece of land. NOAA ‘s research workers conclude that: â€Å" contaminant exposure is more terrible for benthal ( bottom-dwelling ) animate beings populating in deposits at the lake underside, in add-on to a diet of contaminant-laden nutrient, contaminations can be absorbed across the animate being ‘s tegument, or through their gills as they extract dissolved O from H2O. † With continued exposure over the class of an animate being ‘s life, contaminant concentrations accumulate within the organic structure, if the animate being is eaten by a marauder, its organic structure load of contaminations is transferred, get downing the procedure of biomagnifications of contaminations up the nutrient concatenation. Humans who consume Great Lakes fish are besides at hazard ( NOAA 2005 ) . Biomagnifications of heavy metals is a concern in the Great Lakes, motivating the International Joint Commission to help the United States and Canada to implement the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972 ( International Joint Commission 1987 ) . Heavy metals such as lead, quicksilver, Zn, and Cd, are deposited with natural deposits in the undersides of Waterss where they dissolve. ( Keller 2011 ) . Most heavy metals were straight discharged into the Great Lakes from coal fired power workss, and municipal and medical waste incineration installations ( International Joint Commission 1987 ) . Heavy metal residue which becomes airborne is redeposited from the ambiance through rainfall ( Keller 2011 ) . Of greatest concern is the extremely toxic organic compound, methylmercury, which forms in rivers and lakes when micro-organisms metabolize metallic quicksilver. This toxic signifier of quicksilver so accumulates in fish and when ingested causes quicksilver poisoning in worlds ( World Resource Institute 1998-99 ) . Non point beginning pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt which carries pollutants such as fertilisers, weedkillers and pesticides from agricultural and residential countries ; oil, lubricating oil and toxic chemicals from urban overflow ; deposit from building sites, forest lands and gnawing stream Bankss ; salt from irrigation patterns and acerb mine drainage from abandoned mines ; bacteriums and foods from farm animal, pet wastes, and defective infected systems and deposits them into lakes and rivers ( EPA, What is Non-Point Source Pollution 1994 ) . Acid mine drainage is the consequence of sulphides ( discarded from mining operations ) which oxidize in the presence of H2O and micro-organisms to organize sulphuric acid ( H2SO4 ) ( Colmer and Hinkle 1947 ) . This acerb H2O is highly toxic to workss and animate beings in aquatic ecosystems and can potentially mobilise other harmful chemicals ( Keller 2011 ) . Arsenic is besides a extremel y toxic natural metal which besides has industrial and commercial utilizations in pesticides, weedkillers, antifungals, algaecides, wood preservatives, coal-tar, and pigment ( EPA, Where Would We Be Without the Great Lakes? 2010 ) . Most arsenic originates from atmospheric emanations from smelters, coal-burning power workss, and arsenical weedkiller sprays ; from H2O contaminated by mine shadowings, smelter wastes, and natural mineralization ; and particularly from the ingestion of Marine biology ( Eisler 1988 ) . In Eisler ‘s study to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, most research workers agree on the undermentioned points: ( 1 ) arsenous anhydride may be absorbed by consumption, inspiration, or through pervasion of the tegument or mucose membranes ; ( 2 ) cells accumulate arsenic by utilizing an active conveyance system usually used in phosphate conveyance ; ( 3 ) arsenicals are readily absorbed after consumption, most being quickly excreted in the piss during the first few yearss, or at most a hebdomad ; effects seen after long-run exposure are most likely the consequence of uninterrupted day-to-day exposure, instead than that of bioaccumulation ( Eisler 1988 ) . Nitrogen and P used in agribusiness to fertilise Fieldss creates a procedure known as â€Å" eutrophication † , where run-off of these inordinate foods enter waterways, increasing works life ( typically algae blooms ) which cover the Waterss surface barricading sunshine to workss below while devouring O as they decompose ; ensuing in the decease of fish and aquatic animate beings ( Keller 2011 ) . Biological pollution has become the greatest concern for the Great Lakes. Waterborne human diseases such as cholera, typhoid infections, hepatitis, and dysentery, are the consequence of hapless H2O sanitation. Indeed, several billion people are exposed to and about 2 million people will decease from these diseases each twelvemonth in developing states ( Keller 2011 ) . Cholera, which infects imbibing H2O, can be found in aquatic systems where it remains hibernating in phytoplankton and zooplankton ( Rapport, Costanza and McMichael 1998 ) . Natural jeopardies such as temblors, inundations and hurricanes can do exacerbate eruptions of these waterborne diseases ( Keller 2011 ) . Other environmental conditions that cause algal blooms, such as eutrophication from nitrate and phosphate overflow, and the proliferation of the zooplankton can besides increase the spread of cholera into human populations ( Rapport, Costanza and McMichael 1998 ) . Another important beginning of biological taint occurs when a installation discharges pollution straight into waterways at a peculiar â€Å" point † along its shore through a pipe or channel and hence considered â€Å" point beginning of pollution † ( Salzman and Thompson 2010 ) . This includes sewage intervention workss and industrial installations such as oil refineries, mush and paper Millss, chemical, electronics and car makers ( NOAA 2008 ) . Additionally, there are installations that do non dispatch their wastes straight into a waterway but alternatively empty their wastes into the local sewerage system ( Salzman and Thompson 2010 ) . These sewage intervention workss treat human wastes and direct the treated wastewater to a watercourse or river ( NOAA 2008 ) . During periods of heavy rainfall, sewer systems can be overwhelmed, ensuing in the release of natural sewerage from combined sewer systems designed to roll up both storm H2O and healthful effluent ( EPA, Great Lakes Strategy 2002 ) . Separate healthful sewer systems can besides see untreated discharges related to wet conditions events. These can be caused by inordinate influx and infiltration, unequal care, and deficient moisture conditions conveyance capacity ( EPA, Great Lakes Strategy 2002 ) . Sanitary Sewer Overflows ( SSOs ) and untreated Combined Sewer Overflows ( CSOs ) can incorporate pathogens that lead to beach closings and human wellness concerns, every bit good as O demanding substances that can take to low dissolved O degrees ( EPA, Great Lakes Strategy 2002 ) . During these events, the biochemical oxygen-demanding waste overpowers the Waterss natural cleansing map ( Keller 2011 ) . Possibly the greatest concern of the twenty-first century is the debut and spread of invasive species which threaten the Great Lakes ( International Joint Commission 2002 ) . The primary beginning of aquatic invasive species comes from ships ‘ ballast H2O which they use to assist stabilise them at sea ( Potter n.d. ) . The debut of a individual species can do a sudden and dramatic displacement in the full ecosystem ‘s construction ( EPA, Great Lakes Strategy 2002 ) . New species can significantly alter the interactions between bing species ( and between those species and their inanimate environment ) , making ecosystems that are unstable and unpredictable ( International Joint Commission 2002 ) . The Asiatic Carp consume immense sums of the same nutrient eaten by native fishes, sharply out-competing and finally displacing them wholly ( Potter n.d. ) . Even the tiniest microscopic being found in ballast H2O can take clasp and do a important perturbation in the Great Lakes ( Potter n.d. ) . In each of these instances, harm occurred because native species and ecosystems were non capable of defying infection, infestation, predation or competition from the foreigner species ( International Joint Commission 2002 ) . Water is the most valuable resource we have, indispensable for life on Earth, and we have earnestly diminished the ability of these ecosystems for which we rely on. The human population growing has mostly contributed to the debasement and loss of H2O resources and ecosystems ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . Viewed as technological admirations, there was really small apprehension of the impact of man-made compounds and pesticides on the environment or human wellness ( Salzman and Thompson 2010 ) . Scientific grounds has helped exemplify some of the human and ecological costs of environmental debasement ( Vasseur, et Al. 2002 ) . Today, certain species of fish in the Great Lakes still have contaminations at high concentrations ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . Impacts of exposure to the same contaminations show an increased hazard of neurological and generative disfunction, birth defects, and malignant neoplastic disease ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . In 1969, the flickers that set the contamin ated Cuyahoga River on fire besides enkindled utmost public consciousness and concern for the environment ( Salzman and Thompson 2010 ) . Subsequently, in 1972, the Clean Water Act[ 1 ]was passed, modulating discharges of pollutants into Waterss and established H2O quality criterions ( EPA, History of the Clean Water Act 2010 ) . Though the Clean Water Act[ 2 ]and subsequent Amendments in 1977[ 3 ]would ensue in dramatic decrease of chemical contaminations, such as DDT and PCBs, farther decreases of pollutants will be much more hard to decide ( Tremblay and Gilman 1995 ) . Protecting natural resources and the ecosystems they support will go on to be a planetary concern for future coevalss.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Biomedical Approach

Introduction Since the time of Enlightenment, Western ideas of health have been dominated by the biomedical approach. The basis on which these opinions are founded is that an individual is not responsible for their illness and that the mind and body work separately from each other. Health, in the eyes of this approach can be deemed as simply the absence of disease. Part of the reason this vision of health has dominated so much, is that it’s practiced by the majority of the health professionals and is the staple of the care received in hospitals. The aim of this assignment is to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of this system, and to suggest the advantages that using a social model to view health could bring. Discussion Health, is a word that carries a broad spectrum of meanings, it is defined differently in all walks of life. Biomedical health although being the most recognised is not the only approach and has been called by Naidoo and Wills (200, p. 9) â€Å"a narrow view of health†. The social Model contrasts this approach. It focuses on the social and economic factors regarding health and looks at ways to prevent illness before it occurs. Even in the most affluent countries, people who are less well off have substantially shorter life expectancies (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2003), a social view on health would take this information into account, placing emphasis on improving the quality of life to increase life expectancy. Contrastingly the Biomedical method would look at a patient and prescribe necessary medication, although usually being effective in the short term, this would do nothing to stop the person getting ill again as they would return to the same unhealthy lifestyle or environment. This could be seen as impersonal, but this scientific approach can be useful in many scenarios as it has been said by Pearson, Vaughan and FitzGerald(2005, p54) that â€Å"the overriding concern for the patient is for cure and control of his or her disease, and this model gives clear direction in this respect†. The Biomedical Model has strengths in the sense that illnesses are not always caused by environmental or lifestyle related factors. Rather than trying to explain the illness, it searches for a cure. Biomedical science can give instant relief to people who are suffering or in pain, for people involved in accidents and emergency situations this approach is second to none. It accepts accidents are sometimes unavoidable and concentrates on restoring the individual to health in a direct manner. Discarding freak accidents the social model could prove useful. Wilkinson and Marmot(2005, p24) state â€Å"individuals turn to alcohol drugs and tobacco, suffer from their use, but it is influenced by the wider social setting† . Upon taking this statement into account, it could be argued that the social model would have a greater effect in reducing the number of people turning to drugs or alcohol. The biomedical approach would examine the physiology of the situation in an attempt to understand why an individual might become dependent on a drug. The treatment might consist of giving the patient another drug to help them come off the substance they are using, but the social method would encourage support groups or the 12 step method that was first practiced by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This method was originally brought about in the 70’s and involves patients admitting they are powerless to alcohol and coming to believe that a greater power can restore them to health. Although it had much success, it didn’t take account for those who did not believe in religion. Since then non twelve step programs have been brought about that focus on counselling patients on how to take control of their lives. Many centres that practice this method such as the Narconon Freedom Centre(NFC) claim to have a 70% success rate. It is apparent that both biomedical and social models have their place in treating addicts and biomedical science could definitely benefit from the use of techniques from the social model in this case. Because the term health is subjective it can be defined differently. The Biomedical approach may deem someone who is disabled as unhealthy. The way they would aim to treat, for instance someone who has lost the use of their legs is to give them a wheelchair, if the person then became depressed they might give them medication to alleviate the symptoms of depression. This scientific model is supported by evidence and does work in the sense that disabled people can get medication to decrease pain or equipment to make day to day life easier. The social model however approaches disability in an entirely different manner and Smart (2006-2007)states that â€Å"much of the prejudice and discrimination experienced by people with disabilities occurs not in spite of the Biomedical Model, but because of the Biomedical Model†. It known that disabled people can often be the target of discrimination and stereotyping, perhaps this has something to do with the picture of disability that has een painted by biomedical science. Because the biomedical approach has been at the forefront of health it is understandable that people are disposed to think in accordance of its views, but this doesn’t mean that they are always right. â€Å"The profession of medicine has, for centuries, been based on the two outcome paradigm of cure or death and vestiges of t his paradigm are reflected in payment systems. Therefore, after medical stabilization, much of the funding is withdrawn, not taking into consideration the individual’s greatest needs (Yelin, 1992). This quote reiterates the point that the biomedical view may not always be right. The social model in this case would take into account the full recovery of a person so they could return to a desirable quality of life. This is because the social model recognises the fact that if a person is affected by something it can impact on their life socially and economically, which in turn can cause numerous problems such as depression, effect on relationships, stress, and anxiety etc. To see a person as healthy as soon as there condition is stable is a very biomedical approach to the issue, it is possibly unwise to think that as soon as the patient is deemed stable they can return to a normal lifestyle. The possible repercussions of this approach are that many patients will likely return and need more treatment soon after they have left. A potential benefit of using the health model when viewing a situation like the one previously mentioned, is that the patient might be able to receive services like marriage counselling. This is because the social model takes more account of the effects ill health can have on the patients’ social life. If a patient is depressed this might also have an effect on the health of their friends and family meaning that they too may need healthcare for example a depressed patient may take their anger out by being abusive or violent to those around them. This is obviously not good for the family’s health so In the grand scheme of things a social approach may also help in keeping the patients family in good health. â€Å"The cultural identification of the individual is often ignored because the Biomedical Model is based only on biological, organic needs. Psychiatric disabilities, which are highly dependent upon the environment of the individual, are not well-funded. Such environmental accommodations could render the individual highly functional (Wright, 1991). For people with psychiatric disabilities the biomedical approach may help to calm them down or nullify the effects of their illness. However little is done to improve their quality of life and this, it could be argued, seems almost de-humanizing. The model of health would prove useful in this situation by simply creating a nicer environment that will greatly assist the person to return to health. If a return to health is not possible, this improvement in environment would still give the person a much more fulfilling life and help to put the families of patients’ minds at ease. Conclusion On reviewing and comparing the biomedical and social models of health, it can be seen that both models have strengths and weaknesses. Because the biomedical approach has been at the forefront of health people trust it because it’s what they are used too.. This approach is supported by a wealth of scientific evidence and knowledge and it can efficiently cure a wide range of illnesses or diseases. However the biomedical model takes little into account for the environment of patients and how this can affect their health. The social model realises that health can be defined in ways other than simply â€Å"the absence of disease†. It also takes into account that all patients’ ideas of health are different and require different treatments. On conclusion it is clear that both models are invaluable and the best means for keeping people healthy and administering care would be through using a combination of both methods. Exact word count:1490 References Alcoholics Anonymous, n. d. The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. [online] Available at:< http://www. aa. org/en_pdfs/smf-121_en. pdf > [Accessed 18 December 2010] Barker, R. Kirk, J. and Munday, R. J. , 1988. Narrative analysis. 3rd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Marmot, M. G. And Wilkinson, R. G. , 2006 Social Detirminants of Health: the Solid Facts 2nd ed, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Naidoo, J. And Wills, J. ,2009 Health Promotion: Foundations for practice 2nd ed. London, Balliere Tindall Narconon Freedom Centre, n. d. [online] Available at:< http://www. freedomdrugrehab. om>[Accessed 17 december 2010]. Pearson, A. Vaughan, B. and FitzGerald, M. , 2005. Nursing Models for Practice. 3rd ed. Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann. Smart, J. , 2006-2007. Challenges to the Biomedical Model of Disability. Advances in Medical Psychotherapy & Psychodiagnosis, Volume 12,. p1 Wright, B. A. (1991). Labeling: The need for greater person-environment individuation. In C. R. Snyder & D. R. Forsythe (Eds. ), H andbook of social and clinical pyschology (pp. 469-487). Elmsford, NY: Pergamon Yelin, E. H. (1992). Disability and the displaced worker. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University

Efficiency of Clustering Algorithms in Mining Biological databases Research Paper

Efficiency of Clustering Algorithms in Mining Biological databases - Research Paper Example For example Hierarchical algorithms often work by either splitting or merging the groups being analyzed in order to develop a hierarchy of clusters that is based on the similarity of the sequences. On the other hand, partitioning algorithms work by partitioning the data sets being analyzed based on distance between them (Fayyad , 2003, 346). The selection of any type of clustering algorithm should however be primarily based on the nature of the sequences or clusters to be analyzed, the acceptable error expected as the availability of computational resources. This is particularly with regard to the fact that each of the categories of clustering algorithms has its own strengths and limitations and therefore suited for different tasks. Biological databases such as those involving the mining of protein or gene sequences are best analyzed using clustering algorithms because it provides detailed exploratory analysis of the sequences. This paper critically analyzes the efficiency of cluster ing algorithms in the mining of biological databases such as gene sequences. Applications of clustering algorithms in analyzing gene sequences During the statistical analysis of biological databases, the choice of clustering, the choice of clustering algorithm often depends on the nature of data sets as well as the intended application of the results. In biological data mining most of the sequences that are increasingly being analyzed using clustering algorithms include genomic as well as protein sequences. According to Werner (2008, 52), recent advances in bioinformatics have resulted in the increasing use of clustering algorithms in the analysis of both protein and gene sequences In the study of gene expressions, clustering is one of the major exploratory techniques used in the analysis of microarray slides containing hundreds of thousands of genes2. In such cases, clustering is employed to help group together similar genes and consequently enable the biologists to identify the re lationship between the particular genes as well as reduce the amount of information that is needed to be analyzed. Genes clustered together are usually co-regulated or sharing similar functions. Additionally when time series clustering methods are used, genes which exhibit similar characteristics at given times may be grouped together to indicate a possibility of co-regulation. Clustering algorithms can also be efficiently used analyze gene samples on the basis of similar expression patterns. Although expression patterns usually involve complex phenotypes, clustering analysis is one of the most effective techniques that can be used to identify arrays with similar or different phenotype characteristics. This application of clustering algorithms is particularly important in medical researches where the approach allows medical scientists to identify different pathologies on the basis of the gene expression patterns as opposed to the common histological methods. In unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression arrays, the major assumption is usually that genes of the same biological process should be clustered together whether in condition dependent or in time series. Another important area in the mining of genetic databases in which clustering algorithms is significantly used is the analysis of gene profiles. In this regard clustering algorithm is potentially important in the analysis of sub classes of diseases as well as in the detection of genes

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Non-Conformity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Non-Conformity - Essay Example the people which conforms to certain predefined and subtle social control that directly correlates with the values and value system of the person and his environment. Thus, non conformity of human behavior and human interaction often provokes wide ranging ratifications for the society as a whole. The pros and con of non conformity can be described as follows. The non conformity can broadly be defined as behavior or actions that do not follow some predefined dictum of the society. The person displays unique characteristics and creativity in his or her actions that have significant impact on other people. The non conformist therefore, leads a life that is dramatically different and becomes a leader to a unique culture. While the normal human behavior tends to follow a rational approach, conforming to the wider welfare of the people, the non conformist is highly indigenous in his actions and thoughts and follows his instincts to blaze a new trail of innovation and path breaking ideas. Oprah Winfrey dared to follow her dreams and overcame adversities to show that a person can rise above the conformity of race and gender to become successful. Liberty of thought and actions are important part of non conformity. People who are non conformist like to experiment with radical ideas which could result in path breaking inventions or discoveries that could significantly impact human lives. Indeed, the development of society is based on the revolutionary ideas of the few which has significantly impacted the restructuring of social fabric in a more rationale manner. Mills has been very vocal on the issue of liberty of thought because he believed that it promotes the conception and inception of new ideas which are intrinsic part of development, which every society undergoes through the time. ‘No one can be a great thinker who does not recognize, that as a thinker it is his first duty to follow his intellect to whatever conclusions it may lead... we can expect no fresh start,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The influence of ethics on auditing Research Paper

The influence of ethics on auditing - Research Paper Example On a broader perspective, Gillan and Starks (2008) refer to corporate ethics as a system of rules, factors and laws affecting a company’s operations. Irrespective of the definition taken up, it is common for researchers to categorize corporate mechanisms into two groups; those that are internal to firms, and those that are external to firms. Ethics is charged with the responsibilities and duties of a firm’s board of directors in managing the firm in addition to the relationship they have with the firm’s shareholders as well as stakeholder groups (Duska, Duska & Ragatz 2011). Issues of corporate governance arise in a company with the presence of two conditions. First is in the event that there is a conflict of interest or an agency problem involving members of the company who might be the workers, consumers, or managers. The second condition is that the transaction costs are such that the problem dogging the agency cannot be ameliorated via contract. Another defin ition of corporate ethics is more comprehensive in that it argues ethics is involved with mechanisms through which a company’s stakeholders are able to exert control over corporate management and insiders in such a manner that their interests are protected (John and Senbet 2008). It is imperative to note that the term shareholders does not only refer to shareholders, but also debt holders in addition to non-financial stakeholders like suppliers, customers, employees, as well as other interested parties. A review of corporate ethics’ various definitions clearly highlights that they all allude to the presence of conflicts of interest between outsiders and insiders, hailing from the separation of control and ownership. The recent past has seen a growth in interest in corporate governance. Prevalent governance mechanisms have been questioned with intensified debates following business failures and financial scandals, and more recently, several accounting frauds of high vis ibility that have allegedly been perpetuated by managers (Gillan & Starks 2008). Underlying concepts of good corporate ethics Fairness Fairness refers to equitable treatment with the stakeholders in entirety. Equitable does not mean equal. It means treating each entity as much as they deserve; suppliers, customers, and stakeholders need to be categorized accordingly and afforded treatment on an equitable basis (Shleifer & Vishny 2007). Values and systems that underpin the organization need to be balanced by considering every individual with a legitimate interest in the organization and respecting their respective views and rights. Transparency/Openness Transparency alludes to the clear and open disclosure of pertinent information to shareholders as well as other stakeholders, and also entails not withholding information in the event that it may out rightly affect decisions. It means a default position with regard to the provision of information instead of concealing it, and open dis cussion on an issue of concern. Transparency includes all possible voluntary disclosures. Certain circumstances may however warrant the concealment of information and may be justified. They include confidential discussions about individuals, discussions regarding future strategy, and discussions that result in an agreed position that is consequently made public (Shleifer & Vishny 2007). Independence As a concept, independence is important to directors. Reports on corporate governance have increasingly stressed the pertinence of independent directors. They ought to be in a

Monday, August 26, 2019

Description of Step-Wise Multiple Regression statistic test Essay

Description of Step-Wise Multiple Regression statistic test - Essay Example If it is not utilized properly, it may congregate on a wretched model while contributing a false sensation of security. This paper attempts to review in detail the step-wise regression model and its application through SPSS version 21. Definition and Detailed Description of 'Stepwise Regression' According to Investopedia, Step-wise regression is a step-by-step iterative establishment of a regression model that necessitates automatic excerption of independent variables. Stepwise regression can be accomplished either by testing single independent variable at one time and admitting it in the regression model if it is found to be statistically significant, or by admitting all possible independent variables within the model and eradicating those that are found to be statistically insignificant, or by a amalgamation of both methods (Investopedia US, A Division of ValueClick, Inc., 2012). Stepwise multiple regressions provide a way of selecting predictors of a specific dependent variable on the grounds of statistical criteria. Necessarily the statistical methodology determines amongst the various independent variables which one is the most suitable predictor, the more suitable predictor and so the process goes on. The emphasis is on exploring the most suitable predictors at every stage. ... There are various multiple regression variants. Stepwise regression is generally a good option although all variables can be entered simultaneously as a substitute. Similarly, all variables can be entered once and then the predictors are eliminated by and by if elimination does not bring about big changes in the entire prediction. Stepwise regression, in statistics entails regression models within which the selection of predictive variables is drawn out by an automatic process. Ordinarily, this assumes the configuration of a succession of F-tests, but other proficiencies are potential, such as adjusted R-square, t-tests, Akaike criterion, Mallows' Cp, Bayesian criterion or false discovery rate (Draper and Smith, 1981). Principal approaches The major approaches utilized in the step-wise regression model are forward selection, backward elimination and bi directional elimination. Forward selection involves commencing without any variable within the model, examining the inclusion of indi vidual variable utilizing a selected model equivalence criterion, including the variable if any present amongst the various predictors that enhances the model to the best, and iterating this process till none amends the model. Backward elimination involves commencing with all potential variables, examining the exclusion of every variable utilizing a selected model equivalence criterion, eliminating the variable if any present amongst the various independent variables that leads to improvement in the model upon elimination and iterating the process until no more improvement is possible. Bidirectional elimination is a combination of the forward selection and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Business Policy and Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Policy and Strategic Management - Essay Example It is a discount store outlet, focused on marketing brand names for lower prices. Similar stores such as Woolco and Kmart were not as successful as WalMart, because the latter had some unique operating principles which worked to its benefit. After four decades of operation, Woolco outlets have disappeared, while Kmart has moved into bankruptcy, so that WalMart is the top ranking store in the United States. In international locations, Walmart attracted customers by its Everyday Low Prices. It maintained a relentless cost control system by allowing few perks for its officers and employees. It was also able to negotiate tough deals with its suppliers, using its ability to place bulk orders to also make other demand such as high quality and low prices, which it then passed on to its customers. It maintained several distribution outlets and initiated an electronic data interchange system, allowing suppliers to track sales to deliver new stocks and they were also able to exchange invoices, purchase orders and other documents electronically. Another important aspect contributing to Walmart’s success is its human resource and motivational policies.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Mapp v. Ohio and Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Cases and their Effects on Assignment - 3

Mapp v. Ohio and Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Cases and their Effects on Interaction of Criminal Suspects and Law Enforcement Officers - Assignment Example Miranda vs. Arizona Miranda was arrested due to circumstantial evidence that accused him of kidnapping and raping an 18-year –old woman, 10 days before his arrest. He signed a statement pleading guilty of the offense without knowing his right to counsel. The supreme court of Arizona affirmed the court’s decision to admit the confession. However, Earl Warren, the chief justice ruled that due to the interrogation nature, where he was not informed of his rights by the police, such evidence of his confession could not be used against him, since he was not aware of his rights and hence, he had waived them (Brooks 177). From the Miranda vs. Arizona case, police advertisement of the rights of the criminal suspect before the start of questioning was brought about by the Miranda warning. The court has since reiterated the Miranda ruling that all case questioning must cease if a suspect in custody is being questioned when he has requested a lawyer. The 1992 Miranda rights have ef fectively been extended to US immigrants. Since then, illegal aliens who are arrested each year must read the Miranda warnings and be ready for their rights (Leo and George, 325). Legal officers have to arrest a suspect and listen to them without asking them questions while talking. On the other hand, police may question the suspect without the warnings of Miranda even in the confines of a police station. This is however only applicable when the police officer is questioning a person who is neither a suspect nor under arrest. Since all suspects must be read for their individual rights, the court has subsequently ruled that any waiver of the same rights must be voluntary, knowing and intelligent (Gerald 243). Mapp V. Ohio Prior to the 1960s, the United States Supreme Court only infrequently intruded on all criminal justice system’s operations at the local and state levels (Bloom 245). In 1961, Earl Warren, the chief justice of the supreme court made a decision about a case tha t forever changed the face of law enforcement in America (Brooks 12).        

Friday, August 23, 2019

How Single parenting has negative effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Single parenting has negative effect - Essay Example In this regard, the current discourse aims to contend that single parenting has negative effects that are detrimental to the children, and to the single parent, in the long run. Single parenting poses risks to the parent tasks to raise the children alone due to exposure to more stressors in responding to the needs of the family. As a single parent, the mother or father has to find ways and means to support the children holistically; meaning, financially, physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. As asserted by Hertz, â€Å"women who came from working class backgrounds were at one and the same time proud of their mothers’ employment achievements and sad that it was their mothers who were doubly burdened with keeping family life together† (6). As such, the need to fit all tasks and endeavors in a limited time frame poses health risks to single parents, including risks for developing anxieties, depression, cardiovascular diseases, and even burnout. Concurren tly, single parenting also exposes the children to be recipients of bursts of emotions and negativity. This fact was revealed by Aldort and Aldort who contended that â€Å"sometimes, in spite of all our intentions to love and be kind, what we might feel toward a child is anger and even resentment† (15). ... These are often feelings that we may not be aware of because of fear and discomfort rooted in our past experiences† (Aldort and Aldort 15). The negative impact of these outbursts to children include loss of confidence in themselves, depression, low morale, and even fear to socialize, trust others, and open up, as required. After having presented the negative effects of single parenting to the parent and the children, it could also be asserted its damaging repercussion to social structures, particularly in terms of maintaining a solid and unified family as the basic unit of society. Single parents need to exert double efforts to make up for the loss of the physical presence of spouse and of a father or mother to the children. As such, there seems to be something lacking that is felt by the parent and the children alike. This void could not be replaced by material things or by other people. Therefore, the negativity associated with trying to fill the void remains persistent. As a verred, â€Å"warmth, discipline, materialism - dealing with all these issues effectively demands that we address not only the challenges that parents face, but also the needs that they have as they try to be the best parent they can† (Levine 169). As such, inasmuch as the single parent focusing all his or her efforts to provide a holistic support to the children, the needs of the parent could most likely be neglected and wanting. Thus, the core values of maintaining a cohesive and supporting family, as the basic unit, are definitely eroded as society begins to accept single parenting as the socio-cultural norm in contemporary societies. There are those who argue that

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Observation Narrative Essay Example for Free

Observation Narrative Essay Days of Old When Knights Were Bold Growing up, I was never that girl that fantasized about becoming a princess and meeting that special prince that would sweep me off my feet and save me from all misery. Even sorcery books such as the Harry Potter series did not appeal to me. I did not believe in any of that quirky fantasy land stuff so the idea of being dragged to the Michigan Renaissance Festival with my family over Labor Day weekend did not appeal to me; I would have much rather been out having fun in the sun barbequing with friends just as any other American typically celebrates the holiday. Staring out the car window all I saw was cornfields and the occasional Ma and Pa family owned restaurant or ice cream parlor. Mt. Holly came into view a little further down the road, but the slopes were dry and scarce due to it being summer. Tucked behind all the forestation was a small fairground where police orderly directed cars into the lot. The parking lot, overwhelmingly large in size, branched in two directions. One led to a general area and the other took cars single file down a long and winding path. This brought butterflies to my stomach. License plates were country wide varying from fellow Michiganders to visiting guests from neighboring states such as Indiana and Ohio and some traveling from as far away as Florida or Kansas. Once we secured our designated spot and our legs were fully stretched after sitting stationary for the hour drive we merged with the herd of people and marched together through the forest to discover this new unknown world. The walk was a journey in itself. The weeds in the wasteland of the parking lot stood knee high and tickled my leg with every movement. There appeared to be no end in sight as it was at least a mile long containing various obstacles such as logs barricading the path and bridges. Surprisingly there were no mosquitoes but the sound of the crickets chirping and the leaves crinkling all echoed loudly. I so badly wanted to turn around and hike back to the car but as I got closer I could catch glimpses of the festivities through bare spots between branches and heard ear piercing screeches and rowdy whistles along with bursts exiting out the tall vintage buildings. This shot my curiosity level through the roof and the excitement continued to build. The path had ended and before my eyes was a new world; something I had only seen before in movies. The spirit of the festival had overtaken my  body and the feeling was enchanting. Giant castles awaited me along with colorful flags and banners streamed over the entrance with cheerful greetings labeled, â€Å"Huzzah!† I was suddenly willing to give this all a chance and I had a new frame of mind that was open to adventure. Walking in those front gates was a lot to take in and represented a totally new side of the social spectrum when compared to a normal festival. People were dressed in a wide range of attire and it was hard to differentiate the workers from the tourists. The main clue was that tourists casually walked around grinning whereas the staff tended to get fully into character by perfecting their accent. Each got the chance to live out a life they had always dreamt of through roll play and step outside their comfort zone without being judged. There were fair maidens, juggling court jesters, wizards, elves, and fairies. All fantasy elements were covered and all of this contributed to the illusion of taking a step back and reliving medieval times. Coming from a family of macho men it was absurd to see a men proudly sporting kilts along with boots accented with bells that jingled with every step creating a musical tune of its own. Even more shocking was the fact that they all had a strong family support system lined up behind them all dressed matching in theme as well. It seemed that the more eccentric the outfit, the better. Long velvet capes with matching feathered hats or flowery garland in the women’s hair were also common while others dressed as mystical animals and pranced around with tails and ears. These costumes were all things that I would never be caught dead in but after a while strangely enough, we all blended together. There was an aroma of sweat due to everyone dressed in multiple layers but no one seemed to mind as it was a mere part of the ambiance as back in the Renaissance Period people did not shower for days. There was a plethora of patrons however that attended dressed in causal street clothes that sought a gratifying day out with friends and family but even they got sucked into the spirit of things and unexpectedly started curtseying and using the language. Dressing in garb expressed the true rapture of upgrading from being a patron to now a participant. This event catered to all ages. Fairy Godmothers rested on stones along the pathway making them readily approachable and eager to share their tales with anyone willing to listen. Their voices were so soft spoken it was impossible for anyone to simply pass by. Street peasants welcomed on goers  into their dancing circle as they chanted traditional hymns. I have never been much of a dancer due to my lack of rhythm but I must say once they got me started with the basics I refused to stop and entirely forgot others were watching. The petting zoo provided a wonderful hands on experience featuring encounters with livestock as well as other exotic animals such as lion cubs, kangaroos and toucans that could be bottle fed if you wished to do so. The king set aside a playscape for the kids to interact, swing and slide but also had other ways to test one’s knightly skills. The bungee jump seemed to draw the most attention but the archery, king of the log challenge and axe throws did not fall short in interest. Little girls had the chance to learn proper waves, curtsies and poise through a boot camp run by the village Princesses themselves. The Mermaid Lagoon was a disappointment in my opinion. After patiently waiting in a line for over thirty minutes I expected to see a luxurious area with mermaids whose tails sparkled elegantly in the sunlight, when in reality all it turned out to be was one girl in a cheesy costume floating in a dunk tank. On the flip side there was a wonderful replica wooden horse hung between two massive oak trees that allowed kids to race down full speed to master the art of ring spearing just as they had seen the real knights do out on the playing field at the nearby arena. The smiles on the children’s faces were contagious and it was a continuous chain reaction of happiness that spread rapidly. The adults had just as many activities to keep busy as well. Throughout the day various competitions were held to win bragging rights and often at times, gold chalices. Some of these included beard competitions where one could show off his whiskers and have the chance to win in the following catego ries: longest, thickest, most unique, and best overall. Part of me felt as if the cast and crew of the reality television series Duck Dynasty should have guest appeared at the ceremony to distribute the prizes but my wish fell short. The tattoo contest was run in the same manner but instead with the categories being: best black and grey tattoo, best color tattoo, best overall, and worst overall. I was amazed to see that the male to female contestant ratio was relatively close to equal. To continue the friendly competitions, in one of the main colorful tents was a Root Beer belching competition that some competitors were proudly capable of rumbling the stage. It was impressive yet disturbing all in one. Good sportsmanship was  well displayed and no one took the loss to heart by sincerely congratulating the winners. The objective of the Pub Crawl was to drink one beer at each of the four stations while led by entertainers to keep the atmosphere cool, calm, and relaxed. Upon the departure from each bar, fairies would splatter glow paint on one’s chest. The streets were flooded with an abundance of vendors ranging from apparel and candles, to plants and paintings. This is how most vendors earned a living so without surprise, they pushed their products diligently. Unfamiliar musical instruments such as bird whistles and bongos brought a new sense of relaxation as I closed my eyes and let my mind take me elsewhere. I was utterly fascinated with the number of people willing to pay for palm reading to uncover different aspects of future life including successes and love. Superstitions were more common than I thought. As some would say, there is no harm in jumping on the bandwagon every once in a while. With that being said, a hookah station was set up encouraging tourists to take a break and get a little weird. Men dressed in puffy shirts and flared out pantaloons walked around carrying large, woven baskets overhead selling flowers to all the fair maidens. All were very well mannered and charming. The patrons were invited to participate in the annual fairy house competition in which the top three winners received awards for their hard work and creativity. The rules advised artists to make durable houses that could withstand any weather using entirely natural materials and furnishing the inside and outdoor with landscape. Out in the open area stood two actors that mastered the art of pretending to be a statue and were covered head to toe in grey body paint. Their movements were slow and swift as they changed poses to be photographed by on goers. My dad was the only one to spot the man standing in a pot to look like a shrub while the rest of us nonchalantly walked by completely oblivious to such a phenomenon. In this man’s case, he could join in the fun but also camouflage his true identity. The festival as a whole is made up of hundreds of very diverse and multi-talented entertainers that never fail to please and in most circumstances is what keeps people coming back year after year. There is always a show going on ranging from group or stand-alone comedians to singers and quartets greeting newcomers at the welcome gate. A group of the finest acrobats were selected to show off their coordination and extraordinary balance doing tricks requested by audience members. A  costumed human chess game took place behind the jousting arena and was played using actors instead of volunteers to bring out true combat when one tried to take ou t another piece. With this new twist whoever won the choreographed fight earned the right to the spot on the game board. The captain and his fellow ship mates auctioned off one of a kind items from his pirate ship. Here, buyers could purchase things such as swords and daggers at extremely low prices. Zoltan the Adequate was another street entertainer that did anything to please his audience. He did bizarre tricks such a balloon swallowing to fire eating to nearly severing his own arm. As one would assume young children would be the easiest to deceive although Zoltan was able to keep all age groups tuned in with his sense of danger, excitement and edgy interactive magic. An unsuspected audience member was selected to assist him in a few tricks and that individual coincidentally turned out to be my mother. My mother is very shy and certainly does not like being the center of attention so we were dumbfounded that she did not object or throw a tantrum about going on stage. She faced her fears and as result, all we heard for the remainder of the afternoon was how we should be proud of her. The most attended event of the day included the heart stopping jousting tournament which had trained professionals of this skill that were willing to fight to their death to win the honor and respect of their town’s people. I really liked the concept of this because nowadays it is no t as common to find gentlemen of this caliber. Back then, men were raised to be chivalrous towards women and the less fortunate, strongly serve God and do their King proud. Each knight and their noble horse were fancily clothed and color coordinated all promising to use the strength in their hearts to ride their opponents to the dirt. As in any highly competitive sporting event, both the crowd and the contestants heckled one another and at times, I would witness the crowd unite as one as we raised up our drinks and roared together with great enthusiasm. These knights did just as they had promised and played with blood, sweat, grace, and complete dedication never losing focus. The three main events were the warm up which consisted of squires holding the rings and after a few run-throughs, actually tossing them into the air as the knights rode by spearing them. Then proceeded with the joust face off which was quite physical being that the one knight intentionally knocked an opponent off resulting in an injury that sought  immediate medical attention. By the end of the joust all four knights hobbled their way to center stage to face each other one last t ime in a traditional sword fight. A little girl from the sidelines managed to escape her mother’s arms and ran out to an injured knight and healed him with a kiss on the cheek. The show shortly wrapped up after that and the barriers of the different cheering sections vanished as the knights mingled with the crowd and allowed the young children to pet their steed. The royal tavern had an endless array of food that would easily satisfy the heartiest of appetites. From savory turkey legs and Barbarian burgers to deep fried desserts and apple dumplings, there were plenty of options to choose from. The portion sizes were generous for the prices being so reasonable. Most things served to eat came on a stick whether it was hot pickles, which were conveniently sold at every street corner or frozen bananas and cheesecake. Table manners and common eating etiquette did not apply at the festival hence why they did not supply utensils or napkins. In fact, the most lady-like way of eating the authentic turkey leg was to take two fingers and rip off pieces. Most importantly, there was plenty of beer to wash it all down and for the nonalcoholic attendees; sodas, smoothies and other beverages were sold. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone opens a whole new world filled with opportunity and adventure. The biggest setback for exploring something new is fearing what others will say or think. The people involved with this festival clearly did not care abo ut any of that and it was enjoyable to see and appreciate their colorful imaginations. I gained a lot from this experience because going in, I had no clue what to expect it created an exhilarating suspense. I learned that is completely acceptable to be silly to whatever extent and people often tend to respect you more for it because you are willing to take that risk of resisting society’s norm.

Climate Change in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Climate Change in Nigeria Essay Climate change has always occurred in different Nigeria; however the effects have become more noticeable recently over the years. The effects have affected the daily lives of many for better or worse. A peer reviewed research done by an unknown source, which was accepted by the Journal of Geography and Regional had concluded that the average temperature of Nigeria has increased by 1. 7Â °C in the period of 1901-2005. The increase has however been higher in semi-arid areas and is lower in coastal regions. The paper has also shown that the rate of change has increased in the 1970’s. The consequences of the increase in temperature have resulted into the desertification of the north as well as the coastal erosion in the south. A combination of overgrazing, abuse of woodland for fuel as well as the unreliable rainfall, the Sahara desert is advancing at an estimated rate of 600 metres each year. This means that an estimated 55 million or more would be affected in the northern states such as Sokoto. However in the south, increasing sea levels have threatened the coastal region. A given example is Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos. Bar Beach, once a family spot for relaxation is currently under reconstruction after 100m of the shoreline had been eroded over the past 20 years. Lagos State also teamed up with Chagoury Group to build a 1km sea defence to prevent further damage. Another region is the Niger Delta, which is the source of Nigeria’s oil wealth but however is vulnerable to the flooding due to its low-lying terrain with criss-crossed waterways. The protective mangroves have also been reduced by a drastic amount due to human intervention. Many people may not know but half of the 15 million people in Lagos live less than 6 feet away above sea level. Also in the rural economy, most small farms always assume stable rainfall patterns for their time of seeds and planting. Therefore the Government strategies for poverty in semi arid areas in the north as well as arable regions are at risk due to the variation in the weather pattern. Due to awareness campaigns made by organizations such as NCF, Nigerians are able to relate the disturbing issues of very high temperature as well as the uncertain implication for disease carrying pest and insects. Nigeria’s adaptation to climate change has not received much funding from external bilateral or multilateral sources. This may be due to the Nigeria’s slow moving institutional response to climate change. However locally, adaptation strategies are consistent with existing responses to that of hunger and poverty. For example trees are being planted in order to stop desertification. The use of substitute fuels such as biogas is also being used as well as the adoption of more versatile livestock. In more conventional farming regions, they have been encouraged to diversify their corps and adopt more efficient rainwater harvesting and irrigation techniques. The coastal region has also approached climate change with better management of existing resources. A short film Water Runs Deep talks about the impact of climate change in Nigeria. It gives an insight on how climate change has affected the lives of many for the worst. The movie shows how crops have been destroyed by flooding as well as schools being ruined. Various interviews give tale of their hardship and how they cope with it as well as the predicted change in weather for Nigeria and how adaptation strategies have been used to help the rural communities cope with Climate Change. According to the 2010 MDG progress report, Nigeria’s forest cover has reduced from 18. 9% to 9. 9% in the last two decades. This is one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. The main reason for such is due to the high demand for wood fuel. In the absence of affordable alternative energy sources, charcoal is popular even in cities, which boosts its uncontrolled production

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Violence and Media Essay

Violence and Media Essay The effects of Media violence can cause physical aggression to the people, especially the youth. Media violence is described as the portrayal of physical action that hurts or kills. It might draw thoughts that lead one to believe that aggressive behavior might be attained in certain situations and might bring certain benefits. Violent entertainment is not only gained through television shows, but also in music lyrics and videos, commercials, video games, and movies. Most people are into violent movies, especially the adults. There are three reasons why people are attracted to violent entertainment. First, violent entertainment may hold an interest for some individuals. Second, people may experience post viewing enjoyment from viewing events, characters, and themes that appear in violent contexts. Lastly, violent media may contain themes that the audience may enjoy. Teenagers who become violent adults are those who are aggressive and involved in some forms of antisocial behavior. There were two different reasons on the effects of media violence on aggressive behavior. First, the harmful effects of media violence are probably learned by the individual through multiple exposures. Second, short-term effects are highly linked to the imitation of violent visual images. People witness, read, or hear of an event through the mass media. There are many effects of media violence that not all people know of. These effects can damage a human beings thinking, especially a childs. I. Violent messages in the media Violence in the media occurs in music videos, television shows, video games, and movies. Entertainment media contains a stabilized amount of violence. Good drama revolves around conflict, and violence is one of the most common consequences of conflict. A study made by Armstrong in 2001 analyzed 490 gangsta rap songs released between 1987 and 1993. The results show that 22 percent are comprised of violent lyrics. Eminems top-selling album in 2000, named Marshall Mathers LP was reported to have contained violent lyrics in eleven out of the fourteen songs in the album. Furthermore, research on music videos was more focused on the images rather than the lyrics. A study was conducted by Smith and Boyson in 2002 that analyzed 1,962 videos that were drawn randomly from three channels, namely BET, MTV, and VH-1. The results showed that only 15 percent of the videos featured physical aggression. However, rap (29 percent) and heavy metal (27 percent) were more likely than other genres (rock, 12 percent; rhythm and blues, 9 percent; adult contemporary, 7 percent) to contain violence. In conlusion, rap or hiphop is usually more violent than other music genres. Furthermore, there were a series of five experiments reported recently by Anderson, Carnagey, and Eubanks (2003) about the effects of music lyrics on mass media violence. In their studies, there were seven aggressive songs by seven artists, and eight nonviolent songs by seven artists, utilized to be certain that the results were not because of one or two specific songs, artists, or genres. The experimental studies propose that comprehensible violent lyrics can increase the violent thinking and affect the youth, but there were no published studies of the effects aggressive violent lyrics without video or the violent music videos. In the study of children growing up, Huesmann et al. (2003), there were differences in the types of violence affiliated with early childhood exposure to media violence. Indirect aggression in children increases, because of early exposure to violence. An example of this is telling lies to get others in trouble and taking other peoples things because of anger. George Gerbner found out that prime-time TV contains a large amount of violence. Childrens shows contain more violence than any other type of programming. The shows designed for kids have about 32 violent acts per hour. In relation, American Psychological Association (APA) reported that in the course of a lifetime, an average child will view more than 8000 murders and over 10000 acts of TV violence. Nearly 60 percent of all television programming contains an amount of violence. From the ages of 3 to 16, children spent more time in front of the television set than they spent in school. Heavy television and media use leads people to identify reality as consistent with the portrayals they see on television. Furthermore, annual reports of television status done by Gerbner and his colleagues were consistent over time. Approximately, 70 percent of primetime programs contained some violence. 94 percent of childrens shows contained violence. In other words, programs targeted to young viewers have the most violent content. Another study done by the National Television Violence Study (NVTS), documented that 69 percent of childrens programs contained more violence than that of non childrens programs, which only contained 57 percent of violence. Approximately 100 percent of slapstick programs like Road Runner and Bugs Bunny contained violence, and almost all of superhero programs which contained only 57 percent. Advertising has in its dynamics no motivation to seek the development of the individual or to convey qualities of social usefulness. It has no social goals and no social responsibility for its influence will affect (According to Potter). According to the report of the Federal Trade Commission, the average child sees 20,000 commercials a year, or about 3 hours of TV advertising a week. Many children regard advertising as just another form of programming and do not tell the difference between programs and ads. In an advertisement for Dominos Pizza, they invented a cartoon character named Noid. He finds ways to make pizza cold before people could eat it. Dominos Pizza boasts of their fast delivery and special packing method that guaranteed the delivery of  hot pizza. Their ad slogan was: One could avoid the Noid by ordering from Dominos. One thing they didnt know is that there was a man named Mr. Noid, he was a troubled person and he didnt find yet find out what TV was all about. When Mr. Noid saw the pizza commercial that told the whole world to avoid the Noid, he was furios. The next thing people knew is that a man whose last name is Noid, held hostage the customers and employees at one of the Dominos Pizza stores. He demanded to discontinue the avoid the Noid commercial. Moreover, fictional violence is escalated day after day, program after program. Television is full of violence and it has not changed since the early 1970s. TV violence is a cause of aggressiveness, not the cause of aggressiveness. Movies on the other hand are quite violent compared to other types of media content. According to the NTVS, approximately 90 percent of movies contain more violence whereas drama series only contain 70 percent, 35 percent of comedy series, and 35 percent of reality series. A study made by Yokota and Thompson in 2000 examined G-rated (General-rated) films showed between 1937 and 1999. The results showed that 74 movies at least contained one act of violence. Youths watching aggressive scenes display more violent behavior, violent thoughts, or violent emotions than others (Anderson, Berkowitz, Donnerstein, Huesmann, Johnson, Linz, Malamuth Wartella). Bjorkqvist (1985) let a 5 year old and a 6 year old Finnish child to watch either a violent or nonviolent films. Conversely with the children who had watched the nonviolent  films, those who had viewed the violent film were assessed much higher on physical assault (hitting other children, wrestling, etc), as well as other types of violence. The exposure to media violence can cause to increase physical assaults who watched violent movies. To summarize, movies frequently feature aggression, and there is some evidence that they are becoming more violent over time. Movies feature more violence than television programs do. Even comedy and horror films contain violence. Many theatrically released movies target male adolescents, and, therefore are highly likely to contain action, adventure, and violence. Over the years, graphics have evolved. It has become so advanced that it is almost hard to tell whether a person on the screen is an animated image or a real human character. The game characters move in ways that are close to human movement. Many of the games seem to be more than exercises in virtual killing. The media have trained children to associate violence and killing with delight. Video games that require a player to shoot a gun and react reflexively with the shooting response are teaching the entire generation of children to associate shooting with pleasure. Violent video games are transforming young people into homemade sociopaths who kill reflexively. Some teenagers are being influenced by video games, because they cant separate the fiction they see on TV from the reality. Furthermore, playing aggressive video games can have short-term negative effects on the game-players emotional state. The outcome the studies showed that playing violent games increased the adolescents violent behavior. Pinching, kicking, hitting is considered as physical violence between boys who had just played either a nonviolent or violent video game. The rate of violence per minute is much higher in video games than in most violent TV programs or movies. For instance, Funk and Buchman (1996) found no difference in gender in overall preference for violent video games because girls and boys preferred violence. Girls chose the fantasy violence, whereas the boys chose the human violence. There was also a report of Cantor (1998) that males were more affiliated to justice restoring violent programming like Batman than females, but both was equally attracted to comedic violence. In conclusion, violence is more persuasive in video games (68 percent) than on television (60 percent), it is commonly found in movies (90 percent), and rarely seen in music videos (15 percent). However, certain genres in each medium are more aggressive in nature. These are childrens cartoons, animated movies, rap or hiphop music, and Teen and Mature-rated video games. Many of these genres are targeted to the youth. II. Factors that contribute to the effects of media violence Gerbner has noted that portrayals of violence on TV are not violence, but just mere violent messages. When violence is portrayed by an attractive character, it is more likely to be learned and imitated, when violence appears to be condoned, when it is realistic, when it is rewarded, and when it results in giving small consequences to the victim. Both males and females are influences by media violence, although the effects may be stronger for males (Paik Comstock, 1994). Children who had seen more TV violence can be adults who commit more serious crimes, but not all children child who watched large amounts of violence on TV end up getting involved in a crime. Rowell Huesmann pointed out: Aggressive habits seem to be learned in early life, and once established, are resistant to change and predictive of serious adult antisocial behavior. If a childs observation of media violence promotes the learning of aggressive habits, it can have harmful lifelong consequences. Consistent with this theory, early television habits are in fact correlated with adult criminality. (Sparks, Effects of media violence 89) Furthermore, the amount of TV violence children viewed enabled researchers to account for less than 10 percent of the crimes committed by children as they matured over the 22-year period. Children must really see violent content in order to influence their behavior. Angry people and media violence is a volatile mix. If angry people always watch violence on TV, then they are more likely to act aggressively. Children and teenagers with aggressive personality may search for violent content because it helps them to justify their behaviors. People live in a world in which there is more violence than there might be without mass media. People are less trusting of their neighbors and more accepting of violence in their core. Children from middle-to-upper socioeconomic status (SES) watch less TV violence than those children from households of a lower SES. The more television violence a person watches, the more that person can become aggressive. Parents who are violent in the home are encouraging and aggressive behaviors for their children. The risk of a child behaving aggressively can be heightened especially if there is violence in the home (Bauer et al, 2006). Moreover, a national study of more than 1000 children aged 6 to 12 found that violent television viewing and violent electronic game playing are associated to family conflict (Vanderwater, Lee, Shim, 2005). In addition, children who had troubled relationships with their parents and children who were classified as aggressive were more likely to turn to television for fantasy. TV violence can induce an aggressive effect only for the most susceptible individuals like boys from disadvantaged homes. Perhaps there was something else about the families of the children that predisposed them to watch either violent or non-violent programs at an early age. This may lead the children to either a life of crime or a life of civic responsibility. Moreover, childrens early TV viewing very likely did contribute to the criminal activity later in life. III. Media violence and aggression Early experiments were criticized for applying fabricated measures of aggression, for setting up situations in which adult models seem to condone aggression. Since then, field experiments have been conducted in more naturalistic settings and have found that watching television can increase the childrens real-life aggression against peers in  social situations like playgrounds (Friedrich Stein, 1973). TV shows like cartoons and non-animated programs can stimulate youth aggression at once after viewing, and that this effect can happen after exposure to even a single episode of a violent television show (Boyatzis, Matillo, Nesbitt, 1973). Moreover, a concern about copycat violence focuses on the effects of televised wrestling events. Lionel Tate, a 13-year old boy, was convicted in 2001 for killing a 6-year old girl by lifting her in the air and dropping her onto the table. If a child watched a person on TV who seemed very appealing and who received rewards for acting aggressively, then the child will more likely follow the characters behavior. On the other hand, if a child saw a character who received punishment for acting aggressively, then the child might abstain from showing any aggressive actions in real life. There is a tendency for children who watched higher levels of TV violence to also have a higher score on the ratings of aggressive behavior. There are certain things about TV violence and children that need to be understood. First, viewing TV violence could cause children to act more aggressively, particularly if the violent characters were appealing and receive awards for their actions. Second, the effects appeared most strongly for boys, not for girls. Boys turn out to be more sensitive to the effects of media violence. Lastly, the presence of appealing characters who receive awards for acting aggressively seems to advocate more aggressive behavior in children. Video games have produced a controversy in the public arena after the Killings at Columbine High School in Colorado. This was done by two teenagers that attacked their classmates and teachers. They soon found out that the two teenagers were fond of playing Doom. In relation, a study was made back in 1988. It reported that children who played Jungle Hunt, a game involving a character who would jump from one vine to another in such a way that he would not fall, tended to play with a jungle swing toy. On the other hand, those who played Karateka, a game involving a protagonist who was controlled by the player and had a mission to hit, kick, and kill enough villains to save a damsel in distress, tended to play in an aggressive way with the karate bobo doll. Rod Serlings movie, The Doomsday Flight (1966), was about a jet plane which took off and established its flight path, a report then came in that the plane was carrying an altitude bomb. A terrorist had set the bomb to explode if the plane descended below 5,000 feet. In the end, the plane managed to land in Denver, which was barely 5,000 feet above sea level. The plan averted disaster and everyone lived happily ever after. Well not everyone, because even before the movie ended a bomb threat was phoned to one of the major airlines. Four more threats were phoned in during the next day, and eight more were reported by the weekend. In some cases the callers threatened to use exactly the same kind of altitude bomb motive depicted in the movie. Fortunately, none of these threats turned out to be real. The callers had been the victims of the copycat phenomenon, where people imitate the exact behaviors that they see depicted in the  media. When these behaviors are violent or illegal, this b ecomes a significant social problem. Another example of the copycat phenomenon is when The Burning Bed, a movie in 1984, starred Farrah Fawcett Majors as a battered wife who felt so desperately trapped by an abusive husband that she soaked her husbands bed with gasoline while he slept. Then, she set the bed and her husband ablaze. The film triggered some copycat consequences. Days after the movie was aired, several women around America who were victims of abuse decided to copy the behavior of the main character. They murdered their husbands by dousing the beds of their husbands with gasoline and setting it on fire. Furthermore, children who were exposed early to television violence predicted subsequent adult aggression (Huesmann, 1986). It has been associated with an increased risk of adult aggression, even after for controlling family income, childhood neglect, psychiatric disorders,  neighborhood violence, and parental education. An illustration by Ostrov, Gentile, and Crick (2006) asked 60 parents about their preschoolers exposure to television programs, movies, and videogames over a two-year period. For boys, exposure to violent media predicted an increase in observed physical, verbal, and relational aggression four months later. For girls, violent media exposure was associated with a subsequent increase in verbal aggression only. Conclusion The harmful effects of media violence bring psychological impact to the minds of the youth especially in todays generation. They do not know that these things can greatly affect their attitude and behavior as a person which might be a result of violence. They try to imitate what they see and what they hear from televisions, music lyrics or videos, movies, and video games, because of their curiosity. Most scientists agreed that parents can be a strong force in reducing such media violence. They should let their children share their thoughts and fears about killings or death. Parents should also know the main risk factors of media violence to the youth and familiarize the programs and video games their children watched and played. They should avoid exposing their children to too much video games and television so that it would it would reduce violent behavior of their children. No matter how strong the tendency to think otherwise, it is important to know that content does not equal to the effect. Media violence is certainly not the sole cause or even the most important contributor to youth aggression. Parents can actually reduce the risks associated with media violence by reducing exposure to television and videogames.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

On becoming white :: Ethnicity Personal Narrative Racial

On becoming white As a European immigrant in the USA, I have encountered many new cultural phenomena in the last 4 _ years that have challenged me to perceive who I am differently. This experience has been even more polarized by the fact that I have lived most of that time in Los Angeles, a melting pot to be reckoned with. Coming to America, I expected these adaptations to my Irish self but the intensity of becoming cognizant of my label of 'whiteness' has mocked the limitations of my anticipations. This cognizance really ensued when I first started work as an educational therapist in a residential placement for severely emotionally disturbed teenage girls. Being in such a arbitrary position of power was difficult enough with people who have issues with control and lack of respect from elders but I also happened to be the only male ever in this position at the facility and a "white guy" to boot. Ninety percent of my clients happened to be Latina or African American. This ethnic flash point did not initially bother me because of my lack of awareness of its existence and my naive determination that it was not important for my therapeutic and educational goals. However, of course I had not really considered at that time what being 'white' really entails in this society. Consideration of one's identity is obviously key to successful educational and therapeutic interventions but it took the actual experience of being what I call "white-washed" to make me realize that skin color may a ctually have something important to do with one's perceived identity. The incident actually occurred in my home in a banal everyday interaction with a plumber who was fixing our shower. Firstly, the plumber who was Caucasian continually bombarded his younger, Latino assistant with racial insults mostly to the tune of "you stupid Mexican". When he realized that we were staring at his comments he explained that his assistant "gets it from his mother's side". This young man was in fact the plumber's son! He then went onto talking about how America is today, and how being a fellow American, I should understand that. Of course I immediately responded with: "I'm not American," to which he countered: "Oh! I thought you were white!.....I mean American." I think that this slip by the plumber reveals something of great importance about attitudes, assumptions and beliefs about ethnic identity that is very open to semiotic analysis.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

Capital Punishment: Against More money is spent executing humans than keeping them in a penitentiary for life. Compared to capital punishment, life in prison is far worse. Mistakes may be made and no one can bring another human back to life. Juries are often white and this may lead to racial decisions. Of the 144 executions since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S., not one white person has been executed for killing a black. Of the 16,000 executions in U.S. history, only 30 cases involved a white sentenced for killing a black. Therefore, no one, including the government, should have the power to tell another human that they must be put to death, no matter what they commit. Today's government and justice system is not as efficient as it should be. If a mistake is made in an execution sentence and an innocent person dies, no one can bring their life back. Now, if the death penalty did not exist, the person would still have their life. Juries also have to think about the families, both of the victim and the suspect. What if the suspect did not commit the murder and was executed? How would the suspect's family feel? A close relative had just died due to the fact that another mistake was made in our justice system. This in fact would send a rush of anger through my body. The justice system killed somebody's family member. The death penalty should not even exist, due to the fact that many mistakes can be made, and a life can never be brought back. Juries have been and still are mostly consisted of the white majority. Racism and money is a big part of our everyday lives. With the majority of people in the jury consisted of whites, racism might in fact be involved. Now, if a black family is poor and does not have much money, the suspect may then be issued a racist attorney. Many cases have been recorded of this happening, both of innocent and guilty men. Innocent men again were put to death, this time due to their skin color. This is just another reason leading to how poor our justice system is, and why it should not be in effect. There are few oppositions to not having the death penalty in effect. The main concern with not having the death penalty in effect is that people would not care as much when they committed a crime. Now, if the death penalty was in effect, people would think twice about their mistake before committing it.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Essay --

Madison Lamb Louise Pompa English 11A 06 February 2014 Marriage Equality â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness† is one thing that homosexuals are not permitted to chase. Marriage plays an important role in our society, and I personally don’t believe that people should be allowed to choose who other people are allowed to spend their life with. The right for homosexuals to marry has been a controversial topic since 1924. Denying homosexuals is a violation of our civil rights, and love should not be determined by your gender: love is love. Homosexuals only want one thing and that is a marriage licenses. They want to express their love for their partner, just like heterosexuals do. Heterosexuals have the right to be in love, why shouldn’t homosexuals? Why should homosexuals have to fight for their right to be in love, when heterosexuals can marry, and love anyone they want? Marriage is a beautiful experience where you get to express your love, and your commitment to that person. I believe that everyone should have the right to do so. Homosexuality is becoming an accepted lifestyle nowadays with most evidence strongly supporting marriage equality. According to NCSL, â€Å"as of January 2014, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, including the District of Columbia have all legalized same-sex marriage.† Did you know that there is a tremendous amount of 598,791 gay couples, and 71,165 gay marriages? 53% of Americans strongly believe that same sex marriage should be legalized, while on the opposing side, 41% believe same sex marriage shouldn’t be legalized. How can homosexuality a... ...hat everyone thinks is the â€Å"normal†. Understand that everyone is equal, and it should always stay that way. Homosexuality is becoming accepted more and more in America, and whether it’s legalized or not, homosexuals are still going to be with whom they want to be with. Denying homosexuals, or anyone for that matter, is a violation of the civil rights. Discrimination is what’s wrong with our world, and denying homosexuals could put an end to all discrimination. Legalizing homosexuality will make the world a more peaceful place, and will allow each other to see what’s really on the inside. The labeling and homosexual jokes will finally come to an end, and people can love one another without questioning if it’s okay. Everyone is on the journey to find love in the world, and some people find that in the same gender. Love is love, and that’s all it really comes down to.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Porter

Michael five forces model Rivalry among competing Firms: this is usually the most powerful of the five competitive forces. The strategies pursued by one firm can be successful only to the extent that they provide competitive advantage over the strategies of other firms (Grobler 2009) ? Due to China’s incredibly high FDI rate, more and more companies are investing into Chinese businesses and strengthening them in both their domestic markets and also on the global front. With the ever increasing growth of their domestic markets it will only be a short while before they become the dominant market leader, if in this span of 30 years they could rise from nothing to 4th largest in the world then it shows what impact they really had and still have on the global economy. Potential entry of new competitors: whenever new firms can easily enter a particular industry, the intensity of competitiveness among firm’s increases. ?When new firms become strengthened through investments, they become direct competitors of the leaders in that industry. . g. A new Chinese innovation in the television industry grows rapidly, they will be direct competitors against any television firms based in China, for example LG and Sony Bargaining power of consumers: when consumers are concentrated, large or buy in volume their bargaining power represents a major force affecting intensity of competition in an industry (Grobler 2009) ? This goes for actual customers(public) and b2b businesses, because those that buy the larger quantities would get the cheaper rates no doubt, however in China how will that be decided? Will it be their size, market share, sales or Return on capital employed. Potential development of substitute products: in many industries firms are in close competition with producers of substitute products in other industries. ?As mentioned throughout this article, the Chinese have the ability to imitate anything, this factor will never disappear especially if Chinese firms enter European or American markets, how those manufacturers would react to the Chinese developments are unimaginable. Bargaining power of suppliers: the bargaining power of suppliers affects the intensity of completion in an industry, especially when there are large number of suppliers, when there are only a few good substitutes’ raw materials or when cost of switching materials is especially costly (Grobler 2009) Porter’s five forces will only be effective if it is done in a stable environment, it is done to see how attractive the industry is and if it is worth starting a new venture in that environment. Porter’s generic strategies †¢Cost leadership †¢Differentiation †¢Focus Cost leadership: Cost leadership means having the lowest per-unit (i. . , average) cost in the industry that is, lowest cost relative to your rivals. This could mean having the lowest per unit cost among rivals in highly competitive industries, in which case returns or profits will be low but however higher than competitors Or, this could mean having lowest cost among a few rivals where each firm enjoys pricing power and high profits Notice that cost leadership is defined independently of market structure. Differentiation: Differentiating the product offering of a firm means creating something that is perceived industry wide as being unique. It is a means of creating your own market to some extent. There are several approaches to differentiation: †¢Different design †¢Brand image †¢Number of features †¢New technology A differentiation strategy may mean differentiating along 2 or more of these dimensions. Focus: Here we focus on a particular buyer group, product segment, or geographical market. while low cost and differentiation are aimed at achieving their objectives industry wide, the focus or niche strategy is built on serving a particular target (customer, product, or location) very well. Note, however, hat a focus strategy means achieving either a low cost advantage or differentiation in a narrow part of the market. For reasons discussed above, this creates a defendable position within that part of the market. Risks of doing generic strategies Cost leadership †¢Requires continual capital investment because newer innovations cause older creations to become obsolete. †¢When focusing solely on making affordable low cost products, it can cause firms to be blinded to product changes that are needed. Ie. Quantity over quality †¢When costs do begin to increase it narrows the differences between competitors and advantage is ultimately lost For China, the main risk that would affect them the most is when focusing solely on quantity, especially because of their expertise in manufacturing they could lose sight of changes that need to be done to better sales. However, China does have the leading number of R&D departments, even though they might not be as innovative as the Japanese or South Koreans, they have the ability to imitate anything they produce which is why they play a major role in globalization, they can imitate anything except fresh air as they say. Differentiation Customer loyalty becomes too large to hold because of the cost differentiation between low cost firms and differentiating firms. †¢The consumer or buyer’s need to differentiate falls away because of price increases. †¢Imitation decreases perceived differentiation This area is where China are dominant, because they have the influence of causing differentiation to fail, because if the product looks the same, and does the same thing, the n why would they ever go for the more expensive, and thus Chinese markets prosper because economies of scale have brought their price down dramatically. This is also when manufacturers have to start looking for alternative suppliers because they now have to compete with China which is not an easy task, and in doing so, it almost definitely forces them to go global. Focus †¢When companies market to niches only they already take the risk of not completely satisfying a demographic segment and with other companies finding alternatives ways to better their market share eg. FDI or R&D labs, they face the risk of dissolving. On its own focus strategy’s should not be attempted by almost any kind of company, its main purpose is to satisfy a small group of consumers at a time, and if this is not the aim of the business then they are going to fall extremely short on their company vision. Books Grobler, W. (2009) Business strategy, CTI Education Group, Johannesburg. Johnson, G. scholes, K. Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring corporate strategy, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River.

Friday, August 16, 2019

ACC557 †Financial Accounting Essay

1. Analyze each company’s history, product/services, major customers, major suppliers, and leadership and provide a synopsis of each company. The Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ) vs. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) war is one of the greatest rivalries in corporate history, just like Apple vs. Microsoft. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the two most popular and widely recognized beverage brands in the world. They have been competing in the soft drink sector for over a century and both companies enjoy a high degree of brand consciousness globally. Both companies try to market as part of a lifestyle. At the same time, these two soda giants are among the most popular and respected dividend growth companies in the market, so let’s take a look at the Coke vs. Pepsi debate from an investor’s perspective. Coca-Cola uses phrases such as â€Å"Coke side of life† in their website, while Pepsi uses phrases such as â€Å"Hot stuff† in their web, to promote the idea that Pepsi is â€Å"in syn c† with the cool side of life. Ironically, both Pepsi and Coke have similar beginnings: both were created in the 19th century and both were the results of the experimental work of innovative pharmacists. Coke was created in 1886 by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton while Pepsi was developed in 1898 by North Carolina pharmacist and drugstore owner, Caleb Bradham. The history of Pepsi began with a man named Caleb Davis Bradham. He was born in Chinquapin, North Carolina on May 27, 1867. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, around 1890. After returning to North Carolina, Mr. Bradham taught public school for about a year, and later opened a drug store on the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets in downtown New Bern. In 1902, Bradham launched the Pepsi-Cola Company in the back room of his pharmacy and on December 24, 1902 the Pepsi-Cola Company was incorporated in the state of North Carolina. The business began to grow, and on June 16, 1903,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Pepsi-Cola† was officially registered with the U.S. Patent Office. In 1910 there were 250 Pepsi-Cola franchises in 24 states and in January of that year the Pepsi Cola Company held their first Bottler Convention in New Bern. In 1926, Pepsi received its first logo redesign since the original design of 1905. In 1929, the logo was changed again. In 1931, at the depth of the Great Depression, the Pepsi-Cola Company entered bankruptcy. Assets were sold and Roy C. Megargel bought the Pepsi trademark. Megargel was unsuccessful, and soon Pepsi’s assets were purchased by Charles Guth, the President of Loft, Inc. Today PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo) is a global food and beverage company. Through the Company’s bottlers, contract manufacturers and other partners, the Company makes, markets, sells and distributes a range of foods and beverages in more than 200 countries and territories. PepsiCo is organized into four business units: PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF), which includes Frito-Lay North America (FLNA), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA) and all of its Latin American food and snack businesses (LAF); PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB), which includes all of its North American and Latin American beverage businesses; PepsiCo Europe, which includes all beverage, food and snack businesses in Europe and South Africa, and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), which includes all beverage, food and snack businesses in AMEA, excluding South Africa. In 2011 the company had revenues of $66.504 billion and a net income of $6.462 billion. The company has around 29700 employees worldwide. PepsiCo is also listed on the NYSE and is also a part of the Dow Jones Industrial composite. Pepsi Co’s current chief executive is Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi who has been at the helm since 2006. The history of Coca-Cola began with Col. John Pemberton. He was wounded in the Civil War, became addicted to morphine, and began a quest to find a substitute to the dangerous opiate. The prototype Coca-Cola recipe was formulated at Pemberton’s Eagle Drug and Chemical House, a drugstore in Columbus, Georgia, originally as a coca wine. In 1885, Pemberton registered his French Wine Coca nerve tonic. In 1886, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, essentially a nonalcoholic version of French Wine Coca. By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola – sold by three separate businesses – were on the market. A co-partnership had been formed on January 14, 1888 between Pemberton and four Atlanta businessmen: J.C. Mayfield, A.O. Murphey; C.O.  Mullahy and E.H. Bloodworth. Charley Pemberton’s record of control over the â€Å"Coca-Cola† name was the underlying factor that allowed for him to participate as a major shareholder in the March 1888 Coca-Cola Com pany incorporation filing made in his father’s place. More so for Candler especially, Charley’s position holding exclusive control over the â€Å"Coca Cola† name continued to be a thorn in his side. Today The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation headquartered in Atlanta Georgia. It is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola. The Company owns or licenses and markets more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages but also a variety of still beverages, such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. It owns and markets a range of nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, which includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. The Company’s segments include Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific, Bottling Investments and Corporate. In January 2013, Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling Company announced that it had been acquired by the Company. Effective February 22, 2013, Coca-Cola Co acquired interest in Fresh Trading Ltd. In November 2013, Coca-Cola Company and ZICO Beverages LLC announced that Coca-Cola has acquired the ownership interest in ZICO. The company offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries and serves over 1.7 billion servings per day. The company’s stock is listed on the NYSE and it is a part of the DJIA, S&P index and the Russell 1000 index. The company had revenues of $48.01 billion in the year 2012 and a net income of $9.01 billion. Coca-Cola has a total asset base of $86.17 billion and 146,200 employees worldwide. Pepsi and Coca-Cola customers include authorized bottlers and independent distributors, including foodservice distributors and retailers. Both companies normally grant their bottlers exclusive contracts to sell and manufacture certain beverage products bearing the respective trademarks within a specific geographic area. These arrangements provide both companies with the right to charge their bottlers for concentrate, finished goods and bottled water (Aquafina & Dasani) royalties and specify the manufacturing process required for product quality (Wyatt, 2012). Since The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo do not sell directly  to the consumer, they both rely on and provide financial incentives to their distributors to assist in the distribution and promotion of their respective products. For the independent distributors and retailers, these incentives include volume-based rebates, product placement fees, promotions and displays. For their bottlers, these incentives are referred to as bottler funding and are negotiated annually with each bottler to support a variety of trade and consumer programs, such as consumer incentives, advertising support, new product support, and vending and cooler equipment placement. Consumer incentives include coupons, pricing discounts and promotions, and other promotional off ers. New product support includes targeted consumer and retailer incentives and direct marketplace support, such as point-of-purchase materials, product placement fees, media and advertising. Pepsi supplies its concentrates to restaurants that they have contracts with. Another market segment that Pepsi targets are grade schools, colleges and universities. PepsiCo main suppliers include; Sandora, Sadochok and Toma juice brands which supply Pepsi’s concentrate, while G.D Searle and company supplies PepsiCo with NutraSweet for PepsiCo diet soft drinks. Ball Metal Beverage Packaging produces Pepsi’s aluminum cans. Amcor produces PETS for Pepsi. It also manufactures plastic bottles for Gatorade (Wyatts, 2012). PepsiCo products generate approximately $108 billion in cumulative annual retail sales. Here are PepsiCo products which had revenues of over $1 billion as of 2009; Pepsi cola, Mountain Dew, Lays, Gatorade, Tropicana, 7up, Doritos, Lipton teas, Quaker foods, Cheetos, Miranda , Ruffles, Aquafina, Pepsi max, Tostitos, Sierra mist, Fritos and Walker’s. PepsiCo foods generated 63% of the net worldwide revenues while 37% of the revenue came from beverages in 2012. Pepsi brand generated the most revenues with about $20 billion in revenues, followed by mountain dew with around $12 billion, the others followed in the order they are listed in above with Walker’s potato chips being the last of the 21 brands listed above. PepsiCo distributes its own product in parts of Europe while it uses contract manufacturers in other areas (PepsiCo, 2013). The main target markets for PepsiCo include the age group 14-30 which has always been the main target market for Pepsi. Historically, Pepsi has always targeted teens with heavy advertising, teen-oriented ads. Coca-Cola customers include large international chains of retailers and restaurants and small independent  businesses. Coca-Cola works with them equally to create mutual benefit. Together with their bottling partners, they serve their customers through account management teams, providing services and support tailored to their needs. Coca-Cola’s suppliers offer different services from packaging, information technology services, bottles and package labeling. The Coca-Cola Company’s main suppliers include; Alcan packaging which offers plastic bottle labels, Alcoa plastic caps, and Cannon provides steam boilers, water treatment systems and plastic products. EDS provides information technology services to Coca- cola for its operation in Latin America. Coca-Cola purchases syrups and concentrates from TCCC and other licensors to manufacture products. They also purchase their raw materials, other than concentrates, syrups, mineral waters, and sweeteners, from multiple suppliers. The beverage agreements with TCCC provide that all authorized containers, closures, cases, cartons and other packages, and labels for the products of TCCC must be purchased from manufacturers approved by TCCC. Leadership at PepsiCo – Indra Nooyi is the CEO of Pepsi she describes her leadership style as â€Å"Performance with Purpose,† a mantra that has become central to the PepsiCo journey over these past seven years. Nooyi has chronicled five leadership lessons that together form the roadmap for global leaders in the 21st century (Snyder, 2013). 1. Balance the short-term and long-term. Today’s leaders are, all too often, driven only by short-term quarterly results, yielding decisions that are counterproductive for the longer-term health of the organization and society. Effective leaders must strike a balance. 2. Develop a deep understanding of public/private partnerships. Nooyi points out that many private sector leaders treat the public sector (NGOs, governments) as the enemy—and vice versa. † She believes that NGO leaders do their jobs as a â€Å"labor of love.†Ã‚  Treating them with respect and understanding, as opposed to distain and condescension can go a long way (Snyder, 2013). 3. Think global, act local. Nooyi argues this is not an outdated clichà ©, but instead, sounds advice that can yield innovative, out-of-the box solutions. She showed part of a nine-minute commercial video, produced for the 2012 Chinese New Year. 4. Keep an open mind to adapt to changes. The art of asking probing questions to facilitate dialog and exploration. All-too-often, leaders close their minds to dissent, cutting off much needed debate. To lead in an ever-changing world, Nooyi  says, leaders must adapt and stay nimble (Snyder, 2013). 5. Lead with your head and your heart. Leaders must develop deep emotional intelligence, and bring â€Å"their whole selves to work every day.† They must continually remind themselves that everyone who works for them is a unique human being and seek to strengthen this human connection and bond. Leadership at Coca-Cola is expected from the CEO Muhtar Kent. He runs his company by being an entrepreneur and focusing on cash. He calls his leadership philosophy â€Å"constructively discontent.† (Bhasin, 2012). – According to Kent his preferred description of his leadership – means ‘It’s all about an entrepreneurial mentality. Injecting entrepreneurial religion involves getting Coke’s 146,000 employees to think like owners. â€Å"People need to feel like they are chasing pennies down the hallway.† It’s about the respect for cash,† Kent told Sellers. His devotion to that manifests itself in many ways. For instance: And at Coke, managers have to pay $15 a month if they want to use their cellphones for personal calls (and yes, that rule applies to the CEO too). â€Å"When you don’t see cash, all sorts of things go wrong,† he told Sellers. â€Å"You overspend as an individual and overspend as a company.† Kent suggests that people need to be connected with the cash impact of choices and decisions in order to make rational choices. 2. Based on the stock price for the timeline listed below, present a graph that illustrates the stock price of each company. Indicate conclusions that can be drawn based on the trend: a. The day of its initial public offering b. January 1, 2012 c. January 1, 2011 d. January 1, 2010 PepsiCo’s initial public offering was $23 a share in 1999. Coca-Cola’s initial public offering was in 1919, by a consortium of businessmen led by Ernest Woodruff, Robert W. Woodruff’s father, purchased The Coca-Cola Company for $25 million. The business was re-incorporated as a Delaware Corporation and its stock was put on public sale on the New York Stock Exchange, with common stock at $40 per share, and preferred stock at $100 per share. The chart below shows the changes in the stock prices of the organization from January 1, 2010, January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012. While PepsiCo has outgrown Coca-Cola in terms of revenue over the last five years, Coke is doing better than its rival when it comes to earnings-per-share growth over the same period. Coke has considerably higher profit margins than Pepsi, in the area of 21.8% at the op Even if both companies have seen decreasing margins due to bottler acquisitions over the last years, Coke’s dominance in drinks seems to provide an advantage when it comes to margins on sales. As incomes rise, so does health awareness. But does any of this actually matter to Coke and Pepsi shareholders? Pricing here is complicated. Coke may have the most valuable brand in the world, and Pepsi’s brands are also quite valuable. It is the value of these brands that allows the stocks to trade at premiums to the market even while their basic products are seeing weak demand. 3. Research and summarize at least two (2) news events (this may include mergers, acquisitions, or political issues) that occurred from 2010 to the present day and the potential impact on the stock price of each company. Indicate how this influences your investment decision related to the company. Events that occurred in 2013 and the potential impact to be on the stock price for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. A New York Times article, published October 1st 2013 by Keith Bradsher, expressed concern about land grabs related to the sugar industry and the companies that supplied from it. The advocacy group Oxfam has accused three big international food companies of buying sugar from what they described as a plantation that had unfairly taken land from farmers in Cambodia and Brazil without proper compensation (Bradsher, 2013). Oxfam, called on the food and beverage companies to disclose more about the sources of their sugar supplies. It contended in a report that sugar, soybeans and palm oi l were the three crops producing the fiercest competition for land by large, often foreign, investors. The group’s report assailed three companies by name: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Associated British Foods. Coca-Cola stated that it asked suppliers â€Å"to recognize and safeguard the rights of communities and traditional peoples to maintain access to land and natural resources. According to† Amanda Rosseter, a company spokeswoman, Coca-Cola does not buy sugar directly from farms but from larger suppliers. These purchases have included buying from Tate & Lyle Sugars, which in turn has bought limited quantities from Cambodia, but Tate & Lyle Sugars has already said that it has no further plans to buy from Cambodia. PepsiCo stated in a  statement that it also paid attention to social responsibility issues in its contracting. The company added that it had â€Å"reached out to the suppliers; they have assured us they are in compliance with applicable laws.† How will it impact the stock price of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo being associated with the idea of taking land away fr om indigenous poor people so they have access to cheap sources of sugar? In another New York Times article published December 12th 2013 by Stephanie Strom, PepsiCo sealed an unusual deal that goes far beyond the soda wars, PepsiCo is expected to announce soon that it is unseating Coca-Cola as the beverage supplier to one of the nation’s hottest restaurant chains, Buffalo Wild Wings (Strom, 2013). The deal, which will start with the introduction of Pepsi, Mountain Dew and other drink brands in 2014, is the biggest sign so far of how PepsiCo is deploying its thriving snacks business and Quaker, which it also owns, to offset declines in its traditional soda business. â€Å"But what this partnership does is give Buffalo Wild Wings a full access pass to all that PepsiCo has to offer.† And the deal also allows Buffalo Wild Wings to capitalize on PepsiCo’s relationships with major sports organizations like the National Football League and Major League Baseball. 4. Provide an overall financial analysis for each company that highlights the key characteristics for investment and how this may impact an investor’s decision. While PepsiCo has outgrown Coca-Cola in terms of revenue over the last five years, Coke is doing better than its rival when it comes to earnings-per-share growth over the same period. Coke has considerably higher profit margins than Pepsi, in the area of 21.8% at the operating level for the soda giant versus 14.3% for the salty snacks leader. Even if both companies have seen decreasing margins due to bottler acquisitions over the last years, Coke’s dominance in drinks seems to provide an advantage when it comes to margins on sales. Coca-Cola has also done better than PepsiCo in terms of reducing share count via stock buybacks; the company has reduced the amount of shares outstanding by 4.6% over the last five years while Pepsi has not managed to reduce its share count by more than 1.3% over that period. On the other hand, the trend could be reversing in the middle term as Pepsi’s buyback program for 2013 will likely have a bigger impact on shareholder’s returns. As of the third quarter of 2013 Coke had spent $2.8  billion in stock buybacks during the first nine months of the year, and the company is planning to end 2013 with a repurchase of between $3.0 billion and $3.5 billion for the full year. Pepsi is planning to end 2013 with nearly $3 billion in buybacks. Even if Coke repurchases $3.5 billion during the year, that would represent roughly 2% of the company’s $174.8 billion market cap. While Pepsi’s buyback would still be smaller in absolute terms, $3 billion would account for a slightly higher 2.3% of the company’s market value around $130.1 billion. Coke’s buyback program has been bigger in recent years, but the company may be losing that advantage over PepsiCo in 2013, so it’s hard to tell which company will return more capital to shareholders via repurchases in the coming years. 5. Based on your review of the financial data for each company, indicate the accuracy and reliability of the data for making investment decision. Provide support for your conclusion. When the ratios of the two companies are compared, Coca Cola has a higher return on asset ratio, a higher dividend yield and a higher dividend growth rate over the last five years. Coca Cola also has a higher P/E ratio but PepsiCo has a higher EPS compared to Coca Cola. From the above information I would advise an investor to buy Coca Cola stock as compared to PepsiCo. My recommendation is based on expected earnings from the stock in terms of dividends and dividend yield, return on assets and the P/E ratio. A higher return on assets shows that a company is utilizing its assets effectively and efficiently in generating earnings. A higher P/E ratio also shows that the investors expect more earnings from the stock. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are Dividend Aristocrats, meaning they have been able to increase dividends over the last 25 consecutive years. Coke has an amazing track record of 51 consecutive dividend increases in a row, while Pepsi has a smaller but still impressive trajectory of 41 consecutive dividend increases. When it comes to dividend growth, however, Coke has a better trajectory than Pepsi over the long term, and the company also delivered a bigger increase for 2013 with a 10% hike versus Pepsi’s 6% dividend rise for the year. 6. Recommend which company you consider as the better investment for your client and how you will present your recommendation. Support your recommendation with data from your analysis. Recommendations for Investment – In order to make an investment in a particular organization, it is necessary for the investors to make sure  that, the investors consider certain key things. The points to be considered by the investors include earning per share, net income and trend in movement of the price of the security of the organization (Pogue, 2010). The price of the stock of the organization Coca Cola Company is $37.67 whereas; the price of stock of PepsiCo is $70.27. This shows that, PepsiCo has a better stock price in comparison to Coca Cola. The earnings per share of PepsiCo is $3.76 whereas, the earnings per share of Coca Cola Company is $1.91. PepsiCo has net income of $6443000 whereas; Coca Cola Company has net income of $8572000. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have earned their rights to be among the most popular dividend growth names in the market due to their rock-solid competitive strengths and time-tested dividend growth trajectories. However, Coke has been able to deliver superior dividend growth over the last few years thanks to its higher profitability and earnings growth rates. Valuations are very similar so, for the same price of a Pepsi, I’m having a Coke. Therefore, from this, one can make a conclusion on the expected future earnings and capital gains. The information deducted from the ratios presented above show that Coca Cola is the best buy. This therefore, shows that before buying a stock there is a rigorous exercise that must be undertaken to gather financial information and from that deduct the effect that information will have on the stock prices. (Cardenal, 2013). References 1. Bhasin, Kim (2012). Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent Explains Why Everything’s All About Cash. Retrieved on March 14, 2014 http://www.businessinsider.com/coca-cola-ceo-muhtar-kents-leadership-philosophy-2012-5 2. Bradsher, Keith (2013). Worried About Land Grabs, Group Presses 3 Corporations to Disclose Sugar Purchases. Retrieved on March 12, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/business/3-corporations-pressed-to-disclose-data-on-sugar-purchases.html?ref=pepsicoinc&_r=0 3. Cardenal, Andres (2013) Better Buy: Coca-Cola vs. PepsiCo. Retrieved on March 12, 2014 http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/11/06/better-buy-coca-cola-vs-pepsico.aspx 4. -Cola (2013). Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved on March 12, 2014 investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/ratios.asp? 5. â€Å"History of Pepsi vs. Coke Rivalry at Rivals4Ever†. Rivals4ever.com.