Art histort 300-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art histort 300-2 - Essay Example † that started in New York, where individuals frequently interacted with each other, and share a common approach to making art, even when the appearance of their paintings diverged in many ways (Carr, n.d.). This common approach married the forms, purposes, colors, and shapes of Expressionism and Abstract Art. After World War II, a small group of American painters who lived in New York developed an artistic innovation (Carr, n.d.). They were called the â€Å"Rebel Painters of the 1950s† and included Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, Adolph Gottlieb, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still (Carr, n.d.). These artists rejected both social realism and geometric abstraction, two leading strains in American art in the 1930s (Carr, n.d.). Abstract Expressionists focused on expressing elusive ideas and experiences. For Pollock, Gorky, and de Kooning, their subjects were autobiographical and came from their sheer need to paint and express themselves. In Gorky’s â€Å"The Artist and His Mother† paintings, they were often compared to Ingress for simplicity of lines and to Picasso for color and structure. Pollock is known for his abstract expressionist paintings, such as Number 1, 1950 (Lavende r Mist), where his subconscious seemed to have controlled the flow of action in the painting. de Kooning’s Woman V (1952-53) has Gorkys surrealist style and Picassos form and shape. Mark Rothko fluently described their Abstract Expressionist art: â€Å"Art was not about an experience, but was itself the experience† (Carr, n.d.). Abstract Expressionism developed in the social setting of the Depression era. During this time, artists like Gorky and de Kooning, for instance, lived near each other and became good friends (Carr, n.d.). de Kooning also befriended Rothko, Philip Guston and Barnett Newman (Carr, n.d.). The friendships and solidarity among the Abstract Expressionists were strengthened by

Mixed martial arts vs Traditional Martial Arts Essay Example for Free

Mixed martial arts vs Traditional Martial Arts Essay Fighting and violence is one of the biggest problems in society today. MMA, to many people, is only promoting this as a value, instead of an issue. Another battle that this bloody sport is fighting is for its own legitimacy. There are plenty of other sports that have some fighting, but no one questions the legitimacy of sports such as ice-hockey, in which there is a fight at least once a game, or football (Frisht n. pag. ). MMA is also a relatively new and has also taken a large step from where it started, having been illegal in all 50 states shortly after its institutionalization (Ramirez n. ag. ). And even at that, UFC is the only nationally legal organization for MMA. Not only is it fighting for its authenticity as a sport, but it is fighting for recognition as a martial art and fighting style, as well. Some specialists and fighters argue that it is a martial art all its own. Others argue that it’s nothing more than a rip-off of the greatest martial arts that have come before it. Finally, other, more secular people rationally conclude that it cannot be considered a traditional martial art at all and is barely acceptable as a sport. But this also puts these people in the perfect position to be attacked by a very simply answered question: Why can’t MMA be considered a traditional martial art? To begin, one of the biggest differences between MMA and traditional martial arts is the purpose for which they were developed. MMA, for example, was developed as nothing more than a style for cage-match entertainment. Traditional martial arts, however, were developed for a variety of different reasons, mainly self-defense. For instance, Jiu-Jitsu and Ninjitsu both derive from ancient Japan as a means for the people to defend themselves against the Samurai (Browning n. pag. ). Similarly, Tang Soo Do was developed in Okinawa and Southern Korea under ancient Japanese influence (Yi n. pag. ). Not only is the purpose of MMA something that sets it apart, it is a difference that sets the stage for several other staggering differences. To continue, purpose is intertwined with origins. Many traditional martial arts come out of the ancient oriental regions as means of self-defense due to the areas unsafe and sometimes unstable societal environment. Thugs, brutal imperial fighter, and common bandits all posed a threat to civilians and those who didn’t particularly fancy their emperors, such as the Okinawan farmers under the oppression of the imperial Japanese samurai (Frisht n. pag. ). A handful of traditional martial arts even boast origins in Brazil, such as the Brazilian variants of Jiu-Jitsu. MMA, however, comes out of America and Europe as a means of entertainment (Greene n. pag. ). Next, Style is the biggest difference between traditional martial arts and MMA. Traditional martial arts are very focused on detaining or incapacitating an attacker. Many traditional martial arts accomplish this by utilizing non-lethal locks and strikes. Traditional martial arts are also guided by morality and law. When faced with non-lethal force, only non-lethal force is permitted in return. When faced with a serious, but non-life-threatening situation, only an equal amount of lethality is permitted. MMA, on the other hand, is much more brutal and borderline senseless (Greene n. pag. ). Also, where traditional Martial Arts would seek to just incapacitate using locks, MMA seeks to go above and beyond the required force, relying on strength where traditionalists would’ve chosen technique. When, relying on strength as a sole asset in combat, as described by Master Bob Cameron, a fighter’s combat variables become very dependent on their opponent. If their opponent is stronger and strength is the only strategy they hold as an asset, loss is pre-determined. Technique, however, allows one’s variables to be much more independent of their opponent’s. Using technique over strength allows a martial artist to apply their whole body to ascertain one goal; it allows a fighter to turn their opponent’s own strength against them, using it in their favor (Cameron n. pag. ). At last, the final reason MMA cannot be considered a traditional martial art is its training style. MMA takes a very solo approach to training, as it is a solo sport. A lot of its training is based on punching, kicking, and striking an inanimate target. Martial arts, traditionally, however is trained in a group. This allows a martial artist to test, study, apply, and perfect a technique on another martial artist, which drastically affects and differs the applicability and effectiveness of the two styles. In a real-world scenario, MMA is not very realistic, due to its brutality and aggressiveness. Traditional martial arts, however, allow an artist to realistically and safely incapacitate an attacker (Greene n. pag. ). The realistic training styles of traditional martial arts allow it to be much more effective in combat. To conclude, MMA and traditional martial arts have more distinguishing differences than are calculable, the most distinguishing being purpose, origin, fighting and training styles, and applicability. Although, many take their side, those who argue that MMA is a traditional martial art are fighting an uphill battle in a mudslide due to their scarce and obvious lack of support. The differences between the two create a gorge miles wide with no bridge that may never have been meant to have been crossed. Furthermore, these staggering differences clearly prove that MMA cannot be considered a traditional martial art.

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay Schizophrenia is a severe chronic psychotic disorder associated with the brain and is characterised by symptoms classified into three major categories; positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions and thought disorder. Negative symptoms consist of social withdrawal and flattening of emotional responses. In addition to this, deficits in cognitive function such as attention and memory are also often present in schizophrenic patients together with anxiety and depression. (Rang, 2007); (Lewis J A Lieberman 2000) Studies have shown several neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, glutamate and dopamine to be involved in processes leading to the expression of the symptoms experienced in schizophrenia. Among these, the dopamine theory has received the most attention and it will be the focal point of this research. Serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter, has its place in explaining schizophrenia by trying to explain the elements of the disorder which were initially unexplained. This consisted of the negative symptoms and the actions of antipsychotics. Its role was recognised in the 1950s when it was discovered how similar serotonin was to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). LSD causes psychotic symptoms as it competes with serotonin and occupies its receptor sites. Atypical antipsychotics as well as blocking dopamine receptors, also act as 5-HT receptor antagonists. This hypothesis was confirmed when typical antipsychotics were combined with a 5-HT2 antagonist such as ritanserin. This resulted in relief of negative symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects. (Sadock, 2000) Glutamate has also been implicated in schizophrenia. This hypothesis is derived from evidence using PCP, a glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist. Administration produces psychotic symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in healthy subjects (Krystal et al. 1994) and negative cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. (Lahti et al. 1995) Phencyclidine, ketamine and dizocilpine, also glutamate NMDA receptor antagonists, provide psychotic symptoms in humans. Studies have also shown that there is reduction in glutamate receptor density and glutamate concentration in post-mortem brains of schizophrenic patients. (Rang 2007) The most common theory relating to schizophrenia is the dopamine one. The first formulation of the dopamine hypothesis suggests that excess mesolimbic dopamine is the reason for the positive symptoms. The evidence that this idea was based on included amphetamine abuse which increased synaptic dopamine leading to delusions (Laruelle et al. 1996) and that all antipsychotic drugs block dopamine D2 receptors. As this theory implied excess dopamine is responsible for positive symptoms, what is responsible for the negative and cognitive symptoms? Well, research has shown that negative and cognitive symptoms are the result of deficient dopamine in the pre fontal cortex due to D1 receptor dysfunction (K. L. Davis et al. 1991) There have been operational definitions of schizophrenia developed in an attempt the reliability of the diagnosis; The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical method (DSM-IV-TR) and both contain lists of criteria but also insist that symptoms must have persisted for 6 months. PICTURE Schizophrenia usually presents itself in late adolescence or in early adult life (Kirkbride et al. 2006) with males having an earlier onset than females. In the UK, the mean age of first admission is about 22 years for men and 27 years for women. (Castle R M Murray 1991)Females also tend to have fewer negative symptoms and a better outcome than males. According to leading experts in this disorder, they have found that it is caused my many factors. One major factor is genetics, and schizophrenia occurs in 10% of people who have parents, brother or sister (first degree relatives) with the disorder. People who have grandparents, cousins or aunts and uncles (second degree relatives) also develop this disorder a lot more than the general public. (Kendler et al. 1993) Most importantly, the risk is at its greatest for a person who has a twin with schizophrenia. (Irving Gottesman 1991) PICTURE Several genes are related with the risk of schizophrenia but previously it was believed there is no particular gene that is responsible for the disease itself. Studies have shown that people with schizophrenia also have many rare gene mutations which involve many genes and disrupt the development of the brain. However in recent times, new research has shown there may be several susceptible genes. One such gene is DISC1 which could be linked to the development and treatment of schizophrenia. DISC1 plays a key role in the growth of individual neurons. Mutated Disrupted in Schizophrenia (DISC1) gene is seen to disrupt the growth and development of cells in the brain. When DISC1 levels were reduced in mice, cells in the brain failed to divide and the mice developed symptoms that mimicked schizophrenia in humans. (REFERENCE IMPORTANT ONE) Other than genes, environmental factors are probably important in the development of schizophrenia. These include exposure to infections, immunocompromised, stress and being in contact with toxic chemicals during childhood may slightly alter brain development. (Marcel ET AL REFERENCE 1999) Chlorpromazine was the first drug discovered to have antipsychotic properties, followed by haloperidol which was widely prescribed. This is an example of typical first generation medications and produced D2 receptor blockade. By 1980, second generation atypical drugs were out, most notably clozapine which was seen to be more potent in treating chronic patients. These had the benefits of also reducing negative symptoms and extreme side effects. Pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s started to take advantage of clozapine and develop drugs without its side effects and olanzapine is another popular atypical drug. In 2005, there was a study done known as the CATIE study, in the USA, comparing the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in clinical settings. It was seen that there were high rates of discontinuation; 64-82% over 18 months, due to patients not being able to tolerate side effects. Lack of efficacy was also found for all antipsychotic drugs in the study, although olanzapine was most effective (terms of discontinuation rates) than other drugs in the study. Despite this, olanzapine was associated with greater weight gain and increase glycosylated haemoglobin, cholesterol and triglycerides. These changes could have serious implications such as development of metabolic syndrome. (Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al. 2005) So why use or develop Chinese herb extracts as a therapeutic tool for schizophrenia? Although antipsychotic medication is still the foundation for the treatment in schizophrenia, it still leaves some people with unbearable side effects and distressing symptoms. The most common side effects are Parkinsonism, dystonia and akathisia and are most common with haloperidol and fluphenazine. (Schillevoort et al. 2001) (Levinson et al. 1990) Dystonic spasms affect the neck muscles tongue and face, and occur within a few days of treatment and are frequent at high doses. Akathisia is the restless leg syndrome and is characterised by great urges to move and difficulty in sitting still. Anti-cholinergic drugs can relieve these symptoms; they should not be given routinely as they also cause side effects such as blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth and euphoria. It is also important to remember that not all patients will get side effects from taking antipsychotics. Another long term side effect is tardive dyskinesia which is slow irregular movements particularly in the regions of the mouth, lips and protrusion of the tongue. Approximately 5% of the patients on antipsychotic medication developing this each year, but there is evidence that the incidence may be declining with increasing use of atypical antipsychotics. (Tarsy Baldessarini 2006) Due to the side effects, herbal medicines are commonly used for psychiatric purposes in both the developed and developing countries. (Walter Rey 1999) Studies have shown that some Chinese herbal medicines are effective for psychosis and that if used in conjunction with western medication, they enhance antipsychotic efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Another important aspect is that, Chinese herbs may be more accessible, acceptable and cheaper than drugs already available. Chinese herbal medication includes plants, fungi, resins, animal and mineral substances which are given within a formula which typically consist of 4 to 12 herbs. Administration is in the form of decoctions, pills, powders, tablets, phials and as standardized plant extracts. Chinese herbal medication has been known to treat schizophrenia for over 2000 years; although the methods used in Traditional Chinese medicine to diagnose and treat schizophrenia differs from that used in western medicine. In western medicine, it is usually diagnosed by criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) but in Traditional Chinese Medication, its diagnosed by the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorder (CCMD). Figure shows the difference between diagnosing and treating Schizophrenia using traditional and Chinese herbal medication Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates schizophrenia into syndromes which determine the course of treatment. Therefore if two people are to be diagnosed with schizophrenia could have different clinical features (syndromes) therefore will require different medications. Each syndrome has a specific herbal formulation, but patients typically have mixed clinical features therefore they require precise formulations made by adding or substituting herbs. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Hype or hope? Is there really a benefit of using Chinese herbs as a therapeutic tool of schizophrenia? There have been several clinical trials done using Chinese herbal medication in the treatment of schizophrenia. One of the earlier studies was done using Dang gui cheng qi tang as the herbal medication given to the treatment group without the addition of the antipsychotic chlorpromazine which the control group received. The setting was in a hospital and participants were divided into groups randomly. It was reported that no participants left the groups early and the result showed that the global state outcome not improved /worse favoured the control group receiving chlorpromazine. (Rathbone et al. 2007) These results should be treated with caution given design limitations such as it being only conducted for 20 days, but nevertheless do not support that herbal medication should be used by itself for the treatment of schizophrenia. Further research and trials have been done which has incorporated using herbal medication together with an antipsychotic versus an antipsychotic alone. In 1997, Chinese herbal medications Dang gui cheng qi tang or xiao plus an antipsychotic was given to a treatment group compared to just the antipsychotic given to the control group. The allocation was randomized, lasted for 12 weeks and included hospital as well as community setting. The result showed that the treatment group scored significantly lower for the outcome of global state not improved/worse than the control group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Global data score from the Clinical Global Impression scale (a rating scale measuring severity of symptoms, treatment response and efficacy of treatment) also favoured treatment groups that took the herbal medication plus antipsychotic. Ginkgo biloba was used with an antipsychotic for the treatment group in 1996 (Rathbone et al. 2007) and Shui zhi and Da huang were used with chlorpromazine. There were side effects associated with taking antipsychotics and taking herbal medications with antipsychotics showed that extra pyramidal side effects still arose. Constipation was however lower in the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) In 2001, Zhang et al did a study giving a treatment group Ginkgo biloba with haloperidol with the control group only receiving the latter. When compared, the study showed there was no difference between treatment group and control group when comparing negative symptoms and also when looking at Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores. However, the scale of positive symptoms did marginally favour the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) For all studies done in the past, we have to be aware that application of Chinese herbal medication is based on syndrome differentiation with failure of applying this differentiation resulting in ineffective or harmful treatment. There is no concrete evidence that when given alone, Chinese herbal medications offer benefits which are equal or even greater than antipsychotic drugs. When the herbal drugs are used with antipsychotics, they may offer improvement in symptoms but as there is still limited evidence in regards to Chinese herbs and traditional Chinese medication, this approach must still be considered new and more investigation is needed. Stepholidine is an active ingredient of the Chinese herb Stephania intermedia Lo, and belongs to an alkaloid group tetra-hydroberberine. (S. X. Xu et al. 1989) Initial research had shown that Stepholidine decreased blood pressure without exerting any adverse effects on the heart as well as exhibiting analgesia and any sedating effects on the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown stepholidine to be a pioneering drug in the treatment of schizophrenia because it is a dopamine D1 receptor agonist and a D2 receptor antagonist. Due to the pathogenesis of this disease suggests the dysfunction of D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is accompanied by hyperactivity of D2 receptors in subcortical regions such as ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), when developing a antipsychotic drug should possess dual agonistic and antagonistic actions on the receptor. Stepholidine and its analogues tick these two important boxes. Stepholidine acts through D1 receptors to increase adenylyl cyclase activity and subsequent signalling pathways regulated by adenylyl cyclase might be responsible for the physiological responses, including rotational behaviour and changes in the firing activity of the neurons induced by Stepholidine. By contrast, Stepholidine inhibits both D2 auto-receptor mediated feedback inhibition of dopamine containing neurons and D2 receptor mediated effects on target non dopamine containing neurons. (Guo-Zhang Jin et al. 2002) There are several symptoms related to schizophrenia and insomnia is one of the most common. This could be partly related to the over-activity of the dopaminergic system. There has been a study done to show whether stepholidine modulates sleep behaviours. This was done in mice and the sleep-wake profiles were observed. From this study it has been concluded that stepholidine significantly increased the amount of NREM sleep and prolonged the duration of NREM sleep episodes, with reduction in the amount of wakefulness. Stepholidine had no effect on either the amount of REM sleep. Because it maintains NREM sleep in mice, it is suggested that it has the potential to be also used in the treatment of insomnia. (Qiu et al. 2009) Figure 1 shows the dual action of Stepholidine. Dopamine (DA)-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The schizophrenia hypothesis suggests that D1 receptor dysfunction in the mPFC leads to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and the D2 receptor hyperactivity in the sub-cortex nuclei leads to the positive symptoms of this disorder [1-4]. The D1 receptor agonist effect of SPD in the mPFC is suggested to ameliorate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the D2 receptor antagonist effect of SPD that predominates in the sub-cortex would improve the positive symptoms The Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) awarded a grant of Canadian $330,000 to Dr. Shitji Kapur and Dr. David Mamo in 2006 to study L-Stepholidine. The work they would do would be built up from previous knowledge of the drug already known. They conducted preclinical studies in rats and it showed to be a very promising compound. The goal then was to give it to humans and measure its D2 binding in an attempt at showing it indeed is a D2 drug in vivo using PET, and also estimate its expected therapeutic dose for future clinical studies. Having had several correspondences Dr Mamo, he has informed me that the main company in China had stopped the production of Stepholidine and for ensuring that the compound is pure without any contaminants and to assure the local regulatory authority the research was a safe study, they decided not to use stepholidine from China. Dr Kapur and Dr Mamo then collaborated with a chemist to synthesize stepholidine in a lab. Synthesis was fine, but the pr oblem was that they couldnt scale up the production to gram scale. A chemist had told him with further work, production was possible, but the SMRI was not willing to wait for this. The funding had to be given up but not for the reason that the drug wasnt showing promise. Another drawback in stepholidine is its bioavailability. Drugs given orally, acting on the central nervous system, should have good bioavailability and good blood brain barrier penetration. In rat based assays, it was seen that stepholidine, when administered orally, was poorly available to systemic circulation but could cross the blood brain barrier easily, resulting in good entry into the brain. Stepholidine was also found to have good permeability of the membrane that was not affected by efflux transporters such as P-gp or MRP2. Stepholidine which was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract was also rapidly eliminated by glucuronidation of phenolic hydroxyl group, and less by sulphation, methylation, demethylation and /or N-oxidation. This poor bioavailability achieved by stepholidine could be due to the extensive pre systemic metabolism. A way to overcome this would be to develop pro-drugs, which would be chemically modified versions of stepholidine which will undergo enzymatic or chemical transformation for the active drug to be released. Example of this might be to modify the hydroxyl groups of stepholidine. (Sun et al. 2009) Due to its poor bioavailability, there has been significant development in recently towards the modification of stepholidine by development of series of derivatives. One derivative that has improved bioavailability while maintain the pharmacological properties of stepholidine, is bi-acetylated l-stepholidine. In recent times, although there has been an increase in material prosperity and growing success of traditional western medication, there has been an overall increase in psychotic disorders especially schizophrenia. Psychiatric patients not only want their symptoms to disappear, they also want to continue to lead a normal life without all their troubles. Psychiatric patients have better resources for the treatment now than ever before, but due to frequent disappointments in western medication especially due to its side effects; there has been increased growth of alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of patients. Sometimes patients also seek help from spell breakers, exorcists and herbalists. In recent times, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 80% of people in the world have relied on herbs in satisfying their medical care needs, and developed countries such as Germany, Italy and even the USA have shown a dramatic increase in herbal medicine consumption. Stepholidine had led the way in recent drug discovery with it being both a D1 receptor agonist and D2 receptor antagonist activity. This is a unique pharmacological characteristic of DH-THPBs (dihydro) and will be vital in the future when developing new antipsychotic drugs. More so, another DH-THPB, 12-chloroscoulerine has been found to have more potent dual action than stepholidine. In this project, I will analyse research done with stepholidine in regards to it being a therapeutic tool in the treatment of schizophrenia. Word count 2,992

NASA Cries for Money Essay -- Politics Government

In Lee Billing’s article, What Future for NASA, Billing discusses the past and present situation of the NASA program and how over fifty years of running hasn't accomplished NASA very much. In 1958 the National Aeronautics and Space Act was signed allowing for NASA to be formed. This lead to a major race which caught America's eye. The goal was to reach the Moon as quickly as possible, not to develop a lasting ability to go there. After the race was won in 1969, America lost interest. Even on NASA's 50th year anniversary, they were still unable to send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit. Fundings dramatically decreased and NASA is still struggling to pay for any advancements. Something must be done to insure the advancements of research for new technology. But with the loss of funding there won't be anyway to do that very soon. According to Billing, NASA's 2009 budget is about $18 billion. Each year the US spends more than $300 billion paying interest on the growing debt. On defense and homeland security the US will spend $600 billion and that does not include the $12 billion spent...

Most Dangerous Game with the Lottery Essay

The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson portray the common theme that people remain indifferent to cruelty until they are the recipients of it. Both stories show that when the darker side of human nature centers on itself, evil prevails showing how man is innately evil and that convictions and morals can be compromised by circumstance. Both authors show that through both societal standards and learned behavior, many injustices and cruelties can be accepted as normal behavior. In The Most Dangerous Game, Connell describes Rainsford, the protagonist, as a renowned hunter. Connell uses the opening conversation between Rainsford and Whitney, Rainsford’s companion on the yacht, to enlighten the reader to Rainsford’s attitude of indifference concerning the prey that he hunts. As fate would have it, Rainsford is marooned on an island where he meets another hunter, General Zaroff. As the story progresses, Rainsford begins to see the faà §ade of civility disappear and the real nature of the General come to surface. The General explains how hunting  man is the logical progression of their art and that they are actually kindred souls. Rainsford is appalled by the comparison of their two natures and clings to the moral high ground. That is until the General forces Rainsford to now become the prey. Rainsford, now the prey, calls upon not only his vast knowledge and experience of the hunt but also his primeval instinct of survival. Connell takes the reader through many twists and turns giving hope for Rainsford around each corner only to take it away. Due to the cunningness and resourcefulness of Rainsford, the General is given literally the best hunt of his life. In the end, Rainsford outsmarts the General and kills him in the end. In The Lottery, Jackson gently weaves the reader into what seems at first to be a typical small farming community with a special event taking place. Jackson portrays how the event had lost most of its pomp and circumstance over time and that many of the townspeople wer e there out of tradition. The protagonist, Mrs. Hutchinson, is introduced in the middle of the story, rushing up to the crowd commenting how she had almost forgotten what day it was. As the names in the box are read, the heads of household robotically accept their papers. When the papers are revealed, Bill Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson’s husband, discloses he has drawn the back dot. Mrs. Hutchinson’s demeanor now changes from nonchalant to seriousness as she protests that it wasn’t a fair drawing. Now as the Hutchinson family draws another paper from the box, Mrs. Hutchinson fatefully draws the black dot. The townspeople then began to pick up stones from the pile as Mrs. Hutchinson pleads with them that it isn’t fair. The townspeople then converge on her, stoning her. Both writers arrive at the same two-part conclusion although taking different routes. Connell shows at first how Rainsford is indifferent to the game that he hunts merely for pride. Jackson likewise shows the nonchalantness of Mrs. Hutchinson to the lottery and it’s repercussions at the beginning of the ceremony. Only with the introduction of dire circumstances to both characters do they begin to examine what at one time they would have considered one of their core beliefs. Both authors then confirm that the evil nature of man is more natural of a path to take than a moral one. Connell shows this by ending the story with Rainsford sleeping in the General’s bed, leaving the question for the reader if Rainsford has now become the General. Jackson also confirms this by telling how even the small child of the Hutchinson’s is given stones  to throw at his mother. In comparison of both stories the authors convey that man is inherently evil and that choices made based on societal standards, traditions, and learned behavior may not be the morally correct choice. This confirms the passage of Scripture from Jeremiah 17:9, â€Å"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?† (KJV) Man’s very essence is that of evil and selfishness.

Purchasing Power Parity

Purchasing Power Parity Ever wondered why the value of 1 American dollar is different from 1 Euro? The economic theory of  purchasing power parity (PPP) will help you understand why different currencies have different purchasing powers and how exchange rates are set.   What Purchasing Power Parity Is The Dictionary of Economics  defines purchasing power parity  (PPP) as a theory which states that the exchange rate between one currency and another is in equilibrium when their domestic purchasing powers at that rate of exchange are equivalent. Example of 1 for 1 Exchange Rate How does inflation in 2 countries affect the exchange rates between the 2  countries? Using this definition of purchasing power parity, we can show the link between inflation and exchange rates. To illustrate the link, lets imagine 2 fictional countries: Mikeland and Coffeeville. Suppose that on January 1st, 2004, the prices for every good in each country is identical. Thus, a football that costs 20 Mikeland Dollars in Mikeland costs 20 Coffeeville Pesos in Coffeeville. If purchasing  power parity holds, then 1 Mikeland Dollar must be worth 1 Coffeeville Peso. Otherwise, there is the chance of making a risk-free profit by buying footballs in one market and selling in the other. So here PPP requires a 1 for 1 exchange rate. Example of Different Exchange Rates Now lets suppose Coffeyville has a 50% inflation rate whereas Mikeland has no inflation whatsoever. If the inflation in Coffeeville impacts every good equally, then the price of footballs in Coffeeville will be 30 Coffeeville Pesos on January 1, 2005. Since there is zero inflation in Mikeland, the price of footballs will still be 20 Mikeland Dollars on Jan 1, 2005. If purchasing power parity holds and one cannot make money from buying footballs in one country and selling them in the other, then 30 Coffeeville Pesos must now be worth 20 Mikeland Dollars. If 30 Pesos 20 Dollars, then 1.5 Pesos must equal 1 Dollar. Thus the Peso-to-Dollar exchange rate is 1.5, meaning that it costs 1.5 Coffeeville Pesos to purchase 1 Mikeland Dollar on foreign exchange markets. Rates of Inflation and Currency Value If 2 countries have different rates of inflation, then the relative prices of goods in the 2 countries, such as footballs, will change. The relative price of goods is linked to the exchange rate through the theory of purchasing  power parity. As illustrated,  PPP tells us that if a country has a relatively high inflation rate, then the value of its currency should decline.

Conjugating the French Verb Déménager (to Move House)

Conjugating the French Verb Dà ©mà ©nager (to Move House) In French, the noun  nouvelle maison  means new house. When moving to that new house, the verb   dà ©mà ©nager  is used. Literally to move, this verb must be conjugated when using it in the past, present, or future tense.   Conjugating the French Verb  Dà ©mà ©nager Dà ©mà ©nager  is a  spelling change verb  and that makes it a bit of a challenge to conjugate. It follows a pattern found in other verbs that end in -ger  such as  bouger  (to move). As you will see, in some conjugations an E is added after the G. This is to retain the soft G sound before an ending that begins with an A or O. Other than that, conjugating  dà ©mà ©nager  is relatively simple. To transform it, pair the subject pronoun with the appropriate tense. For instance, I move is je dà ©mà ©nage and we will move is nous dà ©mà ©nagerons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je dmnage dmnagerai dmnageais tu dmnages dmnageras dmnageais il dmnage dmnagera dmnageait nous dmnageons dmnagerons dmnagions vous dmnagez dmnagerez dmnagiez ils dmnagent dmnageront dmnageaient The Present Participle of  Dà ©mà ©nager The  present participle  of  dà ©mà ©nager  is  dà ©mà ©nageant.  It is not just a verb, but can also act as an adjective, gerund, or noun in some circumstances. The Past Participle and Passà © Composà © Beyond the imperfect, the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is another common way to express the past tense in French. To form this, begin by conjugating the  auxiliary verb  avoir  to the subject pronoun. Then, add the  past participle  dà ©mà ©nagà ©. For instance, I moved is jai dà ©mà ©nagà © and we moved is nous avons dà ©mà ©nagà ©. More Simple  Dà ©mà ©nager  Conjugations to Know The most important conjugations to study are those above. There are also times when you will need to know a few more simple forms of  dà ©mà ©nager. For instance, if the action of moving is somehow questionable, you might employ either the subjunctive or the conditional verb moods. In rare instances and most often in writing, you may also encounter the passà © simple or the imperfect subjunctive. While not vital to most students French studies, its a good idea to be able to recognize these. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je dmnage dmnagerais dmnageai dmnageasse tu dmnages dmnagerais dmnageas dmnageasses il dmnage dmnagerait dmnagea dmnaget nous dmnagions dmnagerions dmnagemes dmnageassions vous dmnagiez dmnageriez dmnagetes dmnageassiez ils dmnagent dmnageraient dmnagrent dmnageassent In the imperative verb form,  dà ©mà ©nager  can be used in short and often assertive commands or requests. When using it, skip the subject pronoun: use  dà ©mà ©nage rather than tu dà ©mà ©nage. Imperative (tu) dmnage (nous) dmnageons (vous) dmnagez

Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Essays

Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Essays Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Paper Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity Paper What makes you, you? Is who we are the result of our genes (nature) or is it the result of our upbringing (nurture)? Nature: the result of our genes Nurture: everything else other than genes, the culture you were brought up in, the country and family you were brought up In, the school you went to There Is an interaction between nature and nurture II. The Nature Component A. Genes: Our biological blueprint Our body is made up of millions of cells, in every cell, except egg and sperm, we have 46 chromosomes, 23 pairs We have thousands of genes, which are considered to be he basic unit of heredity Genes are segments of DNA that carry the Instruction that give an organism its traits or characteristics Different size of animals and people depends on a single gene (chromosome 1 5) Sometimes multiple genes (gene complexes) are responsible for something such as obesity Genes are made up of nucleotides There are four nucleotides: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, Cytosine They always come in pairs, A with T and G with C The sequence determine what a gene will do and what It will not do Changing Just one letter In a sequence changes what the gene does Common analogy: chromosomes are like books, genes are the words in a book, and nucleotides are the letters in a book Human genome: we have roughly 30 thousand genes in our DNA They discovered based on the mapping of the human genome that every human on earth Is 99. 99% genetically similar to every other human being on earth Repartition of thee. 01% difference: 5% deference among races, 95% differences within a race Nature genetics, 2004: race does NOT exist biologically; there Is no white, black, Arab, Asian race, and it is just a social concept We share: 95-98% of our DNA with chimps, 0% of our DNA with mice, 50% of our DNA with bananas, 44% of our DNA with fruit flies B. Evolutionary Psychology Bal . What is Evolutionary Psychology (PEP)? Newest perspective in psychology, heavily influenced by Darnings principals of the Theory of Evolution According to Darwin, the mall goal Is to survive and to transmit (natural selection); many organisms die out due to survival of the fittest Survival of the Fittest: when there is a match between characteristics of organism and demands of the environment Evolutionary psychologists took the theories of Darwin to explain unman behavior; they study behaviors that are universal and common to all human beings; they study adaptive behaviors (adaptation is essential for survival) Any behaviors, traits, or emotions that our ancestors had are what we see in humans today We are in the post-antibiotic era, bacteria are smart 82. Application of PEP to Sexuality Surveys: men think more about sex, masturbate more, want sex more than women, are more likely to interpret friendliness as a come-on, and are more likely to make sacrifices for sex Clark and Hatfield (1978): recruited average-looking men and women o go around campus saying: Hey, Ive noticed you around campus, want to go to bed tonight? Different attitudes about sex: majority of women were offended, majority of men would say yes or why wait till tonight? According to PEP: both men and women have the same goal, but have different strategies to achieve the goal due to physiological differences It takes women 9 months to produce a baby, so relational sex enhances survival; it doesnt take men long to plant their seeds, so recreational sex is best strategy 83. Retinue of PEP Professors Critique: this is offensive because most men, like most women, want to be n healthy relationships There are at least 18 societies today that encourage women to have multiple partners because they believe that a child can have multiple fathers (women in these societies are less likely to have a miscarriage, women with multiple partners were more likely to have children that made it to age of 15 years) How evolutionary psychologists explain gender differences in sexuality: Peps theorize that women have inherited their ancestors tendencies to be more sexually cautious because of the challenges associated with incubating and nurturing offspring, whereas men inherited an inclination to be more casual about sex because their act of fathering requires a smaller investment Three main criticisms of the evolutionary explanation of human sexuality: (1) it starts with an effect and works backward to propose an explanation, (2) unethical and immoral men could use such explanations to rationalize their behavior toward women (3) this explanation may overlook the effects of cultural expectations and colonization C. Behavior Genetics CLC . Introduction Behavior genetics: a field of study where the main goal and purpose is to determine he extent to which differences between individuals are due to genetics; Bags are interested in INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Why we differ and how genes affected this: see below Q. -ret studies Minimization (Identical) Twins: one sperm fertilizes one egg and then the egg splits, always the same gender, and 100% genetically similar Dogmatic (Fraternal) Twins: two different eggs fertilized by two different sperms, can be same or opposite sex, 50% identical twins should be more similar on this trait than fraternal twins 1 identical twin has Alchemists, other twin has 60% chance fraternal twin has Alchemists, other twin has 30% chance 1 identical twin divorces, other has 5. 5% chance 1 fraternal twin divorces, other has 1. % chance studies find that identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins in extroversion (outgoingness) and neurotics (emotional instability) MAKE LIST OF GENETIC COMPONEN TS AND OTHER COMPONENTS Genetic components: extroversion, neurotics, agreeableness, personality traits, temperament (emotional excitability) Other components: attitudes, values, manners, faith, politics Criticism: these twins have similar environments, they come into this oral at the same time, are exposed to the same things, same home, same school, maybe this is why they are similar Solution: started studying twins who were separated and reared apart; identical twins who are reared apart are more similar than fraternal twins who are reared apart Boucher et Al. : studied over 100 twins, results indicate that for certain traits there is a genetic component Conclusion: identical twins reared together are more similar to each other than identical twins reared apart; identical twins are more similar to each other (reared together or apart) than fraternal twins (reared together or apart) CO. Adoption Studies Rationale: we have one adopted child with two sets of parents biological and ad optive parents Clear evidence to indicate that adopted children, when it comes to personality, are more similar to their biological parents, even if they have never met them, than they are to their adoptive parents (personality has a strong biological component) CREATE TWO COLUMNS: BIOLOGICAL PARENTS VS ADOPTIVE PARENTS faith, politics CO. Family Studies Rationale: family members are more genetically similar to each other than strangers, if a trait has a genetic component to it then family members should be more similar n that trait than strangers are Within a family we have different degrees of genetics, therefore if a trait has a genetic component to it, then family members who are ore similar to each other genetically should be more like each other then family members who are less genetically similar to each other Regular siblings: 50% Parents and children: 50% Grandparents and grandchildren: 25% 1st cousins: 12. 5% CO. Temperament Studies Definition: a temperament is your typical emotional reactivity (the way you respond to life) and the typical intensity of that response. Do you respond with fear and anxiety? Or are you excited and bold? Or are you shy? Temperament is a component of personality, has a genetic component Babies come to this world equipped with a temper; four different types of temperaments: Easy babies (40%): positive emotions, Slow-to-warm babies (1 5%): shy, guarded in their expression, takes the awhile to adapt to new environments and strangers Difficult babies (10%): strong emotional reactions, fussy, cry a lot, patterns are unpredictable and irregular, not easy to soothe Physiological studies show that difficult babies have a more erred up/aroused nervous system Combination babies (35%): sometimes easy, sometimes difficult, moieties shy, sometimes bold Twin studies indicate that identical twins are more similar in their temperament than fraternal twins Temperament seems to endure, and stay stable throughout time Through nurture we can modify and reshape temperament; parenting does make a difference CO. Heritability Definition: the percentage of variation within a given population that is due to heredity (the degree to which differences between/amongst individuals are due to genetics) h2o = heritability coefficient (heritability can be quantified by a heritability coefficient) h2o = Variances / (Variances + Overcompensation) 2 varies between O and 1 If h2o = 0. 0 no genetic influence If h2o = 1. 0 all variance is due to genetic influence If h2o = 0. 4 40% genes (60% environment) if h2o = 0. 6 60% genes (40% environment) Points to know and remember about heritability: Sometimes for the same trait, different studies come up with a different h2o (due to environment) When environment is similar, h2o will be higher When environment is different, h2o will be lower Just because individual differences are heritable, it does NOT necessarily mean that differences between races, gender, generations are heritable CO. Nature and Nurture Interaction Just because you have inherited a gene does not mean that this gene is going to affect you, this gene may remain dormant for the rest of your life, genes MAY need the environment to turn them on, this is not always the case Self-regulating: the same gene will act differently in a different environment Both male and female rats have a gene that makes them very nurturing and loving towards baby rats, however this does not turn on till they can hear, see, and smell the baby rat We dont Just transmit genes to our offspring, we transmit the pattern of activation as well The environment is one of the most important factors influencing gene Genome Pigment: tells a genome to activate/turn on/turn off Methyl groups: chemicals that, when present, inactivate/silence a gene Acetate groups: tell the gene to turn on, express itself Epigenetic (simplified definition): study the factors that influence/affect gene expression with affecting DNA Epigenetic studies the mol ecular mechanisms by which environments trigger genetic expression; study of environmental factors that affect how our genes are expressed (life experiences beginning in the womb lay own epigenetic marks, organic methyl molecules, that can block the expression of any gene in the associated DNA segment) D. Behavior Genetics Definition: a field of research where scientists are trying to identify the genes to heart disease and everyone has heart disease except for a few people, study one person who has it and one person who doesnt; find the gene that varies and youll know which gene is responsible for high cholesterol and heart disease. Relevance to psychology: we study both mental illness and mental health and part of helping people become healthy is knowing which genes we need to fix; intervention, revelation, therapy. Promises and dangers: dangers if employers can tell that you have heart disease or something they may fire you, if parents can tell their baby is going to have a problem they may abort it; promises they can go into the chromosome and snip the gene that is problematic. Midterm Question Use one of the principles of evolutionary psychology to answer the following question: Each one of us has 4 grandparents. Using the principles of evolutionary psychology which one of those grandparents is going to spend the most time, money, energy and resources on you. Ill. The Nature Component A. Prenatal Development The baby in the womb is very well protected, however this protection is not 100%, the baby remains vulnerable in the womb because lots of germs and infections can pass through the placenta; this baby can be harmed due to mothers environment (living near a nuclear plant) or mothers diet (the food she is eating). Even though twins, identical and fraternal, share the same womb, they may not be sharing the same environment. Example: one twin may be getting the better nutrition, better protection from viruses, better blood and oxygen supply. Fraternal twins have different lactates, identical twins can have the same or different placentas; identical twins with different placentas are less similar to each other than identical twins who share the same placenta. Marked for life (? ): what happens in the womb can influence and effect our life later on; cancer, blood pressure and heart diseases all could have been rooted in nutrition of the mother when she was pregnant. Two twins in the womb touch each other and are aware of each others presence, this brings up the question of when does awareness begin? B. Experience and Brain Development Bal . Experience Facilitates Brain Development Nurture is essential and vital for proper brain development They need stimulation, proper nurture, to hear sounds and feel touch for proper brain development 82. Experience Changes the Brain For the longest time researchers believed that when the brain reaches maturity it will stay the same until it gets hit by diseases and begins to deteriorate However, we learned that even after the brain reaches maturity it continues to change through experience; learning new skills could cause your brain to change for the better: if you start taking new drugs and are always stressed that will change the brain for the ores They took a bunch of rats and treated them the same until they were 70, then they divided them into two groups: poor rats and rich rats; the poor rats were stuck in a cage and Just given food and water, the rich rats were given food, water, big cages, freedom to interact with each other, new toys to explore all the time; at 90 they killed the rats and studied the brains, realizing the rich rats brains developed more. C. How Much Credit or Blame do Parents Deserve? Abusive, neglected children who become neglectful, etc. In personality mea sures, shared environmental influences from the womb onward typically account for less Han 10% of childrens differences; two children are (apart from their shared genes) as different as two random children. Parents should be given less credit for kids who turn out great and blamed less for kids who dont; children are not easily sculpted by parental nurture. D. Peer Influence Definition: individuals who are the same age or have the same level of maturity as us It is clear to researchers that peers are important to ones life (peers go all the way back to infancy) If one does not have peers, they create imaginary ones because peers are needed Children who are bullied or rejected by their peers end up being pressed and may kill themselves in the future As we age we interact with peers more and more; growing interaction with friends leads to growing influence by peers such as music taste, the way you dress Peers and risk-taking behavior: children and young teenagers are more likely to have risk-taking behavior when their peers also take risks or if they think their peers are taking risks; is it selection of friends? Parents also influence us Lifestyle choices: your parents choose what neighborhood you live in, what school they put you in The quality of parent-child interaction influences and effects the laity of peer-child interaction; for example, boys who bully others are more likely to have parents who are aggressive and dominate them, boys who get bullied are more likely to have parents who are overbearing and protective of them Advice: you are affected by the advice parents give you about relationships, life, or anything else Bottom line: parents and peers both influence you by distinct and complementary MAKE A CHART: PARENTS INFLUENCE VS PEER INFLUENCE E. Culture Definition: the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next Norm: an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior; norms prescribe proper behavior When we dont understand whats accepted or expected, we may experience culture shock; two great culture shocks are the differing pace of life and peoples differing senses of punctuality Cultures vary and compete for resources, and thus evolve over time; many changes have occurred since 1960 There have been positive changes (middle-class people travel more, eat out more, women have economic independence) and negative changes (increase in divorce, depression, and work hours); we cannot explain these rapid culture changes by changes in the unman gene pool; cultures vary, change, and shape our lives Individualism: giving priority to ones own goals over group goals and defining ones identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications; behavior reflects ones personality and attitudes, confrontation acceptable Collectivism: giving priority to the goals of ones group (often ones extended family or work group) and defining ones identity accordingly; behavior reflects social norms and roles, harmony valued V. The Nature and Nurture of Gender (Not on first midterm, but definitely on final exam) Men Women Tend to feel better about their appearance Four times more likely to commit suicide or suffer alcohol dependence More often diagnosed with color-blindness, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (as children), and antisocial personality disorder (as adults) In surveys, men admit to more (direct, physical) aggression than do women Male-to-female arrest ratio for murder is 9 to 1 in the United States and 8 to 1 in Canada Express more support for war (hunting, fighting, and warring are primarily mens activities) Perceived as being more dominant, forceful, and independent (place more importance on power and achievement) Tend to be more direct, even autocratic Talk assertively, interrupt, initiate touches, stare more, smile less, apologize less Boys typically play in large groups with an activity focus and little intimate discussion Male answer syndrome: men are more likely than women to hazard answers rather than admit they dont know Part of the parietal cortex (key area for space perception) is thicker in men Tend to f eel better about their behavior and ethics The average woman enters puberty two years earlier, lives five years longer, carries 70 percent more fat, has 40 percent less muscle, and is 5 inches shorter Can become sexually re-aroused immediately after orgasm Smell fainter odors Express emotions more freely Offered help more often Doubly vulnerable to depression and anxiety, risk of developing eating disorders is 10 times greater Women are perceived as being more deferential, nurture, and affiliated Tend to be more democratic, more welcoming of subordinates input in decision making Girls usually play in smaller groups, often with one friend (play is less competitive than boys and more imitative of social relationships) Females are more open and responsive to feedback than are males Females are more interdependent than males Women are more likely to tend and befriend (are more open with each other, desire intimacy) Parts of the frontal lobe (involved in verbal fluency) are reportedly thicker in women Gender similarities and differences 2 of the 46 chromosomes are sex chromosomes; these sex chromosomes determine whether a baby is genetically male or female The major sex chromosomes are X and Y; mother always contributes an X, father can contribute an X or Y (i f he contributes a Y the baby is male, X the baby is female) If the baby only ends up with one chromosome and it is an X the baby can survive but will have trouble later in life; if the baby only ends up with a Y it cannot survive and is terminated immediately in the mob There is a gene on chromosome Y called UDF that kicks in at 7 months in the womb, forming testes and testosterone (for female babies the absence of testosterone leads to the development of female body parts) Hormones influence and Female rats or monkeys: if injected with testosterone when they are pregnant the female babies behave like the males of the species, going after women and being more aggressive Human cases: the girls are more tomboyish, they dont like Jewelry and dolls, they like guns and like to play war; the bodies of men who are genetically male produce testosterone but their cells dont respond to testosterone, so their dies dont develop male genitalia and they become more like girls Normal hormone leve ls = average women Higher levels of progesterone = more feminine Higher levels of testosterone = more masculine The role of culture and society Parents describe their baby girl as being delicate, little, sweet; they describe baby boys as being firm, strong, and well-coordinated Medically, there are not differences in strength, alertness, and coordination between baby boys and girls Study: a baby boy was dressed in pink (parents held the baby for a long time, walked and rocked the baby, gave the baby teddy bears and bunnies to play with, cooed the baby) then he baby was dressed in blue (parents gave the baby a truck and hammer to play with, held the baby for a bit, then put him on the floor and encouraged him to start to crawl). Gender identity: a strong sense of being male or female Gender roles: expectations from society linked and associated with being a male or female; these gender roles vary from one culture to the next Gender typed: adopting a traditional masculine role or a traditional feminine roll There are many theories in psychology attempting to explain gender Social learning theory: we learn about a gender through observation, we learn through modeling, we have a role model and e imitate that role model, we learn through observation, modeling, rewarding and punishing Gender schema theory: they do accept what social learning theory is, saying yes there is observation, modeling, rewarding and punishing, but they take it several steps further; children are not learning passively, rather they are actively taking this information, drawing conclusions about this information, and they organize it into boys, girls, men, and women; those schemes become a rule in their life.

A Company That Has Had a Lawsuit in the Last 10 Years Research Paper

A Company That Has Had a Lawsuit in the Last 10 Years - Research Paper Example The paper chronologically accounts for the case how it started, got to be developed and concluded in a court of law. In the determination of the ruling, this paper has considered that basics that were used by the court of law to determine this case. In relation to this, the paper also gives accounts of the changes that has characterized the company following the law suit, the agencies charged with giving certificate of operation for drug companies as well as the recommendation to the companies in similar products based on the suit. Mylan Company is one of the world’s biggest and leading generics and pharmaceutical companies. The company’s products are available in almost over 150 countries worldwide; Germany, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Zech Republic, Denmark, Finland, and France are among the countries where the company operates. In its production, the company relies on contemporary production mechanisms where drugs safety and hygienic processes are observed. Throug h this, the company is producing reliable pharmaceutical products for consumers (Ceder, 2011). The company employs about 18,000 employees in all the branches all over the world. Given the company’s growth and service to the consumers, it has realized tremendous success in the industry. In this regard, it supplies most of the pharmaceutical drugs including the antiretroviral for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients (Ceder, 2011). The company was started in 1961 and became a publicly traded company in 1973 (Ceder, 2011). In 2002, the company was involved in a legal issue with the one of its client who sustained a back pain while changing the tires of the vehicle and was administered a painkiller fentanyl. Fentanyl is an addictive narcotic that affects the nervous system. After two days, the patient died and the postmortem results indicated that a lethal dose of the drug, Fentanyl was found in his blood stream, this was in 2002. The family filed a lawsuit against Mylan of manufacturin g lethal products since the physiological effects of the drugs contradicted the recommendation given in the package. The plaintiff lawyer argued that a defect in the drug and the only thing that has not been ascertained is the type of defect that was in the drug. During the period of the suit, Mylan maintained that the products were not defective and that they complied with the food and drugs administration that inspects quality of the drugs (Sobel, 2012). Discuss the legal theories used by the plaintiff to recover in this lawsuit. How the lawsuit was resolved, and why you agree with the decision in the case. The plaintiff asserted during their argument that there was defect in the drug and that is the company’s responsibility to identify such mistakes and to address any defect before releasing the drugs into the market. Specifically, they asserted that the defect was occasioned by negligence of the company workers during manufacturing. That the company has the duty of care t o its customers and should ensure that their products in the market are suitable for use by the customers (Mickey, 2004). The plaintiff accused the company of not observing professional due diligence in drug manufacturing and that this was not followed, defective drugs found their way into the market and resulted in to the death of their own. The defective in the drug was in its physiological departure where it affected the functionality of the nervous system. In the decision that was reached by the court over the case is that the company was liable for the death and they had to compensate the family appropriately for contributing into the death of the family’s bread winner. The court found that the company

Michelengelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Michelengelo - Essay Example He later shifted to sculptures after mastering painting. Michelangelo made many paintings while in Florence. His skill impressed the Pope and he got an invite to make a painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Church. Michelangelo was also an architect. He contributed his ideas to many architectural masterpieces that are in Italy today. His most celebrated contribution in the field of architecture is the St. Peters cathedral. He developed many principal features that can be seen at the cathedral including the design for the dome. Early works The earliest sculpture made by Michelangelo was the Battle of the Centaurs. He created the sculpture when he was about seventeen years old. This artwork is regarded highly due to its simplicity. He used solid forms that created squarish figures making the sculpture depict violence in an intense manner (Harden, 2008). The Medici family was overthrown following the death of Lorenzo in 1492. Michelangelo was forced to flee to Bologna where he continue d with his work. He made sculptures of three saints for the San Domenico church. Rome Michelangelo returned briefly to Florence before moving to Rome. In Rome he made a sculpture of a Bacchus for a banker. The Bacchus is the only large sculpture from the earlier days of Michelangelo’s art work that still survives to date. It is also the only sculpture designed to be viewed from all sides. The banker also paid Michelangelo to carve the Peita ( a carving in which Mary holds the dead body of Christ while on her knees) in 1498 (Pettit, 1998). The sculpture is presently located in St. Peters. The sculpture was larger than the usual life size sculptures. The theme of contrast was manifested a lot in the work. Mary’s position was vertical while the body of Christ lay horizontally. One person was alive while the other was dead. One was male and the other female. Florence In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence. By then, he was the most talented sculptor in Central Italy. The Florence cathedral commissioned him to carve the David. In 1504, he was commissioned to paint the Battle of Cascina. The painting depicted soldiers climbing from a river they had been swimming in to respond to a military distress call. Michelangelo continued to work on other large projects but he failed to finish most of them. In 1505, Michelangelo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II (1443–1513). He was requested to design the pope’s tomb. The tomb was to incorporate approximately 40 life size statues. Michelangelo worked on and off on the project for a period of forty years (Harden,2008). Statue of David This is the most acknowledged sculpture done by Michelangelo. When Michelangelo returned to Florence in 1501 after the fall of Girolamo Savonarola, he was asked to complete a statue of David that an earlier artist had left unfinished. The statue was to be a symbol of freedom. He responded by finishing the statue of David. This statue was a master work of art made of marble (Bonner, 2001). It established the prominence of Michelangelo as an artist with extraordinary skill and a creative imagination. Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel was the chief chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo was commissioned by the Pope in 1508 to paint the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. The artwork done on this ceiling was unique compared to artwork done on other ceilings. The project halted for some months. When Michelangelo returned to continue with the project, his style shifted a bit to intensify emotional tension.

Applied Psychology - Mindfulness meditation as a treatment for Essay

Applied Psychology - Mindfulness meditation as a treatment for depression - Essay Example It is informative to note that Behaviour Therapy developed at a time when psychology regarded classical and operant conditioning as sufficient mechanisms in explaining human behaviour. Later when psychology took on board the mediation of thought and language (what went on inside the ‘black box’) as important in explaining human behaviour, Cognitive Therapy was born. CBT is approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK. However, since no one therapy (including medication) has been proved to be universally beneficial for all patients, the field of counselling and therapy is replete with many alternatives such as psychoanalysis, Gestalt Therapy, and other humanistic therapies. These are not seen as ‘scientific’, objective, and amenable to quantitative research. Increasingly, with the passage of time, it appears that ‘mind’ a concept that had been totally alien to ‘scientific’, positivistic psychology, was beginning to be accepted, at least in the form of neural activity in the brain underpinning all mental schemata as the basis of behaviour. From here, it has been quite a jump to accept ‘mindfulness meditation’, borrowed from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions practised as a religious observance for more than 2500 years as a means of reaching enlightenment. So, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), may be seen as an innovation in therapy through an attempt at a fusion between two widely divergent fields of human endeavour separated not only by time of origin but by distinctiveness of culture as well . Even so, over the last two decades MBCT appears to have proved efficacious in treating persistent or recurring depression in psychiatric patients (Teasdale et al 2000). Meditation in mindfulness is the cultivation of awareness of the activity of one’s consciousness from moment to moment. When one is able to accomplish this, it can stop one being trapped in constant ruminations and automatisms in

Shoplifting and customer satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Shoplifting and customer satisfaction - Essay Example Shoplifting is a serious crime that affects all retail operations. It is directly responsible for the increase in the price of goods and indirectly affects customer services. Many methods exist to reduce shoplifting, both intrusive such as physical checks of packages on exit and unobtrusive means, such as electronic tagging and closed circuit cameras. The two basic approaches to reducing shoplifting directly affect the customer thereby causing a loss of customer satisfaction or attempt to prevent shoplifting through a systems approach to the problem wherein the fallout on the customer is minimized. The two papers selected for study analyze these issue The first is a paper by the 'A Small Business Development Centre' (ASBDC) which deals exclusively with reducing shop lifting on the shop floor. The second paper, by the American District Telegraph (ADT) Security Systems deals not only with losses that occur at the retail end of the business i.e. the shop floor, but also addresses other issues such as losses due employee theft and poor procedures, which also contribute to overall losses. All these measures are in the backdrop of ensuring that customer service should not be affected to such an extent as to affect the store's profitability. An interesting fact that emerges is that electronic tagging, the least intrusive measure, is the most effective method to reduce shoplifting losses. ... Most shoplifters are amateurs, out to make a quick buck and hence easy to detect and deter. In order to implement suitable deterrent measures, it is first necessary to understand the various types of people that go in for such crimes. Juvenile Offenders. Juveniles account for a majority of all shoplifting cases, usually as a dare or for cheap thrills. Young children feel that no one will suspect them, or if caught, will be let-off lightly on account of their youth. However, shoplifting is often the pre-cursor o other more serious forms of crime and hence should be dealt with strictly. Impulse Shoplifters. This is often the result of a momentary loss of judgement given a suitable opportunity, however fleeting. This is the easiest to deter through simple, low cost methods, since such shoplifters are basically decent people who did not have any pre-meditated intent to shoplift. Alcoholics, Addicts etc. Such types of people shoplift to meet their physical needs. These criminal types are possible more easier to detect, but are also more likely to turn violent if confronted and hence need to be tackled with the utmost caution. Kleptomaniacs. Such persons shoplift due to psychological reasons and can be quite devious. Often they may not even have any use for the item(s) being stolen since it is the act of stealing that satisfies them. Nevertheless, it still remains a crime and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Professionals. Usually highly skilled and difficult to spot, professionals generally look for lucrative items with re-sale value and quick turn-around. If belonging to any organized underworld groups, can be difficult to prosecute, and hence dissuasion through deterrence is

Development of social development in a Steiner school and mainstream Literature review

Development of social development in a Steiner school and mainstream school - Literature review Example Rudolf believed that education should meet the changing need of a child and should polish his potential. It should develop all aspects of a child’s personality like his physical, mental and emotional. Mainstream schooling is a new concept in education. It is a school in which students with special needs are also taught in regular classes. In this special children are also taught with normal and average students. This is a combination of regular education with special education. In mainstream schooling children with mild to moderate disabilities are taught together with average children. A child with special needs who cannot function properly in regular classrooms is sent for special education environment. It is observed that educating disabled and non-disabled children together brings understanding and tolerance. In mainstream schooling system, students with disability have access to special education classroom which is known as â€Å"resource room or self-contained classroom†. In this room a student with any disability learns and clears his queries one on one with a teacher. This classroom has provided an important position and achievements in the result of this schooling system. (Gareth) It is mostly a primary or secondary class in a mainstream schooling. A mainstream class is classified as a mainstream class if it built to provide a special education or help to children. Mainstream classes are not integrated classes. They are not only built to provide help to special kids only. These classes provide the education to any child who need help and assessment. There is a certain difference between a mainstream schooling and special education which sometimes become confusion for people. A special education is a system of education exclusive for special kids with disabilities. The disability can be of any kind such as learning impairment, deaf, CP etc. In any disability there are levels of impairment. A

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Essay

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Behaviour - Essay Example For that matter, the paper will discuss more specifically on the role of leadership as it pertains to the development of a company. Individual alongside group behaviour is mostly affected by a wide variety of variables. However, it doesn’t matter what setting the individual in question find themselves in. Irrespective of that, within an organization, it is believed that there are many levels that craft behavioural patterns. One of the levels is said to be culture. On the other hand, management techniques are the other level. The next level is human psychology as well as individual communication. All of this are said to contribute to the development of organizational behaviour. In general, organizational behaviour can be defined as the study of behaviours within a business-oriented organization. The study can also observe individual employee behaviour. In addition, the study could also scrutinize behaviours regarding employees as a whole or even the behaviours of the entire organizational structural team. How different organization guide and also influence behaviour is a multi-layered investigation that could be handled from many angles(DuBrin 2008). Usually, individual behaviours are examined within an organizational environment. On the contrary, the examination can also be conducted between co-workers in a defined group. On other occasions, scientists have examined the overarching behaviours that are attributed to the entire organization. The latter included how the organization functions together with its policies as well as ethics. When scientists observe employees behaviours, they can be able to determine the kind of behaviours in a given company. However, the behaviours of employees within a culture are guided by several factors such as ethics and objectives of the company. In addition, education and beliefs can affect the behaviours of a particular organization. To date,

Shoplifting and customer satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Shoplifting and customer satisfaction - Essay Example Shoplifting is a serious crime that affects all retail operations. It is directly responsible for the increase in the price of goods and indirectly affects customer services. Many methods exist to reduce shoplifting, both intrusive such as physical checks of packages on exit and unobtrusive means, such as electronic tagging and closed circuit cameras. The two basic approaches to reducing shoplifting directly affect the customer thereby causing a loss of customer satisfaction or attempt to prevent shoplifting through a systems approach to the problem wherein the fallout on the customer is minimized. The two papers selected for study analyze these issue The first is a paper by the 'A Small Business Development Centre' (ASBDC) which deals exclusively with reducing shop lifting on the shop floor. The second paper, by the American District Telegraph (ADT) Security Systems deals not only with losses that occur at the retail end of the business i.e. the shop floor, but also addresses other issues such as losses due employee theft and poor procedures, which also contribute to overall losses. All these measures are in the backdrop of ensuring that customer service should not be affected to such an extent as to affect the store's profitability. An interesting fact that emerges is that electronic tagging, the least intrusive measure, is the most effective method to reduce shoplifting losses. ... Most shoplifters are amateurs, out to make a quick buck and hence easy to detect and deter. In order to implement suitable deterrent measures, it is first necessary to understand the various types of people that go in for such crimes. Juvenile Offenders. Juveniles account for a majority of all shoplifting cases, usually as a dare or for cheap thrills. Young children feel that no one will suspect them, or if caught, will be let-off lightly on account of their youth. However, shoplifting is often the pre-cursor o other more serious forms of crime and hence should be dealt with strictly. Impulse Shoplifters. This is often the result of a momentary loss of judgement given a suitable opportunity, however fleeting. This is the easiest to deter through simple, low cost methods, since such shoplifters are basically decent people who did not have any pre-meditated intent to shoplift. Alcoholics, Addicts etc. Such types of people shoplift to meet their physical needs. These criminal types are possible more easier to detect, but are also more likely to turn violent if confronted and hence need to be tackled with the utmost caution. Kleptomaniacs. Such persons shoplift due to psychological reasons and can be quite devious. Often they may not even have any use for the item(s) being stolen since it is the act of stealing that satisfies them. Nevertheless, it still remains a crime and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Professionals. Usually highly skilled and difficult to spot, professionals generally look for lucrative items with re-sale value and quick turn-around. If belonging to any organized underworld groups, can be difficult to prosecute, and hence dissuasion through deterrence is

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Essay

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Behaviour - Essay Example For that matter, the paper will discuss more specifically on the role of leadership as it pertains to the development of a company. Individual alongside group behaviour is mostly affected by a wide variety of variables. However, it doesn’t matter what setting the individual in question find themselves in. Irrespective of that, within an organization, it is believed that there are many levels that craft behavioural patterns. One of the levels is said to be culture. On the other hand, management techniques are the other level. The next level is human psychology as well as individual communication. All of this are said to contribute to the development of organizational behaviour. In general, organizational behaviour can be defined as the study of behaviours within a business-oriented organization. The study can also observe individual employee behaviour. In addition, the study could also scrutinize behaviours regarding employees as a whole or even the behaviours of the entire organizational structural team. How different organization guide and also influence behaviour is a multi-layered investigation that could be handled from many angles(DuBrin 2008). Usually, individual behaviours are examined within an organizational environment. On the contrary, the examination can also be conducted between co-workers in a defined group. On other occasions, scientists have examined the overarching behaviours that are attributed to the entire organization. The latter included how the organization functions together with its policies as well as ethics. When scientists observe employees behaviours, they can be able to determine the kind of behaviours in a given company. However, the behaviours of employees within a culture are guided by several factors such as ethics and objectives of the company. In addition, education and beliefs can affect the behaviours of a particular organization. To date,

Framing Decisions Essay Example for Free

Framing Decisions Essay Millhouse on his situation came up with his conclusion upon relying on the structure contained by how the selling was presented to him. No matter how, it is possible that Millhouse had been into a great deal of confusion when he was deciding. It was present in his mind that the company is in need of that supplementary part and is in search of materials that are of good quality. And that this seller has been instinctively conscious of the probable framing Millhouse could have in mind. At the same time, this seller has this skill to do sales talk and persuading a customer was indeed an easy thing on his part. He was capable to handle the situation. A good offer from the salesman was initiated and the selling price was specified: less than 40 cents a day just like the price of a soda. It was presented positively that at the end, the company would be satisfied by a high service utility by just spending likely of only a soda a day. The soda became the entity of assessment and it helped Millhouse comprehend the gains more gamely than the losses. He was also glad that he was not alone to see the benefits of purchasing these goods. He ended up deciding with this framework to buy them because he was swept away by the promises of the benefits presented by the salesman. In looking on the alternative sense, what if Millhouse thought of looking out for better material possible? What if he conducted first price comparison of same material? What if he made calculations in the aggregate expenditure upon purchasing them and rather compares it with the benefits it can give and or with some? The alternative frame could have come up with other results depending on how an individual reacts on a certain presentation of a problem. Factors affecting the alternative framework greatly molds our way of decision making. Also, group decisions may be at variance thoroughly from a one person decision in provisions of endings and/or procedures. So, it states clearly that one can strongly influence the other and by that, moral considerations are being deserted for one’s own good. References Framing. February 05, 2008 retrieved from http://framing. behaviouralfinance. net/

New Look Is Privately Owned Fashion Retail Company Marketing Essay

New Look Is Privately Owned Fashion Retail Company Marketing Essay For this Report it was requested to analyze the company New Look. To recognise the key issues those have an influence on the company to perform to its best, and to make recommendations for these. As a group tasks were divided; each person was assigned to analyze an influential issue and make recommendations for the information it had gathered. For the recommendations to be pleasing and realistic research had to be done. Resources such as: the internet, the companys website, website electronic resources, books, magazines, and general knowledge. For proof measures references were added for realistic purposes and avoid plagiarism. After finding the key issue an in-depth analysis of internal and external environment were conducted in which the New Look was operating. On doing the analysis next step was to decide the strategy options for resolving the issue faced by New Look. The major findings found in this case study based on the questions were: the standardised approach New Look as a company uses and whether it worked well. This research was carried out by analyzing reports and articles based on the strategy. It was found that the strategy worked well so far. Other factors are like the acceptance of New Look into developing countries such as India and the reason behind the frequent targeting from Non-tariff barriers. The organization is lacking knowledge on recognizing the number and nature of competitors in the fashion retail industry which could affect, directly or indirectly, business in the future in the form of decrease in revenues and closure of outlets. Research was done to understand adaptation of Polycentric approach in emerging economies. In the report success was achieved by finding the issue, analysing it and then giving the recommendations on it. All the findings and research conducted has been put in systematically in this report. INTRODUCTION Background New Look is a privately owned UK based Fashion retail company, and offers clothing, footwear, and accessories for men women. The company started its operation in 1969, and opened its first store in Taunton, UK and in 1988 its also spread its wings and entered French market and in 1995 opened its first store in Scotland. New Look was purchased and taken private by a private equity consortium in 2004 for GBP 700 million. In 2000 New look sold its French stores to French company Mim in return for 51% stake in company and then in 2003 it acquired remaining 49% share. Now it operates over 650 stores in U.K and has subsidiaries in France. Its manufacturing took place in over 1000 factories in 45 countries which include Europe Asia. Now in 2006 company have opened number of trial stores in Belgium and now looking forward to expand in Netherlands, Luxembourg, Eastern Europe, Middle-East and Asian Markets (www.newlook.com). Nature, Size, and Structure of the Market According to google news, New look is the UKs third largest womens retailer store. It is increasing range of its menswear to cope with the competition. According to Wrigley, New look is worth now between  £1 billion and  £1.5 billion. Company is keeping on penetrating its business in the UK. It has purchased 34 stores from the Littlewoods chain owned by retail group Associated British Foods. New Look is looking to boost its retail space to 2.4 million square feet by March 2006 from 1.6 million square feet last year. Market Segment, Nature of Competition New Look faces intense competition in the UK market. Because of its investment in design technology and low prices it keeps them ahead of competitors. Company is now focussing on menswear and children wear. By the end of 2005, New Look plans to extend its menswear ranges from 14 to 30 stores and is also planning to extend its fashion ranges to cater for children under nine (www.newlook.com). New look have strong working relationships with its suppliers and they are treated like their partners and even share the same values on Trust, ethics, quality, speed and ambition. Company deals with most up to date international fashion trends for both Men Women at low prices. KEY ISSUE FACING COMPANY Main Key Issue As a research on New Look proceeds, the group unanimously agreed that the global expansion can be the key issue for New Look Group. This was later confirmed with the course tutor. Explanation The decision was made on the basis of comparison of profits with major rivals (e.g. Gap Inc), slow growth in profits, emerging economies of India and China, and the boom in online shopping. Graph below shows the slow increase in profits to the year 2005. As many companies are rapidly going globally and making India and China their primary targets, it is urging New Look to react to this trend. According to the history of new look, they do have ambition to go global and they have started opening stores in France from 1988 but that strategy fails. In the report, we will analyse internal and external environment of new look and how they can manage to enter in different market segments globally with low risk of failure. Methodology After doing all our research, I found out that the major issue the company is facing to expand globally in order to cope with intensely increasing competition in the UK which is reducing profits. Its time now for New Look to think about expanding globally in order to increase sales and profits. To make it effective, we need to analyse the tangible and intangible resources which ensures expansion is feasible. It makes no difference whether they target their neighbour markets or the foreign market as New Look cant afford to fail in any of their global markets due to the fact that New Look is not a public limited company (PLC) so its got no shareholders to invest in them. New Look might consider other options such as outsourcing etc to reduce capital investment. In the report I aim to analyse the environment under which company is operating and look up for the strategies which will help them to overcome any potential threats in the global markets. After critical analysis of environment, we will be able to identify companys major strength and weaknesses and the potential opportunities and threats globally. Because of the nature of the business, I will have to look each market individually and provide options for mode of entry in each market. Initially, for each given option for the target market, I would advise company to test the option prior to make final decision. However, I will provide analysis evaluation for each given option in this report with the use of latest material available. . AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this essay is to investigate the internal external strategies of the business environment for NEW LOOK group. To achieve this aim I have planned to use Porters five forces and the PESTEL tools to analysis the intensity of the external environment and financial ratios to calculate whether or not the strategies are successful. Finally I will use a SWOT analysis to be specific and critical in our conclusion. ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT The external environment is often referred to as the macro environment. The external environment is often out of a businesses control none the less businesses use tools to achieve their goals. The external environment is divided into three major areas: the general, industry, and competitor environments as shown in figure below: GENERAL ENVIRONMENT PEST Analysis Political factors Government sometimes have direct control or influences to greater or lesser extent over legislation and regulations, this covers laws that influence employment, consumers protection, health and safety at work, contract and trading, trades unions. (Business Strategy, David Campbell). Chip PIN is the new, more secure way to pay with credit or debit cards in the UK. Instead of customers using their signature to verify payments, they will be asked to enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) known only to them. Chip PIN is the biggest change to the way we pay since decimalisation. It is part of a global programme to tackle the soaring levels of plastic card fraud (BBC News). Economical Factors Governments usually set policy concerning these of taxation and expenditure in the country. With an increase of the grey market who have more disposable income due to the fact that there is a boom in the housing market a lot of these elder generation are now selling out from 3 to 4 bedroom houses in to smaller houses as a lot of there kids have grown up and moved out. There for this market has more disposable income then before, therefor new look should give more emphasis on this market then they have done previously Social Cultural Factors The cultures of countries in which a business operates can be of particular importance. The culture of a country consists of the values, attitudes and beliefs of its people. These in turn, will affect the way individual act and behave when dealing with certain product and services. In order for new look to go global they would have to consider the religious and cultural issues that will differ In different country such as Saudi Arabia were the grater number of the population would be offended by seeing a female in a mini skirt so there for new look should also conceder making different styles of clothing for different countries e.g. for Saudi Arabia less reviling clothes Technological Factors With the introduction of the internet and the success of it uses new look should provide a bigger emphasis on providing the merchandise on the internet such as ordering, reserving and selling on the internet., in order to increase there market share and compete with other online retailers. With the introduction to new and better technologys British fashion chain New Look is investing in new technology to help combat potential theft and the possible loss of stock worth  £4 million, according to a media report. New look is aware of the technological influence that involve developing and understanding that effects changes in their company. For new look technology is vital for competitive advantage, this is a major drive of globalisation for their company. New look produce good quality cloths and the best at a reasonable price, because technology has improved new looks production processes and deliver their service through its catalogue and via the Internet this has developed their information and communication technology. Industry Environment PORTERS FIVE FORCES To analyse New Look external environment, a business tool known as Porters five forces will be used. Porters Five Forces helps the marketer to contrast a competitive environment. These forces can be neatly brought together in a diagram like the one below: Porters five forces in accordance with New Look The Threat of new entry New Look has been established for almost a 37 years and has a considerable amount finance should the worst happen. At the moment they face competition from already established competitors for e.g., Debenhams, HM (datamonitor.com). For a new entrant to be a threat they would need to offer something different apart from trendy clothing and newer technology. New Look also face competition from new fashion stores being opened and to have the advantage over New Look would need to have better location and a wider selection of clothing including accessorise. Threat of Substitute Products New Look branch out in to five main areas these are women wear, menswear, children wear, footwear and accessorise. This means they are active in five different markets and to reduce the pressure of competition allow other companies to franchise there products or services allowing them to have a substantial amount of control. Threats from already established competitors come from Debenhams, HM, Top- Man, MS, Next and Claires. Bargaining Power of Buyers Generally the bargaining power of Buyers is low because the customers understand that they are paying Reasonable prices for up to date fashion clothes and services. However for the fashion retail market they have a considerable amount of choice so its important for New Look to get the service right to keep loyal customers and attract new ones. Power of suppliers Suppliers are also essential for the success of an organisation. Raw materials are needed to complete the finish product of the organisation. Suppliers do have power. This power comes from: If they are the only supplier or one of few suppliers who supply that particular raw material for this point the power of the supplier is low because there are several other suppliers that will sell to them. If it costly for the organization to move from one supplier to another also known as switching cost. Again on this point New Look has the upper hand because there are many suppliers that will want to sell there good to them. This means that the powers that the suppliers have over New Look and other major fashion producers around the world are under constant pressure to supply at lower prices in order not to loose a major client. Competitive Rivalry New Look group face intense competition from other well known fashion brands producers such as Debenhams, HM, Top-Man, and MS and NEXT; therefore compete through price wars in order to attract customers. Debenhams is a competitor because they make high levels of fashionable clothing selling different types of brands such as, John Rocha, Jonh Richmond, and variety of accessorise including gifts, home accessorise, electrical appliances. Also another competitive rivalry for New Look is Top Man. The reason it is competitive rivalry is because they are similar to New Look as they also offer fashionable up to date clothing at reasonable prices. They also sell their own brand of clothing like New Look. The barriers that affect this market to new entrance are havig the money to set up the business in terms of human resources, machinery and location. Finding a supplier for fashionable clothing wont be difficult for new businness. Almost half of sales are in Women wear. A quarter of sales are dedicated to Menswear and Children wear, with other items constituting the remaining sales.. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Competitor analysis focuses on each company against which a firm directly competes. Four dimensions given below helps the firm prepare an anticipated response profile for each competitor. According to datamonitor.com, The New Looks top competitors are Associated British Foods plc, Debenhams PLC, Marks and Spencer Group PLC, Matalan PLC, NEXT PLC, Arcadia Group Limited. Some of the above mentioned competitors have already strong presence in some of the Global Markets. They are described below: Primark Stores Ltd is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF) Primark targets young, fashion-conscious under 35s, offering them high quality, fashion basics at value for money prices. Almost half of sales are in Women wear. A quarter of sales is dedicated to Menswear and Children wear, with other items constituting the remaining sales. Debenhams is a leading department stores group. Debenhams has a strong presence in key product categories including women wear, menswear, home wares, health and beauty, accessories, lingerie and children wear. A unique mix of exclusive own brands, including Designers at Debenhams, and third-party brands helps differentiate Debenhams from its competitors. In addition Debenhams has 30 international franchise stores in 14 countries outside the UK and Ireland, with a further 15 franchises scheduled to open by the end of the 2008 financial year. Debenhams is also extending its customer reach by making direct sales through its internet website. Marks and Spencer is a UK retailer of clothing, foods and home ware. It operates through both wholly owned stores and franchise stores. It has over 450 stores in the UK. The company is structured into four main operating divisions: food, clothing, home and international. The clothing division offers womens wear, mens wear, lingerie and childrens wear and footwear. The international division operates eight wholly-owned stores in Hong Kong as well as 198 franchise stores in 30 territories around the world. Matalan is a retailer of discount fashion and home wares. Matalan sells name-brand and private-label apparel for men, women and children, as well as some household products, at discount prices. The company operates primarily in the UK. Matalan sells discount fashion and home wares through its network of out of town UK stores. Matalans product range includes home ware, ladies, mens and childrens clothing, and footwear. Arcadia Group is a clothing retailer that operates approximately 2,000 stores throughout the UK, mainly in urban areas. It also controls over 200 franchised stores in about 30 countries worldwide. Arcadia operates eight store banners: Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop, Top Man, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and Outfit. Each brand targets a distinct market. As well as its eight shopping banners, the company also operates a complementary catalogue and online shopping business through its Dial Home Shopping unit. All the competitors have strong intentions to expand in the UK market as well as globally. As described above, they are targeting new markets and entering some the markets through acquisitions. It is affecting New Look because expansion is increasing their profit potential and they are making prices more competitive in the UK markets.. However New Look does hold an advantage over its competitors. According to Mintels consumer research the average age of the New Look customer is slightly older than at most specialist chains, but Next and Gap also record above average penetration figures in the 35-44 age band. For New Look this reflects its move to become more of a family fashion destination in its bigger stores. Price points are pitched low to attract young, less affluent women who want fashion but are restricted by tight budgets. New Looks combination of low prices and fashionable merchandise pitched at the younger end of the market is absolutely right in current conditions. The company has invested heavily in design facilities and producing a distinctive and unique handwriting is what is setting it apart from competitors this investment has made it a competitive edge on its competitors. And the retailer is moving towards being a distinctive fashion brand- with an attractive price tag attached to it. New Look faces some very competitive times. But it is well-established, has an excellent brand name and a considerable following. It should be one of the survivors. New Looks combination of low prices and fashionable merchandise pitched at the younger end of the market are the major plus point for the company. Delivering product with current market fashion with low price tag keeps New Look strong. Competitors are strong in online stores. Although a selection of products and their prices are featured on the New looks website, it is not transactional and customers are urged to visit their nearest store and see the full range. Before analyzing internal environment of New Look, the serious intention was given to context of Internal Analysis which is Global Economy, Global Mind-Set, and Analysis outcome. Analysis of Internal Environment The internal environment is divided into several stages as shown in figure below: Resources According to google news, New Look is a developed brand name and the group itself is a 3rd largest retail clothing company in the UK. It manufactures its products in 1000 manufacturing plants in 45 countries all over the globe which contributed to a large portion of companys physical resources. They have developed their organizational resources to manage, plan, and control their stores and manufacturing plants effectively. They own all of their stores in the UK and their subsidiaries in France which are their main fixed assets. It owns technological resources in the form of registered trademark, copyrighted designs. New Look has a reputation in producing latest design by the use of latest technology. It is investing in new technology to help combat potential theft and the possible loss of stock worth  £4 million, according to a media report. They have high calibre staffs which are the valuable assets of the company. They have focussed deeply on customer services by operating most of their women wear, menswear, and children wear stores separately. It is keen on employing key people in its board of members to increase the value of intangible human resources e.g. Phil Wrigley, Richard Lapthorne. By the combination of all above resources they are becoming more innovative in developing new designs and brining new ideas to attract more customers e.g. in 2005, their first national brand campaign New Look, The New Now was launched nationwide in-store with product, signage, POS and window displays. Customers are invited to become part of the New Look window display with the launch of the ultimate window shopping experience; customers will have their picture taken through the store window by a simple press of a button and their face then becomes the face for the mannequin. By making the effective use of all resources New Look can able to produce high quality and durable products. Capabilities New Look is effectively allocates and schedule for all its time and resources. They have very highly competitive human resource system which makes sure they select best people they want. It can be varied from store staff to the high management people. Because of their target market among the teens with unique fashion design with economical prices with effective marketing policy leads to brand promotion, high quality customer services and innovation merchandising. Core Competencies The company manufactures its products in 45 countries which increase rivalry among its suppliers which can act as a source of competitive advantage as they will produce durable products on cheap prices. They have developed a unique transport system which connects all 1000 factories which deliver all the manufactured garments to the company on time. This system is difficult to imitate for competitors and they can use it as a source of competitive advantage in order to operate globally. As far as outbound logistics concerned, they have developed such a system inside their business that it has to become one of their core points. They apply strict rules and regulations on outbound logistics and give good rates to the outsource company so that it becomes vital point for their business to deliver the product on time. New Look supply chain starts from the getting of raw materials and finished at the end products available for the customers in their stores. They have experts from buying raw materials and despatching them to warehouses where it goes through the manufacture processing and where quality control is assured. Then the finished product despatched to the market and the way its market is completely unique. They have expertise designers from very high reputative and innovative people which are meant to be made for designing. New Look have their designers from Turkish company called Saide which has a high reputation in giving new designs with a good quality product. They have unique style of marketing their product through prints, electronic, store promotion and through various schemes which attract lot of customers. In September 2005, New Look launched its first national brand campaign, New Look, The New Now. The New Now is designed to amplify New Looks ability to release affordable of the moment fashion onto the high street with most products hitting the stores within six weeks of the initial vision. Key Success Factors New Look target value-conscious customers who are aged 15-24 and tend to come from lower socio-economic groups. New Look set up its own sourcing arm in Turkey as a joint venture with Global Textiles, part of the Saide Group, in order to speed up its fast fashion even more. As well as economical cost, they highly focussed on innovative designs which make their products successful. The company has doubled the number of designers working on new ranges to 22 and has also strengthened its buying and merchandising team. Effective marketing strategy is one of the key factors which make them successful in the UK. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths New look is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. New look is a global fashion brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has 650 stores in the UK and over 50 stores in France. A focused strategy is in place for human resource management and development. People are key to new looks business and it invests time and money in training people, and retaining a developing them. Weaknesses The organisation is dependant on a main competitive advantage, the retail of cloths. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise. Since new look sell products across many sectors (such as cloths, shoes and accessories), it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused competitors. New looks logo has a very feminine look to it such as the use of the colour of the logo witch is in pink and the style of the logo which does discourage a lot of the single male to go and shop because they think it is only for the female shoppers Opportunities New look is becoming global and they are taking there trades to other countries such as India, where the younger generation are adopting a more of a westernise fashion and we see a lot of this in Indian bollywood films. With the introduction of the internet a wide access of the internet new look should think to sell more of there products over the internet witch would reduce more costs as thee will not need as many more employees. New products and services that can be retailed in their shops, such as Fair Trade products. New Look has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for fashion retail such as India. Co-branding with other manufacturers of fashion, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential. New locations and store types offer new look opportunities to exploit market development. Threats New Look being one of the biggest fashion retailer means that they are a target for competitors to improve on. New look being a global retailer means that they are exposed to political problems in the countries that they operate in. New Look is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean that New Look may be selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global brands. Online retailers are a threat as they are often able to sell at a cheaper price than shops WHAT I FOUND AFTER ASSESSING METHODOLOGY? After assessing the methodology, it was found that New Look should expand its business globally. New Look has to be very cautious and careful while expanding its business and keeping in mind all the pros and cons which are vital in any expansion of the business. Therefore, they must follow reasonable set of rules before stepping into new market. The methodology discussed in section 3 is one of the courses of actions available to the company. If the company follow this as explained in section 4, 5 and 6 they can make successful expansion across the globe because of the opportunities available in the global market. Although there are some threats of new rivals, cultural and geographical differences but keeping in mind the big picture in a strategic long run business plan expansion can become one of the strongest strength of the company. LIST OF POTENTIAL OPTIONS After analysing the external and internal environment of New Look Group I am able to make some suitable options. As the clothing industry has intense competition all over the globe, I have to split options according to each segment. They are outlined below: Option 1) The best mode of entry in India and Middle East is through Franchising because of Government regulations and competitive market. Many companies have entered through franchising and they were been successful. Option 2) As the New Look lacks the investment of shareholders, they should make cautious approach to North American market as they will face high competition but early returns on investments are implausible. Presence through e-commerce is moderately attractive but this will have positive effect on overall image of the company. Option 3) Openings of stores in Far East is attractive but geographical locations needs to be given importance as access to logistics will be limited. Option 4) According to the findings I have made, we conclude that New Look has high profit potentials in European Markets and they need to invest more in new stores throughout Europe. ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL OPTIONS Strategic Options Analysis Evaluation Consistency Suitability Validity Feasibility Business Risk Appeal to Shareholders Option 1 Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Option 2 Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Option 3 Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Option 4 Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- Æ’- EVALUATION Evaluation of the project report After initial test been done, company should launch full expansion in the target market/country. Evaluation and maintenance of sales revenue needs to be done and if the expansion is successful than they should target 2nd attractive market and so on. Future recommendations Technology New Look can use the latest technology available in mechatronics to made products more cost effectively to compete in global markets. E-commerce They need to introduce online shopping as much of their rivals already have a strong online presence. Going online with their sales will also cut down on money spent on shops, distribution, transportation, staff and other sundries. The customer when buying something online also pay money for shipping so there is added cost to the company. It is expected in the next 15 yrs 70% of all retail businesses will be done online so implementing this is not only beneficial but very necessary. E sale will help them to move from only high street presence to thousands of customer homes. Stock market In order for New Look to expand globally, they need a strong investment in the company. The best way to have this is by allowing investors to invest in the company. To make it attractive they need to register on the stock exchange. Whit there growing profits they can expect to command a good price for there stock. Doing this