Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Effect of Transformation of pGLO in Bacteria

Genetic transformation is a process that primarily is inserting new DNA into an organism to change that organism’s trait. This process has many useful benefits when used correctly in different organisms. In this lab, bacteria was transformed by inserting DNA for Green Fluorescent Proteins. The DNA for these proteins were taken from bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea victoria. One of the main lessons of the lab is learning of the use of ‘plasmids’. Plasmids are small pieces of DNA that usually code for one trait and are easily transferable between bacteria.This transfer of plasmids between bacteria is actually extremely helpful for them and are key in their survival. The plasmid that codes for the Green Fluorescent Proteins is accompanied with a gene for resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin. To ‘switch on’ the gene for fluorescence caused by the proteins, sugar arabinose must be added to the bacteria’s environment. If there is no sugar arabino se introduced to the plates, then the bacteria will appear white and will not glow, even if the gene for the proteins is successfully inserted.If the gene was successfully inserted and there is sugar arabinose present then the bacteria will glow a fluorescent green. The objectives for this lab is was to see the effects on bacteria in four different cases. The first case is the effect on bacteria when the gene for pGLO is introduced with LB (a ‘broth’ like substance that bacteria feed off of) and ampacillin. The second case is the effect on bacteria when the gene for pGLO is introduced with LB, ampacillin, and sugar arabinose.The third case is the effect on bacteria when no gene for pGLO is introduced, but LB and ampacillin is still introduced, The fourth case is the effect on bacteria when no gene for pGLO is introduced, but bacteria is still placed in a LB enriched environment. The hypothesis for the first plate is that bacteria will grow, however it will not glow even though the pGLO gene is introduced because there is no arabinose to effectively activate the gene. The bacteria will still grow although the ampacillin (which normally kills bacteria) is present because the pGLO gene also acts as a resistant to antibiotics.The hypothesis for the second plate is that bacteria will grow and glow because the gene for pGLO is introduced with sugar arabinose to effectively turn it on. The bacteria will also not die although ampacillin is present because, alike to the first plate, the pGLO assists the bacteria in becoming resistant to antibiotics. The hypothesis for the third plate is that no bacteria will grow at all because it is an ampacillin enriched environment with no pGLO gene to help the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic.The hypothesis for the fourth plate is that the bacteria will grow normally because although there is no pGLO gene introduced, there is also no antibiotic to prevent the bacteria from growing. (AP Biology Development Co mmittee, 2012) Data/Results: ? Figure 1. Recorded results from observing the transformed bacteria under light and in darkness After proper incubation time, we took the plates and viewed them with the lights on and then turned the lights off to see if any of the plates had colonies that glowed.As seen in Figure 1, the first plate produced some bacteria (one colony) and did not glow. The second plate produced a decent amount of bacteria (eight colonies) and ended up glowing. The third plate did not produce any bacteria at all leaving it impossible to see if anything glowed or not. The fourth plate produced the most amount of bacteria (ten colonies) and did not glow. Conclusion: All four of our hypotheses were correct after reviewing the results.The first plate, that consisted of bacteria with pGLO in an environment of LB and ampacillin, produced colonies however they did not glow due to the fact that there was nothing to turn on the pGLO gene. There needed to be arabinose in the envir onment for the gene to be expressed and since there was not there was no glow. The second plate, that consisted of bacteria with pGLO in an environment of LB, ampacillin, and arabinose, produced a fair amount of colonies that did end up glowing. The bacteria glowed because the pGLO was successfully inserted and transformed and had the arabinose to express the gene.The third plate, that consisted of bacteria without pGLO in an environment of LB and ampacillin, did not produce any bacteria. This outcome was due to the fact that ampacillin kills bacteria and there was no pGLO gene to help the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic. The fourth plate, that consisted of bacteria without pGLO in an environment of just LB, produced the most amount of bacteria because although it did not have the pGLO gene to prevent antibiotics from killing the bacteria, there were no antibiotics to have to account for.It makes sense that the fourth plate produced the most bacteria because although in both plates one and two there was pGLO to prevent the ampacillin from killing the bacteria, not all of the bacteria were likely to go through transformation correctly and therefore not all of the bacteria had the pGLO ultimately resulting in the termination of a lot of potential bacteria colonies. (AP Biology Development Committee, 2012) The Effect of Transformation of pGLO in Bacteria Genetic transformation is a process that primarily is inserting new DNA into an organism to change that organism’s trait. This process has many useful benefits when used correctly in different organisms. In this lab, bacteria was transformed by inserting DNA for Green Fluorescent Proteins. The DNA for these proteins were taken from bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea victoria. One of the main lessons of the lab is learning of the use of ‘plasmids’. Plasmids are small pieces of DNA that usually code for one trait and are easily transferable between bacteria.This transfer of plasmids between bacteria is actually extremely helpful for them and are key in their survival. The plasmid that codes for the Green Fluorescent Proteins is accompanied with a gene for resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin. To ‘switch on’ the gene for fluorescence caused by the proteins, sugar arabinose must be added to the bacteria’s environment. If there is no sugar arabino se introduced to the plates, then the bacteria will appear white and will not glow, even if the gene for the proteins is successfully inserted.If the gene was successfully inserted and there is sugar arabinose present then the bacteria will glow a fluorescent green. The objectives for this lab is was to see the effects on bacteria in four different cases. The first case is the effect on bacteria when the gene for pGLO is introduced with LB (a ‘broth’ like substance that bacteria feed off of) and ampacillin. The second case is the effect on bacteria when the gene for pGLO is introduced with LB, ampacillin, and sugar arabinose.The third case is the effect on bacteria when no gene for pGLO is introduced, but LB and ampacillin is still introduced, The fourth case is the effect on bacteria when no gene for pGLO is introduced, but bacteria is still placed in a LB enriched environment. The hypothesis for the first plate is that bacteria will grow, however it will not glow even though the pGLO gene is introduced because there is no arabinose to effectively activate the gene. The bacteria will still grow although the ampacillin (which normally kills bacteria) is present because the pGLO gene also acts as a resistant to antibiotics.The hypothesis for the second plate is that bacteria will grow and glow because the gene for pGLO is introduced with sugar arabinose to effectively turn it on. The bacteria will also not die although ampacillin is present because, alike to the first plate, the pGLO assists the bacteria in becoming resistant to antibiotics. The hypothesis for the third plate is that no bacteria will grow at all because it is an ampacillin enriched environment with no pGLO gene to help the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic.The hypothesis for the fourth plate is that the bacteria will grow normally because although there is no pGLO gene introduced, there is also no antibiotic to prevent the bacteria from growing. (AP Biology Development Co mmittee, 2012) Data/Results: ? Figure 1. Recorded results from observing the transformed bacteria under light and in darkness After proper incubation time, we took the plates and viewed them with the lights on and then turned the lights off to see if any of the plates had colonies that glowed.As seen in Figure 1, the first plate produced some bacteria (one colony) and did not glow. The second plate produced a decent amount of bacteria (eight colonies) and ended up glowing. The third plate did not produce any bacteria at all leaving it impossible to see if anything glowed or not. The fourth plate produced the most amount of bacteria (ten colonies) and did not glow. Conclusion: All four of our hypotheses were correct after reviewing the results.The first plate, that consisted of bacteria with pGLO in an environment of LB and ampacillin, produced colonies however they did not glow due to the fact that there was nothing to turn on the pGLO gene. There needed to be arabinose in the envir onment for the gene to be expressed and since there was not there was no glow. The second plate, that consisted of bacteria with pGLO in an environment of LB, ampacillin, and arabinose, produced a fair amount of colonies that did end up glowing. The bacteria glowed because the pGLO was successfully inserted and transformed and had the arabinose to express the gene.The third plate, that consisted of bacteria without pGLO in an environment of LB and ampacillin, did not produce any bacteria. This outcome was due to the fact that ampacillin kills bacteria and there was no pGLO gene to help the bacteria become resistant to the antibiotic. The fourth plate, that consisted of bacteria without pGLO in an environment of just LB, produced the most amount of bacteria because although it did not have the pGLO gene to prevent antibiotics from killing the bacteria, there were no antibiotics to have to account for.It makes sense that the fourth plate produced the most bacteria because although in both plates one and two there was pGLO to prevent the ampacillin from killing the bacteria, not all of the bacteria were likely to go through transformation correctly and therefore not all of the bacteria had the pGLO ultimately resulting in the termination of a lot of potential bacteria colonies. (AP Biology Development Committee, 2012)

Friday, August 30, 2019

Lawn Industry of Pakistan

Letter of Acknowledgement Ms. Saadiyeh Saad Course Convener Methods of Business Research CBM – Karachi. Dear Madam, As per instructions, we are submittings this case-study like research report on Lawn Industry of Pakistan discussing the factors impacting the intensification of lawn fabrics in Pakistan. We would like to thank you for being so helpful and supportive in the teaching us this subject in such a manner that after its completion, our concepts are literally clear regarding various methodologies involved in researches. Beyond any doubt, it is just an outcome of your comprehensive and procedural approach of teaching that we have made this report without scantiness of any kind. We are really obliged for your support, Madam. Regards, Nasir R. Zaidi Pakistan Business Research (PBR) is a nation wide advisory services agency and market research firm. Primarily, it focuses on assisting retail industry executives and vendors serving retailers to achieve competitive differentiation and market success through business-driven short term investments. PBR provides facts based research and customer centric strategies to enable better offerings from vendors and more effective business investments by retailers. PBR helps clients gain clarity, obtain precise perspective and formulate course of action on critical business issues. Founded in 2009 by a group of IoBM Grads, PBR provides custom marketing research, syndicated research and evidence-based consulting to leading organizations in the financial services, life sciences and consumer goods industries. Through quality research, advanced analytics and deep industry knowledge, PBR delivers data-driven solutions and strategies that enable clients to better understand customers, define products, and shape market opportunities in order to increase revenues and grow the value of their products and brands. PBR’s Key Services: Since its inception in 2009, PBR has providing services of a full-fledge research firm that specializes in helping companies understand current customers, lost customers, potential customers and employees (internal customers) and track the factors that affect customer satisfaction, loyalty, awareness, and purchasing behaviors. Undergoing rapid developments since its establishment in 2009, PBR is a market research company  with already many standing client relationships in place and a strategic plan for strong and consistent growth. Core Values: Invest in continuous learning to improve the quality of work and the development of our employees Exhibit an ethical â€Å"can-do† attitude and practice what we preach. Form lasting partnerships with our customers and suppliers; Foster a rewarding and fun environment for employees; Further our commitment to the community. Provide products and services that exceed our clients’ expectations in terms of accuracy, quality and timeliness. Brand Research & Consulting: Brands play a critical role in purchase decision making. They are the customer-facing expression of your business strategy. So why do so many companies know so little about their brands? Whether you are just starting to define your  brand  or you have an established brand that you are  managing – accurate and timely information is available only through  adequate brand research. PBR’s  branding research  concentrates on six key areas to give the critical information you need to manage your brand; 1. Creating a new brand strategy 2. Understanding how far your brand can stretch 3. Brand architecture 4. Brand management 5. Revitalizing brands 6. Brand positioning New Products / Services Research: The failure rate of  new product  launches is very high. Some estimates are that less than 20% of new products succeed! In order to increase your chances of new product success, turn to Pakistan Business Research (PBR). Our experience in marketing research for identifying, developing and launching new products is second to none. Using both qualitative and quantitative research, we can help you identify customer dissatisfaction and unmet needs, generate and screen new product concepts, evaluate market feasibility (demand and value), identify compelling marketing benefits and messages and track introduction, awareness and trial. Introducing new products without marketing research is like driving blind – much too risky! In short, just let PBR help you navigate your way to successful product introduction. Additional Areas of Expertise Advanced Statistical Analyses: PBR has an on-site online module to conduct  advanced statistical functions  such as multiple regression (driver analysis), cluster analysis, factor analysis, perceptual mapping (multidimensional scaling), structural equation modeling and data mining. Marketing Surveys: In addition to our market research specialties, PBR is well experienced in conducting different types of marketing research including all types of Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer research studies, advertising effectiveness, attitude testing, marketing effectiveness, market segmentation, positioning and a lot more. Pragmatic Execution: Our business research can help you not only design but also execute the best possible marketing surveys taking into consideration which aspects of your marketing efforts are being measured, available contact information, market segment, market size and structure, available budget etc. PBR’s Marketing Research Process: Our marketing research process  includes the systematic identification, collection, analysis and distribution of information for the purpose of knowledge development and decision making. The reasons and times at which your company or organization might consider performing marketing research varies, but the general purpose of gaining intelligence for decision making remains constant throughout. Customers occupy the central role in the marketing research process. As a company or organization, the overwhelming majority of research you are currently considering likely revolves around your customers: †¢ Current customers †¢ Prospective customers †¢ Lost customers †¢ Members †¢ Community †¢ Employees (internal customers) Shareholders (internal customers) Whether you are creating a new marketing research program or perhaps revising an existing marketing research program, what are the steps you should take? While there are dozens of little steps along the way, each of these steps fits into one of the 6 major steps of the marketing research process. They are; Step 1: Identifying and define the problem Step 2: Develop the approach Step 3: Establis h research design and strategy Step 4: Collect the data Step 4: Perform data analysis Step 5: Report and present Problem Definition – The Case : PBR’s two month old client, KOHINOOR TEXTILES wanted to invest some money into opening a seasonal lawn boutique brand. KOHINOOR TEXTILES was aware that rigorous market research and analysis would be required in order to determine potential for such a venture as related to price, quality, sales, marketing, culture and lifestyle and trends of already existing lawn brands. The client, already possessing a favourable market share in fashion industry, had noticed that the demand of lawn products was on the increase during Spring and Summer seasons and a larger number of brands were on a sharp growth pattern when other smaller competitors sprung up and began taking some of the market share. Yet this client also noted that out of 10 or 15 such lawn manufacturing companies, only about 3 or 4 were highly successful. So we were brought in and asked, what factors make lawn exhibitions so successful? – Is the demand ever increasing? – Is the supply meeting the demand? – Is this only seasonal or is it a year round trend? And lastly, would a lump-some investment towards manufacturing and selling high quality lawn be fruitful for a firm? Developing the Approach: With these queries and predicaments in mind, PBR called upon some its most outstanding and proactive researchers to help KOHINOOR TEXTILES embark on a journey to launch their lawn prints. The team consisted of: Mr. Nasir ZaidiDirector – Research Affairs (PBR) Mr. Salman AnisManaging Director – Analysis (PBR) Mr. Ahsan Rasheed Head – Research Coordinator (PBR) Mr. Hassan GhoriResearch Method Analyst (PBR) Establishing Research Objective & Design: The research objective was to find what factors were making lawn exhibitions so successful? After lengthy discussions, it was decided that it would be best to get into the customers’ mind directly (primary research) about what makes lawn exhibitions so successful. The team sat together to construct a way of finding out facts on the growing trends of lawn and the entire fashion industry at the same time. After a lot of deliberations and keeping in view the dynamic state of affairs in lawn industry, it was decided that the target market was ALL WOMEN FALLING IN 18+ AGE RANGE. With further more analysis and options, the following questionnaire was constructed for a survey of a sample of a 100 (hundred) women. Questionnaire We, the final year students of College of Business Management (CBM), are conducting a research into â€Å"HOW BRANDED LAWN IS TURNING INTO AN INDUSTRY† and the â€Å"INCREASING TREND OF LAWN CULTURE IN PAKISTAN†. We shall be thankful if you can spare two minutes of your time and fill this short questionnaire. 1. Never ask a woman her age, but what’s your ‘age range’? a. 16-25________ b. 26-30________ c. 31-35________ d. 36+________ 2. You are currently†¦ a. In school________ b. In college________ c. Employed________ d. A housewife________ 3. In the recent past, how many Lawn Exhibitions have you attended? . 1 – 2________ b. 3 – 4________ c. 5 – 6________ d. 7 and above________ 4. Do you prefer Lawn over other fabrics? a. Yes________ b. No________ c. Depends on the occasion________ d. Only in summers________ 5. Which one of the following factors according to YOU makes Lawn Exhibitions so successful? a. Price____ ____ b. Quality________ c. Availability________ d. Advertisement________ e. Other (please specify) 6. What is the Maximum Price you are willing to pay for a Lawn suit? a. 1’000 – 1’999 PKR________ b. 2’000 – 2’999 PKR________ c. 3’000 – 3’999 PKR________ d. ’000 – 4’999 PKR________ 7. Lawn is best for†¦ a. Formal occasions________ b. Casual wear________ c. Mix of both a & b________ d. Daily use________ 8. How many hours would you say you watch Fashion TV or Style 360 in any given week? a. Don’t watch either________ b. 1 – 7 hours________ c. 8 – 14 hours________ d. 15 + hours________ 9. Which factor has affected / influenced your Lawn buying behavior the most, if at all? (Choose the best option) a. Plain necessity________ b. Media________ c. Growth in the Fashion Industry________ d. Need for purchase of high quality products________ 10. Does television have a direct affect on your buying behavior? a. Never________ b. Rarely________ c. Sometimes________ d. Definitely! ________ 11. What’s your opinion towards Bollywood stars endorsing products of a Pakistani Lawn manufacturer? a. That’s a good thing________ b. Whatever helps sell merchandise†¦________ c. Neutral________ d. It shouldn’t happen†¦ Pakistan Zindabad! ________ 12. What’s the number one source to hearing about so many exhibitions? a. Friends________ b. Television________ c. Billboards________ d. Radio________ 13. Is there a limited availability of high quality lawn? . Yes________ b. No________ c. There are plenty of copies in the market________ 14. Which Lawn manufacturer according to you is the best? (please write down your answer) __________________________________________ 15. What are the two main reasons (in your viewpoint) that have caused a significant increase in the number of high quality lawn manufacturers and the growth of lawn exhibitions in the Pakistani market? a. Increase in demand! ________ b. People becoming more aware of their physical presence________ c. Increasing number of occasions to attend! ________ d. It’s too hot for wearing other clothing material________ e. Any other (please specify)______ 16. Which one of the following exhibitions HAVE YOU attended thus far in 2010? (Please place a ‘tick-mark’) JOFA (HSY) MAUSUMMERY GUL AHMED SONIA BATLA AL KARAM SOBIA NAZIR LAKHANI LAWN SANA SAFINAZ MARIA B. V9 LAWN PRINTS JUNAID JAMSHED FIRDOUS 17. Which Lawn exhibitions DID YOU attend in the year 2009? (Please place a ‘check-mark’) JOFA (HSY)MAUSUMMERY GUL AHMED SONIA BATLA AL KARAMSOBIA NAZIR LAKHANI LAWNSANA SAFINAZ MARIA B. V9 LAWN PRINTS JUNAID JAMSHEDFIRDOUS 8. Rate the following Lawn Exhibitions, only those you have attended, on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the worst possible rating and 5 being the best) based upon price, quality, and design of each, in YOUR mind! (please ‘circle’ your choices) V9 Lawn Prints (Vaneeza Ahmed): Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 Mausummery: Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 Gul Ahmed (Ideas): Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 Junaid Jamshed: Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 JOFA (HSY): Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 Sana Safinaz: Price1 2345 Quality1 2345 Design1 2345 Data Collection: With the questionnaire complete, it was time for collecting data from a total sample population of 100 (hundred) women. The objective was to collect data from school and college going girls as well as go a to a lawn exhibition itself to gather data through a survey! The response was overwhelming as it took just an hour to get 50 forms filled in the College of Business Management (CBM) alone although, the remaining were filled at Vaneeza’s V9 Lawn Prints Exhibition which was quite trivial yet fascinating! For the results of the research carried out, lets go to Data Analysis which is self-explanatory. In the recent past, how many Lawn Exhibitions have you attended? [pic] Do you prefer Lawn over other fabrics? Which one of the following factors according to YOU makes Lawn Exhibitions so successful? What is the Maximum Price you are willing to pay for a Lawn suit? Lawn is best for†¦ How many hours would you say you watch Fashion TV or Style 360 in any given week? Which factor has affected / influenced your Lawn buying behavior the most, if at all? Does television have a direct affect on your buying behavior? What’s your opinion towards Bollywood Stars endorsing products of a Pakistani Lawn manufacturer? What’s the number one source to hearing about so many exhibitions? Which Lawn manufacturer according to you is the best? What are the two main reasons (in your viewpoint) that have caused a significant increase in the number of high quality lawn manufacturers and the growth of lawn exhibitions in the Pakistani market? Quality of V9 prints in view of women: Price of V9 prints in view of women: Price of Mausummery prints in view of women: Quality of Mausummery prints in view of women: Price of Gul Ahmed prints in view of women: [pic] Quality of Gul Ahmed prints in view of women: [pic] Price of Junaid Jamshed prints in view of women: [pic] Quality of Junaid Jamshed prints in view of women: [pic] Price of Jofa (HSY) prints in view of women: [pic] Quality of Jofa (HSY) prints in view of women: [pic] Price of Sana Safinaz prints in view of women: [pic] Quality of Sana Safinaz prints in view of women: [pic] Hypothesis Testing H0: People attending exhibition in 2010 has increased than in 2009 HA: People attending exhibition in 2010 has not increased than in 2009 [pic] H0: Attending Exhibitions and watching television are dependent HA: Attending Exhibitions and watching television are independent Significance Level: 5% Test Statistics: Chi-Square test on independence [pic] [pic] How many hours would you say you watch Fashion TV or Style 360 in any given week? [pic] As P>0. 05 therefore we donot reject Ho Conclusion: As the test that the given data provides sufficient evidence to conclude that attending a lawn exhibition depends upon the watching Fashion TV or Style 360 Ho: There is no preference of lawn with regards to age H1: There is preference of lawn with regards to age Significance Level: 5% Test Statistic: Chi-Square test on independence Case Processing Summary | | |Cases | | |Valid |Missing |Total | | | |Count | | | |Do you prefer Lawn over other fabrics |Total | | | |YES |NO | |Pearson Chi-Square |12. 961a |9 |. 164 | |Likelihood Ratio |13. 120 |9 |. 157 | |Linear-by-Linear Association |2. 670 |1 |. 02 | |N of Valid Cases |89 | | | |a. 12 cells (75. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 45. | | | |Symmetric Measures | | | |Value |As ymp. Std. |Approx. Tb | | | | |Errora | | |a. Not assuming the null hypothesis. |b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis. | |c. Based on normal approximation. | As P>0. 05 therefore we do not reject H0 Conclusion: The test suggests that there is preference with regard to age. H0: People seek high quality lawn when paying the price HA: People are willing to pay the price for any quality of lawn |Case Processing Summary | | |Cases | | |Valid Missing |Total | | | |Count | | | |Is there a limited availability of high quality lawn |Total | | | |Yes |No |There are | | | | | |plenty of | | | | | |copies in the | | | | | |market | |Chi-Square Tests | | |Value |df |Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| |Pearson Chi-Square |8. 791a |6 |. 186 | |Likelihood Ratio |9. 176 |6 |. 164 | |Linear-by-Linear Association |. 45 |1 |. 358 | |N of Valid Cases |90 | | | |a. 6 cells (50. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 26. | |Symmetric Measures | | | | Value |Asymp. Std. |Approx. Tb | | | | |Errora | | |a. Not assuming the null hypothesis. | |b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis. | |c. Based on normal approximation. | [pic] As P>0. 05 do not reject H0 Conclusion: People seek high quality lawn when paying the price H0: Sources of media hearing about exhibitions has increased attendance in exhibition in 2010 H0: Sources of media hearing about exhibitions has not increased attendance in exhibition in 2010 Significance Level: 5% Test Statistic: Chi-square test of independence |Chi-Square Tests | | |Value |df |Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)| |Pearson Chi-Square |22. 05a |27 |. 711 | |Likelihood Ratio |20. 282 |27 |. 819 | |Linear-by-Linear Association |. 002 |1 |. 963 | |N of Valid Cases |90 | | | |a. 34 cells (85. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 01. | As p>0. 05 therefore do not reject H0 Conclusion: The data provides sufficient evidence that hearing from the given sources of media have lead to an increase in attending the exhibitions Conclusion / Recommendations for the Client: After conducting the research, we found that; – More and more women are attending lawn exhibitions are every year, the figure of exhibitors is increasing. – Lawn is becoming formal way of dressing. – Women keep the factors of price and quality when they go to purchase lawn suits. – The best price range in which maximum number of prospective buyers come is from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000. – For promotion of lawn prints, Fashion TV and Style 360 can be used for advertisement as most of the target population watches it. – Famous media persons (singers, models and actresses) should be hired to promote lawn. – Television and Billboards play a pivotal role in reaching target audience. According to most of the women, there are still numerous predicaments in quality of lawn which is being offered in Pakistan, therefore, KOHINOOR TEXTILES can come with better quality lawn and fulfill the demand! The aforementioned conclusions are drawn after they w ere statistically proven and consequently, we recommend KOHINOOR TEXTILES to keep in view the findings of research with respect to women preferences, price sensitivity and quality consciousness and come up with new lawn prints so that their probability of success is increased upto a large extent. ———————– Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty Research Brand Research Customer Retention & Win Back Solutions Employee Research New Product Development Philosophy Promise People Product

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Labour Markets, Wages and Industrial Relations

Telecommuting is going to change the landscape of labour for years to come. As a matter of fact, the very notion of a job is going to change. A job will be something one takes home to do in the intervals between football matches and household duties, not an activity that reshapes one’s day. Such changes will trigger changes in other aspects of work. Thus, trade union participation and union power will most probably be reduced. A great part of this influence is based in personal interaction. It is much easier to recruit a person to become a member of the union through direct personal contact than through means such as e-mail. Trade union leaders will turn into virtual figures rather than living beings in flesh and blood, and people will feel less affiliated with the union. Besides, as the authors point out, there are reasons to expect an inflow of workers into labour who have never or seldom had employment before, including single mothers or disabled people. Those may feel isolated from the rest of the workforce and have had no experience with unions. As a result, they will be less willing to participate in union activities and bargain with their employer. Besides, more developing nations will be included in the workforce, and it is more difficult to recruit people there in the union as they live in remote places and as well have little experience with unions. However, trade unions will not go away because of telecommuting. There are factors that even call for an increase in their power. For instance, it will become easier to change jobs since it will not involve looking for a job in exactly the same area and workers will probably not have to go to interviews in person. Rather, they may be able to do some kind of audio- or video-interview via Internet. As a result, employees will have more possibility to defend their rights through trade unions as they will not fear loss of job. Communication with trade union leaders will take place through the same interactive means as communication with supervisors – e-mail, telephone, and videoconferencing. Telecommuting will probably to some extent remove the difference between house prices between capital cities and regions. At the moment, housing is pricey in larger cities since there a lot of people willing to move there because higher salary levels. Those people coming from the regions are prepared to pay a premium on house price as compared to the regions because they know the house price will be offset by gains in wages. As a result, they drive demand up even at higher prices. If differences salary levels are reduced, a probable result of telecommuting, more people will prefer to stay in the regions, and housing there will rise in value against capital cities. This does not mean that housing will cost the same throughout the nation. First, not all jobs will be affected by telecommuting. It will take time before the pay for manual jobs such labourers, nurses, etc., will get to about the same level throughout the country. People in those jobs will then still be attracted to larger cities. Second, there are other factors than salary levels that affect housing prices. For instance, in the same city where one can get the same salary living in a nice or unattractive neighbourhood, housing prices will vary from one district to another. The reason for these variations is the difference in infrastructure, ecological atmosphere (as, for example, when the house faces a busy road or something of the kind), and opportunities for entertainment. Surely in larger cities one can have a much more interesting and varied life thanks to the availability of many cultural establishments, and regions will not soon overcome this difference. That is why people may still be attracted to living in the capital even if wages arrive at about the same level. Besides, formerly the attraction of the remote areas was their cheap prices for everything other than housing, such as food, entertainment, services, etc. A rise in wages will probably change that, making prices go up. In conclusion, housing prices will go up in regions as compared to the province as a result of dwindling difference in wages. However, prices in capital or larger cities will still remain higher. Bibliography Sloman, John & Mark Sutcliffe. Economics for Business. Â  

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Corporate Code of Ethics Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Corporate Code of Ethics Project - Assignment Example When this Code of Ethics states that employees, officers and/or directors must contact â€Å"the company,† â€Å"his or her company,† â€Å"the company’s General Counsel† or some other department or committee affiliated with a company, we mean that employees, officers and/or directors should contact the appropriate contact person or group at their company. There is a contact list at the end of this Code. If employees have knowledge or are suspicious of any noncompliance with any part of this Code of Ethics or are concerned whether circumstances could lead to a violation of this Code of Ethics, they are encouraged to discuss the situation promptly with their immediate supervisor, or if the employee feels uncomfortable or otherwise believes it is inappropriate to discuss such matter with their immediate supervisor, then the employee may follow the procedures found on the AFGLink Human Resources website under â€Å"Fraud Reporting.† All directors, officers and employees are responsible for abiding by this Code of Ethics. Individuals with supervisory responsibilities over any other employees will be responsible for the failure to exercise proper supervision in detecting and reporting violations of this Code of Ethics by their direct reports. Directors, officers and employees who violate the Code of Ethics are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. The companies’ policies are designed to comply with all applicable financial reporting and accounting regulations. If an employee, officer or director has concerns or complaints regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters, he or she must submit those concerns or complaints to his or her company’s General Counsel. Directors, officers and employees have an obligation to promote the companies’ best interests at all times. They should avoid any action which may involve a conflict of interest with the companies. A

Religion in What Dreams May Come True Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion in What Dreams May Come True - Essay Example These religions based their teachings on psychoanalytical postulations of human beings urging followers that the answers to their questions were to be found in no other place other than within. The 1998 film starring Robin Williams called â€Å"What Dreams May Come† clearly brings into perspective some of the postulations that have been used by emerging religions and the reason for the sudden popularity of those religions among the masses. There are questions that even in this age of technological advancements human beings have not been able to answer particularly the ones that pertain to his essence as a being and whether the earthly existence is by chance, or it is a journey with a purpose and a particular destination. The paper looks at how the film â€Å"What Dreams May Come True† manages to bring about some key characteristics in the teachings of New Thought Religions. The Power of the Mind. The concept of the power of the mind is clearly found in the teachings of Ernest Homes who postulated that human beings had the power to control their destiny through the power of their minds. Holmes outlines that the first greatest discovery that human being ever made was that ‘He could think† (Holmes 24). Holmes goes on to outline that the power of the human mind is evident in how man has utilized the resources nature has provided for him to come up with great inventions. New Thought religions propose on the power of the mind and are perhaps the source of the concept of the power of positive thinking. In the film â€Å"What Dreams May Come† the producer manages to bring about the concept of the power of thought through the family of Dr. Christopher. After the death of his children and going through emotional distress, Dr. Chris is also involved in car accident and finds himself in heaven.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Summary the content into bullet point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary the content into bullet point - Essay Example During the second quarter, Amazon recorded a loss of 27 cents per share that is equivalent to $126 million in net loss. The loss of higher than that recorded during the first quarter, $7 million that is equivalent to 2 cents per share loss. Although Tom Szkutak, Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer, maintains that the company will continue to invest, it is recording losses in shares and drop in its stock price. Amazon is currently investing in innovative products including digital content and trading in consumer electronics. Its current investments are intended to compete other companies such as Apple Inc and Google Inc. On Thursday, 24 July 201, Amazon also experienced a fall in shares by 10 percent in late trade and a 27 cents loss per share. Seetharaman, Deepa and Orr, Bernard. Amazons heavy investing eats into bottom line, shares drop. Reuters. Web. Thu, Jul 24, 2014. Accessed Thu, Jul 24, 2014.

Monday, August 26, 2019

MANAGEMENT INNOVATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

MANAGEMENT INNOVATION - Essay Example Market opportunities need to be seized with alacrity and new territories explored with professional ease and objectivity. Time should not denounce Nokia later that, like other large companies, it could not stay ahead of its time nor engage its rivals and competitiors in eventful combat in the market place. For this it is necessary that Nokia should be ahead of its times and grab every innovative opportunity that comes its way. During the course of this research, recourse has been sought to empower resources at their command through cases. Research design is mainly framed to identify and analyze different ways for conducting the research and it also involves taking decision related to the sources from which the information has to be collected. Research design is an arrangement of situation and examination of all the information in a way that it aims to connect the significance of the research. Finally it is seen whether the objectives of research has been met in terms of the research questions. It is seen that to a very large extent, the secondary research has been able to meet the goals and objectives of research. The history of Nokia could be traced back to 19th century, 1865 to be precise, when an enterprising engineer called Frederik Idestam constructed a wood-pulp mill factory in South Finland. The town in which this factory was built was called Nokia, which has also rendered the brand its name. During the early years, Nokia’s main business was paper and pulp, which gained a reasonable degree of success because of the demand for this kind of paper in Europe, post the industrial revolution. Russia was one of their main buyers. However, the disintegration of Russia during the early 1990s also adversely swung the future of Nokia and for a brief period, this company went into bankruptcy. Upon recovery, it began to focus on telecommunications,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Engineering drawings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering drawings - Essay Example These manuscripts speak about the science of mechanics, laws of movement. The manuscripts give details about how Leonardo understood each small components individually that goes into the making of big machines. When he studied screws, he studied its varied forms and methods to fabricate them. In this list are the components such as hoists, rollers, pulleys, flywheel, winches and many more. It is his remarkable understanding of these components in those days that made it possible for him to create many functional machine designs. War Machines Leonardo developed many war machines when he was in the long service of Lodoviko Sforza, a duke at Milan. He displayed his abilities as a civil and mechanical engineer designing many useful devices. Some of the devices such as cannons, a giant wheel were developed by him as his military activities during the time. Leonardo developed a drawing of a bridge as a civil engineering project that spanned 240 meter. Though its real construction never mat erialized, it continued to inspire engineers that followed him. His note books spoke about war machines that included a tank that could be operated through crank shafts. The design and mechanics though were not fully developed – perhaps his intention was not to allow it to fall in the hands of wrong people. He developed cannons that would spew small pebbles on the enemy to prevent them inflicting a frontal attack. A Device Resembling Flywheel Leonardo designed an engine kind device that is currently known as flywheel and crank. It is important to note here that when James Watt developed a steam engine, he never made use of flywheel – a wheel that provides high angular momentum. It was much later that a design expert added flywheel to achieve steadiness in the shaft operation. A Device for Lifting Loads Lifting loads has been always a most cherished requirement of humans since time immemorial. No wonder than that Leonard worked on a system to lift heavy loads. What he d esigned in those days is known as the worm gear in current parlance. The device employed an endless screw that is turned by a crank to mesh with the teeth of a gear rotating and raising the load. His device provides more safety that usually a single tooth gear design lacks. Worm gear as prevalent in current times came into existence much later. That shows Leonardo’s genius in designing a device that has hundreds of application in the modern machines including analog clocks. Bicycle Design One of the vehicle designs that he has drawn is a two-wheeled vehicle with spokes. Two wheels are joined by a single rod gives an indication that his vehicle takes a shape of a bicycle for an easy movement by humans. Rear wheel is attached to a cogged-wheel through a chain and cogged-wheel has pedals as found in the modern bicycles in current times. Flying Design He studied motion and movements in depth. While building canals and locks he tried to understand the water flow and whirlpools. In the same way, he tried to understand the flying of birds – the operations and anatomy of the wing. That helped him to build flying designs. Many of the Leonardo's drawings present theoretical understandings or initial intuitions before an idea takes some concrete shape. One of the design looks like a helicopter provided with a huge spiral. It is not understood what idea he had in his mind to

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Network Load Balancing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Network Load Balancing - Essay Example The high availability is achieved by early detection of host failures and re-distributing their workload to other cluster hosts. Thus, failure of one host does not affect the services. Users would still feel as if they are being served by the same server despite of the fault. The downtime is thus, eliminated. This is the default mode in which all the cluster servers are given the same MAC address (Cisco, 2009). Thus, each packet (addressed to this MAC address) reaches all the cluster servers. Even if one server is unavailable or cannot process the request due to workload, another server will reply to the data packet. One problem with unicast mode is that if all servers are assigned the same MAC address and are connected to the same switch, the switch will be unable to identify the destination (due to same address of all servers). It is not possible to have two ports on same switch with same MAC address. The unicast mode addresses this problem with MAC address masking. The MAC address of each server is masked with a bogus MAC. So when the switch relays a packet, the NLB array decodes the masked address and then transfers the packet to destination (Cisco, 2009).

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ways of quitting smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ways of quitting smoking - Essay Example year because of smoking related illnesses and cigarettes contain at least 43 cancer-causing chemicals in addition to the poisonous carbon monoxide that’s also inhaled. Every year approximately 46% of regular smokers attempt to quit, with only about 10% being successful in the short term1Research has shown that only 3-5% of smokers are successful using will power alone (Hughes et al, 2004) Smokers have an extremely difficult time to quit cigarettes because of the nicotine contained in the tobacco cigarettes. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man, and it acts directly on the pleasure centers of the brain by releasing dopamine which causes the individual to feel good, while also reducing anxiety, tension and appetite5.Regular use affects the brains reward system, so that when there is no nicotine, the dopamine levels will fall and withdrawal starts. The main withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation are: These nicotine withdrawal symptoms and not will power are the main reason smokers find it so difficult to quit. Although most symptoms subside within a few days to two weeks, the most troublesome one, the Cravings sometimes can last for years, and that’s is the biggest hurdle. There are many alternatives available to help the smoker quit. The alternatives range from prescription drugs like Zyban (also an antidepressant) and Chantix which is supposed to target the nerve receptors from the effects of nicotine, to â€Å"nicotine replacement therapy† products such as gum, patches or inhalers. Unfortunately these products have had little success in achieving permanent smoking cessation from its users. The other main reason for its lack of success lies directly in the fact that these products provide a very low dose of nicotine administered over a longer period of time ,which is totally opposite to the instant rush of nicotine a smoker feels within 7-10 seconds after inhaling a puff from a tobacco cigarette. So in simple terms,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Johnson & Johnson Diversity Plan Essay Example for Free

Johnson Johnson Diversity Plan Essay Johnson Johnson was formed in 1885 in Brunswick, New Jersey, after two brothers, James Wood and Edward Mead Johnson saw a need to develop sterile supplies for surgical procedures. During that time, doctors operated without gloves, sterile equipment and used unclean cotton from textile mills to pack the wounds so the mortality rate for surgical patients was very high. One of the first products Johnson Johnson developed was ready to use surgical dressings which to led to large reduction in surgical mortality rates. Johnson Johnson continued developing and expanding their product line and their company. In 1919, Johnson Johnson began their first international expansion. The brothers first expanded into Canada and after an around the world trip in 1923 began to develop business in many more countries. They expanded into Australia in 1931, Sweden in 1956 and Japan in 1961 (Johnson Johnson, 1997-2007). Over the next 60 years, Johnson Johnson had established companies in over 50 countries. During their international expansion, Johnson Johnson also diversified their product line. They eventually organized their operations into three main divisions; pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer products (Answers Corporation, 2007). They became well known for the talcum powder, band-aids and the pain reliever, Tylenol. In 1932, Robert Wood Johnson II, known as General Johnson succeeded his uncle to take over running Johnson Johnson. The General believed strongly in decentralization within the entire organization and all the divisions both in the United States and internationally were given authority to make their own decisions. The General was also responsible for developing the Johnson Johnson credo in 1943 and it is still in force today. The credo is defines the four primary responsibilities of the organization in their order of their importance. Johnson Johnsons first responsibility is to its customers, then to its employees, then to the community, and finally to its shareholders (Lukas, 2003). Believing and enforcing in this credo is what has made this organization what it is today and helped Johnson Johnson overcome one of the most critical times in its history when it dealt with  the Tylenol poisonings. The first priority of Johnson Johnson was then and is still today the safety of its consumers. Johnson Johnson believes in diversity of its organization, its product line and its vendors. The organization has both an Office of Global Diversity as well as a supplier diversity program (Johnson Johnson, 1997-2007). They believe encouraging diversity increases both their economic prosperity as well as benefiting each social community where they are located. By encouraging diversity throughout its entire organization, Johnson Johnson has become one of the largest global health care leaders in the world. William C. Weldon, Chairman, Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer for Johnson and Johnson sets a clear course for the diversity action plan for the company. He states in his Chairmans Message on the JJ website, how the company interacts with a diverse group of stakeholders daily and how both internal and external partnerships allow the company to more than it could on its own. With that in mind the company must create a Diversity Action Plan that allows employees to grow, develop and assume more responsibility, creating extraordinary leaders in the business sectors around the world (JJ.com). Cultural NormsJJ is committed to having its own operating companies purchase goods and services from a diverse supplier base that contributes to the economic vitality of the communities in which we live and work. To achieve this goal JJ has created a Supplier Diversity Program in 1998. The intent of this program is to provide value to the company and to enhance the companys role as a health care leader throughout the world. The included in the program are: †¢Certified minority-owned businesses, small and large †¢Certified woman-owned businesses, small and large†¢Certified Small Disadvantaged Businesses†¢Small veteran-owned and service disabled veteran-owned businesses†¢Small, certified HUBZone businessesThe HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas. Fostering the growth of these federal contractors as viable businesses, for the long term, helps to empower communities, create jobs, and attract private investment  (SBA.gov). Another area the company attempts to enhance its image both in the US and around the world is through the development of Standards for Responsible External Manufacturing. These were developed to ensure the companies who do business with the company meet the same high standards of ethical behavior, product quality, and social responsibility practiced by JJ. There has to be common commitment to:†¢comply with applicable legal requirements,†¢behave ethically and with integrity,†¢integrate quality into business processes,†¢treat people with dignity and respect,†¢promote the safety, health and well-being of employees,†¢operate in an environmentally responsible manner, and†¢implement management systems to ensure ongoing performance and continual improvement (JJ, 2006) These values and practices are determined through a vigorous benchmarking process for which any potential manufacturing partner must meet before becoming associated with the JJ Family of Companies. There is a two-fold advantage to this process. The first is it allows potential partners the opportunity to understand the values that drive the organization as well as providing them with a template for the sustainability the JJ Company has demonstrated. In addition, the high standards set by the company are not compromised by external manufacturing partners that could damage the JJ image. To maximize their diverse workforce, the company has a vision statement in place that allows the company to maximize the benefits. The following is the companys vision statement:The Johnson Johnson Family of Companies will realize this vision by:†¢Fostering inclusive cultures that embrace our differences and drive innovation to accelerate growth;†¢Achieving skilled, high performance workforces that are reflective of the diverse global marketplace;†¢Working with business leaders to identify and establish targeted market opportunities for consumers across diverse demographic segments; and†¢Cultivating external relationships with professional, patient and civic groups to support business priorities. The statement allows the diverse workforce by utilizing the vision statement by including the companys belief (Credo). The credo, Latin for I believe,  guides the company to the responsibilities as they relate to customers, employees, community and shareholders. The responsibilities are as follows:To our customers: we will embrace diversity in order to respect, understand and meet their varying health care needs. To our employees: we will ensure a diverse and inclusive workplace, offer merit-based opportunities for employment and advancement and provide the necessary resources to develop our next generation of leaders. To our communities: we will recognize opportunities to improve economic and human health care in the areas in which we live and work. To our shareholders: we will oppose acts of intolerance and be mindful of the positive impact that diversity and inclusion have on our businesses. JJ over the years has continuously looked toward technology to play key role in JJs strategic initiatives. The different approaches to productivity have varied throughout the years. Many factors contribute to the productivity and success of the JJ Company. Technology has played an important role in JJs ability to remain competitive and to continuously innovate. It is through technology that JJs management team is able to refine processes, collaborate, innovate, and increase the productivity of the organization in todays dynamic business environment that is changing continuously. The success of these companies is attributed to all the successful mergers and acquisitions that have taken place throughout JJ history. Many of these companies were opened due to successful mergers that allowed JJ to develop new products and offer them in different markets throughout the world. The successful organization of the products JJ offers allows JJ to successfully merge with other companies to gain additional control over the industry. The result of this Credo is a healthy bottom line that is socially responsible. JJ history of philanthropy through partnering with other  companies from around the world has created programs dedicated to providing needed services over the long term. JJ does not have a mission statement because the ethical principals listed in the Credo drive the company. The customer first philosophy insures the needs of the customer are met. Another principal outlined in the Credo is the dedication to producing a high quality product. Through this set of values the company has developed a trust with the consumers of their products. Trust develops into a reputation of integrity that in turn provides the company with a basis for business strategies. This ethical high road approach is a proven winner in this function. Problem solving involves many departments and many steps. Technology plays an integral part in JJs ability to innovate, perform research and development, and manage the logistics associated with the distribution of a product during the products lifecycle. JJ defines diversity as a variety of similar and different characteristics among people, including age, gender, race, religion, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, thinking style, background and all other attributes that make each person unique. Although some differences may not be obvious as others, Johnson Johnson strives to understand and remove barriers that one may face due to these differences. Johnson Johnson utilizes these differences to create a working environment where their employees can thrive. JJ believes that diversity helps the interaction between people as well as inspiring innovation. JJ is committed to the practice of their global diversity vision which they use to identify their key, future objectives while guiding the fulfillment of their commitments to their customers, employees, the global community and their shareholders. Johnson Johnson supports various educational opportunities such as Diversity University and Affinity Groups. JJs Diversity University provides an internal, full range of Diversity e-learning courses, diversity best practice information, and is a comprehensive diversity resource and database for employees. Affinity Groups are voluntary, employee-driven groups that are organized around a particular  shared interest or dimension. These groups have been initiated by employees and usually focus on a shared interest or characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Each groups main intent is to create an open forum for idea exchange and to strengthen the linkage to and within diverse communities. The successful leadership of the workers and the quick safety decisions that have had to be made, for example the recall of 264,000 bottles of Tylenol in 1982 and then a second recall in 1986, have made JJ a reputable name that many have grown to know and trust. References Answers Corporations. 2007. Johnson Johnson. Retrieved June 27, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/johnson-johnson?cat=biz-finJohnson Johnson. Global Diversity Its All of Us. Retrieved June 30, 2007 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/index.htm;jsessionid=EGT3V0ZLGAFE0CQPCCFWU2YKB2IIWTT1Johnson Johnson (2007). Supplier Diversity Program. Retrieved July 2, 2007 from http:www.jnj.comJohnson Johnson (2006). Sustainability Report. Retrieved July 4, 2007 from http:www.jnj.comJohnson Johnson. 1997-2007. Our Company. Retrieved June 26, 2007 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/index.htmLeading with Diversity The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2007 fromwww.nytimes.com/marketing/jobmarket/diversity/jandj.htmlLukas, P. (2003, April). Johnson Johnson. FSB: Fortune Small Business. Vol.13, Iss. 3; pg. 91. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from ProQuest database. SBA.gov (2007). HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program. Retrieved July 5, 2007 from https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/general/whoweare.cfm#3The Diversity Vision Statement, Retrieved 06/29/07 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/diversity_vision/index.htmThe company Credo, Retrieved on 06/29/07 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/credo/index.htm

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Example for Free

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Discuss the proposition that the Tang-Song era was at the same time both innovative and conservative. The Tang-Song era was a time of shift and change in China. Things were changing within the population balance, patterns of trade and commerce, renewed urban expansions, forms of artistic and literary expressions, and technological inventions. One of the biggest innovations during the Tang-Song era was establishing the Grand Canal. This was driven by the Sui emperors and the Tang rulers due to a major population shift. The Grand Canal was made to connect the original centers of Chinese civilization of North China plain with the Yangzi river basin (over 500 miles south). Another innovation was the development of junks and flying money. Junks were Chinese ships that had watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, compasses, and bamboo fenders. At this point in time, Junks were the best ships around and because of these Chinese sailors and merchants became the dominant force in Asian seas and Malayan peninsula. Flying money was a credit instrument that gave vouchers to merchants that would be redeemed at the end of travel to lessen the change of robbery. As population moved south, the valleys became more fertile and became a large part of agrarian expansion. Farming methods during this time improved drastically. Productivity increased in staple crops which meant that the population support would increase. Family organization at the various class levels still resembled that of earlier times, although women began to gain higher positions, but this would later decline in the Song era. The Tang-Song era is largely known for its great improvements in science, technology, literature, and fine arts. Some very major technological and scientific breakthroughs made their way during this time. Also, the reinvigorated scholar-gentry elite was responsible for a large portion of the literary creativity. Confucian scholar-gentry made Buddhists the major producers of the art and literature thus making it so devotional and religious objects had a growing fixation in everyday life. The development of the Tang-Song era allowed for many breakthroughs within this time period. Because of the many advancements, the Chinese cultured was changed for the better, molding it into something new.

Analysis of the Strengths Based Model

Analysis of the Strengths Based Model A quality construct methodology works in light of the suspicion that individuals have qualities and assets for their own particular strengthening. In quality based- approach the emphasis is on the individual and their qualities and capacities not their inabilities. Quality base techniques dont overlook issues yet move the edge of reference in the issues. Quality based methodologies supplement the model of social incapacity. Key components of quality base methodology: A emphasis on qualities, not shortcoming ,issues or shortages The man is in control and nothing is done without their regard The group is an asset not a hindrance People keep on learning, develop and change regardless of what their handicap Assessment Formative directions cant be completely comprehended without an incorporated concentrate on pathology and fitness (Masten Coatsworth, 1995) and exploration has demonstrated that adolescents qualities are as critical to consider as their shortcomings in comprehension potential for succeeding in every aspect of working (Garmezy, 1993; Kirby Fraser, 1997). While not all kids who experience noteworthy hazard at last experience negative results, most youngsters who have a mixed bag of qualities experience sound results (e.g., Masten, Hubbard, Gest, Tellegen, Garmezy, Ramirez, 1999).However, a great part of the act of recognizing understudies necessities is taking into account a shortage model, which concentrates on issues, for example, handling deficiencies, poor accomplishment, and social-passionate troubles keeping in mind the end goal to endorse mediation programs. The accessibility of numerous psychometrically solid instruments to survey emotional sickness and handicap manages this deficiency center (Epstein, 1999). Despite the fact that therapists, social laborers, and advocates have created casual methodologies for quality based appraisal, the exact acceptance of appraisals inspecting youth qualities is in its initial stages. Unpretentious yet noteworthy contrasts between different terms connected with flexibility need to be precisely characterized so as to illuminate different phenomena under study. Terms, for example, hazard factors,protective variables, resources, and flexibility all speak to particular components that are regularly connected with specific models proposed to clarify versatility. A danger component is any impact in a youthslife, whether natural, behavioral, ecological, socio social, or demographic, that expands the likelihood of a negative result. Then again, a defensive variable is characterized as any impact in an adolescents life that declines the likelihood of a negative result (Kirby Fraser, 1997). Anxiety is a condition coming abou t because of an individuals apparent powerlessness to meet life requests that debilitates the capacity of the person to capacity effectively . Planning Numerous individuals now perceive that our perspective of, and reaction to, individuals with incapacities needs to change definitely in the event that they are to be offered admiration, poise and chances to lead esteemed lives in our groups. An increasing amount, individuals are recognizing that natives with inabilities, similar to whatever remains of us, are individuals with dreams, endowments and abilities who need to carry on with a decent life. By concentrating on individuals endowments and dreams – instead of limits a noteworthy movement has happened in the routes in which choices are made about individuals and the courses in which they are helped to live in their groups. This has implied that: We need to invest as much energy as important listening to individuals as people and giving chances to individuals to recognize their fantasies for the present and future; and  The routes in which we give help to individuals needs to regard singular objectives and goals and bolster individuals to do the things that will permit them to live conventional lives. On account of individuals who dont impart well –or not in any manner with words, we have to perceive that it is our obligation to figure out how they do convey and to adjust ourselves to their ways. Finding out around a mans fantasies, abilities, and what makes him or her interesting; Helping persons to decide solid dreams and objectives and the approaches to accomplish these. Recognizing what is happening at this point. Recognizing other persons to enlist to help achieve the objectives. Discovering approaches to manufacture quality to fulfill the objectives (for instance, what aptitudes need to be created or what connections kept up). Coordination The mission of Coordination is to assist persons with developmental disabilities and other groups needing assistance in determining and meeting their needs in ways they prefer. The organization works to do this by assisting individuals to become active members of their communities with equal rights and responsibilities. Service Coordination helps people develop and obtain high quality supports and services that are the least intrusive to meet their desires and needs and support their personal goals. Service Coordination believes that each persons values, dignity, happiness, and rights must be respected Services. Administration Coordination is an association that plans anticipates people with formative handicaps in light of the trusts and longs for these people. With the conviction that individuals with formative incapacities are qualified for the same rights as others, Service Coordinators help people in finding assets and bolstering for themselves, such that their needs are persistently met. strength Quality construct model centers with respect to the quality of the elderly individual as opposed to on their shortcoming, issues or deficiencies. The elderly individual is the primary in control and there is no hope without its approbation. All things considered, the support and right to assent from the elderly is worked out. Another quality to consider is that the group serves as an asset as opposed to a hindrances. Furthermore, in conclusion elderly individuals keeps on learning ,develop and change regardless of what their maladies and handicaps are. Weakness One conceivable destruction of the model is that it will get to be inadequate in the piece of the more established individuals if there is absence of coordination among different areas of wellbeing and human administrations assigned for them. Another shortcoming of this methodology is that obstructions might potentially happen which will impact the effectivity of this model. Boundaries here and there exists in executing confirm based practice among the quality of the more established individuals. Point of view Appraisals are considered in a social responsive way to distinguish assets that can expand administration interest and backing the accomplishment of settled upon objectives. Engagement and evaluation are portrayed by the accompanying: a. sensitivity to the ability of the individual or family to be locked in b. a non-debilitating way c. respect for the individual, self-sufficiency and classifiedness d. adaptability Social responsive evaluation can be incorporate the more established individuals decision or inclinations in regards to dialect of decision and religious, racial, ethnic and social foundation.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Woman Pouring Milk Essay -- Visual Arts Paintings Art

A Woman Pouring Milk In Ways of Seeing by John Berger, the way we have been taught to observe, learn and analyze art is criticized. Berger describes static images are an appearance that has been taken out of context, out of its original time and setting. He states that any image encompasses a way of seeing. The way we see a specific image is based on perspective. A piece of art can be interpreted in various ways; it is relative to every person. Throughout the text, Berger illustrates the different types of arts. Each one is a perfect example of the phrase â€Å"Use your own interpretation.† If looked at closely, one gets different ideas and understandings than others of the same image. Another way that paintings are interpreted or misinterpreted is through reproductions. Reproducing original pieces of art has been a large controversy as well, even a â€Å"political issue,† which is discussed by Berger. Berger places a painting by Vermeer in his book, but does not offer an explanation on the painting. He does this so we ask ourselves about the painting. The painting, â€Å"A Woman Pouring Milk†, is a simple, self-explanatory image, yet simultaneously symbolizes much more. Most of Vermeer’s work involves women performing daily chores. In his stated painting, we see how the woman is focusing intently on pouring the milk. She does not look at the artist painting her, she does not look around the room as if bored, but staring at the task. The woman is using all her eff... A Woman Pouring Milk Essay -- Visual Arts Paintings Art A Woman Pouring Milk In Ways of Seeing by John Berger, the way we have been taught to observe, learn and analyze art is criticized. Berger describes static images are an appearance that has been taken out of context, out of its original time and setting. He states that any image encompasses a way of seeing. The way we see a specific image is based on perspective. A piece of art can be interpreted in various ways; it is relative to every person. Throughout the text, Berger illustrates the different types of arts. Each one is a perfect example of the phrase â€Å"Use your own interpretation.† If looked at closely, one gets different ideas and understandings than others of the same image. Another way that paintings are interpreted or misinterpreted is through reproductions. Reproducing original pieces of art has been a large controversy as well, even a â€Å"political issue,† which is discussed by Berger. Berger places a painting by Vermeer in his book, but does not offer an explanation on the painting. He does this so we ask ourselves about the painting. The painting, â€Å"A Woman Pouring Milk†, is a simple, self-explanatory image, yet simultaneously symbolizes much more. Most of Vermeer’s work involves women performing daily chores. In his stated painting, we see how the woman is focusing intently on pouring the milk. She does not look at the artist painting her, she does not look around the room as if bored, but staring at the task. The woman is using all her eff...

Monday, August 19, 2019

Exploring Sexuality in Taming of the Shrew :: Taming Shrew Essays

Exploring Sexuality in Taming of the Shrew   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Human sexuality underlies many of the happenings of "Taming of the Shrew."   It affects the conflicts, theme, and resolution of the play.   It becomes evident throughout the play that sexual behavior denotes whether a character is thought of   as good or evil (not necessarily good evil as meant in conventional terms, but rather as a "nice" character versus a "waspish" or "mean' character).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of the play, there is an obvious conflict between Kate and her sister, Bianca.   This conflict stems from the fact that their father favors Bianca, as well as the fact that Bianca has many suitors, while Kate has none.   Kate's father, Baptista, tries to persuade some of Bianca's suitors to pursue Kate instead.   However, they make it clear that none of them could desire Kate.   "Mates, maid?   How mean you that?   No mates for you unless you were of a gentler, milder, mold" (I,i, lines 58 - 60).   From this it is clear that the men in the play prefer a better "mold" than Kate, in other words, she does not carry herself as well as Bianca.   Kate does not play the coy flirting games, and is therefore thought of as harsher than Bianca.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bianca, however, knows how to be flirtatious, witty, and coy around her admirers, and yet is almost intentionally mean to Kate.   For instance, Bianca knows that it hurts Kate to have no suitors while she (Bianca) has several. Bianca uses this to hurt Kate.   When Kate tries to find out which suitor Bianca really likes, Bianca swears that she won't take the suitor that Kate likes.   She casually offers Kate whichever suitor she wants.   Kate is enraged by this because she knows that the only reason that Bianca has suitors while she has none is because Bianca plays the sexual flirtation game.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Kate gets a suitor of her own, Petruchio, there is a lot of sexual tension in their relationship.   At their first meeting, they exchange a barrage of sexual comments:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Petruchio:   Why, what's a movable?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate:  Ã‚   A joint stool   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Petruchio:   Thou hast hit it; come sit on me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate:   Asses are made to bear and so are you.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Riddles :: essays research papers

1. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday?†¦Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 2. What falls but never breaks? What breaks but never falls?†¦Night and Day! 3. Wat is black when u buy it, red when u use it, and gray when u throw it away?†¦ Charcoal 4. Woman shoots her husband, holds him underwater for 5minutes, and finally hangs him. They were seen five minutes later. How is it possible†¦ The woman was a photographer, took a picture, developed it, and hung it up. 5. The word candy can be spelled in two letters†¦. C and Y 6. Name an English word of more than 2 letters that both begins and ends with the letters "he" in that order. There are two possible answers. "hehe" is not acceptable. haha!†¦ Headache or Heartache. 7. Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it†¦. Coffin 8. Whoever makes it, tells it not. Whoever takes it, knows it not. And whoever knows it wants it not†¦. Counterfeit money 9. Why is six afraid of seven†¦Because seven eight nine 10. Johnny's mother had three children. The first was April, the second was May. What was the name of her third child?†¦.Johnny 11. Why is it against the law for a man living in North Carolina to be buried in South Carolina?†¦Because he is still living 12. There was an airplane crash, every single person died, but two people survived. How is this possible?†¦They were married 13. That attorney is my brother, testified the accountant. But the attorney testified he didn't have a brother. Who is lying?†¦The accountant was his sister 14. A man and his son were in an automobile accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The emergency room surgeon said "I can't operate, that's my son!" How is this possible?†¦The mother was the surgeon. 15. Forewards it is heavy, backwards it is not†¦Ton 16. The more you feed it, The more it grows high,But if you give it water It shall quickly Die†¦Fire 17. The Begining of eternity, the end of space, the begining of every end, The end of every place†¦.The letter E 18. What starts with P, ends with E, and has thousands of letters in it?...Post Office 19. Ten copycats were sitting on a bridge. One jumped off, how many were left?†¦None they were copycats 20. What state is inside another state?†¦Arkansas 21. What state is full of color?†¦Colorado 22. What state has 2,000 pounds of dirty laundry?†¦Washington 23. What state makes you feel bad?

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Flannery O’Conners “Good Country People” Essay

Love and friendship can make a wonderful story but why not add a twist of mistrust and deceit. That’s what Flannery O’conner did in â€Å"Good Country People.† By doing this she communicated her theme that people aren’t always what them seem. The Irony of the characters and what they symbolize exaggerates the theme very well. The way the characters were developed showed their diversity in â€Å"Good Country People†. Hulga had a degree in philosophy which made her believe that she was smarter than everyone else because she had learned more than they had. But in all actuality she was not, this was proven by the good ol’ bible salesman who was supposed to be honest and good and he was making a living by selling family bibles to country people. He started courting Hulga and when he won her over they met one afternoon for a walk. During this walk both their true colors began to shine through. After being led on a not so unplanned walk through the woods. Hulga was humiliated when the conniving salesman wanted to have sex with her but when she denied him he took her wooden leg. Which showed her to be naive and fragile. Through wooden legs and bibles symbolism comes through strongly. Hulga as a child lost her leg and the doctors gave her a wooden prosthetic leg as a replacement. This wooden leg props up its own symbolism throughout the story as well as it props up Hulga. She believed she needed no help throughout life. With her believe or non-believe rather, she has the notion she needs no family, no God, and no support. But really deep down she needs all of it. The leg physically support’s Hulga her whole life. When she has her wooden leg stolen from her by the bible salesman she realizes she had the support she needed all along, but until now when she loses one sort of support, does she know she needs the others as well. The Bible is also a big symbol in this story. The Holy Bible represents good and truth in the world. The Bible salesman pushes this in his sales pitch, but to him it symbolizes a place where he can keep all his secrets. What’s inside the hollow Bible in his suitcase is what the Bible really symbolizes to him, absolutely nothing. To Him its a place to store his ideas of sex, booze, and porn. Which makes it really something that isn’t as it seems. Which leads to another symbol Hulga herself. After she becomes wise in the ways of the world and does not  believe she needs God, or anyone else anymore. She changes her name of happiness, Joy, to an ugly meaningless name of Hulga. She does this to show to everyone that she does not need the joy or happiness in her life anymore, she has philosophy and education. Irony comes through in many ways especially through the characters. Throughout the story Hulga believes she is more intelligent than the people in her family and town because she went to college and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy. The truth is though she is just as plain and simple as the â€Å"good country people† she is surrounded by. This is proven by the innocent bible salesman, who in all reality is pretty much the Devil. She goes out to seduce the innocent, but in turn she is blind to the fact he is tricking her. They lead each other to a barn where the innocent bible salesman shows his inner most devil by belittling all Hulga’s beliefs and reviling to her she is not better but just as simpleminded and naive as everyone else in her town. Another ironic tidbit is how Joy changed her name to Hulga. It totally highlights the fact she wants nothing to do with her joyful Christian upbringing by her country uneducated family. And not unlike Hulga the bible salesman is also an ironic factor in this story. He is supposed to represent good Christian morals that are taught in church and through the bible. However all he is a thief and a whore with no morals. He is the pentacle of the bad boy scene. He keeps in the Holiest of all books the Bible condoms, a flask of booze and playing cards with naked girls on them. Then to top it off he likes to collect fake body parts he has stolen from girls he has fooled. It its completely not what one would learn from the Bible. Finally Hulga accepts her name of Joy again and hopefully appreciates her family and how good that it can be from time to time to be simple. The salesman isn’t heard from again and life goes on. But after all of the twists and turns of the story â€Å"Good country People† by Flannery O’ Conner, one learns a moral from all the evil and mistrust. Never judge a book by its cover.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Monologue of Spider

â€Å"Eeeeeeeeeew, yuk, I don't want to sit next to HIM, Miss, that's so unfair!† I went through so many comments like that every day. Everyone thought that if they were put next to me they would catch my ‘outcast disease'. I've never had a proper friend. You know, one who would give you their last Rolo, or spend hours trying to explain the homework to you, even if you didn't get it by the end. All the years through infant school, then primary school and then secondary school were hell. My school grades were always bad. The teachers would say that I was lazy and couldn't be bothered to do the work, when really that couldn't have been more wrong. I tried so hard, I really did, but my mind just couldn't concentrate. The words got muddled up on the page and letters switched around. All of this made it practically impossible for me to read and write. However I was thought of as idle and sluggish, because my speaking was almost immaculate. (Spider walking up a path) My bad grades were just another reason to spark off an argument between my parents. They used to love each other. It was fine when I was very small, I had no worries in the world and a loving mother and father. Then, when I was a little older, six or seven, maybe, my father had an affair. The affair only lasted a little while and my mum agreed to take my dad back, but they were never the same again. Dad would come back from the pub very late, maybe even very, very early in the morning, stinking of beer and fags. Then mum would start an argument with him. I used to hide in my room whilst this was going on. I would crouch under my bed-sheets, and hum to myself, trying to block out the shouting and screaming going on below me. I left school as soon as I could after my GCSE's. I didn't get any good marks in them either. My life was over. Would anyone actually notice if I just curled up and died? I had no qualifications and no college or sixth form to go to. Not that I would go anyway. I had put up with bullying all my life, college would be just the same, nasty comments, no friends, not being able to get to sleep, dreading what the next day held. The next few years of my life wasted away to nothing. I had no job, and not having any qualifications meant I wasn't going to get one either. I just stayed at home, with mum nagging at me every day, telling me what a failure I was. I tried not to pay any attention. I think it made her feel better to take out her anger on someone. I didn't take anything she said personally. Then, one morning, as I stared into the mirror, I stepped back and took a look at my life. Was this really what I wanted? No job. No friends. No life. If I did die, I think less than 20 people would turn up to my funeral. That thought really scared me. So, I decided I was going to do something with my life. Anything, just so I could say that I had done something and everything hadn't been a complete waste. I made the biggest decision of my life. I sold my pride and joy, my beautiful, red Harley Davidson. It was given to me as a gift by my granddad, just before he passed away. Granddad never thought I was a failure. He believed in me, always encouraging me. I was devastated when he died. You have to move on though and that's what I am doing now. I almost cried as I parted with it. I managed to get quite a good price for it though. That day I left my home for good. I left mother a note on the kitchen table, which simply said; â€Å"Mother, I am going away to make something of my life. Maybe I will come back to visit some day . . . Love you always, Gregory.† I left home, armed with the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2000 I got for the bike and with my life in a blue hiking bag. * * * â€Å"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of British Airways, I would like to wish you a pleasant flight. If at any time you require assistance, please press the red button above your head and a flight member will be with you soon to help. Have a nice flight!† I sat on the plane and stared out of the misty window. This was finally it. I had left all my problems in Bristol. Time to start a new life. I hadn't thought about where I was going to go, I had just picked up a cheap, last minute ticket to Africa. I didn't know much about Africa, well, nothing really. I'd watched a few documentaries back at home, but I hardly knew anything about it as a country. Five hours later I arrived in Morocco. (Four months later, Spider is now sat in a tree) I trudged through the wet, cold rainforest miserably for days on end. I lived on the food I could find, which was hardly anything. From the lack of food and what it was, I was experiencing excruciating hunger pains and I had a terrible bout of food poisoning. All this meant I was constantly in agonising pain. The only thing that kept me going, was the thought of how much worse it had been in Bristol. You see, mental pain hurts so much more than physical. Tablets can not obliterate pain inside and somehow the physical pain felt slightly comforting. I guess it was the same sort of adrenaline you would get if you cut yourself. After struggling my way through the rainforest for a few weeks, I came across a town of natives. First of all I saw a group of little straw huts, with a fire blazing in between them. Around this fire, coloured African men with war paint on were doing an astounding dance. Whilst they danced they chanted an indescribable verse of strange sounds, which was accompanied by the steady beat of a large drum. I gazed upon them in awe, not completely sure what to do or think. My brain told me to run away, I had heard that natives do not take kindly to intruders, but my heart told me to stay a little longer and watch this fascinating ritual. Then, all of a sudden, a big chief native bellowed out something in African, which made everything come to a halt. The dancing stopped, the chanting stopped and the booming of the drum halted. I started to become very nervous and was just about to leave, when all of the natives started charging towards me! My heart jumped into my throat, as I stood there dumbfounded. I tried to run but my feet wouldn't move an inch, they were getting closer and closer to me. Finally I started to run but it was too late. I felt my arms being twisted back as they grabbed hold of me. I struggled to get away but they were too strong. Then I felt a blow to the back of my head and that was the last thing I remembered. I woke up later that night with a thumping headache. It was dark and cold. I looked around me, then as my eyes adjusted to the light, I vaguely made out the hard walls beside me with one small hole looking out to the starry sky. I was lying on the floor of some kind of cell, a prison-like cell, on top of some straw. It was then that I realised the full extent of my actions. Obviously, the natives had captured me and there was no escape, minus the tiny window about five feet above the floor, and the iron barred door. â€Å"What would they do to me?† I asked myself, shaking at the thought. If only I had stayed back in Bristol, none of this would be happening now. I could be sat at home, watching the television, back with all my problems . . . â€Å"No† I thought again. I came here to get away from all that. Anything is better than that, even if it does mean being eaten alive by natives. (Spider is now looking quite upset, the shot is of him sat by a river) After that I must have dropped off. Strange how that happened in the given circumstances. I guess I was pretty tired, I hadn't had a decent night's sleep for ages. Everywhere I tried to sleep was freezing and damp and believe it or not nothing had been as comfy as that straw on the floor. I was awoken again by a deep, loud voice. I opened my eyes startled and saw before me a very large man with a very big spear and a plate. My eyes widened with fright. Looking gruff, he then placed the plate on the floor, which had what looked like a collection of small oranges on and shoved it along the floor to me. â€Å"Man eat food now,† he said, then grunted, and stomped out locking the door behind him. I sat there, my emotions mixed with confusion and fright. Should I eat it? It could be poisonous. Then again, the other option was to die from being eaten alive so . . .I opted for eating the food. Besides, I was so hungry. I grabbed some and shoved them in my mouth, hardly bothering to chew. They actually tasted really good. They were the sweetest things I'd eaten in ages. The plate was soon empty and my stomach growled for more. For a while I just sat there thinking. The sun shined brightly through the little hole in the wall and I heard the chirping of birds from outside. Then, all of a sudden, one bird flew straight through the tiny gap and banged headfirst into the wall on the other side of my cell. It fell to the floor; it's small body motionless. A wave of sadness flowed over me as I stared at the poor creature. Then I heard a little â€Å"cheep, cheep† and the bird hopped up onto it's feet again. â€Å"Thank goodness† I thought. It is saved. I looked at it again and as it tried to fly away, only one wing would work. It twisted and turned frantically trying to get away, but sadly it couldn't. It soon ran out of energy and flopped to the floor again. I went over and saw it's tiny chest beating, it's wing was obviously broken. I studied around me for anything that would help the bird. I spotted a twig that looked quite strong and I gathered up some of the hay off of the floor. I then carefully attached the twig to the bird's wing with the straw, to act as a kind of splint. The little thing was now too exhausted to be frightened which was good. Now aware that it's wing was better, the bird stood up and tried to fly. At first it was just small jumps, which progressed to get bigger. I heard loud footsteps approaching the cell door and I backed towards the other side of the room. It was the same man as before, he had come to collect the plate. As he unlocked the door and came in, he saw the pretty bird hopping around with my attempt of a splint on. He stared at it in amazement. â€Å"You help this bird?† he questioned. â€Å"Yyyyesss†, I stammered, shaking like a leaf. He looked surprised. â€Å"Man is good, he help bird†, he said. Then did what I presumed to be a smile, I wasn't too sure though. Then he left. A few minutes later, the man from before came in again, but this time followed by another member of the tribe. â€Å"You will come with us now†, the new man said, in an even deeper voice than the first one. They led me out of the cell and took me to the place where I had first laid eyes on this village. It was pretty early in the morning, so there wasn't a fire, but everything else was pretty much the same. I was greeted by the faces of at least fifty natives, all covered in war paint and wearing native dress, staring at me like I was some sort of alien. I felt so out of place and scared. Whispering went on between the audience as I was led up to the front. Then, everyone went silent as the steady beat of the drum began once more. All of the tribe bowed down, as who I assumed to be the chief came out of one of the biggest little huts. He was wearing a beautifully ornate head-dress, accompanied by long, beige, cotton robes with tassels coming off. He walked solemnly up to me and stared at me straight in the eye. The whole tribe was silent now and even the drum had ceased it's beating. â€Å"Man, you trespassed onto our land. Punishment for trespassing, is death!† he said, almost shouting at the end. Everyone gasped and started their whispering again. I just stood there trembling. â€Å"But!† he carried on â€Å"you have shown great kindness and selflessness in helping little sacred saskarpelli bird. Therefore your punishment has been lifted. You will no longer die† I sighed a huge sigh of relief and my heart returned to it's normal pace. â€Å"And,† he started again, â€Å"As a show of our gratitude, I would like to make you an honorary member of our tribe†, he smiled and the crowd started shouting and cheering. Before I knew it I was being dressed up and having war paint painted on my face. I spent the whole day with them, chanting and dancing, like I had seen them do the night before. It was truly the most amazing, strange and scary forty-eight hours of my life! The next day I bid my farewells and carried on my journey. I had a full stomach and plenty more food to keep me going on my way until my next adventure . . .

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Hulu: An Evil plot to Destroy the World Essay

All quotations and references refer to â€Å" Hulu: An Evil plot to Destroy the World† unless otherwise noted. 1) Hulu succeeded while everyone predicted its failure due to the following reasons: * Hulu harnessed existing technologies namely online video and broadcast media to create a new platform that was â€Å"focused on helping users find and enjoy the world’s premium, professionally produced content when where and how they want it†. The platform brought together professional content owners/providers, advertisers and content consumers/users in a platform mediated network. * Rather than choose to be a destination site or syndicate content, Hulu chose to be both by being an aggregator of online video. There were web sites that did this for user generated content but Hulu was a leader in this space for professionally generated content. * The business model for Hulu’s platform is 100% advertising supported. * Hulu’s platform model consists of 3 nodes – content providers, advertisers and users * The ‘subsidy side’ in this network is the users who use the platform for free while the ‘money side’ is the advertisers who pay Hulu for running their advertisements. Hulu on the other hand pays content providers for showing their content on the platform. The more the number of users on Hulu the more advertisers value the platform and are attracted to advertise on it. Also, the more the content available on Hulu the more users are attracted to the platform and subsequently, the more the revenue that can be generated from advertising. * Hulu leveraged the cross side network effect between content providers and users by partnering strategically with over 170 content providers including the most popular broadcast and cable networks in the United States. The content providers â€Å"participated in the value created through the distribution of their content†, providing the incentive for them to continue their support of the Hulu platform. * Hulu partnered with 30 affiliated websites including those whose users represented 96% of the monthly unique US-based web users to bring content to its audience and to leverage the cross side network effect between users and advertisers to increase revenues. * Hulu also focused on users and offered its service free to them thereby maximising the cross-side network effects between users and advertisers on its platform resulting in increased revenues generated from advertisers. 2) Hulu’s business strategy is to be focused â€Å"on helping users find and enjoy the world’s premium professionally produced content when, where and how they want it†. Hulu does this by using Internet technology to bring free content to its users anywhere at any time. Hulu is a first mover in this space and is currently enjoying the first mover advantage. However with the ubiquity of internet technology accompanied by lower costs and the commoditization of the technology, the barrier to entry will be reduced and more players will be attracted to the profitable online video business, eating into Hulu’s profitability and success. Also, the increase in IT investments in the internet age causes â€Å"a Winner-take-all dynamic and high turbulence, as each group of dominant innovators is threatened by succeeding waves of innovation† (McAfee and Brynjolfsson, 2008) in Schumpeterian competition. This makes Hulu’s success vulnerable. The case mentions that there is already an emergence of competitive threat from â€Å"TV Everywhere† and even though CEO, Jason Kilar discounts the effect on Hulu, the new entrant is gaining some clout and Broadcasting & Cable has warned that † TV Everywhere was â€Å"starting to look like a real competitor to Hulu.†Ã¢â‚¬  Sustained success for Hulu in what is bound to be an increasingly competitive market will depend on Hulu’s Management and their ability to continue to maintain frugality, drive innovation, operational efficiencies and differentiate their products and services to gain competitive advantage and continue to dominate the market. 3) Input data – Basic – Name, Gender, Age, marital status Contact – address (state, city, zip code), phone number Other- favourite genre, previous shows watched, sites visited previously, ratings of previous shows watched. a) BI techniques i) Using Market basket Analysis Rule: if {Gender = female} then {watches real estate shows} Action: Show Ad Selector for real estate companies and related products when a female user is on Hulu ii) Using Market basket Analysis Rule: if {Married and Age>50 and lives in California} then {has watched >2 court shows in the past and previously visited a tax filing website} Action: Approach tax filing website to place their advertisement on Hulu when court shows are playing. iii) Using user based Collaborative filtering Rule: Find users ‘similar’ to current user by choosing those with the highest similarity coefficient between them and this user on the ratings of other shows. Use a combination of their similarity coefficients to predict current user’s rating for a crime show. Action: if user’s predicted rating for the crime show is high, then advertise any new crime show when user is on Hulu or other affiliate websites. b) Monetization These techniques allow Hulu to increase the click through rates as well as transaction conversion rates for its advertisements because they are targeted at users most likely to respond. Since advertisers are interested in traffic, Hulu can increase revenues by demonstrating to advertisers the number of users that can be targeted using these techniques and the subsequent increase in click through and conversion rates. 4) IT Security Plan for Hulu a) People * Management should make security a high priority and include it in Hulu’s business strategy * Train Hulu employees on the importance of security-keeping passwords confidential and not sharing passwords * Train employees on privacy policies b) Processes * Create security policies and procedures establishing mandatory minimum security standards * Standards should include provisions on customer privacy * Ensure all affiliate websites adhere to mandatory minimum security standards * Set procedures for security incidents * Review security policies annually to address new security threats to the online video industry c) Technology * Encrypt all customer data * Install antivirus software on all servers and computers and keep installations up to date * Have multi-site backup of data * Install monitoring software for servers and network * Incorporate systems logging to track access to Hulu’s IT infrastructure * Ensure firewalls are installed, enabled and have sufficient filters to protect from outside intrusion * Engage ‘Ethical Hacking’ vendors to audit systems annually in order to identify areas of vulnerability. References Andrew McAfee &Erik Brynjolfsson (July-August 2008). What Makes a competitive difference. Harvard Business Review, pg 100.